The school made its humble beginnings with just two mini-buses, a classroom under a huge tree and a cycle-shed. But it catered to the industrial town by giving it a English medium school.

Loyola School started in 1946 by the Jesuits of Calcutta ? Fr Drugmann (of Belgium) and Fr Leeming (Anglo-Indian) were the first two Jesuit priests.

Over the years as students were promoted, three buildings to accommodate students of the first, second and third grade came up under the three triangular roof, symbolic of the Loyola schools.

Though having started as a boys? school, Loyola took its first batch of girls for Plus Two course in 1984, a year after Plus Two was introduced in the school. And it was in 2000, that the school opened its doors to girls in kindergarten.

The school strengthened its foundation by principals and Jesuit priests that followed Fr Drugmann and Fr Leeming. Fr George Hess who was the principal in the 1950s is one of the most cherished principals, while Fr Eugene Power is remembered for his knowledge of the English Literature.

Teacher Reynolds D?Souza and Freni Irani were the two English teachers who carried the legacy ahead till the mid-60s.

Milestones

It is not just the glittering alumni that Loyola School boasts of, even the Jesuit priests and teachers who have helped in moulding the future of over thousands of students have scripted history.

Fr Kenneth M. Judge was instrumental in setting up the Loyola B.Ed College. The Neuro-Linguistic-Programme (NLP) was developed by Fr Richard P. McHugh. A Physics teacher with the school in the 1950s Fr Simon C. Kirch had worked with scientist Robert Oppenheimmen on the Manhattan Project (the making of the atom bomb). Teacher Joyce Louis of the primary school later became a nun and today she is better known as Sister Nirmala of the Missionaries of Charity

Standing tall.

Today, the school has a main building which is the oldest building on the campus. The block, also known as Quadrangular Block, holds classes for students from Class VI up to Plus Two. The primary or the junior block accommodates students from Kindergarten to Class V. St Joseph?s Block at the entrance of the school main gate houses the new canteen, gymnasium, an all-purpose hall and guestrooms.

The school has earmarked a block for the alumni of Loyola.

The Inigo Block, which houses the alumni office has a bank and a vocational training centre for the poorer section of the society.

The Plus Two and high school library is housed in a separate building adjacent to the old hostel building. All the cultural functions of the school and the board examinations are held in the Fasy Auditorioum that was built during the time of Fr Rocky Vaas and was named after the first American Rector of the school Fr Carol I Fasy.

Junior block, which came up as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the school, holds classes for students of kindergarten to class five. Complete with 24 classrooms, the double storeyed building has five sections for students up to Class IV and four sections for the Class V students. The building has a reading and a computer lab as well.

Read on

The school boosts of a well-stacked library catering to all courses. Subjects taught are in compliance with the ICSE board. Initially the school was affiliated to Senior Cambridge and it was only in 1974, that the first batch of ICSE students passed out. From kindergarten to Plus Two, the school runs on the norms set by the ICSE board. The school today accomodates girl students in the junior section, the first batch of girls in the junior school were promoted to Class IV this academic year.

Club buzz

Extra-curricular activities form a special chunk of education pattern in Loyola. The students can choose from Adventure Club, Astronomy Club, Debate and Loyola Press Club, Drum and Bugle Club, Entertainment Club, Philatelic Club, SAFE club, SPO (Student Personnel Office), Interact Club and Jyoti apart from the clubs and cells of the different subjects. All these clubs hold their annual function in the form of an inter-school event.

Yummy news

The canteen has on offer of tea, coffee, cold drinks, ice cream and chocolates but what makes it a hit are the samosas, vadas, dosas, idlis, bread chop and chowmein that is on sale at the most affordable rates.

Towards the 60th year, Loyola has given to the world some of its finest products. The faculty claims to give the students a complete education package for an all-round development.