Investiture Ceremony -2019
“Great leaders don’t tell you what to do. They show you how it’s done.”
An effort to cultivate transformational leaders who would don the mantle of excellence in all that they do, culminated in the Investiture ceremony held at the Shiv Nadar School Gurgaon on 12th July 2019.
Members of the Student Council, appointed through a rigorous process of nominations, interviews and democratic elections marched with their best foot forward and were formally invested with responsibility. All students were inspired to adopt the principles of collaboration and cooperation.
The Senior Council students were badged by the Principal and Heads of the school. The school flag was handed over to the new council by the old council. The magical moment was badging of the junior council by the newly elected Senior Council. The Oath taken by the young leaders was an acknowledgment of their roles and responsibilities in the days to come. The Principal asked them to remember LEAD as they went about doing their duty. To LEAD is to listen then you talk; Envision your goal; Align your team to your goals; Do your work with Integrity.
Trip to Land of Thousand Lakes-Finland
With enormous zeal and enthusiasm to see the happiest country of the world, our students boarded the plane to Helsinki, Finland.. Post their exhausting 9-hour flight, they were welcomed with freshly baked buns from the countryside and a comfortable and scenic bus ride to Iloranta.
Nestled in the midst of a gigantic lake and a plush forest, Iloranta offered a dreamy escape from the humdrum of city life. Students immersed themselves in activities that kept them immensely close to nature. They explored the forest and had an 'Alone-Time' experience where they had to listen to their inner sense and find their way through the forest populated by Birch and Maple trees. They learned forest survival basics- using the matchstick economically, sharpening wood, making fire, and boiling water. On the trails, they learnt about mushroom and berry picking- a favourite hobby of most of the Finns. They were taught to be careful to steer clear of the poisonous ones! The splendid silence of the environs was an excellent opportunity to listen to the sweet tunes of the birds, and what better to do than to ensure they stay!
Students learned how bird-houses were made and also planted one in the forest. The scenery was complete with wildflowers (which they wove into garlands), and sheep (that they fed). They attended a workshop hosted by a local, that taught them the process of spinning and felting wool. Considering this was a hands-on experience, they also got personalized souvenirs. Our students also went to the sauna, which is an integral part of the Finnish culture, and which is accompanied by a dip in the icy-cold lake!
A very appealing education system was being eagerly looked forward to. Students got the opportunity to visit a high school, a vocational school, and the HAMK University (Hameen Ammattikorkeakoulu) It was rather exciting for our students to interact with the Finnish students, and know about their subject choices, the environment in school, their co-curricular, the student body, school spaces, etc. They were quite surprised at the rarity of exams and of course, the fact that they didn’t have to wear uniforms!
One of the elements that made this trip unforgettable was the gastronomic adventure. While they got Indian food during all meals, the Finnish chefs prepared exquisite Finnish delicacies at all times. Students tried a variety of fish from the neighbouring lake, a fun selection of home-made jams and bread, and mouth-watering delicacies made from fresh produce.
It was heart-warming leaving the lovely hosts behind. But, students were all full of stories to bring home!
Visit to ISRO by KG Child - Kabir Bajaj
With great pride would like to share that Kabir Bajaj of KG visited the ISRO last weekend to watch the Chandrayan 2 launch. Unfortunately, it was called off at the last minute but Kabir had a great experience visiting that place.
Father Mr. Vishesh Bajaj said, 'I was happy to see him speak in front of 5-6 thousand people. I thank the school and his teachers for making these young kids independent and confident. It is not a small thing to face 5,000 people crowd. And it was all spontaneous'.
Sharing a small video of Kabir at ISRO launch gallery.
Source: https://youtu.be/CFhnS69OB10
Shiv Nadar School Noida @ International Robotics Competition
RoboCup Junior Rescue League is an International Robotics Competition which inculcates the true values of engineering in its participants.The School’s Robotics team won the Best Rescue Engineering Strategy award in the International Robocop-Australia, out of 31 participating countries. We were the only team to represent India in the subcategory called Rescue Line.
Our team stood 9th overall in the rescue line and 5th in the super team challenge. The School Team comprised of four students from Grade 11 and 12 under the mentorship of Ms. Kamini Sharma and Ms. Ganga Subramanian who are the teaching faculties from Computer Science.
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How To Raise Smarter Kids - Dr Inderbir Sandhu
To understand and help them attain their ward's true potential, PRG held an interaction with renowned Psychologist Dr. Inderbir Sandhu for the. parents of Grade Nursery to V which was attended by more than 100 enthusiastic parents. Dr. Sandhu shared her valuable inputs with parents and educators on how to unlock the true potential of a child – her talk was based on her recent book The Secrets to Raising a Smarter Child and she took the audience through several tools to make the best of your child’s natural abilities and harness all the dormant talents. These included valuable tips such as keeping the body hydrated to improve brain activity and how physical games especially table tennis and juggling maximize brain development. She also spoke about the effects of unstructured play, music, sleeping, and neuro-aerobics has on developing all parts of the brain.
“आम और शरारत”
The season of the “King of Fruits” was celebrated as the “Mango Day” on 10th July 2019 at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad. The days’ activities were planned, integrating My World theme - ‘Summer Season - Fruits’ with language and numeracy. Nursery teachers presented a play on the story “आम और शरारत” introducing mango as the ‘King of Fruits’, building vocabulary and sharing the various products we get from mango. Post the play, teachers set up stalls in the school and pretended to sell mangos. The children were excited to buy mangoes using the blocks as money. Adding to the experience, the children were later served mangoes to explore the smell, texture and taste of the fruit. Back in the classroom, children were happily engaged in the craft activity of tearing and pasting on mango cut outs. A fun filled day thoroughly enjoyed by the children.
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Culture Fox Trip to Milan and Vienna
This year trip to Italy and Austria was curated especially keeping in mind the interests of the participating students from all three campuses of Shiv Nadar School.
The 8-day long trip covered the cities of Milan in Italy and Vienna in Austria. A total number of 16 students and 4 teachers went on the tour guided by Culture Fox leaders.
MILAN
The days were divided into Architecture Day, Fashion Day & Visual Art day at Milan.
Architecture Day
Our students learnt about perspectives and gained tangible skills in drawing 3D on 2D. The experience was special as they sat in front of iconic monuments on a beautiful, sunny day and attempted sketching what they were seeing on paper while being told about the historic significance of the sites. They were taken to the Arco Della Pace and Castello Sforzesco.
It was a great beginning. The students enjoyed the first activity at the Arco Della Pace immensely. The activity became a little long and repetitive at the second location. Castello Sforzesco houses a museum, which had an exhibition of works by Leonardo da Vinci. The day concluded with a walk through the College of Art, Botanical Gardens and some shopping in the city centre.
Fashion Day
Most students were looking forward to exploring fashion in Milan and the day began with the much-awaited visit to Armani/Silos Museum. The students learnt a lot about the famous designer as they walked through the museum with expert cultural influences in fashion designing.
Visual Arts Day
The workshop on this day was led by Ms Silvia Fiani, a Milanese artist, at her quaint, little studio. The students learnt various watercolour techniques and were encouraged telling them about the significance of weaves, fabrics, colours, lights and diverse to express their inner emotions using this medium on paper.
VIENNA
The days in Vienna were divided into Theatre Day, Photography Day & Music Day
Theatre Day 
The students were introduced to ‘Theatre of the Youth’, the largest theatre for children in Europe. At the Renaissance, Theatre students were given a guided tour of the stage specially designed for their ongoing production of Robin Hood. They learnt about stagecraft, projections, props, music, costumes, make-up, wigs and all that goes into making a musical theatre production. The stage tour was followed by a brief description of the storyline of the play. They then watched the entire three-hour-long production in German with a house full of children of all ages. Even though they did not understand the language, it was easy to follow the story and was very exciting to see all the tricks unravel on stage.
Photography Day
On photography Day in Vienna students went to Metro Kinokulturhaus to see an exhibition of Polaroids taken by German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders curated by Filarchiv Austria. Here the students attended a workshop on Polaroid cameras. This was followed by an outdoor mobile photography workshop led by Mr Rafael Haider. Despite the fact that it was raining and dark outside, the students enjoyed learning about photography from their mentor and walking through the city, taking pictures of beautiful buildings and of each other. On photography Day in Vienna students went to Metro Kinokulturhaus to see an exhibition of Polaroids taken by German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders curated by Filarchiv Austria. Here the students attended a workshop on Polaroid cameras. This was followed by an outdoor mobile photography workshop led by Mr Rafael Haider. Despite the fact that it was raining and dark outside, the students enjoyed learning about photography from their mentor and walking through the city, taking pictures of beautiful buildings and of each other
Music Day.
The students went to the House of Music, where they were given a guided tour by the museum representative. Each floor of the museum had a different theme and presented knowledge about the history, science and art of music in a very interactive manner. The students were introduced to the great composers of Austria and they playfully learnt scientific facts about sound and music.
The House of Music was followed by attending an Organ concert in Baroque St. Peter’s church. This was a unique and very calming experience. The tall, intricately decorated walls of the church resonated with the sound of the Organ and everyone consumed by the mesmerizing music. The day ended with a visit to the Summer Palace. The rain finally stopped and we could enjoy the breathtaking view of the city of Vienna and take a walk in the royal gardens of this beautiful historical site.
Visual Arts Day
On Visual art day, the students visited Kunst Haus Wien designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. A unique and colourful building showcasing the works of this artist and environmental activist was a window to understand the need for immediate attention to our environment. The guided tour familiarized students with the life and journey of this important Austrian artist and thinker, which was culminated with a brief drawing activity.
Majkhali : A journey in the wilderness
The objective of the Outbound Learning Experience , OLE, at the Middle School stage is to ignite the inquisitiveness of the child for nature and the environment at large.
The OLE allows children to engage in exploratory activities and experience the nature up and close to facilitate acquisition of essential life skills and to apply these to real life contexts, beyond routine life.
The trip was organized in collaboration with Edterra and wias conducted between 26th May (Sunday) – 30th (Thursday) May, 2019.
The students engaged in various activities like Early morning trek, where they undertook 4 hours long trek with breaks in the middle to reach a hilltop temple on the first day. The students also spent time settling down in their new surroundings and room mates. Post lunch the students were divided in two groups, where one group participated in valley crossing , the other group worked on treasure hunt.
The second day the students participated in adventure sports, rappelling and survival tactics. They also made Maggi and very proudly fed all the teachers. The evening Bonfire was full of stories about Tigers, leopards and other majestic cats
The last day in the camp was about introducing the students to the emerging technologies of blog writing and podcast.
Note from the Principal's Desk - April to June 19-20
From The Principal’s Desk
June 30, 2019
Dear Parents, Staff and Students
Welcome back to the session 2019-20 after a much needed summer break !
Whilst for most students and all of us the break was a one month off site learning engagement through assignments , summer camps and travel to exciting destinations, having your family around and being able to be the master of your own wake up and sleep time is a joy in itself !
Let me take you through all that’s been happening in these two months on campus :
Learning Enrichment :
- Post the celebration of success in the Boards , our Pride – the first batch- our Brave hearts , did something spectacular - they committed to spending the weeks before their exit to ‘College’ as interns on campus , volunteering to support and assess the various learning programmes, learning administrative functions and documentation work across departments . Their resilience, commitment and their innovative ideas are an immediate evidence of the School vision in action : “…our students will be ethical , respectful, happy and purposeful citizens of society. “ Here’s a report by Ms. Anju Soni, the Deputy Head , Senior School. Report on Internships
- The batch of 2019 has given us enough reason to be proud of and I am happy to share that almost all of them have secured their dream college and course for further study . The interview calls are still coming in and the DU admissions have just begun ( attached is a snapshot released by Ms.Nitina Dua , our Head of CGC- Career Guidance Cell ). CGC UPDATE
- The new twelfths have with all maturity donned the mantel of the ‘senior most’ and the Elevenths pursued their fortnight long Internships in prestigious companies and organizations. They are ready to churn out some exclusive student led initiatives such as the Dialogue, the Art Fest, the Science Conclave and more. A few students have attended Leadership Camps in prestigious institutions .
- The IBDP- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Batch of 2019-21 ( grade 11) has been successfully launched. Congratulations to the IBDP Coordinator Ms. Jyotsna Gaur and her Team . Glimpses of the Introductory session along with all details of the IBDP Click here
- Our Students and Staff have been on study missions across the globe : Japan, Australia, US of America, Europe (Italy, Austria ) , Switzerland ( CERN, Geneva ), UK, Singapore, performing, learning, exploring and studying the disciplines of Science, Arts, Sports, Technology – Robotics - strengthening 21st century Leadership skills towards Sustainable Development Goals , as a collective commitment. The Robotics team has been preparing relentlessly for their world challenge in Australia. Do Click here to see.
- Our Staff has been engaged in Continuous Professional Development programmes with an intense May 24 to 29 and June 24 to 29 session (including off site modules ) with multidisciplinary and domain specific training across all levels , taking stock of student learning and progress, studying the 2019 National Education Policy Draft, writing research papers for NCTE – National Council for Teacher Education, GOI , and working out time, space and teaching learning resource implementation for the term July 01 onward. Catch a glimpse here. Professional Development and Presentation to NCTE
- A comprehensive stocktaking and sharing of the purpose, plan and implementation of the 1:1 technology programme for middle school parents paves the path for a smoother phase of blended learning ahead. SEQTA , the LMS for grades 6 and 7 now has a Parents Bulletin with all relevant updates such as Timetables, Calendar , Tasks and Announcements and more on a daily basis. Mr. Ivulich and Ms. Chowdhry have shared.
- The newest professional development programme launched by Shiv Nadar School is the Future Leaders Fellowship programme for staff members , in keeping with the institutional vision of nurturing and growing leaders who make a difference to Education and to the world we live in . Congratulations to the Fellows who embark upon this journey this year !
Enrichment of Infrastructural Environment :
- A brand new state of the art learning space for Primary School awaits the learners of years 2 to 5 . A new library and reading and research space , an exquisite in door conference space, new homerooms for years 3 to 5 , in addition to the new activity Centre and Dining space , new creativity hubs- the Makers Lab and the Art rooms will all be ready by the next month .
- The extension of the sports fields and the brand new tennis courts and skating rinks are ready to be offered to our children July 15 onwards !
- There is an ongoing enrichment of the exteriors, peripheries in alignment with the purposefully and meaningfully planned activities in all dimensions – extension of learning programmes, incorporation of teaching learning resources, strengthening of sports, sciences , arts , life skills , guidance and counselling programmes .
- Facilities across the campus have been given required replenishment and attention.
- However, long term work in areas of administrative block and the entrance gate number 3 are bound to continue beyond July. The construction work in this area is scheduled for after school time hours. All required safety measures are being ensured through competent agencies . No construction related work happens during school time – 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Our School is on a journey from Good to Great and in the second phase of gestation ( after a validation of our philosophy , intent and action by the outcomes of the first batch) we strengthen and deepen existing learning programmes and take on newer relevant programmes , the enormous infrastructural upgrade has been instrumental in seeing the fruits of our labour emerge during the year 2019- 20. Attached are the images of how the Campus would look like in a year’s time, here. ADMIN UPDATE We have an extremely generous Foundation and with your support and good wishes, we are resolved to ‘leaving no stone unturned ‘ literally, in garnering the best educational opportunities for our learners who have embarked upon their journey of ‘Education for Life’.
- All entry, exit , arrival, departure, school and private transport protocols remain the same. Arrangements in terms of ‘ waiting time and space ’ for parents and students have been modified towards the best interest of children and escorts. A directive from the respective Heads and the Head of Administration towards all administrative processes and arrangement that need clarification has been shared.
Enrichment of Physical, Social, Spiritual , Emotional, Ethical Wellbeing :
- This is our foundational surface and source on which we implement our curriculum across Nursery to Secondary School.
- Nursery onward, a distinct time and module for physical, social , emotional and ethical wellbeing is incorporated in the weekly time table and as per individual and collective student needs across ages and levels of engagement. Here is a video by Ms. Noora Sinha and her Wellbeing Team to give you a glimpse. You may contact the respective Homeroom teacher/ Head to seek details of your child’s Wellbeing programme. Well Being Curriculum
- Outward-bound Learning Experiences, OLE is an integral part of the curriculum, just as is AHA Sports and Arts . It is being observed that a few parents have not been able to understand and acknowledge the importance of this educational programme and students miss out on participation in this travel and self- nature-nurture exploration based adventure and community service programme . Here is a link put together by Deeksha Bhatia who facilitates the Social Integration programme , to share a few glimpses of this summer’s OLE trips. OLE 2019 International Learning Journey and CERN VISIT
- A series of critical thinking, creativity enabling, beyond school activities are organized across the year. An entire Student Editorial Board and a Film Club operates silently and committedly with a robust programme and here’s a report by Ms. Kirti Kaul , the Resource and Research facilitator to give you a glimpse of these programmes in the past couple of months.
Blog for Library and Library Led Programs
- ‘ Education for Life’( EFL) is an exclusive School programme , beyond prescribed curriculum, that engages learners in knowing and understanding the immediate, practical, deeper and more relevant issues that establish a cause and effect understanding of socio-economical, socio -cultural , socio-historical, geo- political, self and society related realms that enable analysis, reflection and new perspectives of the world we live in. Grades 9 and 11 engage in a focused ‘ EFL’ programme on a weekly basis with the best internal and external resources. The clubs and societies that are an integral part of the curriculum are included under this learning design. Here is a glimpse. Education for Life
- MUN- Model United Nations is a grade 7 to 12 Learning programme where students and teachers engage with the most relevant aspects of the world , modelling the UN framework. Every student under this programme is an ambassador of Human Rights and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the world. As a School that champions an Earth-minded curriculum being a no plastic zone dedicated to Environmentally sensitive practices ( recycle , reuse and reduce ) of resource consumption , we partner with the best MUN Mentors in the world – the Alma College , Michigan, USA. As I write in to you there are Seven Ace College Interns training our students in the academics of negotiation, writing with a purpose, learning about developed and developing economies, studying patterns of migration and climate change as citizens of the tiniest to the most influential nations of the world. I congratulate those who have had the wisdom to opt for the specialized trainings. Ms. Jaya Sharma Singh, Convenor MUN shares a glimpse of our yearly Global Challenge training with staff and students, MUN Update
- My note is an addendum to the welcome mail sent out to you by the Head of the Learning Programme your child is a part of. The School Leadership Team- Ms. Sumita Malik , Head of Early Years, Ms. Soniya Mawani, Head of Primary Years, Mr. Matthew Ivulich , Head of Middle and Senior Years and our IBDP Coordinator Ms. Jyotsna Gaur - is represented by the Teaching Learning Council , TLC.
An important message – the principal’s room is under maintenance so I will be available in the meeting room adjacent to my room when not on my classroom observation rounds , leadership conversations across the campus or on offsite meetings .
Wishing you , children , your extended families a great year ahead ! We look forward to a term full of joyful learning, wellbeing and a step further, deeper and higher into making a difference to our immediate world by environmentally wise and relevant practices such as mindful consumption and disposal of water and all other natural resources .
With a lotus of gratitude and kindness for all that we are blessed with – our children, our planet Earth, the only home we have ( Titan is a distant possibility !) and our ability to choose what is best for us as individuals and as a community of inter-beings !
From the Principal's Desk: Newsletter
Dear Parent
Though the summer moves on relentlessly, the vacations come to a close and school reverberates with the sounds and laughter of children.
Its wonderful to welcome them back.
The summer months have been long, blistering yet interestingly with lot of work on ground, accomplished. Phase 2 of the North Block is nearing completion. By July 15th we should be able to use the Multi Purpose Hall. It comprises an indoor basket ball court, badminton court, climbing wall and the scope to play multiple games.
The new computer lab is a state of art facility for our young minds, exciting and full of possibilities. It will be inaugurated very soon.
Squash will commence for students from early August as soon as the coach joins us. He has been appointed.
Abhilasha, the Badminton coach, who is on board, ensures that we start the game right away.
June is about training. The teachers have had several hours of in-depth, rigorous in service training, inductions and workshops, pivoting around best, global pedagogical practices that add strength and dimension to everyday teaching- learning in school. The goal is to design multidisciplinary links across grades, take stock of student learning and progress, up-skill and re-skill ourselves.
We have also been studying the National Education Policy Draft 2019 and will be posting our suggestions on the HRD ministry portal in few days from now. Its a voluminous document projecting several changes for the education sector.
You will be glad to know that we will introduce the French language from grades 4 upwards, from July. We have also appointed an additional German teacher, adding value to the Foreign language department.
Grades 6, 7,8,9 enjoyed their Outbound educational tour to Uttrakhand and Sariska in the month of May. They returned with a repository of radiant memories and as more independent youngsters.
Nine students of middle school traveled to Vienna and Milan for an Arts immersion program under the aegis of Culture Fox. Their learnings are clearly unmatchable.
Seven students from grade 8 and 9 traveled to USA under the NASA program and also visited the Harvard College and the MIT campus. They returned with stories of extraordinary experiences.
In May, parents of grade 6 witnessed live demonstration of the digital program in grade 6. As you know, we introduced I Pads in grade 6 this session as an effective 21st C tool to teaching-learning. Their encouraging feedback validates and adds impetus to our digital program.
The Sports team has spent a large part of the summer in the camp, building, training the team undeterred. Our young under 14 cricket team recently won against Eicher School and two other schools in the vicinity.
The girls basket ball team is all set to leave for Serbia, in Europe, in July. They are training hard and diligently.
In mid July, we will host the Faridabad District Basketball Match, under 14 Girls, in our school. We are delighted to wrest that opportunity and organise the matches for the participating schools of Faridabad. A first !
Model United Nations training is already underway. Students of grade 7 started their training from June 24th. Rose and Emily, the 2 trainers from Alma College, Michigan, USA are here to coach and mentor grades 7 to 9th students. This will culminate into our 2nd MUN conference on July 25th.
July promises to be an intense, packed month. We look forward to celebrating Fathers' day in Nursery and Kindergarten.
Joy of Sharing is scheduled for mid July and with your support we are aiming for a big fund raiser this year round too. I will soon share with you the Charity we will be supporting.
It is also time to elect a new Council and grades 3 to 9 will battle it out at the hustings in July. The election campaign, the exciting manifestos, inspiring speeches and secret vote, all lead to building leadership, communication, decision making skills and a strong pupil voice in the school.
The Career Guidance Cell in the school is picking up pace and Geetika is leading it with gusto and a hand on the pulse on the changing times in Higher Studies and employ ability.
Come July, we will start the After School Arts program grades 3 upwards offering Theatre, Dance, Music , Arts, and more twice a week. We hope many students will avail opportunity and enjoy the possibilities of going beyond the Aha curriculum.
There is indeed more happening on ground, Kargil Diwas will be observed in July. Admissions 2020 will commence soon. You will receive updates from the admission cell. Workshop for parents on our Junior math program and Phonetics are lined up. Coffee Morning and Evenings are round the bend. We will inform you of the date and hour.
Reading is a defining culture of the Shiv Nadar School. We insist you read to your child, encourage him/her to read and invest in physical books too. There is nothing that comes close to the texture, feel and experience of a 'real' book and our children mustn't be bereft of that joy.
Data and research shows that regular and continuous reading of books outside the curriculum improves school performance, positively impacts grades and marks. Of course, it opens up a whole new world of ideas, literature, science, and beyond. Its influence touches infinity.
Seeing the enthusiasm in our parents, we are inaugurating our Book Lovers'Club this month, a club driven by parents and supported by the school. Over a 100 parents have signed up for it. Meeting will be held once a month over the weekend in the school campus. Please connect with Shivani Bhandari and Bhagyalaxmi for details.
This is peep into our school programs and progress. It is hard to detail the nuances and essence of innumerable learning opportunities we endeavour to offer.
It is always a pleasure to write to you and share our journey. Do feel free to write into me, your thoughts and views.
Best regards,
Anju Wal
Principal
Shiv Nadar School
Faridabad
