The Silk route having been our School theme, last year we tread along it over the globe. This year we sought to discover how it travelled through India. In class we thus journeyed, as ite were, Kashmir, Banaras, Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. All our extra-curricular activities, namely, music, dance, art, craft, yoga, celebrations of festivals, our manner of greeting and even our lunch menus wound around our theme! We used the theme to introduce a habit of multiple perspectives to enrich our little minds.

The curriculum too complemented the same aspiration. The children were acquainted with the rudiments of geography, history, culture, cuisine, languages, flora-fauna etc. In parallel, every attempt was enabled to offer the opportunity to touch, see and feel as they learnt. We chose to use the occasion to echo our chairmans vision, that the greater our children are exposed to international and our own cultures, the greater they will understand the unity in it's diversity and the greater is the poise that we will have empowered our Indianites with. Thus, our annual day was aptly named Budding ocean liners with Indian anchors. At the Pre-school level, we consider education as Edutainment, that is, learning with entertainment. Participation and experiential learning thus form the key aids of instruction and multi-tasking and this is what the children exhibited at the show. Not only by stage performance but by a series of fun-filled activities like making buntings and craft around the theme etc.

 

The day began misty but as the appointed hour came close, the haze began to slip to unfold a gorgeous morning. The children were ready and dressed in vibrant costume as were their parents in ethnic Indian wear. Our chief guest was Mrs. Leela Seth, India's first lady Chief Justice and she charmed the audience with her own experience as mother. Creativity, she said was critical and each child must be granted the chance to grow up nurturing his or her own special competance. She described how each of her own 3 children has chosen distinctly different vocations as adults, her older son, being the famed writer, Vikram Seth and the younger, a social activist! Justice Seth also insisted that each child must be specially oriented to surpass him/herself more than busy him/herself competing with others. This, she said would grant the child inner strength.

The venue had also been dressed to infuse fantasy. Our parents' faces were expressions of amazement as they walked in. Needless to say, our hearts too filled with excitement!

The show began with a parade to the tune, Greetings from various states. PTA reps released balloons as each state was announced. Dr. Ms. Nayana Goradia, our Vice Chairman also released doves of balloon. Immediately followed, folk dances with yoga asanas. Each section performed a folk dance from their adopted state. With the persistence and patience of their teachers, the tiny-tots even showcased brief displays of the classical dance forms like kathak, bharatnatyam, kollatam, kuchipudi, even a kathputli dance. The boys attempted yoga postures as a perfect accompaniment. Yoga is used at Pre-school level to ingrain early, that a combination of steady and comfortable postures can impact both the body and mind. The result was there to be seen. The children had been enabled to stretch their bodies and focus their little minds for the special harmony needed for their special show! A mangalam shlok tied the proceeding as a pledge to Preserve. Finally a musical finale, Kaha Chale.. Kashmir se Kanya Kumari Tak stirred the audience and the staff members to sing along . They spontaneously broke into a resounding cheer as the curtain fell on the pageant

  Races remained to reinforce that the chidren to did not forget their fruits and vegetables or their recognition of their taste and smell. They had been trained as groups for the 'healthy salad races' with each member carrying one or other fruit or vegetable. They also remembered to count and assemble what they had brought as also to communicate and coordinate with each other so that, together, they completely complied the brief! We were delighted that every child carried the costume in confidence even as each one addressed the occasion with aplomb. We teachers stood back in our contentment and pride.

Compiled by Ms.Viji Vasudev, Head Teacher and Ms. Priyanka Malhotra, teacher.

 

---

---