Holi celebration Pre Primary
The advent of spring, the abundance of colourful flowers and butterflies, the shower of ‘Tesu’ flowers. It’s time to celebrate the festival of ‘Holi’. The children of Pre-primary block made natural colours, ‘besan laddoos’ and played ‘Holi’ with their friends and didis. It was heartening to see them gently ask before applying colour on the cheeks of their peers. They celebrated in the spirit of ‘Togetherness’ and took back loving memories of this festival.
Hamara Manch
Hamara Manch, the much awaited event on the calendar of the Pre-primary block, was celebrated by the children and their didis on a warm winter morning of February. Sharing their favourite chosen experiences, songs, creative movements or stories with their families and friends was something that each one of them had been looking forward to for a long time. Dancing like a peacock or enacting a hibernating bear, rowing a boat or together flying in an aeroplane, cartwheels and rhythmic movements, our mound of the front lawn came alive with these and much more.
New beginnings, learnings, possibilities…
Academic session for the year 2017–18 unfolded on Wednesday, 29th of March 2017. With a lot of excitement and smiles on their faces, children entered their old groups where didis were waiting to welcome them. Some of them were anxious whether their didis would accompany them to the new groups while some looked forward to the new spaces and friends who would join them.
After the group movement, a diya was lit during circle time to mark a new journey of learning and experiences. During a discussion on ‘what would we like to carry with us on our new beginning’, a child shared, “I want to carry mindfulness, love, friendship, beliefs”.
Visit to Mangar Bunni
All team members of Primary School visited Mangar Bunni on Saturday, 18th of March 2017. This visit was facilitated by Chetan Aggarwal who is an independent Forest and Environment Analyst and a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Ecology, Development and Research (CEDAR). Chetan is also a parent with Shikshantar.
The purpose of this visit was to connect with the biodiversity and ecosystems surrounding Gurgaon. The team walked through the forest and connected with the flora and fauna. It was interesting to know about the names of various trees and also the cultural beliefs associated with the same. A trek of 5 kms through rocky patches and steep slopes challenged physical capacities and opened windows to a world of learning that can be taken to the classrooms.
Lost and Found – Indus Valley civilization
Children of Class IV explored the themes ‘Lost and Found – Indus Valley civilization’ – an ancient civilization of the Indian subcontinent. The theme helped children in making connections with India’s past and developing a better understanding of people and culture. Keeping in view the age group, the theme was taken forward through stories, video presentations, field trips and clay model creation.
Training Session on 4th March 2017 for our support staff by Tata Motors – [Hamare Bus Ki Baat – Let’s help make bus travel for children a happy experience]
Campus Bird Count 2017
The Campus Bird Count is a sub-event of the larger Great Backyard Bird Count. It is a coordinated effort to document the birdlife in multiple campuses across India.
A team from Shikshantar participated in the Campus bird count event this year, an initiative taken by the Science Committee of the Student Council. The procedure is to identify and count all species detected in every 15 minutes of the walk in a particular location. The checklists of the entire duration of the walk is uploaded for every 15 minutes on ‘eBird’ which is an online checklist program, launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. eBird provides information on bird abundance and distribution.
Birding enthusiasts from Classes IX and XI gathered at the school on Saturday, 18th February 2017, at 7am in the morning to count the various bird species frequenting the mini habitats. The team comprised 12 students and 5 facilitators. The walk was led by Mridul Anand, an avid birder and a student of Class XI. The walk started from the primary wing. The team was full of excitement to see these creatures in their natural habitat but had to remain very calm as silence is the main key to observe the beautiful ones in their natural niche. Children were equipped with cameras and binoculars as they didn’t want to miss a single glimpse of these birds. From the Primary block the team moved to the Senior block and then the team covered the Pre-primary block. By 9 am the team had been able to spot 27 species of birds in the school campus.
Two spotted owlets peeking through metal pipes in a very adorable manner were the highlights of the day. Some of the other species spotted were Red-wattled Lapwing, Eurasian Hoopoe, Rufous Treepie, White Wagtail, Purple Sunbird, Oriental White eye, Shikra, Brahminy Starling, Common Tailorbird and Asian Koel.
The observations led the team to conclude that our campus is suitable as an avian habitat. The checklists can be accessed through the following links:
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34447831
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34447890
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34447983
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34448017
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34448035
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34448054
https://ebird.org/ebird/india/view/checklist/S34448525
Training Session on Fire Extinguisher for our support staff – [Safety and Security are always on high priority] – 25th February 2017
Meditation Sessions At Shikshantar
As the Mother says, “It is only in quietness and peace that one can know what is the best thing to do.”
Meditation is one of the techniques that helps in being alert, conscious and connected with the potential within us. By tuning in to our consciousness, we can cultivate an inner knowing that wisely guides and directs our work with ourselves and with children.
Partnering with Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre we have initiated meditation sessions at Shikshantar. Tushita was founded in 1979 by the late Ven.Lama Thubten Yeshe and by its present Spiritual Director Ven. Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. It is directly blessed by H.H the Dalai Lama.
These sessions are being facilitated by Ven.Samten on Wednesdays (4:00 pm – 5:00 pm), in the circular Meditation Room in Senior School. Sessions are open to teachers and parents.
Creating a like minded community
In our endeavour to come together as a community of thinking feeling individuals, Shikshantar opend its learning spaces for a group of school leaders from various parts of the country. In the month of January a group of educators which included School Principals, Directors and Administrators, visited Shikshantar to understand the philosophy, practices and how the physical spaces lend to learning experiences of children. This visit included a school tour, classroom observations and interaction with school team members. Possibilities of collaboration in the form of teacher exchange programmes and how a similar thought process could reach other schools were discussed.
Meeting an Author
Talon the Falcon is a peregrine falcon
A dangerous bird trapped in a cage
Friends save him and free he flies
(verse by Arvaan -Breeze)
Nature and stories are an integral part of our curriculum. Children explore various experiences through nature walks and themes such as Birds’, ‘Our Feather Friends’, ‘A Marvel called Aravalli’. They read stories on animals and birds to strengthen their understanding. In context of these themes and experiences we had invited Mr. Deepak Dalal – author of the book series ‘Feathered Tales’ for interaction with children of Classes III and IV. He shared about his interest in writing stories on nature with children. He also discussed about the release of his two new books titled ‘Talon the Falcon’ and ‘A Flamingo in my Garden’.
Sports Day Classes I-II
Development of ‘physical being’ is fundamental to the holistic development of each and every child. From connecting with the ‘oorja’ within, our curriculum provides opportunities for channelizing physical energies on the sports field. Sports goals for each age level are planned keeping in mind children’s developmental needs and physical capacities.
Sports Day for children is visualised as a culmination and celebration of their outdoor experiences. Participation in a variety of outdoor activities encourages coordination, balance, rhythm and develops team spirit.
Sports Day Classes III-IV (17th February, 2017)
With a lot of enthusiasm and energy, children of Classes III–IV participated in the sports day experiences. A reflection of their coordination, stamina and willingness to explore physical capacities, sports day is a celebration of their outdoor experiences. Whether it be rotating hooplas around their bodies, stretching themselves to attempt callisthenic exercises or balancing to create various pyramid formations, team spirit was clearly visible. A pleasant sunny day and energies of parents added to the vibrant atmosphere.
Refresher training session for our Drivers and Conductors bhaiya’s by Pasco Automobiles
Holi Celebration in Primary
Open House Interaction for Class VI
Saraswati Puja in Primary Block
SUPW activity in Senior School
During the last two weeks, the students of Class IX have been engaged in a very interesting hands-on activity. A semi open shelter is being constructed to house a Kiln that will be used for firing the clay models and pottery made by the students!
The structure was designed by students along with architect mentors Sanjay Prakash and Anubha Kakroo. Now, as part of their SUPW classes, the children are building part of the actual structure.
The children worked out their own patterns with bricks and brick tiles, and built the low height ‘jaali’ walls with their own hands. They learnt how to apply mortar, place and level bricks, how to make stable structures and position joints. With the intention of recycling waste, used bottles were also incorporated into one wall, making it an eco-friendly structure.
In the second stage, the students are designing and laying a mosaic floor with broken glazed tiles.
Open House Interaction for Class VIII
The Third ‘Open House Interaction for Class VIII was held on 30th January 2016. The objective of the session was to introduce children to the ICSE framework of Classes IX and X. The Open house Interaction was facilitated by Garima didi and the subject facilitators of Class IX.
The session began with a presentation on the assessment pattern in Classes IX and weightage of marks for the subject papers as well as SUPW. Then the children were apprised about Group I and Group III subject options. Under Group I, the children have to choose between the three language option offered to them, i.e. Hindi, German and Sanskrit. Under Group III, children have to choose from 4 subject options, i.e. Art, Physical Education, Computer Applications and Home Science. The concerned facilitators presented the details of their course, assessment patterns and the project work involved. After this, the gathering was apprised of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), an alternate medium of assessment.
Post the presentation, the session was opened to parents and children for sharing their thoughts and queries. It brought up several concerns from parents and children alike. This session was well received by all and helped the children in thinking about the subject combinations that would be most suitable for them in Classes IX and X.
Open House Interaction for Class VII
The Second Open House Interaction for Class VII was facilitated on 30th January, 2016. The objective of the session was to help parents further their understanding of their children as adolescents.
The First Open House Interaction had aimed to communicate the perspectives of the children to parents. On the brink of their adolescence, children are faced with numerous changes and challenges-physical, emotional and intellectual. A need was felt by children and facilitators to communicate openly to parents about these changes and their impact on self and others. To take this process further, the Second Open House Interaction was seen as an opportunity for parents to reflect and gauge the impact of their attitudes and behaviour on their children. Sunil bhaiya facilitated session on ‘Understanding Psycho – Social Development of Children: Erikson’s Perspective’. Erikson’s theory was seen as a tool to help parents in the process of reflection. Some studied situations of children and parental behaviours were also shared to built in the context for the session. The session was well received by all and helped each one present reflect on their own behaviour and interactions with the adolescent.
Open House Interaction for Class VI
