OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

Editorial Board Message from Principal Parents Corner Speaking Tree- Dream it… Believe it… Achieve it… Mental Health and well being My Qatar My Identity My India My Identity Students Corner Our Teachers Corona Virus Values in our Life Fire Ecology Co Scholastic Activities Virtual Assembly of Grade 6, 7 and 8 Literacy Corner / Fable Time The Fortunate fortune cookies The Kite without the thread The Money Minded man Elephant’s Rope The Havil twins Numeracy Corner Did you know? SDG 2- Zero Hunger Great Achiever- Stephen Hawking Riddles Artist at work News Article Quote on Education

Ms. Divya Mary Vincent Mr. Praveen P.R Mr. Unni Krishnan Mr. Shaji Mathew Ms. Anjali Somani Ms. Binila Susan Ms. Indu Manoj Ms. Sunitha G Nair Ms. Hajira Masroor Mr. KJMS Robert Ms. Saranya George

Students have the best time of their lives where they can learn and know how to learn. I feel that the best learning in the student life is to teach oneself ‘how to learn’. This process of knowing ‘how to learn’ can make us independent learners for whole life and push us into a trajectory of success for the rest of the life. Wishing you all the best. Stay positive and stay safe.

As a student the most important thing to remember is that laziness is your worst enemy and hard work is your best friend. Time too can be your best friend and your worst enemy depending on how you use it. Set your goals and work on them. Never give up and try harder when you fail. Everything will work out pretty well. Remember that every challenge is an opportunity to prove yourself. Try to be a better version of you by working on yourself. I wish every student success ahead. My sincere appreciation to all students , parents and teachers whose contributions and efforts have resulted in this wonderful edition of e-newsletter. Happy Reading..

Believe in yourself & Serve Humanity This is in reference to the contemporary situation globally where we have a very tough time to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. As a lucky team member of Covid-19 task force at MoPH, and healthcare work forces comprises of Doctors, Nurses, Medical professionals, paramedics, and other supporting staff have done tremendous job day night tirelessly in responding to covid 19 pandemic, which will serve a robust inspiration to all of us and will extend more efforts in rewarding professional, national, and benevolent responsibilities with great senesce and competence. As a medical professional, it was very hard dealing with this situation, but the full faith in Almighty Allah has given me strength and the support from family and friends has boosted me to work for humanity. We all must thank Almighty , who has given us another chance to serve humanity with full zeal and enthusiasm and come out from hate and division on the basis of religion. Keep yourself healthy, be active and say no to gadgets. Dr. Mohd.Moin Zamir Khan F/O Hafsah Khan 8-K

Thank you “O” lord for creating teachers. Thank you “O” human who chose to be a teacher. Thank you, “O” child who brought the best out of the teacher. World stopped, time stopped, offices shut, malls closed, parks blocked but the teachers fought their way back to normalize the world for our kids. You meant the world for our child in every word you taught, every class you took, every paper you grade; you change their lives for better tomorrow. The power house of a hurricane that a teacher possess can only control the madness of our children. You inspire, motivate, and guide our little bundle of joy to be great leaders of the world. Thankyou for being the anchor in the stormy sea of life for our children. To the world, you may be just a teacher but to your students you are the idol they look for. Be proud to be a teacher for the work you do, To brighten the future To erase the past To love the present Dr. Pratyasha Patnaik Mother of Arnav Prabhu-VI L

Parent's Receipe  Here are the ingredients that you’ll need to make Mexican Avocado salad: Fresh Avocado (cut it into 2 slices through the half) Cherry tomatoes Iceberg Lettuce Red, Yellow, and Green Capsicum Croutons (dried, cubed bread) Black Olives (Sliced) Olive Oil (as needed) Pepper and Salt (as needed) Now let’s make it: - Scoop out the avocado pulp and put it into a bowl Cut the Iceberg Lettuce into strips Cut the capsicum into rectangle shapes Cut the cherry tomatoes Add the lettuce, capsicum, tomatoes, and lettuce into the bowl Mix the black olives add some croutons for a nice crunch Give it a good mix and add pepper and salt to your liking There you go! A delicious yet easy-to-make salad to have with your dinner. Shabna Shanid Mother of Aisha Zenha VII J

You must tell yourself- No Matter how hard it is …or how hard it gets. *. I am going to make it. * Be strong …Be different …Be YOU Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. Motivation is what drives people to success and will help them achieve their personal goals. Without motivation, you can't achieve anything.... Every person on this earth is unique and has a purpose. To steward your purpose well, you have to be motivated … Motivation helps your dreams become a reality…...it bridges the gap between the ability and willingness to work. Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on – it's the internal drive to achieve, produce, develop and to keep moving forward. It does not let you depend on others and drives you tap your strengths to meet your goals. It’s going to be hard but not impossible. Just push yourself because nobody is going to do it for you …

Let me share some simple yet effective tips to motivate yourself every day. Define your goals clearly.... Look for inspiration.... Celebrate little accomplishments... Start somewhere and say “no” to perfectionism. The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine … upgrade your conviction to match your *DESTINY * Let’s keep ourselves motivated and happy through these small acts: Give more than you take.... Look at the positive side of every situation… Embrace change.... Admit faults.... Have a thankful attitude.... Seek feedback.... Find humor in everything… A self-motivated student takes the initiative of self- learning by improving himself/ herself through various strategies and methodologies like identifying the role models thereby imbibing their positive qualities for enhancing their own skills literally through performance. As failures are the stepping stones to success; we should learn from our mistakes. A student who is analyzing his or her own performance has to win over self-assurance also. He /She has to assure that they will win at any cost even if they lose at times. Everything you have in your life is a result of your belief in yourself and the belief that it’s possible… Once you solidify your belief in yourself, success is 100% possible for you. Motivation allows you to discover what you love, what you want out of life, your values, and your beliefs. It helps you learn who you want to be and then become that person. Act as if what you do makes a difference …IT DOES Today is the opportunity to build the tomorrow you want …So …don’t STOP ������ until you are PROUD … Mehjabeen Hasan M/O Khadijah Mohammed Noorul Hasan 6 K

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Yes, here we mean mental toughness irrespective of the situation. It's that mental resilience of those to not give up. But is this the mental health that I am trying to enlighten you with? Well, this only forms a slice of it. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Mental health is a state of wellbeing where people can meet their learning potential, cope with normal stresses, and are connected to the community, relatives and their friends positively. We are mentally stressed whenever we fall short of our expectations, in school as well as in life. So, it is important to have reasonable expectations and to strive for them with planning and hard work. Starting from simple goals to more complex ones help in boosting self-confidence and avoiding unnecessary stresses. The majority of mental health issues emerges in the first two decades of life. Hence schooling years are vulnerable and need the most attention. Staying mentally healthy help children flourish in their education journey, strengthen up their resilience to adversity, boost confidence and self-esteem, engage positively and be productive in the community. But how do we reach there? NHS UK has recommended 5 evidence-based simple steps to improve your mental health.. Connect with other people. Your family, relatives and friends. Do not rely on social media alone to build relations Being physically active. Make those activities you enjoy a part of your life Learn New Skills. e.g., try new hobbies that challenge you. e.g., writing a blog, learning to paint etc. Give to Others. This in turn gives you a feeling of purpose and self-worth. Mindfulness of the present moment. Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental well being. These are about the state of well-being. But the bliss is always being with your grandparents. Do you agree??? Dr. Fuad (Father of Ihsan Fuad 7J)

My Qatar My Identity National identity is a positive social construction - we, the collective of our individual countries, align our identities to the perceived attributes of our specific nation. It may be based on our history, our traditions, culture or language, our ideology and values, even our characteristics, behaviors, achievements and past-times. Culture and Traditions of Qatar Qatar's traditions are strongly influenced by the Bedouin culture with less acute influence deriving from India, East Africa and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. with an emphasis on hospitality and community. 1. Al Nafla Al Nafla is celebrated as a reminder of all the rewards and blessings that the holy month of Ramadan will bring with it, and it's celebrated on 14 Shaaban, before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. The idea is to start preparing for the upcoming month of fasting. 2. Majilis Majlis in Arabic means 'a place of sitting'. In the Qatari culture, it's a place of formal or informal social gatherings where people come together to discuss local issues, celebrate occasions or just to socialize. 3.Eidiya Once Ramadan comes to an end, on Eid day, kids go from house to house in their community, singing traditional folk songs to celebrate Eid. In return, the elders of the family give them cash or sweets which is called Eidiya.

Language The legitimate language spoken in Qatar is Arabic. However, since more than half of Qatar's population are expats and migrants, English is also commonly spoken at public places especially at shops and restaurants. Emir The emir of the state of Qatar is the monarch and the head of the state of Qatar, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the constitution. The former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, appointed his fourth son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as heir apparent on 5 August 2003. Food Machbous(kabsa), which is rice cooked with Arabic spices, served with chicken, lamb, or fish. Machbous is mainly served with lamb during big celebrations, and any type of gatherings to show generosity. Harees, meat beaten with boiled ground wheat, until it turns into porridge form, to the consistency desired. Balaleet, is a sweet and savory dish, that is usually eaten for breakfast or as a dessert, which includes vermicelli cooked with sugar, rose water, cardamom, and saffron, and topped with omelet eggs. Dress Qatari national men wear a thobe, a long white shirt over loose pants. They also wear a loose headdress, called a gutra, in white or red and white cloth, held on with a black rope known as the agal. Qatari national women cover their head with a black headdress called a shayla, their body with a long black dress called an abayha. Some women also cover their face with a black bourga; sometimes the eyes are left uncovered.

National Flag The National Flag is made up of two colors, white and maroon. It is, as are the majority of national flags, a rectangular shape with an aspect ratio (height to width) of 11:28. The white, on the hoist side of the flag, is separated from the maroon color by a serrated line with nine white points. The National Flag of Qatar is a source of great pride to its people - representing the country's independence. National Anthem of Qatar “as-Salam al- ‘Amiri” is the national anthem of Qatar, written by al-Shaykh Mubarak bin Sayf al-Thani and composed by ‘Abdul’aziz Nassir al- ‘Ubaydan al-Fakhru’. National Animal of Qatar The National Animal of Qatar is the Arabian Oryx National Bird Hook beaked and sharp vision falcons are the national bird of Qatar. National Tree In the Qatari culture, the Sidra tree is the iconic symbol of the country’s heritage. The Sidra has grown in the deserts of Qatar for generations. National Flower The National Flower of Qatar is Qataf flower. Currency Qatari Riyal is the currency of Qatar. Roshini Raja: 8L

My India My Identity “India shaped my mind, anchored my identity, influenced my beliefs, and made me who I am.... India matters to me and I would like to matter to India” -Shashi Tharoor Culture Indian culture is famous across the world due to its diversity in music, art, dance, language, cuisine, costume, philosophy, and literature. The important characteristics of Indian Culture are civilized communication, beliefs, values, etiquette, and rituals. India is well known for its ‘Unity in Diversity’ across the world. Monuments India is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and is best known for its colorful culture and fascinating heritage. Its grand monuments, like the Taj Mahal act as strong pillars of the rich and deep history that India possesses. The monuments of India are speaking stones of the glory of its rulers and the brilliance of artisans in ancient India. Some of the well- preserved monuments in the different parts of the country are Red Fort (North), Sun Temple Konark (East), Amer Fort (West) and Charminar (South). Language As per the 2011 Census of India, languages by highest number of speakers are as follows: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam.

Dress The most ubiquitous piece of feminine Indian attire is a classic and colorful sari. Indeed, a regional variation of the archetypal outfit can be found across all corners of the subcontinent. For men, traditional clothes are the Achkan/Sherwani, Bandhgala, Lungi, Kurta, Angarkha, Jama, Shalwar Kameez and Dhoti or Pajama. Additionally, recently western clothing such as trousers and shirts have been accepted as traditional Indian dress by the Government of India. Food India food like its culture is varied and is quite popular across the world.Indian cuisine is always filled with a lot of herbs and spices. Most of them when they think of Indian food, all they can think of is the wide variety available. Be it the sweets or the rice dishes or the curries or the snacks, Indian cuisine has it all. Staple foods of Indian cuisine include pearl millet (bājra), rice, whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), and a variety of lentils,such as masoor (most often red lentils), tuer (pigeon peas), urad (black gram), and moong (mung beans). Popular across South India, idli is often thought of as the breakfast versions of dosa. Eaten at the start of the day, idli is a type of light savory rice cake. The Flag The flag is rectangular and consists of tricolor, parallel bands- saffron, white, and green. The tricolor or the ‘triranga’ represents an independent country. The center of the National Flag consists of a blue Chakra called the Ashok Chakra with 24 spiked wheels. The Ashok Chakra represents truth or ‘dharma’ and resembles Gandhiji’s spinning wheel. TThe National Anthem The National Anthem of India Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National Congress.

. National Bird The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the National Bird of India, is a colorful, swan- sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. National Animal The magnificent tiger, Panthera Tigris is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. National Tree Indian fig tree, also known as Banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis) is the National tree of India, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area. National Flower Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower andoccupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India. ROSHAN RAJA – VIII K



Corona Virus Coronavirus, Coronavirus everywhere Just affecting the world is not fair! Spreading around with all it’s might, People begging for help in fright Scientists trying to find the cure, When all the patients can't endure. Corona has really taken over, Increasing its power, moreover We will overcome this pandemic, It’ll take time not in a click! The world is trying their best, So prevent the spread of corona, east or west

Values in our Life Values can enrich or change the lifestyle and personality of a person. We all have and should learn good values as a person of good values is more likely to succeed in life. Generosity, charity, truthfulness and kindness are a few examples of good values in our life. The childhood is the base structure/phase for learning these values. Thus, a child must learn the good values expressed by his/her parent. A person of good values can happily have and lead a simple life. In the way a child learns values from parents they give life to values. Values can be categorized into many parts such as value of education, value of time, values Which are personal etc., Hence, value classifies people with this detail. Life is very easy when we notice our values and achieve them as values don't have limits or barriers. They are the deciders of our personality and are very important. When we know our values life is very easy but if we don’t, we feel aimless. So, we must find our values to achieve a better life. values life is very easy but if we don’t, we feel aimless. So, we must find our values to achieve a better life. M.Sivaganesh VIII-L

Fire Ecology What is fire ecology? Fire ecology is a scientific discipline concerned with natural processes involving fire in an ecosystem and the ecological effects, the interactions between fire and the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem, and the role as an ecosystem process. Who started fire ecology and its cause? Briefly, between 1916 and 1919, Roy Headley, the assistant district forester for California, implemented a program to allow low intensity to spread in remote areas unless they threatened high value timber or improvements. Causes of fire pollution. Wildfires can affect local atmospheric pollution, and release carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. Wildfire emissions contain fine particulate matter which can cause cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Increased fire byproducts in the troposphere can increase ozone concentration beyond safe levels. Although the primary natural cause of wild fires is lightning, most wildfires are caused by human activity. How do humans cause wildfires? Debris or yard-waste fires Arson Equipment use (which can create sparks) Camp fires Fireworks Importance of Fire Ecology Fires often remove alien plants that compete with native species for nutrients and space, and remove undergrowth, which allows sunlight to reach the forest floor, thereby supporting the growth of native species. Overall, fire is a catalyst for promoting biological diversity and healthy ecosystems. ANNA CHRISTO 7A

Assembly Report-Grade 6 Morning assembly is an integral part of the school’s schedule. It is designed to provide opportunities to students to develop discipline and exhibit talents. It is an enriching experience for students to imbibe values in life. It enhances student participation and hones the creative skills of the children. Keeping up with the same, students of class VI B and VI H conducted a virtual assembly based on the theme of Gandhi Jayanti, which was reflected in every aspects of the program. Head Mistress Ms. Divya Mary Vincent graced the occasion. The assembly commenced with the welcome note delivered by the comperes of the ceremony, followed by the national anthems of Qatar and India. School prayer and Arabic prayer brought a peaceful atmosphere for a good start. The vision and mission of the school was stated aloud which was followed by the enlightening thought and the word of the day all highlighting the theme peace. The news desk provided the latest news from all over the world, headlines about Qatar and BPS updates were highly informative.

The entertainment session kick started by bringing out a cultural exchange of Qatar and India by students acting as Indian National leaders and Founder & Emir of Qatar. It was followed by a beautiful skit- Glimpses from Bapuji’s Life- depicting few instances which made Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi our Father of Nation. A melodious music is inevitable in our life and our budding singers sang Gandhiji’s favourite song which brought the whole essence of Gandhi Jayanti into the assembly. With extreme pride and privilege students displayed a presentation on the National Leaders of India. The relentless effort of the students, parents and teachers to convey the message of peace was very much evident in the small act on Gandhiji’s life. The morning became powerful with a tribute given to the greatest leader of our country and reinforcing the importance of peace and non- violence in our life. Head Mistress Ms. Divya Mary Vincent appreciated the students and the class teachers for their efforts in organizing the assembly and conveying a noble theme through the virtual gathering and motivated them in following the values in life. Assembly was ended with a vote of thanks. Ms. Sani Susan & Ms. Saranya George

Assembly Report- Grade 7 THEME: World Students’ Day The students of classes VII-C and VII-M, under the guidance of the Class Teachers Ms.Sheeba Baby and Ms. Jayanthi Ramesh, organized the morning assembly with a new thought and enthusiasm. The theme depicted in the assembly was World Students’ day .. All the programmes in the assembly were clear explanation of the theme. The assembly kicked off with the national anthems of Qatar and India, followed by prayer in English and Arabic and the thought and the Word of the Day. The Qatar news, India news and Birla news were presented. Video was shown in which a student enacted as APJ Abdul Kalam. Principal and Head mistress enlightened the students using the quotes by APJ Abdul Kalam. The assembly reminded everyone to be valiant, self- motivated, courageous and above all god fearing and good human. Ms. Jayanthi Remesh& Ms. Sheeba Baby

Assembly Report- Grade 8 Theme: SDG 16 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. On 26th October 2021 the students of class VIII-D & VIII-O conducted an assembly on the idea of spreading knowledge of goal number 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The program started off with the English and Arabic prayers followed by the national anthems of Qatar and India. Then the anchors invited students to deliver the thought of the day, Word of the day in Arabic and English, followed by Qatar News, International News, Sports News, Birla News, and Music News, which allow students to improve vocabulary, understand values and get more source of general knowledge.

The assembly's entertainment part began with a brief skit emphasizing the importance of peace and commemorating occasions such as Gandhi Jayanthi and the UN's founding day. Following the skit, the hosts of 'Let's Talk Birla' interviewed the principal, former principal, vice principals, and a few other teachers on their talk show. The interview questions were all based on SDG 16, which put the students' minds on hold as they thought about the responses. It also educated students on a variety of principles and methods for maintaining peace, the significance of peace, the distinction between peace and justice, and so on. The assembly continued with a lovely song, 'tell me why,' sung by students from VIII-D and VIII-O, which was not only amusing, but also soothing for the audience. A short presentation on Qatar's history, identity, and Islamic significance was shown thereafter. The presentation gave the students a better understanding of the nation's perspectives, heritages, traditional practices and values as well. Ms. Divya Mary Vincent, Head Mistress of the Middle Section, was soon called to speak at the event. She praised the students for taking such a bold initiative. And the students were applauded for coming up with unique and creative ideas that made the assembly a lot more fun. Later, in the vote of thanks, the speaker expressed the team's gratitude to the Headmistress for her whole hearted support, all the students and teachers for attending, all the teachers and parents for their support, especially Ms. Robin and Ms. Pushpa - the class teachers, and all the other students from VIII-D and VIII-O who worked behind the scenes. The assembly came to a close with a short but beautiful video created by students from VIII-D and VIII-O, which conveyed the idea that \"Together, we can change the World,\" before the anchors of the assembly signed off. Afreen Macksood VIII-O

The Fortunate Fortune Cookie \"Hey Calvin, want to go to the new Chinese restaurant down the street?\", asked Colin. \"Sure, thing Colin.\", said his brother, Calvin. They walked down the street and reached the restaurant. They sat down and called a waitress. \"I'll take a plate of sushi and some fortune cookies.\", said Colin. \"Then I'll take the ramen and a mojito\", said his brother. The waitress noted it and nodded. After a couple of minutes, the waitress arrived with the food and drink. \"Alright now's the time for the fortune cookie,” said Colin. He cracked it open and read his fortune, \"A black cat will scratch you after you leave this restaurant\" Colin was shocked and Calvin could see the shock on his face. \"What did you get?” asked the elder brother. \"Something unusual and specific,” he answered. He showed the strip of paper to Calvin and he just laughed and said \"You know these aren't real and don't determine your destiny?\" \"But just what if… never mind.\". They paid for the food and exited the restaurant. A step after they exited the restaurant, Colin was attacked by a big black cat. Calvin luckily reacted in time and threw Colin to the side and kicked the cat. \"That was close,\" said Calvin breathlessly. Then Colin stopped in his tracks and said \"You realize what happened right now? The fortune cookie came true!\" \"I still don't believe stupid strips of paper.\" said Calvin. They ignored the incident and kept on walking back home. All Colin had in his mind was about the fortune cookie. He wondered if it was just a coincidence or an incident that was meant to happen. He decided to try his luck again and buy more fortune cookies from the same restaurant. He went to the restaurant at noon the next day, this time alone. He bought 2 more fortune cookies and waited for them. The waitress was surprised to see the boy again buying only fortune cookies. When Colin reached home, he excitedly opened the first one. \"The item you desire the most shall reach your hands soon.\" and in the blink of an eye, his hands were filled with stuff he desired. This included his favorite comic books which he wanted when he was a little kid, money he could spend for his brother and him and other items.

He couldn't believe his luck! He opened the next fortune cookie hurriedly and read the strip. \"Luck shall shower down on you the coming day.\" He couldn't understand what was going to happen to him but he was very excited. He tossed and turned in bed and couldn't get much sleep. The day had finally arrived. Colin couldn't wait for this day to come and when it finally did he felt nothing. He thought he was going to wake up in a golden palace and ride in Rolls-Royce's all day, but it was just a normal day in his bad apartment. He looked out of the window and it looked very gloomy. The day seemed to drag on forever. Colin began thinking that the happenings that happened to him on the days before were just coincidences. At around 8 PM, Colin was heading back home after working his 4-hour shift at the local ice cream shop. He noticed that golden cars were parked in front of his apartment. He asked the drivers who they were waiting for and why. The drivers told him they were waiting for a boy named Colin and his family and that if he had known where Colin was. He told them that he was Colin and why they were waiting for him. The drivers told him that their boss, who was the maker of these fortune cookies, had ordered them to bring him to his house. He called his brother and they got in the car. They don't remember anything from the journey but when they arrived at the palace, the butlers had prepared a red-carpet entrance for the two brothers. Colin was very shocked at this turn of events. He ran to the Fortune Cookie Maker and asked him a lot of questions. The Maker had answered every question. The Maker had told him about the strip of paper as well. He told him that he had so many possessions but knew he couldn't live for long and decided to make a special cookie. He had told him that he had made a unique cookie that had an in-built GPS so he could track it. He had told him that Colin was the person who got the unique cookie and wanted Colin to be the successor of the Maker. Colin thanked the Maker but could not accept such a huge prize when he did nothing to deserve it. The Maker replied by saying that it was all luck and anyone could've gotten it. He also told him that he was happy that Colin got it as this would help Colin and his brother very much. Around this time Calvin came into the room and Colin explained everything. The Maker also agreed to continue this with other people and agreed to teach Colin how to make the special cookies. Ihsan Fuad 7-J

The Kite Without the Thread Once a father and a son went to the kite flying festival. The son became very happy seeing the sky filled with colorful kites. He asked his father to get him a kite and a thread with a roller, to fly a kite. So, the father went to the shop at the park where the festival was being held. He purchased kites and a roll of thread for his son. His son started to fly the kite. Soon, his kite reached high up in the sky. After a while, the son said to his father “father, it seems that the thread is holding up the kite from flying higher, if we break the thread, it will be free and will go flying even higher. Can we unleash it father?” the father wanted to give his son a life time experience ,so he listened to the son and unleashed the thread from the roller. The kite soared uo high. The son was extremely happy . But then, slowly, the kite started to drop down. And, soon it fell on the terrace of his neighborhood house. The son was astonished by this. He had unfasten the kite of its thread so it can fly higher, but instead, it fell ! He asked his father,“ Father, I thought, after cutting off the thread, the kite can freely fly higher, but why did the kite fall?” The father with a smile replied to Son ”Many a times we feel that we are controlled by many factors that prevent us from going higher. The thread was not holding the kite back, instead it is supporting to soar up high. when the wind slowed down and picked up, you helped the kite go up higher in a proper direction through the thread. And when we cut the thread, it fell without the support you were providing to the kite through the thread. The son realized his mistake. Moral of the story Sometimes we feel that we can progress quickly and reach to newer heights in our life if we were not tied up with our family or our home. But, we fail to realize that our family and our loved ones are the people who support us in our tough times and encourage us to reach grater heights in our life. They are not holding us, but are supporting us SO NEVER LET THEM GO. Mohammed Imran Osmani 8K

The Money-Minded Man Once in the city of Dallas, there lived a man named Alfred Alcott. He was popularly known in the city as ‘The money-minded man’ as he had no time for anything: family, friends, no one. Nothing except money. He was impudent, not showing any respect for others. Some people gossip behind their backs when they see him. They used to say, ‘Oh what a greedy man that old Alfred is.’ Alfred had no friends. He had a family of his own though, his wife, two children and himself lived in a beautiful pink house. Alfred had a very bad behavior: greediness. He was always greedy although he had a lot. Money is the most important thing in his world. Even on his children’s birthday, there was not even a small cake for them. On Christmas not, a sight of a small gift box was to be seen under the Christmas tree. But the Alcott family were always happy. Except Alfred that is, he never used to smile and always had a grumpy face, he even doesn’t like to talk to anyone. One day, when Alfred entered his office and was about to start the day’s work, he noticed a small parcel on his desk. There was no sign of the addresser’s name on the parcel. Alfred quickly opened the parcel and lo and behold! There was a small, tiny globe. Alfred looked in and gave it a shake. first, the globe showed Alfred his past. His mom, dad and brothers all huddled up near a warm chimney on a cold night. Everyone was happy even though there was not enough food for the family to have. Still, they were all having a smile on their faces. Alfred couldn’t hold back his tears. Then the globe showed him the present. Alfred was walking down the streets and returning home with a grump on his face. He slammed open the door. His wife and children smiled towards him while waiting for him so that they all can have dinner together. Alfred did not even give a smile towards them. He did not join with his family to have dinner. There was not much to eat in the Alcott’s house because of Alfred’s behavior. Only a simple meal of barley bread and milk. Alfred was heartbroken when he saw the condition of his family. Then the globe showed Alfred his future.

There was a dark bedroom with a person in it, it was Alfred. He is dead yet no one cared about him, he felt abashed, and heart broken. Nobody even cared to interment his body. After a good cry, he decided to go back to his family and take care of them properly. when he reached home, he knocked on the door politely. There was no reply. Alfred tried again and again but no reply, he slammed open the door. He called out for his wife and children, but no one answered. You see dear reader; Alfred’s family was suffering from a very severe disease. But Alfred did not take care of them. Alfred rummaged the rooms of the house and when he reached the bedroom, he saw his wife and children lying lifeless on the bed. He was bereaved. He had no children. No one to talk to. Alfred interred his family’s bodies in a cemetery. Alfred had no friends too because of his greediness and love for money. He had to spend the rest of his life alone. He left his money, home and everything he had and started to live on the top of a hill in a small cottage where everything was peaceful. Still, he had a gloom in his face thinking that he was all alone. Then he said to himself “Time does not wait for me or anyone. I have to go after it as it flies away quickly.” MORAL: Do what you can, when you can. HANNAH RAICHEL SANISH: VIII L

Elephant's Rope A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by chains. All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs. As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead, they didn’t try to at all. Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape. The trainer replied; “When they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” Moral: No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it. NAINA BIDHU 7A

The Havil Twins Chapter-1 The mysterious smoke trail My name is Happy. I am an ordinary boy who is an 8th grader and study in high school. Bob and Skelly are my best friends in high school and we study together in the same class. Skelly has a weird T-shirt that always seemed to be staring at me. Just taking a glimpse of it gave me the creeps. Anyways today was the school’s anniversary day and a lot of jubilee was going to be held. Bob was really fired up as there was going to be a lot of “FOOD”. I on the other hand wasn’t really excited because I’m not much of a “BIG DEVOURER”. Still I was quite enjoying it with my friends and everyone around. There were only a few people so we had enough space to dance around and chat with our friends. It was so much fun until… The lights went off! I heard slight screams of worried people but suddenly… There was a hush descended among the people. It was silent. After 1 minute or so the lights flickered back on. And…when I turned around to see the people; there was no one around! Not even a person in sight. There was nothing. Except for the trail of smoke that continued to the school basement…Strange!

Chapter-2 The Evil Twin As I was speaking, I didn’t think it would be a good idea to follow the trail. But before even thinking about it, my legs started moving. I think the phrase “FOLLOW YOUR HEART” should be replaced as “FOLLOW YOUR LEGS”. I soon came up in a dark corridor. I could see a faint light at the end of the corridor. As soon as I reached I was cautious and took a peek at the room… I couldn’t believe what I saw! I quickly turned around and took some time to memorize the moment. I saw that the room was fitted with many pillars and to each of them…All my friends and teachers were tied with ropes! I saw Skelly and Bob tied right in front of someone. He was sitting on a chair and I couldn’t see his face as his back was turned towards me. All of a sudden, my principal yelled at the person sitting in the chair, “Why are you doing this to us Happy, why?” Wait what? He called the man happy? That’s my name! Without even me realizing my legs went in front of everyone’s sight…err.... I mean I went... Everybody was astounded to see me. All of them let out a “huh?” sound. Suddenly the person said in a cold voice which sent a chill down my spine: “I was waiting for you, Happy”. Why? Happy come near me and look at my face. He said. I slowly crept towards him and saw his face...What I saw was unbelievable! “I AM YOUR TWIN” he yelled.

Chapter-3 Possessed ? There was nothing different from his face compared to my face except that his eyes looked pretty weird. WHO ARE YOU? What do you want?! I screamed at him. “Keep it down brother. Now let me have some of your blood”, he said. Was he some kind of Dracula or something? “Why do you want my blood? Because I want the s..... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Stay away happy, I am-mm-m being possessed... Please come help me-me with the m-m-map that comes to you... And he vanished into thin air. I fell to my knees thinking about what had happened and fainted at the spot...Later, I woke up to the noise of many people calling Happy, Happy wake up! I woke up and stayed for a moment, remembering the things that happened. Suddenly I came to life and realized that the school members needed help. I checked for any sharp object through which I could cut the ropes. Thankfully, since it was the basement, there were some blades laying on the ground. I used them to cut the ropes tied to the school members. Skelly and Bob came to me and talked about what it was all about. I couldn’t believe that I had a brother, especially a twin! I had to help him get out of the guy who is possessing him! Later that night, when I checked my bag I found some kind of crushed thick paper at the bottom...

Chapter- 4 The Journey begins When I checked what the crushed paper was, I found out that it was a map. I suddenly got filled with happiness and joy as that means I will be off to an adventure! My so called twin brother had told me that a map would be given to me and I need to follow that to help him! I thought and thought about who I should bring with me. Ah, why didn’t I think about that earlier? I would bring Bob and Skelly with me! In the blink of an eye it became night time. I slept thinking about the journey tomorrow... Today was going to be a wonderful day. But still the adventures might be dangerous. I am going to go call Skelly and Bob. They might know what should be carried for the adventure and might have some more supplies. I went to Skelly's room and knocked on his door. He immediately opened the door and let me in. I told him about the plan and he started thinking about it. Later he said that he had some work to do today but he said that it was okay. I was happy and delighted that he had agreed to come. I told him to start packing. Next I went to Bob’s house and told him about it. Without thinking how dangerous it could be, he agreed. And he told me to pack so much food as it was going to be long. Two hours later, all of us met in a place and equipped our bags. It was going to be long. I took out the map in one hand and searched where to go first. “Guys, it seems like we need to be heading west to find a house there”, I said. “Ok”, the guys replied... (To be continued....) Aidan Mizhab-7A

Numeracy Corner Hi friends, test your Math knowledge with these questions below. Try to answer them and Check the answers at the end of the page, let’s see how many you get right! Q1. Using only addition, add eight 8s to get the number 1,000. Q2. What can you put between 7 & 8, to make the result greater than 7, but less than 8? Q3. What 3 numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together? Q4. When John was 8, his brother Tom was half his age. Now, John is 14. How old is his brother? Q5. Mary has 7 daughters and each of them has a brother. Can you figure out the total Number of kids Mary have? Q6. What single digit appears most frequently between and including the numbers 1 and 1,000? Mathematical age trick Choose a number from 1 to 9. Multiply your number by 2. Then, add 5 to your result. Multiply the result by 50. — If you’ve already had your birthday this year, add 1771. If not, add 1770. — Now subtract the year of your birth from the result. — You should get a three-figure number. The first figure is the number you chose initially, and the two others are your age. If you’ve calculated this properly, you'll get the right answer! ________________________________________ Answers to the quiz: 1. 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000 2. A decimal point. Your result would be 7.8, which is between 7 and 8 3. 1, 2, and 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 × 2 × 3 = 6). 4. His brother is 10. Half of 8 is 4, so Tom’s brother is 4 years younger. This means when Tom is 14, his brother is still 4 years younger 5. Eight kids because the sisters have just one brother in common. 6. The most common digit is 1! In total, the number 1 appears 301 times, and every other number appears 300 times ABEL ABY GEORGE-VI L

Did You Know ? The Eiffel Tower can be 15 cm taller during the summer. 20% of Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest. Some metals are so reactive that they explode on contact with water. A teaspoonful of neutron star would weigh 6 billion tons. Hawaii moves 7.5cm closer to Alaska every year. Chalk is made from trillions of microscopic plankton fossils. Venus is the only planet to spin clockwise. A laser can get trapped in water. A cloud can weigh around a million pounds. Rats laugh when they’re tickled. SAHITHI EETI 7A



Stephen Hawking Stephen Hawking was born on January 8, 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom .He had grown up in St Albans, and was the eldest of four siblings. His father was a research biologist and his mother, a medical research secretary. As a student he was drawn to physics and maths as he believed they offered the most fundamental insights into the world. But nothing marked him out as special from his classmates or in his first term at Oxford University. Stephen got first class in BA degree in Physics from Oxford, and started a PhD at Cambridge. His own private universe expanded when he met Jane Wilde at a party in 1962.They got married and had three children: Robert, Lucy and Timothy. In 1966, Hawking escaped the limits of his disability by training his mind to work in a new way. As he started to lose the use of his limbs, he developed a way of visualizing problems in his mind to reach a solution instead of by writing equations. Some of his colleagues have suggested that this way of thinking has led to his greatest discoveries. Hawking was now working on one of science's most bizarre ideas – black holes. In 1974 he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, aged 32, and one of the youngest people to achieve this honor. While in Geneva, Hawking was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening bout of pneumonia. Doctors could only save Stephen by performing an operation that robbed him of his ability to speak. Now he could only communicate by raising his eyebrows. His friends helped him use a cutting-edge speech synthesizer which gave him a distinctive new voice. One of his first requests once he’d mastered the system was that someone should help him complete a new book he had been working on.

In ‘The Theory of Everything’, Eddie Redmayne gave an Oscar-winning portrayal of Hawking. The film was based on the book ‘Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen’, by Stephen’s first wife Jane. Jane and Stephen collaborated with the production team, and he allowed his voice to be used on the soundtrack. The film became a lasting testament to Stephen's ability to inspire scientists and the public alike. On 14 March 2018, Professor Stephen Hawking died. For fifty-five years, he defied a disease that should have killed him at the age of five. A lesson that we can learn from Professor Stephen Hawking’s life is that “Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up.” Professor Hawking accepted his fate but never ever let it get him down. TANVI RAVIRAJ PATTE-VI L

Riddles 1. Where will you find Friday before Thursday? 2. What is orange and sounds like a parrot? 3. What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? 4. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April, the second child was named May. What was the third child's name? 5. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly? 6. What grows when it eats, but dies when it drinks? 7. What animal turns about 200 times around its axis after it dies? 8. A man goes out in heavy rain with nothing to protect him from it. His hair doesn't get wet. How does he do that? 9. Ten ladies tried to fit under a small umbrella, none of them got wet. How did they do it? 10. What sounds like a sneeze and is made out of leather? 11. What starts with an E, ends with an E and only has one letter in it? 12. What is something that you can easily hold in your right hand but never in your left hand? Answers: 2. Carrot 4. Johnny 1. In a dictionary 6. Fire 3. Short 8. He is bald 5. Incorrectly 10. Shoe 7.Roasted Chicken 12. your left elbow 9. It's not raining 11. An envelope BHUVANA VINU 7J

Ann Liza Shaiju 2nd prize in the Indian Doctors Club's Gandhi Jayanti Elocution contest 2021(Inter school)

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