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.
Visit to National Museum
To take a deeper dive into history and special focus on Indus valley Civilization students of grade 6 were taken to the National Museum located at Janpath Road New Delhi.
The enthusiastic students were oriented before embarking on their visit and given an activity booklet on Harrappa. The activity booklet designed as a treasure hunt activity compelled students to view the artefacts and find answers to the questions given in the booklet. Students scanned the Harrappa Gallery and displays in a focused manner to know and understand and answer the questions given in the activity booklet.
The students looked at the presentations with interest and awe. Thy appreciated the designs on the clay pottery,the small scales and weights and the skeleton diaplayed spurred their curiosity and many questions were put to the teachers.
The booklet had questions on the various tools excavated from the various sites of Indus valley civilization and their uses. The students were very satisfied on being able to find answers and complete the treasure hunt. The students were then taken around the Shunga, Mauryan ,Kushan,Gupta and Buddhist galleries.
The visit culminated with a visit to the Anubhav Gallery designed for persons who are visually challenged and visitors are allowed to touch the artefacts for an experiential learning.
Visit to the historic Lal Qila
Students of grade 8 and 7 visited the strategically important monument of Delhi being the capital city for a good two hundred years of the Mughal rule later taken over by the British. The citadel Lal Qila or Red Fort was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638 with red sandstone, took nearly a decade to complete along with the new city named as Shahjahanbad. Students experienced the grandeur of the monument in the one kilometre walk along it to the entrance of the monument from Lahori gate.
They were interested to know about the moat around the fort the purpose of constructing them. The great height of the wall with vents and towers used by soldiers to keep guard and vigilant eye on the city surrounding it fascinated the students. To their right they were shown the towering minarets of Jama Masjid, the rising steeples of the Jain Bird Hospital and the Gauri Shankar white and gold Nagara style temple beside it.
Students were excited and awed by the structure as they assembled at the entrance.Students visited the First War Of Independence Museum in the vicinity and got interested in the visuals and facts they were learning from the presentations. The vast expanse of the fort with the Diwan- a-Aam and the difference in architecture in comparison to Diwan-a-Khas was discussed with the students. It was a very fruitful visit for the students
Middle School visit to TERI-GRAM
79 students from grades 6-8, accompanied by teachers visited the TERI-GRAM campus to learn about Sustainability.
The visit to TERI was marked by the lush green campus, with beautiful trees and different varieties of plants. They were taken to the ‘RETREAT’, which is a self-sustainable building designed by TERI.
The students were shown two short movies on sustainability and then they were taken around the RETREAT, which included the conference room and the reception, and also two blocks of rooms.
The entire building was made up of huge glass windows with and a glass roof photovoltaic cells interspersed in a way that it also allowed natural light to enter. The rooms had the Earth tunnel technology where cooling and heating both were done using fans and machines 4 feet below the Earth. This eliminated the use of any extra air conditioning or heating that is generally required.
The area was also lined with deciduous trees that provide cool shade in the summer months, but shed their leaves to allow the passage of natural light in winters. Also, all the waste water produced was taken to the Root Zone, which was lined with Phragmite plants, whose roots absorb impurities in waste water, making it suitable for irrigation purposes.
This helped them understand different components involved in making a building sustainable building. The students really enjoyed being in the surroundings and learning about the components.
They were then taken to the biogas chamber where they learnt how kitchen and agricultural waste were being turned into usable biogas. The medicinal plant area and the vermi-composting pit were also very intriguing to the students. They were shown how different varieties of fruit plants were grown in the lab and then transported to the fields.
The students also had a lot of queries, which the TERI officials solved.
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:
WHAT ARE MY 3 TAKEOVERS FROM THIS TRIP:-
- My first takeover from this trip is time management. In this trip I didn’t only got to learn Arts, I also learned time management. We learned how to save time in eating sleeping and even shopping. We did this eating faster in breakfast sleeping early and waking up early and saving time in shopping.
- Shopping in budget :-
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.
-Siddharth Sood
7 Corbett
This was my second ‘Culture Fox’ experience. It was a wonderful experience as last time was.(Yuvraaj Chopra – 7 Corbett)
Three Takeaways-
- How to be able to take care of ones belongings.
- Building relationships and working in teams whether at the workshop or in the hotel rooms.
- Understand various different cultures and to be able to like the differences and appreciate them.
What did you learn in Arts-
- I learnt how to take good photographs and all the details that need to be kept in mind while taking pictures.
- Learning about the work that goes on back stage in theatrics
What Life skills did you learn?
- I learnt how to be independent and look after my personal belongings and remain organised.
- I learnt to make new friends and learnt to stay away from home without my parents.
- I learnt to eat different food from what I’m used to at home.
- I learnt to be punctual and on time for the various activities without someone reminding me for the same.
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.
World International Yoga Day
International Yoga Day was celebrated by the mentors at Shiv Nadar School with great zeal and enthusiasm.
Principal, Ms. Anju Wal demonstrated various asanas like Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and Vrikshasana (Tree Pose). The importance of each asanas were explained simultaneously. Principal, encouraged the mentors to practice regular yoga to remain fit and flexible.
She stated that Yoga will enhance in keeping the body and mind healthy, stress-free and in a cheerful condition.
Culminating activity for Human Body and Communication
Learning at Shiv Nadar School is experiential and hands-on. In sciences and social sciences/EVS, we follow a project based approach, where curriculum objectives are summarized into a ‘driving question’. Students then discuss ideas, brainstorm and meditate upon the question, post which they carry on investigations in their independent groups. Collaboration and Critical Analysis are key components of PBL. It is also an approach in which text-book learning is contextualized to the real world.
Grade 4
As a part of their first theme, ‘Human Body’, students of grade 4 learnt about various concepts such as skeletal system, muscular system, digestive system, functions of these systems, process of digestion, healthy food habits, how does the body work . Students were deeply involved in researching about various exercises that help us keep our body fit. Based on their research work and classroom study, students' presented their learning in the form of a health camp. As a part of closure to this theme, students were divided into teams and each team had a role to perform. One group was involved in the skeletal rap, another in talk about our body parts and healthy food habits while other groups set up whole body checkup (eyes, ears, face, nails, weight, height and BMI) and exercise room.
Grade 5
As a part of their first theme, ‘Communication’, students of grade 5 studied about what is communication, means of communication and its timeline, ethics of communication such as soft skills and interpersonal skills, netiquettes, plagiarism and how advertisements affect us. Students as a part of their culmination, prepared presentations, speeches, street play, shadow play, skits, lap books, posters and they also depicted their learning of themes through info-graphics. Students were quite engaged throughout the culmination. Students also presented the power of communication through a motivational speech as a sports coach and a politically influencing speech as a politician.
“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.
VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
An educational trip to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States of America was organised by the Shiv Nadar School, in association with Ed Terra edventures. A group of 9 students along with Ms. Nandini Malhotra were a part of the trip. The students were a part of a larger group that had 41 students from two other reputed schools of New Delhi.
The first destination of the Nasa group was Orlando. The visit to the Kennedy Space Centre, Orlando was a life time experience where the team explored the Visitor’s complex, Vehicle Assembly Building, Saturn V Rocket, Space Shuttle Atlantis Complex, Rocket garden and the imax movie. They also had the golden opportunity to visit the NASA hall of fame, closely look at the lunar landing and also undergo a rocket launch simulation at the centre. They had lunch with astronaut Jon McBride, who was part of many space missions like the Challenger, Columbia etc. He shared his journey with the students and kept them entertained with stories. The students asked him their questions.
The students understood the challenges faced by the mission teams and how closely ground-based and space -based teams interact and work together to ensure a mission’s success. The visit to the Cocoa beach and Walmart were replete with loads of fun.
A tour to the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland was cherished by all .Viewing the spectacular fireworks behind the Cinderella Castle was a spellbinding experience.
The thrilling experience at the The Wizardly World of Harry Potter, Island of Adventure at The Universal Studios added a special charm to this trip.
The group took a flight to Buffalo to experience the majestic Niagara falls .The students took the excitement of the famous Maid of the Mist boat ride. It was indeed enchanting to have a view of Niagara Falls in all it’s glory and also understand the history behind the ferry, while waving at the fellow boat from Canada.
The troupe embarked on a road trip to New Jersey and savoured the beauty and majesty of the roads of America.
While taking a city tour of New York, the students also had a chance to visit Columbia university and take a guided tour, understanding the courses, campus and opportunities lying ahead.
The students had an amazing time at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, New York. Visiting Times Square, the World’s most visited place was a unique experience. The group enjoyed the trip to The Statue of Liberty. They also went for a city tour where they saw the Rockefeller Centre, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge and other famous landmarks of New York .It was a majestic experience to have a 360o aerial view of the New York City from the 102nd floor of One World Observatory. The students also visited the site of 9/11 attacks, the Ground Zero.
This was followed by a road trip they took to Boston, Massachusetts, where they took a city tour, visiting the Quincy market and revisiting the Boston marathon bombing site. They were amazed to know how the city of Boston had reacted and raised money to help the victims. They then visited the prestigious Massachusetts institute of technology and Harvard school, where they also had a chance to take a campus tour of the institutions and also understand the admissions, courses and campus life.
While understanding space travel and rockets, the students also learnt invaluable life lessons like time management, taking care of finances, conflict resolution and making friends on this trip. Overall, it was an enlightening trip.
