Journeying Together - Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam · Journeying Together October 2017 Vol. 16...
Transcript of Journeying Together - Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam · Journeying Together October 2017 Vol. 16...
Journeying Together October 2017 Vol. 16
In this Issue:
Celebrations & Festivities Beyond the Classroom Guest Lectures
Awards and Accolades Global Citizenship Special Assemblies
Teachers’ Corner Students’ Corner Staying Safe
Celebrations and Festivities
On the occasion of Ayudha Pooja, students and staff offered prayers in the premises of the school
invoking the blessings of the Almighty for a fruitful and successful year ahead.
Celebrating Ayudha Pooja
Festival of Lights
We all love the luminous festival of Diwali! However, over a period of time, the celebration of Diwali
has been causing a lot of concern with regard to noise and air pollution. So, we decided to highlight
the importance of celebrating „Green Diwali‟. The reception area and class rooms were decorated
with a beautiful rangoli and diyas. The students also created awareness by conveying the message that
Diwali is a festival of „lights‟ and not of „noise‟. We also took an oath to celebrate a Green Diwali
with a signature campaign. Inter house events were also held based on the theme of Green Diwali.
- Shreeya Subramanian, Grade VIII
Deliberating the Concept of Green Diwali
The debate conducted by the Department of Tamil had the boys and girls deliberate on Green Diwali.
While the boys team was for a Green Diwali, the girls seemed to think otherwise. The spirited debate
was an eye opener to the current state of our earth and the need to protect our environment by
reducing the amount of pollution, while staying connected with our tradition and our roots.
Special Assemblies
The special assembly by the fourth graders on Green Diwali showcased a dance performance and a
video presentation on how the smoke from the crackers harms man and his environment. The
students also put up a play to bring out the theme. - Advaith S J, Grade V
Young Responsible Citizens
The only way we young Indians seem to connect to Mahatma Gandhi is through our history books,
which, although filled with details of his life and achievements, seem so impersonal and distant.
What if something were to make this experience real and more vivid? Imagine having some one who
lived through those times, or better yet, having Mahatma Gandhi‟s close aide sharing his experiences
directly with us!!!! Wouldn't that be truly awesome? Our wishes came true when Shri V. Kalyanam, a
personal assistant of Gandhiji visited our school and shared some of the memorable moments that he
had spent with the Father of the Nation. Mr. Kalyanam was a government clerk, earning a salary of
sixty rupees a month, apparently a high salary in the early part of the 20th century. He abandoned his
career and joined Mahatma Gandhi. His association with Gandhiji instilled a lot of discipline. He
cultivated the habit of rising every day at 4 am and undertake at least 9 hours of manual labour. He
described his daily routine, his job of typing out letters, many encounters with Gandhiji and also shared
his insight into Gandhi's family. The deep sense of respect that the British administration had for
Gandhiji, despite being his adversaries was quite amazing to note. He mentioned an interesting fact that
more than 200 statues of Gandhi have been installed in many countries across the world, indicating how
universally regarded Gandhiji is.
Mr. Kalyanam is ninety six years old but had a recollection of events as if they happened just yesterday.
The students of CHSV were thoroughly engrossed in conversation with Mr. Kalayanam who gave us a
ring side view of our own history in a way that no text book ever can. It was truly an unforgettable
experience and we consider ourselves very lucky to have had the opportunity to meet him.
- Anya Rajyalakshmi Rajha, Grade IX
A Brief Encounter With History
Beyond the Classroom
The True Colours of Life
This year‟s outbound trip for grade XI was to Munnar and Thekkady. In Munnar (Suryanelli) we
lodged at a campsite called Kalypso. We participated in various activities like minefield, keypunch,
bullring and many more. Some of our personal favourites were raft building and the one and half
hour trek through the cardamom plantation nearby. The trek was arduous but the view at the end was
worth all the effort. Two days later, we were off to Thekkady. We witnessed an awe-inspiring
Kathakali performance, where we got a glimpse of the different mudras and key movements involved
in this art form. The stunning Kalaripayattu demonstration also gave us an opportunity to interact
with the performers at the end of the show. We enjoyed the boat safari at the Periyar Tiger Reserve,
all the while waiting to see some animals.
- Shruti Shivakumar Jayaraman, Grade XI
Remembering the Greats
The students of the Primary remembered the
contribution of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur
Shastri during our freedom struggle. They presented
speeches, power points and also took a pledge on the
occasion.
Recreation - Reading Under the Tree
The visit to the Anna Centenary Library was filled with fun, excitement and joy. The huge library
building which greeted us kindled our curiosity to know more about the library. Our first stop was at the
Braille section where the librarian explained the facts about the Braille language. We got an
opportunity to touch the Braille boards for the first time. Next we went to the children‟s section. Toy
birds, parrots, cute monkeys and a white sloth bear on a huge realistic tree was the centre of
attraction. We were told about the various facilities available at the library like the old wooden
manuscripts written in various languages. We were also given books to read and we enjoyed reading it
under the tree.
-Advika and Kavya, Grade V
Going Beyond
The CHSV MUN TEAM has taken their MUN experience to the next level. The student organising
committee had an opportunity to give guidance to Chettinad Vidya Mandir on how to conduct MUN
and both sides shared their ideas with each other.
Staying Safe
The students of the senior campus
underwent a fire drill session as part of the
safety procedures in the campus.
On a bright Friday morning, the students of VII Manickam and VI Suryagandhi got together in
groups and started making neem seed balls in red soil. After a while it became really easy. It was a
fun filled morning, at the end of which our group alone had made over 400 balls. We have now left
them to dry and soon we will be planting the seeds. We hope that this small act of ours will influence
many more people to join this movement as seed balls are more effective than regular seeds.. It is a
cheaper and more effective way of planting saplings.
- Krishna Karthikeyan, Grade VII
Global Citizenship
Seeding for Tomorrow
The interactive session for the students of VII Maragadam
with Ms.Fathima on designing a brochure, demonstrated
how both pictures and text convey a powerful message. The
group activity enabled us to design the basic outline for our
brochure on „The Art of Composting‟. The session also
enlightened us on the need to keep in mind the target
audience and the effective way to approach them.
- Ananya Vijay Ganesh, Grade VII
Art of Brochure Making
The students of IX Marutham are involved in a
fund raising program to support a good cause.
Mr. Dharanidharan was invited as part of this
initiative to help us weave eco-friendly mats. He
instructed us on how to make mats from old cotton
sarees cutting them into strips and using them as
the base to make mats. We realized that this is an
effective way to recycle old sarees.
- B Nikkitha, Grade IX
Mr. Ramanan from ITC WOW spoke to the students
of VIII Pavazham. His visit was an eye-opener on
how India is one of the major contributors to
wasting paper. The informative videos and ppts on
recycling paper showed how the garbage load in
India can be reduced by nearly 25%.
- Mahendra Kurup, Grade VIII
Dr Issa Fathima Jasmine addressed the students of IX
Neidhal and VI Roja on food wastage and the
consequences of wasting food which includes poverty and
shortage of food for the future generations. She gave us
precise statistics and data on where and how much food
gets wasted every day. She told us about the
community fridge which has been placed in Besant
Nagar which works on the principle of anonymous
donation of food , clothes, toys etc. This gives an
opportunity for the needy to use the things available
there without hurting their dignity.
- Akhilan Chella Ravichandran and
Dheekshanya A, Grade IX
Paper Conservation
Ayyamittu Unn – Give before you Eat
Journey - Old Saree to a New Mat
Awards and Accolades
Ananya V Ganesh of grade VII was awarded the
„Young Achiever‟ award by Downtown Icon
Awards, an initiative to recognise talent in
communities around Chennai, for her book
„ 9 Chocolatey Bites‟.
Vidyut Suresh of grade VIII won the 3rd
place in the 50 m archery competition at
the 2nd Puducherry Annual State
Archery Meet conducted by the
Puduchery Archery Sports Association.
Road Safety Patrol
The students of IX Kurinji along with the Chennai Traffic Police manned the traffic outside
the school. It was a fun experience for the students when for once they had a free hand in
correcting the adults breaking the rules. It was an opportunity for them to appreciate the
hard work that goes into keeping Chennai a driver's haven.
Bang On Target
Recognizing the Story Teller
Afshan Irshad of grade VI won the first place
in the Humorous Speech Contest at the
Gavelution conference and the third place in
the Evaluation Contest in the junior category.
The Sociology, Psychology and History students of grade XI and XII attended a guest lecture by
Dr. Vijo Varghese Vincent, Research Associate at the International Justice Mission, on Social
Research Methodology. He told the students about research design, validity of research, sampling
methodology and the need for ethics and morality while conducting research. The students also
sought guidance on doing their projects.
"The workshop was very helpful as I learnt the different types of research, data analysis, sampling
and also how projects are formulated. I am definitely sure that this will be a lesson I won't forget. The
person teaching this was very informative"
- Varsha Babu Vatul, Grade XI
"... it greatly helped me with several concepts that I was having trouble with. Through the lecture I
found out how to properly and professionally research on a topic and the different methods and
processes used to do so. This guest lecture helped me understand how to do my projects in the
future."
- Samyukt Vasu, Grade XI
"...We learnt various new methods that were previously unknown to us and also we learnt about the
norms and ethics of research. Overall it was an enriching experience"
- Sidhant Navin Nichani, GradeXI
Guest Lectures
Speak Your Way to the Top
The Story telling workshop by Mr.Craig Jenkins, a
renowned story teller from UK, was on how to
explore the use of hand gestures, facial
expressions, characterization and voice modulation
to present stories in a fun, exciting and
educational way. His session started with a few
games which could be implemented in class to
increase the focus and concentration of children.
The students of grade IX had the opportunity to
interact with Ms. Jayalakshmi, Ms. Tamilselvi and
Ms. Mangalam from the Department of Tamil
during the History period. The teachers shared
information on the significance of Tirukkural and
how Tirukkural is applicable in our daily
lives. The session also had an overview of Sangam
Literature and the literary works like
Silapadikaaram and Manimekalai.
Nervous Control and Co ordination for
grade XI by Dr. Shiv Bhushan Sharma
from Chettinad Health City
Story Telling
Biology
History
Ms.Radha Varadarajan spoke to the students of
grade VII on „Soil Erosion and Weathering‟. She
gave us an insight into the difference between
weathering and erosion and the different ways to
conserve the soil. The lecture was supported by
practical demonstration of soil cookies with and
without roots, which made us understand the
importance of roots in preventing soil erosion.
- Advaith Menon, Grade VII
The students of grade XI and XII attended a
Career Guidance session by Ms.Sujatha
Balakrishnan, Head of the Department of
Commerce from Ethiraj College on „Career
Guidance and Career Options in Commerce.‟
“The career guidance session was very helpful as we got an insight into career options for the future.”
- Gururaj and Valli Nayagam Chokkalingam, Grade XII
“The session was really interesting as she explained how the choice of institution is really
important for higher education. It also gave us an insight on how to prepare for college.”
- Ashwin Rajesh and Shreya Sandipta Khuntia, Grade XII
Students’ Corner
Harming Cattle
When I went to my grandparent‟s house in a Salem village, I saw many cattle walking freely on the
roads. I was very happy to see them having freedom. It was raining heavily the day before, so there
were many puddles. The cows slowly went near the puddles and settled down there. The owner‟s sons
(I guess) were trying to make them move. I was watching them with curiosity to know what they were
up to. They tried pulling it hard but they failed, so after some time the boys got a rope and started
hitting it with force. I was watching the scene with displeasure and sadness.
Commerce
Geography
Tribute to the Father of the Nation
October 2nd might be significant to each country for various historic incidents, but in our country it is
celebrated as Gandhi Jayanthi and it is celebrated as International Day of Non- Violence throughout
the world.
October 2nd is one of the only four national holidays of our country. Some might wonder why only
Gandhi‟s birthday has been declared a national holiday and why not other freedom fighters‟ who have
contributed equally to our freedom struggle. What is so special about Gandhi that he gets his birthday
celebrated as a national holiday, gets his picture printed on our currency notes and is hailed as
Mahatma and Father of the Nation? What sets Gandhiji apart from the rest and how did he make our
freedom movement special?
While the Radicals acted like any other colonies‟ freedom fighters, adopting aggressive methods and
while the Moderates were much less active and did not connect with people, Gandhi was what I would
call a moderately radical freedom fighter. He did not shy away from direct action nor did he use
violent and aggressive methods to achieve his goals. He used non-violence to such an extent that I
don‟t feel like addressing him as a freedom „fighter‟ at all. The radicals could have probably acquired
freedom for our country at some point, but if we looked back at our freedom struggle we could have
only seen bloodshed. Now, because of Gandhi, when we look back at our freedom struggle we feel
nothing but pride. To drive away the mighty British with arms and ammunitions might have been a
great accomplishment, but to do the same with absolute non-violence and peace is something
Indescribable.
That is why Gandhi is celebrated all over the world and that is how he stood out from the rest of the
freedom fighters of the world. Let us use our unique and wonderful freedom wisely as a thank you to
the man whose birthday we celebrate on the second of October.
- S. Solaisantosh, Grade XI
The cows ran in pain. The boys started laughing and started hitting it again and again. Similarly,
some cattle were feeding on a fresh green patch of grass near my house. The owner came with a
whip and hit it very badly. This further filled me with sadness to see people harming helpless
animals. Hope we humans understand that we should be kind and compassionate to these harmless
animals. If you see anyone harming them, tell them to stop!
- Haritha B, Grade IV
A Different Diwali
Everyone loves crackers, even I do sometimes. But we should also keep the disadvantages of crackers
in mind. We should also remember we have holidays! So try to go meet some friends.
So why is Green Diwali important? I mean even cars contribute to air pollution but I am stressing on
Diwali probably because people also get hurt during Diwali. That‟s why my family and I celebrate
Green Diwali. Two years ago, my sister, a girl who hates crackers, was forced to come to the area
where we burst crackers and a „chakra‟ fell on her foot. She has a mark over there ever since.
Sure you may think bursting crackers is fun but think of all the art you can do by painting diyas all day
and make homemade paper lanterns. For all those singers and dancers, why not hold a show for all
your close cousins and neighbours. Having a Green Diwali is probably one of the most wonderful
things for you and mother earth.
There is one festival everyone waits for every year. The one time you get a lot of sweets and amma
can‟t say no! One of most awaited festivals of the year DIWALI! The only festival where we children
burst all sorts of crackers but do we actually know what it does to the environment?
These days everything is eco-friendly. It is like a trend to be eco-friendly. We have eco-friendly bags,
eco-friendly pencils and much more. I am writing about Diwali so let‟s get to it. First of all what is
Diwali all about - LIGHT! But light does not always have to be with crackers like sparklers flowerpots,
rockets etc.
Most of these crackers bring loads of consequences with them. They cause a lot of air pollution which
causes a lot of lung diseases in innocent souls. Some types of crackers can also let out toxic fumes
which are obviously not good.
I am sure almost everyone loves puppies and dogs. They are probably one of the cutest and most loyal
animals ever known to man. What would you do when you find that these poor animals are getting
hurt?
On top of all of that we should also try to save some energy during Diwali. The festival is not all about
being anti-pollution. Since Diwali is all about light we could light up some diyas and candles to
welcome the Lord.
Diwali is fun when we decorate our house with all kinds of lamps and other decorations. My family
also has a tradition to give sweets to every house in our apartment. Diwali is a time to enjoy, but this
time try to minimize the cracker bursting.
- Adithi Sharan, Grade VII
When fireworks and crackers
Light up the sky
When delighted children
Jump with joy
You know that it‟s
That time of the year
When our favourite holiday,
Diwali is near.
Yummy food and
New clothes to wear
But nobody ever
Seems to care
That millions suffer
Asthmatic attacks
Number of people
Injured in lakhs
Animals and birds
Ever so scared
Mother Earth‟s health
Never so bad
So why burn your money
On fire crackers
When you can see why it‟s wrong
Because of so many factors
Instead use beautiful diya lamps
Like guiding lights
That remind us all
That good is right
So please just take a look
Into the matter
Or at least only burn
Eco friendly crackers
If you really want to keep
Our earth healthy and clean
This Diwali decide
To go green!
- Shriya Rama Rajiv, Grade VI
Green Diwali
Teachers’ Corner
- Mangalam Ramesh
My Visit to Rotary Blood Bank
We all think that we can donate organs from our body only when we are brain dead or under very rare
circumstances. But we all forget that we can donate something very easily from our body. What is it?
Blood. Donating blood is a way of helping others and at the same time it does not cause any damage to
our body.
Let me share my experience at the Rotary Blood Bank in Nanganallur, near Guindy. We drove to the
Blood Bank where we were met by a nurse who took us to a room with lots of medical equipments. My
father had to fill a questionnaire after which he was made to lie down on a bed. She injected him with a
medicine which would help draw blood into a bag. It was also quite an experience seeing my father
donate blood.
I wish I could also donate blood but I have to grow up to do that. Let‟s grow up, let‟s donate.
-Tamizhinian S, Grade V
Teacher Editors - Dr. Sarayu Ganesan, Ms. Yoshida Menon and Ms. Anuradha Babu
Student Editors - Ms. Samyuktha Sreekanth and Mr. Rithvik Senthil
Design and Technical Support - Ms. Preethi E
Photography - Mr. Ganesan and Mr. Sugumar
…. Outbound Trips
In November…
November 14 - Children’s Day
November 23- National Science Olympiad
Grade X Outbound Trip to Munnar
Grade IX Outbound Trip to Lonavala
CA/SA– Please refer to our website for dates of examinations.