English Newsletter

JANMASHTAMI CELEBRATION To seek the blessings of Shree Krishna, Janmashtami was celebrated virtually on 10th August 2020 with bliss and joy. A well-planned assembly was conducted by the students of class VI B. The occasion was graced by Mr. Sanjay Yadav, Principal, and Ms. Sunita Rajiv, AHM Middle Section. The event comprised of a dance performance by the senior Ahlconites of group VIII, Shreya Sengupta, and Trisha Kapoor. It was followed by a melodious group song dedicated to ‘Sri Krishna’ by Vaidehi Oli, Rupanshi, Dishita, and Dhairya. An interesting quiz was also conducted by the students. Soham Das narrated the story of ‘Birth of Shree Krishna’. The assembly was concluded by the blessings of Principal Sir. His words truly summed up the efficacy of celebrating festivals of devotion and obedience towards their parents and teachers. I NDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL ASSEMBLY Freedom is the way God intended us, it is something we are born with, something that no one can take away from us. This Independence Day, no stone was left unturned in celebrating the love, unity, and freedom of our nation. We at Ahlcon believe that when the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind. On this very special day, Independence Day Assembly was conducted on 14th August 2020 by class VIC under the guidance of our beloved mentors and coordinators. The Program started with the welcoming of guests, followed by the invocation ceremony. To enlighten everyone with the history of Independence, a video-based on Independence Day 1947 was shown that captured the essence of the triumphant culmination of the Indian Independence struggle. The unsung heroes of our Indian freedom struggle were celebrated as students played the role of Pingali Venkeyya, Durga Bhabhi, Batukeshwar Dutt, and Abdul Gaffar Khan. Their stories of sacrifice and struggle touched the hearts of the audience. A video displaying the beautiful artistic creations of students of class VI-VIII was also shown which was prepared by Ms. Lovey Gupta. It was a wonderful amalgamation of students’ creative expressions which was enjoyed by everyone. Two students recited a poem- ‘Chalo Swatantrata Diwas Manaate Hain’ which laid stress on what the youth today feels for their nation and their passion to take their country to great heights. As an attempt to highlight the beauty of our Indian culture, a short movie compilation

by Ms. Risha, Class Teacher VI-C was also shown where the students presented a glimpse of their lives and how they are connected to their roots, what freedom means to them and what they can do for their country. A lyrical dance performance was given by students of VIC to express their patriotism by their graceful moves and gestures. A special musical rendition by the talented students of the middle section, prepared by the music teachers was a masterpiece where the students presented a medley of patriotic songs. Virtual performances by the students offered a completely unique experience to the audiences. The programme concluded with the precious words of appreciation and blessings of our respected Principal Sir, HM Senior Section, Puneet Sir, and AHM Middle Section, Sunita ma’am.

PHYSICAL FITNESS SESSION FOR STUDENTS “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” said John F. Kennedy. Ahlcon International School believes the same and is always at the forefront to ensure that students are imparted quality physical fitness sessions. In these unprecedented times, people have almost alienated from social life and taken abode in the mesh of electronic gadgets. This has not only restricted physical activity but also impacted their mental health & memory. Exercise affects the brain in many ways. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It aids the release of hormones which provide an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells. In the era of Covid-19, Ahlcon International School ensured to give equal emphasis to physical fitness as academics. Regular physical activity sessions are scheduled and part of the daily time table. Sports teachers organise well-planned sessions for different physical fitness activities related but not limited to stretching, Yoga, Basket Ball tips, Table Tennis tips, Squash tips, etc. These sessions have enabled students to relax from strenuous academic classes of the day. Apart from regular sports periods, sports teachers provide daily well-being sessions to students. These are short pocket sessions where sports teachers provide tips for keeping one fit - diet, exercise, correct sitting posture, etc. These have helped students to keep a check on their fitness and maintain a healthy body and mind. ONLINE SEMINAR- THE GERMAN DIGITAL KINDERUNIVERSITY On 7th August 2020, all the Science teachers and German teachers attended the online Seminar on the topic ‘The German digital Kinderuniversity’. The German Digital Kinderuniversity of the Goethe-Institut is an innovative educational project encouraging children’s ability to think creatively. The abbreviation KINDERUNI is composed of the German words “Kinder” (children) and “Uni” (short for university). It is an educational space meant primarily for children in the age group 8 to 12. The Kinderuni encouraged children to look for answers to science-related questions on their own and satisfy their thirst for knowledge. Ms. Stefanie Singh from Goethe-Institut Boston took the session, wherein she introduced many innovative activities related to the Kinderuniversity to be used as a useful resource for science teachers to improve the cognitive skills of the students and German teachers to teach vocabulary to the students. We learnt about the goals, content, and materials of the digital Kinderuniversity. It was indeed a great learning experience for us.

PARENT TEACHER MEET The Parent-Teacher Meet on 22nd August 2020 facilitated the parents to discuss their ward's performance. It benefited the parents as well as teachers too. Parents were updated about the progress of their wards, helping them find solutions to academic or behavioural problems. It was organized to give feedback to the parents about the performance of their wards and to solve the queries of parents regarding the pattern of the upcoming Half Yearly Examination. Parents expressed their sincere gratitude for providing support, guidance and precious life lessons during the online classes. Following major points were discussed by all class teachers:  Discussions were primarily focused on academics.  Student's work was dealt with.  Pattern of term1 paper was discussed in detail.  Term 1 date-sheet was mailed and revision schedule was discussed with the parents.  Behavior of the students during the class was also discussed with the parents.  The parents were satisfied with the regular flow of information through mails.  Timely completion and submission of notebooks by the students in the MS Team  Parents to go through the mails carefully for weekly flows and important circulars. Parents were apprised with the pattern of Half Yearly Examination.  They were requested to visit the school blog for getting all the updates regarding Half Yearly Examination syllabus and pattern .They were also requested to give their valuable feedback on the school blog.  Some parents were reminded to upload pending assignments of FA1 and FA2 of their wards.  Following major points were raised by parents:  Parents were curious to know about the pattern of half yearly examination which will be conducted virtually. They were informed that it is going to be a blend of both objective and subjective questions.  All the parents were extremely happy and satisfied with the ongoing virtual assessments and pace of syllabus completion.  Parents appreciated the teachers for the successful conduction of first round of virtual assessments.  Parents were pleased by the hard work put in by all the teachers to keep the students engaged virtually.  They appreciated the wellbeing sessions.  They also showed concern about the pattern of Term1 examination and revision schedule.  They requested for the bridge classes of all the subjects.

INVESTITURE CEREMONY “Leaders are not born but are made by their experiences in life”. To inculcate the leadership qualities in students and to give them a feel of functioning of the administrative body, the Student Council was formed at Ahlcon International School and for the very first time, a virtual Investiture Ceremony was held on 21st August 2020. The virtual ceremony began with the welcome of dignitaries with the background music of Band. After that, the mellifluous school song exhibiting pride in their alma mater reverberated in the hearts of the Ahlconites was played. The first-ever virtual Investiture Ceremony was yet another milestone reached in the journey of distance learning. It was different from any conventional event as it was a live online ceremony. The Principal, Mr. Sanjay Yadav, administered the oath to the proud council and house appointees, which was accepted by the students as a mark of solidarity to their institution and responsibilities. In his address to the Council, he expressed his pride in witnessing the crescendo of their journey. Dr. Ashok K Pandey, Director of Ahlcon group of Schools gave a short and inspiring speech that made the newly appointed torchbearers realize their responsibility towards the school. He encouraged them to bear the baton with honesty and steadfastness. The Middle section council members participated with utmost dynamism and humility. To bring a befitting culmination to the ceremony, an earnest vote of thanks by vice presidents of the Student Council of 2020-21 was accorded to the Principal and dignitaries. The occasion proved to be an exhilarating moment for all the office bearers who were filled with zeal and zest to take up their duties .

ASSEMBLY ON ‘JOY OF WORKING AS A TEAM’ Working in a team is an art and manifolds the success rate of an individual. Imbibing such skill in the students is a need of an hour, where a child learns to encourage everyone to participate and share their ideas. In this competitive world, where everyone strives for success a handful of people think for others to be recognised. Incorporating such attitude among the students a small initiative was taken by Ms. Tanvi Taneja for the students of class VIA on 18 August 2020. The session began with Morning Prayer as it is imperative to start the day with a positive note. Using the digital tool Mentimeter, students were asked to share their opinion on the significance of working in a team and the challenges faced by them. Students come up with various important aspects of group work and shared one common struggle of mismatch of ideas and lack of cooperation. Listening to their views, a video was shown imparting a beautiful message that how teamwork motivates unity and provide great learning opportunity required for personal growth. Thereafter, a set of rules were defined to be followed by the students so that all the planned events move in an organised manner where everyone can experience the spirit of teamwork.

ASSEMBLY ON ‘QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT DAY’ It’s always imperative to remember those important days of Indian History when people sacrifice their life so that everyone can breathe and feel the essence of freedom. For celebrating and paying tribute to all those heroes of the nation Class VIA took the initiative and observed ‘Quit India Movement Day’ on 7th August 2020. The day began with a morning prayer followed by a powerful thought that takes away everyone’s heart “Freedom is never dear at any price; it is the breath of life, but purely, a non-violent fight for India's independence.” It was followed by a role play by Tejas, Sahej, Sarthak, Hardik, and Dhairya showcasing one of the famous incidents of this most popular and powerful mass movement with Gandhi’s Mantra Do or die which was highly appreciated by everyone. Thereafter, Yashita gave some informative facts about the immediate after-effects of this movement using some placards that catches everyone's attention. The programme was further followed by a soulful tribute to all those heroes who relieved India from British Rule by Sunaina, Devika, Sheza, and Saesha using an instrument made the morning more blissful. “अब चिन्ता मत करॊ हम िेहरे का ओज बदल देंगे, इचतहास की क्या हस्ती है हम पूरा भूगोल बदल देंगे”

ITEM DESIGNING WORKSHOP Ms. Sunanda. S. Kumar conducted an online workshop on Item Designing for the teachers of the Middle Section on Saturday, 8th August 2020. The main purpose of this workshop was to achieve the following objectives for the continuous and comprehensive professional growth of staff:  To understand whether teaching is producing the intended learning.  To know what abilities are tested in existing testing scenario.  To address the issues in the teaching learning process and how learning occurs across age groups?  To gain in- depth knowledge of policies and standards of items and tests through extensive discussions, group activities and faculty interactions, Ms. Sunanda emphasised the need to expose the students to various types of questions while teaching and simultaneously develop a valid, reliable, objective, and practical evaluation tool for 21st-century learners. She reiterated the need for careful planning and interdisciplinary meetings to evolve a comprehensive pedagogy and to make teaching- learning more effective. Ms. Sunita Rajiv highlighted the importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy in setting HOTs questions. The teachers were updated with a range of activities to enhance their skills to assess three domains of knowledge i.e. cognitive, affective & psychomotor skills. The workshop formed a platform for the teachers to understand the hierarchy of educational targets. It gave an insight into the strengths and limitations of different forms of questions and techniques for setting a balanced paper.

TEACHER’S DAY- SPECIAL ASSEMBLY Morning assemblies indubitably hold the premier position out of all the routine activities in a school. It aids community participation as well as hones the skills of children on account of healthy competitive spirit. Probably it’s the first platform that is provided to students, boosting their confidence towards public speaking and imbibing a feeling of team spirit in their embryonic minds. At Ahlcon International School, we ensure that every student gets this platform. As today on 4th September 2020, the ‘Students Council’ of middle school curated a touching online special assembly on Teacher’s Day. It started with an amazing dance performance on Guru Vandana. Dignitaries and teachers were privileged by the stupendous titles given to them. Our budding artists brought down the house with the enactment of a biopic on Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. Students brought up the rear by creating an online game, and every teacher educed memories to cherish forever. They revealed their exuberance for teachers and expressed gratitude for teachers who transform lives and create the future. This wonderful assembly came to an end with the thought-provoking and motivational words of Principal sir, Mr. Sanjay Yadav; HM sir, Mr. Puneet Duggal; and HM Ma’am, Ms. Sunita Rajiv.

SDG FEST 2020 ‘Life is a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge ‘.Ahlcon International School celebrated the ‘SDG-Fest -2020’ on 25th September,2020 to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals , with unprecedented fervour and zeal, completely online. This grand ceremony was adorned by splendid presence of the Chief Guest- Shri S. N. Sahu -an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, Guests of Honour Mr. Venugopal Dharamranjan and Rabbi Maleker, Director Ahlcon group of schools, Dr. Ashok Kumar Pandey, Principals of both the Ahlcon Schools-Mr. Sanjay Yadav and Dr. Deepak Bisht and also by the Principals of participating schools. Even when the world had not completely come Online for the education purposes, Ahlcon International had set the precedent by organizing completely online SDG FEST, right from 2018.Since then it has been the tradition of the school to celebrate this fest on every anniversary of the Global Goals. Through the SDG FEST 2020, the roadmap of SDG crusadors was brought in the forefront, awareness was spread through carefully chiselled activities and communities were involved in all the competitions.In this mega event more than 40 schools ,more than 500 students, across the globe participated in numerous competitions. Students from Pre-primary till class XII submitted their online entries for myriad activities based on the SDGs. They had elevated the benchmark with their flawless performances and their thought-provoking presentations- all aligned to promote the Global Goals. SDG MEGA MARATHON was the most unique feature of the Fest which had brought 152 participants from across the world, under the umbrella of the SDGs. Mr. Puneet Duggal gave a brief of the event and the result of all the competitions were announced in the fest through a beautiful video. Dignitaries from Ahlcon Public School and Ahlcon International School praised this flawless presentation. HM-Primary School Ms. Anju Gupta, HM-Middle School- Ms. Sunita Rajiv and HM-Senior School Mr. Puneet Duggal and other dignitaries, blessed the young comperes of the scintillating show who had steered it so well. Principal- Ahlcon International School, Mr. Sanjay Yadav, expressed his heartfelt gratitude and satisfaction with the way these young change-makers across the globe gave everyone food for thought by their endeavour and praised the comperes of the day, Shabih Fatima, Poorva Bali,Alya Mehta , Rudransh Tuteja and Akriti Bahl. Director of Ahlcon Schools said, ”I see 25th of September as the birth of a vision which the world envisaged 5 years ago.Now the SDGs are a part of our DNA.” ‘Action is the need of the hour’, said the Chief guest Mr. S. N. Sahu and eminent speakers reiterated the urgency of achieving the goal by making all possible efforts to bring SDGs in every action for our planet. The Vote of thanks was proposed by the President of Student Council, Akshara Nair towards the end.

CPD Blog Link Newsletter Link Created by- Middle Section Edited by- Ms. Kanika Wadhera, Ms. Binny Rawal & Ms. Lovey Gupta

NEWLETTER: NEW FEATURE CREATIVE STROKES STORIES POEMS ☐ Short stories ☐ Original poetry ☐ Anecdotes ☐ Free verse ARTICLES INTERVIEWS ☐ Contemporary ☐ Of Changemakers ☐ Any topic ☐ Grandparents. ☐ Your idol OR EVEN A PAINTING………. We invite your original creative writings in any genre and the worthy ones will be featured here.This is an exceptional opportunity to showcase your prowess. So , let your creative juices flow…… Waiting to read your thoughts and witness your brush strokes… -Sunita Rajiv.