The Quill - 3 2024-25

["Read More \nTHE QUILL \nTHE QUILL \nE NEWSLETTER \nThe NGP School | Affiliated to CBSE,New Delhi \nwww.thengpschool.ac.in \nTHE FIDE RATED \nCHAMPION! \nSINDDIZHAI - \nCOMMITTED TO \nPROGRESS, DRIVEN BY \nRESULT ! \nRead More \nRead More \nNew Articles on \nTech Bytes ! \nParents in conversation with the students...on the topic \nMAGIC of MINDFULNESS !! \nStudent Achievers\u2019 Exclusive \nInterview! \n-My true potential shines \nwhen I'm in water! \nEDITION III [ DECEMBER - MARCH] \nRead More \n2024-25","The Editorial Board \nVaibhav Prem \nXI - Science \nEditor-in-Chief \nNakshatra V S \nXI- Commerce \nEditor-in-Chief \nVedika G R \nXI Science \nCo-editor \nShree Lekha M R \nXI- Commerce \nHarshika P \nIX- A \nPreethika C V \nIX- B","Editor\u2019s Note \nEvery fairytale must come to an end. Likewise, \nour journey as Editors of this amazing \nNewsletter has come to an end. This is the last \nedition of the Quill for the academic year \n2024-25. This experience, like everything else in \nthe world, had its ups and downs like we had \nour share of euphoric moments, and our share \nof challenges, as well. Nevertheless, we have \nenjoyed every minute we spent on this \nnewsletter, working to bring the creations of all \nour amazingly talented students to the \nspotlight. In the end, we are moving on without \nany regrets. We would like to thank all our \nfriends, who contributed to this newsletter and \nour teachers, Sridevi ma\u2019am and Divya ma\u2019am, \nwho helped us to make this journey a \nmemorable one. \nAlas, every good memory has its end. And so \nwe\u2019ve reached ours. But remember, every \nending is a beginning in disguise. \nRegards \nThe Editorial Board","EVENTS \nACCOLADES \nWALL OF FAME \nSTUDENTS\u2019 CHRONICLES \nTECH BYTES \nBOOK REVIEW \nART CORNER \nACTIVITY CORNER \nC O N T E N T S","H A P P E N I N G S I N O U R \nS C H O O L C A M P U S \nEvents","EVENTS \nKovai Marathon 2024: \n\u201cThe marathon is not about the finish line, but about the \ncourage to keep going.\u201d \nNumerous students and teachers from our school \nparticipated in the 28th edition of the KMCH Kovai \nMarathon, which took place on December 1st, 2024. Students \nfrom various age groups enthusiastically completed the 3.5 \nkm run! A handful of our student athletes were placed at top \npositions and they were awarded with cash prizes.","The NGP Carnival 2024: \n\u201cCarnival for a nobel cause\u201d. \nThe NGP Carnival 2024 was conducted by the Department of \nCommerce in the campus on 7th December, 2024. This year\u2019s \ncarnival included loads of stalls including food stalls, along with \nother fun activities like games for kids, VR and gaming, horror \nhouse, DJ event, and an exciting magic show featuring magician \nKalaiaarasan! As always, the profits of the carnival were donated \nto those in need.","Heritage Club\u2019s visit to Avinashi Lingeshwarar Temple: \n \u201cCulture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.\u201d \n The members of the Heritage Club expanded their horizons \non Tamil culture and history by visiting the Avinashi \nLingeshwarar Temple on December 10th, 2024. The \nexplorative club members were involved in deep discussions \nwhile the temple guide unravelled the history of the temple. \nKindergarten Project Day: \n\"Today's little learners are destined to become tomorrow's great \nachievers.\" \nOn December 14th, 2024, the kindergarten students showcased \ntheir projects at The NGP School. Many young learners \nenthusiastically presented their work, teaching their peers \nusing a variety of materials and models!","Annual Day 2024-25: \nThe Annual Day 2024, titled \u2018Krida\u2019, was held on 20th \nDecember, 2024. The word \u2018Krida\u2019 stood for sporting or playing \nin Sanskriti. The students portrayed the importance of sports \nand other learnings and values they get from sports through \nexpressive dance performances, along with Tamil and English \nskits as well! Numerous students who excelled in sports, \nacademics, and other co-curricular activities were also \nawarded.","Educational Tour to Mudumalai: \n\"Exploration is the best reward of all.\" \nThe winners of the quiz competition conducted by EFI \nexplored the wildlife at Mudumalai forest as their ultimate \nreward! This tour was held from 22nd to the 24th of \nDecember, 2024. They had discussions with the founder of EFI, \nMr. Arun Krishnamurthy and team at the Mudumalai forest, \nunderstanding the importance of sustainable practices and \nconservation efforts. \nProject Day - Grade 1 to 6: \n\u201cTiny Tots :Innovators & Inventions.\u201d \nThe innovators from Grade 1 to 6 displayed their inventions on \nJanuary 11th, 2025. They covered various topics from Science and \nTechnology, to Art and Culture. Also, these young minds \npresented their projects presentations with utmost confidence.","Kongu Mandalam District Association Annual Camp: \nThe Cubs & Bulbuls along with the Scouts and Guides of the \nNGP School participated in the annual Kongu Mandalam \nDistrict Association camp from January 10th to 12th, 2025. The \nCubs & Bulbuls attended the one day outdoor camp while the \nScouts & Guides attended the three day outdoor camp at \nVidyaa Vikas International School. They learnt various life \nskills outside the classroom by attending this camp. \nAstronomy Movie Night: \n\u2018Discovery is the greatest treasure of all.\u201d \nThe young astronomers of The NGP School gathered together for \na movie night on January 28th, 2025. The ambitious Astronomers \njourneyed through the universe as they enjoyed a captivating \nfilm! The movie stimulated discussions and widened their \nknowledge about space & spacecrafts!","Carnival 2024 - Proceeds donated \nOn January 29, 2025, the carnival organizers, in collaboration \nwith their Mentor teachers made a significant impact by \ndonating the profits from Carnival 2024, to those in need. \nContributions were made to : \n1.Thoorigai Charitable Trust- \nEssential items such as blankets, \nraincoats, and stationery were contributed to a Government \nTribal school in Seengupathy. \n2. Tamil Nadu Forest Department - \nThrough Coimbatore Wildlife \nConservation Trust to support Anti-Poaching Watchers in Attukal, \nThondamuthur, Coimbatore. This included protective gear, \njackets, gloves, shoes, and a range of other essential equipment.","UN Activities week: \n\u201cWe are committed to uphold human values !\u201d \nThe students of The NGP School participated in the UN \nActivities week from February 10th to February 14th, 2025. \nThey engaged themselves in creative works in connection with \nthe UN Theme \n\u201cInternational Year of Peace & Trust, & \nInternational Year of Cooperatives\u201d. \n These activities helped in \nupscaling the students\u2019 research skills & creativity! Some of \nthe activities included poster making, Peace Symbol - \nSnowflakes, digital comic strip making on stories of global \ncooperative societies, and comparative report writing on \ncooperative societies in India & USA.","Institutional visit by Apparel Designing Club: \nField trips provide valuable insights beyond the classroom. \nOn February 8th 2025, the students of the Apparel designing club \nvisited The Dream Zone - a fashion design school in Peelamedu, \nCoimbatore. They got hands-on experience on how apparels are \ndesigned by involving in some practical work! The students were \nalso involved in discussions about fashion designing with the \nstaff.","Astronomy Club: \n...keep looking up! \nOn February 18, 2025, NGP School\u2019s Astronomy Club wrapped \nup its journey with a hands-on telescope-making demo and \nstargazing session. Students had the opportunity to assemble \ncomponents to create their own DIY telescopes, delve into the \ndesign process, and observed Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, \nSaturn, and a Nebula. The presence of enthusiastic parents \nmade the event even more memorable.","Clubs\u2019 Valedictory Ceremony 2024-25: \n\u201cA valedictory function is a farewell ceremony that heralds the \nconclusion of a graduating classes' journey at a school or college.\u201d \nOn the enchanting day of February 22nd, the clubs of The NGP \nSchool gathered to celebrate their valedictory ceremony. Students \nfrom each club showcased their newfound skills and talents, \nsharing the treasures of knowledge acquired through their \nendeavors, alongside the annual reports. All the vibrant clubs, \nincluding dance, archery, quiz, IIMUN, heritage, and many others, \ngraced the occasion with their spirited participation.","Sharing & Caring Day - Grade 3 to 8: \n\u201cThere is no joy in eating alone when you can share a meal with a \nfriend.\u201d \nOn February 26, 2025, students of classes 3 to 8 \ncelebrated Sharing and Caring Day with joy and kindness. \nStudents expressed their care for their friends by sharing their \nlunch and snacks. They sat together as a class, enjoying meals \nand meaningful moments. The atmosphere was filled with \nhappiness and togetherness, as everyone embraced the spirit of \n\"Sharing is Caring.\" It was a wonderful experience that \nstrengthened friendships and reminded everyone of the joy of \ngiving. This was a simple yet meaningful event that brought \nstudents closer and made lunchtime even more special.","MAGIC OF MINDFULNESS : \nThis year the Magic of Mindfulness activities had impacted the \nstudents and the feedback came from their parents. Hear them \nshare their thoughts! On the Youtube Channel - \nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/cDvtVrQZk1I?si=u4_7dIi9OkhZPl8D \nAn unforgetable rendezvou with a Journalist from Times of India \nEducational Edition, Coimbatore for the EXPERT TALK SHOW ! \nWe were enthralled and had gathered great memories with the \nJournalist cum Life skills trainer & Motivational Speaker \nMs Ashwathi Ashokan.,at the shoot room! \nWatch Ms Ashwathi who shared her experience and lots more \nabout Journalism on the EXPERT TALK SERIES #23, in our \nyoutube channel -https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ABYji9OFvak ","Annual Day \u201cThe Spot Light\u201d- Grade 1 and 2: \nThe young stars of Grade 1 and 2 shone brightly during the \nAnnual day named \u201cThe Spot Light\u201d on 1st March 2025! The \nstudents performed with great energy and enthusiasm on the \nstage! \n \u201cThe Spot Light\u201d- Grade 2: ","THE GLORIOUS ACHIEVERS \nFROM OUR SCHOOL \nAccolades","IIT Madras\u2019 school connect programme: \n25 students of Grade 11 completed a certificate program from IIT \nMadras for completing the online course in AI - Data Science\/ \nElectronic systems. \nWWF MCOP5: CHALLENGE \nThe budding environmentalists across grades 6 to 8, Sowmitha, \nLidarsna, Harshidh, Sowbarniga and Glenda Meredith participated \nin the Model Conference of Parties 5 themed Generation 30.","Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan: \nHavish S of Gade 10 and Shruthika S of Grade 9 participated in \nVidyarthi Vigyan Manthan 2024-25 - Dakshin region organised by \nVijnana Bharathi. Shruthika won the State Level Camp - a Science \nQuiz competition, held on January 4 & 5, 2025.She has qualified \nfor the Nationals to be held in May 2025. \nBest Teacher Award: \nMrs Sujitra, Coordinator of Kindergarten and Pre-primary, won the \nBest Teacher Award of the year presented by Sri Shakthi Institute of \nEngineering and Technology, Chennai.","Aavishkar 2.0 2025: \nStudents of Grade 7 & 8 participated in Aavishkar 2.0, conducted by \nAdhyayana International school. Mohnish S and Pranav V of Grade 8 \nwon first place, Gurucharan S and Vishnu B of Grade 8 won second \nplace, and Aadhya Kaushal Priyanka and Aarshika NS of Grade 7 \nwon third place. \nRepublic day performance: \nThe NGP school band performed at the Coimbatore International \nAirport with the Republic day parade on 26 January 2025.","INTACH newsletter: \nOur students\u2019, Sowbarniga D of Grade 7 and Mithun S of Grade \n6, contributions were published in the magazine -\u201dIndian \nNational Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.\u201d \nSahodaya Interschool Girls\u2019 Archery Competition: \nT \nhe Budding Archers from our school participated in the 45th \nSahodya Interschool Girls Archery Competition on 6th February \n2025. They won the first place in the team event in Indian Bow. \nAyantika J of Grade 5 won the first place and Darshini R won 4th \nplace in Indian Bow category, and Akshika Baskar won first place in \nthe Re-curve Bow category. ","ATAL School Innovation Competition: \nStudents of our school have won the SIM \u201824- a National Level \nSTEM based competition conducted by AIM in November 2024 \nfor the second year consecutively. Tejas and Sri Vishnu of \nGrade 9 made a project on smart home automation system. \nGurucharan, Mohnish and Pranav of Grade 8 made a project \non Disaster management- A fire fighting robot. \nMacmillan Budding Scientist 2024-25: \nSowmitha, Swarnika and Tharun of Grade 7 submitted a \nproject titled \u201cThe Obstacle Sensing Wheel Bot\u201d and Suvathesh, \nAdarsh and Veera Juhan of Grade 8 submitted a project titled \n\u201cSound Tracking Rescue Bot\u201d in the Macmillan Budding \nscientist Competition.","Wall of \n Fame \nC E L E B R A T I N G O U R A C H I E V E R S !","An interview with the student achievers in the field of Sports was conducted by the \nMembers of the Editorial board. \nRead through their responses that inspire you to \ntake home some nice memories from the achievers\u2019 exciting journey so far! \nWe have the Chess, Archery and Swimming champions sharing their interesting stories \nwith us. If you are a Sports champion, who knows. next it might be you! \nINTERVIEWED THE WINNERS OF THE 45 SAHODAYA GIRLS ARCHERY COMPETITION: \nTH \nMs Deekshita of Grade 4, Ms Ayanthika of Grade 5, Ms Darshini of Grade 6 and \nMs Akshika Baskar of Grade 7. \nInterviewers :Ms Nakshatra, Editor in Chief & Ms Shree Lekha.-Team, Editorial Board \n Photography: Mr Manikandan & Ms Sridevi \n1. What inspired you to take up Archery, and how did you get started? \nAyantika- I took up Archery 2 years ago in the school club. when it was introduced as a \nnew sport at school....so I wanted to try my hands at it. I found it very interesting and I \nhaven't given up ever since. \nDeekshita- I started last year in the school club as well and found it interesting. \nDarshini- I joined the Archery club to prove to my parents that I am capable and I am \nconfident. \nAkshika- my brother was an Archer and he inspired me to take up Archery. \n2. What\u2019s the most important skill an Archer needs to master, and how do you practice \nit? \nAyantika- the most important emotion is practising mental confidence and self- \nconfidence, it helps to aim accurately and release the arrows appropriately without \nhesitation. \nDarshini- ....concentration is very important in archery, it helps to sharpen our focus \nand block out distractions. \nArchers in the Spotlight","Deekshita- ..discipline helps all my shots and patience steadies my aim ! \nAkshika - the most important skill is to be mindfully focused to let every shot flow \nsteadily. \n3. Can you share a memorable experience ? ...maybe a best competition or a big \nchallenge that you faced? \nAyantika- ..the Sahodaya tournament was probably the biggest challenge for me \nuntil now. Nevertheless, I was proud to represent our school and I was happy to \nwin. \nDarshini- hmm..my most memorable moment is definitely the State match. It was \ndefinitely exciting. \nDeekshita- definitely the State match. It was very crowded and I was very tensed. \nthat was my unforgetable memory. \nAkshika - State Level competition was definitely my most memorable competition. \nSahodaya was my first competition, so that will always stay as my 1 memorable \ncompetition,forever. \nst \n4. What strategies do you use to maintain \u2018focus\u2019 and keep your nerves in check \nduring competitions? \nAyanthika - Well....mental strength and motivation are key to maintaining focus. \nYou need to decrease anxiety and take a deep breath between each shoot. \nTarshini- Yes, it is important to just focus on shooting. You have to be calm and \nwork hard towards your goal. \nDeekshita- ofcourse! mental strategies are the keys when it comes to maintaining \nyour calm. You have to focus on yourself rather than focusing on the pressure. \nAkshika - To Stay Calm! This is still being practised...as said by my team mates the \nmain strategy is to be calm and focus on yourself. ","5. What are your future goals in archery, and how do you plan to achieve them? \nAyanthika - I aspire to play for India one day. I want to win top 3 place or \nhopefully first place and I want to make my school and my parents proud. \nDarshini- I wish to represent India on the international stage. I would thank my \ncoaches Mr Abhishek and Ms Kayalvizhi and make them proud. \nDeekshita- I wisht to play for India and that would be the \u2018Tahnk you to my \nparents. \nAkshika - I wish to play for the State eventually move to the National team. \n6. What\u2019s a lesson Archery has taught you outside of the sport? \nAkshika - Archery has taught me to focus on myself and be mindful of my \nactions. \nAyanthika - ....it has taught me to take what is needed and ignore the \nunnecessary stuff that comes along the way. \nDeekshita- Well, this sport has taught me to be present, improve focus, and \nreduce distractions, and it has also strengthened my muscle memory \nDarshini- ....Archery has taught me to be calm and be patient. ","1. Who inspired you to start playing chess? \nSINDDHIZHAI: I used to live in South Africa. Watu Kobese, my coach, was the one \nwho taught me chess and its basics. He helped me understand the game, so my \nCoach is my inspiration. \n2. What do you enjoy about playing chess compared to other board games or \nsports? \nSINDDHIZHAI: The timer! Our opponent will be in front of us and have their own \ntimer while we will have our own timer, there will also be tactics where we have \nto play mind games where we calculate ahead. \n3. Do you have a favorite chess piece? Why is it your favorite? \nSINDDHIZHAI: The PAWN! Most people prefer the queen because it is the most \npowerful, but I like the pawn, the most! Because when it comes to the end game it \nis the most important piece and can be converted into a queen. It is the \nunderdog. Before, I used to feel like losing a pawn was fine, but now I've come to \nrealize just how big is its impact! \nThe Chessboard Chronicles \nThis interview was conducted with the most promising FIDE RATED CHESS CHAMPION, \nMs. SINDDHIZHAI.D of the NGP School. \nInterview conducted by the Editor Ms Vedika, Grade 11 Science \nPhotography: Mr Manikandan & Ms.Sridevi","4. How do you manage pressure during a critical moment in a game? \nSindizhai: Time is the main pressure that I face. I try to stay calm and play good moves \nbut it is quite difficult. especially, if I am running short of time, it becomes hard, and I \nend up panicking. (Little worried there..)Comparing with my opponent I would say.... I \ntake a lot of time! \n5. What is one valuable skill you\u2019ve gained from chess that has helped you in academics \nor other areas of life? \nSindizhai: Calculating! They say that if you're good at Chess you would be good at Math \nas well. In chess, you have to be 10 to 15 moves ahead and create a winning plan ahead \nof time. It also helps in making decisions...like either this or that ! (she smiled sweetly!) \n6. How would you handle setbacks or losses in your match? \nSindizhai: After I lose, I go back and analyze my moves, hoping not to make the same \nmistake again. But I do ....think I do.... sometimes I make the same mistakes again!! This \nis what I need to work on, moving forward! \n7. What is your ambition in your life? \nSindizhai: To become the Next Youngest Grandmaster of India. \n8. If you could play a match with any other Grandmaster, who would it be and why? \nSindizhai: Since, Grandmaster Gukesh is the world champion, I would like to play against \nhim.","1. When did you first swim , what was your age then, do you remember ? \nCharuthakshan: I started swimming when I was around 5 years old. I \nremember swimming during hot summer holidays, when I was still in \npreschool! I mostly started swimming just for fun as I got to play in water \nwith my friends. \nSamrutha: I was around 6 years old when I started swimming. It was during \na summer camp where I learned how to swim with my friends. That was the \nstart to my Swimming journey! \n2. Did you ever imagine that you would take it up as a competitive sport? \nCharuthakshan: I never really took swimming too seriously, I just swam \nbecause I was happy & it was fun doing it. I initially started swimming to \nhelp me with my wheezing, so it never came to my mind that I could take it \nup as a sport. After joining the swimming classes here in our school, I was \ninspired by my friends and seniors to take swimming seriously. \nSamrutha: No, I never thought that I would take up swimming as a \ncompetitive sport. As I got better at swimming as the days went by, I realized \nthat I could start competing with others at the swimming competitions! \nRipples & Reflections"," 3.You would have gone through a lot of ups and downs throughout your journey \nas a s swimmer. Can you share any one instance where you faced significant \nchallenges and how did you approach to overcome them? \nCharuthakshan: It was challenging for me when I started going to swimming \nclasses, because I saw everyone else getting medals and other prizes but I didn\u2019t \nget anything, till I was in 5th grade. This motivated me to work even harder to \nget rewarded..just like others. Finally, in 6th grade I won a bronze medal in a \nDistrict level swimming competition. \nSamrutha: The challenging phase of this journey for me was in 7th grade when I \ngot injured. It was an injury on my shoulder joint, which I got due to repetitive \nmovement which caused stress on the joints. At that time, I couldn\u2019t really swim \nbecause of this injury, which was really tough for me. For recovery, \nphysiotherapy has been really helpful. \n4. Is there any specific person, maybe your parents or coach, who inspired you \nto continue to excel in swimming? \nCharuthakshan: One of my inspirations is my \n\u2018thatha\u2019 \n. He is my all time \nsupporter, and he accompanies me to every swimming competition, that I \nparticipate in. He is the one who motivates me to work harder. Mmm..then I \nwould also say that the other competitiors are also my inspiration in some way... \nbecause they would mockingly laugh...make fun of me when I was not swimming \nreally well. This too pushed me to practice swimming really hard, to get back at \nthem, but now, there is none to mock at me anymore! \nSamrutha: Out of all the coaches who have helped me with my swimming, my \ncurrent coach is my biggest inspiration! He has helped me to develope my \nswimming skills to the next level. My parents are also very supportive. My mom \ncooks non-vegetarian food for me, even though she herself doesn\u2019t eat non-veg! \nMom and dad really help me with things apart from swimming as well. \nRipples & Reflections","5. What are your goals in swimming? \nCharuthakshan: I want to focus on getting better at swimming for now, so I\u2019ve not \nreally thought about anything, but I would love to represent India & play at Asian \nGames! \nSamrutha: My dream is to represent India in the Asian Games, but I would love to \nrepresent Tamil Nadu in Khelo India before that! \n6. Balancing swimming with school and other activities must not be easy. Do you have \na schedule or... some sort of a routine to manage both? \nCharuthakshan: I don\u2019t really have a pre planned schedule, but I have got used to a \nroutine that I follow every other day. I usually practice from 6 to 8 in the morning and \n6 to 8 in the evening. I take my time to do my homework between 3 to 5 and I am \nusually done with it. If I have any other school work like projects, my mom usually \nhelps me out with it. \nSamrutha: I usually find a way to manage everything without a schedule. I have \nswimming training in the morning and evening as well, so it gets a bit hectic with \nschool work and stuff but I try to balance everything. My teachers really help me with \nmy studies, so it really helps me out. \n7. In what ways has swimming influenced your personal growth and development \noutside the pool? \nCharuthakshan: I\u2019ve learnt a lot through my failures in swimming. It has taught me to \nnever give up and keep working hard until I achieve my goals. It has also helped me \nwith keeping me fit. I was considered as slightly an overweighted child till my 6th \ngrade, but I\u2019ve became leaner...so thanks to swimming! \nSamrutha: Before swimming, I was a bookish person who didn\u2019t really participate in \nany sports, but swimming has made me more physically active. \nYou just read an interesting interview with the National level \u2018Swimmers\u2019, \nMaster CHARUTHAKSHAN S & Ms. SRIEE SAMRUTHA of Grade 8 \nInterviewed by the Editor : Ms Vedika,Grade 12 Science \nPhotography: Mr Manikandan & Ms.Sridevi","S T R A I G H T F R O M O U R \nS T U D E N T S \u2019 Q U I L L S ! \nStudent \n Chronicles","I have a furry friend named Lucky. He is a cute three-month \nold pug with large bright eyes, two ears, a small nose, a \nwrinkly short - muzzled pity face, and a curled tail. Oh yes, he \nis so adorable! \n He is my best friend, in fact, he is a naughty champ. \nHe is not just our pet, but my brother and an important \nmember of our family. I never loved a dog until he came into \nmy life. Playing with him is a lot of fun. Caring for him is easy \nbecause I simply have to make sure he gets fresh water and \nfood every day. I play with him by throwing his toys around, \nhe loves to play catch. He follows me around the house with a \ntoy and drops it on my foot ,so that I will toss it. He never \nallows others to scold me. He patiently waits for me to return \nfrom school every day. \n He always follows me when I leave a room. When I am \nsitting on a couch, he plops down right beside me. We sleep \ntogether, and we love to cuddle with each other. You know, he \nis just like a cozy pillow. I am always safe because he watches \nover me. Lucky is a wonderful pet. \nA Tale of Friendship \nASTHRA SATHESH \n V-B","Once upon a time, there lived a small butterfly and a \ncrow. The crow envied the butterfly, believing it was lucky \nbecause everyone adored it. Meanwhile, the butterfly \nadmired the crow, thinking it was fortunate to go \nundisturbed. In their longing for each other's lives, they \nprayed to God to exchange their existences. God granted \ntheir wish, but soon they discovered that both faced \nsignificant challenges. The butterfly, now in the crow's \ndomain, realized that soaring high came with discomfort \nand thirst, as it searched desperately for water. \nConversely, the crow, transformed into a butterfly, \ninitially enjoyed the adoration but quickly learned that \nbeing chased by children meant it could not rest, \nconstantly on the run for survival. Grateful for the \ninsights gained from their experiences, both the \nbutterfly and the crow prayed to God once more, \nexpressing their appreciation for their true lives. Moved \nby their newfound wisdom, God returned them to their \noriginal forms, allowing them to embrace their unique \nexistences with gratitude. \nThe moral of the story is: Appreciate what you have, as \nevery life has its own challenges and beauty. \nA Lesson on Being \nYourself \n THEERTHA BABU \n VII-D","Technology shapes nearly every aspect of daily life, from how we \ncommunicate to how we work, learn, and entertain ourselves. \nMessaging apps and video conferencing have revolutionized how \nwe interact, enabling instant communication across the globe. \nMany tasks traditionally done by humans are now being \nautomated through AI, reducing manual labor but also raising \nquestions about job displacement. With technology rapidly \nchanging, people often need to engage in continuous learning to \nstay relevant in the workforce. Technology makes education more \nengaging through the use of interactive tools and games. Remote \nhealthcare services have made medical consultations more \naccessible, especially during pandemics or in remote areas. \nDevices like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and health \nmonitoring tools help people track their health metrics, making it \neasier to maintain fitness. In this tech-driven world, while we \nbenefit from technological advancements, the time our ancestors \nspent with manual books and objects is gradually decreasing. \nWith more personal information being shared online, there's an \nincreased risk of data breaches, hacking, and misuse of private \ndata by companies or malicious actors. Overuse of digital \ncommunication can lead to a decline in face-to-face interactions, \nwhile making it easier to connect, it can sometimes replace \ndeeper, real-world relationships, leading to a lack of meaningful, \nin-person connections. In conclusion, the question \u201cIS \nTECHNOLOGY A BOON OR BANE?\u201d remains unanswered. \nLIFE IN A TECH DRIVEN \nWORLD \nKANISHKA.K \n VIII-B","Fake Friends, Real Lessons \nNot all friendships are built to last and that\u2019s okay. Hello, I\u2019m here to discuss a \ntopic many people have experienced but not all wish to discuss- Fake friends. \nWhile the sting of betrayal hurts-often, fake friends can serve as unexpected \nteachers. A fake friend can teach you something that years of experience and \neducation can\u2019t. I know it sounds weird now but in the end, Even the most \npainful friendship can be a worthy lesson! \nLet me share my own experience. Back in fifth grade, I had a fake friend who \nwas my neighbour. Let's call her Lia. She was harsh to me. She laughed a little \ntoo hard, sometimes even added when others teased me and said she would \nonly talk to me because I was her neighbour. \nThen once I confronted her about how she was hurting me, she said I was too \npossessive and that I didn\u2019t deserve her. Breaking off from her was a tough \nexperience too, It was like being in a black hole, with no one and nothing to \nhave fun with. But now that I look back, I\u2019m thankful for her because she taught \nme that not everyone who calls themselves a friend truly is one. \nIf you have a fake friend, Remember It may be tough to break ties, but when you \nbreak a frayed knot it creates an opportunity to tie an unbreakable bond. \nNow let\u2019s look at 7 things only a fake friend would do: \n1. They talk about you behind your back \n Do you find this person talking about you behind your back, sharing your \nsecrets with everyone? A true friend will never sacrifice their friendship \nwhereas a fake friend will. \n2. They throw you under the bus \n Did you believe that your friend will stand up for you when you\u2019re in trouble or \nyou just need a shoulder to cry on? Fake friends will generally not stick up for \nyou especially when you\u2019re in trouble.","3. They constantly cancel on you \n Have you ever made plans for weeks, and they cancelled at the last minute?. \nFake friends usually don\u2019t enjoy spending time with you and try to avoid being \nnear you at all times. \n4. They exclude you from their plans \n Do they seem to have plans with their friends all the other time, excluding \nyou? They usually are only there for your secrets and will probably never want \nto be there if you are not giving them something. \n5. They call just to ask for favours \n Fake friends are usually more focused on what you can do for them than how \nyou can help each other. If they only call or talk to you for favours, they \nprobably aren\u2019t your friends. \n6. They give you back-handed compliments \n A back-handed compliment is something a fake friend does to put you down \nslightly by making it sound like praise. For example \u201cYou did much better than \nI expected you to\u201d or \u201cYou look a lot more beautiful than you usually do\u201d. \n7. They only talk about themselves \nDo they only talk about themselves, their passions and their life, and when you \nstart they shut you down or just seem uninterested? \nLike all friendships, a true friendship requires trust, honesty and mutual \nrespect, you will see that none of these are present with fake friends. Does \nanybody come to mind when you read this article? Remember it\u2019s better to have \n1 true friend than a crowd of fake ones. \nSo if you\u2019ve been hurt by a fake friend, remember it\u2019s good to move on and to \nmake a more meaningful connection. After all fake friends can lead us to the \nmost important lesson of all time, to find the real ones. \nAarshika N S \nVII-C"," "," Nature: A Scenic Beauty \nEverything around us in nature, \nSo let's go for an adventure! \nClimbing to the top of a hill; walking on a farm, \nNature may or may not harm. \nNature is full of peace, \nand you can never cease. \nNature is full of mysterious things, \nSo let it spread it's wonderful wings! \nNature is marvellous, \nAnd it can make you curious. \nSeize every moment of the wonder! \nRemember, Nature gets mad, \nWhenever we do something bad. \nIt's brutal how we hurt nature, \nWhen it gives this world a structure! \n - Asmitha.S \n IX C","Aaradhya Prakash \n5-B","Tech Bytes \n...LATEST FROM THE TECH \nWORLD!","TECH BYTES \nHey guys! What\u2019s up? \nLet\u2019s be real\u2014how many times have you sat \ndown to study, only to end up scrolling \nand watching YouTube, flipping through, \nor getting lost? I know I have. One minute, \nI\u2019m just checking a video, and the next, I\u2019ve \nwasted an hour(s). Social media makes it \nso easy to get distracted, and before we \nknow it, our study time is gone. But it\u2019s not \njust about wasting time\u2014these platforms \naffect the way we think and learn. \nTake Instagram and Snapchat, for \nexample. They make us obsessed with \nappearances, trends, and what everyone \nelse is doing. We keep checking for \nlikes and comments, which makes it \nhard to focus on real work. TikTok, with \nits short, fast-paced videos, trains our \nbrain to crave quick entertainment. \nThis makes long study sessions feel \nboring, even though deep focus is what \nactually helps us learn. And then there\u2019s \nYouTube\u2014it has amazing educational \ncontent, but it also has endless \ndistractions. One helpful video about \nscience can turn into an hour of \nwatching funny clips, movie trailers, or \ngaming highlights. ","TECH BYTES.... \nBeyond just distraction, social media \nalso affects our creativity and \nindependent thinking. When we \nconstantly consume other people\u2019s \nopinions, viral trends, and popular \ncontent, we stop thinking for \nourselves. This is a big problem when \nwriting essays, solving problems, or \ncoming up with new ideas. Instead of \noriginal thoughts, our minds keep \njumping to things we\u2019ve already seen \nonline. \nBut here\u2019s the thing\u2014technology itself \nisn\u2019t bad. In fact, when used right, it can \nhelp us learn better and prepare for our \nfuture careers. AI-powered tools are a \nperfect example of this. They can help \nwith research, organize study plans, and \neven improve writing. AI chatbots like \nChatGPT, Google Bard, and Claude can \nanswer questions instantly, making \ncomplex topics easier to understand. \nTools like Grammarly can check our \nwriting, \nQuillBot \ncan \nhelp \nwith \nparaphrasing, and Wolfram Alpha can \nsolve tough math problems. AI apps \nsuch as Notion AI and Evernote can \neven help organize notes and create \nstudy schedules. ","In the future, AI and technology will be a huge \npart of almost every career. Whether you want \nto be a doctor, engineer, designer, or business \nowner, knowing how to use AI effectively will be \na big advantage. Many companies are already \nusing AI to analyze data, create content, and \nimprove products. Learning to use AI tools now \nwill give us a head start in the professional \nworld. \nBut here\u2019s the catch\u2014while AI can help us, it \nshouldn\u2019t replace our thinking. If we use AI to \nwrite essays or do homework without \nunderstanding the concepts, we\u2019re only \ncheating ourselves. Relying too much on AI \nmakes us lazy and stops us from developing \nreal skills. The best way to use AI is as a tool to \nenhance learning, not as a shortcut to avoid \neffort. \nAt the end of the day, I know I\u2019m not perfect at \nbalancing all of this either. I still get distracted, \nand I still struggle to focus sometimes. But I\u2019ve \nrealized that staying in control of how I use \nsocial media and AI makes a huge difference. \nIt\u2019s not about avoiding technology\u2014it\u2019s about \nusing it the right way. So, let\u2019s make the smarter \nchoice. Let\u2019s use AI to learn and grow while \nmaking sure we still think for ourselves. \n\u201cRemember - Your time is very precious, the \ndecisions you make now, will define your life \nthen\u201d \n-PAARTH VAKHARIA \nAlumni (Batch-2022-23) \nTECH BYTES.... \n-It\u2019s not about avoiding technology\u2014it\u2019s about \nusing it the right way. So, let\u2019s make the smarter \nchoice. Let\u2019s use AI to learn and grow while making \nsure we still think for ourselves. ","DeepSeek vs ChatGPT \nUnless you live under a rock, you may have \nheard about ChatGPT and DeepSeek before. \nChatGPT is an advanced AI language model \ndeveloped by OpenAI, an American AI research \nlab in November 2022. It has been built on \nGenerative Pre-Trained Transformer, where it \nhas been trained with lots of information from \nvarious books, articles and websites. When the \nuser asks for something, ChatGPT returns a \nhuman-like answer with the information it has \nbeen trained on. It's used for so many things, \nfrom asking questions about space to getting \nyour homework done, ChatGPT has got all of us \ncovered. \nDeepSeek is another advanced AI language \nfounded by Liam Wenfeng in May 2023. It is \nquite similar to ChatGPT as both are used as AI \ntools, but what could be the difference between \nthe two? DeepSeek recently released another \nversion of the chatbot called DeepSeek R-1 in \nJanuary 2025.This version of DeepSeek uses \nChain of Thought prompting by encouraging \nthe model to \u201cthink out loud\u201d or provide step- \nby-step reasoning in its responses. For \nexample, if we ask for an answer to a math \nquestion, it will provide the steps on how to \nsolve the problem, rather than just giving out \nthe answer. This is a game changer as one of \nthe biggest downsides to the rise of AI was \nabout how humans were getting lazy. \nTech Bytes ....","Tech Bytes .... \nDeepSeek is also known to be more \nspecialized, which means that it will give \nout answers which are more accurate. Since \nit's a newer platform, most of us are yet to \ntest out the full potential of this AI tool. \nEven though this is great for the users, \nmost of us still prefer to use ChatGPT due \nto its versatility and much more human- \nlike conversations. It gives out answers \nwhich are really easy for us to understand, \nand it helps the job get done. The only issue \nwe could face with ChatGPT is that it may \nnot always be accurate. It is focused to be \nmore user friendly, so it lacks accuracy. \nSo, there isn\u2019t really a big difference \nbetween the two AI tools that could affect \nus, but they do have their ups and downs. \nWe have to make sure that we make the \nmost out of these tools, without using them \nfor unethical purposes. Let\u2019s hope that we \nkeep developing our technology for a better \ncause! \n-Vaibhav Prem \nEditor-in-Chief \nXI Science","Book Review \nKNOW MORE ABOUT NEW BOOKS!!"]