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OUR CORE VALUES Our values-driven international education is expressed through Core Values which are woven into every academic and curricular activity at GEMS schools. We live and breathe our four values that form the basis of everything we do. With these values at the core of our School , we encourage independent learning and empower students to embrace responsibility. Students at our top private schools learn to celebrate diversity in a spirit of understanding and tolerance that helps them become citizens of the world.

Our Vision Provide an exceptional quality education to meet the needs of an international community.

Our Mission To develop lifelong learners who engage in meaningful learning experiences that build compassion, resilience and understanding of their role in the community.

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OFFICIATING PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul." -- Dieter F. Uchtdorf At GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram creativity is crucial to the learning process of all the stakeholders involved, be it children, teachers or parents. The burning question that remains is how does one achieve creativity? Can it be achieved overnight? The truth is that the creative process is actually a process, it requires a lot of time, work, and energy. But the best part about this being a process, is that anyone can be creative. Allow me to introduce you to the 5 P’s of the creative process. Perception, Practice, Perseverance, Patience and Passion. In order to become a creative individual, it is pivotal that one initiates their journey by being perceptive. It makes a child more mindful of their surroundings, be it in the classroom or outside. It enables a child to be able to appreciate the delicate intricacies all around that are hidden in nature and even in people. When people become more mindful to the setting and people around them, that is when they embark on their journey of creativity. This can be further complimented with practice and perseverance. Both of them go hand in hand. When children practice continuously to fine-tune their skills along with a never-say-die attitude, it helps them to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves. It is not only about the technical knowledge that a child possesses rather it is how they express themselves in their own unique way. It is important that everyone maximizes their creative potential in order to be able to create and innovate, even if the situation is not in their favour. That is when patience and passion would play an important role. Be excited about your work, do it from a place of passion. Last year’s journey is proof enough of our strong desire to continually indulge ourselves in various creative pursuits. Odyssey-Every Journey Matters, Mastermind Conclave, Incredible India Week, Literature Festival, ArtShaala and many more have contributed to making our journey at GMA wholesome. Taking a step further,it gives me immense pleasure to share with all of you the first edition of our ENewsletter ‘Insignia’. I congratulate the staff and students who used various mediums of expression to present their ideas. As long as our ideas are expressed and thoughts kindled, we can be sure of learning, as everything begins with an idea. There is no limit to what the creative mind may achieve. ‘Do more than belong – participate. Do more than care – help. Do more than believe – practice. Do more than be fair – be kind. Do more than forgive – forget. Do more than dream – work.’ Happy Reading!

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ACADEMIC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Aristotle once said that “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” At GEMS Education, we care about values-led education and seek to encourage students to grow and develop their personal and interpersonal qualities. GMA, Gurugram is launching its first e- Newsletter -‘Insignia,’ which I am sure will be a popular and potentially useful educational communication tool and value-based publication.

The Academic Year, 2020-2021 has been challenging for students, parents, administrators, and teachers. Teachers assumed the role of distance learning teacher for students. The school leadership worked on the best ways to push team performance when everyone was mentally and emotionally distracted by the crisis. The students adapted well to meet many ever-changing expectations during the online classes. Parents not only adapted to the ‘New normal’ on their work front, they also monitored the online schooling of their children. Together this led to the success of the online classes at GMA. This goes to prove that a committed and supportive management, dedicated teachers, caring and co-operative parents blend harmoniously to create a child-centric environment under all situations. Teamwork is the hallmark of GMA, Gurugram, I am sure through collaborative efforts we can achieve more to benefit our students who are the future leaders of tomorrow. ‘Insignia’ is a milestone that marks our growth, unfolds our imagination, and gives life to our thoughts and aspirations. It unleashes a spectrum of creative skills ranging from writing to editing and even designing the e- Newsletter. I congratulate the entire editorial team for their hard work and dedication that has resulted in the publication of this first issue of ‘Insignia’. With warm wishes and blessings, Dr. Saleem Khan

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ACADEMIC COORDINATOR’S MESSAGE “Imagination is more important than knowledge, for while knowledge

defines all that we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.” —Albert Einstein As we come to an end of an exhaustive online academic year, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you all to have come out of the very stressful and difficult time with flying colours. Often, life puts us to a test and we need to swim across the hurdles of competition and biases with a zealous and courageous energy; and yes I’m quite proud to say that YOU ALL HAVE EXCELLED EXPONENTIALLY! We saw you take on this new mode of learning in a spirited and cheerful manner and embark on this journey of distance learning with bold steps. I’m sure that you all have learnt many new skills that will help you in future. ONE FOOD FOR THOUGHT that I want to give you through the platform of Insignia is the message of cheerfulness and happiness. In today’s fast paced world, we struggle hard to achieve the best of everything. However, even when we achieve a lot, the element of happiness remains missing. We want more and keep raising our bar of expectations. It is definitely good to aim higher but we must not feel defeated or burdened in any situation. When one learns to be happy with oneself, stress levels reduce automatically and one develops a deeper insight into life. Consequently, a happy being with a deeper insight tends to have greater inclination for self-discovery. We make realistic ,achievable goals and success is surely ours. Taking a small step each time, we climb the ladder of success. Always understand that ‘Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.’

Nurture yourself to be zestful and stay cheerful while you work diligently towards your goal. Smita Sharma Dabas Academic Coordinator Grades 3-11

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ACADEMIC COORDINATOR’S MESSAGE A Story on Friendship…

want something I should close my eyes and ask the It was a bright sunny morning. ‘Peepal’ tree I can see from the glass window of my Children here, children there… room. I have been pray children everywhere! “Good morning miss!” I heard a ing to this tree from the time I came here, but could beautiful voice tugging my kurta never get close to it as we are not allowed to go to the from behind! other side”. He continued speaking without a breath… I recognized the face from my “Every time I would see the janitor leave the premises I previous visit the day before. would ask him to put a fallen flower out for me under “Hello love! A very good morning to you” I replied. the tree so my wish would come true”. “Will you come with me? I want to show you something”. “And what is it that you have been wishing for?” I asked “Right now?” inquisitively. “Yes please. It’ll only take a minute. We just need to go “I have been wishing for my best friend to recover from behind that door”, the sweet voice said pointing towards his illness” said the little teary eyed boy. a huge iron gate. “What happened to him?” “You mean that big gate?” “He was very sick. All his hair had fallen off. But now “Yes yes the gate”, and he pulled my kurta again in the they say he’s going to be ok. We all cut a little bit of our effort to drag me towards the gate. hair so we could give it to him and he looks fine when he Almost running at his speed and jogging on mine we wears our hair like a hat” he said with an innocent smile. reached the gate. “Like a hat?” I questioned. ‘OUT OF BOUNDS!’ it said clearly hanging loose on a Now a big smile on his face… “Yes! Like a hat. The nurse board on the Iron Gate with a big rusted lock. helped us to make a wig out of it for him and so he An old security guard slept on an old wooden stool man- wears it like a hat” he said almost giggling. ning the gate so no one gets out. “Today is a special day. But it also makes me sad beI looked down at the boy and he glanced at me and then cause now I’ll have no one to play with” he continued. looked towards the small side gate which was open. Now it was my turn to be teary eyed. “Why?” I asked I shook my head trying to say ‘No’, but melted at the almost choking. look of the boy who was almost in tears. “My friend is okay now. His mommy and daddy are comWith a sigh we slowly tip toed towards the side gate so ing to take him home today. It’s a special day because we wouldn’t alarm the guard. today finally his wish to go home is coming true and in One step at a time and we were on the other side. turn mine. That’s why it was important for me to come The boy knew exactly where he wanted to go. and say thank you to the ‘Peepal’ tree personally today”. On our left was this huge ‘Peepal Tree’ at the bottom of Now I held back my tears as the little boy continued to which lay some white jasmine flowers on a heart shaped speak… ‘peepal’ leaf. “You are very kind. Thank you for helping me”. The little boy slipped his hands into his pocket and took And off he ran towards the big gate, back to his sweet out a jasmine flower and placed it along with the other innocent life as I watched on... flowers. I looked at what he was doing and wondered what this Retika Kapur Coordinator was all about. As if reading my mind he started to rattle off… “The day Early Years my mommy dropped me off here she told me, if I ever

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EDITOR’S DESK I am exhilarated beyond measure to be a part of the launch of the Newsletter of GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram. It is a collective endeavour of children and teachers. I feel that Insignia will give our children the roots to grow and the wings to fly. Prerna Malhotra

mauJao yah jaanakr haid-k p`sannata hao rhI hO ik ‘jaomsa maa^Dna- ekoDmaI gauÉga`ama’ ApnaI pi~ka ‘[Misagainayaa’ (Insignia) ka p`qama p`kaSana krnao jaa rha hO. ivad\yaalaya pi~ka vaYa-Bar kI gaitivaiQayaaoM kao p`stut krtI hO. ijasako maaQyama sao ivad\yaalaya kI ivaSaoYataAaoM evaM ]plaibQayaaoM ko baaro maoM saBaI kao jaananao ka Avasar imalata hO. pi~ka ko saRjana maoM ivad\yaalaya ko iSaxakaoM evaM baccaaoM kI BaUimaka A%yaMt mah%vapUNa- hO. [samaoM

p`kaiSat haonao vaalao laoKÊ khanaIÊ kivataAaoM tqaa Anya rcanaaAaoM ka saMklana Ca~aoM evaM iSaxakaoM d\vaara ikyaa jaata hO. baccaaoM kI p`itBaa kao inaKarnao ka yah ek Anaupma Avasar p`dana krta hO. maOM pi~ka ko laoKna va p`kaSana kaya- sao jauD,o saBaI iSaxakaoM evaM Ca~aoM ka ivaSaoYa $p sao Qanyavaad krtI hUÐ. AapkI SauBaocCu vaInaa Dear readers, Greetings! It gives me immense pleasure contributing in the First edition of “Insignia”. It will help in teaching the students the value of cooperation and encourage the creative writers. We have for you, from our French students, a wide range of poems, painting and some informative and inspirational articles. “Insignia” not only exhibits Talents and Skills but accomplishment as well. Happy Reading! Ms. Amita Rehani, French Teacher 7

FROM THE COUNSELLOR’S DESK “I am a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.” -Ruth Ginsberg

For a counsellor, working with children can be exciting and thought provoking. It requires a lot of patience and presence of mind to listen to them and answer their problems. I have had various experiences and learned that it’s not just the adults who have so many struggles but children too have them. Ranging from “what if I tell my friend that I don’t like her anymore” to inattentiveness to low self-esteem issues. Sometimes children need extra help because of medical, emotional or learning problems. One might be able to spot a few children with special needs, but you probably don't notice all of them. A child could have a problem that isn't noticeable unless you know the person well. For example, someone could have trouble with anxiety (worry), but you wouldn't know it unless the child told you about it. Privately, their parents, teachers, and counsellors may be working to help them worry less. We don’t realize that sometimes lending someone our ears and giving them our time can be the greatest thing for them. It helps them believe that someone is there for them. With love and light, Kirti Ramchandani (School Counselor and Special Educator)

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EVENTS GALORE Annual Proficiency Ceremony GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram solemnized its first Annual Proficiency Ceremony on 30th May 2020 with great zest and enthusiasm virtually. The Chief Guest for the event was Mr. Narayanan Rajagopalan, Senior Advisor GEMS Education and the Guest of Honour was Ms. Nargish Khambatta, VicePresident, and GEMS Education. The event articulated and demonstrated the dynamic nature of our school, our commitment to excellence and our relentless pursuit of achieving ‘The Best'. During the much awaited Prize Distribution Ceremony, the students of Grades 3-9 were felicitated in scholastic and co-scholastic domains. The programme continued with the outstanding teachers of GMA being conferred with Teacher Awards.

Investiture Ceremony GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram upholds the principle of Excellentia at all times. In order to take this vision forward, the school bestows upon its students the ability to be global citizens and future leaders of the world. Keeping up with this thought in mind, GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram held its Investiture Ceremony. The newly appointed Council Members were conferred by their parents on this great occasion of Investiture Ceremony of the newly elected office bearers of the school. The newly appointed Council Members were adorned with badges. The Chief Guest, Dr. Tarun Seem (IRS) in his speech emphasized on the importance of the journey and the struggles and he deemed it as Riyaaz. The school even collaborated with an NGO, Sugam, as a part of its social outreach and inclusion programme and conducted their investiture ceremony as well.

Mastermind Conclave 2020 GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram provided an opportunity to all its students to participate in the Mastermind Conclave 2020. The base of MMC was the General Awareness Programme (GAP), which is issued every month. This gave a platform to the students to share their understanding of the General Awareness Programme. This was the extension of our Global Citizenship and Awareness Programme. Mastermind Conclave (MMC) 2020 was a big success. Students and parents participated with enthusiasm and appreciated the efforts of the teachers.

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Odyssey – Every Journey Matters “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” Competition is a part of life that can’t be avoided. They are held every year to hone the intrinsic and latent abilities in students and help them demonstrate their inherent talents and diverse faculties. Keeping in view, ‘An Inter-school Competition – Odyssey – Every Journey matters’, was organized for Grades KG- 5. The underlying idea of the event is to never cease exploring, learning and growing. Every journey matters! Every child is more than just himself/herself; he/she is a unique being who experiences an individual journey of growth. Every story is important and worthy of consideration. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Students from Grades KG- 5 from various schools participated in various categories like – Upcycling genius, Naatyashastra- Express with Theatre, Sound of Music, Spotlight – Lead the stage and Razzmatazz. The competition witnessed enthusiastic participation from students. Winners were awarded certificates and gift vouchers. The overall Winner trophy was bagged by DLF Public School, Sahibabad.

GEMS All India Literature Festival 2020 GEMS Education Society organised ‘GEMS All India Literature Festival 2020’. The theme of the festival was, ‘Living in the Age of Information’. In the spirit of collaboration rather than a mere competition, the festival gave an opportunity to children to discuss, rethink , listen and enunciate their thoughts, emotions and ideas. An array of events during the festival were designed to help students of different age groups to build confidence, creativity and communication. Various prominent authors, educators and veteran writers were also part of this festival including Honourable Mr. Shashi Tharoor.

Virtual Art Gallery—Artshaala Vincent Van Gogh once said. ‘‘If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint then by all means paint, and that voice will be silent.” GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram resonates with this thought and inaugurated the first ever virtual art gallery-ArtShaala. It was a platform to showcase the journeys of our children, parents and staff as they embarked on a journey to hone the latent creative abilities. The theme of the event was envisioned in such a manner that we convey the message that in every person, an artist lives and thrives. The children had not only emulated the works of other artists but also created their own artworks. Moreover, the children displayed their talent and potential in the field of performing arts as well.

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Santa’s Flameless Cooking on Christmas To celebrate Christmas and brighten up everyone’s spirit, a ‘Flameless Cooking’ session was conducted with our young children and this time we made edible ‘Santa Pinwheels’, Reindeers and decorated Christmas trees and wished everyone virtually.

Republic Day Republic Day celebrates our spirit of unity in diversity along with an opportunity to express ourselves. The day was planned to help children learn the significance of Republic Day and become responsible citizens. To make it more joyful, we had included hands-on activities. It was an enjoyable experience for all the children.

Diwali and Dusshera Celebration Festivals are lots of fun for all age groups. We as adults also wait for the festivals to celebrate with our near and dear ones. Diwali, the festival of lights, symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Even during these pandemic times, our spirit of celebration has not dampened. At GMA, we celebrated and enjoyed along with our young learners. The students enjoyed decorating rangoli, lighting diyas and setting up puja thalis.

Gandhi Jayanti Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India on 2nd October each year. Mahatma Gandhi is a symbol of peace and truth. This day was soaked in patriotic fervour and we remembered his wise teachings- “Not to see bad, not to hear bad and not to speak bad”. To mark the celebrations of the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we at GMA organized a series of activities for our children.

Grandparents’ Day Celebration Grade I and II celebrated Grandparents’ Day on 12th September 2020. Grandparents participated in the celebration virtually along with their Grandchildren. Grandparents from different locations were a part of the celebration. The celebration started with the warm welcome of the Grandparents by teachers. A dazzling video of memories of Grandparents with their Grandchildren was showcased.

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Incredible India Week Grade I and II celebrated Incredible India Week in lieu of Independence Day for four days starting from 10 August to 14 August. Students were introduced to freedom fighters and leaders of India. Also, National Symbols were discussed. The students dressed up as a freedom fighter or a national leader and spoke lines as or about them. They also recited a self-composed poem and supported their performance with props. On culmination of the week on 14 August, the students showcased their art skills by enjoying Stippling Art with the help of their teachers. A virtual tour was arranged as well to show the transformation of our country since Independence.

Fireless Cooking Activity Grade I and II students made coconut laddoos through Fireless Cooking Activity. The children were shown videos on the importance of Rakshabandhan. Moreover, the teachers extended the discussion to the idea of Surakshabandhan. They all were enthusiastic to play role of little chefs and were pleased to make their parents eat sweets prepared by them. The teachers enlightened them on the importance of wearing a chef cap and apron while cooking.

Father’s Day The day that denotes the importance of a Father’s was celebrated with full enthusiasm and high spirits. The event was held on 27th July 2020, as fathers were especially invited online to spend a memorable day filled with activities and fun. The event commenced with the welcome of fathers. To recreate the most memorable memories for the fathers, a video featuring their memories with their little ones was also played. Funfilled games and activities were organised in which, both the fathers and their children participated together as a team. Fathers also shared their experiences of fatherhood, which was quite an ice-breaker for the occasion. Overall it was an enjoyable and memorable day for each and every child, which left an unforgettable mark on the innocent hearts.

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Mother’s Day The day that recognizes the essence of a mother was celebrated in high spirits and merriment. The event was held on 9th of May, as mothers were invited online to spend a memorable day filled with activities and fun. To recreate the most memorable memories for the mothers, a video featuring their photographs with their little ones was also played on the screen. Various fun-filled games and activities like Antakshari and Anagrams were organized in which, both the mothers and the children participated together as a team. Mothers also shared their experiences of motherhood, which was quite a memorable experience.

Earth Week The students of Grade I and II enthusiastically participated in various activities to celebrate Earth Week. The message of love and care for nature was discussed by the teachers. On this occasion, a lot of creative activities were organised to sensitise the children about the conservation of natural resources and to motivate them to do their bit towards making their planet even more beautiful.

GEMS Online Grandmaster National Chess Tournament 2021 GEMS Online Grandmaster National Chess Tournament (GOGNCT) for the first time, brought all the four GEMS schools in India together in a friendly competition. It provided an opportunity for all GEMS students to become active and caring community members, who respect themselves, others and the world around them. The Chief Guest of the event was Grandmaster Koneru Humpy. She’s an 13

Workshops Through The Year TOPIC: Action with a Purpose (Online Interaction) SPEAKER: Mr. Lucky Puchhrat

VENUE: Microsoft Teams

An online interaction was conducted by Mr. Lucky Puchhrat. He brought with him more than a decade of work experience in different domains. He is the director of Mavericks India Solution. The session commenced with the following quote:

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” - Lou Holtz The sense of purpose not only helps you find and do things but it adds meaning to your life. A healthy sense of purpose helps you put various events in perspective, to refocus on the things that are meaningful to you and move ahead and cherish life.

TOPIC: Online Interaction by Ashoka University SPEAKER: Ms. Parneet Shergill

VENUE: Zoho App

An online interaction was conducted by Ashoka University to introduce children to the unique aspects of the Undergraduate Programme at the University. This was attended by the students of Grades X and XI. The 45 minute session covered the uniqueness of Ashoka University and the concept of liberal education. Ms. Shergill conveyed relevant information pertaining to the undergraduate, Young Scholar’s Programme and Young Scholar’s Advanced Programme respectively. She mentioned about the university’s renowned global faculty, international partnerships, campus, student life, placement opportunities and further prospects of higher education. The link for virtual tour was shared towards the end of the session. This being the first session of its kind in the present academic year, gave the students an insight into undergraduate courses that can be pursued after Grade 12.

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TOPIC: Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy in Lesson Plans SPEAKER: Ms. Rachna Mishra, Certified Life Coach and Educationist

VENUE: MS Teams

The workshop commenced with discussing Bloom’s Taxonomy. Ms. Rachna discussed the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains of learning. She even emphasized on the pillars of instructional design that are applied to lesson planning through constructive discussions. She even demonstrated various steps to write learning objectives that must be defined and a clear distinction between learning objectives and outcomes was deliberated. She also highlighted various elements of a lesson plan.

EYFS Training (2020-2021) TOPIC: KG PHILOSOPHY and PEDAGOGY (EYFS Training) SPEAKER: Ms. Hillary Hinchliff (Principal – GMA Kochi)

VENUE: MS Teams

The session started with full enthusiasm. Ms. Hillary Hinchliff shared the KG philosophy- “To create the

right climate and environment to develop thinkers and not just knowers. To make memorable moments”. Children’s engagement indicates brain development and progress. Synapse density is greater at around age 2 or 3. Stress causes the brain to go into ‘fight and flight’ mode. No new learning is possible in this state. Hence, emotional wellbeing of the children must always be the priority.

TOPIC: Handwriting Analysis SPEAKER: Amit Batra, AB Kid’s Life Coach VENUE: MS Teams Mr. Batra covered various points during his workshop on Handwriting Analysis. He talked in brief about his journey from being an Army Officer to an Entrepreneur. He explained that one’s handwriting is an X-ray of their psyche as one can see and understand the social skills, emotional skills and about 5000 personality traits through this. He shared that for a graphologist the few of the key areas that make the personality are slant in the handwriting, crossbar while writing the letter ‘t’, the position of the dot when writing ‘I’, the margin left on a paper while writing space between words and also the letters, baseline while writing etc. Handwriting analysis is a science and would need a detailed study. Trying to change the handwriting would mean compromising the personality of the child as this leads to confusion. It can however be done scientifically in a slow and steady manner. Towards the end of the session, he picked up a few letters like e, l, g, y, t and I and explained how to understand and help the child based on the formation of these alpha15

TOPIC: HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) SPEAKER: Dr. Saleem Khan, Academic Director

VENUE: MS Teams

An online interaction was conducted by Dr. Saleem Khan on ‘HOTS’. Higher Order Thinking Skills, or ’HOTS’ for short, takes thinking to higher levels than restating the facts. HOTS enables us to not just memorise facts as it is rather it requires that we do something more meaningful with it. We must understand them, infer from them, connect them to other facts and concepts, categorize them, manipulate them, put them together in new or novel ways, and apply them as we seek solutions to a variety of problems.

TOPIC: Humour in the Classroom SPEAKER: Dr. Saleem Khan, Academic Director VENUE: MS Teams The workshop on Humour in the Classroom commenced with the quote, “Just Smile and Remember Why you wanted to Teach”. Dr. Khan motivated the teachers to think of the moment they used humour in the classroom, the positive effects of doing so and whether at all they were comfortable in using the humour in their classroom. A little laughter shows your students that you have some feelings and they find you trustworthy. A little laughter lightens the mood when things are too hard. Students pay more attention when they are laughing. There are numerous benefits of humour in the classroom for students. Positive consequences of humour by McKeachie and Svinicki (2006) were discussed. Every time you find some humour in a difficult situation, you win. It fires up the student’s brain. Educators want their students to be eager and engaged. Humour has the power to fuel that engagement. The workshop ended with a statement, “I have finally figured what’s wrong with my brain – on left side there’s nothing right and on the right side there’s nothing left”. The session was then open to questions and discussions.

TOPIC: Thoughts on Teaching Science in Schools SPEAKER: Dr. Saleem Khan, Director Academics

VENUE: MS Teams

“Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.” Teachers were familiarized with PISA Benchmark Assessment tool which is intended to provide comparable data with a view to enable countries to improve their education policies and learning outcomes. It measures problem solving and Metacognition. The need and goals of teaching Science at various levels were discussed. How Science should be taught to middle and Senior School students was elucidated by using four step process of Scientific Thinking Model. Seven essential steps to scientific thinking like observe, compare, sort and organize, predict, experiment, evaluate and apply were discussed in detail. Designing of lesson, use of concept cartoon, simulations and Socratic questioning technique were suggested by Dr Khan for making the teaching-learning process more interactive. Overall it was interactive and in16

TOPIC: Use of Social Media in Promotion of School SPEAKER: Ms. Vandana Saxena (HR Professional, Trainer and Content Writer)

VENUE: MS Teams

The workshop commenced with emphasizing upon the parental benefits of school using social media. Posting great content will showcase the school making it more appealing. Deciding upon our target audience and niche is very important. WIIFM and creativity aspect was discussed. High Density and Low density hashtags were discussed in detail with examples. A tool named Headline Analyzer and ways to make Instagram wall attractive was discussed.

TOPIC: Reports and Assessments SPEAKER: Dr. Amrita Vohra, Director, GEMS Education India

VENUE: MS Teams

Progress reports and assessments basically gives a child an ownership of learning. There are three kinds of assessments: Assessments for Learning, Assessments of Learning and Assessment as Learning. Educational Assessment seeks to determine how well students are learning and is an integrated part of the quest for improved education. It provides feedbacks to students, educators, parents and public about the effectiveness of educational services. Key elements of effective feedback and class profiling was discussed. Emphasis was laid on three colour notes that is Pink for Incorrect response, Yellow for Improvement required (provide evidence) and Green to express that “I am proud of this one!”

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Trips and Tours Chester Zoo A virtual field trip to Chester Zoo, UK was conducted on 22nd June, 2020 for the students of GMA. They mainly learnt about 5 animals- Komodo Dragon, Rothchild’s Giraffe, Sumatran Tigers, Eastern Black Rhinos and Baby Meerkats. It was an interactive session wherein, the children learnt these animals’ habitat, eating habits, their specific traits and some facts, which continued with interaction and reflection among each other along with teachers. It was a day brimming with fun and learning.

International Space Station A virtual tour of the International Space Station was organised on July 18, 2020. During this tour, the students experienced how astronauts manage to sleep, work and eat in the International Space Station. Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams started off the tour of the International Space Station with a look at its nodes -- Harmony, Tranquillity and Unity -- which include the crew's sleeping quarters and hygiene station. Sunita Williams continued the International Space Station tour with a look at the Destiny, Kibo and Columbus Laboratory modules as well as the Quest airlock. She took the children on a virtual tour of the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device in the Tranquillity node, before heading into the Leonardo Permanent Multi-Purpose Module. The tour was enlightening and enriching for the children.

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Anne Frank House The children of Grades IX-XI were taken on a virtual tour to the Anne Frank House. A historical background was also given to them on the rise of Hitler and its impact on the Jews. The children were first taken to the entrance of the house and given a context as to how three different families lived in the same house during the Nazi Regime. The children were then made to understand how the house was partitioned into different rooms and areas and how the front section was different from the secret annex. The tour was concluded on an optimistic note as to how Anne was still hopeful in those dreadful times and how we can also keep our spirits up during the unprecedented times of a global pandemic.

Visit to Lyon A Live virtual trip of Lyon city was arranged in two slots i.e. for Grades I-III and Grades IV-VIII. The initiative was taken to provide global exposure to the children of GMA. It was an educational virtual tour to provide a significant benefit in the educational, intellectual, cultural and social development of the students. The children were excited to see the beautiful city at time of year when spring is in full bloom. They were treated with the freshness of nature coupled with majestic monuments and their inspiring history.

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Achievements of GMA-Emerging High-Potential School On the Top! Education World conferred GEMS Modern Academy, Gurugram with the number one ranking in all of Delhi-NCR as an Emerging High-Potential School. The Officiating Principal, Ms. Deepika Chaudhary, was presented with the award in an Award on Wheels Ceremony.

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GENERAL AWARENESS PROGRAMME GAP - February 2021 Country of the Month—Egypt

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly

President of Egypt: Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Capital City

NATIONAL EMBLEM

CURRENCY The Egyptian Pound

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EGYPTIAN EAGLE

Land of Pharohes

NATIONAL ANIMAL/ BIRD

STEPPE EAGLE

General Information

NATIONAL FLOWER EGYPTIAN LOTUS

Egypt

World’s Longest River: Nile

The Nile is credited as the longest river in the world. Its main source is Lake Victoria in east of Central Africa. From its farthest stream in Burundi, it extends 6,695 km (4,160 miles) in length.

Papyrus Paper Sheets: The Egyptians had developed a technique for making paper from the pith of the papyrus plant. This particular plant flourished along the bank of the Nile. The core of the papyrus plant was cut into tissue -thin strips, then laid across each other and pressed together under pressure. Pyramids: The pyramids were built as burial places and monuments to the Pharaohs. As part of their religion, the Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh needed certain things to succeed in the afterlife. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that still stands. The Egyptian pyramids are the most impressive structures built by humans in ancient times. Eye Make-up: The Egyptian invented eye make-up. They combined soot with a lead mineral called galena to create a black ointment known as kohl. They also made green eye makeup.

Tooth Care: Their bread had so much grit and sand in it, the Egyptians had a lot of problems with their teeth. They invented the toothbrush and toothpaste in an effort to take care of their teeth. Egyptians are believed to have started using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 BC, before toothbrushes were invented. Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have used toothpastes. A Pharaoh was the most important and powerful person in the kingdom. He was the head of the government and high priest of every temple. The people of Egypt considered the pharaoh to be a half-man, half-god. The pharaoh owned all of Egypt.

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VIRTUE OF THE MONTH COURAGE

Courage is the ability to do something difficult even when there's risk. Courageous people do and say what they think is right despite opposition.

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WORD WALL Grade 1 and 2

Contemplate: Meaning: look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought Sentence: It is always good to contemplate the question before answering it.

Anticipate: Meaning: to know of something before it happens; to extract Sentence: The children have trouble falling asleep on Christmas Eve in anticipation of the visit from Santa Claus.

Grades 3 — 11 Audacity – boldness Example – Amanda had the audacity to show up to the party, despite the fact that she was no invited. Tenacity – the quality or fact of being very determined. Example – Mark’s tenacity allowed him to excel him in college while working two jobs.

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CREATIVE CORNER EY– Grade 2

Avishka Nagar_KG-1B

MY WISHES I wish my teddies would talk, I would talk with them all the time but when I get bored my barbies come to life then, I would fly in the sky and would talk to the sun in the day and the moon and stars in the night. I wish when I meet star, sun and moon, they would call me with my name and happily, show me their daily, seasonal and yearly game. I wish I could go to the land of fairies and would wish to eat with them blue berries. I wish I can have my magical stick and I could make the wishes of children come true in a flick. My dreams would come true then I would rise. There are many which I can give it to you but before that kindly confirm if any among the given can come true. Wishes are the fuel for the children future, so never keep it empty but keep it always full. These are my wishes if anyone can make them true!!!!!!!!! SNEHA D.DUBEY

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My Wishes I wish we had a world of candies where the Almira was made up of ice cream and sandwich. I wish the fridge could be filled with chocolates, ice creams and fruits which are my favorite. I wish I could have a money machine that would spit out money. I wish I could fly. I wish I could live in a long cabin up in the mountain where I go fishing all the time. I wish I could walk a tight rope. I wish I could have a fairy garden. I wish I could go to mercury. I wish I could have a wishing well. I wish I could have a robot which fulfill all my wishes.

maorI [cCa maorI saba [cCae^M pUrI hao jaatI tao

Ma force pendant le confinement Pendant la quarantaine, j'ai appris beaucoup de choses. Ce confinement a été ma première expérience de ce genre où j'ai dû rester à la maison pendant une très longue période. Au fil des jours, tout le monde, moi y compris, a commencé à prendre les précautions pour rester à l'abri de la maladie. J'ai préparé des recettes délicieuses à la maison et nous les avons tous apprécié. Au fil des jours, rester à la maison a commencé à me donner des ennuis. J'avais envie de sortir avec mes amis, mais je n'ai pas pu le faire. À ce stade, j'ai réalisé à quel point les oiseaux dans la cage et les animaux du zoo doivent se sentent. J'ai également travaillé sur ma santé et ma forme physique. Je suis devenue plus consciente de mon régime alimentaire et j'ai mangé des aliments qui seraient bons pour mon immunité. Bien que cette période de confinement m'obligait à rester à la maison, je me suis sentie heureuse d'être avec ma famille pendant une si longue période. Je pourrais me concentrer sur ma santé. J'ai appris beaucoup de nouvelles choses et j'ai travaillé sur mes passe -temps. Je souhaite juste que le vaccin contre le COVID-19 soit développé bientôt. 27

baD,a maja,a Aata maOM jaao caahtI vaao hao jaata tao baD,a maja,a Aata . maOM jaadUgar bana jaatI jaadU kI CD,I sao

jaao caaho krvaatI tao baD,a maja,a Aata . maorI saba [cCae^M pUrI hao jaatI tao baD,a maja,a Aata .

snaoha dubao 2-A

Grade III—V

daostI daostI ka irSta hO sabasao Pyaara

duinayaa maoM hO sabasao Anamaaola AaOr nyaara . saccaI daostI hO ijasako pasa ]sako pasa hO daOlat kI Barmaar . idlaaoM kao idlaaoM sao jaaoD,tI hO daostI haozaoM pr mauskurahT laatI hO daostI .

sauja-inaka 4A

Swayam Behera, Grade V A 28

When you are sad A friend will try to hold your hand So, don't look back They be your backbone so You don't fall Friends are a treasure So, don't lose them.

Aarav Sawal, Grade IV B

Buddies Playing in the rain, jumping in puddles

Singing songs or solving riddles. These are all fun things to do with your buddies With whom in life there are no worries. Friendship is the best thing ever, You can say whatever you want, If she says she would talk to me never,

Just make up a sorry card with a lovely font!

Miraaya Arun,

Grade 3B

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Navdeep Arya Grade IV B

Friendship In the unique kingdom of Patthargarh, lived two best friends -Priya and Falak. They never quarrelled with each other. They studied in the same class, they ate their lunch together and did all the other activities together. One day, they were studying in their English class. Suddenly, Priya looked in her pencil box and noticed that none of her stationery items were there. Priya and Falak both searched everywhere, and they went around the classroom but they couldn’t find it anywhere. After two days, when they came to school, Priya was looking quite upset. Without thinking anything, she accused Falak of taking her things and stopped talking to her. Falak was quite unhappy and disheartened. The child who had taken her things observed this and decid to accept his mistake and asked for forgiveness. Priya understood that Falak was not the culprit. She walked towards Falak and before she could say anything, Falak smiled and gave her a hug.

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FRIENDSHIP For many years Ring each other’s bell In happiness

Friendship - 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' An hour of need is the testing time of friendship. Real friendship is that which sustains and always continues, in all the circumstances. Friendship can continue only when friends are prepared for the sake of the other.

Encourage each other

People with same taste and temper generally come together and form a group of friends. Good friendships have a ton of

Never make each other cry

benefits, such as increased feelings of belonging, purpose,

Don’t hit each other Say the truth to each other

increased levels of happiness, reduced levels of stress, improved self- word and confidence. Reyaansh Suri, Grade III A

Help when in need Impossible to break Perfectly fit together

Padmanabh Chandgothia, Grade III B

Keya Mallick, Grade V

A True Friend Long time ago, there lived a pair of parrots on a tree. An old snake also lived in a hole in the same tree. The snake was too weak to go out to look for food. So, the parrots used to leave some food for him near the hole. The snake was grateful to the parrots. One day, a vulture hovered over the tree to hunt parrots. Just then, a hunter also came there. He aimed at one of the parrots with an arrow. When the snake noticed his friends were in danger, it bit the foot of the hunter to save them. The sudden snake bite ruined the hunter’s aim and the arrow struck the vulture hovering above. By saving their lives, the snake showed that he was a true and trusted friend.

Vihaan Jain, Grade III B

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FRIENDSHIP “You don’t need fake friends, you need real ones, whom you can trust.” Friendship is a very simple word, but it carries a very deep meaning. It means to have someone by your side to support you when you need help in life, someone you can rely on. Having friends is very important in life. It is not only the other person, who should be ready to help, we should be too. We all might have had some fake friends, but there are always real ones too. I believe a true friend is one who is always there to listen to you unconditionally. He/ She is someone you can trust. When you are happy, you celebrate it with your friends which adds to your joy. You don’t feel loneliness at all. While on the other hand, fake friends are those who want to be your friends for something you have and they don’t have, like clout or money. Friendship is one of the most important things you can have. Spend as much time as you can with your real friends because they will be there with you till end. Zaira Qadri, Grade III A

Suseela Ramineni, Grade V A 32

Samaira Kotriwal, Grade III A

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Friendship Friendship is a strong relationship between two or more people. Friends help each other and protect each other from various things. They have fights and do not talk, but do you know what happens after sometime? They automatically forgive each other without any mention and mind you those are your true friends. They become part of your life just like your second family. You have fun with them while making projects, drawings, crafts and end up studying together too. Even if one moves to another school or a different place, they’ll find ways to connect with you. In leisure time, you play games! Games like tag, hide and seek and many more! They also guide you and are your best critics. They guide you in your decisions, be it important or casual. Only your best friends will know and keep your secrets. In the end I would say, friends are the only people who will stay there with you in any situation. They’ll have your back, support you, fight and forgive and of course will play multiple pranks on you. Never give up on them, never let them feel alone and do anything to keep in touch with them because they are the only ones who will neve judge you after

daostI maOM tIsarI kxaa kI iktaba #aaolaU tao kuC puranao daost yaad Aato hO kaoraonaa ko phlao imalao daost yaad Aato hO kuC GaraoM maoM kOd hao gae kuC jaha^M qao vahIM rh gae

jaba BaI iktaba #aaolaU tao kuC puranao daost yaad Aato hO kaoraonaa sao phlao imalao daost yaad Aato hO Apnao ik``koT ko ballao kao do#aa tao vaao ik`koT ko idna yaad Aato hO kaoraonaa ko phlao imalao daost yaad Aato h yauvala gauPta, IV A

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Creative Corner Grades 6-11 How Resilience helped me fight an Intruder By Ananya Goyal, Grade IX A It was a bone-chilling evening. The only audible sound was the whistling of the wind. I wanted to reach home as soon as possible or I would freeze. I didn’t like winters at all. Everything would be gloomy and dark. Sunlight was also scarce. I couldn’t wait for the warmth of my house to engulf me. It had been a tiring day at work. I just wanted to watch the television and sleep. After a few minutes, I reached home. As I entered my house, I noticed that the door was open and my possessions were all scattered on the floor like photo frames; vases; awards and what not. I went towards the kitchen to check what else had been damaged. Instead of finding an empty kitchen, I found a man standing there rummaging through the drawers. Out of shock, I let out a gasp. He turned around. He had an eerie smile which made chills run down my spine. I was petrified yet I had a strong presence of mind. Instead of fighting back, I decided to dash to the door. I headed straight to my neighbor’s house. Once, in her house, I called the police. The police arrived shortly and caught the intruder. I heaved a deep sigh of relief. I went back to my house and started cleaning. All I wanted was to have a relaxing night but now I’m stuck here cleaning the floors. Even though, my idea was to relax after the whirlwind of a day that I had, but destiny had other plans. It taught me how to be resilient in a dreadful situation like this. Oh! How fast the night changes.

Merciless

no matter how much you destroy us we are resilient we shall grow again when you aren’t watching So, I say learn, learn to live, to thrive from every being, every petal, every fern, What is it like to be resilient? It is about beating all odds, after all We are a collective creation of the Gods.

By Asmrita Das Roy, Grade XI A You preach of love and goodness yet cannot control your own foolishness You say you are higher society But it seems your education was an act of vanity Today you have ripped apart and stolen our beautiful branches Tomorrow you will be gasping for air Our wishes were plain let us enjoy the lanes of life, and let us thrive with you But today you have failed our God, our mother nature, and your humanity You failed your children, your loved ones and lost your sanity Tell us how can you be so unsympathetic and rude? And your constant greed of worldly possessions, gems and crude. Despite all this, you forget This planet is not yours to keep It is ours, the whole of life on it

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Resilience: Aatmanirbharta

By Khush Kumar, Grade XI A India is the second most populous country of the world. It is the seventh largest country by land and by area with the world’s third largest defense force. India’s economy could prove to be ‘most resilient’ in the long run in the sub-region of South and South-West Asia. The year 2020 witnessed a massive disruption due to SARS-CoV-2. The intensity of the same is being equated with the disruption during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the world wars. The government has taken proactive measures to cease its spread across the country. As the cases of this deadly disease were on a rampant rise, all the international travelers were kept in mandatory

quarantine.

All

public

gathering areas such as schools, gyms, hotels and travel destinations were asked to close down. Indian policy makers had an additional problem. It was the size of the Indi-

an population. Hence, decision making had to be done in a manner that it caters to all the sections of the society. This is the context in which the total lockdown was first announced. During the lockdown, we realised the importance of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat more than ever. The emphasis on making the Indian economy more self-reliant explains the choice of recent structural reforms like liberalization of agricultural markets, new labor laws, bilateral netting financial sector, removal of telecom restrictions on the information technology and so on. Similar inputs are required to build resilience in our society and economy so as to have the least impact of such health disasters or any possible financial disasters. The decisions taken today not only provides immediate relief, but also secures economic recovery, increase in community resilience and ensure a long-term pathway to sustainable development and growth by ensuring that we promote and support local brands and products.

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Digital Education and Resilience

By Khusshi Suri, Grade X A “Even a virtual learning space is a way to inspire resilience, foster mindfulness, and promote a can-do attitude.” The spread of COVID 19 in the year 2020 has called for global cooperation among all spheres of the society including professionals, researchers, business houses, educators and citizens across the globe. Now, more than ever, we need to reflect on the Sustainable Development Goal number 4 that focusses on Quality Education. Millions of students' education was suspended due to worldwide lockdown to contain the pandemic. Schools, colleges and universities were shut and yet the authorities are pondering over the decision of whether educational institutions should be responded or not. However, education is such a transformative process that even a pandemic can’t halt it. The zeal to learn cannot be bounded by the presence of four walls of the classroom. India stood resilient in the sphere of education and truly upheld the principle of 'Digital India'. The students of schools and universities adopted e-learning. Plethora of educational applications and platforms were made available to the students by the fraternity of educators. Learning was brought to the comfort of children’s homes. Many tech giants came up with their best platforms to support education. Overnight Zoom links were shared, Microsoft Teams was used to create classroom as a Team and Google Classroom created virtual classrooms. Various learning repositories were explored to support education worldwide. Extensive educational videos on YouTube Channels were shared, online learning portals were available as an open source and virtual learning channels were created to promote digital learning to ensure every student’s learning needs are catered to. Now, the country is witnessing a greater acceptance of online education to enhance skills and expertise. To conclude, India has been resilient to accept and adapt to online education as learning never stops.

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Life and Resilience By Riya Wason, Grade IX A

People are generous, full of compassion, No one feels depressed even for a fraction.

Let me take you to a Kingdom,

Everyone is in charge of their thoughts,

where everyone is full of wisdom,

Resilience is what is actively sought.

Flowers dance with delight, what a blissful sight!

All can reap the benefits of health and vigour, You can enjoy wellness without any struggle.

Everyone can cherish freedom,

People practice mindfulness and show gratitude,

No poor and no rich, all are welcome.

With contentment and exhilaration in their attitude.

Life there is full of prosperity, No one is dependent on charity.

Not one gives up on their strength and hope No matter what the situation, they learn to cope, People welcome change with open arms

My Mother My mother who is occupied in taking care of everyone in the family, She is exhausted yet does everything happily! My mother who sacrifices her life and respite,

She does everything possible to make our day bright My gratitude for all your sacrifices and love, You are truly a blessing to have from the heavens above. By Nyas Bhuria

Grade 6 A 38

My Strength during COVID: An Anecdote Zehra Qadri, Grade VII A Coronavirus, a word that gives me goosebumps whenever I hear about it. It has taken the world by storm. It has costed numerous lives, shut schools, malls and public places and forced countries to impose complete lockdowns. It was time when I was about to finish my Grade 6 final exams. Like every student I was very excited that now I will get more time to play with my friends and go on vacations. Then suddenly this chaos happened and COVID-19 had put all our lives on hold. My heart goes out to millions of daily wage labourers whom I saw from my balcony. I wondered how they will survive. How will they follow social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions when they are living in such small establishments? My heart was really sinking for them. During this period, like many other families, we planned to go to our hometown but the problem was the travel restriction. So, my parents decided to travel by car. On the way to home, I barely saw any movement on the roads. After a long and exhausting journey, when we arrived, we were told to quarantine ourselves for 15 – 20 days and get tested for the virus. Thankfully, our reports were negative. However, after a month or so, my father started showing symptoms for the virus and he was tested positive. The next day my mother and some other member of my family got tested positive as well. Only the kids were tested negative. It felt like life had suddenly come to a halt for all of us. I was speechless and I wanted to hug my parents but that wasn’t possible. My sister and I had been sent to my grandmother’s house. This was the first time that my sister and I were away from my parents for such a long time. I learnt that there are other people who love me as much as my parents do. My grandmother, uncle and aunt supported me a lot. During this period, my friends, my teachers had been there for me. I learnt how to take care of my sister and me. I ensured that I would utilise my time well. I did a lot of drawings and read many great books but still was worried my parent’s heath. I was elated beyond measure when they had recovered. All this taught me to be strong because it all works out in the end. 39

Teachers’ Pen ‘’Let me tell you this’’ Do not worry..know..you are on the right track, Enjoy every moment and do not bother about life hack!! Always keep a positive attitude and do not constraint yourself,

“Life is a Test’’ If you think…..you cannot do that or you will not be able to do this,

Then it means either you feel there is no necessity Though its not easy but try your level best and pro- of doing this or you do not want to try!! pel!! If someone scolds you and you feel sad and ask There are days, when you feel all alone,

why?

Speak out your heart and do not let this feeling out- When you get praise you feel happy and blush with shy! grown!! Yes!! Sometimes we end up messing up things but we

The Spring is Here

Quiet quintessential evening, the moon curtained by clouds, the somber crickets asleep, waiting for the sun to rise, music of the night silenced.

breeze touching the hair, the ecstasy of nature. Life in its newness, welcomes itself! Wither, now old flower. The spring is here! Smita Sharma Dabas 40

Qara

p`dUiYat hao ga[- hr vastu, hr kaonaa,

maOlaa hao gayaa hO [Msaana ka ibaCaOnaa,

sauMdr qaI QartI, sauMdr qaa saMsaar,

saa^Msao BaI maa^Mganao lagaI hOM Aba ihsaaba,

hr trf, Cayaa rhta qaa KuiSayaaoM ka AMbaar,

vaoMiTlaoTr pr AaiEat hO manauYya kI Aasa,

kla-kla bahtI naidyaaoM kI Aavaaja, sao gaU^Mja ]zta qaa mana,

drk rho AaiSayaanao BaUkMp ko ja,aor sao,

klarva krtI icaiD,yaaoM ko Saaor sao iKlaa rhta qaa gagana, ,

Aa rho inat nae tUf,ana samaud` kI Aaor sao,

basaMt maoM vaak[- fUlaaoM sao JaUma ]ztI qaI vaaidyaa^M

kBaI QartI, kBaI samaud`, tao kBaI Aasamaana,

saavana kI SaItla bayaar, mana kao kr dotI qaI magana,

hr trf, sao maar Ka rha hO Aba yao [Msaana,

SaIt maoM Aayaa palaa, iKlaa dota qaa iksaana kI mauskana ka Pyaalaa, jaMgala maoM Qamaa caaOkD,I macaI rhtI qaI vana saaiqayaaoM kI,

KrId kr pInaa pD,ta hO panaI BaI Aba, ‘bahtI naidyaaoM maoM rhta qaa maIza panaI’, yao tao basa ek khanaI hO Aba,

saMtulana qaa hr ek inayaamat maoM p`kRit kI,

takt baZ,anao vaalaI fla-saibja,yaa^M,

KuSa qaI p`kRit, [Msaana jaanavar BaI qao KuSa,

Aba do rhI hOM inat na[- baImaairyaa^M,

magar haya! Acaanak yao @yaa hao gayaa?

f,salaMo ]ga rhI koimakla ko ja,aor sao,

laalaca kao mana maoM basaa [Msaana tao badlanao lagaa,

[Msaana saao rha hO laaSaaoM ko Caor po,

AMQaa hao gayaa [Msaana, lao rha qaa hr trf, sao QartI kI jaana,

sauQar jaa, badla jaa, eo laalacaI nar,

poD, kaTo, jaMgala CInao, CIna ilayaa jaanavaraoM ka Gar-saMsaar,

Aba tao kr lao tU icaMtna-manana,

phaDaoM kao kaTa, kr idyaa naidyaaoM ka CaoTa iknaara

baMd kr do kudrt sao iKlavaaD,,

Apnao maja,o ko ilae kr rha p`kRit sao CoD,-CaD, ,

Aba tao lao lao tU kuC saM&ana,

hr trf, Saaor, hr kaonao maoM lagaa dI kUD,o-kcaro kI AaD, ,

saMjaao lao vaaipsa sao ApnaI p`kRit kao,

madmast hao laalaca ko naSao maoM caUr,

trsa jaaegaa nahIM tao ek-ek saa^Msa kao,

KD,o kr ide kMk`IT ko jaMgala dUr-dUr, imalaavaT krta rha hr ek saamaana maoM,

khto hO,M “saubah ka BaUlaa Saama kao vaaipsa Gar Aa jaae- tao khto nahIM ]sao BaUlaa”,

baoca rha hO ja,hr Aba vaao hr dukana maoM,

]saI trh,

pr-pr-pr………………

baulaa rhI hO p`kRit maa^M fOlaa kr ApnaI baa^MhaoM ka JaUlaa,

jaOsao samaud` laaOTa dota jaao BaI Dalaa jaata ]samaoM,

laaOTa do vaao saba kuC jaao CInaa hO tUnao,

]saI trh kudrt BaI lao rhI badlaa Apnao dma po,

maaf, kr dogaI yao maa^M lagaa kr tuJao Apnao saInao……

Dala rho Dora jaanavar manauYya kI bastI maoM, manauYya ZU^MZ rho basaora, BaTk rho galaI-rstaoM maoM,

ip`yaMka gauPta 41

sabakao psaMd Aanao ka janaUna vah skUla maoM TIcar hO.vahaÐ KasaI laaokip`ya hO AaOr [sakI vajah hO ]saka p`itBaaSaalaI haonaa. vah sabasao Alaga hTkr saaoca laotI hO. maMca pr baaolanaa jaanatI hOÊ [vaoMT maOnaoja krnaaÊ ilaKnaa-pZ,naa ]naka SaaOk hO.vah AcCI trh saMvarnaa BaI jaanatI hO.ipClao kuC mahInaaoM sao ]naka maUD Acaaak badlanao lagaa hO. vah doK rhI hO ik Ch mahInao phlao hI skUla maoM Aa[- yauvaa TIcar tarIf panao lagaI hO.skUla ka maOnaojamaoMT AaOr baccao na[- TIcar kI sarahnaa krnao lagao hOM. na[- TIcar idKnao maoM BaI AcCI hO AaOr klcarla ei@TivaTI maoM BaIÊ DaMsa BaI krnaa jaanatI hO. [na KUibayaaoM ko karNa vah laD,ikyaaoM maoM KUba laaokip`ya hao rhI hO. Aaja ip`Misapla nao ]nhoM baulaayaaÊ vah caahtI hOM ik daonaaoM TIcar imalakr saalaanaa p`ao ga`ama Aayaaoijat kroM. prMtu puranaI TIcar [sa p``stava pr AnamanaI saI hao ]zI. vah khtI hO ik ]nakI tbaIyat zIk nahIM hO. [sa kama kI ija,mmaodarI na[- TIcar Akolao ]za saktI hO.ip`Misapla ]nhoM doKtI hO AaOr ifr naja,dIk Aakr ]nako pasa baOztI hOM. ]nhoM barsaaoM sao jaanatI hO [sailae haqa pkD,kr khtI hO ‘dao p`itBaaSaalaI laaoga ek saaqa ek hI jagah rh sakto hOM.’ maOM samaJaI nahIM. tuma jaanatI hao ik maOM @yaa kh rhI hUÐ. tumharI jagah kao[- nahIM lao sakta. laoikna yahaÐ AaOr bahut saI jagah hOM ijanhoM ek na ek idna Barnaa haogaa. vah BartI rhoMgaI AaOr hr jagah kI ApnaI ek Alaga phcaana hO AaOr vah rhogaI.iksaI BaI TIma maoM k[- iKlaaD,I haoto hOMÊ sabakI ApnaI vyai@tgat phcaana haotI hOÊ Kolanao ka kaOSala haota hO.laaoga Agar iksaI dUsaro kI sarahnaa kr rho hOM tao [saka matlaba yah nahIM ik vao tumhoM BaUla rho hOM. P`a%yaok vyai@t ka Apnaa AMdaja, haota hO. ‘tuma tuma hao AaOr vahI rhaogaI.’ Gar laaOTto samaya vah yaad krtI hO ik kOsao ]nhaoMnao yah baat ApnaI ek sTUDoMT sao khI qaI jaao ]nakI fovairT qaI,.iksaI dUsarI laD,kI kI tarIf krnao pr vah [maaoSanala hao ga[- qaI. ]nhaoMnao kha qaaÊ ‘maOM tao caahtI hUÐ kxaa ka hr baccaa tumharI trh hao jaae.’ vah hOrana haotI hO ik kOsao ApnaI khI baat kao vah BaUla rhI hO. naaoT: laaokip`yata Apnao saaqa ek GabarahT laokr AatI hO. ]sakI BaI ek Aadt haotI hOÊ sabakao psaMd Aanao ka QaImaa naSaa. jaba Anajaanao maoM hI kBaI hma [sao saaqa laokr calanao lagato hOM tao yah baaoJa bana jaata hO. yah hmaarI maaOilakta CIna laota hO. hmaaro gauNa saaoKnao lagata hO.hma dUsaraoM pr koMid`t haonao lagato hOM AaOr Anajaanao maoM ApnaI iËeiTivaTI kao Kud pICo Qakola doto hOMÊ ijasasao hmaoM bacanaa caaihe. vaInaa

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A day in the life of a teacher… Each day before closing my eyes I pray or my family, my child, the love of my life – my husband, my students, students of my class and at last I pray for everyone’s success and a wish that tomorrow be a new day. Yes I am a teacher and I am not a magician!!! My morning starts way before everyone else. Reaching school before the children arrive, setting up the classroom, making the lesson plans, greeting them every morning with a big smile, giving the lessons, making sure all students are able to grasp what is being delivered, checking notebooks, making arrangements for my upcoming activities, meeting parents and answering their queries during the dispersal, getting called for quick meetings inbetween all this is the way of my work. My entire world revolves around my students, once I am in the school with them, talking to them, hearing them what they have to tell, listening to their stories and their feelings and when I am out my brain keeps reminding of the child who was not eating properly today during the recess, why that girl was not talking to her best friend, the boy in the last row was very happy today, why few students were not able to fair well in their last assessment sheet today, what can be the corrective measures for them? I am tuned to be vigilant about everyone and worrying about my students comes natural to me. I guess it’s in every teacher’s DNA. As few of us believe that the job is taken up by the ones who want their life easy, let me tell you it is the passion of few individuals who are sensitive enough to be given the responsibility of shaping the minds of numerous young people, impacting their character and being the role model of many future individuals citizens and it is in no sense easy. It the only job which wants a teacher to have in-depth knowledge of the subject and strong experience along with great communication, coordination, management, documentation, reporting skills, people management, crisis management, have a good sense of humour, sensitive to student’s needs, psychologist, as caring as a mother, a role model to name a very few. After all the day’s hard work, the grit and grind the only thing that is needed by any teacher is respect and love in the eyes of the students, the parents and the institution. The only motivation that any teacher has is the passion for the job and the love for the students. This is me signing off and ready to close my eyes yet again after a long day, in the hope of a bright new day tomorrow…. Shivani Gupta

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ek ehsaasa

basa bacapna kI ija,d

saaocatI hU^M daostaoM pr

samaJaaOtaoM maoM badla jaatI hO…!

maukdmaa kr dU^M

tU iktnaI BaI #aUbasaUrt

[saI bahanao tarI#a, pr

@yaU^M naa hao e ija,dMgaI #auSaimaja,aja, daostaoM ko bagaOr

maulaak,at tao haogaI !

AcCI nahIM lagatI

j,yaada kuC nahIM badlata

maorI ila#aI baataoM kao

]ma`` ko saaqa…

hr kao[- samaJa nahIM pata

@yaaoMik maOM ehsaasa ila#atI hU^M

Music – What I like to do most…. It’s a healer to me. I find myself relaxed and it makes me calm down from my daily hustle bustle. Life has been a roller coaster ride and (of course it will be….) it allows me to feel nearly or possibly all emotions that I experience in my life. Sometimes when I feel stressed, I just play some nice music. Sometimes I cry…. sometimes I laugh…. sometimes it takes me back to my good old days. It makes me remember the times we spent in my childhood days…. It brings people closer… Its good for our wellbeing …. It improves my confidence…. It improves my creative side…. It keeps me focused…. My imaginations start flowing on & on…..I play music when I go for my morning jog. I just love it more when we plan to go on a long drive. Before I say goodnight, I play some nice Gurbani Kirtan for a sound sleep. I completely feel as if there is no worry, no stress, no pain in this world. When I was younger, I got a walk man from my dad (of course I insisted for that). Every night, before I slept, I used to listen to FM on Radio. My nights were incomplete with out that. Times have changed now and so have the ways. We used to find happiness in small little things. Now as the time has moved on… I just wish for a day where I could get time with my walk man again. Neha Verma

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