International Visitors in January 2019
Bhutanese teachers @ Shiv Nadar School
On 23rd January the teachers from Armed Forces Pre School Project-Bhutan visited the Pre-primary section of our school. These visits are a great way to make connections and learn from different cultures. It contributes towards collaboration and helps to highlight good practices. The teachers from Bhutan visited different sections in Nursery and Kindergarten, they observed the lessons, and interacted with the children. The children interacted comfortably with them and were curious to know about their costume and language. The visiting teachers were appreciative of the interaction and open discussions between the teachers and the students.
Thai delegation @ Shiv Nadar School
Young Ambassadors of Virtue Foundation is a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with objectives to support public activities that help developing personal moral standards.
A delegation from this Foundation visited Shiv Nadar School on January 29th 2019. Ms Busadee Santipitaks, Director-General of the Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand lead the delegation of 20 students (grade 6), teachers, and school directors (5).
The students from Thailand were given a traditional welcome and a tour of the school. The day started with the Tile Making workshop. While one student etched ‘I Love India’, the other drew a scene from his village. This was followed by a Manipuri dance performance by our students. An eclectic array of activities was on the menu, art-craft, songs and dancing, to food. The enthusiasm was palpable as the visitors learned the Dandiya dance. A pleasant surprise for our AHA students was when the Thai students performed a song on ‘Som Tam’ a famous Thai street snack. The highlight was the sharing of experiences and the concept of "sufficiency economy", a philosophy promoted by the erstwhile Thai king, Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The "exchange" culminated with promises to keep in touch, presenting each other gifts and valuable memories.
They were appreciative of the interactions and open discussions between the students and the teachers. The children spoke to them happily and were curious about their costume and language. It was a fruitful and heart warming interaction?
I Blossom Showcase
Students of Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, put on display the various skills and learning they had acquired as a part of Aha! I Blossom activities. I Blossom is one of two divisions of Aha! programme, which goes beyond art and sports to create experiences which instil life-skills in students.
The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival
Let the celebrations begin! 17th "The Ishara International Puppet Theatre Festival" has started its performance from Faridabad Shiv Nadar School. They celebrate the 17th anniversary with a diverse range of breath-taking performances, which communicate across language barriers & define the social, cultural & emotional bonds humanity shares together.
We had a great puppet theatre show from Germany on 1 st February, 2019 at Amphitheatre.
Play: EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE
Performed by: The Fifth Wheel Marionettes
Directed by: Dmitry Nomokonov
Language: Musical, Non Verbal
Medium: Marionettes, Actors,
Duration: 45 minutes
Grades: 3 to 5
Summary of the play
Bursting with excitement, this exuberant whistle-stop tour around the world voyage is a lot of fun & a trip worth making. We travel the high seas in a big white ship, & along the way meet our global neighbours the Arabs, the Spaniards, the Gypsies, the Mexicans & even Indians. Each place the ship visits is a new musical number, filled with big, colourful, imaginative puppets, dance, & foot tapping music from that part of the world. Learn about interesting places, their traditions & lots more! Utterly enchanting, this family treat of a show should leave you & yours wide-eyed with wonder.
Our little audiences were extremely excited by looking at the puppets and also when the puppets became alive little minds overwhelmed and involved in the show.
The actors were amazing and spread lots of energy to the students and it was a kind of participatory performance. Our grades 3 to 5 were witnessed the performance. It was a marvellous experience for all of us to witness the show. They started on time and finished it on time too. Our students were really energized and enjoyed the performance.
OLE to Sariska
OLE Trip, Grades 8 and 9, to Sariska, 26th May to 28th May 2019.
The students began the first day full of excitement and enjoyed the calendar making activity. The students were enthusiastic and by the evening they jumped in the pool to beat the heat.
The stduents also enjoyed the astronomy activity, watching the moon, its features and phases.
The second day was the most enjoyable and exciting for the students. The students went to Sariska Tiger Reserve and saw tigers, deers and elephants. The excitement of the students was worth a watch. The students post the lunch participated in rocket making activity and gave it flight of their imagination.
The students again went in for a swim and in the evening , played team games to build stronger bonds of frienship and learnt the art of collaboration.
The students ended the trip with a team building games and certifate of a
EVS Culmination: Food and Nutrition
With immense pleasure, joy and pride, the students of grade 3 put up their Summer Holiday Engagement Exhibition and EVS Culmination of the theme- Food and Nutrition on 26th of July'19, Friday. Grade 2 students and teachers were invited to see the presentations and display work.
Grade 3 classrooms were converted into following stations-
Station 1 : 3 Sariska- Food groups, Types of Vitamins, Eat Well Plate, Food pyramid and Consulting a Nutritionist
Station 2: 3 Kanha- Components of a balanced diet, Malnutrition and obesity
Station 3: 3 Gir- Reading food labels, Exercises to lead a healthy lifestyle
Station 4: 3 Corbett -Ways to reduce food wastage and table manners
Each station had something different to demonstrate- from role plays to fun games, quiz and exercises- every presentation gave us a peep into students' in-depth learning of the concepts related to the theme 'Food'.
Walk the Talk with Grade 3
Beyond the classroom experience: Walk the Talk - Interactive session with Career Experts for grade 3.
The students of grade 3 interacted with career experts in three specific fields - Film, Culinary Arts and Aviation.
Mr. Subhash Bhanwala discussed the various stages in film making and production emphasizing upon his role as a film editor.
Mr. Bharat Burman challenged the students to wear his hat as a chef to plan a hypothetical school party.
Ms. Smriti Minhas captured the students' undivided attention with fun facts about serving on an international airline like 'Why we keep the window shutters of an aircraft open while taking off and landing?'.
Anandam: Discovering Talent and Skills
The school witness a vibrant display of paintings, sculptures and artworks prepared by students of Grades 3 and above, along with presentations of theatre, music and dance on 9th January.
From beautiful pots in different techniques and shapes to Water Color glass frames, to portrait drawings in pencil and pastels to canvases in acrylic color, were exhibited with full fervor in the merry gallery spaces of North Block with a curatorial anchor of keeping one kind of forms together for display purpose.
Aha Painting and Pottery
These classes were spaces for Grade 3 to 5 children to experience and learn drawing, painting and pottery making on a rotation basis. Students of all three baskets namely Painting 1, Painting 2 and Pottery baskets came up with a brilliant collection of paintings and terracotta pots executed in their Aha classes. Students of all three baskets of Aha 3-5 played a key role in the process of Display, assembling installations with a purpose, giving inputs for curation. Students of Aha 6-8 Painting baskets came up with a series of paintings on canvas and paper illustrating their inner thoughts, meaningful and purposeful ideas and skill based study works. Students even assembled together a ‘Live Painting’ which was their first ever Video Installation as part of the exhibition.
The ceremonial lamp of knowledge and creativity was lit by honorable Principal Ms. Anju Wal, and the Parent Representative body of the school which was followed by the invocation rendered by the students of Hindustani classical music.
The Hindustandi Classical Music
The Hindustandi Classical music basket for Grades 3 to 5, began their journey with exploring the concepts of Thaat, Shudh, komal and teevra swaras. They attempted to identify notes with only the tanpura. They were familiarised with the grammar of Raag bhopali. They went on to create patterns in the same Raag and practiced singing various alankaars. They beautifully presented madhya laya bandish in Raag bhopali. This bandish began with a guru mantra followed by a composition in Jhap Taal, a cycle of 10 beats. During the performance the students attempted to improvise on stage, which is a very important aspect of Indian classical music. They concluded the performance with the bandish “Maheshwra Mahadev” set in teen taal.
Through the year, the students of Grades 6 to 8 have explored Raag Jog and Raag Ahir Bhairav and they presented a composition titled 'Saajan' followed by “bandish” in the two ragas, set in teen taal, a cycle of 16 beats. The compositions celebrated the home coming of the beloved, emphasizing on the significance of spirituality in literature used in music. The parents were thrilled to learn that they were improvising on stage keeping the complicated rhythm in mind. They concluded with a Tarana in Raga Ahir Bhairav set in ek taal, a cycle of12 beats.
Tabla
During the Aha classes, the students of the Tabla basket learnt various aspects of Rhythm. They were taught about Indian and western percussion instruments. Through the year, they were given various activities to enhance their rhythmic skills. The students of Grades 3 to 8 presented ‘Taal Tarang’ set in Teen Taal. They beautifully presented the technical aspects like TIPALLI, kayada, Palta and Tihai, Tukda and they concluded in drut laya teen taal and tihai.
Odissi dance
The Odissi dance students explored on preparing their bodies for dance through various exercises and movements and were introduced to the traditional repertoire of Odissi.
They beautifully presented an invocation called Mangalacharana, which includes Jagannaathashtakam - A shloka (hymn) in praise of Lord Jagannath an avatar of Lord Vishnu, and Guru vandana which was followed by Pushpanjali which means offering of flowers and Bhumi Pranam which means salutation to mother earth.
The invocation for Grades 6 to 8 also included Sabha Pranam (trikhandi Pranam), the three-fold salutation – to the Devas (gods), to the Gurus (teachers) and to the Lokas or Rasikas (fellow dancers and audience).
Theatre
Grade 3 to 5 students of the theatre basket presented the Wizard of Oz!
While working on this fantastical story, the students got the opportunity to explore various possibilities in acting, through body movement and exaggeration of action and still images. This allowed them to expand their body language and enhance their speech and voice.
When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical Land of Oz. They follow the Yellow Brick Road toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard, and en route they meet a Scarecrow that needs a brain, a Tin Man missing a heart, and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. The wizard asks the group to bring him the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West to earn his help.
Grade 6 to 8 students presented The Comedy of Errors was written by Shakespeare is known to the world. After both being separated from their twins in a shipwreck, Antipholus and his slave Dromio go to Ephesus to find them. The other set of twins’ lives in Ephesus, and the new arrivals cause a series of incidents of mistaken identity. The main focus of the production was deeply driven to the language of Shakespeare, understanding the beauty and the sub-text of the script. The play is done in a conventional structure where actors trying to explore the design aspects of composition, and movement of the actor.
Kathak Dance
The Kathak dance basket were told the story of the origin of dance, and then were introduced to different classical and folk dance forms in India. They studied rhythm and the ‘taal’ concept, and learnt how to express through numbers. Tatkaar, hastak, spins, neck movement and various tukras, and tihais were taught in the Aha class.
The students 3 to 5 beautifully presented a composition of the great poet Surdas set in teentaal, depicting different leela’s of Lord Krishna, focusing on the rainy season. This bandish - “Barkha Ritu”- set in raag Sur Malhar, Teentaal.
The students of 6 to 8 beautifully presented the ‘Nritta’ aspect, or pure dance form of Kathak, taking you through complex rhythmic footwork, spins, and mathematical compositions set in teentaal - Madhya laya and for the first time ever was accompanied in live music, Ahmad Hussain on sarangi, Naveen sir on Tabla, Aishwarya Ma’am on Nagma. They concluded with a choreography on a Tarana set in ektaal, a rhythmic cycle of 12 beats.
Western Music Basket
The students of the western music basket have been exploring sounds identified as ‘notes’. These are arranged in countless different patterns to produce melodious tunes. The students learnt to create rhythmic melody patterns, such as: Pyramid of Notes, importance of Time Signature in rhythm, role of Dynamics etc.
The student Choir presented before you a bouquet of songs. They worked religiously on training their voices for singing, learning to play chords and executing a regular repeated pattern of movement on Djembe.
The mini-orchestra (students of 6 to 8) presented a blend of unique tones and styles of playing. They have undergone an invigorating process and have worked religiously from learning the chords to executing a regular repeated pattern of movement on a Djembe or a Snare Drum. From an Egg shaker to follow the Rhythm moves on a Tambourine; they have learned the art of blending in rhythms and melodies systematically, leading to the production of this Symphony.
The program ended with Principal addressing the parental community and appreciating the students and teachers for their endless effort in making Anandam a huge success.
The vote of thanks was presented by the Head Boy Sahaj Gard and Head Girl Mannat Kaur of the school. The Exhibition and Program got a very heartwarming response from the Parent Community and other viewers as it encouraged and inspired the students.
Anandam: The Joy of Learning
Anandam a significant day at Shiv Nadar School, unwinding a walk down in our yearlong learning path.Anandam defines the different baskets of Aha namely Visual arts, Dance, Music and theater. The program has a holistic approach and enhances cognitive, physical, aesthetic and cultural skills in us. Finally, it acts as a platform that allows us to showcase our talent through different stage performances.
The programme commenced by offering prayers to the embodiment of knowledge ‘Maa Saraswati” followed by our customary LAMP-LIGHTING ceremony by CEO Col. Gopal Karunakaran , Principal Ms. Anju Wal, and the Parent Representative Group Members.
The very first act of the event was Shades of Raag- Kaafi by the students of Indian Classical Music basket. The students were introduced to the concepts of Naad, dhwani and Raag and then explored Raag Kafi in their classes. They presented Sargam geet and Lakshan Geet in teentaal. The surroundings echoed with the honey-like sound and vocals of the students.
The musical performance was followed by a Blending Percussion. During the classes the students explored rhythm techniques and learnt about Indian and western percussion instruments. Here, the students showcased a variety of percussion instruments like Congo, Bongo, Dholak and tabla using a rhythm pattern. It was a true amalgamation of the different musical instruments.
The next act - Namskriya kriya- Angikam, was a tribute to Lord Shiva, whose body is the whole Universe, whose speech encompasses all the languages of the world and whose ornaments are the moon and the stars. The students from the Odissi dance basket were introduced to the basic movements and gestures of this classical dance style. It was a captivating performance that kept the audience hooked without a blink.
As said by Shakespeare- “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”, such are the students of Theatre basket who get to play different roles as a part of their engagement. Students showcased the story of King Midas, a play, prepared through a series of movements and freezes. Students explored their imagination and played their roles with honesty.
The students of the Kathak dance basket had been learning about the various techniques of movements and expressions in their dance classes. They presented the famous episode of Lord Krishna stealing butter from the homes of gopis, a simple Kavitt with short tukdas, set in tentaal, a cycle of 16 beats, narrating the story through this Kathak performance. The Krishnas and gopis took us back in time and presented a fascinating dance performance.
Next performers were from the Theatre basket, who explored the folk tale of Brazil. They created the sounds, movements and improvised all the scenes during the process. The young artists performed the play- The Turtle and the Magic Flute. It was a treat to the eyes of the audiences.
As rightly said by the world renowned artist Degas” Art is not what you see but what you make others see”. Next were students from Visual Arts basket introduced who took up the stage and took their bows. Visual arts students had worked very hard through the year, to create their masterpieces. Images of animals and birds shaping the jungle scenes, were depicted in water color and mixed models in clay. Their works were appreciated closely in the Gallery Walks in the designated time.
As quoted by Plato “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” It was now time to let feet move to the beats as the talented Western Music students left the audience in high spirits, showcasing Jamming and vocals. Parents kept tapping their feet, feeling the power of the music created by the talented students. This brought us to the end of our lively stage performances. It was indeed a moment of pride and joy as we culminated our learning in front of audiences and geared up for future challenges.
The parents’ proceeded towards the Art Gallery of grade 1-2 in the shape of a beautifully put together exhibition of their works done throughout the academic year.
Aha Clay Modelling and Painting classes were spaces for Grade 1 and 2 children to experience and learn drawing and modelling organic forms such as animals and birds inspired from Nature on a rotation basis House-wise. Students of all Houses came up with a brilliant collection of paintings and clay sculptures executed in their Aha classes. Lion House came up with a series of models and drawings in pastels in geometric shapes, Panthers and Leopards came up with Animal and Bird forms respectively, in clay and painting while Tigers spent most amount of time putting together these forms inspired by Nature in meaningful compositions. The exhibition especially emphasized the Tiger House works bringing out the best of their achievements in the Art basket.
From the Principal's Desk
When we closed school in March, we had a reasonable belief, like many others that we will return to our physical building in June sometime. That has not happened but what has happened is a tremendous amount of upskilling and relearning by all educators in the system.
The Shiv Nadar School leadership has met more frequently than ever before to take stock of the situation and strengthen our collective vision to ensure that the Standard and Quality of Shiv Nadar School Education will remain uncompromised.
This one hiccup year in the legacy of our school, is just that, a hiccup.
I promise you that we are here to re imagine school education, even before Covid-19, and build tenacious, robust children, with lifelong learning skills, adaptability, emotional resilience and a combativeness that will stand the test of time.
To find the synergy between technology, curriculum and pedagogy has been our key area of focus in these past weeks. Much of the training has centred around striking that harmony in teaching online.
As we progress ahead, I would like you to notice the connected learning thread that we weave across different subjects so our children can make real time connections, make meaning of the body of knowledge and process concepts, experiences, online discussions and more.
Our People, Our Strength
Turbulent times test the bedrock of relationships. I would like to share with you that in our institution each one works doggedly with an unflinching assurance that their jobs are safe.
No one has been dismissed or sent away on half salary, leave without pay and such like, which is the trend of the times at present. We are flowing against the tide because to flow with it, is radically against our values and ethics.
On Another Note
The entire Faridabad team raised money to provide dry rations to our 130 strong support staff, the bhaiyyas, didis, conductors, guards, janitors and more. I attach a few pictures in case you missed seeing them. We plan to support them for the next 3 months, each one of those families and then see how to raise more money to take it till the end of the year for sure.
We are the World
I hope you enjoyed the symphony of over a 100 children, teachers and parents singing the iconic song together. In case you haven't heard this in house production of Faridabad School, its time you did. It will fill you up with surging optimism and love.
Hiring for Talent
I have inducted more than 20 teachers in the Faridabad team, in the recent weeks, all talented, competent and aligned to our philosophy. This trend to hire is clearly different, you would agree. But we believe that great teachers make great learners. And we will make no compromise to continue to provide the cutting edge education to our children in these unprecedented times.
Technology
The Institution has made massive investment in upgrading the technological frontiers of the school. Veracross, is one example of the same. This deep and incredible learning Management System is now embedded across grades 1 to 10. It will soon be populated in Early Years too. The pathway to understand and use it will be steady and staggered and we will keep you informed of the continued progress and availability of new functions.
Webinar on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Parents
We launched our first in the series of the said webinar on Thursday,4th June. Parents of grades 7 to 10 were the invitees and we addressed several questions on how to cope with the stress, children's whimsical behaviour, family and work pressures and such like. The panellists comprised, Manisha Massey, our senior school counsellor, Mamta Sharma, our parent and certified psychologist, and myself.
Or next is in the series is round the bend and we will let you know of the date and the year group. Our plan is to cover all age groups and offer this opportunity to all parents.
Assessments in Middle School
We conducted our first marked assessments with the novel use of technology for grades 6 to 10 before the summer break. The children did us proud. I believe when we assume the best intentions of people they rise to their best. Our children conducted themselves with honesty and sincerity to do the tests remotely. My gratitude to all the parents too who were our co invigilators in this process.
My Conversations with You
I have met almost 500 parents in the last 2 weeks. It was wonderful for me to see you and converse with you. I do hope that you felt equally good to connect and hear what we are doing and thinking. I certainly will meet all our parents in the days to come. It is my fortune to see the tremendous attendance for our conversations. Let’s keep it going.
Online Classes Resume Today (15h June)
As we stand at the intersection of uncertainty and strong resolve, we are luminously clear that a shut school building will not shut out the learning of our children. If anything, it will only incrementally raise it to adapt to phenomenal change, increase the reservoir of empathy and compassion in their hearts and embrace reimagined processes, skills and knowledge.
Enjoy the Experience. Feel free to connect with me to share your thoughts.
Stay Safe Stay healthy and Stay Indoors as we fight this together.
Best Regards
Anju Wal
Principal
Shiv Nadar School
Faridabad
Swiss Innovation Camp
The Swiss Innovation Camp was a 7 day camp where 4 students accompanied by a teacher travelled to Geneva, Switzerland from 13th - 19th October 2019. The camp aimed to immerse the children in the scientific innovation brewing in Geneva, which is the innovation hub of Switzerland. The Camp included workshops at CERN as well as other leading Swiss research centres. The aim of the program was to build an understanding of the Swiss Innovation Ecosystem and what makes it successful. The workshops gave the students the opportunity to experience different scientific innovation centres, interact with leading scientists involved in cutting edge research, and get a glimpse of what a career in science looks like. It also aimed to inspire children towards design thinking and research.
The main attraction of the workshop was the visit to CERN, the largest experiment in the world that aims to answer the big questions of life - ‘Where did we come from?’ , ‘What are we made of?’ and ‘Where are we going?’. Students visited CERN and learnt about its history, mission and sociology by interacting with a Physicist. They also discussed experimental tools, innovation and impact. Students visited one of the 4 particle detectors at the Large Hadron Collider - CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) in France. They went 100 meters below ground level to see the particle detector at arm’s length. The students participated in a team activity at the Globe of Innovation at CERN where they learnt many facts about CERN and particle physics in the process of completing a team challenge.
The students experienced a guided tour to the United Nations Headquarters, where they learnt about the history and functioning of the headquarters. They even witnessed a live United Nations session from the gallery. The students were made familiar with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which are a part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by 193 Member States at the UN General Assembly Summit in September 2015. They then participated in a UN SDG challenge where they had to use technology to come with a design to contribute to one or more of the UN SDGs in teams.
The students participated in a competitive Robotics and Coding workshop where they learnt how to program a robot to perform the stipulated task, in teams of two.
The students visited the first IB school ever - Ecolint, and witnessed the marvel of the progressive educational system. They participated in a STEAM Project at their STEAM lab, where they created an ECG machine with the materials available. They also learnt to create designs using a Wiacom.
The students visited the Biopark - the Biotechnology Innovation centre in Geneva. There, they were introduced to advances in the field of Biotechnology and the use of technology to support healthcare. For example, the students saw a small implantable device that can be be used to monitor the occurrence and frequency of Epilepsy in patients, helping in proper management of the disease. The students were introduced to the Blue Brain Project which is in the process of mapping the brain functioning with all its complexities, which will allow a better understanding of the functioning of the brain.
Biomotion workshop attempted to explain the laws of physics by using live demonstrations. Learning was enjoyable and interactive for the students.
Apart from the many workshops, the students participated in a Treasure Hunt where the students went out in teams to solve the clues, exploring the prominent places through Geneva in the process.
A days trip to Chamonix, France was the highlight of the trip. The group went for a hike with a guide in a small French Village amidst breathtaking landscapes. They also went atop a mountain via a cable car and explored the French Alps.
The trip saw cultural immersion in food and Swiss mannerisms. Our children got to learn the Swiss values of punctuality, cleanliness, and courtesy. New friendships with students of other schools in the group were formed. Students got a chance to be responsible and independent. It was a truly enriching experience for the students.
