Pre-Primary - Kids Chronicles - Vol 2

NEWSLETTER Issue 02 | November 2020 | Pre Primary 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.Message from Vice- Principal’s Desk 3.Counsellor’s Corner 11.Kindergarten News 12.Virtual Birthday Celebrations 18.A Quick look at the curriculum covered 21.Valuable response from Parents 27.Teachers feedback on Virtual Schooling 30.Kids Corner 33.A poem on children’s day 35. Happy Diwali 2

From the Vice- Principal’s Desk Pre- School is when children are separated from the comfort and secure zone of their parents. Therefore, it must be a place which is a second home to the child, a place where enough Love, Care and Affection which makes the child feel comfortable and secure. This is the first place where the child builds his/her self-esteem. A child learns the importance of his own name, things and friends. Every child learns to communicate with his teachers and fellow students in the Pre School. It is the right place for the child’s foundation for lifelong progress. The skills and knowledge that the child develops in the Pre School have a great impact on the aptitude and attitude of the child later in life. Research on Pre School education have shown that children taught at an early age usually have improved social skills, fewer behavioural problems and better grades. Self-confidence gained by learning in a playful manner adds to the personality development of the child. Pre school has been the backbone of EuroSchool, Airoli right from its formative years. The department of early education always sets itself apart and was always in tune with it’s Ethos of it’s Balanced Schooling and Discover yourself. Introducing young minds to Scientists, Literary Authors, Values was embodied in it’s rich curriculum. For me personally it’s in this section rests the onus to ignite the enthusiasm in young minds to explore and develop the spirit of inquiry and its evident that it has been fulfilling this responsibility with the same rigour and enthusiasm3 over the last 11 years.

The young toddlers developing into young Adults with multiple skills like Public speaking, Music , Art along with excelling in Scholastic and Co - Scholastic activities. Over the years I have seen the Pre-Primary section adapt and progress with times. The fact that learners are 2 to 5 years does not deter them to expose them to complex themes Like Environment Sustainability, Life beyond Earth. The department has once again risen to the occasion in continuing the enrichment on the online platform in wake of the Pandemic. The innovative events, Enrichment programmes are ensuring that learning is continuous and enriching. Having been a part of these programmes I am marvelled at the extend of personal engagement of the team under the able guidance of the coordinators Ms. Rekha Fernandes and Ms Karishma Gogri and the vision of our principal Ms. Sudeshna Chatterjee. - Ms. Geeta Agrawal (Vice- Principal, EuroSchool, Airoli) 4

Counsellor’s Boost your Brain Power!! In a typical day, do you ever have to… Pay attention to something (even if it’s totally boring)… •Ignore the things that distract you from the thing you have to pay attention to? •Hold several pieces of information in your head at the same time? •Stifle impulses to say or do things that could get you in trouble? •Change what you’re doing in response to a change in circumstances? If you’re a typical human, you might be thinking that pretty much describes your entire day! There’s actually a fancy term that psychologists have for all of these processes: \"Executive Functioning”. Together, these processes are the foundation for self-regulation. As you can imagine, executive function is an incredibly important skill for children to develop. The two critical periods when it develops are early childhood and early adolescence. Children’s executive function and self regulation skills grow at a fast pace during this period. 5

Counsellor’s During early childhood...these functions occur frequently when children engage in activities of play such as building a make-believe community with blocks, playing a board game, creating a pillow fort to conquer and navigating a maze outdoors.- For example, when a pillow fort collapses several times in the process of building, the child has to start again with patience and emotion control, then problem solve how to redesign. Next the child may have to work cooperatively to rebuild and possibly negotiate assistance from a sibling or grandparent. Now these very same skills are needed when tackling a tough math problem: controlling emotions to not get frustrated, being patient and work cooperatively with a teacher or helper to problem solve and find the solution. Children with difficulty in \"Executive Functioning” will show- •Time blindness, or an inability to plan for and keep in mind future events. •Difficulty stringing together actions to meet long-term goals. •Trouble organizing materials and setting schedules. •Trouble controlling emotions or impulses. •Difficulty analyzing or processing information 6

Counsellor’s Executive functions can be taught and improved. Here are some effective strategies that can help children develop executive functioning. The magic of make-believe!! Pretend or dramatic play: During dramatic play, children must hold their own role and the roles of others in mind, That exercises their working memory. They have to stay in character, which helps with their inhibitory control. And they have to adjust to the twists and turns in the evolving plot, which requires them to think flexibly. 1.Storytelling: It requires the listening kids to pay attention for long periods. Listening to a story promotes a different area of brain development than what kids get from reading a picture book. Listening to a story, they use their working memory to keep track of the characters and what has happened so far, and relate that to new information as the story progresses. 2.Obstacle Course: Set up a course where your child has to go under and over various barriers (like couch cushions and coffee tables) and through tunnels. Varying the course or increasing its complexity will help to keep your child challenged. How it helps: Being able to control your body and plan physical actions is a fundamental part of learning how to manage your brain. So any activity that works on the child’s coordination and requires him to figure out how to do a multi-step actions to achieve a goal, is good for executive function, particularly if you keep adding new variations to the game. 7

Counsellor’s 4.Using a timer: “When are we going swimming?” Preschoolers not only have enormous difficulty waiting, they don’t understand how long a half hour is. One way to make the wait a little easier for kids is to set a timer and let the child watch it count down until it’s time to go. How it helps: Timers, including egg timers, digital microwave timers and wind-up kitchen timers give children a visual representation of time counting down. This helps them learn to plan and pace themselves. 5. Games like Simon Says or I Spy You: I am sure we all have played this game when we were kids! How they help: “When someone says, ‘Touch your nose’ every young child’s impulse will be to touch her nose,” .But, in order to succeed in the game, the child has to listen and wait for the words, Simon Says. I Spy involves planning. Kids have to connect the verbal clue with what they can see around them, and must adjust their plan as they get more information in the form of clues. “You’re getting colder,” tells the child she’s searching in the wrong direction and “You’re getting warmer,” tells her she’s close. 8

Counsellor’s 6.Cooking: Depending on your child’s age she can help you measure out ingredients, or just add them pre-measured. How it helps: Following a recipe requires a child to work within a plan, and to keep ‘updating’ the plan as they think about what has been done so far, and what needs to be done next. 7.Feely bag: Put familiar toys or objects in a cloth bag (plastic toy animals work well) and have a child stick his hand in the bag and try to guess to what object he is holding just from how it feels. Variation: The child feels the objects from the outside of the bag. How it helps: Feely bag requires working memory , but it also requires kids to connect sensory information (in this case the shape and texture of the object) with their internal picture of what the animal looks like. 9

Counsellor’s What all these activities have in common is that kids are using their bodies, their minds and their senses at the same time in ways that help them understand how to use their brain power to make things happen. “Executive Functioning” may sound a bit boring, but it can be fun to learn. Family Game Night can now be “Family Brain Night!” Enjoy! Smita Nair HOD(Dept of Spl Edn and Counseling) EuroSchool- Airoli 10

Kindergarten News Events Celebrated Upcoming Event :- Ø Independence Day § Christmas Ø Krishna Janmashtami Ø Ganesh Chaturthi Ø Eid Ø Parsi New Year Ø Hindi Diwas Ø Grandparents Day Ø Diwali and Children’s Day Tongue Twisters q Fuzzy Wuzzy A sailor went to sea to see, Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, What he could see? Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, And all he could see was sea, Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t very fuzzy, was he? sea and sea. 11

SANDALI RAHUL TIWARI 12 DAKSH GIRISH ROHRA NYRA HEMANT KOTWAL HRISHIKESH GANESH JATADHARAN NEEL AMOGH RAUT ANAYA JAYESH CHAMANKAR VEEHA PRATIT SHAH REHAAN CHARAN MANGHWANI MAAHI AMIT SINGH PRISHA SUNIL PATIL RUDHAN GOUTAM JOG SHANAYA SANJIV ARJUNAGI YANISH BUNTY MAKHIJA ARNAV VAIBHAV KARKHANIS HIRANYA PRAVIN MANE RIYANSH VAIBHAV PAWAR SHIVANSH PRASAD PAWAR AABAN KHAN OVI GORAKSH WABALE KHUSH ALPESH DAND SHIVANSH VINAYAK DAVE VIAAN SHAMEEN DESHMUKH ZOYA SIDDIQUI SAARA RAWAT AADHYA KALAPATAPU RIYAANSH AMIT SHAH SWARA ADITYA GORE VIAAN NITIN LALE SPRUHA PATIL

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AADI ASHWIN NAVELKAR 15 ABHEER SINGH AGASTYA ABHIJIT JADHAV ARYAN KAUL AVEER SINGH WASHIST AVNI NITIN JAIN AVYAAN ASHAY DESHPANDE AYANSH GANESH KAMBLI AYANSH SHARMA BHAVIKA BHERULAL GURJAR ELSA SINGH EVAAN HARSHIT SHAH EVANSHI KHEMKA HARSHIT SHARMA KRISHA MAYUR SHETH REYANSH SANTOSH TODKAR SAMAIRA VINAY AGRAWAL SAYURI DHANDE SHARVI BHARATHESH BANJAN TEJIKA HEMANT GOYAL TVISHA NIRAV PATEL SHLOK DIPESH SEJPAL YOSHITA VARMA NAKSH VERMA RIDDHI DATTATRAY MORE SIDDHI DATTATRAY MORE

ASHKA SINHA SHLOK PARAG WADEKAR NIRAJ CHETAN NIKAM VIARAT AMISH SHAH VIHAAN JAINESH PANCHAL PARV SUMIT BHATIA NIPUN SUNILKUMAR PATANGE SHRAVYA SUNIL WAGHMODE AAROHI JAIN ABHYUDAY SAXENA ANAY VIVEK DEODHAR ANVI BRIJESH MISHRA ARIA VORA ARNAV RAJARAM SAWANT AYAAN DEEPESH VINCHHI FREYA SHAH HARSHI S CHAUDHARI HRIDAAN DEVIN JOBANPUTRA KHUSH DHARMESH SHAH MIHIKA PRASADI ROMIL MANAS DESHPANDE RUDRA SHANKAR JADHAV SHARVA GAURAV RATNAPARKHI VARAD YOGESH SAWANT YASH BHARAT SHARMA 16

DEVANSHI VINAYAK CHAVAN 17 VYAS PRADEEP SALUNKE ANUSHA MOORTHY ANVAY ANIKET DESHMUKH ARJUN MANE DEV MITEN PANCHAL HREYAANSH NIKHIL AMIN NIVAAN VIKRAMJIT PUAR PARSHVA JAY GOSRANI PURVAANSH THAKKER RADHESH DIVYA KAMBLE RAJ ROSHAN CHOPDA RIAAN YATISH WORLIKAR SAEESH SANDEEP CHOUGULE SIDDHARTHA VIJAYVARGIY SOUMYOJIT CHAKRABORTY SRISHTI SUNIL RAO TEJAS AJAY GAIKWAD VIHAAN NILAY SHAH AAHANA KAPUR ARYA MANDAR RANE DIA SUJAY SHENOY ISHAANVI SINGH MYRA ANKEET GANDHI NISHKA ANIL SANCHETI PEARL DSOUZA SAHANA SANJIV SIDDHANT OMPRAKASH NAIK KRISH KARANDE

Nursery Curriculum Covered:- Literacy :- Letters D to L Math Lab :- Numbers 2 to 5 Scientific Thinking :- Transport, Vegetables & Fruits Word of the Week :-Dangerous, Peeled ,Picky, Nourishing, Ripe, Tangy, Swiftly, Sparkling Shape :- Triangle, Square, Rectangle Color Buzz :- Blue, Yellow, Green 18

Junior KG Curriculum Covered :- Literacy :- Learning Letters from ‘Aa- Ww’, Phonic Reading Scientific Thinking :- Food & Nutrition , Manners & Etiquettes., Neighborhood. Math Lab :- Numbers 1-12, Before, After & Between Numbers Color Buzz :- Orange, Black, White, Purple, Grey, Pink Shape :- Square, Triangle, Rectangle, Oval Word of the Week :- Graceful, Unique, Elaborate, Edible, Radiant, Balanced, Examine, Encourage, Gratitude, Interrupt, Thoughtful, Participate, Energetic. 19

Senior KG Curriculum Covered:- Literacy :- Vowel ‘e, i, o and u family words. Scientific Thinking :- Professionals around us and Materials around us Lifecycles Math Lab :- Learning about Bigger & Smaller Numbers, Ascending & Descending, Number Names till 27, Revisiting Greater than, lesser than numbers, Introduction to odd & even numbers. Colors :- Brown, Black, Grey, Purple, White, Pink Shapes :- Triangle, Rectangle, Oval, Heart, Star, Rhombus, Crescent. Word of the Week :- Threat, Deserve, Perfect, 20 Narrow, Blunt, Trivial., Chaos, Comfortable, Generous, Memorable

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It has been about 5 months since the online classes have started and the overall experience has been good. Our young kids are adapting to the change and teachers are also trying their best to get them interested. With this current pandemics, being physically present in school is not possible, conducting virtual classes is definitely the way out. Online education has definitely helped to shape a kind of routine for the children. The interactive sessions, with impetus given to extra curricular activities is a good break. Innovative ways of engaging parents in activities is appreciated. Although at times we have issues about weak internet connection and engagement of students, the overall experience has been good. - Ms. Ayesha Ramchandani (Mother of Mishka Ramchandani – Jr.A ) 22

Hi, I am mother of Vedaa Sinhal, Sr. KG F, EuroSchool, Airoli. I was initially very skeptical of online class. Always had 2 worries, whether my child will sit through 2 hours of online session and will the online class bring any kind of development in my child. Today I feel proud to be associated with EuroSchool . The teachers make the class very interesting and full of energy. The curriculum is spread out in a manner that ensures healthy use of technology. With many activities planned during the course of 2 hrs, the child is more involved in doing PE, Yoga, Gymnastics, Dance or Singing. The teaching methods and writing practices during the class ensures that the child has less screen time. New concepts and proper explanations with actions make the child learn and enjoy the class. Today I am 100% satisfied with the teaching methods and overall curriculum. - Ms. Rachana Sinhal (A Proud Parent of Vedaa Sinhal – Sr.KG- F) 23

When they brought the school home Isn’t it ironic, that it was in fact a digital and virtual existence which made us feel real and tangible while ensconced in our homes during the catastrophic environment of this pandemic. As I’ve had the opportunity to think on this time, Not only could the students recap the benefits of knowledge, they could also enhance their competence in virtual skills and become adept at networking over the internet, which is the future for this cohort of Gen Z boys and girls, who have seamlessly integrated technology into their lives. However, it was not the students alone who witnessed a digital transformation of sorts. Personally, it has been a makeover for family members as well. I am certain that parents too underwent a contemporaneous changeover from being technological amateurs to effective digital integrators, as the initial apprehensions of using a new and unfamiliar digital platform were replaced with confidence due to the ease of maneuvering and handling computerized systems effectuated by EuroSchool. I am incredibly energized that my kid continues to build and grow with EuroSchool “EUNOIA” through Virtual learning and Argus Junior App having significantly raised the standards of quality learning! . Euro school has reiterated to us Progress doesn’t stop for Pandemic…. and that’s how learning acquired a new meaning Surekha Damle (Mother of Atharva Damle Jr KG D) 24

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going- a good example towards this would be how Euro School executes their virtual schooling. This pandemics has been particularly hard on the children with the virtual schooling. This pandemic has been particularly hard on the children with virtual school being the new normal, however the school teachers are visibly, putting a lot of effort to make the sessions as interactive and experiential as possible. Even a regular routine activity like attendance has been infused with fun. The casual chit-chat that teachers continuously engage in, with children during tiffin time makes the kids special and is a great rapport building exercise. Even during these unprecedented times, we saw the school celebrating all occasions like father’s Day, Friendship Day, Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami, Ganpati, Independence Day, Peace Day, Hindi Diwas etc with a lot of pomp and show. Being a trainer myself, I completely understand how difficult it is to train and engage the audience in this virtual world and I applaud school, Rekha Ma’am. Sanjeevani Ma’am & Leena Ma’am for every effort that they take in sensitively hand holding children on their education journey in these critical times. -Ruchi Gandhi (Mother of Myra Gandhi, Sr.KG - G) 25

When the pandemic hit we were very apprehensive of how schooling for Freya would get impacted. The initial days were new for us and pre recorded videos helped get used to this mode of learning. As the time went on and it transitioned into live online teaching we have been most happy and satisfied that the school and the class teachers take so much effort to make learning as seamless as possible. The new curriculum and daily activities like yoga, taekwondo, dance, choir and P.E help our daughter to develop in this new environment of learning. The way cultural festivals are celebrated in unique stories and experiences is a revelation to us. The science experiments done virtually pique our child’s interest and curiosity. Whilist we agree that online education is not a direct replacement for classroom teaching, we have been most satisfied and happy with the efforts that the teaching staff and EuroSchool have been taking. Our efforts as parents for online schooling has gone up as well but it is most rewarding to play a role in her education. - Anuja & Jaymin (Parent of Freya from Sr.KG - G) 26

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Online classes are the new normal, ppts are the new teaching aids, mute- unmute is the new way of managing the class.The new normal has definitely been a success, our initial days where mixed with struggle and wow moments, every day was a new learning for both students and teachers, engaging the entire class online was a bit of roller coaster ride. Our little bundles of joy not only helped us to sail through this technology challenge but have now become a pro themselves too, from applauding with emoticons for a friend who answered correctly in class, to using raise hand option when in doubt, they have come a long way. Technology has definitely played a major role in this journey, but as teachers what we miss the most is the presence of our little ones around us. Waiting for the new normal to switch back to our normal school days soon. Ms. Neetu Murthy ( Sr.KG Class Teacher ) 28

A news flash of COVID-19 patients found in India and everything just changed in no time. It was difficult for us to accept that we will not be able to see our little ones soon. We never knew that the physical classrooms would be taken over by virtual classrooms. A shift from physical classroom to virtual classroom was so sudden and unexpected that not only me but also the children took time to accept that the technology is going to play a major role in our education system. Things like muting, unmuting were new for me as well as for the kids, but eventually we all have accepted it. The virtual classroom is fun as i not only get to interact with the kids but also with their families on daily basis. This interaction has enabled me in creating a concrete bond with the children. I feel we are heading straight to the future as the concept of the virtual classroom is proving way too convenient for our little ones. Ms. Kinjal Jaitpal (Sr. KG Class Teacher ) 29

Kids Corner Taste a Rainbow Can you match each item of food below to the correct shade? Broccoli Yellow Berries Green Carrot Red Tomato Blue Bell Pepper Orange 30

Kids Corner Disney Decisions 1. Which movie tells the story of Simba and his father, Mufasa? a. Frozen b. The Lion King c. Cindrella d. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs. 2. Who is the central character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid ? a. Abby b. Mary c. Ariel d. Samantha 3. In which movie does Baloo sing, ‘The Bear Necessities? a. The Jungle Book b. Finding Nemo c. Moana d. Coco 4. Who is the mail character in Tangled ? a. Snow White b. Belle c. Cindrella d. Rapunzel 31

Kids Corner Help the bus reach the bus stop 32

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Children’s day special We celebrate children’s day, In a great way, Let’s all have fun and play, On this very cheerful day, As no one is in our way, May all the children have fun, As they jump, run and play. May all the children be happy and gay, Unmuddled by the future ever so bright, They are the glimpse of the future, And the doodad of the day before future, They are the soul of destiny and are the assignee. Assignee of dreams that their parents have seen, They are the vehicle of growth, of the world and the country both. All that I would like, assert like a river in the desert. In the end, I wish today to all the wonderful children a very HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY.. - Ms. Melicia Serrao (Academic Lead Jr.KG) 34

With the festival of lights around the corner, celebrations have already begun at EuroSchool, Airoli Sharing few glimpse of our Pre-Primary children with their lanterns, greeting cards , diyas prepared for their Diwali celebration. May this Diwali light up your New dreams, New hopes, New avenues, and new perspectives. The entire Euro Family, wishes each one of you a very Happy & Safe Diwali. 35

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