Christmas Festival 2010

The 46th Annual Christmas Festival was celebrated with tremendous zeal and overwhelming joy. Considering the current circumstances of Pakistan when our country is still struggling through the destruction of the floods, the theme chosen was "In Search of Hope". From colourful, attractive costumes to brilliant performances, everything about the festival was absolutely magnificent. Like always, Christmas brings beauty, love, purpose and hope in our lives. Our festival was not only witnessed by the students and school staff but also many dignitaries who appreciated the great effort put in. We congratulate all those who took part in the festival and made it a complete treat to watch. Thank you and well done!!!
Rabbiya Abdullah, Misha Sheikh (Prefects)

FUNDRAISER FOR FLOOS VICTIMS

The 4th of November 2010 brought a lot of fun, excitement and recreation for the students of CJM when the Annual Meena Bazaar was celebrated. Pasarela 2010 proved to be the major attraction for those who zealously attended the fun fair. Since our country has been through turmoil as a result of floods of 2010, an important message of hope was beautifully presented at the pasarela when bleakness seems to envelope us. Colourful clothes, extraordinary performances and beat of energetic songs brought smile to the faces and spark to the eyes which had been moist for the victims of flood. In addition to this, fun fair had a lot to offer from food stalls to exciting rides for children. Whereas, mothers sat, chatted and enjoyed the delicious food at Maria's Cafe. In short, it provided pure entertainment to the staff members, past pupils, students and their families which accompanied them. CJM once again took this opportunity to raise funds for charity especially for the flood victims which are in desperate need of our help and support. Fortunately, like every year, Meena Bazaar 2010 proved to be a huge success as well due to the tireless effort put in by Sr. Pilar, teachers and students. We thank you all!

Reported by Rabbiya Abdullah, Mischa Sheikh (Prefects)

Sr Pilar's visit to the flood affectees in Ghazi Ghaat, River Indus

In October, 2010 Sr Pilar visited the flood affectees in Ghazi Ghaat, River Indus. She spent time with the women and children of the camp and visited their tent village with relief supplies for the flood affected families.

CJM participates in 'Seeds for Farmers' initiative by IKF

On Sunday, 24 October 2010, CJM was invited by the Imran Khan Foundation (IKF) to attend the seminar held at Gaddafi Stadium about the IKF Flood Relief effort. Sr. Pilar, Sr. Mercedes, and other sisters were also present as well as a number of Senior Section teachers, the entire student council and a few girls from grade 10. Students from different schools were invited up on stage, to come and sing patriotic songs or share their views about the current situation of the flood relief victims. Our Faith captain, Anoop Hafeez, was the first to go up on stage and she sang beautifully. The Headgirl, Meera Mahmood, recited a poem she had written, expressing the feeling and emotion of the Pakistani youth about the current state of their beloved country. Later the whole collection of students and teachers was addressed by Imran Khan. He delivered an emotionally charged speech on the suffering of the flood affectees and what the disastrous floods can mean for the future of Pakistan. The youth, he said, are the ones whose duty it is now to act as a nation and help their fellow countrymen rebuild their homes and their lives. A short video of the flooded areas was shown. Watching the people of their country in such plight left many of the viewers with moist eyes. Introducing the aims of the IKF’s new campaign to send seeds to the farmers in flood affected areas, Imran Khan also announced that students will get a chance to take an active part in this effort. The students will raise funds for the campaign by selling tickets to a Twenty20 cricket match that will take place in approximately six weeks at the Gaddafi Stadium. He also enlightened us with the good news that after twenty years he will once again jump into the field and take part in the match. After the speech our students were interviewed by Geo News. The CJM delegation was specially addressed by Imran Khan’s sister, a former past pupil of the Convent. She shared with us her experience that after leaving school she always stood out amongst others anywhere she went. She attributed this quality to all the values and character building she had learnt in her years at school. “Being a Conventarian”, she told us, “is something you will be proud of all your life and nowhere can you learn the beauty of character that you will be taught in this institution.”
Report by CJM Prefects Mischa Sheikh and Rabbiya Abdullah

“Empowering the Leaders of Tomorrow” Seeds of Peace

Since 2001 CJM has been sending its pupils as members of the Pakistani delegation in the Seeds of Peace International Summer Camp held in Maine, USA. Sr. Pilar was the leader of the very first delegation that went from Pakistan. This year our school has continued the tradition by sending Noor Malik of class 11 as part of the Seeds from Pakistan. She attended the three week camp from 21 June to 17 July 2010. They went to Maine where the SOP camp was held and also spent a week in Washington D.C. where they visited landmarks such as the Whitehouse, Capitol Hill as well as the Air and Space Museum. When asked about the experience this is what she had to say: ‘I am thankful to the school for giving me the opportunity to go through this life changing experience. At camp we were able to interact with other Seeds our age from different parts of the world. The South Asian (Pakistan, India, Afghanistan) and American delegates took part in dialogue together and we were able to discuss the conflicted issues between our countries. Although we had different points of view which led us to have heated discussions in the end we were able to establish common ground between us. The daily activities that we had such as swimming, canoeing, water skiing, rock climbing, basketball and talent shows helped us know each other beyond the dialogue hut. The group challenges were designed in a way to make delegates who normally disagreed with each other in dialogue sessions work as a team and eventually develop trust amongst themselves. We especially focused on how we, the youth, can contribute towards making a change in the today’s In the end I would like to say that I hope we were able to present a positive image of our country. I wish the best of luck to Conventarians who get this opportunity to go as representatives of the Pakistani youth and hope that they will make their school and country proud.’

The main objective of Seeds of Peace is to bring together youth from those parts of the world that are not on friendly terms. The countries that participate include USA, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan and India. At camp these delegates are given the unique opportunity to sit together and discuss the various issues of conflict between their countries so that they can together look for a practical solution to deal with their problems. The aim of all this is not only to remove the stereotypical views instilled into the youth by society but to also aid delegates in their leadership skills so that they can help brighten the future of their country. The SOP motto is “empowering the leaders of tomorrow”. At camp through the drama and music competitions the Seeds learn about the different cultures of the other delegates and at the same time learn how they are not so very different after all.

Report by Prefects, Mischa Sheikh and Rabbiya Abdullah.

SENIOR SCHOOL ANNUAL PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

PRIZE DISTRIBUTION 2010 (JUNIOR AND KG SECTIONS)

CJM : FOR FLOOD RELIEF

A DETAILED REPORT WILL BE POSTED SOON REGARDING THE CJM LAHORE EFFORTS FOR FLOOD RELIEF WORK. THE SCHOOL WAS ORDERED TO REMAIN CLOSED AND THIS AFFECTED THE RELIEF WORK. AS THE SCHOOL REOPENEND ON THE 4TH OF SEPTEMBER THE EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY. ALREADY RATIONS AND DRY FOOD ITEMS AND CLOTHES HAVE BEEN COLLECTED BY THE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND FUNDS HAVE BEEN RAISED BY BOTH THE TEACHING STAFF AND THE DOMESTIC STAFF. SR PILAR HAS BEEN TRAVELLING TO THE SOUTH OF PUNJAB WITH SISTERS AND STAFF MEMBERS TO DELIVER THESE GOODS TO THE FLOOD AFFECTEES. CHECK THIS SITE FOR UPDATES WITH FRESH IMAGES. A FUNDRAISER IS PLANNED FOR NEXT MONTH

SUPER O LEVEL AND MATRIC RESULTS!

MATRIC RESULTS

Out of a Total of 34 students
32 got A s
2 got B s.
The highest score was 983 marks out of 1100!

O LEVEL RESULTS 2010
Total number of candidates that sat the exam from CJM :60
9 A s 18 pupils
8 A s 8 pupils
7 A s 3 pupils
6 A s 5 pupils
5 A s 6 pupils
All 60 candidates secured A or A* in English Language. Well Done!!

SUMMER CAMP FOR SENIORS

THE SCHOOL WILL REMAIN CLOSED FOR SUMMER VACATIONS AND RE OPEN ON THE 13TH OF SEPTEMBER.

HOWEVER, A SUMMER CAMP IS BEING CONDUCTED FROM 9AM TO 12.30 PM DAILY FOR THE EXAMINATION CLASSES.

CLASS 9 A,B,C AND 9M, CLASS 10 A,B,C AND 10M, CLASS 11 A,B,C MUST COME TO SCHOOL FOR THE CAMP FROM THE 25TH OF AUGUST, FROM 9 AM TO 12.30 PM.

SUMMER STUDY MARATHON - A HUGE SUCCESS

Summer came with a great idea, a new innovative way of teaching English, Urdu and Mathematics to students from Class 6,7 and 8. Fun time was never missed with Icecreams, drama and debate activities, or movies. Some student volunteers opted to help an orphanage. The orphan children were accompanied by senior class 9 students to the zoo. They were given water activities at the Thevenet Centre and Sr Pilar provided them with a sumptuous lunch.
The summer camp was so 'Cool', the teachers enjoyed it too!!

OATH TAKING CEREMONY MAY, 2010

The council for 2010-2011 took oath of office on the 28th of May, 2010. The chief guest, Mrs Mehmood, mother of the newly elected Head Girl addressed the house and praised the school for inculcating values in the students. The wonderful march music was played by Sir Paul, who has recovered, and is keen to start teaching again in the next term. Welcome back, Sir Paul!!

Mehfil e Milad 2010

Like every year, this year's Mehfil e Milad was a success. Thevenet Centre children also took part along with the senior section girls. Prayers for peace and harmony were presented by the students in beautiful, melodious voices. Late Mrs Abida Hamid's mother was invited for the occasion. Mrs Abida was always a part of the Milad preparations and she will always be missed by the faculty and pupils of CJM.

Asma Jehangir addresses pupils in her Alma Mater

Asma Jehangir, the renowned lawyer and human rights activist, is a past pupil of CJM Lahore. She took time out of her busy schedule to visit CJM on the 26th of May, 2010 on the invitation of our Principal Sr. Pilar.

She addressed the students of class 9 and class 10 regarding her role in the Women Rights movement of Pakistan. Her struggle, her companions, her will to succeed, all was discussed in great detail. She mentioned how her democratic spirit was cultivated during her years in Convent and how this background gave her the strength to become a lawyer and then a champion of human rights, especially women rights and minorities rights.

The speech inspired the students. They were spellbound by her honesty and frank observations as well as her praise for the value of tolerance propagated in CJM. Her message to the students was to have a mind of their own, and a will to voice the truth that is in their minds.

Asma had to be in the Lahore High Court and had very little time for autographs. She still managed a few and the students were thrilled. Sr Marie Cecil and Sr Pilar accompanied her as she left the lecture hall.

FWD: Join the WWSF World Campaign 2010

"No violence against children is justifiable and all violence against children is preventable." - Prof. Paulo Pinheiro

Join the WWSF World Campaign 2010 for making prevention of abuse and violence against children a global priority.
Dear Friends and Partners,
WWSF is happy to celebrate with you this year the 10th Anniversary of the World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse – 19 November. Last year, 785 organizations from 127 countries joined the international coalition marking not only the World Day but also the Prevention Education Week 13-19 November, or supporting the Day in general.
Launched in 2000, the World Campaign & World Day have as their main mission to create a global culture of prevention. We sincerely hope that you will join the 2010 coalition and to help make prevention a worldwide priority. We also invite you to encourage your members and partners to do the same.
Please find online the 2010 Campaign Registration Form to be returned by 1 June http://www.woman.ch/index.php?page=online-registration&hl=en_US and tick all the corresponding boxes in order to be considered as a coalition member, and describe your planned activities to qualify as an active member. We also give you the link to the introductory page of the campaign http://www.woman.ch/index.php?page=2010-world-campaign-coalition&hl=en_US
To know all about our programs, please visit our revamped new web site, which gives you updated information on our children and on our women section. http://www.woman.ch
We are pleased to share with you that WWSF is in the process of creating a new interactive web site YouthEngage.com with the aim to involve young people in prevention of abuse and violence among children and adolescents.
We look forward to counting you among the 2010 coalition members and celebrate with you the power of partnership in creating a global culture for prioritizing prevention.
Sincerely,
Elly PradervandWWSF CEO and interim Children’s Section coordinator
WWSF Women's World Summit Foundation – Children’s SectionSecretariat: 11 Avenue de la Paix, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandP.O. Box 143, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland

CJM in a Student Exchange Programme

Convent of Jesus and Mary was one of the three schools from Pakistan invited to participate in the Student Exchange Programme organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. This council was founded by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1950, with the aim to promote cultural and intellectual exchange between countries. Sister Pilar and Ms Shezra Mansab accompanied Meera Mehmood, Sara Tahir and Anoop Hafiz. It was a multidirectional exchange, providing teachers and students the opportunity to experience the diversity and richness of Indian culture, and exchange views with the other SAARC countries about their educational systems. This interaction becomes increasingly important in today’s world, when the local and the global impinge upon each other at all levels: social, economic, political and cultural. Crossing boundaries creates new avenues for exploring and widening our cultural heritage and expanding our infosphere.

One of the participants from CJM wrote:

"Our visit to India remains a great learning experience. Socio-cultural similarity coupled with astonishing, interactional enthusiasm induced pleasant feelings between the neighbouring countries.
During this trip, we had the opportunity to visit Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. All these three cultural capitals made us appreciate the rich traditions of India. We had an interesting cultural contact while living with our respective host families.
A meeting with the Governor of Rajistan triggered a new confidence among us students. We salute the Pakistani and Indian governments, along with ICCR to organize this memorable visit to the heart of India.
Thanks CJM, Lahore
Anoop Hafeez"

Three Cups of Tea in Skardu. CJM staff trip

Sr Pilar along with 14 staff members took an adventure tour of the Northern Areas.
Aerial view of Nanga Parbat from the plane, Sadbara Lake boating, view of Indus river with a backdrop of the Karakoram mountains, visit to the school founded by Greg Mortenson (mentioned in his book Three Cups of Tea). The teachers interacted with the students and gave sweets and stationery items to the students.