Principals Newletter, October19 - February20

Dear Parents,

As you know, just as we were comfortably concluding the term, the Corona virus was suddenly upon us all and compelled us to disengage. Exams were cancelled, School closed and now this lockdown.

But our teachers werent to be deterred. After a small initial feeling of disorientation, they quickly got to work to realign with the new and challenging circumstances. They are busy video recording their lessons, assembling worksheets/ activities/ small projects etc so that the curriculum can soon proceed. Suggestions of useful websites that the children can visit, book lists, recommended music and learning apps etc will also soon be up.

On a special note, teachers of the new batch of class 12 have started virtual classroom teaching of their subjects so that there is no delay in covering the course for the boards. Remarkably the students are responding spontaneously and a good attendance is reported at these classes! Steadily we will ensure that all the courses are on track smoothly.

Let us in no way be oppressed with the emerging situation. Instead lets simply stay home and engage with our children in innovative ways in this novel time of lockdown. Reading, tending our plants, trying new recipes, listening to unusual music, dance, simple yoga, board games, online learning are some great options to do as a family. So lets happily and quickly realign as we must as responsible and active citizens and parents. Soon enough the phase is bound to fade.

Meanwhile in happiness and satisfaction, lets recount the rich activities that dotted our School calendar since October. The children undoubtedly rose to every opportunity offered.

Events held at our School during October-February

  Pratah Stuti 2019   Each year on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the School organises Pratah Stuti, paying tribute to the grandparents for the significant part they play in shaping the lives of our children. Almost 300 grandparents graced the occasion on 1 October 2019 that included an eclectic rendition of some of Mahatma Gandhis favourite bhajans in Hindi and English and a Nukkad Natak on the importance of cleanliness and sanitation ( Swachhata). There was a delightful display by the little ones of Primary and Pre-Primary as they dressed up as Rani Lakshmi Bai, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru and others depicting some of the torchbearers of Indias freedom struggle.   Annual Exhibition 2019   The Annual Exhibition was held on 19 October 2019 and aimed as customary, at inculcating a critical and creative attitude amongst our students. While such events help them gain a hands-on experience of how science, technology and society are interdependent, they also motivate them to don their thinking caps and create something novel.   Linking the exhibition to the theme of Artificial Intelligence the students created beautiful models and presentations. The bright and colourful displays by the students of the primary wing added to the vibrancy of the event.     AEON 4.0 2019 ( Inter school IT competition)   In our endeavour to guide young minds in making their mark in the ever changing field of IT, we give them a platform to congregate and compete in a friendly learning environment. AEON, the biennial inter-school computer symposium motivates young technocrats to innovate and conceive new ideas. The event held on 22 October 2019 saw the participation of 17 prominent schools of Delhi. The enthusiastic participants competed with one another in an outstanding show of talent and creativity.   Self-Defence Training Programme by the Delhi Police With reports of crime against women making headlines every day, it becomes pertinent to instil in them confidence and courage. The School, in collaboration with the Delhi Police, conducted a training programme in self defence for the girls of classes VIII to X. The ten-day training that was held from 14 - 31 October 2019 aimed at sufficiently training the girl students in basic self defence skills along with advanced attack and defence techniques. The training encouraged the students to become their own bodyguards.   Mental Health Week   The School observed Mental Health Week from 16 23 October 2019. The Psychology department at School organised activities and sessions to increase awareness about mental health and encourage students to express themselves without hesitation. The event comprised of a plethora of activities that aimed at creating a safe space for children to openly talk about their problems and breaking stereotypes by talking about the stigma that surrounds mental health.   Diwali Mela for Math   The grand annual Diwali Mela was held on 25 October 2019 in the School auditorium. The activity aimed primarily at correlating mathematical skills learnt in the classroom, with real life situations and encouraging financial literacy among the students by providing them with a hands on experience. Value of empathy and compassion silently found a place as students happily volunteered to contribute the proceeds earned, as Shramdaan, for their less privileged peers.   Skype classrooms   Students across the classes engaged in Mystery Skype sessions with peers and educators in countries like Turkey, Thailand and South Korea. Each session was a great learning experience as children interacted with their counterparts from those countries and learnt about less familiar cultures, also proudly sharing details about their own. Our students also participated in a two-day Skype-a-thon organised by Microsoft on 5 and 6 November. The session attracted hundreds of students and educators from more than 110 countries. It provided a global platform to share stories, collaborate and learn from experts.   Library Week Library Week was held from 6 11 November 2019. Interesting activities kept the enthusiastic students across the levels engaged through the week. These included a visit to the Dr B.C. Roy Memorial Childrens Reading Room and Library, an excursion to the Gandhi Library and Museum, workshops on Climate Change and Recycling, creative writing and interesting sessions on life skills conducted by experts, Knock Knock Tales, where students told stories to their younger peers in their classrooms and a puppetry session were other activities that enthralled the students. A Reading Rally was amongst the highlights of the week in which students and teachers participated, reading aloud from Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet.   Graduation Day Ceremony   Graduation Day was held on 17 December 2019 where the outgoing batch of class XII bid a formal farewell to their school life before stepping into a new world. Teachers handed the young future citizens a lighted diya each as a message to go and light up the world with the knowledge they are armed up. It was an occasion of pride and nostalgia as the students, their parents and the teachers, looked back at their journey together, even as they looked ahead at a future they have dreamed.   Farewell Ceremony   The customary farewell for the outgoing batch of class 12 was held on 28 December 2019. They joyfully reminisced the precious years spent in School, as they were bid adieu by their peers of class 11. A delightful assortment of dance, music and role play was put up by class 11 to enthral the eager audience. As a memorable parting gift, each passing out student was handed a special title that best defines him or her!   Badminton Tournament   The fourth edition of the Dr. Amidas Goradia Memorial Junior Badminton Tournament was held in the School skating rink from 21 to 24 January 2020. The participants took part in 5 categories, namely: Boys Singles, Girls Singles, Boys Doubles, Girls Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The event was single handedly organised by the students themselves. Life skills was thus an inherent value learnt through the tournament even as shots were appreciated and matches were won and lost.   Art Exhibition- Rang bhar Basanti   The arrival of spring was celebrated at School with an Art Exhibition held on 15 February 2020 and was an explosion of colour, styles and medium. Aptly named Rang Bhar Basanti, in sync with the mood of the season, the exhibition, quite like a carnival, drew scores of proud and enthusiastic parents.   The display of various art forms, reproductions of famous artworks and maiden attempts in art media and techniques, cemented our belief in the Schools mission of Edutainment- educating through entertainment.   Pre Primary Athletic Meet   An Athletic Meet of the Pre-Primary department was held on 28 February 2020 on the School field. A day infused with unparalleled energy and excitement amongst the youngest Indianites marked the occasion. Adorned with flags and well laid tracks, the School playground was a riot of colour, each defining the enthusiasm of the young participants. It was a fun filled celebration for all the students as they participated in innovative sports designed for age appropriate physical development and mental agility.   Educative Interactions of students with School Chairman Sharing his bank of knowledge of matters of social, historical, political and economic significance, our School Chairman Mr Prafull Goradia, in his lively interactions with students at regular intervals, provides them invaluable insights that they can imbibe to become well- informed citizens of the country. Never failing to enlighten the students with his diverse experiences, our Chairman is of the opinion that students should be exposed to wide horizons at an early age to facilitate their holistic development.   The subjects of interaction this term were:   The students of classes XI and XII chose the infamous Emergency as their topic for discussion. The students of classes IX and X attended a talk by Chairman sir on the National Register of Citizens with respect to Assam. Classes VIII and IX engaged in a dialogue with the chairman to understand the landmark Ayodhya Verdict.   Achievements of our students   At the CBSE Judo Competition 2019 held from 4 7 October 2019, Navya Rathee, 8-C won the gold and Priyanshi Sharma, 5-C bagged the silver medal.   At the Junior Run (4th Edition) 2019-20 held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 6 October 2019, Manthan Bobal, 6-B won the gold medal in the Under-10-12 category.   At an inter school competition on 10 October 2019, to observe Mental Health Day, our School team comprising Aryan Singh XI-B and Epari Pratyash Sai XII-C won the First Prize for Youth Parliament.   At the CBSE Central Zone Roller Skating Championship 2019-20 held from 12 to 14 October 2019, Sam Singh Maini, X-B won the Silver for the 300m in the Under-16 category; Shiva Siroli of class VI-D won the Gold in the 500m and the Silver in the 1000 m in the Under-14 category.   Tagfest19- At an inter school competition for Primary classes held on 18 October 2019 held at Tagore International School East of Kailash, our Primary School team comprising Rishika Arora, Ish Jadwani ( class I) and Aharshi Dey , Aaishi Sen Gupta ( class II) was awarded the First Prize in the event titled Bringing Life to Shapes.   At AEON 4.0, the inter school computer competition held on 22 October 2019 at our School, Nishit Sharma of class XI- C secured the second position in AEON Beats.   At the 17th English Language Meet held at Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School on 23 October 2019, Upasana Khatua of Class V was awarded Good Effort for her narration in Spin a Tale.   At the CBSE Rope Skipping National Championship held at the Sri Ram Ashram Public School, Amritsar, from 7 11 November 2019, Harleen Barar of class 9C secured the Gold in the 30 seconds speed sprint and Devanshi Agarwal of 9A secured the 6th rank in the 3 minutes endurance event.   At an inter school conclave, Voices held at Lotus Valley International School on 7 and 8 November 2019, Tejkirat Singh Sukhija and Divijaa Sahni of class XI-B won the Second Prize for their PPT on the topoic Ethics as the Cornerstone of a Globalised World. Arav Dimri, Mayank Ahuja, Mitr Nanda, Gurliv Kaur and Abhiraj Sharma of XI-D, Vidhi Vadhwa of XI-B and Divija Puri of XI-C took the Third Prize for their short film on The Power of Faith and Spirituality.   At the Roller Skating Federation of India, Delhi State 2019-20, held from 8 to 10 November 2019, Gurshaan Singh Bindra of I-A won the Gold in the first lap and the Bronze in the 500m (Under 5-7 years).   At the Jet Toy and Skimmer Regional Olympics on 8 November 2019, our Schools skimmer team comprising Naval Meena, Hargun Kaur, Unnabh Das Mahapatra and Azfar Ali of class V won the First Prize in the Delhi Zone-2.   Divyansh Rajoria of class VIII secured the Second Prize for mono acting at Rangmanch Utsav 2019 held on 9 November 2019 and organised by IPROCH (Institute for Promotion and Research on Odisha Culture and Heritage) at the Jawahar Bhavan.   At Connect 2019, an inter school event held at Mater Dei School on 16 November, our students Uday Soni and Ekveer Sahoo (VIII) won the first prize for Promo-Fomo whilst Shriyah Arora and Shambhavi Singh (VI) won the first prize for Spellathon.   At the Primary Zonal Athletic meet held at the SBV Qutub Mehrauli Stadium on 21 November 2019, The Indian Schools Under 12 girls team comprising Hibah Asif (V D), Ritvija Vyas ( V B), Priyanshi Sharma (V C) and Harnoor Kaur Lamba ( V B) secured the Third Position in the 4x70m relay. The U-12 boys team comprising Ritwik Bakshi ( V B), Harshvardhan Singh ( V B), Aditya Sharma (V C) and Tanish Gupta (V C) secured the Second Position; Aarna Sawarn (II A) took the Bronze in the Hop Race and Arya Mudhaliyar (IV B) secured the Third Position in the 100m Flat Race.   In the 31st Delhi State Taekwondo Championship 2019 held at the Thyagaraj Stadium on 1 December 2019, Hardik Narang of VIII-B won the Bronze in the 55-60 kg category (Under 14-15 years category).   At the 28th Inter-School Roller Skating Championship 2019-20 held at Summer Fields School from 6 to 7 December 2019, Aradhaya Nagar of PP Orion won the Bronze and Gurshaan of I-A won the Gold medal in the 300m race (Under 6 category).   At Crusade of Mathematics, an inter school event held at DPS R.K. Puram on 14 December20, our team comprising Maitreyi Purandare (IX-D) and Kirtida Aggarwal (VIII-E), was awarded the Runners Up trophy for Model Making. In the Drama event, our team consisting of Adwitiye Chandel (Class VII E), Ram Dhingra (Class VII D), Maanya Arora (Class VIII D), Divyansh Rajouriya (Class VIII D), Rudra Punj (Class VIII C), Hiya Agarwal (Class VIII A), Muzaffar Husain (Class VII A) and Pavith Sodhi (Class VIII A), also took the Runners Up trophy.   In the Scholerien Boys, R.S.F.I. Nationals-2019 held at Visakhapatnam from 18 to 24 December 2019, Shiva Siroli of class VI-D won the silver medal for Skating in the Under 14 category.   At the International Adolescent Summit-2019 held by Expressions India, on 12 and 13 December, Saransh Jha of IX-B and Akshita Panwar XI-D received the Special Jury Award for their presentation at Myriad - the global health exhibition. Aryan Singh of XI-B received a Special Jury Award for Sur Tal-the western dance competition and bagged the Meritorious Award for Rhetorics-young orators. In the On-the-spot painting competition Utopia, Urvi Beswal from XI-B received the Outstanding Artist trophy.   At the IX WG CDR Mathew Inter-school Junior Athletic Meet 2019-20 organised by St. Marys School at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 13 December 2019, our School Girls team of class V comprising Harnoor Kaur Lamba (VB), Nandini Bhandari (VC), Priyanshi Sharma ( VC) and Hibah Asif (VD) took the Gold in the 4x70m Relay. Harshvardhan Singh (VB) took the Silver for Long Jump and Miraya Arora (IIID) took the Silver in the 50m Flat Race.   At the inter school debate at Sunbeam School, Lahartara, held on 15 and 16 December 2019, Aryan Singh of class XI-B won the Best Speaker (Interjector) award.   At Vasantotsav-2019-20, an inter school competition held at Ahlcon International School on 18 and 25 January 2020, our team of Sufi singers was awarded the first position. The team comprised Anugrah Massey (Class-IV), Vaibhav Bayla (Class-IV), Hervie Jain (Class-III), Saransh Goyal (Class-III), Aanya Singh (Class-V), Aarohan Chakravarty (Class-V), Puneet Kumar (Class-V), Nikhil Rajakumar (Class-V), Hibah Asif (Class-V) and Rishima Dube (Class-V).   At the Dr. Amidas Goradia Intra-School Junior Badminton Tournament held at our School between 21 and 24 January, 2020, the first position in the Girls Singles was bagged by Vedaanshi Jain (VII A). In the Boys Singles group Manthan Bobal (VI B) won the Finals. In the Girls Doubles category, Vedaanshi Jain and Yashmita Kumari (VII A) were declared winners. Parth Tara and Anay Kumar Soni (VIII D) won the Finals in the Boys Doubles. In the Mixed Doubles, the team comprising Krunal Patel (VII B) and Vedaanshi Jain (VII A) won the final match.   At the Inter-School Athletic Meet held at R S Junior Modern School on 31 January and 1 February 2020, Harshvardhan Singh (V B) bagged the silver medal for Long Jump. The boys team comprising Devansh Garg and Rayaan Paul Sah (IV E) won the silver medal in the 4200 m Relay. Nandini Bhandari (V C) secured the third position in the 200 m Flat Race, Arya Mudhaliyar (IV B) took the bronze in the 80 m Flat Race and Priyanshi Sharma (V C) finished third in the Hurdle Race.   At an art competition titled, Egypt in the Eyes of the Children of the World organised by the Embassy of Egypt, 10 students were awarded medals on 12 February 2020. Vansh Sharma V-D, Tegh Singh Johar V-D, Meher Kaur VIII-B and Urvi Beswal XI-B were awarded gold medals. Silver medals were presented to Adi Ismail IV-C, Ansh Singh V-B, Geet Chauhan VII-E, Tanisha Mehndiratta VII-D, Jasleen Kaur Bajaj VIII-D and Aanchal Gupta XI-C.   With my heartfelt wishes for your health and safety. Tania Joshi, Principal.