Sixteenth Shikshantar Birthday
Science Exposition (27th of September 2018)
Shikshantar celebrated its sixteenth birthday this year. Each year children take this opportunity to strengthen their connections with various aspects of Shikshantar and the world around them. This year ‘Science’ has been the focus of exploration and study.
Science is all around them; including their spaces, Maths, Sports, Art and even Music. How do birds sing? Where does the rainbow get its colours from? How do different kinds of materials used affect our art? What is the impact on light when it passes through tightly packed molecules? Where all in my home can I find Science? – these were some of the questions/ideas/thoughts/areas our children of Classes I -IV explored and studied at their own levels and would like to share with you.
Diya lighting under the Champa tree marked beginning of the celebration, echoes of the birthday song and multi faith prayer filled the space to bring us together as a community. Art displays spread from the school entrance, across the corridors and leading up to each and every school corner spoke of children’s participation and engagement at every step. Models, projects, charts and write ups with children standing close to them, eager to take parents and other visitors through the process. While at one level this was a culmination of their curricular experiences, at another level this was an outcome of their collaborative efforts.
The celebration of a collective journey and an individual journey of each and every person associated with Shikshantar. Every moment we are born; every moment we are free…
Happy birthday Shikshantar!
Collective Celebrations
Season of celebrations complemented the monsoon this August. Together they showered vibrancy in our school spaces and filled it with colours of flowers, music and dance. Keeping the essence of these festivals of establishing connect with each other, co-existence with nature, acceptance of all beings and reflecting over what freedom means, children and facilitators enhanced the festive spirit.
Second Open House Interactions
Saturday, 18th of August 2018
Second open house interactions, a significant part of our parent education plan for classes I – IV were organised on Saturday, 18th of August 2018. Themes for all sessions were decided keeping in mind the cognitive and socio/emotional developmental milestones of children.
Themes facilitated were:
Class I – Strengthening our relationship with Hindi Language
The session focused on the processes children go through to create an interest in Hindi language and which leads to effective language development. Experiential corners set the premise for collective sessions, where in we together understand the role of ‘Whole language approach’ in facilitating Hindi for our children.
Class II -Integration of Creative experiences in the curriculum
The objective of this session was to understand the integration of various creative experiences such as music, art and creative movements in our curriculum – to connect with themes, introduce an abstract concept, address social and emotional issues, enhance creativity and imagination.
Class III – Principles of Project Work
Hands-on project corners that parents explored gave a glimpse of how a topic is facilitated through various project experiences, keeping in mind the interest, multiple levels and involvement of children. Large group discussion was focused on how themes can be facilitated in different ways to deepen the connect children make with the world around them.
Class IV – Social and Emotional Metamorphosis
“I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself” – Frank Kafka, The metamorphosis. The growing years of age 9-10 is a developmental milestone, with children undergoing changes they are trying to understand. The experiential session was on how as parents and facilitators we need to understand the reason behind their behavioural manifestation and guide them.
First Vishvas Open House Interaction
Theme for the session: A shared journey – Towards Independent Living
“Self-propelling motivation and belief is the only force to nurture and reckon with and diffuse social barriers”. This essence was taken forward in the session facilitated by Dr. Asha Singh and her daughter Ms Maya. An expert in the field of Child development, Dr. Asha Singh, shared her research based valuable inputs to the parent community. Profound insights of her journey as a parent possessed the potential to inspire the educators as well as the parents.
Maya’s effervescent sharing of her attainment of academic, social and professional milestones generated hope and opened new avenues. Through Maya’s narratives from her school years and workplace, Dr. Singh emphasized on the fact that children thrive if a dyadic relationship is premised on implicit trust and belief in their abilities. Sharing the possibilities for independent living, she further elaborated on the significance of having small supportive groups. These groups generate belief, positivity and unflinching support that help nurture the individual optimally.
An interactive and thought provoking session, it left us with a reflection that to overcome any challenges in life, we can learn to convert our despair into humor and laughter. Finally, consistent and collaborative efforts will continue to create a positive and enabling environment for self reliance.
Exhibition of Summer Experiences
Summer Experiences Exhibition in Class II
Come end of summer break, and the walls of Shikshantar are abuzz with excitement and enthusiasm of starting afresh. A feeling of returning to the familiar, albeit refreshed, rejuvenated and relaxed, envelopes the school. This energy becomes the ground on which children reconnect with their friends, didis and bhaiyas, and environment.
The first week in primary school is an opportunity to children to share their summer experiences, learnings and explorations. This time, such a sharing was facilitated through exhibitions wherein each group invited another to view their summer projects. Tables were set up to display a myriad of creations. Handmade jewellery and 3D models (both moving and static!) inspired from reused objects, reading logs with painted covers of books, math games involving addition and subtraction, and stories supplemented with handmade puppets – these were some of the displays at our exhibitions! Children waited patiently for their peers to come to their exhibit, and when someone did, they talked at length with them about the same. Their peers reciprocated the excitement with attention and curiosity.
All in all, the most prominent feature was the children’s visible sense of ownership and confidence regarding their work. They truly celebrated and appreciated each other’s work and in doing so, they welcomed back each other with joy and love.
POSH Training Session on 26th December 2017 for our support staff
Loving Kindness and Respect – Teaching by Venerable Geshe Tenzin Namdakon on 3rd Nov 2017
The interdependence of child, parent and teacher
“Know your mind first, to be able to understand the minds of others”, echoed the words of Venerable Geshe Tenzin Namdak as he addressed a gathering of students, teachers and parents at Shikshantar. Sitting under the Champa tree, Geshe la appeared to be the Buddha himself. Still face, gentle demeanour, serene energies and words of wisdom continued to flow in the spaces.
Geshe La touched upon the profound nature of student, teacher and parent relationship. An institution grows through the spirit of humility, compassion and respect for each other. To enter the orbit of happiness, we must be aware of our feelings, thoughts and must be able to train our minds. Meditation is the key to this – may seem to be difficult in the beginning but can be mastered with consistent practice. Expansion of inner happiness is achieved by treating all we come across with kindness, empathy and respect. This is the basis of true and harmonious relationships.
Quoting his experiences with people from various walks of life, Geshe La was able to reach out to each and every soul through his teaching. From what we were yesterday, to what we are today, to what we can be tomorrow; we must consistently strive to evolve as individuals.
Geshe La Tenzin Namdak responded to questions from students, parents and teachers – What is the right age for a student to begin meditation? , Why do I lose focus and find it a challenge to meditate?, Why do those whom we love fail to understand us? With a smile on his face, Geshe La asked, do we understand ourselves?
A lot to sink in our souls and absorb, we will continue to do so for days to come. Geshe La you have left us with a lot to ponder on and with the quest for more.
Refresher training session for our Drivers and Conductors bhaiya’s by Pasco Automobiles on 14th October 2017
‘Our Colourful India’ and ‘Transport’
(Class I – August 2017)
The theme on ‘Our Colourful India’ helped children relate with cultural diversities – language, food, clothing, folk tales and songs. Interactions were organised with didis belonging to various states of India. Children curiously observed didis in their vibrant attire and happily made way for the dragon to enter their classrooms.
They shared their views on what ‘independence’ or ‘freedom’ means to them. Children said, ‘we can now read stories on our own, write our names, tie our shoe laces, kick the ball in the right direction; we feel independent’.
Visit to the Air force Museum at Palam was organised to deepen their experiences related to the theme on ‘Transport’. As part of the theme, interaction with a pilot parent was scheduled during the week. Children wanted to know about the black box, its use, lights of the plane and how a plane takes off. They joined him with excitement in an imaginary aircraft into the sky
Second Open House Interactions (Primary School)
(Saturday, 17th of August 2017)
Second open house interactions for classes I – IV were organised on Saturday, 17th of August 2017. Themes for all sessions were decided keeping in mind the developmental milestones of children. Facilitators were involved at each and every step of the planning, from deliberation to closure; they collaborated in small groups to take forward the process.
It was heartening to observe the active participation of parents in all hands on experiences.
This included creating stories, role plays, participation in project work and intensive focus group discussions on case studies. Themes facilitated were: Strengthening our relationship with Hindi Language (Class I), Role of stories in cognitive and socio/emotional development (Class II), Principles of Project Work (Class III), Social and Emotional Metamorphosis (Class IV).
“We did not go through such experiences and it great to see the experiences through which our children learn”, “I never thought Hindi could be an experience”, “I was transformed to my childhood through these stories”, “I guess children go through bigger challenges than us”; as remarked by some of the parents.
