| Convent of Jesus and Mary, Chelsea | |
| Established: | 1864 |
| Motto: | Nothing Without Love |
| Principal: | Sr. Stella Mary |
| Staff: | 52 |
| Zipcode: | 171002 |
| Enrollment: | 1,719 |
| Classrooms: | Classes 1-12 |
| Houses: | Honesty Perseverance Generosity Responsibility |
| Affiliations: | Provisional |
The Convent of Jesus and Mary, Chelsea, Shimla is a private English medium school, founded by a French nun, Marie Claudine Thevenet of the Religious of Jesus and Mary and run by the nuns situated in the hills of the Himalayas ranges.[1] [2] It started as an orphanage for the children of the British soldiers and established as one of the elite educational institutions in post colonial India.[3] [4] It is an all-girls elementary and secondary school, now affiliated with the CBSE board,[5] [6] [7] [8] established in Shimla[9] in 1864. Its boarding school operated for over one hundred and thirty five years, until its decision in 2000 to close the boarding section and transition to a day school.[10] [11] As a day school, it expanded with new buildings to educate children from the stages of nursery, kindergarten, to higher classes of grades XI and XII.[12] [13] The Convent of Jesus and Mary School, Shimla,[14] is favorably referred to as Chelsea'. Its students wear a red uniform and are called 'Chelseaites'.[15] [16] As an elite educational institution,[17] [18] it continues to provide not only academic achievements, but also attitudes imbued with social, moral and spiritual values in their students.[19] [20]
Mother Marie Claudine Thevenet, was the foundress of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary.[21] [22] [23] [24] She was born in Lyon, France, on 30 March 1774, the second of seven children. She founded the religious order in 1818 and became known as Mary of St. Ignatius, for the poor and those needing care until she fell gravely ill and her last words before dying were, "How good God is",[25] on 3 February 1837, at the age of 63. After her death, six Irish nuns of the order set out for colonial India, in 1842 and many convents were established, one of which was Chelsea in 1864. Across five continents, there are more than 1800 Religious of Jesus and Mary, in 180 communities.[26] [27] Pope John Paul II, canonized her a saint on 21 March 1993.[28] [29]
The journey from the hot plains of India up to the resort of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh was a winding drive through scenic mountain landscape, elevated 2206 meters from sea. Secluded on the mountain top and surrounded by nature was Chelsea. Chelsea is situated in the inner compound of St. Bede's College[30] through a shared entrance. The CJM nuns arrived from Ireland to British India in 1842 with a mission to serve the needy. On recommendation from the Governor General of India at the time, Lord Canning, the nuns moved from their work from Agra up to the hills of Shimla in 1864.[31] [32] [33] Mother St. Lewis Gonzaga was the first supervisor, the orphans of the British soldiers were cared for and received education from the nuns until 1940, when it was no longer an orphanage. In 1873, a chapel was built adjoining the school and is one of the iconic landmarks. In 1946, a fire broke out and burned two-thirds of the school building; the church, the rectory, and the Victorian-style main building were saved from the fire. The main building has the principal office, the administrative office, and the library. Its upper floor was used as elementary students' dormitories and an infirmary, another building on the south side was the senior boarders dormitories. In 1947, the British Raj ended, India got independence, and the school began accepting students from well-off families, mostly from the Northern part of India and some from overseas of Indian expatriates.[34]
The British built the iconic Chelsea chapel. A statue of the sacred heart of Jesus stands outside the front compound and a grotto of Mary behind the church, jointly shared by St. Bede's. The nuns spent long hours in prayer from as early as 5:30am. The bishop of the Diocese of Shimla and Chandigarh then, late Rev. Gilbert Blaize Rego, graced the mass a few times of the year. Sunday masses continue to be held at the church sanctuary.[35] The priests of the diocese pray and attend school ceremonies.[36]
As a boarding school, there were no more than 300 students in Chelsea, but as a day school, the numbers grew to a total of 1900 students in 2016.[37] The boarder students predominantly came from the Northern states of India and spoke perfect English. A few came from UK, North America, Africa, and Thailand, but from Indian ancestral roots. Some of these students were from families of the elites of Indian society.[38] [39] The school year commenced for nine months straight, from March to December,[40] the boarder students stayed and studied at Chelsea with little-to-no contact with their parents, on weekends their parents may call to speak to their child through the school phone. The students had each other, nuns, and teachers to make their most cherished memories of girlhood. A lot of quality time of togetherness, bonding and friendship took place amongst the Chelseaites, as there were no cell phones, TV to watch, internet, or computers available then.[41]
For five school days, a strict uniform consisting of a white shirt, grey skirt, crimson red sweater, tie, socks, and a blazer had to be worn. Off-school hours also required the boarders to don another set of uniform, their long hair neatly plaited and pinned, their shoes clean and their appearance prim and proper at all times. The weekend's free dress code was an occasion that the boarders looked forward to.[42]
From grade five onwards, the students were assigned and divided into one of four houses, where they remained loyal and competitive until they graduated. The only time the student boarders forgot their competitiveness with each other was when Chelsea competed in inter-school competitions, then the Chelseaites collective purpose was to outshine the rival girls schools from Auckland House, Tara Hall, or the boys of Bishop Cotton School, or St. Edward's.
The boarders spent the longest of their formative years under the care, tutelage and discipline of the nuns and teachers in whose care they were and the school code of conduct in display of respect, manners and behavior continues today.[43] [44] [45] [46] [47]
The four houses were Red (Honesty), Blue (Perseverance), Green (Generosity), and Yellow (Responsibility), was symbolic and reflected some of the virtues the school hope to instill in the pupils from grade five and up. The Head girl, the Sports captain, the house captains, and vice captains were elected and formed the school council after an elaborate oath-taking ceremony. On school events, the student council with their houses would form a formation of drills and synchronized marches in salutation to the guests of honor, usually government dignitaries.3 The Houses competed in inter-house as well as inter-school debates, dramas, elocution, sports, and games. The school photographer, Mr. Joshi, had been to every Chelsea events for decades, capturing snap shots of the drills, march past, dance, gymnastic performances, school fete, school graduation, and ceremonial events. The present school council is now expanded to include Social and Cultural captains and vice-captains.[48]
The elementary student boarders from kindergarten to grade four had their dormitories upstairs in the old Victorian main building, while the senior boarders in the newer building on the south side. Each dormitory had consistent furnishings of a single bed draped by the same color counterpane, a bedside dresser, a chair for each boarder and the dorms were grouped by each class. Cleanliness and its maintenance were done by the matrons for the younger boarders, even plaiting the hair and making their beds. The senior pupils had to tidy their space, orderliness and placement of their items had to be precise in its place, their beds had to be aired and made only after brushing their teeth. Each had a shoe locker, a hanging hamper and a shelf space for their uniforms and clothes.
The senior boarders were woken up by the 6am dorm bell or by the clapping of Sr. Celsus, as she approached each dorms. The students dressed into uniform, hair combed, beds made, studied for an hour before breakfast, after which the school bell ring for assembly, to start school promptly at 8:25am. They would return to dorm after school to change into another uniform for extra curricular activities, sports, drills or do march past practices with their houses which would be perfected by the time of school presentation on Parents Day or ceremonial guard of honor to school chief guests. After evening study, supper time, then free time, the day was followed by another study time before returning for the night. Each class had an assigned bath day and were always reminded not to waste water or to leave enough hot water for the next. A few stay-in matrons helped do the chores in the house but they get off early leaving only Sr. Celsus, to handle the boarders in the evening and whose duty never ends. Supervisor Sr. Celsus, was quite old in the mid 1980s, she worked tirelessly long into the night caring for the girls hygiene, health, and safety, knowing that all were safe in bed before she called it a night. Her gentleness, love, care and humility showed in her work year after year.
In the new millennium, the building that housed the senior dormitories was replaced with a new multi-purpose building named Claudine Thevenet Hall, considered the largest of its kind in Northern India.[49] [50] [51]
All the meals were served at tables pre-set by the dinning staff. Each table had a student from each class and ate with table manners after saying the grace.
An encyclopedic collections of books for research, science, literatures, journals, and newspapers were available at the library to students, where they sat quietly in reading, browse through the collections on subjects of interest to sign out for a period of time.[52]
Like its other CJM boarding schools, Chelsea also had an infirmary.[53] Those who fell sick or came down with chicken pox or measles were infirmed in a separate building with a house nurse Elizabeth, who had worked there for decades, and in dispensing medication in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
In the senior dormitories building, Sr. Celsus kept a cupboard under lock that was stocked with chocolates, chilly chips, pop drinks, biscuits, and candies. After school when the boarders returned to change, the tuck shop could be opened. Classes would line up to get extra snacks and sign out the payment from their pocket money account kept tallied by Sister Celsus, who taught good stewardship by capping the boarder's spending. The Tuck cupboard was one of the Chelseaite's favorite indulges when all our snacks brought from home in the beginning of the year would have long been eaten.
The classes with their teachers rallied to organize, set up, and assign duties for their class game stalls and to raise funds for the students specific projects. This event was fun and competitive and the school invite other schools participation. The boarders could wear their designer clothes and dance to the music of the day in the hall. The Chelseaites would hope the boys from Bishop Cotton would show up but displayed nonchalance in the presence of the nuns when the boys did visit. Mother Conrad, a teapot-statured four-feet tall nun who taught the pupils elocution, had for the longest decades, been the one person in-charged of the spin-the-wheel stall and she would singularly come close to winning the top three award for the most raised fund stall simply by spinning the wheel as she would bid the onlookers to come try and guaranteed to win a chocolate. The kitchen staff too participated by selling hot chilli pickle bottles.
The school belonged to ICSE board but were affiliated to CBSE board in the new millennium. The teachers were well qualified and experienced or given training in pedagogy teaching. The emphasis continues today in the development of the child to learn to not only reach their full academic potential but to transform their behavior and virtues as a righteous human being before God, as an individual and to their country.[54] [55]
English, Hindi, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, History, Civics, Home Science, Arts, Music, Physical Education were taught. During the boarding school era under the home science, cooking lessons, knitting, and crochet were taught. Computer Science was added under the Day school with the additional XI and XII classes.[56]
The Chelseaites enjoyed outings on foot, by bus or by toy train the Kalka-Shimla Railway.[57] [58] These outings happened a few times, on the weekend or during planned school trips or excursion. Some of the outings were to Mall Road, Shimla, Eagle Mount, Sanjauli, Rashtrapati Niwas, Naldehra Golf Course and surrounding nature trails.
Traditionally, the graduating class is sent off with a farewell party by the succeeding class (boarding days: X hosted by IX, day school: XII hosted by XI). This is an event to mark the senior class success as they graduate to proceed ahead with blessings to the next phase of life. The celebration ends with crowning one of them, a Miss Chelsea title.[59]
A handful of teachers were in-house staff at Chelsea and were accommodated at the teacher's quarter, as an individual. After school, they also performed duties to supervise the boarders during the evening study hour and went on excursion or outings with them. The rest of the day-staff, their duties ended at the end of school day.
Another building housed the school kitchen staff and maintenance workers, where their families lived with them.[60]
The new era as a day scholar school transitioned in the millennium year 2001. From a few hundred boarder students, the day scholar students have grown in size to 1,719 for year 2023-2024.[61] The new Claudine Thevenet hall building, the expansion of classrooms, workshop, laboratories, new basketball court and facilities to accommodate the growth and demand for Chelsea as a day educational center has only grown in Himachal Pradesh. It continues to remain as one of the choice all girls high school today, from Nursery, KG, to classes I-XII, under CBSE board.[62] [63]
CJM pupils continue to be competitive and win awards in academic, sports and arts competitions such as:
The Sisters of CJM, Shimla, like all the orders around the world, dedicated their lives in service to God, in self-giving, self-sacrifice, obedience, chastity, duty, honor, and with humility. Until death, their duty before God and service to the children and the community were imitated in the likeness of their foundress.[68] Their outward work and love to others was widespread, but never to draw attention to themselves as "to be unknown and counted as nothing".[69] The nun's work was a lifetime of service to enrich the lives of the young minds whom they taught and cared for. In their students, they hoped would imbued the virtues and grace of which they themselves were an exemplary. The nuns of Chelsea served till their last breath and were buried at Chelsea private cemetery[70] in Shimla or at the city of their last year of vocation where they died.
Sr. Magdalen Hickey died on 27 July 1897, and the Rev. Mother Annie Mary St. Peter died on 1 June 1908.
Sr. Celsus Ferpeira, served over fifty years at Chelsea as the Sister in charged of the senior dormitories. She was the idyllic pillar of strength and a loving nun who gave her utmost in the care and upbringing of the boarders. She cohesively held together the boarders to make all Chelseaites down the years, reminisced in pride, gratitude the best period of their girlhood as a boarder at Chelsea. It can be said that Sr. Celsus's presence and her dedication as a supervisor since post-colonial India to the time of her death that she epitomized Chelsea. After her passing, another like her could never be replaced. She died and was buried in Shimla, at age 79, on 23 September 1995. A few years after that, the era of Chelsea boarding school came to an end. The boarding section shut down in 2000. The memories of one such a person who had a great impact in the lives of thousands of Cheseaites, worldwide, is etched in the minds and hearts of the boarders.
Rev. Sr. Christopher, a six feet tall Irish Mother Superior was an embodiment of grace and wisdom. She walked straight and tall and gently correct the pupils who slouched or did not walk tall or straight like a 'broomstick'. Upon her arrival to India as a nun in the early formative years of CJM, she tirelessly spent her lifetime in the administration of CJM schools when she became one of the Provincial Mother. Her last post was at a CJM in Vadodara. In her late 90s then she was still quick witted and insisted to do some work even like folding the clothes. When she broke her hip, she was bedridden and did not think a hip replacement was necessary or the money be spent on her at that age. She was still able to write letters until she was too weak to. She died in the early 2000s.
Mother Conrad Coats, a four feet tall nun, in perfect oval shape had for several decades been a fixture at Chelsea and taught the junior school elocution. She would look appalled, like heavens fell down, if an English word was not pronounced correctly and watchful on the phonetic of "W" and "V". Sr. Conrad was buried at Chelsea cemetery at age eighty three on 22 October 1989.
Mother Consilio (née Nancy Browne), an Irish nun had dedicated her lifetime in service since her arrival to colonial India. She had a very prim and proper etiquette and her presence commanded respect and attention. She was Chelsea's Superior before moving to serve at St. Bede's. She died at age eighty on 13 October 1999.
Sr. Lea D'Souza and Sr. Fatima, were in-charged of the junior school dormitories for the longest time and were strict disciplinarian. Sr Lea died on 12 April 1997.
Sr. Lucy D'souza, taught chemistry in the early days to later be in administration, principal of other CJM schools.[71]
Sr. Goretti was the principal of Chelsea with a strong administrative skill and served her lifetime at CJM Order.
Sr. Antoniette, was the principal in-charge at the time of the closing of Chelsea's boarding section.[72]