Editor's Note Volume 4 Issue 3, 2015 Content Message from the Principal 03 Dr. Dheep Speaks 04 Meet the Art Historian 06 Campers' Expedition 13 Joyous Children's Day 15 Celebrities of the Quarter 20 A Day with the Director 22 A Letter from my Heart To My Soul 24 Work Place Decorum 30 A Day at the Park 32 Dear Readers, With the blessings and benevolence of the Almighty and our ancestors we have come to the closure of this Academic Session 2014 –'15 that was filled with lots challenges, successes and grandeur. It's really amazing to meet you all again in this Yagna Volume4, issue 3 – the final issue for this Academic Year. I am sure you must have cherished the previous issue that was issued in the month of December. Hats off to my panel who had put in their best efforts and co operation for the making of Yagna. I applaud my young leaders – the student column inchargers for having been successful in taking this new avatar as budding journalists. We extend our genuine gratitude to Dr. Dheep – a stress management consultant, psychiatrist, hypnotherapist and the founder and CMD of Top Kids and Taj Clinic, Ms. Soma Basu - the member of the Editorial wing , The Hindu , Mr. Samant Rohan Rajendra, DCP Law and Order, Madurai . Our authentic thanks to our designer Mr. Balamurugan, for his continuous support and the steadiness of his hard work. Our sincere thanks to Mr. Sathya Prasad, our printer for the on time accomplishment of the task. This Yagna Volume 4, Issue 3 has a supplementary that gives you an insight about our Strides during this Academic Year 2014 –'15. “If you have a strong commitment to your goals and dreams, if you wake up every day with courage to precede further then everything becomes possible in life with the blessings of Almighty! Looking ahead for your valuable feedback at yagna@queenmira.com Meet you all soon with many more enthralling proceedings in the approaching Academic Year 2015 –'16 Ms. Aysha Siddika Akbar Ali Editor - In - Chief Faculty Editors Ms. Kalpana Karthick Somasekar Ms. Radha Nandhini Ms. Suganthi Gopi Guest Editor Mrs. Shylaja M.A.,M.C.J.,M.Phil.,Ph.d P/O Jeff Daerin, G4 Asst. Professor Department of English, The American College (Autonomous) Madurai - 625 002. YAGNA December 2014 VISION To educate the leaders of tomorrow who will change the way the world lives, learns and works. MISSION Anywhere anytime learning environment. Collaborative learning environment of students and teachers provides opportunities to develop personnel & professional attributes. Deliver value based education that produces responsible global citizens who act as a change factor in the society. www.queenmira.com Message from Principal Sujatha Guptan Speaks Deccan Chronicle: "While about 39 per cent of the graduates from foreign universities are considered ready for the job, only about 14 per cent students from Indian universities are considered suitable for jobs."Indian graduates not job ready... Dear All, Even when a sapling is planted into a new soil, we tend and care, nurture and nourish till it Team QMIS successfully steps into the 6th adopt to the new ecosystem and springs out its year and is geared up to explore another first leaf. But this patience is never noticed eventful year from April 2015. On the with respect to child upbringing in majority accomplishment of 5 years of journey, we of parents today . We expect yield the moment would like to reminisce and share a few words we seed. Most of the times we quantify their with all our readers. This journey did not gain growth only by marks. We fail to notice their its momentum overnight, it had to cross Sujatha Guptan character development, confidence level, several obstacles. But all these hurdles have organising skill, compassion and many more. The been taken as a stepping stone to scale new heights. priorities of parents with respect to the core objective of education keeps shifting.. Many a time not on their Team QMIS is greatly indebted to all our parents, who own they change but by the influence of some X or Y have entrusted upon us for their wards holistic who is your neighbour. development. We have always respected that and always intended to take them more & beyond their With respect to the Parents we notice one positive expectations. I render my special thanks to Dr.Umar thing. All our admission enquiries communicate one Sherif, P/o Pranesh, Dr.Vinod Bose, Mr.Udhay, thing very clearly that a lot of changes are happening Mr.Senthamarai Kannan, Mr.Sujay Samuel, among parents in selecting the right school for their Mr.Sekar... For these are our team of parents who child. Our parents aim at providing a happy schooling joined us in our vision even when all our promises were for their child. They want their child's learning to be only in papers and in power point presentation. These more application based and assist them in their life people endorse one thing till date is the quality with rather than just for living. Their is a wider awareness which everything in the campus is getting about vision and mission, role of the ambience in the implemented. These parents are our great motivators child's learning( the first place today's parent visit who have shouldered us in our victorious moments, before selecting a school is visiting the toilet of the pointed us when we erred without letting down the school rather than classrooms), the caring and hope in us. Special thanks to all. resourceful teachers team and last but not the least the nature of other activities the child is exposed during I do extend my deep note of gratitude to our the schoolIng. In that sense we are happy to provide knowledge partners Idiscoveri and the digital partners everything what today's parents expect more & Educomp for travelling with us right from the day of beyond. inception and supporting us to bring in a change in the pedagogy. This was a piece of information I came across while surfing. The huge gap in our educational system A word of concern could be fullfilled only when such a new horizon of thinking arises in our parents. We all should Last month, I happened to meet one of my friends , she collectively join hands to prepare the child for the was complaining of her child and was also lamenting a road, instead of preparing the road itself. lot. The reason for her grumble was that she is spending a lot on her kids education but there is no out put for what she invests. We contemplated on what Thanks & regards, was the output she was expecting from a Grade 1 child? Her answer shook me a little, she complained Sujatha Guptan that she doesn't speak in English at home. 03 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School Counsellor’s Instinct “ Stay focused – Easy yourself at the time of assessments ” "Success comes in doing right things, the right way, at the right time. The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter and the spirit heals with joy." Once again it is that season of the year when the temperature is at the peak. No , it is not summer that raises the temperature but they are the terms 'EXAMINATION' or 'ASSESSMENTS'. Yes the word 'Assessment' brings in heat in Teachers, Parents and finally Students. At home , at schools, at Tuition centers – everywhere it is the same atmosphere. Assessments are conducted to identify the student's learning throughout the year, but adults see it in a different point of view i.e SCORING. Today's children are highly targeted by the schools and the parents to score high grades in order to with stand the competitive world. The competition is such high that even marks in decimals make a huge difference in what we call as success. This generation kids are highly multifaceted but unfortunately this increases the risk of competition. This exuberant season of Assessment becomes a race for the parents and the teachers to project their kid's talent. Hence the students are under a great pressure and stress. QMIS once again is grateful to Dr Dheep, the Founder of TOPKIDS the Counseling Center who had extended his support and guidance as always. Dr Dheep had shared his suggestions and tips for the kids, parents and the schools to overcome the assessment stress and pressure. Why Stress ? Why Exam Fear? As said earlier assessments are just the devices to identify the acquiring of knowledge and not a race of marks. Then why is it that the kids are so stressed during the period of assessments. Here are some reasons for the exam stress – Most of the kids do not revise the topics at home that are taught for the day at school as and when done. This results in piling up of portions. 04 www.queenmira.com The students are burdened with the ambitions of the parents which sometimes may not be of their interests. Setting of higher and higher and never ending targets by the teachers and the schools. Tips to the Students: Though the topic taught in the class was well understood, it must be revised at home on the same day for a better registering in mind. Brain is a filing system. The student must revise regularly giving the topic its time to register in mind. One must be a little more organized with revision for avoiding 11 t h hour preparations. The students must develop a routine of 'Writing' down the revised topic. This would be a great help in recollecting the topics learnt earlier. The best mantra for stress free exams is RW – REVISE regularly and WRITE frequently. Dr Dheep says that exam stress in students has relatively increased over years despite of student friendly and stress free assessment systems. The excitement and curiosity for knowing new things is curtailed in this generation. This bounds the creativity of the child. He says that the child should be left to solve things right in their own way and that there shouldn't be any prescribed procedures to arrive at a solution. The child must also be given the liberty to choose his / her choice of interests. And the best of outcomes would be met when the teachers and the parents maintain a healthy rapport frequently communicating the kid's aptitude and merits. The child's aptitude should be identified and should be educated and encouraged about the various options but never be influenced. Schools and Parents must stop projecting the board exams as war. Exams are not designed to catch the child's mistakes but to assess the child's capability. Hence the parents and schools must not scare the children of the exams. Toppers are always at a higher risk of stress due to higher expectations and hogher goals set by their adults. Toppers – must be self motivated Mediocres- must be appreciated Low performers- must be well motivated according their capabilities. Stress Busters · Regular revisions would reduse stress. · Physical activities are a must in a dayWhen the child runs or plays the energy gets drained and craves for a boost up. Once the boost is given the energy levels get refreshed. · Adequate physical activities like swimming, cycling, jogging, yoga etc should be encouraged. · Dr Dheep suggests that Value Education should be done on regular basis to relax the minds. · Adequate water, good sleep, eating right and avoiding gadgets would keep one's mind relaxed and fresh. · The students during exam days must be lent with a friendly ear. They should be allowed to talk and share their feelings. · Peer education in some cases plays a magic role. · Individual variations should be respected. As there is no prescribed way of preparations. Example : If the child finds it comfortable reading in mind then he / she must be allowed to do so instead of forcing them to read aloud. If the child is feels comfortable to saty awake late nights for preparation then he/she must be allowed to do so instead of forcing them to go to bed early and wake up early. Stress and Health Dr Dheep says that Stress is good as it gives meaning to one's life, but it should not reach the breaking point. Stress results in major health issues as it results in anxiety. This anxiety causes depression effecting physical and mental health. Don't stress , Do your best, Forget the rest. To reach the top you don't have to be a book worm. Just stay cool and your best. Student Column In charge Teacher Column In charge 05 YAGNA March 2015 Samy Kannu, G7 Ms. Kalyani Venkatesh Queen Mira International School Connoisseur's Exhortation Soma Basu Speaks "There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise" - Wea Dubos Born and brought up in Delhi in an orthodox Bengali Family, Ms. Soma Basu proves to be a living example of the saying above. A well known Personality in the editorial wing in the famous daily 'The Hindu'. Though she successfully completed her school education with good scores, she could not choose a field to be pursued in her graduation. Her father being a doctor decided and made her try for a medical course. True that she had no interest in medicine, yet, just to fulfill her father's wish, she tried out on entrance many a times but in vain. Still her father wanted her to join in a related discipline and so she had to choose Zoology for her under graduation. News of those times in Delhi and there started her life as a Journalist. She proudly says, “It was my Professor, Dr. Chaturvedi, who silently and powerfully pushed me into this field, the best of choice I could have ever made”. She continues that his support has made her a driven individual and she would be forever grateful to him Though she entered college with no interest or hope she very shortly was stimulated by her Zoology professor Dr. Ravi Chathurvedi who was also a famous cricket commentator of her time. She was strongly inspired on the way he presented things in the most interesting way. He made her the editor of a science journal of the department which helped her to identify where her interest lies, which he had done already when he asked her to accompany him for all the cricket matches and one fine day he had asked her to pen down what saw in the pavilion and that was her first report. “Journalism is an act of faith in the future”. Having faith in her talent to have a bright future opened for her in the field, it was Dr. Ravi Chaturvedi, who paid her fees for MA Journalism as her father denied to as he was totally against her doing journalism, and successfully convinced him too later. (Gratitude quote) She says with heartfelt gratitude that she was on cloud nine when Dr. Chaturvedi showed her first article (Cricket commentary) which was published in Hindustan Times, a popular Evening 06 www.queenmira.com Journalism – a field of challenges. Speaking about her carrier, she shared that before she could place herself in The Hindu, she had her intern in a patriot newspaper by Aruna Asafali, who lead Quit India Movement. She had given many of her best articles in that magazine. Still it was there she had to face a professional shock and she quit the magazine when she was denied to publish her article to reveal the truth on a public figure who was in good books of the public. She joined in Hindu in the year 1992 since when she is continuing her service there, initial years in Delhi and now in Madurai. Though the period when she entered into the field was already open to women, she had to face a lot of physical, mental and psychological challenges which had helped her to gain strength gradually and which have moulded her to be and give her best. She was displeased when she had to share about the juvenile crimes which have become very common these days. More than to discuss in detail on that she preferred to share her views on how it could be reduced and she had a request to the parents and teachers. She says 'Be as close and as approachable to the children as possible. Being with them is the only way to learn them better. Never fail to have a close monitoring on the children where ever they are and whatever they do” Words for the Young Leaders: Listen to your heart and pursue that Do what you love to do to draw closer to your aspirations and come out with your love potential Develop reading habit. Student Column In charge Teacher Column In charge Amazing Nishanth Kumar, G8 Ms. Radha Nandhini Facts Tulip bulbs were sold costlier than gold in 1600's. In 1630's a kind of frenzy for tulips occurred named “Tulip mania” and tulips became so expensive as to be treated as a form of currency. Fabric made from fibers of lotus plant is used in Myanmar for making robes of Buddha. According to old legend, lotus flowers bloomed everywhere that lord Buddha walked. Snapdragon flowers resemble a dragon, and if you squeeze the sides, the dragon's mouth will appear to open and close. Foxglove is a kind of pink tubular flower which derived its name from old English belief that foxes slipped into these flowers to sneak up on their prey! Orchids have symmetry similar to human faces. The flower of the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanium) is the largest unbranched flower in the world and can reach up to 15 feet tall. Ghost Orchid is a plant that was presumed to be extinct for almost 20 years and only recently materialized again It has no leaves and does not use photosynthesis to manufacture its own food. Student Column In charge Teacher Column In charge 07 YAGNA March 2015 Ms.Rubina Thahseen Maallick, G7 Queen Mira International School Sixth Sense How to fit it ourselves in the best schools? When a child reaches the age of 3 the question that moves around the four walls of the house is about the schooling of the child. Everyone tries to make the right decision and they want to put their kids on a path toward lifelong learning, a prestigious college education and a successful career. Mom's heart looks for a school where her kid empties the lunch box and reaches back safely, Dad's brain inspects whether the school can increase his knowledge bank, Uncle aunties and the close neighbours wants the kid to be an all rounder like a star performers who kills their boredom all time by singing, cracking jokes or dancing fabulously etc. In order to fit in the best school we really need to do some basic homework, record it, analyze it and understand the concepts and norms clearly to conclude and extract the one which a child's need deserves. The board followed- pedagogy in use, a balanced curriculums, assessments details, books they take up all these are necessary and basic information to be noted before enrolling the child. We also need to analyze the educational approach of the system, whether they follow any educational philosophies, many schools incorporate multiple philosophies. Some philosophies are play-based in the early grades; introduce reading using phonics, math through abacus etc. Some schools follow specific educational models such as the Montessori Method, the Waldorf approach, Dr. Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, Dr. Mel Levine's All Kinds of Minds strategies for children with learning differences, and more. Many schools have recognized that all children are not equally prepared for schooling, especially in the initial years of education. Students may show some learning disorders such as dyslexia, or have stronger visual memory, etc. Hence, many schools have learning resources centers to give extra coaching to such children to bring them at a par with other students in the class. As parents, we think our child will be the best student of the school. But, we may be in for a surprise when our child may actually struggle with the curriculum. 08 www.queenmira.com Hence, it is better to opt for schools having such resource centers that can mould students. Learning environment in the class has to be inquired which arises several questions in our mind like- Is the teacher standing up and lecturing, or working with students in active ways? Is the teacher using visual and physical models as well as text to teach? Do kids get to manipulate objects as they learn? Are individual differences (such as in learning styles and academic strengths) being accommodated, or do all students do equal activities at the same time? Will my child's learning style be suited well to this school's approach? The communication system followed how far a parent can contact through mails or any other mode. Teacher matters a lot- for preschoolers, the connection between child and teacher is more important than any curriculum, A teacher can also bring in drastic change of the child, they sow a seed of practice which grows into plant of habit and ever lasts like tree of behavior. Excellent teachers not only teach more, but they can even accelerate the rate of learning among their students, they also meet up the learning difficulties of each individual. To conclude with along with imparting knowledge, aptitudes, carving the cognitive and intellectual skill the school should also develop the moral and some traditional values inside the child's mind and soul. There should be an insight and in- depth learning which will enhance the confidence level, and elevate to spread the wings above the sky and meet out the expectations of the family, society, country and this world. Pandi Selvi Student In charge Teacher In charge Ananya Jain, G8 Kalpana Karthick Somasekar Hermes Café Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks W h e n Tu e s d a y McGillycuddy and her b e l o v e d d o g , B a x t e r r, discover that Tuesday's mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End. Wonder by R. J. Palacio In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can't blend in when you were born to stand out. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face. Student In charge Teacher In charges 09 YAGNA March 2015 Dominic, G7 Ms. Pandi Selvi & Ms. Muthu Selvi O wl Diaries #1: Eva's Tr e e t o p F e s t i v a l ( A Branches Book) by Rebecca Elliott This adorable early chapter book series is perfect for young gir ls who lo ve f riendship stories starring animal characters!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fastpaced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow! Eva Wingdale gets in over her head when she offers to organize a spring festival at school. Even with her best friend Lucy's help, there is NO way she will get everything done in time. Will Eva have to ask Sue (a.k.a. Meanie McMeanerson) for help? Or will the festival have to be cancelled? Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe #1: Moldylocks and the Three Beards (A Branches Book) by Noah Z. Jones Easy-to-read text and engaging full-color artwork throughout, kids will be drawn right into this very funny land of fractured fairy tales! This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. Branches books help readers grow! In the Land of Fake Believe, Princess meets a strange girl named Moldylocks. When Princess's stomach grumbles, Moldylocks takes her to the home of the Three Beards. The girls sit in the Beards' chairs, eat their chili, and jump on their beds Queen Mira International School Mission Accomplished Erudite Club Activity Traditional Food Feast The Erudite Club With the objective of “to foster and broaden the joy for literature and to augment the proficiency in all four skills of Language”, ensures to conduct a variety of activities to foster the linguistic temper in children. The specific graders 3,4,6 & 7 had a freaking exposure that even helped us in identifying the great singers in them. The students of grades 5 & 8 had yet another wonderful session where they exhibited their oratorical skills. These privileged children had a great where learning was given with fun!! Each child was asked to recite their own bio poem and was made to talk about them for a minute.. This highly helped the children in enjoying and learning to develop the linguistic skills marking it a fun filled and fulfilled session! The children are getting lured to modernized way of eating, to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and to know the nutritional values of such traditional foods; a traditional food feast was organized by the students of grade 6 as a part of their Heritage Club activity. Note only thye food seemed to be traditional but also the warm and pleasant “ Vanakkam and serving the food in banana leaves” added more charisma to the feast. 10 www.queenmira.com P o p C o r n C l u b A c t i v i t y H e r i t a g e C l u b A c t i v i t y Our children enjoy screening the movies exclusively at popcorn club where they enjoy it with their fellow mates!. As a part of it .. the movie they witnessed was “The children of Heaven”. As part of Heritage club activities, a brief description about Jain caves which have number of stone beds and sculptures that shows authority for Jainism in and around Madurai was given. The historical background of Vardhamana Mahaveera and Jain Thirthankars were educated to the children. Some amazing customs about the Tamil- Brahmi inscriptions and Vatteluthu inscriptions were also introduced to the children. The session insisted upon visiting to these Jain caves as it would benefit the children a lot both intellectually and historically rather than spending their time in Malls, Parks and Game points. The responsibility and conservation of these caves were discussed, to kindle the Archaeological and the thoughts of historical discovers, since some of them would even turn into Archaeologists in future. The grades were divided into two and the activities given were parallel. Grades 4 and 5 students were eagerly portraying the characters in the movie -Ali, Zahira etc.., they enjoyed enacting the movie.” Grades 6, 7 children were becoming critic writers by the review of the movie given by them and were sharing their real life experiences to their peers. Thus the objective of reviewing the movie through pop corn club was enhanced with writing skill during the month of February!. 11 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School Science Club Activity DINO HUNT Think Lab Activity WHO EATS WHAT We do have little scientists experimenting by their hands on in Think labs activities. They had discovered a lot apart from their science subjects and the knowledge gained was interesting in a practical method. They had a live session on learning science concepts where they proved that QMIS'ians are not bookish and excel beyond in their discovery! The gist of activities in which the children's hands were on are.. PURE WATER MOSQUITO BITE TURN ON YOUR SEED UNSEEN DANGERS LUNG DIAPHRAM BOILING IN PAPER CUP BALLOON ROCKET AGENT ORANGE 12 www.queenmira.com BULKY PULLEY TELL TALE TEETH SUPER SENSES OILY SPOILY · INVISIBLE INK These experiments paved the way in learning the concepts of Malarial transmission in human beings, Importance of scale in microbial world and awareness about hygiene practices, Mechanism of breathing, The importance of ignition temperature and good conductors of heat, Testing the presence of starch in food and developing the concept of balanced diet, This involves the water purification technique and the reasons for the tooth decay with the ways to prevent it. They also gained the idea of basic nature of any substance in earth with the habitual behavior of animal classifications and their species! National Science day The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking. Albert Einstein National science day was celebrated in our premises on 28th of February 2015 with fun and enthusiasm. The main event for the day was the science exhibit that our little scientists from grade IV to VII performed. There were 14 activities in total, with four students per activity. The students showed excellent knowledge, ingenuity and skill in the execution and presentation of the project. The active participation of our parents boosted our children making them 'The Scientists of the day'. The science day celebrations would definitely help in a long way to inculcate scientific attitude in the students. To list few activities- Tippy Tap, To the rescue, Catch the thief, Grabber, Lava lamp, Pencil propeller, Bernoulli's bag, Draw dio, Balloon rocket, Lung diaphragm, Scuba dive, Fun pen, Flubber, Perception of vision. As the saying goes “In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn”, it was a good day of learning for both the students and the parents. Glimpses of the National Science Day Celebration at QMIS Pencil Propeller Build a Bridge Bernoulli's Bag Lava Lamp 13 YAGNA March 2015 Student In charge Teacher In charges Rupshya, G8 Ms. Sophia & Ms. Jenifer Queen Mira International School Gaities R o a d S a f e t y A w a r e n e s s P r o g r a m Y a g n a V o l u m e 4 , I s s u e 2 & C a l e n d a r ’ 2 0 1 5 R e l e a s e “The essence of road safety is to live healthy” A good book has no ending -R.D. Cumming The QMIS' Quarterly News Letter - Yagna Voume 4, Issue 2 is an added bonanza for the book lovers during this global festive season. The Yagna Volume 4, Issue 2 was released with a difference in the presence of the man of ideology Shri M.V. Muthuramalingam, the chairman of Velammal Educational Trust at his office. As a token of love and respect, our chairman Dr. Chandran gave the first copy of the school calendar to Shri Muthuramalingam followed by the release of Yagna Volume 4, Issue 2. The great Edupreneur insisted on inculcating the morality and discipline in the students of the present era along with their Academic Education. The meeting served to be knowledge and thought- sharing session. We bid adieu and returned school taking a message for the upcoming New Year 2015 –'16. 14 www.queenmira.com To promote the health and wellbeing of children in the traffic environment, a road safety awareness program was held in the school premises on 7th of February 2015.Along with the students, teachers and the transport department took an active participation as “ Road sense is the offspring of courtesy and the parent of safety.” Mr.Selvictor, Inspector of police-Traffic, Thilagarthidal police station briefed the children on the various safety measures to be taken while travelling on road. He educated the children that “Normal speed meets every need” by illustrating examples. He also explained about the road safety slogan of the year "Safety is not just a slogan; It's a way of life". This one hour session had given the audience enough values which would not only help them, but also their near and dear ones. C h r i s t m a s C e l e b r a t i o n Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. - Washington Irving Festivals, apart from enjoyment, teach us a value. Santa Claus visited QMIS on 23rd of December to spread love and joy in the campus. As Christmas is synonymous with gifts, the celebration started with a fun game following which we had our teachers Ms.Dahphne Rodrego and Ms.Shyamala with a power point presentation. The significance of things used during the Christmas time was explained . Any event would go incomplete without the words of our beloved Principal Ms.Sujatha. She, and her wishes insisted the children to have a New Year resolution that would strengthen a child mentally and make him/her more focused. A game to make children think beyond was conducted to instill thoughts in children that there was something more in our festivals-“ Sharing love and joy”. The children were told to come in ethnic wear and traditional finery. It was a meticulously planned and well organized celebration. The untiring team arranged for a grand sale of valaiyal , balloons and brought Vaadi vaasal , huts, aattu manthai, agricultural tools into the arena to make the celebration true to the concept “Kalanjiyum “. The typical festival snacks like javvu mittai , kuchi ice, paniyaram and kambangool and thrills such as Ranga raattinam , Kodai rattinam , safaris on bullock and horse added more to the enjoyment . Minor games like illavatta kal, uri adhithal, valluku maram and tug of war which were practiced in olden days to show case young men's strength enthralled the visitors and children. Cock and Goat fights stole the entire show. The QMIS parents also took part in the competitions. We did have the fortune tellers- Kizhi Joshiyam and Kuri solrathu who with their words gave all a promising new year ahead. The students and the visitors from US and France marched back their dormitories with a pride of understanding the values of pongal and history behind all the games and practices. On the whole, it gave a complete satisfaction of visiting a village. K a l a n j i y u m P o n g a l C e l e b r a t i o n Thai Pongal - the charming festival of Thanksgiving Pongal is an ancient festival of people in South India particularly by Tamilians. The history of the festival can be traced to the Sangam Age i.e. 200 B.C to 300 A.D. The QMISians celebrated the Pongal Kalanjiyum on 13th January 2015. 15 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School S a n g a m a m A really great talent finds its happiness in execution Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe Queen Mira International School organized its 4th Annual Day Celebration under the title Sangamam – an amalgamation of arts on 24.01.2015 & 25.01.2015 – a two day mega hit event at the school premises. On Day 1 Shri Justice D. Murugasen, Member – National Human Rights Commission and the former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court was the Chief Guest and Shri M.V. Muthuramalingam, Chairman Velammal Educational Trust was the Special Invitee “Learning and Teaching with pleasure” was the message imparted to the teachers and parents by the Chief Guest. The significance of teaching human values in education was insisted by the special invitee. On Day 2 , t h e C h i e f G u e s t J u s t i c e S h r i V. Ramasubramanian, Judge – Chennai High Court inaugurated the school's Q's Cafeteria . 16 www.queenmira.com The Chief Guest in his address showered his views upon the present scenario of education and mesmerized the audience in bringing forth the true education through the quotes of the great legend Swami Vivekananda. Accolades to various winners and participants of the National and International Level Competitions were awarded by the Chief Guests in the presence of Dr. Chandran, Chairman, Guruji Educational Trust. As the cultural events unfurled on both the days, the viewers' enthusiasm got boosted with its wide range of assorted proceedings that were presented for the horde. T h e D a y 1 E v e n t s ( 2 4 . 0 1 . 2 0 1 5 ) A G l i m p s e o n t h e D a y 2 E v e n t s ( 2 5 . 0 1 . 2 0 1 5 ) The events began with a Divine Prayer Song sung by the choir portrayed the Eternal Love of The Almighty. Each and every program was enjoyed by the audience. The cultural events began with the welcome dance of KG kiddies. Followed by the welcome dance, the other KG kiddies proved their talent by performing excellent dances like garden dance, folk dance, party dance. After that, the KG kids again proved their remarkable talent by performing an amazing fairy tale skit. Followed by the pleasing KG performances were the blasting performances of graders 3, 4 & 5. The various International Dance Forms took us to its native land with its stylish steps and well designed costumes. After the Ramayana enactment that reinforced the values of Love and Dharma brought a blissful drizzle that made everybody feel the presence of Almighty. The Great Orator Sir Winston Churchill was brought alive through the magnanimous performance of the skit “The Last Lion of Great Britain”. The Day 2 events were presented by the primary students of Grades 1 & 2 and the senior school students (Graders 6 to 8). The cultural events took its charm and energy through the Classical Dance performance of grades 6 to 8 girls. They also sang some sweet melodious songs which were given bliss to everyone who heard it. The Mahabharata team rocked the stage with a truly melodramatic performance and made the crowd to feel the scenes a live picturesque which in turn had brought tears rolling down their cheeks. The English Skit Napoleon Bonaparte portrayed on stage revealed the essential qualities of a true soldier. The Fusion Dancers dancing to the electrical tunes rocked the stage. The Martial Arts Performers not only served to be a component of this mega event, but had truly created the thirst for learning such arts. The twists and turns of the Yoga performers were very gratifying. 17 YAGNA March 2015 The FM host – the anchoring team from Sangamam FM 20.1 added more flavor and charm to the entire event. Thus this grand and gala two day- event was undoubtedly an amalgamation of arts. Queen Mira International School O p e n H o u s e Open House Meeting is an opportunity provided for the parents of new students admitted in this academic year 2014 – 15 to observe the live classrooms, to have a look around the school and classrooms in order to gain information. The objective of the open house meeting is to enhance the engagement level of a parent with the school and to understand their child's learning methodology. Parents enthusiastically took part and observed the classes of either the alternate class or one grade higher of their ward's grade. They were highly satisfied with the methodology and the ways the children are handled. Outcome of which, was plenty of positive feedbacks in edusparrow. The students were given a chance to visit Max Vista Apartments, opposite to Fatima College, the first quake resistant apartment in Madurai. Mr. Elango Packiaraj, the Managing Director of MAX PROPERTIES Pvt Ltd., gave a thorough guidance in this regard. He, with his Structural Engineer Mr. Karuppasamy took the children to every nook and corner of the building explaining the significance behind each design. F i e l d V i s i t The Team QMIS organized a field visit exclusively for the students of grade IX on the 7th January 2015. The purpose of this visit was to have a thorough knowledge on quake resistant buildings and the science and technology involved in making a building quake resistant. They were taken to 'MAX PROPERTIES' Pvt Ltd., a construction company to learn more on earth quake management and construction of quake resistant buildings. They were accompanied by two staff members Ms. Kalpana and Ms. Radha Nandhini. 18 www.queenmira.com They also instructed the students theoretically on seismic waves, focus, epicenter, quake susceptibility and the changing designs and patterns of quake resistant buildings. The students had a good interaction with the resource person and gained a good knowledge. The day was called off when they came back enriched with a thorough knowledge on earth quake and how a building could be designed to make it quake resistant. S l u m b e r P a r t y An initiative to explore the children's Independency Happy Schooling always ended with 4.30pm but on the days of these slumber parties their happiness got extended beyond. When the circular was rolled out to the children related to the slumber party , children and parents were so excited and showed much interest in participating in the event. On 6th February evening, the children stepped into QMIS well prepared with their backpack , had a smile on their face and sent off their parents from school to have much fun time with their peer group. As our customary practice, the evening commenced with Invocation of God and the rest was proceeded according to the agenda. They had their unique time in their activities such as Treasure hunt and Blindfolded game. Their movie time in a theatre like venue with coned pop corns brought them into a different world. Delicacies were served to the children at Q's Cafeteria where they enjoyed their friends' companionships and relished the dinner. Thereafter, the camp fire welcomed them to dance around with the team according to the tune of music. The day ended up with their bed time brushing, night prayer and bedtime stories. The next day morning began very early and the children were so excited to witness the miracle of transmission of night into day which is otherwise known as the panoramic view of the Sun Rise with a cup of Hot Chocolate. Warm-up activity – Jogging motivated the children and was followed by some other physical activities. They had their break-fast at Q's Cafeteria and packed up their belongings and bid good-bye to School. Slumber Party (1) was organized for graders 3 on 06.02.15 and 07.02.15 on the theme “Galaxy”. From the party, the children had learnt how to make their stay independently, right from organizing themselves for the activities, in having their food, in spreading their own beds and in following their routines without any lapses. Slumber Party (2) was initiated for Graders 2 on 14.02.15 and 15.02.15 on Jungle theme. These children were showing much interest and enthusiasm in all the areas especially packing their things with the check list in hands. They wanted to have more slumber parties like this. Slumber Party (3) was scheduled for Graders 1 on 21.02.15 and 22.02.15 on Aquatic theme. Their learning outcome on the whole was peer group management, some valuable routines and warm-up activities in the morning. Slumber Party was an occasion for us to realize the responsibility of every individual kid and this was extending the happiness of the children. Every child wound up the day looking forward for more such exciting sleep over parties with their friends inside the QMIS premises. Student In charge Teacher In charges 19 YAGNA March 2015 Anumukitha, G7 Ms. Rohini & Ms. Jensi Queen Mira International School Celebrities Star of the Quarter 2014 (Sep, Oct, Nov) Esha Nethra.R PreK.G Sudharshanaa.R Dheeksha Devi Karthik.K K.G. 1A TharunRaj.B Rianna Das Guptha 20 Angelin.P Sharrvesh.J Punya.S.Prabhu K.G. 1B K.G. 1C K.G. IIA K.G. IIB Prajit.V Krishna.G Suhail Aryan Jain IA IB II A II B II C III Omisha.G Pranav Pandian M S Pooja R Rayena Dasgupta IV A IV B VA VB Sham Samy.S Rakshita.S.A VII A VII B www.queenmira.com Saumiya .M Rijuth Suresh Pandian VI A Ananya Jain Aashiq Bharathi.N VIII IX VI B Star of the Term II " At this victorious juncture i thank almighty for his blessings. This success of mind is purely because of my mentor's guidance. I whole heartedly dedicate this to my little angel and my grade 9 students " Aysha Siddika Akbar Ali Star of the Month - November Support Staff House Keeping Department vd; gs;spapd; tsu;r;rp vd;Dila tsu;r;rp. ,jpy; vd;id ngUikgLj;jpajw;F ed;wp! Amusavalli ,e;j gs;spapy; Ntiy ghu;g;gjpy; kpfTk; ngUikg;gLfpNwd;. vd;id Cf;fg;gLj;jpa vd; gs;spf;F ed;wp! Chitra Raman Transport Crew nfhLf;fg;gLk; Ntiyiar; rupahfr; nra;jikf;F vd;idg; ghuhl;ba gs;sp epu;thfj;jpw;F ed;wp! Selvam ,e;j ghuhl;bw;F ed;wp! ,e;j gs;spapd; thfdj;ij vd;Dila thfdk; Nghy; vd;Wk; guhkupg;Ngd;. Gnanamani 21 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School Learner's Column C o S c h o l a s t i c s P r e s e n t a t i o n “Learning Is A Treasure That Will Follow Its Owner Everywhere!!! On the 3rd of January, 2015, Team QMIS took part in the CO Scholastics presentation that was given by The Principal Ms. Sujatha Guptan and Co – ordinator Ms. Aysha Siddika. The team was given an insight about the Co – Scholastics that has to go hand in hand with the Scholastic development of an individual that will pave way for a holistic development. The various Co Scholastic domains, the rubrics used for assessing and the compilation of grades for the same were discussed with the team. It served to be knowledge sharing session. S t a f f D a y O u t “Don't worry, just breath, If it's meant to be, it will find its way…….” Watching movie in theatre with the effects and sound and 100 people surround you is the atmosphere which is quite good and interesting .As part of human welfare, the management members of QMIS had hosted a good movie show to the teaching staff. Team QMIS called it a Q's Movie which was collectively enjoyed by 26 teachers on 07.02.2015 in a matinee show. The movie was a comedy film 'Kaakki Chattai' in which the actor 'Shiva Karthikeyan' entertained the viewers. It gave the team good excitement and a great relaxation from their monotonous routines. Moreover, the usual combo pop-corn and cone ice-cream during the intermission were relished like delicacies with the companionship of the entire team. Teachers departed to their home with mindful of fun and a complete satisfaction of watching a good movie. 22 www.queenmira.com S t a f f D i n n e r “Team Work Divides the Task and Multiplies the Success” Teachers play a vital role, as standard – bearers of values and accomplishments of our children. As we are on the brink of the Academic Year 2014 –'15, as a note of gratitude to those sanctified souls – “The Teachers”, a staff dinner together was arranged by the management to rejoice the hard work we put in and the triumphs we made .It was an energetic eve that was just filled with fun, frolic and feast that brought the team out of the humdrum. The joyous night ended with a heartfelt gratitude that was bestowed upon to the management. The team dispersed chanting the golden verse “Together Everybody Achieves More!!!” P r o f e s s i o n a l E t i q u e t t e Schooling, Graduations, Distinctions and finally placements- is all that matters for the current generation. Have you ever realized what is at utmost importance beyond all this? It is ETIQUETTE. We are heading into a time period where we cannot keep to ourselves instead must come out and exhibit our merits. In such a scenario one has to really work on their etiquettes to survive or rather show up one self in the huge mob of meritorious souls. Etiquette has become a part of our daily life as it benefits the culture of socializing. Etiquette is more of an unspecified conduct of an individual. Professional Etiquette plays a key role in making an everlasting impression at the work place. A good Etiquette serves the benefit of good opportunities whereas failing the same may leave oneself with empty hands. Any kind of etiquette begins with a greeting. It is very essential to make a good First impression on anyone. And that can be achieved by a pleasant smile, a firm handshake and a good eye contact. T h e f o l l o w i n g e t i q u e t t e s m a y h e l p t a k e l e a d a t t h e w o r k p l a c e Always dress appropriately to the work place as it commands respect from people around you. One must keep oneself well groomed. A pleasant smile helps in maintaining cordial relationship at the work place. A firm handshake at the time of introduction and at the time of closure leaves a positive impression. A good introduction with some important information of oneself is always needed. One must rise to introduce oneself or others for better eye contact. Always address others with his/ her title and last name. 23 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School A firm handshake at the time of introduction and at the time of closure leaves a positive impression. Usage of words like 'Please', 'Thank you' and 'Kindly' may help you for a good communication. It is suggestible to avoid disrespectful, demanding or aggressive tones at work place. Our non verbal communication i.e. our body language also plays an important role in leaving a good impression. So maintain a good posture. Punctuality is another aspect that impresses people quickly. Always make a closing statement while departing from the place. Social skills make the best of the carriers at the same time they can even result in work place being a nightmare. Kenitra Matheson, human resource director with Dellinger and Deese in Charlotte, N.C., emphasizes, “Etiquette and social skills are a must! Our employees have to exhibit a certain level of professionalism and etiquette, given that we constantly interact with our clients.” Be one step ahead— practice the social skills necessary to help you make a great first impression and stand out in a competitive job market. K a l y a n i v e n k a t e s h Student In charge Teacher In charges 24 www.queenmira.com Adhilsha, G8 Ms. Shalini & Ms. Dharani Professional in-person presentation Dress professionally. Understanding the difference between business formal, business casual, and casual attire. Demonstrating professional grooming. Demonstrating professional non-verbal communication. Do not lie back in your chair, yawn in an employer's face, or check your cell phone in the middle of a conversation. Always greet your fellow mates with warm smile. Professional written presentation Ensure that your cover letter, thank-you notes, networking outreach e-mails and other correspondence items are accurate, truthful, and free of spelling and grammatical mistakes, slang and Internet slang (LOL, emoticons, etc.). Misrepresenting yourself on your words is a serious ethical violation. Take the time to learn what is expected of formal business correspondence. When writing to business professionals, always address them by Mr./Ms./Dr. and their last names, until a person gives you unsolicited permission to address him or her by first name. Always express appreciation to your networking contacts and prospective employers. Never complain or show a lack of gratitude, even if it takes someone a long time to respond to you. S o p h i a S a g u n a b a i Cognitive Sizzlers Q-1 Q-2 The Puzzle: The Puzzle: You are doing some gardening, and need exactly 4 litres of water to mix up some special formula for your award winning roses. But you only have a 5litre and a 3-litre bowl, but do have access to plenty of water. How would you measure exactly 4 litres? A bridge will collapse in 17 minutes. 4 people want to cross it before it will collapse. It is a dark night and there is only one torch between them. Only two people can cross at a time. "A" takes a minute to cross. "B" takes 2 minutes. "C" takes 5 and "D" takes 10 minutes How do they all cross before the bridge collapses? Q-4 The Puzzle: Q-3 The Puzzle: Belt Puzzle - Solution A magic rectangular belt always shrinks its length to 1/2 and width to 1/3 whenever its owner wishes something. After three such wishes, its surface was 4 cm2. What was the original length, if the original width was 9 cm? A farmer wants to cross a river and take with him a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage. There is a boat that can fit himself plus either the wolf, the goat, or the cabbage. If the wolf and the goat are alone on one shore, the wolf will eat the goat. If the goat and the cabbage are alone on the shore, the goat will eat the cabbage. How can the farmer bring the wolf, the goat, and the cabbage across the river? Student In charge Teacher In charges Calvin, G7 Ms. Pandi Selvi & Ms. Kayalvizhi Farmer takes Goat across (leaving Wolf and Cabbage behind),Farmer returns alone,Farmer takes Wolf across Farmer returns with Goat * We now have the Farmer, the Cabbage and the Goat on one side and the Wolf on the other side. Farmer takes Cabbage across , Farmer returns alone, Farmer takes Goat across Q-4 Fill the 5- litre bowl. Then fill the 3-- litre bowl from the 5- litre bowl. You will now have 2 - litre s left in the 5- litre bowl. Empty the 3- litre bowl, and then transfer the 2 litre s from the 5- litre bowl into it. Now fill the 5- litre bowl again, then pour water carefully from the 5- litre bowl into the 3- litre bowl until it is full - exactly one more liter. The 5-liter bowl now has exactly 4 liters. Solution Q-1 The original length of the belt was 96 cm.96×9 became 48×3, then 24×1, then 12×(1/3) Solution Q-3 A and B cross first using up 2 minutes. A comes back making it 3 C and D cross making it 13 minutes then B crosses back over making it 15 minutes. And finally A and B cross together to make it 17 minutes! Solution Q-2 YAGNA March 2015 Solution 25 Queen Mira International School Harappan Scripts Esha Nethra-PKG Viswanth-KG 1B Punya S.Prabhu- KG 2B Alinaphsa- KG 2A Immanuel-1A Rianna-1B Prajit-2A Poun Prithiv-2A Risha-2B Madhav-2C Akshay - KG1C 26 Srivathsan-KG 1A www.queenmira.com Sudharsana-3 Sri Rachana-4B Rufaitha-4A Samuel-5A Jenifer-5B Kashmeeran-6B Sham Samy-7A Tamil chelvi-7B Rupshya-8A Arshaad-8B Arshiya Haramain-5B Student In charge Varshitha , G7 Teacher In charges Ms. Selvi Balasubramanian & Mr. Raj Kumar 27 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School Fresh Thoughts G r e e n , C l e a n a n d H a p p y I n d i a Mirthun Jaian Harshitha Ravi Grade - 5 Grade - 5 Once I was reading a book which was about pollution, I had a call from my mother asking me to sleep. So I decided to sleep. The story started from my dream . I was in a city where there was no rainfall and was like a desert and with a hot and dry climate. I noticed a board called “Welcome to Madurai”. When I ran towards the direction , I could see people suffering from water scarcity , food and even for oxygen . They had to run for oxygen . Their environment was completely covered with dust like sand dunes like a desert. I was astonished to witness ; then I had a severe headache and sat under a tree. All these scenes came into my mind and disturbed my mind a lot. I woke up suddenly. Next day morning, I went to a library where I checked out Mr. Narendra Modi's Clean India book . I could read his many brilliant ways how he wanted to keep the nation clean. Then I decided to follow his laws and save my nation for the next generation . I took a resolution that I would keep my nation clean , green and happy. From then onwards, I started creating awareness among my friends and shared my dream to them also. I insisted them the significance of keeping India, clean , green and happy. I love my India to be green . If I get a chance to educate people , my first advice would be to clean India. My favourite colour is green and I love plants the most. More of garbage dump and carbon-dioxide gas emission deplete the ozone layer and allow the Sun to directly release the UV rays to the earth. Knowing all this, I go green and join the team to clean India. The children can be educated through a magazine called “Magic Pot” and its famous slogan “ A happy world is clean and green”. The author shares his brilliant ideas with us how to keep the environment clean and green. My dream is to make India a Garden and we all should be the bulbuls of it. Through the Poem “Sare jahase aacha “, we could understand to keep India clean and have a happy life and stop discrimination. We must all take a oath to keep India clean. 28 www.queenmira.com According to me , two lines of a song for India : My India is clean and lovely, I'm ready to keep it clean , Who wants to join me come and join hands. I am the Future ... P.S. Yamika Grade - 7 Doctor is my future . I would help the poor sick people , since they downtrodden financially, I would not demand money from them. I would like to specialize myself in Gynocology . Can you guess why I selected this as my career . Nowadays , the girl babies are killed by the parents, as the they need to spend lot of money on them for their marriage . So I want to create awareness among the uneducated parents to insist upon the importance of child irrespective of gender. I could say the girls are the back bones of any family or world. I want to save all the girl babies and I'll improve the status of girls and involve myself in the women's empowerment . My permanent happiness in my life would be I would give part my earnings to the charity. True to the saying 'Today's children are tomorrow's leaders', I would lead my future in a meaningful way ….. Fear of failure is natural but can be overcome with strong , positive attitude D . R u p s h y a Grade - 8 Billions of people fail to live the life they have wished for because of the fear of the failure . One of the strongest cause for this attitude is that they don't believe in themselves. Believe in ourselves makes us to reach our goals. When a child learns to stand up and tries to walk , he is found to fall down again and again. And by nature and instinct , he gets up and again tries to step forward although he falls down again. He has some fear in him , but he overcomes and succeeds in walking. The same thing had once happened in everyone's life when we are children. At the early age of ours , we understand that there is no success without failures . Failure is the stepping stone to success. I f we fail , we have to realize our mistakes and change our methods and try a new approach . We should never fair for our failures. For students like us, believe in ourselves is an important aspect. So let's start believing in our dreams , our strengths and utilize every opportunity that comes our way . We should be confident and victory will be ours and ours only. Student In charge Teacher In charge 29 YAGNA March 2015 Ricky, G7 Ms. Sahaya Lizerence Queen Mira International School Classroom Etiquette I n t r o d u c t i o n T a l k i n g i n c l a s s One would think that at the etiquette is seriously followed in all levels in a school. But still there lacks a list of which is would be necessary where apparently some students are unaware of some of the basics of classroom etiquette. There will certainly be variations as to what is considered "proper" for a class based on the nature of the course. There will even be differences in a particular subject depending on what is occurring at any given time (lecture, discussion, group work, test, etc.). Thus, the list below would serve as a guide rather than a strict set of rules. There are two aspects to this. First, conversations need to stop when the instructor is ready to begin class. This certainly doesn't mean that there has to be dead silence the second the instructor enters the room. You can take a few moments to arrange books and notes, check or prepare computer or other equipment, or have brief conversations with teaching assistants or students. Even so, when the instructor makes it clear that class is starting other conversations should be quickly finished. The classroom should be a learning centred environment in which faculty and students are unhindered by disruptive behaviour. Students are expected to maintain proper decorum. Classroom promotes the free exchange of ideas. However, students must adhere to the rules set forth by the institution. In addition to learning to use effective communication techniques, students must also develop a good work ethic. Establishing classroom etiquette rules and expectations early in the semester can help foster an atmosphere of respect and professionalism.Proper decorum has the authority to manage the classrooms to ensure an environment conducive to learning. B e o n t i m e f o r c l a s s Some students have a habit of coming late. If this only happens once or twice it's probably not a big deal. If it happens more often a proper explanation should be given to the instructor. Late arrivals can be distracting to the instructor and disruptive to the class. If you do arrive late, take the first seat available rather than hunting around for a "good" seat. If you want a good seat, get to class on time 30 www.queenmira.com Second, there may be times when one needs to ask a question of a person sitting nearby. Brief, and quiet, comments along the lines of "What was that point," or "Was that argument correct?" are certainly understandable. You should not, however, carry on conversations in class. This is true even if they happen to be related to the topic. Even if such conversations are relatively quiet and do not seem to disturb anyone nearby, it can be distracting to the instructor. D r e s s c o d e Proper dress code which is followed in the school is expected to be followed in classroom too. It may too cold or too hot but the dress you wear means a lot and how you wear it. U n u s u a l e q u i p m e n t To have fun or to just pass time by students have the habit of bringing few electronic gadgets like mobiles, recorders, electronic dictionaries to classroom. This sort of behaviour not only distracts the person but also the instructor and the student seated beside. T a k e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r y o u r e d u c a t i o n There is a common myth among students that because they pay tuition they deserve to receive credit for the class. This is not true. In fact, students pay only a portion of the cost incurred. Instructors are here to create a learning environment. Whether you learn depends on your willingness to listen, ask appropriate questions, and do the work necessary to pass the course. If your academic preparation is weak or if you have been out of focus time, you may have to work harder and seek more help in order to succeed. A t t e n d a n c e You will find that students, who attend every class, listen to the instructor and take good notes will be more likely to pass and score high grades. If you have an emergency or illness, contact your instructor ahead of time to let her/him know that you will be absent. A local study showed that students who missed the first class meeting were more likely later to withdraw or fail. Important note: if you miss a class it is your responsibility to meet with the instructor, outside of regular class time, to determine a plan to make up the missed work D o m i n a t i o n o v e r o t h e r s It's good to ask questions and to make comments, but if you dominate the class time with too many questions and/or comments, the instructor and other students cannot participate in class discussions. When asking questions or making comments, keep them related to the discussion at hand it would be effective. R e s p e c t y o u r i n s t r u c t o r Openly challenging the instructor's knowledge or authority in the classroom is not advised. If you take issue with the instructor's information or instructional methods, make sure that your comments are made without confrontation or antagonism. You may want to discuss your issues with her/him privately to clear doubts. Making fun or nagging purely states you don't have respect for the instructor. C l a s s p r e p a r a t i o n Students who forget common classroom supplies such as a pencil, paper, books, test materials, etc. usually waste class time. Students who have not completed their assigned homework tend ask many questions that could have been answered through their assignments. Assistance: Your instructors are willing to assist you however; there are ways to get help instead of getting over enthusiastic in situations you dislike. Seeking help is appreciable but at the right time, right place is more expected. C o n c l u s i o n Every action has an opposite reaction. Each step forward moves with footprints of upliftment.A proper manners in a classroom leads to empowerment, enlightenment and encouragement. It doesn't matter how many A-grades you have, what kind of a degree you hold, if you have good manners, you are respected throughout. Supporting and developing orderly and productive classroom environments is the foundation for good classroom management. Student Column In charge Anchana Guptan Teacher Column In charge Ms. Daphne Rodrigo & Ms. Gayathri Devi 31 YAGNA March 2015 Queen Mira International School Junior Journalist Let's Meet Mr. Raj Satyan The promising journalists of QMIS had a wonderful opportunity to interview Mr.Samant Rohan Rajendra, DCP Law and Order, Madurai. The children were so excited and enthusiastic with questions to shoot at him. Here he answers to our children patiently and inspiringly squeezing in time amidst his busy work schedule. Anchana: Mr.Samant: P o l i c i n g i s n o t a j o b b u t a s e r v i c e Gaurav: Good afternoon sir. I am Gaurav Kaalai of grade VIII. She is Anchana Guptan of grade VII. We are here to interview you for our Junior Journalist column of Yagna- the platform that showcases the accomplishments and trails of inspiring personalities that would be a source of motivation for the young leaders of tomorrow. Mr. Samant : Good afternoon Children. I am very much glad to spend time with such wonderful young journalists. The uniforms that you wear are adding on to the professionalism for which you should thank the school management. 32 www.queenmira.com Gaurav : Mr. Samant : Anchana : Sir, on being the Deputy of the Police, Commissioner can you share with us your roles and responsibilities. There are four divisions in the commisssionerate. I am in-charge of the Law and Order and traffic maintenance. My prime responsibility is prevention of crimes and planning road safety. Thank You sir. We would like to know more about you. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. My schooling was in a Government school post which my degree in electronics. I started my career with Satyan Electronics in Tidal Park, and then as an English teacher. Finally through the UPSE exams, I became the Deputy commissioner of police. Thank You sir. We want to know how you would handle the positive and the negative criticism on the police department? Mr. Samant : Any type of criticism must be taken as an opportunity to improve our self and nothing more than. This sector is prone to many criticisms; I take all those in a very positive manner. Gaurav : Thank you sir. Can you tell us how you develop a friendly relationship with the public? Mr. Samant : Policing is not a job, it is a service. I really wonder why police are been looked at as a terror. It starts right from your house. When you do some mischief, your parent would immediately say” I will call the police” and there starts the fear on policeman. To top this, at times the movies also project us with a rude mask. We are here to serve the people and not threaten the people. But I am happy that the trend is changing. We are now practicing community policing or public partnership. We do have daily petition or the grievance day where in the public can walk in straight to us and file a case. We do conduct meeting in the community halls and interact with the public to their grievance. Now that the technology has developed, people can reach us 24/7 by social networking. We are also launching a website soon. Anchana : Thank you Sir. We would like you to share one of your memorable experiences in the course of your career. Mr. Samant: There are many such memorable incidents, but the one that stays evergreen in my mind is, young student like you had applied for a gun license. He had to participate in a rifle shooting competition. From our end 33 YAGNA March 2015 we had speeded up the process and we were able to give him the license on time. And today he is representing India in the junior Olympics. This is something close to me and I feel elated knowing that I have been useful in some way to the boy. Anchana : Thank you sir. Can you guide us by telling us the skill sets required for an IAS/IPS? Mr. Samant : For a person to enter into this service, he has to be devoted to this profession. As I said earlier, it is a service and not a job. Secondly, he must have a good physical and mental health and must know to control stress. Thirdly, he must be compassionate and sensitive to things and must be able to deliver justice. Gaurav : Thank you sir. Youth do not have enough endurance to face the world. What is your opinion on it? Mr. Samant: I don't go with you. You children are the best example to prove what you think is wrong. Gaurav : Thank you sir. Lastly, what is the message that you want to tell the young QMIS leaders? Mr. Samant: My message is simple. Develop yourself to find the best within you and do not aim low. Get inspired and be an Inspiration. Anchana : Thank you sir for spending your valuable time with us and you have inspired us. Student In charge Teacher In charge Darshana, G8 Ms. Suganthi Gopi Queen Mira International School Travelogue The most splendid travel experience we recently had was to Anandha Dhama resort at Kanakapura in Bangalore. The very name of the resort means an abode of joy and fun. We had planned and booked the place for a group of 30 friends and their kids to surprise the kids. It was a pleasant day out from monotonous busy schedules for the adults but a very exciting day for the kids as they were waiting to know what was in store for a surprise. It was located on the banks of the beautiful river Cauvery, 90 kms away from Bangalore. It was a nature's retreat amidst the luscious forests and wildlife, far away from the city rushes, serene, calm and peaceful. As soon as we arrived we were offered with welcome drink and a mild breakfast. They had a range of accommodations like Villas , log huts, tree houses and tent houses. We chose tent houses. We left our luggage in the tent houses and then we set off on our thrilling adventures. This resort was hosting various adventurous activities like trekking, tree climbing, rope jumping , rough cycling, rafting and many more. There were people to guide us and safety gears were given to everybody to avoid accidents. It was a complete over oiling for the adults giving a good pump up to their muscles and kids had utmost fun. P/o Veer Surya G - III 34 www.queenmira.com Cruise through Kerala in a House Boat! “A relaxing ride on the backwaters of Alappuzha rejuvenates our senses “ Have you ever gone cruising in a houseboat on the backwaters of Kerala? If you haven't, make sure you do. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are the most popular tourist attraction in Kerala. A houseboat cruise in these backwaters is a delightful experience. Such a boat trip on the backwaters of Alappuzha is one of the best relaxations that one could have .This one was really a wonderful and unforgettable experience! On the 25th of December, we set on a family day out to Alappuzha. We were given a fresh juice welcome by the caretakers of the houseboat. It was more of a homely appearance right from the delicious Kerala food that was served till the affectionate warmth that was given by the caretakers. A whole day stay in the house boat which was decided reluctantly became the most cherishing memory in our hearts that was filled fun, frolic, bonding and a complete relaxation with our kith and kin. We packed reluctantly and felt as if one full day ended up within a wink of an eye. P/o Arshiya Haramain G - V Travelogue T r i p t o R i y a d h , C a p i t a l o f S a u d i A r a b i a M y A f r i c a n S a f a r i We were fortunate to stay in Riyadh for few months. I would like to share some of my pleasant experiences . Riyad is situated in the centre of Arabian peninsula. Riyadh is very strict and conservative. Women must have to cover heads with Abaya in public. Whole country's shops, stores , bank , Government agencies for four times a day for the sake of regular prayers. Our family went on a wildlife safari to Kenya and Tanzania in August 2014. We flew to Lilimankaro Airport, Tanzania from Mumbai. Initially , we halted at Lake Manyara National Park . We went for a safari drive through the forests and saw herds of Elephants, Giraffe, Zebras, Baboons, Impala, Gazelle , Hippo and Hornbills. The Elephants came into our reach of the jeep. These were flamingoes feeding in the alkaline lake. There are many places to visit like Kingdom tower, Malls, Masmak fort, Gold song, National Museum and Riyadh zoo which is one of the leisure places in Riyadh. d out. Healthy animals and good variety. They managed to keep almost all kinds of healthy animals and birds . They have different timings and days to visit for men's, ladies and families respectively. Kingdom tower is a beautiful art of architecture which is one of tallest skyscrapers standing 992 feet high at centre of the city. Walking on sky bridge would display a complete panoramic view of Riyadh. The best time is only to visit the tower after 4pm, so that we could witness day and night view. It has many hotels, malls and entertainments and commercial centre too. Another most enjoyable place is shopping mall. We went to one such mall named Riyadh gallery which was our favorite mall with variety of shops , recreational activities , fun area for kids and food court also. We had a chance of visiting one of our friends ' farm house at Kharj districts of Riyadh, where we could see dates tree with fruits. We could also see camels in outer area of Riyadh on roads . Those places and days were most enjoyable and memorable ones for our family. 35 YAGNA March 2015 The next evening we left for Ngorongoro Gater National Park, which is a UNESCO world Heritage site. There were dozens of lions sleeping in the shade and the children were thrilled when a lion cub walked over and laid down under our jeep. We were lucky enough to see Hyenas, Ostriches, Wildebeest, Rhinos, Hippos, Buffaloes, Elephants, and Vervet monkey, Jackal, Zebra, Warthogs, Giraffes and Vultures. We spent two nights there and left for Kenya. The alkaline lake is famous for its huge population of pink flamingoes and rhinos. Other animals we spotted include Buffaloes, Rothschild Giraffe and Zebra. The next day we visited Maasai Mara National Park. The children were excited about the stay in a tent. We spotted our first cheetah there. Huge herds of migrating wildbeest were a right to behold in the vast Maasai plains. We went for a walk along the Mara river bank with a forest ranger and saw huge Nile Crocodiles sleeping on the bank. We returned home filled with memories and had a strong determination to revisit Africa once more. P/o Visakan G 8 Student Incharge : Shakthivel, G 8 Teacher In Charges : Ms. Revathi Rajini & Ms. Saranya Kannan Queen Mira International School Agaram Vd;? Nfhgk;> vd; ,ik kPJ! xU epkplj;jpy; 12 nehbfis ,ikf;f tPzhf;Ftjhy;!!! fhtpah fhe;jp tFg;G - 7 Gtp fhg;Nghk; cotd; Kjy; fatd; tiu> rhd;NwhH Kjy; NgijaH tiu> tuahJ toq;Fk; ts;sy; Kjy; Gijay; fhf;Fk; G+khff; fhyk; js;Sk; fUkp tiu midj;J kf;fspd; tho;itAk; Jy;ypakhf Muha;e;J rKjhag; Nghf;if Ghpa itj;j ts;StH ,Wjpapy; epiyahik Fwpj;Jk; vLj;Jiuj;Js;shH. gUt kio jg;GJ ghrdq;fs; FiwAJ gwit vy;yhk; gwf;FJ gRik Njb miyAJ tWikg; gl;l G+kpNah tuz;L RUz;L thLJ neUq;fp tUk; #hpad; neUg;ig tPrpf; nfhl;LJ cUfpf; fiuAk; gdpkiyNah cyifg; gak; fhl;LJ kdpjHfNs czUq;fs;! K.mDKfpjh tFg;G – 7 vf;fhyj;jpw;Fk; nghUe;Jk; jpUf;Fws; ,e; j par; rpe; j idapd; ,khyar; rpfuq;fSs; vd;whf tpsq;FgtH> mwk;ghl te;j mwNthH> mwptpd; rpwg;ig mtdpf;F czHj;j te;j mwpQH> kz;zpy; ey;y tz;zk; tho topfhl;Lk; thd;kiw je;j tpj;jfH> jkpoH tuyhw;wpNyNa Kjd;Kjyhfr; rKjha tho;itg; gy Nfhzq;fspypUe;J ghpTld; Ma;e;j ngUkfd; ts;StH. ts;StH Fwis tplg; goikahd E}y; cyfpy; NtW vk;nkhopapYk; fpilahJ. jkpopy; $lj; njhy;fhg;gpak; xd;W jhd; cs;sJ. jpUf;Fws; ,t;tsT goikahd E}yhf ,Ue;jhYk; ,d;iwa cyjpw;F Vw; w fUj; J f; f spd; njhFg; g hfTk; ,Uf;fpwJ. jkpofj;jpy; Njhd;wpAs;s Gul;rpahsHfspy; Kjy; Gul;rp tPuH 2000 Mz;LfSf;F Kd;G Njhd;wpa jpUts;StNu MthH. 36 www.queenmira.com Vnddpy; rq;f fhyj;jpNyNa fs; Fbj;jy;> Gyhy; cz;Zjy;> guj;jik xOf;fk; Mfpatw; i w vy; y hk; jk; Fwspy; fLikahfr; rhbAs;shH. czTf;fhff; $l capHf;nfhiy $lhJ vd;w ts;StH gpwiu thotplhky; jLf;Fk; vtiuAk; thotplhJ nra;jy; Nte;jhpd; fld; vd;fpwhH. tPuk; gw;wpf; $Wk; NghJ NghH tPuid tpl fw;NwhH mitapNy mQ;rhJ jd; jpwid ntspf;fhl;Lk; mwpQNd tP u k; nrwpe; j td; vd; W $wpAs;shH. murpay;thjpf;F mhpkh Nehf;F Njit vd;gH. me;Nehf;F ,yf;fpathjpf;Fk; Njit vd ep&gpj;Js;shH jpUts;StH. 2000 Mz;LfSf;F Kd;Ng ehk; jLkhwp tpOfpd;w ,lq;fis vy;yhk; Rl;bf; fhl;br; nrd;Ws;shH. gioait midj; J Nk xt; n thU fhyfl;lj;jpy; gOJgLfpd;w nghOj jpUf;Fws; kl;Lnk Mapuq;fhyj;J tpOjhf Nt&d;wp epw;fpwJ. kdpj tho;f;if KOtJNk 1330 gbf; f l; L f; f NshL Kbtile;J tpLNkh vd;W vz;Zk; mstpw;F ts;StUk; ts;StH je;j FwSk; ek;NkhL ek; tho;tpy; gpz;zpg; gpize;Js;sd. md; W ts; S tH tbj; J f; fhl; b a cyfj;jpNy jhd; ,d;iwa jiyKiw tho;e;J nfhz;bUf;fpwJ> tUq;fhyj; jiyKiw thog;NghfpwJ. vdNt ts;Sth;> $Wk; fUj;Jf;fs; kdpjFyk; midj;jpw;FNk md;Wk; ,d;Wk; vd;Wk; Mfpa Kf;fhyj;jpw;F kl;Lky;y vf;fhyj;jpw;Fk; nghUe;Jgit vd;gjpy; vs;sTk; Iakpy;iy. jpUf;Fws; jkpo;ehl;bd; Gfo;f;nfhb! jkpo;g; gz;gpd; ciufy;! jkpOf;F XH mzpfyd;! 'fLifj; Jioj;Njo; fliyg; Gfl;bf; FWfj; jhpj;J Fws;' je;j jpUts;StH jkpOf;F fpilj;j tuk;! mtUf;F ehk; jho;j;JNthk; rpuk;! Student In charge Teacher In charge Maghesh, G8 Ms. Rajeswari Here the conversation of two boys about their Hobbies in hindi. ram: nmSkar ! Xyam Aap kWse ho (Namaskar! Shyam ap kaise ho) Hello! How are you? Xyam : nmSkar ! mW' #Ik hU\AOr suno kWse ho üKya ho rha hW Aajkl ü (Namaskar! Main thik hun. Aur sunao kaise ho? Kya ho raha hai aajkal?) Hello!I am fine. How are you? What are you doing these days? ram: mW' #Ik hU\- Aajkl mW' @ak i$k$ šk$($I kr rha hU\(Main thik hu. Aajkal mein daak ticket ikhathi kar raha hu.) I am fine. Now-a-days I am collecting stamps. Xyam : bi@ya hW- Kya tum šs Albm me' icpkaAoge ü (Badhiya hai. Kya tum ise album me chipkaoge?) Very good. Are you going to paste them in your album? ram: ha\mW'ne i$k$ kw ilE Alg se Albm bnaya hW (Haan, maine ticket ke liye alag se album banaya hai.) Yes, I have made a new album for the stamps. Xyam : AC^a to ifr to tuMhare pas s.I dex kw i$k$ hoge ü (Achha to fir to tumhare pass sabhi desho ke ticket honge?) Oh! So you must be having stamps of all countries. 37 YAGNA March 2015 ram: ha\mere pas Jyadatr s.I dex kw i$k$ hW'(Haan, mere pass zyadatar sabhi desho ke ticket hain.) Yes, I have stamps of most of the countries. Xyam : to Kya šnme mehgI i$k$ .I hW'ü (To kya inme mehngi ticket bhi hain?) Do you have expensive stamps also? ram: mere pas bhut sarI i$k$ hW' ijnme se ku^ kafI kImtI hW(Mere pass bahut saari tickete hai jinmein se kuch kafi keemti hai.) I have lot of stamps, out of which some are very expensive. Xyam : pr'tu i$k$ s'g{h krne kw ilE Kya fayda ü (Parantu ticket sangrah krne ke kya fayde hain?) But what is the use of collecting stamps? ram: yh mera xOk hW- yh mu&e .Ugol p!ne me' .I mdd krtI hW(Ye mera shauk hai. Ye mujhe bhugol padhne mein bhi madad karti hai.) It is my hobby. And it teaches some geography to me. Xyam : bhut AC^a (Bahut achcha) Very well. ram: tuMhara Kya xOk hWü (Tumhara kya shauk hai?) What is your hobby? Xyam : mera xOk j'glI fUl s'g[h krna hW(Mera shauk jangli phool sangrah krna hai) My hobby is to collect wild flowers. Queen Mira International School ram: tum £nse Kya krte ho ü (Tum unse kya karte ho?) What do you do with them? Xyam : mW' £nse kagj pr icpata hU\- ifr £nka nam il% deta hU\(Main unhe kagaz par chipkata hun. Fir unka naam likh deta hun.) I paste them on sheet paper and then write their name. ram: tuMhare xOk kw Kya fayda hW' ü (Tumhare shauk ke kya fayde hain?) What is the good of your hobby? Xyam : mera xOk mu&e vnSpit ivDan me' mdd krta hW (Mera shauk mujhe vanaspati vigyan me madad karta hai.) My hobby helps me in botany. ram: tumse imlkr bhut AC^a lga - ifr imlte hW - Aam Aam hW mI#aú £ska r'g hW pIla–hraú AOr vo hW bhut AC^a Aam hm sbko AC^e lgte sb bCco ka mI#a flú rsa AOr rsIla Aamú sb bCco ka Pyara Aam - vrnvI k=a IV (Tumse milkar bahut achcha laga. Phir milte hain.) Nice meeting to you. We will meet soon. Xyam : AC^a Alivda (Achcha alvida!) Ok bye! Student In charge Teacher In charge 38 www.queenmira.com Dhiya Misha, G8 Ms. Revathi Rajini French Etiquette What to wear in Paris? Dress no more casual than business casual when you are out and about. Always greet the store clerk cheerfully when you enter a shop. Then say goodbye when you leave. Simple French greetings are “bonjour” or “bonsoir” if it is after 6pm, and “au revoir” or “merci” when you leave. Even better, is to accompany those with “Monsieur/Madame/Mademoiselle”. It is also best to ask first if you are going to handle clothing in a clothes shop. When addressing a stranger with a question, greet them first, and then ask your question. It is an important rule of French etiquette to always greet someone officially first before speaking to them. Don't just assume everyone speaks English. If you don't speak French, ask politely if they speak English before continuing. This can be done in English or, better yet, in French. You can ask "Hello...Do you speak English?" by saying "Bonjour...Est-ce que vous parlez l'anglais?" A French phrase book can take you far in Parisian-tourist relations...make sure you have one if you are not already fluent in French. Always use Monsieur/Madame/Mademoiselle if you don't know someone, if you have just met them, or if they are someone important. Always wait to be invited to use first names. Until then, use Monsieur/Madame/Mademoiselle and last name. It's different between youths, however...if you are a young student talking to another young student, first names are fine. 39 YAGNA March 2015 Don't yell from across the room. Wait until you are close to start talking. In Paris, yelling is for anger and that's about it. La bise' is how Parisians who know each other greet each other. This is the name for the cheek-kissing you see everywhere. In Paris, it's two kisses. (Although when I lived there, it was four...so you may still encounter this on occasion). 'La bise' is more of a brushing of cheeks with kissy noises than actual kisses. Often no facial contact is made at all. Generally, in Paris, start heading towards the left, or in other words, kiss right cheeks first. French people don't really hug. They are even a bit uncomfortable with hugs. There isn't even a French word for hug. I guess with all this talk about politeness, it is obvious that please, thank you and you're welcome are used whenever given the chance. 'Please' and 'thank you' are 's'il vous plait' and 'merci', as you likely know. It's the 'you're welcome' that sometimes gets bungled up a little by English-speakers. The proper French etiquette way to say 'you're welcome' is to say 'Je vous en prie.' If you want to say it more casually, as in 'it was nothing', say 'I'll n'y a pas de quoi.' Many English-speakers have been told to say 'mon plaisir', but this is actually a bit flirtatious, the cheesy kind of flirtatious, so it is usually best to avoid it...! Student In charge Teacher In charge Dharshini, G7 Sophia Sagunabai Queen Mira International School KYOGEN FOR KIDS - Challenging the art of laughter Kyogen is a type of play passed down from ancient times in Japan. It is a "comic” play where bright, humorous characters take the stage and make the audience laugh with their silly talk and strange movements. Kyogen is a style of acting that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years and is acclaimed throughout the world as "the Art of Laughter." There is an increase in the number of children learning how to appreciate it, and they will protect this splendid, important cultural heritage and continue it into the next generation. Some of them are trained by professional Kyogen-shi (performer) and give a full-scale performance on stage. Handing Down 600 Years of Tradition Kyogen originated some 600 years ago and is older than Kabuki, the most well-known of Japan's traditional performing arts. It is said that an old art form of that era evolved and gave birth to two forms of theatrical performance; namely, Kyogen and "Noh." Kyogen expresses a story by means of dialogue between the stage characters, while Noh players wear masks on their faces and express the story mainly through the use of dance and music. In many cases both theatrical performances are still acted out on the same stage and this single cultural experience has been designated as "Intangible Cultural Heritage." World-wide it is unusual to find an example of a single field of drama that is simply "comedy" and although Kyogen is said to be the "art of laughter" it is ok not to strictly think of it as so. Its repertoire includes many stories of human shortcomings that occur in everyday life, wrapped up in humor; and you can feel the "laughter" and "ridicule" that can even be understood by people living in today's world. And if the repertoire includes the appearance of animals and gods, you will likely be able to enjoy a world of fantasy, such as that in picture books of old tales. 40 www.queenmira.com S t a r t i n g a s a M o n k e y a n d E n d i n g a s a F o x The Kyogen-shi acting on stage speaks in a very loud voice and uses amusing gestures when he laughs, or cries, or is in pain. Anyone watching Kyogen for the first time will be surprised at just how exaggerated the acting is, in comparison with a normal play. Each of these performances is called a kata, perfected over hundreds of years and inherited unchanged. Even today, children born into Kyogen-shi families are rigorously taught these kata by their parents from the age of 2-3 years old. Around the age of 4, they make their stage debut playing the role of a small monkey. They then grow up learning lots of roles and after the age of 20, they work for the leading role in the Fishing Fox play to complete their training and become a full-fledged Kyogen-shi. In the world of Kyogen, this is referred to as "starting as a monkey and ending as fox." Although the traditions of Kyogen are guarded and passed down from parent to child to grandchild, it is not only old tales that are performed on stage; new, modern style works are also released. In fall of 2013, the new work The Ibaraki Kid was staged in Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture. This was a new Kyogen based on a locally-told tale of a demon. In the tale the friendly demon appears on stage with a young man whose hairstyle is all standing up on end, as is the fashion nowadays. The young man wreaks havoc with his mischief, but finally mends his ways after he is admonished by the demon. Taking advantage of this Kyogen performance, a workshop was held in Ibaraki City for local children to learn about Kyogen. The children who participated in the workshop gave great performances in the staged production, playing the parts of children who were friends with the demon. Student In charge Teacher In charge Rithviksiam, G8 Ms. Gayathri Devi & Ms. Seethalakshmi Quasar Kids F r e s h A n d J u i c y I h e a r i f o r g e t , I s e e I r e m e m b e r , I d o I u n d e r s t a n d Experiential learning helps students to apply better in their day to day life. The current topic in their day today routine under discussion-making lemonade was organized on 13th of February 2015 by the kids of KG2. This activity mainly focused on developing the fine motor skills like cutting, squeezing and stirring which provides opportunity to strengthen a child's clasping skill. This improves the coordination and also acts a good exercise for the hands and the wrist muscles. Organizing and execution of things were learnt by the children with great enthusiasm. Each and every child had the opportunity in participating and sharing their experience. We could hear the children saying 'I will prepare lemonade and give it to my parents' as we know sharing is joy. Children thoroughly enjoyed in sharing their lemonade with each and every one in the campus. Thus it was called the “FRESH AND JUICY DAY”. 41 YAGNA March 2015 A J o l l y R i d e “JOLLY RIDE” is the most exciting word for the Kids of all ages. we at QMIS frequently organize field trips for the little ones. So we decided the best way of educating children about what a nature walk is by taking them to Thiruparamkundram Eco Park. This time it was planned for the Pre Kg and Kg1 on 23rd of February 2015. The objective was to give them a learning experience about nature. Our children enjoyed the bus journey by singing rhymes and relishing the nature's beauty. They also had a learning experience of new aspects like Bridges, different modes of transport, hotels, temples, petrol bunk and traffic signals. Thiruparamkundram Park was located just near a mountain. The kids were taken to the musical fountain where they danced to the music with much enthusiasm. The kids were really given a very good exposure to the nature's beauty by giving them full freedom to play on swings and slides enjoying the amusements of the park. After relishing their lunch, activities like Jumping over the hurdles and snow ball were organized for their gross motor skills. Finally the children with heavy heart set off from the park to get back to their pavilion. They had loads and loads of stories to share about their 'Jolly ride' with their friends and parents. Queen Mira International School T i n y C h e f s o f Q M I S " L i t t l e H a n d s a t W o r k " Life becomes sweet by adding different flavor in our life. So our QMIS flavors planned to visit Puppy's Bakery on 25th and 26th of February, 2015 for yet another different exposure on baking and decorating their crowns of cup cakes. With great enthusiasm the kids of KG 2 happily got ready for this visit. Chefs at Puppy's Bakery welcomed our little chefs with great smile on their face. Our kids also with a sweet smile wished the masters 'Good Morning' and entered the bakery. Display of cupcakes, breads, and other pastry items were really a visual treat that kindled the interest of our little chefs to learn baking. Chefs of the bakery willingly initiated their demonstration by introducing different ingredients and explaining the procedure of baking cakes. It was very interesting to see the kids interact with Chefs regarding the process and made them awe struck by answering to all of their questions. While the cup cakes were getting ready in Microwave-oven, the decorating process of the cup cakes with fresh creams was demonstrated. The chefs were much pleased when our tiny tots answered a few puzzles put forth in identifying the cartoon characters. It was a great experience for our tiny tots to learn how to bake a cake which influenced one of our little chefs to say” I am going to teach my mother how to bake a cake today”. A Wonderful experiential learning KG tots!!! Student In charge Teacher In charges 42 www.queenmira.com Arshad, G8 Ms.Gayathri I n t e g r i t y i n D i v e r s i t y A c t i v i t y India is probable the only country in the world where people belonging to different religions, castes and creeds, speaking different languages, having different cultures, different modes of living, different clothing, different feeding habits, worshiping different gods and deity live together in harmony and believe to be the children of one mother-MOTHER INDIA. We are one nation at large. We are governed by one central authority, have one Prime Minister, one president, one Supreme Court and one army chief. This is why we say we have unity in diversity. Emotional unity plays its own part. The name of Bharat Mata brings us closer and closer together. In order to transfer this Unity in diversity to the heart of our little citizens, we have planned to celebrate Integrity in Diversity programme. For which different classrooms were decorated with the facts and images depicting the culture and tradition of that particular state. Our KG kids came in the ethnic wear of the particular state names assigned to them . They were engaged in craft works of different states like Bathik stamping, Decorating Diya lamps, craft using coconut shells and leaves etc., Every kid enjoyed the traditional foods of different states and also danced to the the music from different states played in each class. It was really an different eye opener for our kids to get knowledge regarding the states and their culture. Above all, it gave the spirit in the minds of our kids “ Where there is unity, there is always a victory “ Champion B u k i t j a l i l s p o r t s s c h o o l The intention to establish sports schools in Malaysia was first considered in the late 80s. On 20 January 1988, the Cabinet approved the National Sports Policy, a comprehensive document towards the advancement, progress and development of sports in the country. Through the formulation of this policy, it is the country's desire and aspiration to produce a healthy, fit, united, disciplined, productive society and a generation of competent athletes to enhance and reinforce the country's image internationally. The Ministry of Education has given fresh emphasis to the role of sports and co-curricular activities to produce students who are physically, emotionally and intellectually balanced. Recognizing the important role of sports in fostering national unity and the need to produce athletes of high caliber, the plan for the establishment of sports schools was approved in the 5th Malaysia Plan (1991 - 1995). The Bukit Jalil sports school is potential student athletes so that their sporting and academic talent can be nurtured and enhanced under the guidance of dedicated coaches and select academic teachers. Through more structured and efficient monitoring, improvement in academic and sports performance can be balanced and integrated. From the aspects of management and administration, the school follows entirely the concept of the fully residential school which is equipped with sports and academic facilities also focus on the following concepts: a. 43 Development of world-class student athletes b. Use of professional coaches c. Sports Science specialization across the curriculum d. Emphasis on sports as a career YAGNA March 2015 In 1996, the first Malaysian sports school, Bukit Jalil Sports School Kualalumpur, was built in the National Sports Complex, the pioneers were only Form One and Form Four students. Its success in producing athletes for the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and Open Tournaments led to the construction of the second sports school, Bandar Penawar Sports School, in Kota Tinggi, Johor in 1998.To provide opportunity and equality to students with sports potential, the government will build another three sports schools in the 9th Malaysia Plan in Pahang, Sabah and Perlis. There are 22 sport activities like Aquatic, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cricket, Cycling, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Karate, Netball, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wushu. V i s i o n W o r l d C l a s s A t h l e t e s Mission - Providing quality education and sports training to students' world-class athletes. B J S S o b j e c t i v e s · Generating potential and world-class athletes. · Provide opportunities for students in Malaysia excelled in sports and academics. · Fostering lifelong interest and involvement in sports. · Delivering career information in the sports industry as Administrative Officer Sports, Sports Psychology, Trainer and Coach. · Creating a foundation for scientific research in the field of sports. Queen Mira International School We have taken a team of 18 students, Principal, Director and Advisory Board member for the Students Exchange program (SEP) with some of the schools in Malaysia. We m e t M r. D a t u k M.Saravanan, Deputy Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare and laid a burly underpinning for a constant liaison. With the guidance of the Deputy Minister Datuk M.Saravanan & Mr.Nirmalan, Private Secretary of Datuk M.Saravanan, we visited Fletcher Tamil School and Bukit Jalil Sports School at Kualalumpur and paved way for our initiating SEP. Finally we have successfully initiated our SEP proposals to have expertise training at Bukit Jalil Sports School which produces International Players and champions with the support of imposing edifice. QMIS has taken Initiative and utmost efforts to open the best platform for Master Vijay Adith of Grade 7 a young aspiration of our school with the dream to represent our Nation in 2020 Olympics in Badminton also have to keep Friendship with Mr. Lee Chong Wei Malaysian Chinese professional badminton player. This is the primary accomplishment to have a tie up with BJSS for Student Exchange Program on which he has been sent for month long training by most distinguished trainers. Student In charge Teacher In charge Boornasri, Grade 8 Ms. Karthika Manogaran NOSTRADAMUS TIMES APRIL Book distribution Parent Teacher Conference Academic Session 2015-16 begins Sales Day MAY Summer Vacation Teachers' Training JUNE Reopening after Vacation KG Orientation Edusparrrow Orientation Freshers' Feedback Formative Assessment 1 for G 9 & 10 Blood Donation Campaign JULY Doctors Day Formative Assessment 1 for G 1 to 8 JULY Independence Day Celebration 44 www.queenmira.com
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