Dear Parent,
Namaste!
A warm and very happy new year!
“In their voice, we hear the blended note of a million cuckoos…
In their words, we find the message of eternity…
In their thought, we feel the pulse of the progressive world…”
They are our children – our most valuable assets. Childhood is the reminisce of the best of the times and in our school, it is our constant endeavor to make this forming stage a wonderful period in their lives.
Atmiya Vidya Mandir is guided by the vision of H.D.H. P.P. Hariprasad Swamiji to make a profound difference in the lives of children by empowering them to attain their full potential through pursuit of knowledge, acquisition of skills, development of character and self esteem, and recognition of their rights and responsibilities.
Developing Language Skills
In Atmiya Vidya Mandir learning happens in a fun and enjoyable way. Activity based teaching creates interest in subjects which promotes better and broader understanding of the topic especially in practical terms. In order to make English language learning a rewarding and delightful experience, Class VIII students were trained and guided through a Role Play Interview Activity in which they assumed roles of world renowned successful personalities. They participated in an interview round playing the role of an interviewer and interviewee. Learning to write a Persuasive Text became an amusing experience for these students through yet another activity ‘Take Them With You’ where they discussed, shared their point of view, prepared visual promptings and slogans, and sequenced their ideas through an interactive approach to be proficient in writing skills with communicative language use.
Math Week
Maths Department of Atmiya Vidya Mandir had organized Maths Competition and even celebrated the Math Week arranging many activities in the form of puzzles, quizzes, wall of Maths, question a day etc. These activities were all about “figures and numbers” concerned with the knowledge of measurement, properties, relations and quantities. These included theoretical or applied studies of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and calculus. Students of I to XI were driven by the Math Mania during Math Week. Lack in calculation speed and accuracy were meticulously targeted and tampered by all math teachers during Math week. Now no student of Atmiya Vidya Mandir dreads math class, or finds it boring.
Celebration of Heritage Day
CBSE declared Heritage Day was celebrated to offer an opportunity to raise students’ awareness concerning the diversity of the world’s heritage and the efforts that are required to protect and conserve it, as well as to draw attention to its vulnerability. Students prepared posters and slogans on a number of monuments and Indian heritage to protect, preserve and propagate them. They also took an oath to protect the monuments in and around their community. It was an added part of their general awareness in becoming a responsible citizen.
Students’ excursion
The humdrum of Atmiya Vidya Mandir is jam-packed with study and co-curricular activities, the study schedules and rigorous discipline relayed by lots of jollity merriment. Students of Std VI and VII had a gala time having a trip to Vasna farm and Kankaria. They were charmed by this pleasure trip and enjoyed the time by roving around, singing, eating and being together. It proved to be a pleasing excursion with a lot of fun and frolic refilling enthusiasm and zeal in them.
Value integration
Education at Atmiya Vidya Mandir is not just about the knowledge of books and syllabi, but it extends its connotations to more than all these. The house wise assemblies continued to inculcate and upholding the cultural and ethical ideals, demonstrating the tenets of values and morals to the children.
This time Satyam House members, through thoughts of the day and speeches inspired the students to acquire courage to speak the truth, to accept mistakes, to wear the natural self, to dream big and to face the failure positively.
Shivam house’s seven habit campaign turned to be transforming and striking as students imbibed these habits of being proactive, goal oriented, positive, synergized, understanding and progressive.
Sundaram house made efforts to inspire the students to serve others according to their individual capacities which in turn give a sense of fulfillment and meaningful life.
Suharadam House explained different ways of offering devotion to the God and various forms of reunion with the almighty. It was an attempt to inspire them to acquire devotional attitude towards every work, every time. Thus, the morning and evening assemblies continued to serving the very purpose of developing a strong mind and character.
Republic day celebration
In order to churn patriotic fervor and raise responsible citizens who can become the pride of the nation, we celebrated Republic day with much grandeur and zeal. It was a remarkable occasion, where celebrational mosaic was studded with lots of activities. Though the flag hoisting and parade were the main ceremonies, various activities spill over the football ground and the children saluted the national flag and renewed their pledge to be loyal to their country and family and contribute to make India a developed nation.
A giant stride
Examination stress and anxiety was brushed aside with long hours of studies and 24×7 tutorials by teachers, in and around the school campus as students of Std XI appeared for final exams. In the month of February, the school has added another feather in its cap with commencing regular classes for new academic session of STD XII with Science and Commerce streams.
Closing ceremony
The valedictory cum felicitation programme was organized for the student council and winners of creative assemblies and soft board display materials. 12th February was a very special day in the AVM calendar. The closing ceremony was held for the co-curricular activities for the academic year 2010-11. Throughout the year, the various associations namely the Literary, Science, Math, Social Studies, Art, Sports and Music rendered numerous competitions that raised the bar for the students to accomplish beyond academics. Suharadam House was judged to be the winner house at the association competitions with Sundaram House walking away with the honors in creative assemblies and Display Boards. Satyam House remained par excellence in Sports. It marked the whole session as progressive and being magnificently facilitating the children to flourish with their inherent talent in every sphere within a short span of time.
AVM Family grows
AVM crown has recently been adorned with some precious jewels to enhance the glitter. The induction of three academicians and eminent members in Atmiya Vidya Mandir family who crossed the length and breadth of the world to be instrumental in the realization of Swamishree’s vision for the school.
The first eminent member is Dr. Vijay Patel, the new Principal of the school, who has an unparalleled academic and professional qualification and profile. Dr Vijay Patel is an Alumni of IIT Mumbai and a topper in MSc Physics (1994) from the same institute. He has a Ph.D. in Physics from Stony Brook University, NY, USA where he subsequently held both research and academic positions over the past 10 years. As a research professor of physics he has been teaching introductory physics and labs to undergraduate students at Stony Brook University, for over 10 years. As a senior research scientist he was the Director of the nano-fabrication facilities at Stony Brook University. His research has spanned in superconducting electronics, quantum computation, and hybrid CMOS nano-electronic structures.
Another significant member who joined the AVM family is Dr. Ashish Patel, the new Vice-Principal of the school, who is yet another scholar with unmatchable academic history and professional qualification. He is MS and PhD in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, U.S.A. His research work is broadly in the areas of covert channels, steganography, steganalysis and detecting hidden messages in the digital media over the internet. He has been teaching data structures and algorithms and multimedia security courses to undergraduate students since 2003.
Another added member in AVM family is Mrugesh Patel who has a degree in Bio-Technology.
A welcome ceremony was organized to greet them with a warm reception. The very presence of these new members will definitely foster a sense of unanimity and accordance to envision Swamishree’s motive behind this school. With these added flares in the torch, we stay committed and inspired to take very meaningful strides towards the fulfillment of sublime and noble objectives of Swamishree’s Vision.
Preparation for World Math and Spelling Day
Shaking off the winter sloth, Atmiya Vidya Mandir geared up for a high-voltage weekly schedule, as students and teachers were on their toes striking the key boards to make a rhythm to beat and hit. Along with the paper-pen revision in the classrooms, the computer labs are usurped to arm the students for the upcoming world-wide-war of numbers, calculation, speed, accuracy and spellings. Students and teachers of English and Math departments are engrossed to break their own records of last year.
Thus, a new awakening in the year 2011 made His vision clearer when preceding 2010 has been an eminently remarkable year in many ways filled with fun, frolic and moments that deserve to be cherished.
New Year is the time to unfold new horizons and realize His vision more clearly, to rediscover the strength and faith within us and our children yet to rejoice in simple pleasures and gear up for new challenges.
The Amazing Art Mela at AVM
/0 Comments/in AVM Updates, Creativity /by Seema JoshiArt fair for the children of primary classes focussed on colouring activities. This steadies the hand and helps them cultivate their imagination. They loved doing the rainbow, clouds and also attempted to draw vague creations. During this Art Fair, even monochromatic scribbles on a piece of paper gave the kids a sense of accomplishment, because they’d created something that wasn’t there before. And as they progressed towards using multiple colours and forming recognizable shapes, they gained even more confidence.
Students of Std I, II and III were trained extending their imagination and creating creatures with their thumb impression. The vegetable print making encouraged them to develop liking for vegetables and learning to cut them in various pattern to learn vegetable print making. They loved making finger puppets by assembling small handy things.
Exposing them to the Modern Art, students of Std IV, V and VI were taught the technique of mosaic painting. Tickling their creative skills, they learnt to make photo frame to gift their dear and near ones. Tampering their artistic fervour for painting, students were also trained to glass painting where they were to design and paint on the engravings showing their stunning clarity and choice of colours.
Expressing his joy on this workshop, the Art teacher Manish Sir told, “Passion, energy, intelligence and creativity” of students for art is on work. Crafts offer children the opportunity to express themselves in two- and three-dimensional ways. Students can develop vital problem-solving skills without having to rely on areas of expression that may be more challenging”. The painter, artist and gifted teacher Manoj Sir said, “Creative projects offer these students the freedom to show what they know without the constraints of printed text”.
Thus, the Art Fair consisting of a thematic variety brought out the sheer brilliance and unmatchable imagination of each student.
The tiny-tots’ prayer echoed in the holy abode
/0 Comments/in AVM Updates, Value Based Education /by Seema JoshiThey scrambled like butterflies on fragrant flowers, like the buds pestering to blossom,
They sang like the exuberant river spumes froth rendering the dulcet melody of the immortal song of life…
They are our dearest children, our precious pearls from Std I and II, who adorned the prayer hall stage with their gripping performance. It was a glorious spring day made to order….the Satyam house members trained these tiny tots to display the power of prayer. It was a part of extracurricular activities serving the very purpose of channelizing the bursting energy and gifted qualities of these children. “We figure out if our child is shy, extrovert, boisterous or artistic. Then give him various options that complement his interest and temperament,” said Sharmil Mam, the Satyam House Convener (Junior Section).
The programme was loaded with exciting skits, song and dance performances by the students of I and II Std, which captured the hearts of the audience. These tiny tots were trained to perform brilliantly, giving a colourful ambience by their dedicated teachers and didis, who had strived hard to train them.
This memorable morning’s proceedings commenced with a willful prayer sung by these children “O Lord teach me to be kind…” It was followed by an action song “All things bright and beautiful” The innocent children attired in saffron and red, illuminated the stage while the audience watched them with rapt attention. The dazzling display of talent by these children was amazing to watch with their spectacular performances. Their innate inherent spontaneity of expression and the confidence kindled by Satyam House members was beyond comparison.
Finally they waved at the audience with their lovely and enchanting singing “Teri hai Zami…Tera Aasma….Tu bada meherban…”. The message conveyed by means of dance, skits and enactments synchronized so beautifully showed the outstanding caliber of the small students. The audience watching was surely in a quandary as each child seemed to outdo the other. The applause they received was deafening and they did deserve it.
The very presence of respected Vijay Sir and Ashish Sir made the moments of the programme special as they were present to witness the bubbling enthusiasm of these tiny tots. It was amazing to see the creativity displayed by these small students in their efforts to perform as per the guidance of the teachers. When complimented for their support, the teachers from Satyam House expressed happiness for being involved in the event. Many of them said, they were re-living their own childhood through these kids! Our youngest student, six-year old Aaryan from Std I, also was not far behind in the dance and skit, he came dressed as arch angels, with crown and star- headed-magical wand and a cute little outfit. Though he could not understand what all the fuss was about, he enjoyed prancing around, lapping up all the attention he was getting.
It was a performance par excellence. The senior students were caught up working merrily with their tall presence to help these small kids to perform with a backdrop of ongoing presentation through projector, the confidence and enthusiasm of these children was infectious which made their face luminous. On this day, the morning sun did not seem brighter than the dazzling and sparkling light in the eyes of these enthusiastic kids.