Student  Initiatives and Opportunities

Clubs: As part of our effort to bring a balance between generating interest in the outer word and nurturing the inner life, students are given the opportunity to be part of various clubs such as Cooking, Film Making, Performing Arts, Debating, Handwork, Farming and Reading.

One such campaign run by the Literature Club The Anti Stereotype Campaign – The children from Grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 amazed us with their understanding of the stereotypes around us.

Community Service

Grade 6 :

Grade 6 went to two schools in the neighbourhood - Mudalipalayam Government School and Kurumbapalayam Government School. As the teachers sensitized them about the living standards and families the government school children come from, our children embraced it so gracefully and did what it takes to show us that in their hearts, all children are equal. They read stories to them, made art with them, taught them lessons, played with them and finally gave them a performance before bidding goodbye. It was such a touching scene as the little ones in Mudhalipalayam school broke into tears, bidding farewell to our Grade 6. ‘Can we make such a huge impact in just three days akka? I can’t believe they are crying that we are leaving. Have we made them that happy?’  were some questions that we heard. All we needed to give our children was a hug and a smile. They will carry this memory for a long time and this will shape an important aspect of their character building. In Kurumbapalayam school, they worked with their own age group and spoke to the children to create their biographies. This biography project  is merely an attempt to help them see that their similarities were more than differences. 

Grade 7 : Grade 7 spent seven days at Amrit School for special needs meeting children with different challenges like Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, Low vision etc. We expected breakdowns and may be unsettled churning. Did our grade 7 surprise us? They looked at the whole world with their innocent happy eyes and brought tears to our eyes. “When I first entered Amrit, it was like entering a new world. I watched people struggling to walk and screaming to communicate. Strangely ,I didn’t feel pity; I accepted that they are like me” reflects one child. This is the mood most of them carried. They turned into teachers and friends and took over classes. Some children taught math, some taught them to use calculators, they brought art to these children and held their hands and painted. They taught them to count money and helped the little ones practice walking. It was a sight to silently walk around and watch what honourable little human beings we have in our homes and in our fold.

Grade 8 and 9 : Will children welcome meeting adults who are over 40 years  old with mental illnesses and challenges and work with them? We did have a circle to introduce Grade 8 to their  community service project in Cheshire Homes and sensitize them. They  started with mild hesitation, not knowing what to expect. Yet, it took  them a blink of an eye, to understand, empathise and become fully  involved in the opportunity that was in front of them. They gifted us a beautiful experience and we came back feeling so happy! Each day their  only motive was to bring excitement into the lives of the inmates of Cheshire homes. Their ideas changed from singing to colouring to playing ball. When they ran out of all the resources; children entertained them with hurdles, sports equipment and different teaching aids( which we use in school). Not one day did their stamina or interest dip. It was so wonderful how they answered Raja anna who could keep things in his memory only for 3 minutes. He would ask the same question over and over again and our children answered so patiently and tirelessly. They  held people by their hand and helped them complete their tasks. It felt  like they held onto humanity so effortlessly cloaked in their selfless and happy self.

Educational Trips

School trips are occasions where travel, fun and learning come together. Hampi because they studied the History of Vijayanagar Empire, Bora Caves because they studied Geology, self-sustained forest life to teach them to co-exist with nature or Delhi and Amritsar to experience the  Partition projects are some of the trips the children of the Middle and High School have been on. Despite basic travel and stay arrangements, local food and sights and the joy of being together and the wonder of the Indian heritage and beauty have made these experiences deeply nourishing and engaging

Working with Primary School - Buddy reading and Teaching opportunities

Middle and High School children were paired with the little ones in primary for the Buddy Reading initiative. Once a week the Annas and Akkas of Middle and High  visit the primary children with stacks of books. The little ones look forward to the reading, sharing and activities led by the Annas and Akkas.

Student led Projects

Partition Museum

Grade 9 and 10 were introduced to Partition History during Term 1 of the academic year. The students were given the task of putting up a first-rate exhibition on the Partition which covered art, short plays, music, sport, architecture and much more from the bygone era.

Grade 10 student Iniya shares:

“Learning about the partition and the different perspectives of all the people affected was definitely an unforgettable journey for me. Personally, I enjoyed reading several books centered around partition, but the one book that stayed with me is Bapsi Sidhwa’s “Ice-Candy Man”. The story is narrated by a young Parsi girl, Lenny, caught in the violence. It was really easy for me to look at the divided countries through her eyes.”

Listen to her stirring poem here

Magazines and Publications

Children are offered several opportunities to showcase their work and creativity. Original writing, art, poetry, stories and ramblings contributed to the magazine and books published.

Book of Questions By Kamini Grade 6 Thalirgalin Thuligal - Tamil poetry

Musings of the Wanderers Grade 8 Magazine Some Rain Some Sunshine Grade 9 & 10

IIMUN

Model United Nations is a simulation of the committees of United Nations. IIMUN (India International Model United Nations) is a very prestigious organization that organizes over 160 conferences across the globe. 

It is an event where children participate representing the country allotted to them. It is a platform where there is abundant exposure to current affairs, friendship, debating protocol, research skills and much more. Students from Middle and High School were very invested in preparing for the event and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Participation in the 10th MARE Conference, University of Amsterdam

The Grade 6, 7 and 8 children created some extraordinary artwork as part of the 10th MARE Conference held at University of Amsterdam. The theme of the conference, attended by scientists and researchers from around the world, was "People and the Sea". The children's work was displayed at the University corridors along with art by children from Sweden, Netherlands and Canada. 

We had images ranging  from underwater life, sandcastles, lazing on the beach,scuba divers, submarines, huge boats, men attacking sharks and sharks attacking men and much much more - truly a varied array of work. In the words of Prof. Gopakumar (a speaker at the conference) "we were so inspired by some of the themes, like plastic pollution of the sea and shark fishing. Such diverse stories!"