Laidlaw

Laidlaw

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Smith House



SMITH HOUSE

What is Smith Cottage now was built as a Nursery Training School to train young girls to look after the orphan babies that very often came to the Homes. As the years went by and less and less orphan babies came to the Homes, the building has been turned into a cottage for children of Stds. I, II and III. The foundation stone of Smith Cottage was laid by His ExcellencyLord Erskine C.C.I.E., Governor of Madras on 2nd November 1936. Smith cottage can accommodate up to 70 children. There are 3 dormitories for the children. Two dormitories for the boys and one dormitory for the girls.

Dorm A has 14 double decker beds, Dorm B has 13 double decker beds and Dorm C has 17 wooden single beds. The dormitories are kept neat and clean. Each dormitory has shoe racks, towel pegs and lockers. There is a washing machine to wash the under linen and socks. The uniforms, home clothes and night clothes and games clothes go to the 'dhobi' to be washed and ironed. Smith cottage has its own computer room, music room and a big dining hall where the children have their meals and watch television.

At meal times the warden, matrons and ayahs see that the children use their forks and spoons in the proper manner, observe table manners and silence. We have a playground where the children play during their free time. The teaching staff, warden and matrons see to the discipline in the cottage.

Routine

The children of Std. IV wake up at 6:30am, get ready and go for study at 7:00am. The other children wake up at 7:00am, brush their teeth, wash, get dressed, make their beds, tidy their lockers and shine their shoes. The matrons supervise and the ayahs help the children.

The children come for breakfast at 8:00am. Breakfast is from 8:00am to 8:25am. After the breakfast the children get ready for assembly which is from 8:40am to 9:00am. In the morning the classes start at 9:00am and go on to 11:00am. There is a break from 11:00am to 11:15am. From 11:15am we continue classes till 1:15pm. There is a break for lunch from 1:15pm to 2:15pm.

The children have their lunch and go to the Smith House play ground to play. In the afternoon,classes go on from 2:15pm to 3:35pm. From 3:35pm to 4:00pm the weak students stay back in class and complete their work. The class teacher supervises this study. Tea is from 4:00pm to 4:15pm. From 4:30pm to 4:45pm the children go for a walk with a staff member or do their practice for drama, drill etc. From 5:45pm to 6:15pm the children have baths with the help of the ayahs. From 6:20pm to 7:00pm they study. Dinner is from 7:00pm to 7:25pm. After dinner the children assemble for night prayers. 7:30pm to 8:30pm study. By 8:45pm the children brush their teeth and get into bed.

The warden teaches the children good moral values, sees to the discipline, inculcates good habits in the children. The warden is present through out in the cottage and sees to the smooth running of the cottage. We have two matrons and 2 ayahs in Smith cottage to assist the warden.

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