Echo E-newsletter June (2022)
TRUSTEE MESSAGE
In the words of APJ Abdul Kalam, "Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model. ”The Gajera Group of schools has strong leadership and provides clear vision and direction to our very committed team of educators. It is an environment in which educators want to stay and where everyone works together to uphold the ethos of the school. We value parental views and believe that we should work together to create positive school ethos which encourages children to be independent, responsible and thoughtful. We enable our children to become resilient and confident whilst recognizing that they still need help and reassurance along the way. A happy child is one who learns. Education is the basis of all progress. Its purpose is to inculcate humanitarian values, wisdom, compassion, courage and reliability in students. Academic excellence along with active participation in co-curricular activities complete the process of education and it gives me immense pleasure that Gajera Group of Schools is progressing in all its endeavors towards the overall development of the students. The schools have marched forward to spread the light of education and pave the path of excellence for every student. It is heartening to see the achievements of our students and the school’s progress throughout the year. It is a matter of pride that Gajera Vidyabhavan(Katargam, Utran and Sachin branch) has achieved94% result in the Class 10 board examination. Our 105 students secured A1 and 325 students secured A2 grades. I congratulate all the students for their great performance. We feel very contended after bearing in mind the progress the Schools have made by imbibing in its students value based education synergized with modern teaching-learning technology to produce a generation of well informed and emotionally sound generation during these years. And I ensure all the parents that in times to come we will continue this journey with all elevated enthusiasm and with determination provide a platform of holistic learning to the young generation of learners.
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
Everyone wants a green earth, less pollution, more biodiversity, less wastage and fewer natural disasters. We all want to recycle, reduce and reuse. But few are willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes to make these things a reality. The comfort and convenience of technology has made us lazy and most of us don’t want to take the trouble. But Gajera Global School has taken the pledge of making its campus green. All its activities are centered around making the campus green, biodiverse and healthy. For this purpose we have set up a butterfly garden and a pond full of aquatic flora and fauna. Two wonderful tortoises are residents of the pond at present. The butterfly garden, on the other hand, has become the home of hundreds of colourful butterflies. In recognition of our commitment, we have been awarded the Green Flag award by the CEE (Centre for Environment Education). The award was presented to us under the Eco-school program to create awareness about environmental problems among school children. Learners of the school paid a visit to the CEE in June as part of the awareness program. The visit was coupled with visits to Sundarban, Sabarmati Ashram and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). This month we had another remarkable event — Father’s Day on the occasion of which we had indoor games. The games were organised to help learners spend quality time with their fathers. With the same purpose of giving learners an opportunity to connect with nature, learners through prep to the fifth graders were taken to a bird sanctuary and petting farm. Before I conclude I request you to encourage your children to read more. Please take a look at the books and have them read.
INTEGRATED LEARNING
VISIT TO BIRD SANCTUARY
Prep graders of GGS went on an expedition to Kisna Nature Park home to forty-five different varieties of exotic birds, as part of their monthly school trip. It is also home to forty other distinct species of marine creatures. Learners got to pet the birds as per the policy of the sanctuary. The goal of the trip was for children to develop a better understanding of birds by viewing them up close and learning to empathize with them, no matter what the species or the size.
VISIT TO – PETTING FARM
Learners of grades 1st through 5th went on a field trip to a petting zoo on 16 June as a way of bonding with the animals. The farm allows visitors to pet them, which promotes compassion and empathy for all creatures and species. The goal of the trip was for children to develop a better understanding of animals by viewing them up close and learning to empathize with them. The excursion was a part of the school’s adopted UNSDG goal number 15, which promotes the protection and restoration of ecologies, prevention of desertification, and the loss of biodiversity.
VISIT TO – AHMEDABAD
Learners of GGS went to Ahmedabad as part of an educational excursion. They visited CEE (Centre for Environment Education), Sundarban, ISRO, and Sabarmati Ashram. At Sundarban, they learned how to differentiate venomous snakes from non-venomous ones, and at ISRO, they were made aware of the history of Indian space research since its inception. At Sabarmati, they came face to face with history and Gandhi's way of life.
EVENTS
World Environment Day
The school celebrated World Environment Day with various activities and programs designed to motivate learners to contribute their bit for the sake of the environment. The programs were in line with the UNSDG goals that the school has adopted for itself. The program included the promotion of healthy living, reducing waste, and contributing to biodiversity. The efforts have paid off in the form of the Green Flag award given by the CEE.
World Ocean Day
The school observed World Ocean Day by exploring the flora and fauna found underwater by watching a documentary. Learners were in for several surprises as the animals they saw on the videos are too rare and exotic to be seen in the observable world. The angler fish and the vampire squid invited quite a few exclamations from the young learners.
National Reading Day
Learners of the school took part in a relay reading activity on18 and 19 June as part of the National Reading Day. As part of the activity, the first reader read fifty words while the other had to listen intently. The book was then passed on to the second reader who had to pick it up from where the first reader had left it. Like a relay race, they continued reading until the story was complete.
Father’s Day Celebration
Every year, Gajera Global School celebrates Father’s Day with much fanfare to honor the priceless contributions made by this figure in our lives. This year was no exception. An indoor games competition was held in four different categories, bringing fathers and their children together to celebrate the day. Present on the occasion as guests were badminton players, Mr. Mitesh Mehta, and Mr. Amit Patel.
World Music Day
Quizzes on famous musical numbers, instrumental rendering of famous songs, and singing by learners made the special assembly for World Music Day on 20 June. Learners of the choir group and the school band thundered the assembly hall with their rendering of songs and music.
International Yoga Day
A International Yoga Day was celebrated at the school on 21 June to revive our interest in this effective form of stretching and holding a pose to enhance flexibility and retain youth. Educators of the school reported early in the morning in their sports attire to begin the day with a healthy dose of exercise. Yogasanas continued the entire day with learners coming in batches to take part in the activity.
COMPETITIONS
Nani Ki Kahaniya (Story Telling)
Learners of the prep grades practised public speaking by taking part in a story-telling competition titled Nani Ki Kahaniya. Learners recounted the interesting and educational stories that shaped their childhood and personalities. The voices of the tiny-tots cackled in the auditorium throughout the day.
Voice of the People (Elocution)
An elocution competition titled Voice of the People was held in the assembly hall for the learners of grades 1st through 5th on 23 June. The competition was intended to give learners the opportunity to build their confidence and public speaking skills— skills that set them for success in later life. For the learners of grades 6th through 12th another elocution competition was held in the Wisdom Hall.
Learner's Corner
Container gardens let you grow food in a small space
(By Poulami Halder)
Growing your own food doesn’t require a big yard. Container gardening is a way for you to make the most out of limited outdoor space and grow vegetables and herbs that are found in most kitchens.
Gary Pilarchik of Glenelg, Maryland, runs a YouTube channel called “The Rusted Garden” (youtube.com/user/Pilarchik), which has more than 500,000 subscribers. “I personally think it’s really important that you learn some skills to be more self-sufficient,” he said.
adds that many people don’t know how their favorite foods are grown. For example, “a lot of people don’t know that radishes come out of the ground, not on vines,” Pilarchik said.
Container gardening starts with picking a pot that’s the correct size, he said. “A common mistake people make is they have too small of a pot for a mature-size plant,” he said.
If you want to grow one cherry tomato plant or a green bean plant, a five gallon pot is big enough. However, if you want to grow two of the tomato plants, a 10 gallon pot is necessary.
The type of pot is important, too. A pot made of fabric material will drain water on its own. “Basically [plants] need oxygen,” Pilarchik explains. “You don’t want wherever you’re planting to fill up with water — that can damage the plant roots.” If you get a non-fabric pot, ask an adult to drill or puncture a couple of small holes on the side or bottom for drainage.
You can buy seeds to plant. Or you can buy a “transplant,” which involves getting a tomato plant, for example, that has already grown two inches and planting it in your container.
For soil, any type of mix named “container” or “potting” can be used.
Pilarchik recommends watering most plants several times a week. “Because if they dry out just once, it damages the root system,” he said. If you touch the soil and you don’t feel moisture on your finger, it’s time to water the plant.
Plants also need nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus to grow. Once every two weeks, Pilarchik recommends mixing in a water-soluble (meaning it can dissolve in water) fertilizer with the water you’re going to give your plants.
And you shouldn’t forget about sunlight. Plants “need eight hours of sun. And that’s full sun — directly coming down on and contacting,” Pilarchik said.
Place your plant where you think it will get the best direct sunlight. That could be the steps by your front door or on a balcony.
An organization called Cultivate the City in Northeast Washington offers support for new gardeners through its rooftop garden center, H Street Farms. Cultivate the City founder Niraj Ray said the organization wants to help city residents grow plants.
“We’re always just thinking about what are the different things that we’re growing and how can we make that more accessible and more understandable to more people, so they can grow better,” Ray said.
Art Work
(By Dharvi Sonani Grade 11th Science)
Secrets to Encourage Responsible Use of the Internet
(By Shefali Jariwala, Parent of Rachit Jariwala )
Children are increasingly using the Internet for schoolwork, research, communicating through e-mail and live chat, and downloading information like music files and streamline video. As technology progresses and children find even more need to use the Internet, parents must develop clear-cut and consistent rules while children are online.
Establishing these rules can be quite a challenge for many parents. Since most children over the age of 10 or 11 probably know more about the Internet than mom or dad, it's imperative that parents continue to absorb what's available to children and communicate and teach responsibility while spending time online.
Many parents want to rely solely on content filtering software or kid-safe Web sites, but many times this is just not enough. As children grow with the ever-changing online landscape, parents must make sure children are prepared to handle the content increasingly available to them.
Here are five secrets parents can use to encourage safe and responsible use of the Internet:
Place your family's computer in a room in the house that is centrally located and easy for parents to walk by to monitor or participate in what a child is viewing. It is recommended not to let a child have a computer in his/her room or behind closed doors. This will only contribute to a child's false sense of security while on-line and hinder parents' efforts to stay involved in what children are doing while using the computer.
Limit the amount of time a child spends on-line. Like any other activity, using the Internet should be done in moderation and not interfere with other healthy activities for children. Once a child chooses to spend time on-line rather than interacting with other children face-to-face, or his/her other interests seem to always come second to the computer, then it may be time to review with the child how important is to show moderation while enjoying the Internet.
Spend time with children online. Get involved with a child's interests on the Internet. If a child is chatting with friends, e-mailing jokes back and forth, or playing on-line games, a parent must keep up to date on the various goings on. Sit down next to the child and observe what they are using the computer for. Parents need to help children explore the vast resources of the Internet, and educate them (and themselves) on what the Internet has to offer. Surfing the Internet with a child or establishing a joint e-mail account between parent and child will also help parents stay in touch.
Monitor what your children are doing and where they are going while online. This can be the trickiest of challenges for parents, but it is so vital to make sure children do not stray into areas of the Internet that contain inappropriate (even harmful) material. If a child strays from pre-designated safe Web sites, parents should use healthy parenting skills such as reinforcing agreed upon parameters (even taking away online privileges as a consequence of not following rules).
Set up a "responsible use contract" between parents and children. Using e-mail, surfing the Web and downloading flies are all activities that children will be using while connected to the Internet and parents need to make agreements with children on responsible behavior. By establishing the rules of responsible use early, there should be no confusion as to what is considered responsible and safe use of the Internet.
Educator's Corner
Right to Education- Success or Failure ?
(By Dipankar Basumatary, English Educator)
This act provides compulsory elementary education to every child of the age group of 6 to 14 years. Although the government had good intentions in mind, this act has a few drawbacks along with benefits.
Success : The RTE act is primarily for providing education to underprivileged children, and as it requires no schooling cost, parents can send their kids to school without any financial burden. Approximately 40 million to 60 million children are not in school. As the act promises education to be provided to every child, there is a possibility of a massive increase in the literacy rate of India. India is ranked third in the count of illiteracy. The RTE act is an exercise to increase this rank and move towards an educated India.
Failure: The non-government of private schools is pressurized with the replacement of 25% of their seats with non-aided students for RTE implementation. The government asked a total of almost 204 private schools, including those offering CBSE or ICSE syllabi, in the district to reserve a seat. This results in the degradation of that 75% of students getting burdened with extra fees of the non-aided students. The quality of education is cut down when the fee structure cannot be increased. The RTE prioritizes the rule of imposing education on children and the infrastructure of schools rather than on the quality of education that the students are to receive. Although the government has ambitious and beneficial motives in mind, the implementation did not turn out to be so. There are loopholes and flaws in the Act. These flaws need to be rectified to achieve the aim and motive of the Act.
Good Reads
At the Crossroads of Life: Creating Your Own Path When There Isn't Any
When you find yourself at a crossroad in the journey of life, this uplifting book will provide you with guidance, insights, and wisdom. Sagar Amlani shares how perseverance and gratitude served so well core values in creating his own way forward – when the path ahead was not clear. You, too, will find your forward in life. And you will be well served to have this wonderful book as your companion and your guide.– Ron Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Uplifting Service Being at the crossroads can be confusing. Roads lead in different directions, but you don’t know if any of them will take you to your destination. And when the same thing happens in critical life-situations, it can be crushing. You feel overwhelmed and lost. Imagine how Sagar must have felt, then. Many a time, he found himself at the crossroads of life. But each time, he managed to carve out a path to go where he wanted to. After the Mumbai floods of 2005 almost destroyed his life, he picked up the pieces, put himself through a premier B-School abroad, and became a successful corporate leader, entrepreneur and global speaker. How? Using his intellect, willpower, resourcefulness and values. Sagar realised that this is the magic formula one needs to succeed in life. And through this book, Sagar shares his formula with you. His inspiring story – which moves from Mumbai to England to Nashik to Hyderabad – gives you an insight into how you can achieve your dreams. If Sagar could do it, so can you!
