Circulars

How to read this table : Consider the class you would be attending from the upcoming academic year. You will be able to see when school starts for the next academic year, the summer break and the dates for the June reopening as well!

Know your dates :

Class	Start DATE NEW acad. year (2024-25)	Summer break	June reopening
Nur	3rd June	–	–
Jr. KG	6th June	–	–
Sr. KG	10th June	–	–
Std. 1	20th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June
Std. 2	19th March	13th April – 3rd June	4th June
Std. 3	20th March	13th April – 3rd June	4th June
Std. 4	20th March	13th April – 3rd June	4th June
Std. 5	19th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June
Std. 6	20th March	13th April – 3rd June	4th June
Std. 7	19th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June
Std. 8	19th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June
Std. 9	19th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June
Std. 10	19th March	13th April – 2nd June	3rd June

 

Here is a checklist of things to collect from the school BEFORE the new academic year begins :

What?	How many?	Why?	Where?
Temporary ID cards – student	2	No child will be allowed to enter school without an ID card, so make it is worn right from Day 1.	HERE is a quick video that will help you put on the ID card easily. No pins to be used.
Temporary ID cards – tiffin	1	To be attached to the tiffin bag without fail, to reduce tiffin mix ups. (Yes, it looks like the student ID card)	HERE is an easy way to do this – just like we attach luggage tags at the airport!
Daily worksheet folder (Std. 1 onwards)	1	For children to carry worksheets to and from school easily! Border colour is the HOUSE colour.	Carry to school EVERY DAY! Worksheets move between home and school through this
Files	As per chart given below	Worksheets that come must be filed as per subject. More information in the chart given below.	Keep these files at home. Do NOT carry to school.
Funky folding Walnut bag	1	To carry all this material home – and to show off how environmentally friendly you are when you go to the market! 🙂	This is a small gift from us for YOU, not for the kids! No need to send this to school.
School Calendar	1	The school routine at a glance .	Keep this at home for a quick overview. Calendar icons explained below on this page.
Fridge Magnet	1	So you can easily put up the calendar on the fridge!	For home use!

 

• If you misplace your permanent ID card, you will have to place a request for a new one. It costs Rs. 100.
• The ID card is part of the uniform and is A MUST to enter the school premises.
• Additional folders can be bought from the school office. Each costs Rs. 250.

Files – Collect as per the chart below :

Std	Files	Subject wise distribution
1 and 2	10	Eng, Math, Sci, Soc, Lang Arts, Read, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Computer, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous
3 and 4	10	Eng, Math, Sci, Soc, Mara, Read, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Computer, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous
5 and 6	11	Eng, Math (2), Sci, Soc, Mara, Hindi, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Computer, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous
7	13	Eng, Math (2), Sci, Soc, Mara, Hindi, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Computer, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous, Exam papers (2)
8	14	Eng, Math (2), Sci, Soc, Mara, Hindi, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Computer, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous, Exam papers (3)
9 and 10	18	Eng, Math (2), Sci, Soc, Mara, Hindi, Mental Math + Inf Transfer, Inf Technology, Hands on + Strategic Thinking, Miscellaneous(2), Exam papers (6)

 

Please note :

• Worksheets which your child brings home everyday, should be filed daily in the files that are given. Our teachers will ask students to get these files to school once in a while to check that sheets are being kept properly. Tell this to the kids, so that they don’t just dump all the sheets in one drawer.
• The list of textbooks that we use is shared here. You have to keep your textbooks at home. Do not send textbooks to school. We have a separate set of books in the school for the kids to use. We are bagless, aren’t we!
• Some subjects do not have an NCERT textbook. The learning material for that comes home through the worksheets. The textbook list has further details.

• For your convenience, uniform delivery has been arranged in the school. If you haven’t already collected the school uniform, visit the school office to check your child’s uniform size.
• Make sure you bring your child along to try out the uniform!
• Place the order for two sets (you can order more if you want).
• Collect it immediately if the size is available.
• Do place an order for the winter jackets, if you don’t have one. Students will NOT be allowed to wear personal sweatshirts or sweaters to school.

The transport provider details are as follows:

Shivane campus:

• Transport Provider: Mr. Marne
• Phone / Whatsapp: 9970194003 (10 am – 6 pm) [1 day to respond]
• Email: [email protected] [2 days to respond]
• Availability: Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm (In-person availability at the school)

Fursungi campus:

• Transport Provider: Mr. Santosh Nagawde
• Phone: 8698775577 / 9970693511
• Availability: Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm (In-person availability at the school)

Wakad campus:

• Transport Providers: Mr. Nilesh Swami / Mr. Ganesh Swami
• Phone: Nilesh Swami – 9850414995, Ganesh Swami – 7558433851
• Availability: Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm (In-person availability at the school)

Mamma child pick up points are as follows:

• Shivane : Mamma child gate at the Secondary building entrance. (Nanded city side)
• Wakad : Mamma child gate at the back side of the school building. (Police Chowky Road)
• Fursungi : Mamma child gate on the front side of the school building.

You see various symbols on the calendar and it is explained on the calendar itself what they mean. If there is a class mentioned below the icon, it means that instruction is for those specific classes only. 

Please note : Since it is the school calendar for the academic year 2024-25, it shows only those months when school is in session.

 

	School reopening : The class is mentioned below this icon on the calendar. The reopening dates are staggered as per class. That is the first day of the new academic year, for your child. You also see this icon when the school reopens after any long break.
	Practice Test : This is when the students write practice exams to prepare for the tests. These happen before each test, once every quarter. The Portion Circular will be shared roughly mid – unit, with the practice test schedule and marks distribution per subject.
	Tests : There is a written test for the WRITE subject and oral exams for LEARN and READ. You will be shared a portion circular roughly mid – unit, with the details of the syllabus and exam plan. We also conduct practice tests before the Test week in school, so that students revise everything they have learnt during the unit. For our KG students, the exams are conducted in such a way that the students don’t realise they are being tested! You can read more about the philosophy behind exams at Walnut here.
	Electric Saturdays : These are fun days for the students and even the parents. Competitions, reading and speaking demos, sports demos and races, workshops and lots of other exciting activities! You will get emails about this from time to time. Different classes will have these events on different Saturdays.
	Parties : These are days with regular school hours where the students have a fun day, based on a specific theme. Detailed instructions on dress code, activities, what to bring etc. will be shared closer to the dates.
	Holiday : This is for holidays / no school days.
	Offline PTMs : We will be having two rounds of ONLINE PTMs in every quarter, to discuss the overall progress of your child. This icon is specifically if you wish to meet the teachers in-person. These have been arranged once per quarter, but aren’t compulsory to attend. You can always catch the online PTM, because isn’t that more convenient? Detailed instructions about the teacher availability schedules, timings, etc. will be shared closer to the date.
	Office + School Closed : Our school offices are working on most Saturday mornings (even when the students are on break). If you see this icon in the calendar, the school office would also be closed on that particular date. In case of weekdays, this icon also highlights the days when BOTH – the students and all our staff – will be on leave. There will be no team answering the phone either.
	Fees Due : The dates for our four installments are mentioned on the calendar. Do refer to the dates based on your installment plan and make sure you pay the fees as per the dates given on the calendar.

We have a BIG EVENT that is not mentioned in the calendar – the WINTER CARNIVAL. It will be held in the fourth quarter – which means sometime between 15th January 2025 and 5th Feb 2025. The reason it is not being put on the calendar is that this is an OUTDOOR event across a couple of evenings. With the changing weather patterns and winter rain that we have been seeing over the last few years, we will have to wait till we are closer to the time, look at the weather forecasts and then declare the dates and take our chances 😀!

You will get updates about all events and more details from time to time. The calendar is just to give you the year’s overview. 

We also add our calendar events to Google Calendar. You can go ahead and add the calendar to your personal calendar list on Google, so that you can organize schedules better.

Here are the links to the Google Calendars :

Shivane

Fursungi

Wakad

Please refer to this link to find out more about textbooks, homework and exams.

Uniform : 

• Each child must be in clean and complete uniform, which includes black socks, black shoes and the ID card.
• Children without an ID card will not be allowed to enter the school campus or attend school. This is for security purposes. Please do not argue with our staff regarding this. 
• The ID card must be tied to the string hanging from the pocket. You can watch this video for reference on how to tie the ID card. Do NOT use safety pins.
• Hair should be properly combed and not falling on to the forehead and eyes. If hair goes up to the shoulder, it must be tied up neatly. Hair bands or hair ties or elastics or pins must all be black. 
• Reference number is to be written on the uniform label (T – shirt, trousers, jacket) Tiffin Bag and napkins and also on the shoes so that they do not get mixed up.
  Suggestions : write with a ball point pen or get it embroidered.
• No dangling jewellery, nail polish, mehendi, tattoos etc. Small studs or small simple rings are the only jewellery allowed. 
• Trimming of nails should be done at regular intervals.
• Do make sure the child is wearing a mask, and carrying an extra one along.

Stationery / Academic material : 

• Please make sure that you have collected the specified material listed here before the first day of school.
• Send the folder along with the child. 
• Inside the folder, you will see a zipped pocket. This is to keep the writing material in. In that please send the following : 5 sharpened pencils, a ruler, an eraser.
  Std 6 onwards, send 2 pens as well. 
• The files are NOT to be carried to school. They must be kept at home. Daily worksheets that will come home are to be filed in these files, per subject.
• We are a bagless school right till Std. 10, so of course – NO SCHOOL BAG to be sent along with the child! 🙂

Tiffin / Water bottles : 

• Children will be bringing a tiffin, water bottle and napkin in a small bag to school. The bag (with the things inside) must fit in an area of 10 x 10 inches and 4 inches height. That is the size of the rack for each child. No additional space can be provided. 
• Please note that back packs or sacks do not fit in this area and will not be allowed to be used as tiffin bags. Make sure that the snack bag that you send will fit in the given area and that things won’t fall out of it when kept there. If things don’t fit, they will not be allowed to be carried with the child. They will be sent back home. 
• Make sure the water bottle is leak-proof (1/2 litre). This bottle will be in their tiffin rack for the whole day (horizontally) and will be used during the snack break. Water fountains for drinking for the rest of the day will be available on every floor through the school filter. This prevents spread of germs as no glasses are used.
• School drinking water quality is checked at regular intervals and is absolutely potable. Please note that we have a very well maintained and hygienic RO filter system for safe and pure drinking water. 
• Students are allowed and encouraged to drink water between periods, so as to keep them well-hydrated. Please note that a water bottle cannot be allowed to be kept with them in the classroom. It is difficult for them to manage because they change locations after every period. 
• Avoid sending junk food. Do not send snacks in the kid’s pocket to eat in the classroom.
• Children must carry a cloth napkin to lay out to eat on. They must eat carefully without spilling and spoiling the eating area. 
• Please make sure that the children carry the tiffin when they come to school. Late tiffin entries cannot be entertained. Staff cannot collect tiffins at odd times for the students.

When students are heading home after school, if the child is willing to go with the receiving adult, the child is handed over. If the child refuses to go with that person, the child is not handed over. Then we try to contact the parents and see what to do next. 

Therefore, make sure that your child is familiar with the person who is coming to pick up. We do not need to have further details of those individuals.

How do students who are continuing online get the academic material?

– The academic material (worksheets, presentations, answer sheets) will be available in real – time through the Curriculum Updates feature on the Wal – Sh app. Please follow and keep track of the curriculum being covered for your child’s class on a daily basis. The tutorial that will help you with this can be found here.
– You can download this academic material from the app and have our student go through it. Unfortunately, no live teaching will be available but you can reach us on [email protected] in case of any queries or for further academic support that you may need.
– Further, you can access the eLearning lectures, practice quizzes and test bytes on Walmiki for additional practice of each concept being taught in the core subjects as part of the curriculum. Some homework assignments are done entirely on Walmiki and those must be done and submitted on time by our student.

How do students who are continuing online appear for exams?

– Our student should appear online for the Unit test exams as per the schedule specified in the school calendar. The question papers will be made available in Wal – Sh through the Curriculum Updates feature as per the exam schedule. You will have to make sure the exams are attempted and submitted before the given due date, in order to get the papers checked by the teachers. Further instructions regarding how the answer sheets should be sent across to the school, will be shared closer to the exam date
– The Practice tests for these exams will also be made available to you, along with the model answer sheets as per a specific schedule too. Our student will be able to solve them in real – time as well, and self check the answers by referring to the “model answer key” that shows the marking scheme for the points covered in the answer.
– The Language orals will be conducted as an online assignment. The actual assignment and the submission protocols will be shared through email closer to the date. 

How do parents who are continuing online connect with the teachers?

You will continue to receive information about the PTM schedules. You can join the meetings as per your convenience, if you wish to interact with the subject teachers.

What do you do if a kid is misbehaving beyond tolerable limits?

If the kid’s behavior is extremely disruptive and not controllable by the teacher then the teacher sends the student to the Vice Principal or Principal with the mavshi of that floor and updates them about the situation. A counsellor or one of these senior management team members talk to the child and then further investigate the incident. After everything is found out, parents are informed so that they can also additionally counsel the child and help to stop them from going on the wrong track. The student may not be allowed to attend classes for the rest of the day. If the misbehaviour is too severe, some students may even be suspended for a certain duration of time.

How do I let the teachers know that my child is going to be absent from school?

If the child is going to be absent for more than 3 days, then let us know. Teachers take attendance every day and we know that kids may need a day or two off from time to time due to mild sickness during weather changes. So there is no need to send emails or absent notes for that reason. If the child is going to be absent for a longer time due to a big illness or a sports tournament etc. then let us know via either the Wal-Sh app only. Do not send us an email, as that entry will not be recorded. 

How do kids who are absent get the academic material that they have missed?

We hand over the worksheets that your child has missed out on, once the child rejoins the school. You can also refer to the “Curriculum update” section in the Wal-sh app to get the digital format of the worksheet and the presentations that the teacher has used in the class. 

Physical copies of the worksheets need to be collected from each subject teacher separately. Those respective teachers have them in their files for the absent students. So when the students come back to the classroom, in their next subject period those sheets will be handed over to them by each teacher separately. Students and parents can refer to the digital copies in the app in the meantime.

What happens if my child has lost something in school?

The maushis clean up all the classrooms after the school day is over. Whatever is found in the classroom is put in the lost and found box. So, the next day your child can check that out and get back whatever was forgotten. Just make sure everything is properly labelled. That said, don’t send exclusive or expensive stuff to school that would upset you if lost!

How can I call the school to generally ask how my child is or to talk to my child?

Please do not do this at all. The admin team that is answering the calls is in different offices. The team that is with your children is somewhere in the campus with them depending on what activity the kids have in their timetable. There is absolutely no way that this information can be given to you. If the child is unwell please do not send them to school. If we call you and ask you to come to pick the child up because they are unwell, again the same applies. The sick bay and the admin team are at different locations. The child cannot come to the phone to talk to you. Just come to the school in that situation and pick them up. They are unwell and need to go home. 

Connecting with the school for general queries

Write to us at [email protected]

How do I meet the Principal / Vice Principal / Administrator?

Prior appointments with proper information are essential to meet with the heads of the school. While we value parents’ involvement in their child’s education, the school management is busy in the school with the students and teachers and cannot be available on demand. Parents have to send in an email with their queries / concerns beforehand. Then, the issue is assigned to the concerned people and investigated. In case an appointment is actually needed to resolve it or explain it, that is then scheduled with the parents. Most issues / queries are resolved asynchronously through our administrative teams quite efficiently. So, please send us your question / concern / complaint over email as the starting point.

How do PTMs happen?

There are two PTMs every quarter at Walnut. The two formats are Online PTM and Offline PTM. 

Offline PTM : These are held once a quarter on a Saturday morning which is marked in the calendar. Parents can come and speak with the teacher that they wish. The location of where different teachers are available is shared with the parents the day before. 

Online PTM : These are held once a quarter. Parents of a division can connect with the core subject teachers within the given time slot. These are held over the course of the week.

Why are some parents unable to enter the online PTM room?

Parents have to join the online PTM (or any link sent by the school) using the student’s Walnut ID only. That is the standard and only way to access any links shared by the school. 

We use Google Meet for these meetings. Google meet does not have a waiting room. If you use the Walnut ID then you directly get connected. If you got the message that you had to be “admitted” into the meeting or need “permission” or have “no access” it means that you did not use the Walnut ID. Please try to keep these things in mind. 

Please note that PTMs cannot be repeated. We have one week of online PTMs and one offline PTM each quarter. If you miss any for any reason, you can always plan to catch the next scheduled one. 

Rescheduling a PTM or asking for an online PTM on a Saturday

Since we wish to give all parents a chance to reach out to all the core subject teachers it is important to figure out a way to do so in such a way that a parent does not end up having a meeting with two teachers at the same time or a teacher does not end up having a meeting with two parent groups at the same time. This has to be figured out during the teacher’s working hours when they do not have to attend training sessions and take classes and do worksheet checking and other school duties. So we absolutely cannot reschedule the PTMs. 

The online PTMs are actually very easy to attend. You do not have to come to school for them, you can attend from wherever you already are. Also, they are not compulsory at all. They are also subject wise, so it is up to you as to which ones you want to attend. If you have specific questions, it does not take more than 5 minutes.
This is all amazingly convenient for the parents and very thoughtfully and painstakingly organized by the school. If you have any specific question, you can always email us. If there is a severe problem that the teacher wants to tell you, the school team will reach out to you. We do not wait for PTMs for such cases and we also do not share such problems in front of other parents. We also have one offline PTM scheduled every quarter, which is on a Saturday morning. You can try to catch that one, if you wish.

How can I meet a certain teacher apart from the PTM time?

Please note that we do not have on-demand appointments with individual teachers. To ensure that our teachers can devote their time to their students, we ask that you follow the PTM schedule that allows you to interact with each subject teacher. Additionally, you can always email your specific concern or question to us. It will definitely be looked into and addressed.

How can I get information about my child’s “class teacher”?

We do not have a specific “Class Teacher” or “Mother teacher” allotted to any class, since different teachers teach different subjects that they are trained for. All teachers who are  interacting with your child are noting down their observations which are shared with you in the PTM. This helps ALL of us (parents, teachers, management) to have an all – round perspective of each child.

All teachers are trained and follow the Walnut Learning System. They rotate between classes after certain intervals so that all teachers and all students are reasonably familiar with each other. When a teacher is absent, there is no problem with an alternate teacher stepping in and taking over. 

For some subjects and activities there are different skill sets that we are developing in the children. These change from topic to topic. So the best teacher suited for that topic is assigned those lessons and activities. This also works very well with the upcoming NEP guidelines.

Why has my child’s teacher changed?Asking for a certain teacher to not be changed / substituted

There are certain unpredictable circumstances when a teacher becomes unavailable. It can be  teachers falling sick and going on long leave or teachers having to attend mandatory training or supervising exams etc. Sometimes, a teacher moves to a different location or may choose to work at a different institution altogether. We arrange short term or long term substitutes in these situations to make sure that our students are on track with their studies and they continue with uninterrupted learning.  

Please be assured that all our teachers are really nice and they all follow the same learning system. Younger children may require some time to open up to a new person – but the teacher is quite understanding of that. Within a week or two the children start adjusting to the new teachers as well.

How do I get information on a timely basis about what is happening in school?

Walnut parents get constant information about their child’s activities and performance in many ways 

• Parents get to see exactly what was taught in each class on a daily basis and what classwork and homework was assigned to the students through the WalSh app. 
• The worksheets that the students work on are seen by the teacher and sent home. Parents can go through those as well. 
• Students have to take chapterwise tests on Walmiki (MCQ tests). Parents can see the child’s performance there too. 
• Multiple practice tests are evaluated each quarter and sent home for parents to see. 
• Parents also get the actual answer sheets of the child home after they are checked by the teacher. 
• There are also two opportunities to interact with the teacher in every quarter.

How do I contact the school in an emergency?

An emergency situation in your family can only translate to an early pick up that you may need to suddenly schedule for your child. You can call on the school number in that case and the team will guide you from there. Do note that we cannot bring your child to the phone or connect you directly to certain specific staff members. 

How does the school contact the parent in an emergency? What happens if my kid feels sick or gets hurt while in school?

Emergency situations can be generated in the school where a child may have hurt themselves or hurt others. In that case, some team member from the school will call you, update you and ask you to come to the school. Please cooperate with the school and be prompt in your actions in that case. 

If the kid is mildly or moderately unwell / hurt , we bring the kid to the ‘Sick Bay’ to rest and inform parents by making a call to pick up the kid. Meanwhile we do the first aid that is required. Kindly note that we don’t do any medication in school if the child is unwell/hurt. If it is a severe case we take the kid to the nearest clinic and then connect the medical staff there with the parents. 

It can so happen that the parent does not answer the phone when the school calls or the phone does not connect. Our team calls all the numbers registered with us two times and then sends an email to update the parent about the situation. 

How do we reschedule an exam?

Exams cannot be rescheduled for any reason (sickness, family functions, competitions etc). Even timings on that day itself also cannot be changed. For certain standards, some exams can be taken in an online format. However, those students will not be considered in the topper’s list. All this information and protocols related to this are shared closer to the actual exam date.

How are exam grades allotted?

The 8 – point grading scale is a CBSE format requirement. Under this, the marks are converted into percentages and then graded accordingly. The percentage ranges are listed at the bottom of the result shared with you. These will help you understand the comparison of your child’s scores with the grades given in the result.

What are summative and formative exams?

Summative assessment is calculated based on the formal written exams conducted at the end of each quarter. 

Formative assessment is based on the Walmiki MCQ Test Bytes, short tests, orals, classroom participation and submissions that happen over the quarter.

 

What should we do with the worksheets that come home?

Std 1, 2 : Just file the sheets that the child brings home. They do not need to come back to school. File sheets of different subjects in different files as has been shared with you in the material collection list. 

Std. 3 to 10 : When the sheet comes home, if there is HW on it, then that has to be done and brought back to school the next day. Once the homework is checked and the sheet is returned, it does not have to come back to school. File it and keep it at home.

What do we have to refer to the worksheets for?

We need to refer to the worksheets for the content that is taught in the school and so to prepare for the examinations. The worksheets are the reference material for the students to revise the concepts that are required to be done for their periodic tests/unit exams.

How do we come to know about homework?

You can check it from what the student has marked on the worksheet when they bring it home. This is also seen in the curriculum update tab of Wal-Sh app, which is usually updated sometime before 6 pm everyday.

What is to be done about homework?

Students from KG to Std 2 do not have homework. So there is no action point here. From Std. 3 onwards, the student needs to complete the homework and bring it back to school the next day and hand it over to the teacher. Once it is checked by the teacher, it is returned to the student to bring it home and file.

What are the textbooks that we have to refer to?

You need to refer to the NCERT textbooks and novels and some state board textbooks that are mentioned in the list shared with you. Some special subjects in some standards do not have a separate textbook assigned. The study material for these is sent to you on the worksheets itself as it is custom made for Walnut School students.