COMMUNITY
We are a community of learners – students, teachers and parents
In a short span of time Stonehill has become the most diverse community of learners in the city with students from more than thirty countries and teachers from over fifteen. We realise that our school will be a first point of interaction for many expatriate and Indian families moving to Bangalore. To help students and their families adapt to their surroundings and rest assured of a safe school environment, we encourage open channels of communication. The academic year is dotted with informal get-togethers on campus, discussions in the specially assigned ‘parent room’ and service-oriented projects which involve meaningful participation with local communities. We create opportunities for families to quickly belong to a supportive group of friends and get involved with the school at multiple levels.
Parent-Teacher Association
The Stonehill PTA is a non-profit organisation that exists to enhance and support the educational experience of all students at Stonehill International School; to welcome new families; to develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement, and to promote a positive community spirit in the school.
The Stonehill PTA mission statement is closely aligned to the school mission and inspires involvement and commitment to support the school community. Towards that end, teachers and administrators collaborate with the PTA Executive and parent class representatives to assist the PTA in its defined role.
The Stonehill PTA aligns its choice of activities and causes that it supports with the IB Learner Profile. The Stonehill PTA believes that the values we try to teach our children must be exhibited by all members of the community, and therefore uses the IB Learner Profile as a guide to action.
The Stonehill PTA supports various charities through a holistic approach to ensure maximum awareness and opportunities that will have the Stonehill families involved through the year, and not limited to specific charity driven events. The charities currently supported by the PTA are:
Stonehill Government School
Stonehill International School has adopted this government school in the neighbouring village. The PTA in the last 2 years has contributed sport equipment, books for their library and also helped in certain aspects to build a computer lab in the government school. SIS students also do many service learning projects with this school.
Morning Star Ashram
Morning Star Ashram is a home for over 80 boys, some of them with physical and mental illness. Father John is the care taker and looks after these boys by giving them education and sending them to the neighbouring government school. PTA has supported this charity for the last 2 years by buying them basic food stuff from time to time and having a collection drive during the international food fair at school.
Iksha Foundation
Iksha supports children with eye cancer – Retinoblastoma. The focus of this Foundation is to create awareness, promote early detection and support poor and underprivileged families thereby ensuring early diagnosis and timely treatment of these children.
PTA has been supporting this charity for the past year by paying for medication and contributing towards surgery costs for these children.
An inclusive global outlook begins with understanding varying local contexts
We encourage our students to participate in community service and engage with local culture, helping them respect differences, appreciate diversity and above all, recognise through it all, our common humanity.
An ongoing example of such an initiative is the Government School in the adjacent village. Built and sponsored by the Embassy Group in 2012, it was handed over in its entirety to the Government of Karnataka. Stonehill International School has now adopted it and supports it financially and, more importantly, educationally.
Our students pay regular visits to the school (with IB Diploma Programme CAS students visiting weekly). Through work and play, they teach and in the process learn from the village students.
The Government School students are also invited to visit Stonehill and benefit from our facilities such as the swimming pool, playground, drama room and more.
International schools are prone to becoming bubbles where students lead their lives largely unaware of the people and varied lifestyles that exist beyond the school gates. Stonehill, on the other hand, enables students to go beyond their comfort zone and interact with the local community. What they learn from this, and our students have told us so themselves, is invaluable in the real world.
Diet & Nutrition
Our emphasis on all-round development of the child organically seeps into the nutrition we provide at school. The cafeteria serves lunch and snacks prepared by the school’s own chef and kitchen staff.
The menu has been designed to offer a balanced diet with fresh ingredients, adhering to stringent standards of hygiene. Students can choose from vegetarian and non vegetarian options. There is a strict no-junk food policy with only the occasional dessert.
Stonehill is a nut-free campus. Please inform the school if your child is allergic to any type of food.
Healthcare & Wellness
A team of full-time, highly qualified, internationally experienced school nurses are available for students 24/7 for minor ailments as well as basic medical tests.The school has a dedicated nursing room in the educational block as well as a 10-bed clinic in the boarding facilities. We have an ambulance on site for major sporting events held on the school premises.
Child Protection
The Governing Council believes that child abuse and neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to the child’s education as well as to their physical, emotional and social development. Stonehill International School endorses the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which our host country, India, is a signatory. The Governing Council believes that schools fill a special institutional role in society as protectors of children. Schools need to ensure that all children in their care are afforded a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop
Counselling
School years are perhaps the most challenging and dynamic period of an individual’s life, marked by rapid development and growing academic, intellectual, social, physical and emotional demands. The counselling team at Stonehill is trained to support students through the various challenges that they may experience at different stages of their time at school.