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The Children of the Junior School celebrated “TEACHER”S DAY” with immense zeal and enthusiasm. The programme was conducted entirely by the children. Their love and affection for their teachers was truly evident by the fervor with which they put up … Continue reading
Rekha Dhondiyal
Children are designed to create something new on their own. It’s inherent in them. If we recognize this, half our battle is won. The problem is how to trigger this thought process? The trick is to jump into writing without much thought. Too much analysis causes paralysis. If it is turned into a fun activity where they are free to pen down their free flowing ideas their way, quick and encouraging results show. Let them be, is a credo to go by. A few do’s are ok but don’ts are taboo. Sitting in judgement over their write-ups is a big no-no. To appreciate them publicly, for every attempt made ,is a must. Starting with topics from their immediate world is a great idea because that is what they know best. Lots of fun and rib-tickling moments await the teacher as she watches them bloom and flower into budding writers.
Points that could help teachers achieve some success are given below:
1. Make an announcement in class that it’s Funday and not Monday. See them sit up! Tell them it’s only Creative writing that gives them a chance to write what they please. They are free to begin with the end or end with the beginning. In short unleash their imagination without fear.
2. Children learn best by example, so excite them with a short story with a dramatic beginning, an interesting middle and a surprise ending. Impromptu drama and humour put up by the teacher always help to kindle their interest.
3. I would do a story in the past tense because they find it easier.
My story: There was little a boy. He was very naughty. He could not sit still, he was like jelly. Also a big foodie. His lunch box was full of junk food. So he had a big belly too. He was named Jelly Belly.
One day Jelly pulled away a chair while a student was about to sit. The poor boy fell with a thud and the whole class burst out laughing. But the culprit was not to be seen anywhere. The boy who was standing next to the chair was caught and punished. Later, Jelly Belly was found in the washroom laughing hysterically, admiring himself in the mirror.A week later, while going home with his friend, he saw a truck coming from the opposite direction. Suddenly he ran towards the road telling his friend he would test the breaks of the speeding truck! And presto! Promptly lay down. The next moment a screeching sound was heard! Jelly Belly showed a thumbs-up sign to his shocked mate while the furious driver of the truck held him by the collar!
4. This tale would trigger more ideas in them, that any incident, event, accident, happening could be turned into a story. Association of ideas would happen and they would be driven to write.
5. Tell them to mix reality with fiction and create very simple stories. Once they overcome the fear of writing, plots would get better automatically.
6. Always go from easy to difficult, less to more, small to big, simple to complex.
7. Get talkative kids to begin a story on an interesting note. They give confidence to the introverts. One by one each kid can add a sentence and the story would go forward. Anyone who breaks the sequence should be told to do it again. Thus this informal collaborative way of doing a story could help all.
Nobody can escape, everybody has to chip in. The teacher could nod in appreciation while kids don their thinking caps.
8. Generate ideas by giving a few yourselves. Children are copy cats, give them an idea and they start thinking on the same lines. So introduce diverse genres, encourage different ways of thinking. Do prose one week and verse the next week.
9. Tell them to write simply in active voice in the right sequence.
10. Lastly tell them not to be word and avoid repetition.
11. Draft writing is essential though time consuming but, then nothing tried is nothing gained. The first draft can be just jottings of free, random thoughts that come first. The second draft could be edited by the child himself. He/she could correct their spelling, punctuation and capital letters along with common careless errors. The third draft should be the final draft where anything that is extra should be cut ruthlessly to make the writing crisp and tight.
12. There are as many methods of honing their creative spark as there are teachers. Whatever works should be kept and what doesn’t work should be dropped.
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DISCUSSION SHOULD FOLLOW READING The Study Hall Reading Club invited Lucknow Book Club. The visiting members were Dr. Manoj Singh, Mr. Gaurav and Mr. Prashant. They enlightened us on the benefits of reading and shared suggestions to make it a … Continue reading
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The festival of Janmashtami was celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm by the children of the Study Hall Junior School. The children attired in brightly coloured costumes danced to the tune of ‘Maiya Yashodha’. The students of DOSTI sang a … Continue reading
The table tennis matches for senior girls was held on 16 August 2013. The results are as follows:-
1. Rajyashri Parihar XI C Cypress House
2. Falguni Arora
3. Yashita Jain
4. Muskaan Jain
A Question By Saida Ahmad
Wrack your brains and hit the nail on the head. May be a Herculean task but it pays rich dividends to hone our thinking skills. Ask, ask and ask thought provoking questions. Answers will follow effortlessly and spontaneously. To keep the mind lubricated, we have to indulge in silent reflection,on what strikes a chord in our mind. Do give it a try.
Independence Day 2013
This year, fifteenth of August celebrations took us on a walk down memory lane as it reminded us about the sacrifices of the martyrs who laid down their lives so that our countrymen could breathe freely today. The enlightening words of our teachers taught our young minds to soar high in the realm of freedom and rethink its actual meaning. The speeches of students as part of the declamation competition informed us about the situation of women and how significant they are in society; a fact that most tend to overlook. Following this, the lively dance competition comprised various performances wherein one was a representation of Lord Shiva jiving to Michael Jackson’s song!
For a change, the students very comfortably settled down in their seats well before time, eager for the show to start. As soon as we caught a glimpse of Urvashi Aunty we could see the entire congregation straighten their spines to look smart on this very glorious day. As custom goes, we saluted our National Flag and in unison sang the National Anthem followed by a patriotic song, with great fervour. Our Principal, transformed her speech into a wonderful story that personified freedom. It was meant to inspire and ignite thoughts and opinions on the actual meaning of freedom and it surely did set us thinking. Following this, was a thought-provoking speech by the Vice Head girl Aiman Jafri who threw light on the Martyrs of our country and the growing awareness of contemporary situations amongst the youth.
We had four thought provoking speeches for the competition in “Klisht” Hindi and two more from students of Prerna Girls & CFL, who were given the floor to express their views. Though the sound system at Study Hall has a history of untimely mood swings, our Head Boy, Dharm Pravartak luckily didn’t need one, owing to his deeply resonant and expressive voice which paved the way for his win in the competition. Subsequently, a few from the audience were called up to further elucidate on the topic with their own thoughts. These included Kshitij, Abhilaksh and a few others.
The results of the dance competition which was to be based on the theme of creation and destruction, were not congruent to popular choice but nevertheless, winners were applauded and cheered. Cypress house got the consolation prize with their representation of nature while Jacaranda came in third with their depiction of creation and destruction of freedom and nationalism. Fire flame chose to portray the woes of the girl child, was adjudged second while Silver Oak’s well- coordinated performance with Nature as its central theme stole the show and stood first in the competition.
Independence Day was a great blend of seriousness and amusement( as every few minutes one balloon on stage would burst sparking giggles), information and entertainment and most importantly it made us realize that independence is a legacy, to protect and to live for. On a lighthearted concluding note one must mention that we could not help but notice how savvy our Student Cabinet looked in their white polo shirts!
– Samriddhi Shah and Rohina Dass
Model United Nations, a term yet unfamiliar? Not anymore.
For the first time, Study Hall participated in the XVII Cathedral Model United Nations which was held from the 9th of August to the 11th of August, in Mumbai. After two months of hard work, staying back after school and endless research, the 12 delegates who attended the 3 day conference, did not return with empty hands.
Eleven delegates drawn from classes 9-12 were selected and then divided into several committees dealing with their own crisis while there was one student who was amongst the fortunate ones to get selected from the entire country, for the CMUN Press Corps which only comprised 12 reporters.
They were privileged to meet students from many different schools and cities; keeping aside all their differences, delegates worked together to find practical solutions towards the betterment of the entire world. They learnt how to keep their needs aside and focus on problems that were more acute in nature. There were times, delegates were overcome by unpredictable crisis-situations, delegates were even murdered, countries were destroyed but that wasn’t the end. Keeping in mind the directives laid down in the UN Charter, young minds strived to find workable solutions to uphold the peace initiatives of the United Nations. Herein, the Study Hall students tried their best to make their presence felt and so they did.
CMUN meant many things to many of the 500 plus delegates gathered there from different parts of the country and beyond. Not only was it meant as a getaway to see a city as beautiful as Mumbai for some of the most aspiring debaters of our school along with two amazing teachers who trusted them enough to accept their maturity, but above all that it was a sharp learning experience for each one of us. Cathedral Model United Nations taught the students how to make quick and apt decisions in a very limited time, it reminded them of how beautiful yet tough the world is out there and how the power to change their future rests in their own hands. At CMUN they learnt ‘munning’ which is new-age debating. They learnt that in any situation whatsoever there is great importance given to consensus & team-play.
Some of the Committees in which we were delegates included The Historic General Assembly where they re-thought solutions to the oil crisis of 1973; The Adhoc Committee of Heads of Intelligence Agencies deliberated on the importance of intelligence services in national & international relations for global safety & security; The Futuristic General Assembly discussed the growing Al-Queda threat to the Republic of Mali; The SPECPOL delegates took up the future of Iraq after the withdrawal of American forces; The DISEC expressed concern over the growing militarization in the Arctic region; and the very interesting Lok Sabha where young leaders of tomorrow discussed the repealing of, or the re-enforcement of AFSPA in J&K as well as the north-eastern states.
So, what are we waiting for? MUN was an amazing experience and the school should encourage more & more students to participate next year. Truly, it leaves an indelible mark on those who participate. All of this; the experience, the fun, the laughter, the memories wouldn’t have been possible without Mrs. Anusha Sharma and Ms. Prachi Sarbahi, who dedicated their precious time to the development this team.
The delegates saw & listened. They carefully observed. They learnt. And now they recognise their strengths & weaknesses as well as how the limits can stretch to infinity. Study Hall has decided to evolve a strong set of debaters and editors who will aim at excelling in both. This is us, the students, striving for excellence.
**An interesting input from Arusha (Delegate of South Africa in the HGA) It’s funny how I just realized the actual meaning of the adage, ‘You never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.’ MUN-ing is one of the most invigorating and enriching experiences I have gained. It was by far the most knowledgeable too. The confidence I gained while speaking in front of highly experienced MUN-ners, was remarkable. I must admit that I have never felt this confident before. This experience was about learning history (you never knew existed), about having the guts to be able to speak your views out and of course the amazing view from the Rooftop of the Trident!
**An interesting feedback from Abhilaksh (Delegate of South Africa in the FGA) ‘MUN? What is that?’ This was my very initial reaction when I had first heard this acronym. I later discovered that it stood for Model United Nations. It was indeed an obscure word then but I soon found out that it is a simulation of the United Nations. It is essentially a forum for young people like me and you to debate upon the burning issues in the world and find pragmatic solutions for them. Each participant represents a particular country and acts as a delegate of that nation. We had decided to go for Cathedral Model United Nations, one of India’s first MUNs hosted by Cathedral and John Connon School to be held in August in Mumbai. The D-day fast approached and The Trident awaited us. After hours of hard work and research with our faculty advisors, we landed at Mumbai on the 8th of August. The three days that followed can only be described as exhilarating and unforgettable. We were exposed to a variety of new thoughts, people and to expound on the learning that happened would take pages altogether. It has not just enhanced our linguistic ability and recognised the Cicero in us; it has also sensitized us towards the critical problems the people of the world face today. It is imperative that today’s youth lead from the forefront and work towards the betterment of the upcoming generation. Last but not the least; we feel highly motivated to work for the attainment of peace and harmony in the world through deliberation and talks. We were awestruck by the fact that an event of such magnitude had been run solely by the student body of the school and we learnt much from their managerial skills. It reflected in their handling of food, allocations, transportation and nitty-gritty of the conference in a very meticulous manner. I strongly recommend all students to participate in such events and gain positively from it.
“One entire country and they chose me!”
by Simran Varma
Delegate-Press Corps
I always believed that I am a good writer, but I never knew I would be good enough to go that far! Compared to what my dreams are, going to Mumbai and writing for a conference hosted by one of India’s top schools, is nothing but again ‘it IS something’. It’s a start to something from where there will never be any looking back. CMUN was my getaway from the city I grew up in, to a city that felt like a dream, it scared me but it fascinated me; everyone on the road, had an aim in mind, while I pretty much stalked them.
Being in the Press Corp was an eye-opener; all the reporters seemed so well-versed in their subject and so much fun to be with. They were all talented and unique. I learnt about deadlines (a term I never took seriously until my teacher would shake me up a million times!), I learnt how to be humorous (MIRACLE!) and most importantly I was asked to work alone; so there were times, I walked around the corridors & committee rooms of this awesome Trident Hotel with sore toes, took a selfies in the lift (really good ones!) and watched my friends and juniors become someone I never saw them as; confident and independent individuals. Please note, being a reporter was the most amazing thing to do. Why? Because you learn the nitty-gritty of writing effectively and interestingly, in fun you get to scare people (Get me food, or I’d report you!), you get to sit in the press room located on the roof top which happens to have the most beautiful view to awaken your muses, you get to take plenty of really nice pics, you get to have fun with your teachers (Prachi aunty and Anusha aunty are like the coolest teachers I know!) , you get to witness some of the life-changing-moments with your best friend on the marine drive and you get to feel what I am feeling now; high self-esteem.
Lucknow is where my roots are, as for Mumbai, that is where the branches will probably extend.
P.S: SPEAK IN ENGLISH, PEOPLE. THE TEACHERS ARE TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU WONT SURVIVE ANYWHERE WITH PUTRID ENGLISH.