ART EDUCATION TRIP to MILAN & VIENNA
Culture Fox is an Indo-European organization that curates art immersion programmes in Europe for Indian educational institutions. Shiv Nadar School has been associated with Culture Fox for the last three years and has participated in two tours to Germany and Amsterdam in the past. This year was the first trip to Italy and Austria that was curated specially 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. The entire experience was curated keeping visual arts as the focus, along with some exposure to theatre and music.
Ready to fly…
At 12 midnight when the date changed to May 25, 2019 16 students of three campuses of Shiv Nadar School with 4 chaperones assembled in front of Gate number 5 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Whilst the students were very enthusiastic, the parents had mixed emotions. The life skill lessons started with their first step in the airport walking towards the check-in counter. It took nearly two hours to pass the security check. At 4:30 am our flight took off and soon we all were asleep on board. We landed in Dubai and waited at the gate for our next flight to Milan. Our instructors Lisa and Carmen welcomed us at the Melpansa airport. By evening, Milan time we checked in at the Hotel.
At a good sleep, we were ready to great anticipation for our first workshop.
MILAN
Day 1, 25th May, 2019: Architecture Day
The trip began on a high note with a sketching tour of the picturesque city of Milan. The local Culture Fox representative in Milan was Ms. Lisa Maria Esposito, who became our leader and guide for the next three days. The first workshop was led by Mr. Federico and Ms. Juliana, who are Argentinian students of Architecture and History currently studying at the university in Milan. Our students learnt about perspectives and gained tangible skills of 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. We enjoyed the first activity at the Arco Della Pace immensely. The day concluded with a walk through the College of Art, Botanical Gardens and some shopping at Via Montenapoleone.
Day 2, 26th May: 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 an expert telling them about the significance of weaves, fabrics, colours, lights and diverse cultural influences in fashion designing. The guided tour of the museum was followed by lunch and gelatos and the day ended with a walk through Quadrilatero Della Moda or the fashion street, most of which we had seen and experienced the previous day. On this day, we again got to spend some time outside ‘Duomo’, the second largest cathedral after the Vatican.
Day 3, 27th May: 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 water colour techniques and were encouraged to express their inner emotions using this medium on paper. We also filled a questionnaire to centralize our thoughts before sketching our inner portrait. The workshop was engaging and gave the opportunity to students to think creatively and paint skillfully. After the workshop, we grabbed snacks at the supermarket, picked up our luggage and headed to the airport with Ms. Carmen Pohl, the Founder of Culture Fox, to catch a flight to Vienna.
VIENNA
Day 4, 28th May: Theatre Day
The first day in Vienna was truly the best day of the entire trip for most of us. The students were introduced to ‘Theatre of the Youth’, the largest theatre for children in Europe. We went to Renaissance Theatre, where we 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. We then watched the entire three hour long production in German with a house full of children of all ages. Even though we did not understand the language, it was easy to follow the story and was very exciting to see all the tricks unravel on stage. The day ended with a lovely meal of juicy burgers and lemonade.
Day 5, 29th May: Photography Day
On our second day in Vienna we 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 their mobile phones using techniques.
Day 6, 30th May: Music Day
Another exciting day learning about the musical heritage of Vienna! We went to the House of Music, where we 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. While the tour guide was very helpful, it felt like we were rushing through each floor. Everyone ended up spending more time in the shop on the top floor than actually engaging in the carefully curated musical activities.
The House of Music was followed by attending an Organ concert in Baroque St. Peter’s church. This was a unique and a very calming experience for most of us. The tall, intricately decorated walls of the church resonated with the sound of the Organ and we were all 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.
Day 7, 31st May: Visual Arts Day
We visited Kunst Haus Wien designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser on our last morning in Vienna. A unique and colourful building showcasing the works of this artist and environmental activist was a window for us to understand the need for immediate attention to our environment. The guided tour familiarized us with the life and journey of this important Austrian artist and thinker, which was culminated with a brief drawing activity. It was interested to know that Hundertwasser paintings had elements of nature in each painting. This was followed by some shopping and another stopover at the supermarket for picking up snacks for the airport.
Here are some reflections of students about this trip:
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WHAT ARE MY 3 TAKEOVERS FROM THIS TRIP:-
We used to get lunch money or meal money almost everyday and we had to spend it by buying food. Now we were not allowed to buy any aerated drinks, chips, candies etc. that means you were only allowed eat healthy food.so if you buy a sandwich which will cost 2-3 euros you still have 3 euros in which you can buy a bottle of juice which will be a healthy meal.
What I learnt in arts?
1.Photography-i learned a lot in photography.now i know how to properly use a polaroid camera because of the workshop.now i also know that how you can make portraits and reflections in digital photography 2.Visual art(sketching) I learned a new technique called the 2D and 3D perspective. In this technique you can sketch famous monuments and architecture like Arco Della Pace and Castello Sforzesco which we sketched.
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-Siddharth Sood 7 Corbett
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This was my second ‘Culture Fox’ experience. It was a wonderful experience as last time was.(Yuvraaj Chopra – 7 Corbett)
Three Takeaways-
What did you learn in Arts-
What Life skills did you learn?
Would you like to go again for Culture Fox and Why? Yes I would like to go again with Culture Fox as it is a wonderful learning experience outdoors and in a completely different environment from what we are used to. I love the way the programme is structured to enable us to learn yet have fun while learning. In the usual vacations which we take this kind of learning is not possible. This exposure gives a vast experience in a few days and would be very helpful in the future for me also. The kind of exposure we get to various forms of arts is helpful for us to decide what we like and what we would like to pursue. |
Atitude of Gratitude
Shiv Nadar School, firmly believes in Gratitude and Respect for all. The support staff doesn't need a special day to be thanked for all that they do each and every day to help students and mentor be their best. In heat or col, they are always ready to provide unconditional support/service towards maintenance and a smooth functioning of the school.
Keeping this in mind, our Principal along with the Administrative Team organized a ‘Watermelon Party’, to Beat the Heat for them on Thursday, 30th May 2019.
They deserve our gratitude and respect.Their dedication and commitment to work is always appreciated.
Inter House Painting Competition
On 14th May, 2019, an Inter House Painting Competition was organized at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad. The students of grade 3 to 9 participated, started at 9:10 am post breakfast and worked till 10:30 am. Homerooms of Grades 3 to 9 were lively with creativity and artistic expression with the help and supervision of subject teachers and homeroom incharges.
Practicing, contemporary artists Ms. Sunita Mendiratta and Mr. Sanjay were invited to be the esteemed judges for the Inter-House Painting Competition to be held in school on 14th May. Ms. Geetika Jatta from career counselling cell was also part of the jury. They arrived and were welcomed at 10 am, they were taken on a round to see the artistic pursuits of the students following which the jury started the selection process which took about an hour.
Topics were given and judgment was made in 3 groups,
Group A - Class 3-4 – ‘My Home, My Family’ OR ‘The Underwater World’
Group B - Class 5-6 – ‘My School, Where I Belong’ OR ‘The Future World’
Group C - Class 7-9 – ‘My Favorite Indoor/Outdoor Sport’ OR ‘The Portrait of my Idol’
Results of the Competition:
After a very tough judgment, 5 positions were given in each Group.
Group 3-4: Shivansh Grover – 1st Position
Suhana Jain– 1st Position
Aaliya– 2st Position
Avik Agrawal– 3rd Position
Anaya Mittal– 3rd Position
Shaurya– 4th Position
Aarna Edke–4th Position
Vihaan S–5th Position
Arnav Modi – 5th Position
Group 5-6: Delphea Tanwar-1st Position
Vardaan – 1st Position
Manthan – 2nd Position
Devkaran- 3rd Position
Edwin- 3rd Position
Rahini- 4th Position
Simar- 5th Position
Aanya Singhal – 5th Position
Group 7-9: Devanshi- 1st Position
Rashmita – 1st Position
Swinzal – 2nd Position
Yagna – 3rd Position
Manaasvi Vij – 3rd Position
Gurnoor Kaur – 4th Position
Shreya Garg– 5th Position
Leopards stood first with ten positions.
Grades 3-4: Aaliya
Grades 5-6: Delphea Tanwar, Vardaan Sethi, Manthan Varshney, Edwin Ajish, Rahini Anand, Aanya Singhal
Grades 7-9: Devanshi, Rashmita Gandhi, Shreya Garg
Tigers stood second with 6 positions.
Grades 3-4: Aarna Edke, Suhana Jain, Shaurya, Arnav Modi
Grades 5-6: Devkaran Sidhu
Grades 7-9: Yagna Gupta
Panthers stood third with 5 positions.
Grades 3-4: Avik Agrawal, Shivansh Grover,
Grades 5-6: Simar Sharma
Grades 7-9: Manaasvi Vij , Gurnoor Kaur
Judges were very happy being part of our Competition, and appreciated the students a lot. Post the results, judges were presented by a token of thanks in the form of children’s paintings from Principal ma’am.
All in all, Inter House Painting Competition 2019-20 went really well where over 400 students participated and joyfully expressed their ideas through art.
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Summer Bonanza: Fun under the Sun
What better way to enjoy the last day of school and welcome the Summer break other than having some fun under the sun!! The students of pre-primary had an exciting day participating in the event Summer Bonanza. The highlight of the event was the children in their swimwear, running to wet themselves and play with water, flowing out from the water sprinklers in the middle field.
A day filled with treats started at Breakfast where the children were served sandwiches and macaroni. After they which they all took turns and participated in the different activities that were planned. These included music and dancing, creating a craft, playing with water from the sprinklers, eating ice cream whilst sitting under umbrellas in the summer sun, getting colourful tattoos painted on their hands and finally a movie with pop-corn and lemonade.
Loving hugs, bye byes and off they went home. Not before saying, “I will miss you ma’am. Happy holidays”.
Poetry Slam
After month-long preparations and immersion into the realm of poetry, the school buzzed with excitement as it welcomed 10 schools from across Delhi-NCR, for its annual celebration of the art called poetry- Poetry Slam@Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram. The Wild Cats Hall and the Senior Library witnessed pure poetic expression as young adults from grades 9-12 participated in the 3 events: 'Slamming Solo', 'Slamming Duet' and 'Pour It on Paper'.
An event extraordinaire, it was adjudged by pertinent slam poets in the poetry circle in Delhi-NCR, while the Chief Guest was noted slam poet, Ms. Harnidh Kaur. The day culminated with 22 scintillating performances and 66 pieces of beautifully woven poetry. Khushi Soni, of Shiv Nadar School, Gurugram, was declared the winner of the 'Slamming Solo', Aaruni and Dhriti, from Scottish High School, were declared the winners of the 'Slamming Duet', and Ashutosh, from Scottish High School, was declared the winner for 'Pour It on Paper'. The rolling trophy was handed over to Scottish High School, as they were adjudged the Overall Winner of Poetry Slam, 2019.
Readers make Leaders!
The students of grades 6-8 had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Subhadra Sen Gupta, a popular author who writes fiction and non-fiction for students and adults alike. We believe that Author on campus is a beautiful learning experience for students that inspire them to imagine, create, and pen dowm their own thoughts.
She regaled the students with stories of Jahanara and Mughals. The students were enthralled with her stories about Mughals and seemed inquisitive to know and explore more.
Her stories about Mughals, peacock throne and the Kohinoor was well received by the students and teachers alike.
The session ended with students thanking the author for an enlightening session and gifting her a painting made by one of the students as a gesture of appreciation.
Every touch is not a safe touch!
At Shiv Nadar School, it is our endeavor to create a safe environment for our children where they feel valued, loved, protected and cared for. We try to create awareness amongst students on aspects of personal safety right from an early age. Through a Puppet Show conducted in homerooms on 6th and 7th May 2019 ,our children of grade Nursery were made to understand the subtle differences between safe and unsafe touch and safe and unsafe adults. It has been our observation that puppet shows, skits, and role plays are effective mediums to communicate safety and create awareness amongst young children. They were also told the safety steps if they encounter an unsafe adult.
After a lively and fun filled puppet session, the teachers involved the children in age appropriate discussions to ascertain whether they have been able to internalize the message intended for them.
SPIC MACAY: Padmashri Ranjana Gauhar ji
Shiv Nadar School Faridabad in collaboration with SPIC MACAY experienced a unique lecture demonstration of Odissi by eminent Odissi danseuse Padmashri Ranjana Gauhar ji on 25th April 2019, 11:10 am. The eminent artist enthralled the audience of grade 4 to 7 along with few parents who grabbed the opportunity of witnessing this program.
The program began with lighting of lamp followed by invocation rendered by the students of Hindustani Classical Vocal basket. Ms. R. Bhargavi briefed children about Spic Macay and its vital role in promoting art and culture of India. And the program began with introduction of the artist who was accompanied the veteren artist Sri Saroj Mohanty on vocals, and Sri Praful Mangraj on mardal. She enchanted the children with a brief introduction of Indian classical dance form, and emphasized on Indian art forms and the uniqueness which merges beautifully with the cultures of India. She talked about Odissi extensively and began with her demonstration, she simplified the technical pieces for children and explained the essence of learning the dance form. She, along with her disciple Vinod Kevin Bachan engaged the audience with her playful and intriguing patterns through dance where rhythm plays a vital role. She established connections between the architectural, historical and geographical contexts of Odissi Dance and explained how it evolved.
Our Principal, Ms. Anju Wal presented her vote of thanks and honoured the artist with token of appreciation. The artist made a mark in the lives of young minds and it will be continuously cherished and admired by the ones who witnessed the show.
Citation Ceremony
Shiv Nadar School celebrated the journey of Self Discovery of the Bravehearts, first batch of Grade 12, on Feburary 01, 2019.
The ceremony was a soulful ceremony with a perfect mix of laughter, tears, memories and pride.
The Bravehearts marched in with their heads held high and a purpose in their gait, mindfully passing on the baton to Grade 11 to take the vision of the School forward by living upto the core values of the School.
Mentors, teachers, guides across their journey through Shiv Nadar School wished them all the best for their future endeavors by attending the ceremony or sending personally recorded messages.
The students received momentoes and citations from the Senior Leadership Team of the school.
