Self Affirmation Corner
Mirror, mirror on the wall, Reflecting positivity for all.
Encouraging words we speak each day, Guiding Purva's hearts in every way.
"I am peaceful," "I am calm, "Inner strength like a healing balm.
"I am unique," "I am strong, "Resilience that carries us along.
"I am beautiful," "I am kind, "Spreading love, leaving negativity behind.
"I am special," "I am kind, "Messages of love that bind.
"I am confident," "I can learn, "Beliefs that make our spirits burn.
With self-affirmations, we pave the way, For a brighter, happier day.
In the mirror's reflection, we see, The best version of you and me.
Mirror, mirror on the wall Reflecting positivity for all.
Let's Blossom - Class IV
Immersing oneself in the serene atmosphere of a nature walk can be an enlightening experience. The colours are brighter, the sounds more vivid. Our senses absorb everything Noticing a patch of flowers - Purple Lavender, Yellow Marigold, White Aster. Immersed in the sights, sounds, sensations and smell and experiencing them all as if for the first time, children felt renewed.
Collecting energies by imagining ourselves as a flower, as we breathe in and out we are aware of how interconnected we are with nature. Children brought a flower they connected with and shared why they resonate with it.
‘When we are grounded and at ease,
We can wonder where we please.
With our senses as our guide,
We can let our thoughts subside’
In the garden among the flowers.’
Creating many poems around the flower each one was carrying, it helped them express, and discover how they find peace, appreciation, and gratitude for the beauty of nature.
The culmination of the theme was the experience of creating a flower Rangoli in Urli filled with water. This experience lead to learnings around building focus and patience. It also gave clarity of thought and emphasised the value of team work.
Our feathered friends- Class III
"Didi, birds भी हमारी तरह हैं,वो वहीं रहते है जहां उन्हें अच्छा लगता " thoughtfully shared by one of the children.
Immersed in the enchanting realm of birds, the enthusiastic Class 3 children at Shikshantar embarked on an engaging journey. Through nature walks, bird watching, mesmerizing slideshow presentations, and hands-on experiences, they delved into the fascinating world of avian wonders, gaining insights into both their food habits and flight mechanisms and much more.
The research endeavours, bird stories, and insightful discussions deepened their understanding of birds as crucial members of the ecosystem. Birds, in their role as pest controllers and pollinators, showcased the intricate balance of nature. These experiences allowed the children to develop a nuanced understanding of the adaptation and evolution within the natural world.
Our Solar System- Class II
Shikshantar, envisioned as a place where one can be, where learning is not limited to the classrooms, where learning is not taught but experienced. One such experience was the immersive theme of 'Our Solar System'. The theme provided an opportunity for our children in Class II to build an understanding of the celestial bodies and the eight planets through observation and reasoning.
The physical space of Our Solar Plaza, an overlay of the planets that stretches along the boundary wall; translated into a learning platform as the children observed the size, colour, order and orbits of the planets. A roleplay presentation by didis on the solar system aroused the children's curiosity to know more about the planets.
Our Question Bank:
Why is Pluto not called a planet now? What are dwarf planets? Mercury is also small, तो वो क्यूं planet है, जब Pluto नहीं है? Do you know what makes a planet, a planet? Is there any other galaxy other than the milky way? Is there anything bigger than the Sun? What is it's name? I see a very bright star every evening, what is it? Are there any other planets in our solar system other than these known planets? Why do planets revolve around the sun? Why do they have orbits? Are the orbits visible in space? Who was the first person to go in space ? Why do astronauts have oxygen cylinders with them?
Children eagerly researched facts about the planets from the scientific books, encyclopedias and circle time interactions. Their enthusiasm knew no bounds as they shared their research with each other:
There is a huge black hole right in the centre of our galaxy...We have so many galaxies in our Universe... The stars are far away from us that is why they appear to be small….There was a big bang which happened to create our planets...There was no life on earth before… It rains diamond on Saturn…Titan is Saturn's largest moon.
Children further applied their observations in making a 2d display of the solar system, projecting each planet in their size, colour and order from the sun. With their heightened interest and creativity, children created 3D models of the solar system using reusable material. Diving into their imagination, the children took an imaginary trip to the space and gave their understanding a creative form of a written expression 'The planet I would like to visit'. The theme was culminated through an interactive quiz with each other. Take a look at the children's discovery of the Solar System.
Dr. Seuss Theme - Class I
Class I was abuzz with excitement, imagination, and creativity as they delved into the topsy-turvy world of Dr. Seuss. With wide smiles, the children sat in a cozy reading corner,discovering the joy of rhyming words and the magic of each character they met. Their creativity shone through as they explored the clever usage of not just sensible words but also nonsensical rhyming words to create their own interesting sentences. Throughout the week, the children immersed themselves in reading a variety of Dr. Seuss books and connected with the essence of characters like Horton, the Lorax, the Grinch, Thidwick, Sneetches, and many more. Their love for Dr. Seuss further encouraged them to create their own booklets that rhymed in Dr. Seuss's style. Through creative expressions, imaginative and invented spellings, they completed their booklets, writing, and drawing about the different characters and all the wacky things they could spot around. With a sense of joy and pride, children read aloud their stories to each other. The big hearts of the Grinch and Thidwick, the care of the Lorax for nature, and the kindness of Horton merged seamlessly with the Christmas festival. Through guided meditation and story narrations, the children reflected on the aspect of kindness and built an understanding of spreading the joy of love and kindness during Christmas. Carrying the spirit of sharing and caring, they celebrated and decorated the Christmas with the 'Tree of Kindness.'
Class IV Trip to TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)
Shikshantar believes in sustainability and this gets strengthened through various experiences planned. Inculcating ‘horticulture’ in the curriculum enhanced children’s understanding about various steps of growing plants and following the eco-friendly practices to maintain the ecological balance. Through themes such as ‘Diversity in landforms, and integration of Horticulture, provided children an opportunity to know more about the conditions required for the growth of plants in different climatic conditions. To further build their understanding about sustainability, a two-day one-night trip to TERI was planned. The trip enhanced the awareness in children about various means of maintaining the ecological balance and using natural resources for our daily needs. Children were engaged in various experiences that were in continuation of the curriculum such as planting the already grown saplings and watering them, knowing about different medicinal plants, preparation of soil and steps involved in preparing vermicompost. They were thrilled to know how each part of the plant is useful for energy generation – be it food or the other parts to be used as biomass for energy generation. All the experiences further helped them to see the application of science in our day to day life. The trip also provided the children with a sense of independence with responsibility. They were observed being mindful of each other’s spaces, taking care of their personal belongings and enjoying being with their friends.
Class– II Theme : Houses
During the nature walk in Shikshantar, children observed different types of houses that animals live in, such as ant hills, nests and beehive. Their curiosity arose as to know how are houses built and why. Looking around, they observed various buildings made up of different materials in different shapes and sizes. Children also interacted with their grandparents enquiring about the kind of houses they used to live in. They excitedly shared their observations and research with each other during the Circle Time. Out of school visit to the National Crafts Museum enriched children’s understanding about different types of houses and gave them a glimpse of how construction of houses depend upon weather and regional conditions and the landform/water bodies around them. Children came back with minute observations and logically reasoned the purpose of salient features of the houses such as slanting roof and stilts. Children;s senses came alive when they saw, touched and felt the coolness of the mud houses with folk arts depicted on the walls. Children’s imagination and curiosity took wings in the form of a creative write-up ‘मेरे सपनों का घर’ as all their dreams came true on paper. Finally, the children worked together and exchanged their innovative ideas to create 3D models of different types of Kuccha and Pucca houses. The aesthetic display of the houses near the fish pond area lent it a scenic charm. The theme culminated with an interactive quiz on the same with the children.
हमारी सवारी - Class I Trip to Air Force Museum
The theme ‘हमारी सवारी’, aroused the curiosity of the children of Class I as they explored different modes of air, water and land transport. Each day was filled with excitement with stories, songs and hands on experience of creating their own transport booklet. The children also had an interactive session with pilot bhaiya, a parent in Shikshantar about the evolution of aeroplanes. To enrich their experiences further, children visited the Air Force Museum in New Delhi during school hours. The very thought of travelling in the school bus brought sheer joy on children’s faces. As they reached the museum, a cheer of excitement echoed in the buses.
Upon seeing helicopters, air force planes, parachute, ejection seats of planes, along with the different features of the aeroplanes such as propeller, cockpit, wings, nose etc. children learnt about the fighter planes and symbol of Indian Air Force. These made the children make linkages with the prior group discussions and ponder on a lot of observations and questioned, “इस plane की wings इतनी बड़ी है !” , “Why are there different pictures drawn on the planes?”, “Are these planes still used?”, “इस plane में हम अंदर कै से जाएँगे ?” , “Ejection seats क्यों use करते है ?”
Journey back to the school, was a moment of reminiscing about the trip. Children described the jet planes, “The plane was even bigger than our slide!” They also recalled the experience in the form of a free art and written expression ‘My Trip to Air Force Museum.’