By Fr Chris Ferreira SDB for BIS Mumbai

Vadodara, June 8, 2026— Don Bosco High School, Vadodara, recently held a two-day seminar series on June 5 and 6, aimed at equipping its teaching and administrative staff with student pedagogy and professional-personal life balance, essential tools for the upcoming academic year. The first session on day one was conducted by Sr Nirmala Paul RJM – the Principal of Convent of Jesus and Mary School, Vadodara. She has been a veteran in the field of Catholic Education serving as an educationist pan India during her years of service. The session on day two was the Rector’s Inaugural Conference by Fr Brian Moras SDB – Rector and Manager.

Fr Moras introduced the Speaker – Sr Nirmala to the school fraternity and enthused all to participate whole heartedly to absorb as much as possible from the depths of Sister’s expertise and experience. Sr Nirmala in the first session of her talk, presented a set of seven questions that deal with a teacher’s dynamics with stakeholders in the school – pupils, parents, colleagues, coordinators, principal and the management. Dividing the staff into their respective sections – playway section, primary section, secondary and higher secondary section, Sr Nirmala was able to elicit the essence of a teacher’s grind from the gathering. She then delved deeper into the issues of emotional pulls and stress management, effective communication and student centric pedagogy. Presenting a video highlighting the importance of mental health, she invited the staff to address mental health issues not just of the students, but more importantly those of their own. Principal Ms Leena Varghese thanked Sr Nirmala for her inspiring message and hoped the staff would implement the strategies proposed during the course of the session.

Fr Moras, in his conference on day two, made the gathering comfortable with a series of visual perception games and set the tone of his talk. He showed how the way we view our students depicts the way we approach them. The clips he presented on human-orca bonds and other animal relationships helped the staff see how a symbiotic relationship sustains us all in a school ecosystem. Through real-life insights and impactful quotes, Fr Moras emphasised the role of self-awareness, forgiveness, and empathy in fostering a healthy emotional climate in schools. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Tr Nisha Mamtani.

The two-day seminar series proved to be an enriching experience, reaffirming the school’s commitment to nurturing emotionally aware and reflective educators.