Satya and Iti with parents...

“Parents need more counseling than children do” – said Dr. Itishree Mishra, a renowned child psychologist in a seminar with parents on 28th Dec 09’. We need to know the interests of children rather than imposing our expectations on them. The topic for the seminar was “Parenting the Children of Information age”. Dr. Mishra said that we should not overlook the feelings of a child. She suggested that our conversation with the children should be according to their age. We cannot expect them to be adults all of a sudden. She also said, that if there is some behavioral problem with the child, we need to look for the reason at home or with the parents, rather than blaming the child for it. Parents have to work in synchronization with school for the betterment of the child.

Next day on 29th Dec 09, the facilitator of the seminar was Chairman of Career Launcher- Mr. Satya Narayan.R. The Seminar was on “How to help your children to achieve their Dream Career”. Reminding the parents of their childhood he said that we had limited career options with us, either to be a doctor or to be an engineer. We had no options but to fit in the frame provide to us. We could not do anything which was of our interest or which fascinated us. We should now give that freedom and support to our children to achieve their dream career.

Christmas Celebrations

Since morning there was celebrations in air. All the children were very enthusiastic about their event and were busy preparing for it. We could see little Santas ans Marys everywhere. Soon all of us gathered for the celebrations. The programme started a dance of little buds of nursery, which was fun to watch. Then there were carols, role-plays, quizes and lots of stuff. Finally the certificates were awarded to children of Jigrasa group, who participated in extempore held on 19th dec 09’. The programme ended with recitation of “Jingle Bells”. There was a little Santa to distribute chocolates to children… we could see a smile on every child’s face…which was a big enough reason for all of us to be happy.

Spontaneous Role-Play

A wonderful thing which took place today was the spontaneous role- play that was enacted by Lubna and Jia, students of my class, PPII Hans. Seeing a couple of solo performances, Lubna came up to say that she and Jia wanted to perform a role-play in the assembly. As I asked her what the role-play was about, she answered that it was about ‘Christmas’. So I took them in front of the children and announced that they wanted to present a role-play before them, with no idea whatsoever of what they were going to present. To my astonishment, there was Lubna, saying ‘Kitna achchha din hai!’ and Jia responding to her in some manner. Again Lubna said, ‘Chalo, hum burf se khelte hain!’ and she pretended forming an ice ball and throwing it on Jia. Jia, taking clue, did the same. Then Jia came up to say, ‘Oh humein gifts mile hain!’ They sat down and again Lubna showed a flower with her hand saying ‘Oh mujhe flower mila hai!’ on which Jia said, ‘Oh mujhe Barbie mili hai!’ Saying, ‘Chalo sote hain!’ Lubna tried to conclude the role play at last. It was so exciting that it gave me goose pimples then and even now I cannot help smiling and feeling great about it!

Varsha Shrikhande
Mentor - PPII (Hans)

बारिश की बून्दे

बारिश आई बारिश आई,
छम - छम,छम - छम बून्दे लाई ।
रंग बिरंगे फूल खिले हैं ,
सभी ओर हरियाली छाई,
धरती ने नव रूप धरा है,
सभी ओर खुशियाँ मुस्कायी ।
बारिश आई बारिश आई,
छम - छम,छम - छम बून्दे लाई ।

Mrs Vandana Charate.

M/O Samriddhi Charate,

PPII Papeeha.

School Bus

Poem By one of our Parent.



We go to school by bus,
for which I always have to rush.
In the bus all friends make so much sound,
my mind goes round and round...
Didi and Bhaiya do Hssh-Ssshhh!...

I love to tell my friends what I did,
the bus-time is the best for all this.
Me and my friends love the time we spend in bus.
We wait to reach the school everyday,
as school is my favourite place.


Swati Sharma,
M/O Archisha Sharma-PPII Hans.

Our Experience at Science Exhibition

We started our field trip for science exhibition on 2nd Dec 09’ in the morning at 10:00.As soon as we reached there, we got the opportunity to attend a lecture by Dr. Vijay Bhatkar and Dr. Vasu. After the lecture we went to see different models that were there in the exhibition. One of them was named NREGA. The purpose of this model was to explain the process in which government provides job opportunities to uneducated farmers. Then we saw mind-blowing robots- one, which worked on Solar Energy, another had sensors and one was The Mechanical Moon Walker; equipped with antennas. It was all so new and exciting for us.
We also went to Taramandal. It was very nice. We learnt to recognize different constellation of stars.
After that it was time for which we waited eagerly. It was the time to interact with Dr. Bhatkar at Dainik Bhaskar Press Complex. Dr. Bhatkar is the first Indian to invent a Super Computer –‘Param’. He leads a team of engineers at CDAC. We all were bubbling with questions, like- why did he name his super computer ‘Param’? What was he like when he was a child? and so on. He answered to all our queries very patiently.
At the end he asked, “ What is it that a Computer can’t do?” To which one of our friends Amrita answered that “It cannot be a Human”. This answer of hers' made Dr. Bhatkar very happy.
It was a lifetime experience for all of us to interact with Dr. Bhatkar.

A Musical Morning...

We were fortunate to have Shri Dilip Mungi, a disciple of Pt. Jasraj amongst us. Shri Govind Potdhan accompanied him on Harmonium and Shri Balmukund Rao on Tabla.The session was held on classical music for the children of classes 5,6 and 7. The session started with recital of mesmerizing morning ragas by Shri. Dilip Mungi, followed by raag Malkaus on harmonium and tabla played by Shri Govind Potdhan and Shri Rao. The session left the entire children and mentors spell bound. During the session Shri Potdhan also informed children about several ragas and instrument. He also informed children about our renouned vocal classical singers. The session came to an end by bhajan "Shree Ram Chandra Kripalu Bhajman.." which was sung by children with Shri Mungi.

Chote Sikander in Town...

Indus World School with 94.3 My FM is organizing an event, Chote Sikander.This event is a competition to identify,encourage and felicitate children who possess high talent in the area of academics,sports and entertainment. To identify them, Indus World School has organised community level events events in 18 different colonies for 18 days.
In this event, 5 champions or Chote Sikander will be identified from each locality. Children will be divided in two categories based on their age groups.
Group 'A' Masti Ka Sikander will be from the age of 2.5 yrs to 6 yrs and Group 'B' from the age of 7 yrs to 11 yrs will have three set of activities- Padhai ka Sikander to identify the aademic talent,Khel ka Sikander to search for talents in sports,Hansi ka Sikanderto look for the children who have the talent to make people laugh.
The event commenced on 22nd Nov. will continue till 9 th Dec

DON'T SAY "NO" TO A CHILD

On 23rd nov. IWS parents and mentors got an opportunity to interact with renowned psychologist, school development consultant and head of Shikshanter schools Mr. Sunil Batra. He shared his experiences and answered the queries of the parents.
He shared that saying no to a child is the most detrimental to her growth. Instead of saying no to touch hot tea...tell her where to touch it from. Open her mind---a tree doesn't have to be only brown and green.

Failure is a result of our upbringing, not due to books and schooling. Teach her how to reason, and reason with her, not just saying “no” to everything. Confidence and trust- can only happen when you give time, not being busy emotionally, psychologically and physically.

A parent had a query about how to bring up the child when the parents are working, and don't have time for the child. To which he replied that- one parent should be working less hours. even upto 18 yrs of age! later ages- even then the child needs the parent in the background. It is possible to work from home now with IT. If you have brought a child in the world, you should make sure that you bring her up in the right way. Men too can take care of the child now, since they can also now work from home. Grandparents can be a good support system, but the parents have to settle and compromise on certain things in the interest of the child. Joint families are the best environment.

Children like to read stories, and they shouldn't be kept off the books due to fear of getting torn. They learn from what the parents do at home, the way they read and handle paper and pencil. There is a meaning in what they scribble..."this is my name", and then show him how to write her name. Then she will identify the letters visually.

Not saying no doesn't mean that you can't say no to anything. She has to take enough sleep time (9 hours) and break from play. Parents will have to sacrifice habits like TV so that they can spend time with the child.

Let a child commit mistakes...and correct them. This will make them learn new things. Don’t expect them to be perfect from the beginning...even the parent was not perfect. It is probably the effect of advertisements and hoardings that show the perfect child.

Akkad, bakkad bambey bo is one of the best rhymes that touches math, language etc.Cinema halls are not for children. Loud volume and large screen is not for the child. Like in the school at Indus World School, you will have to create the right environment at your home too, that will not scare off a child.

Inferiority complex in children is a result of non-availability of the right space. Don’t ask them to emulate you, which will make them under confident. He is not your shadow. Don’t put pressure on the child on even things like how much to eat, and when. Child may not have developed a taste for a certain fruit. So just make sure that she eats what she likes.

Don’t make the child eat something as blackmail. MSG is addictive that is available in every canned food. Don’t eat junk food more than once a week, and make the rule for yourself too.

Uniform in a school....doesn't have to be for any class! Indus doesn't have uniform till Class 2, but I am associated with a school that doesn't have a uniform till class 12. Don’t over clothe them. Let them wear cloths that will allow them to breathe. Good doctors tell you- make them wear the same number of layers as you are wearing. This will make them become more resistant.

Marks are not important. Rewards and punishments are the worst forms of education. It was used on dogs training. It was used when people had to be sent into wars, and they had to be forced to follow rules. How many times we ask a child as to whether he has understood or not, and where he hasn't understood. We don't have patience to listen to the child. We need to really work hard, just as the mentors work hard at Indus.

A parent shared that her child was made to take a test in KG, which put her off, and hence she decided to get her admitted in Indus. What if she gets transferred? She wondered if the govt should make a rule that there shouldn't be having tests for primary classes at least. Mr. Batra said that there are now some schools in most cities that follow this philosophy. But there aren't enough bold educators to take these steps. The parents should continue to expect this kind of education wherever they go. They should constructively put pressure on the schools to change themselves.

Most parents like to put children into an "assured" system, and not take risks. Parents should ask themselves why they want their child to get educated. Is it for career and earning potential, or is it for marks?

CBSE has been trying to introduce changes for 15 yrs, but only now Kapil Sibbal is trying to take those bold steps.

Children learn Zidd from the parents. Reason it out for any kind of demand. If you promise the child that you will give that toy tomorrow. Make sure that you do that the next day; otherwise it will grow up into more intense problems. "Delayed gratification" is the right way to handle Zidd.

Parents only write in forms that they watch NG and Discovery. Actually, the children keep watching Tom & jerry and then try it out in the class and home, and become aggressive. Another major reason is the conflicts among the parents. Children try to say something, and if you lose patience in her stammering, you will lose her trust

Comparison and inequitable treatment among siblings, unfair treatment in class and under confidence in children are reasons for aggression too.

No two children are alike. Don’t compare. Its a very bad way of teaching differences. Try to highlight the positive things in the child, not the weaknesses. Teach children to compete with themselves, not with others. Human beings are made to collaborate, not compete meaninglessly. Sachin Tendulkar wouldn't have achieved what he did by worrying about competing with Gavaskar. He doesn't take phone calls one hour before his match. That’s his dedication.

We need to understand that everyone can do well, not just the topper! Don’t worry about what your child will do in a longer term. There is enough space for everyone, if you do what you like to do.

Don’t undermine your children and yourself. Even if you think you are not showing it to her, you may still be passing on your thoughts to her unknowingly.

Boys and girls are different not because they are, but because we expect them to behave in a certain way.

Lets bring back the crowds to our Zoo!

A group of Grade 6 and 8 students went to the Zoo today to see how we could contribute to the betterment of the Zoo. There are some people who are very happy with the news that the two elephants will be moved out of the zoo soon due to a government regulation. The argument in favour of this move is that the elephants need more than an acre of land to move around. Since our Zoo doesn't have that space, these old friends have to move out. For us, it was ironical, since we could see large tracts of usable land inside the premises.

Why can't we then make this land usable for these majestic elephants, and let them be with us?

We also looked at the other animals' and birds' enclosures. The rains had made them all damp, and there was water leakage from the roof. So we decided to donate all the old flex banners to the zoo, so that they could be spread them on the roof tops. We hope we can get some more stuff like wooden planks and more flex for the zoo.

The best part of the visit, of course, was the way the Vet Uncle gave us a close (literally) look at the turtles, white tiger and the hippo. Would you believe it, we could touch them? He told us a lot of things about the animals like that Hippo eats up almost 300 kgs of food everyday! Wow, what a diet! But looking at its size, it seems quite reasonable:)

Now, to the point: If any of you reading this piece can help in some way, just write a comment back with your suggestions, and more importantly, how you could contribute.

Lets do our bit in bringing back the glory!

Indore Bloggers' Meet

Indore is the hub of educational activity in the Central India, and it is apt to get all the bloggers together for a general update and promotion of blogging. This meeting is also to encourage young enthusiasts from schools and colleges to write blogs.

To participate, please contact:

Anirudh Phadke, General Manager, Indus World School, Indore
Ph: 9993577035
Email: anirudh.phadke@indusworldschool.com

Indore Bloggers' Meet
Time:10:00AM Sunday, November 22nd
Location:Indus World School, Chhawani, Indore

Fabulous Funday

On 15th November 2009, Sunday, we had the Launch Ceremony of our new school campus at Jhalaria. Because of heavy reain, we had our function at Anand Mohan Mathur Auditorium. Mr. Harsha Bhogle and his wife Mrs. Anita Bhogle were our chief guests. Our Founder Satya sir and Chairman Sujit sir were also present.
Mr. Harsha Bhogle lighted the lamp and our school choir sang Saraswati Vandana. Our dancers performed dances from different parts of India. We also had an interaction with Mr. Harsha Bhogle. We asked him many questions and he answered them very happily.
After the programme we returned to school. After having lunch, Mr. Harsha Bhogle interacted with the mentors. Later, in the afternoon, ten students accompanied Mr. Harsha Bhogle to Dainik Bhaskar. We were invited as guest editors.
We enjoyed very much. It was a memorable experience.

Shweta Mangal
(class VII)

Punishment

HOld your ears, stand without your shoes,
when I hear this I get the blues.

Not only monday but I get them everyday,
I have not done my work, what will my teacher say?

Please don't scold me mam, please don't beat,
please don't make me stand out in the heat!!

Don't punish me mam, as I want to do things my way,
Your punishment curbs my creativity with each coming day!

I might do my lessons because I am scared,
but you know what I think?..
God is watching you and you will not be spared!

By punishing me, there is nothing that you can achieve,
I will give back what I receive.

Correct me when I am wrong,
talk to me and help me, it will make me strong.

Dont just think about my work and my score,
If you think about me and my feelings too,
I will love you more and more.....

Avni
(Mentor, Nursery)

दिवाली की खुशी

I created a poem on diwali for the children.

खुशी मनाओ, दीप जलाओ
जग मग जग मग दिवाली आई
पापा लाये दीया फ़ुलझडी
मम्मी ने मिठाई बनाईं.
पहनेंगे नए कपड़े सब
लक्ष्मी पूजा करेंगे तब.
चारो और रौशनी छाई
जगमग जगमग दिवाली आई।

Avni
(Mentor, Nursery)

Talk by Stalwarts

31st October was a very lucky day for all of us since we all got the rare privilege to hear eminent personalities from different walks of life. The speakers were those who had scripted success stories in their own right by their sheer grit, determination and their eye for the unusual. It was astonishing to see them nurture their passions so unbelievably!! As they say, make your passion your profession and you will evade the boredom from your lives! This seemed quite true for some of the young entrepreneurs who spoke to us that day.

Mr. Mahendra Joshi, in his true signature style flagged off the programme by giving brief introductions of the guests. He expresses agony on the injustice being done to our national language Hindi because of the local flavours and how it is affecting even the likes of teachers which will eventually reflect in our students. He gave tips on the correct usage and also some etiquette to be kept in mind henceforth in the wake of such programmes so that the take away from such sessions grows manifold.

The first speaker was Mr. Manveer Singh who is a native of Indore, and with his vision of providing grooming and adventure sport facilities to the youth and school children of Indore, spoke of his new assignment. It is a resort located about eighty kilometers from Indore with excellent adventure sport facilities like rope traverse, rappelling, commando training for beginners and the like. It was a virtual tour as he took us through some pictures of a camp that was conducted recently. His enthusiasm was so contagious that all of us were compelled to think of an outbound training camp for mentors in the same area.

“Service with a smile”-SWAS, this is the cornerstone of the hospitality industry”, said Mr. Saurabh Dawra, owner of the Crown Palace Hotel in Indore. He spoke of his passion for cooking and the various aspects that make cooking much more than a perfunctory activity. He said that cooking is a science and the recipes are the formulae. He answered queries of most of us with a ‘smile’. He voiced concern about the apathy of the municipality with respect to disposal of the food waste.

Guru Vishnu Chinchalkar’s contribution to the world of art is known to all residents of Indore. His son is also a patron of art and the various manifestations of it, if one could put it metaphorically. Dileep Chinchalkar, who carries forward his father‘s legacy was the next speaker. The austerity, of this ‘man with a few words’ was the most striking element of his personality. He began with his stints in Australia and England and compared and contrasted the situations to those in India. That hedges were such a phenomenon was made aware to us by his stupendous narration of his quest for the hedges and the quest of a Briton named Roy Moxham and their mutual acquaintances that followed. The hedges of yore were a small ecosystem where flora and fauna could co-exist in harmony. These have been replaced by concrete walls which have also made us lead the ‘upwardly mobile’ vegetative lifestyles. The gravitas in this gentleman’s personality left everyone spellbound!

Dr. Premlata Parekh who is a renowned paediatrician of Indore, was the next speaker. She invited everyone to the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Chacha Nehru Hospital for children which is the first and the largest childrens’ hospital in Indore under the Government. She explained that a series of workshops will be conducted in connection with this and the one on “Behavioural Disorders’ will be of help to mentors in particular, given the escalating stress levels in children owing to academic expectations from parents.

The determination of a woman can bring about changes in the lives of a thousand women. Mrs. Janak Palta McGillian is a testimony to this. She and her husband Jimmy Mcgillian have worked together for the Tribal Welfare Initiative. The Barli Development Institute for Rural women under her stellar leadership aims at empowering the human resources especially woman who are the central pillar to the development of any country. Here, women are considered the assets and their talents are the capital. Mr. Jimmy Mcgillian has enabled the group to exploit solar energy and make the best use of it.

Our youth in general is losing the attachment to the heritage sites of Indore which mark the rich and pristine history associated with it. The Rajwada is one such example of neglect and ignorance. Mr. Vijay Choudhary, special correspondent of the popular daily “Patrika”, spoke of his campaign to spread awareness about preserving these monuments for posterity. Patrika has always carried features about the activities of our school. The Editor of the childrens’ magazine “Spectrum’, Mr. Kapil Pancholi was also present. It is a widely known fact that this magazine is also one of the favourites among children.

Wildlife is truly mesmerizing, but one needs to have an eye to understand it and appreciate the beauty it offers. The ace photographer of Indore and a bird lover, ardent traveler and the Photo editor of “Dainik Bhaskar”, Mr.Bhalu Mondhe also took us through an assortment of his photographs, most of which had been captured at the Sirpur Lake which throngs with migratory birds in the peak season. His team has been successful in restoring the required habitat for the birds to survive and breed in plenty. His body of work is so large that compressing it in a one hour talk was impossible but his snapshots were a glimpse of his genius.

The famous painter Mr. Vasant Chinchwadkar was also among the distinguished guests but he chose to speak on another occasion. His simplicity was amazing despite spending 40 years in London. It made us reflect on ourselves and understand the futility of material possessions against intellectual assets. A passionate teacher, Mrs. Vinita Dharm was also present to hear all the guests speak.

The talk ended by Mrs. Smita Rathore’s vote of thanks to all the guests for having made our day, one full of learning and enriching joyrides through this great gamut of life!!!

Surya
(Mentor, Class VII)

A welcome change!

Our HRD minister has recently announced many reforms in the examination system of our country. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) “...to look at the holistic assessment of a learner which also includes co- scholastic area of Life Skills, Attitudes and Values, Sports and Games as well as Co-Curricular activities...”

It is quite reassuring to see that since the release of National Curriculum Framework 2005, by NCERT, the ministry is actually implementing the NCF -2005 through CBSE.

Hon’ble Union Minister for Human Resource Development also announced-
“Push the process of examination reform in accordance with NCF 2005. This will include making the Class X examination optional, thus permitting students continuing in the same school (and who do not need a board certificate) to take an internal school assessment instead.”

We at Indus are actually living the philosophy that NCF states or what the HRD minister is talking of now- ‘stress free education’.

“The term examination has come to be associated with stress and anxiety. The process of teaching and learning which is supposed to be meaningful for the student loses its joy because of these negative connotations of examination... The practice of declaring Compartment/ Fail shall be discontinued.”

At the same time, the launch of Career Development Cell at Indus will help in understanding the aptitude, interest in children and helping them in selection of subjects and careers.

“The larger context of education is to prepare futuristic citizens for a meaningful and productive life in a globalised society.”

It is very important that your child has a happy childhood and grows into a confident human being who knows herself/himself.

The following circulars, sent by CBSE to all the affiliated schools, will help in updating you about the changes that are being implemented.

CBSE Circular number 39

CBSE Circular number 40

Smita Rathore
Principal

Twitter

A New Vision

Nowadays I am looking at things differently than a common person! One day I woke up in the morning, rubbing my eyes I went into the balcony of my house and saw a man jogging. He was in his early forties. It was a Sunday and I was getting bored, so I thought of seeing this scene in a different way.

I started imagining that when the man might have been in his college, his physique might have been better. But, as time passed, he might have been married. After his studies he must have planned of enjoying his life a bit. So he might have gone on vacations and eaten fatty food because of which he became fat. One day his wife might have gone through his photo albums in which he might have been fitter! Maybe a discussion happened between the two of them that it is an alarming situation since he was becoming fat and had the risk of getting diseases. So there might have been a spark in him which brought in the zeal of being fit and healthy.

Imagination can grow wings if you try to find a story behind everything. Friends, in free time if you involve in this thinking exercise, it is really enjoyable. Believe me, looking at things from a different perspective is real fun and my article is also a brainchild of my new way of thinking..my new vision…!

Vivan (Class VII)

Friends of Indus

On Saturday, 24th October, we had our Parent Mentor Meet for the month of October. This time we had our Chairman Sujit Bhattacharyya with us. Sujit gave the parents an update of the latest developments for Indus World School, Indore. This update included the new campus coming up at Jhalaria and also the Career Development Cell that would be operational from November 2009. He urged parents, the friends of Indus, to spread their happiness by sharing their experiences since becoming a part of the Indus family.
Parents of children studying in classes Nursery to Class II participated in a creative writing activity. We will have some of their writings on our blog soon!

Happy Diwali

A joyful celebration of Diwali brought the whole school together on 14th October. In a short skit, Class V depicted Rama's return to Ayodhya. Songs, poems and words of the young ones added to the gaiety of the gathering. Class VIII urged all friends to have a 'clean and crackerless Diwali'.

May the festival of lights fill our life with cheer and inspire us on the path of peace and goodwill towards all.
Happy Diwali!

Neev: The Foundation

"Mam, I am glad you brought us here. This feeling is more fulfilling to me than the fireworks back home every Diwali”, said Susmit with a gratifying smile on his face. After all he and his classmates were not there for yet another field trip ! The visit to ‘Neev’, the school for the underprivileged or ‘children of beggars’ to put it bluntly, was aimed at making our children realize the good things that God has bestowed upon them which they often fail doing !

Vyom and Raunak are busy making streamers and putting them across the cracked walls. Harshit and Abhyuday are in a minor spat following a snide remark from some corner,completely oblivious of the fact that the children at Neev are gaping at them!

This classroom was an assortment of sorts since the age groups were strange. One could see a toddler sitting on a ten year old’s lap and beaming away a radiant smile to everyone present there. And you thought learning requires infrastructure…….?

Vivan, as usual is busy interviewing the teachers present there to tally the learning ideology with our own philosophy and analyzing the situation. Shivam finds a cozy corner and his fingers are working magic with paper as he flings the paper streamers into the air! Prachit and his group are doling out sweets and crayons to children while Vishruti exults after capturing these fine moments on her camera which is the most prized possession on earth, for her, at this point in time!

I was indeed amazed to see the amount of self-discipline these slum children displayed. They could wait for their turn and exercise restrain for everything that was being offered to them. Or was the situation a contrived one which ceased to exist once we were gone. Well, whatever the case may be, it surely did put a few of our brats to shame!

The scene at the blackboard was funny. Shweta, Mishi and Varsha are giving vent to their creative expressions as they urge these kids to copy on their cards the images of Lord Ganesha that they had managed to sketch. The feeling of oneness was all prevalent in the air. “God bless this moment”, I said to myself!

Kirti and Meet are all smiles to see the group taking interest in everything and still staying closer to the ground. Saaheb expresses his feelings of empathy over the conditions of slum dwellers to all the staff present there. “Mam, Saaheb is being politically correct”. Pat came the remark from Parth and Yaman. I couldn’t help smiling. It was time to return to school. Rajat and Yash were reluctant to board the bus as they seemed enthused.

Having facilitated such a visit on the occasion of Diwali did help the children understand the lives of such poor families who struggle to make both ends meet. The bus moves and a loud chorus can be heard singing, “Yooheen kat jayega safar saath chalne se”..! I join them heartily, realizing the importance of this worthwhile ‘educational’ trip!

Surya Nair
Mentor, Class VII

Who is greater?

Many children were waiting for their turn. I was scribbling numbers on their slate and they were suppose to put <> sign in the given box. I could feel the restiveness amongst the children standing at the tail of the queue. Ishaan was most restless amongst all and must be thinking for some remedy and observing minutely. Suddenly he jumped in-front of me and said ‘ मेम मैंने सब कर लिया है, आप सिर्फ़ एक नम्बर लिख कर स्लेट अपने पास रख लो’. I surprisingly looked at him and took his slate and I was pleasantly surprised to notice his keen observation that numbers up to 10 were given and on his slate he had written. …< 10 and asked me to fill the gap and keep the slate. It was a pleasant surprise to watch children modifying their behavior and needs as per the situation.

Sonali Pant
Mentor, PP-II, Hans

When mentors become poets.

We created a poem spontaneouly while we were taking the concept of 'eyes' in our class, it was a 'wow' moment of our class and children also enjoyed it.

मेरी ऑंखें प्यारी प्यारी,
दिखती इनसे दुनिया सारी,
खूब खाए भाजी सब्जी,
तभी रहेंगी अच्छी अच्छी,
दिखाती मुझे ये सारे रंग,
हमेशा रहती मेरे संग।



Suruchi and Avni (Mentors, Nursery - Khushboo)

Durgotsav and Dussehra delight

26th September was a colourful and much enjoyed day as we celebrated Navratri and Dussehra in school. Children of classes III to VIII came dressed in lehengas, kurtas and pyjamas. Children from each class performed garba. The well-coordinated dances showed the efforts that went behind the preparation. The mentors and the non-academic staff couldn't hold themselves back for long and soon joined us. Class VI students Raghavendra, Tushita, Divya and Shrey anchored the programme and also shared information about Navratri and Dussehra.



After a break for snacks, we collected again for Dussehra celebration. Students of class V, Vishnu sir and Baghel sir had made the 'Ravan'. This Ravan was a symbol of all bad qualities that we wanted to burn away. So, on strips of paper we wrote the bad qualities that we wanted to rid ourselves of and stuck the strips on Ravan. As the Ravan was set afire, the strips with our bad qualities also turned to ashes. The message this Dussehra was that of victory of good over evil.

Srishti and Titiksha, Class VIII

An educational visit to a textile industry

The students of grade VI, VII and VIII went for industrial visit to Prem Textiles and Samariya Fashions. The objective of the visit was to view the processing of raw cotton to fabric. The visit was divided into 2 phases. Mr. N.K Jain, General Manager of Samariya Textiles guided our students through the entire process.

In the first session, which was on 8th September 2009, students visited the Spinning Mill(Prem Textiles). Our children perceived the process of fibre getting converted to yarn in different stages of cleaning, mixing(in Blowroom Line), carding where the fibre sheet is converted to sliver(loose yarn), drawing in Drawframe and then finally roving getting converted to yarn in the Rotar machine. They asked queries related to the pollution due to fibre floating all over and health effect on the workers. The temperature and humidity effect on the yarn and fibre also took them by surprise.

In the second session on 16th September 09, the students were taken to Weaving Mill (Samariya Fashions) where they minutely observed the auto looms and understood the process of warp and weft interweaving, which resulted in the greige fabric. They could also understand some technical part as the designing of the fabric, selvedge and the fabric checking and its parameters. The children also witnessed the faults being amended and some tried their hands on it.

Neha (mentor class II) and Shilpa (mentor class V)

The new face of Indus World School, Indore!

It is going to be two months now that we have shifted location from Sai Kripa colony to Chhawani, which is a centrally located area in Indore.

Being centrally located it is nearly equidistant from all corners of the city. The building, which we took over from the Kamala Nehru Trust, is 50 year old and is magnificent! High roofs and well-lighted, cross-ventilated rooms. – Good space that we wanted for our children! Mentors were generally happy to see the big rooms and the corners there in for setting up activities.

This is a bigger place – two acres. Tennis court and basketball court are being constructed. Behind the building there is open area to play. We have set up our adventure zone and sand pit there. Trees have been used for making rope swings.

The renovation work started in May. Complete flooring has been changed, walls are given bright colors. Inside the class one wall is brightly colored which makes the class very inviting. The corridors and the facade is a combination of bright white and grey. Tree plantation and grass laying is going on. One of our parents helped us to plant trees outside the school boundary wall.

As the children rushed in on the first day – this place came alive! The change of place made a small difference to them. They were looking for familiar faces and their mentors. The younger lot was happy with the new place. The Jigyasa group children had small questions.

The first month went by in orientation of children and working on their baselines. It normally takes some time for children to get adjusted to a new class, new mentor and some new friends in the class. In a non threatening and caring environment children adjust faster and so we saw that within 15 days it did not seem to be new place.

The first meeting with the parents was on 1st of Aug. Sujit, our Chairman, had come down for this to generally interact with the parents. The initial strain of shifting to a new location, which some parents had reflected, seemed to be fading. An exhibition cum sale of Rakhees made by visually challenged children was arranged in the school. We received some valuable feedback from the parents.

A colourful programme marked our first Independence Day in the new campus as we remembered our martyrs and reaffirmed our allegiance to our nation.
August also saw the Math Week. Puzzles, games, magic in the class and on the field had the children hooked for a week. Children still talk about the Math Treasure Hunt and the Math Fair.

A much loved event happened today when children expressed their affection for their mentors. The Teachers' Day celebration was almost completely managed by the class VIII students. The couplets that they wrote not only aptly described each mentor, they also were a mark of the esteem that the children held in their hearts for their mentors.

So much more has happened in these two months. Each day holds its own excitement and learning. Yet, it only seems like yesterday that we had begun this new session.

Now we need to find out ways of influencing this community of people who are living around our school. In my initial discussions about this with our trustee, Suresh Agarwal, it seemed to be a tough task; but I think it is not impossible.

I always believed and shared it also with our mentors that it is our own positivity that makes a place vibrant and gives that happy feeling! I do not know what the role of vastu in it is, but I know that we play the most important role!

Smita Rathore