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HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
Page 2
Welcome to the first Edition of Home and school connect Oct – 2020…
As we draw curtains to the end of a semester our focus as always been to ensure that…
Every child, every day is finding a way to feel connected,
Every child, every day is being challenged by new learnings and experiences,
And every child, every day knows they have a champion they can turn to.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
Page 3
St. Paul’s English School is a co-educational Institution founded in the year 1983. The school, which is
cosmopolitan in its approach, believes in inculcating the spirit of secularism and a liberal outlook among
the children. Our vision is to be a premier professionally managed institution that provides an
environment which nurtures excellence, holistic growth and prepares students for a knowledge society
and a global economy by developing life-long learning skills.
The School is part of the Presidency Group of Institutions, which is a chain of schools that caters to
learning both in the ICSE as well as CBSE streams. It is 37 years since we have been contributing to
the field of education and the Presidency Group has been deemed as one of the prestigious organization
in Bangalore.
1. Toppers in ICSE and ISC Board Examination 2019-20……………………………………………….
2. The New Normal Online Classes and Assessments…………………………………………………..
3. Awards………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. New Initiatives……………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Events and Celebrations………………………………………………………………………………….
6. Virtual Competitions……………………………………………………………………………………….
7. Glimpses from Kindergarten……………………………………………………………………………..
8. A Peep into Primary Events……………………………………………………………………………...
9. Virtual Field Trips…………………………………………………………………………………………
10. Special Assemblies……………………………………………………………………………………….
11. Webinars attended by Teachers’………………………………………………………………………..
12. Thank You Note…………………………………………………………………………………………...
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The year 2020 has challenged staff and students to find a new normal for learning, connected us in new
ways and required our champions to champion from afar. Normal is such a simple word and it is our
goal at Paul’s to not only find our new normal, but to use this time as a learning experience that will
forever impact the learning environment of St. Paul’s. Every week there are new types of learning
experiences teachers are piloting and much of what is learned will continue to be used in the future.
“PATIENCE, PERSISTENCE AND PERSPIRATION make an unbeatable combination for success-
Napolean Hill
The students and teachers at Paul’s diligently followed the 3P’s and worked hard for their boards, while
the Principal worked on the strategies for success. The outcome was seen in the exceptional results. All
123 ICSE students secured distinction, with 70% of the students achieving above 90%. The School
Average stands at 92.04%. The school achieved 129 centums - 13 in English, 7 in Maths, 7 in Chemistry,
17 in Biology, 25 in History, 17 in Geography, 10 in Hindi, 11 in P.E. and 18 in Computer Science. In the
ICSE Examinations Akshaj J Aithal topped among the ICSE students, securing 99% (with 5 centums),
followed by Ayathi and Sneha Upahdyay, both of whom secured 98.6%. In ISC Samhita
Chandrashekhar topped among the ISC students, securing 96%. Sanjani B Rao secured 95.5%, while
Niharika PV secured 94%.
The Management, staff, students and parents congratulate the toppers and wish them the best in their
future endeavours.
AKSHAJ AITHAL
99%
SNEHA UPAHDYAY
98.6%
AYATHI
98.6%
SAMHITHA CHANDRASHEKAR
96.25%
SANJANI B RAO
95.75%
V NANDHAKISHORE
95.25 %
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such
a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet
ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” – Paulo Coelho.
The school started with online classes from April 2020 through Microsoft Teams. The classes initially
began for the high school students and moved on to
the primary and Kindergarten. By June all classes
went Online.
Microsoft teams is a unified communication and
collaboration platform that combines a classroom
experience and file storage. It has various features
that are meticulously utilized by our school to bring out
the best during online classes. Some of these features
include the calendar, assignments, and One Note, a
digital notebook for students.
Teachers were orientated , trained and facilitated on the usage of this platform for online teaching .To
enhance the learning experience, they further explored the new platform and made use of other
accessory applications that include the following:
Exam.net -a tool that helps teachers to carry out digital
exams to assess students on what they have learnt.
Kahoot - a colourful application for teachers and students
alike; it enables teachers to make classes more
interactive and fun with quizzes of different sorts. Students
learn something new while enjoying the process. It
promotes healthy competition and encourages mass
participation. Quizziz –another application software that
the teachers use to test how well the students have
understood their concepts. Here, students can move through the questions at their own pace.
Formative assessments were conducted using Microsoft Forms and Google forms. These forms allow
for multiple-choice questions, written responses, and can be used to test the dates of major events. On
some occasions, students made presentations about topics they have knowledge about. This made
sessions more interactive. While making presentations, students not only learnt about the subject but
also became well versed about the topics.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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Ms. Prabeena Srijith - HOD Mathematics Department and Ms. Namrata Dekate – HOD Computer
Science Department were chosen as a recipient for the Best Teacher Award given by IIHM.
Founded in 1994, International Institute of Hotel Management is a part of the IndiSmart Group, a large
conglomerate that operates the IndiSmart Hotels and offers a wide range of services in the field of
Hospitality Management Education Training & Consultancy in India and the South East Asia. IIHM
continued this year, with the teacher award given virtually .They had initiated this award 4 years back.
The best teacher is chosen and awarded based on a survey conducted by the Palash Foundation of
Delhi Schools.
This year Principal Ms.Susan Roy chose Ms.Prabeena and Ms.Namratha for the award appreciating
them for their hard work, dedication and passion for teaching.
This unique yet noble initiative was the brian child of our Principal Ms. Susan Roy and completely
supported by the computer department Ms. Namratha.
The design and incorporation of all the applications
were done by the computer department with assistance
provided by the grade 12 students Abhay Kashyap,
Shashank Reddy and Sumukh.
The inaugural was virtual and was inaugurated by our
Director
of Schools Ms. Nafeesa Tanveer, who is a great source
of inspiration and motivation to the Presidency schools.
This was followed by a briefing on all the sections the
library possessed- The Blog, News Corner, Story books
and the resource corner.
Teachers and students shared their experiences on
exploring the site.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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We thank the management for the unstinted support they provide to the team while the team explores
the new and innovative ways of learning.
The year 2020 indeed has been difficult for us all, but that hasn’t stopped the Paulite community from
having a holistic school life, and Vibrance-2020
proves this statement. Vibrance 2020 was St Paul’s
very first virtual fest. This extravaganza was held
from the 17th to the 28th of August in the platform
Microsoft Teams for Paulites from grade 4 to grade
12. There were 6 exciting events for Paulites and
the sole motive was to find and enrich new talent
among our Paulites, imparting healthy competition
among the students. This year over 700 students
overall participated, enthusiastically.
Unlike the usual spell bee, The Reverse Gear spell bee event
conducted for the 4th and 5th grades compelled the participants
to make use of their memory and presence of mind. With an
unconventional approach towards spelling, the participants were
asked to spell the words from right to left. That is in the reverse
order, in the prelims. The finals included a round of regular spell
bee, one round of reverse spell bee and one surprise round of
spell and define which was revealed on the spot to the finalists.
Wheel of Fortune was a game all about luck. This event was packed with suspense and participants
from grade 6 and grade 7 had to guess words and
phrases provided to them. A simple template was used
to make the game interactive; the participants were
given clues, asked to guess letters and were allowed to
interrupt the host if they knew what the entire puzzle
was. The preliminary round was held on 19th August,
2020. A total of four puzzles were laid for all the groups.
For the final round, the participants with the highest
score were chosen from each group. With 8 puzzles
this time around, the level of difficulty was much higher
but ensured an enthusiastic participation from all the finalists.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The Qriosity quiz was conducted for the young quizzers and bright minds of our school. When the quiz
was first announced to the school an incredible
response was received from the students of grade 8
and 9.
The enthusiastic participants went through vigorous
rounds and levels before the selected few could make
their way to the finals. The questions that were asked
in the quiz made the participants think on their feet
and spark their inquisitive nature. The agenda of the
quiz was to promote and initiate thinking out of
the box.
War of Words was the debate event for grade 10 and 11. This event had 18 participants and 6 of them
advanced to the final round. We had the privilege to invite two
of our alumni as our judges: Pavanaj R Hariharan, and Sagar
Krishnan K (Former Head Boy). We had exciting and thought
provoking topics which were to be discussed over the course
of the event. The topic for the preliminary round was
“Democracy is only possible if there is a responsible press”.
The first topic in the finals is “Government funding for a space
program in an impoverished economy is justified”. The
second round of the finals was in a turncoat debate format.
Therefore each of the 6 finalists were given a different topic. The event was intense and exciting with
speeches and rebuttals which caught the attention of the audience. In conclusion, the event was indeed
a war of words.
The event Techtonic was an online coding event held from grades 5 to 12. Students were allowed to
show case their talent in the world of coding. The first
round was the elimination round followed by semi-
finals and finals. Students were given questions and
were judged on the bases of creative, relevance to
the topic, number of errors and the maximum use of
the concept. In the final round there was quizzing and
viva. 10 finalists were selected out of whom the
winners were selected. The programming languages
used were: Scratch (For grades 5 and 6), HTML
(For grades 7 & 8), Java (For grades 9 and 10)
and Python or C++ (For Grades 11 & 12)
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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Nero’s Challenge is the first gaming event held at St Paul’s. The game played was Call of Duty Mobile.
We also had the immense help and support from one of
our alumni: V Nandakishore. Around 21 teams of 5
players each faced off in a single elimination bracket
format of the game. The game modes played were:
Frontline (For prelims) and Search and Destroy (For
semi-finals and Finals) The top 4 teams advanced to the
semi-finals and the top 2 advanced to the finals following
which the winning team was chosen after a10 round
match. The semi-finals and the finals were livestreamed
in YouTube and this was open to a public audience. We saw over 100 spectators over the course of the
final round. This event was exciting, fun and overall a huge success!
Though the pandemic tried to take away most of our school frolics, the cabinet was invested with their
badges on a virtual platform! Everything, from the
nominations to the ceremony itself, was done on this
platform in a creative and awe-inspiring way.
This year, the electoral procedure was as follows:
The election framework is set, and the nominations
are called for.
The logo with the tag-line is to be mailed to the
principal
Candidates are assessed and the voting process is
decided
Nominees canvas live or through pre-recorded videos
Pre-Electoral mentoring session and the rules for the elections and voting are set
Panel Interview and Emotional Quotient tests are undertaken to analyze creativity, critical thinking,
confidence, and clarity
The Results were declared on the following weightage - 50% score allotted by the number of votes, 25%
by the EQ, and 25% by the Panel Interview
The Investiture Ceremony, entitled "A Whole New World", took place on July 8th, again on a virtual
platform. The Ceremony itself seemed to be a motivation to sustain hope and courage through this
uncertain time.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The chief guest of the Ceremony, Mr. Giri Balasubramanium, popularly known as 'Pickbrain',
encouraged the young leaders with a story. His words "The greatness of a leader is when his presence
is felt by his absence" served as a reminder as to how
important a leader is in the time of adversities. Our
Principal, Mrs. Susan Roy, gave a thought-provoking
message. "A leader is best when people barely know
he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they
will all say 'We did it ourselves!'" She also emphasized
the need of adapting to changes and adjusting to a
'new normal'. The Investiture Ceremony was thus, a
new beginning, a hope for the future, and the parting
of the curtains to "A Whole New World"!
St. Paul’s English School celebrated the 74th Independence Day programme on a virtual mode. The
programme began with a warm welcome by our Vice
Principal, Ms. Deepa Gopal. This was followed with an
all faith prayer and song invoking the blessings of the
Almighty.
After a formal welcome by Misha, the school Vice
Captain, Sanjani performed a classical dance to the
song ‘Vande Mataram’. Principal Susan Roy’s message
on ‘Samarpan’ followed by the song extracted from the
sounds of Isha was the highlight of the days programme.
The song was dedicated to all the health care workers who selflessly work to save lives.The meaning of
the word Freedom was shared by Yassir, the school Vice Captain. Misha expressed her patriotism
through a Kathak dance and she danced to the song Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon, Bharat Yeh Rahna
Chahiyae’.
The significance of the flag, the importance of the day and the singing of the National Anthem added
fervor to the programme which indeed made all feel blessed for being born an Indian; a programme that
will remain etched in the memories of those who watched it.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The auspicious day began with a devotional Sufi dance performance by the students of grade 8, 9 and
10 . After the formal welcome address which was delivered
by the school associate head girl Hemashree, the school
toppers in the ICSE and ISC board examination were
felicitated. Akshaj Aithal, the Topper in the ICSE board
examination thanked the teaching fraternity for their constant
support, motivation and guidance.
This was followed by the felicitation of the teachers whose
hard work was one of the reasons behind the success of the
students.
The online warriors were thanked by the Principal Susan
Ma’am for their hard work and dedication. Arwa the school
captain narrated a poem written by her as a tribute to the teachers. The turn was for the school choir to
thank the teachers and they did so with a melodious song’ Thu Meri Teacher’. Anisha , the school head
girl captivated the audience with her ballet performance. The choir then took over the stage and rendered
a song with a strong message ‘Hum Har Nahin Manege’. The day’s celebrations concluded with a prayer
for the teachers, for their families’ wellbeing and good health by our beloved Principal Ma’am…
There are victories of the soul and spirit. Sometimes, even if you lose, you win.
The first Virtual competition to be conducted for the students were by
the English Department. After planning the competitions the students
of grade 6 to 10 were informed and were given sufficient time to
prepare. The preliminary round were conducted which was followed
by finals. The various competitions planned were as follows:
It was interesting to note that the parents welcomed this activity and
students were ready to perform with great enthusiasm.
Grade Competition
Grade 6 Puzzle
Grade 7 Poetry writing and recitation
Grade 8 Jingle Writing
Grade 8, 9 and 10 Mock Ted Talk
Picture Caption
Twist A Tale
Script and Direct a Play
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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With Prayoga- Science exhibition planned for the month of July, it was disappointment for the students
and teachers as the same could not be conducted as per plan, but nevertheless, the department planned
competitions in all the three subjects across all the grades starting from grade 6. It was interesting to
note that almost the whole class participated in the competition.
Grade Physics Chemistry Biology
Grade 6 Pick and Speak My Creative Lab Pasting Leaves
Grade 7 Model Making Word Search Making Creative Charts
Grade 8 Connecting Picture Activity Creative Writing Pick and Speak
Grade 9 Linking Concepts Let’s Experiment Drawing of Plant cell
Grade 10 Doodling
Math is always fun and if it in the form of competitions, it is exciting
and motivating. Students of grade 6 to 8 were given time and topic to
prepare and the competitions were conducted during the math
periods.
Come August and students recall the struggle for Independence,
all the assemblies were based on Independence struggle and at
this time of the year, the social studies department conducts
competitions and this year too they had competitions , but the only
difference was, all of them were virtual.
Grade Physics
Grade 6 Math Quiz
Grade 7 Just a minute
Grade 8 Digital Painting
Grade Competition
Grade 1 & 2 Incredible Indians
Grade 3 Creative representation of National Symbols
Grade 4 Historical Monuments
Grade 5 Ancient jewellery- Antique Work
Grade 6 Greeting card
Grade 7 Role Play- Slogans by Freedom fighters
Grade 8 Landscapes of India
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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September 14th is observed as Hindi Divas across the country to commemorate the birthday of Munshi
Premchand the famous author, and it was during this month, the classes
had special assemblies and also conducted competitions across grades 3
to 10.
Grade Competition
Grade 3 Recitation
Grade 4
Grade 5 Story Telling
Grade 6
Grade 7 Presentations- Pandemic /Indo china border disputes
Grade 8 Poster Making
Grade 9 Virtual Skit- Novel
Grade 10
As the children are not attending school the parents were asked to
read stories written by Eric Carle, an enchanting children’s story-
books author and illustrator. Assistance was provided to some
parents who do not have access to the internet by lending out some
of our school library books, so that their children could read the books
and do an activity.
On 25th June, the birthday of Eric Carle, the KG parents were
requested to read one book written or illustrated by Eric Carle. The
parents had to get their child do an activity on the book that they had
read. The children enjoyed this first activity of the academic year.
The event, “Little chef” was conducted for the K2 children on July 18th, 2020. The parents were
requested to engage their child in an enjoyable activity and motivate them
to help their children in making a delicious and exciting food as an integral
part of their diet. Cooking with children has many benefits. They learn and
practice some basic math concepts and build language skills. The
experience of cooking food can help them build their self-confidence, lay
the foundation for healthy eating habits and encourages family bonding.
Videos made by our teachers on how to sprout lentils, and on cooking in
our pantry were shared with the parents. Parents sent us photos and short
videos of your their child’s activity.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The Kg teacher spoke about this event ‘Dancing your way Away’ and the benefits of dance, on July
25th, 2020 during HRP/ Circle Time, for A few minutes.
We all know that music and dancing are fun activities. Children
love to move around and make noise. Dance can help children
develop learning skills. It also has many benefits. It improves
physical health, enhances emotional development, encourages
socialization, creativity and enhances cognitive development.
This online session was a treat to watch as some of our parents
too danced away with their children.
The PreK Mothers were in for a big surprise when
suddenly they received an invite to attend a session
prepared specially for them. This event Mom and Me
is a Child-Mother event and was held virtually on 25th
July 2020. The teachers started off by welcoming all
the mothers and their children. A short video was
shown where a ‘Mother’ protects her young one from
the rain; it brought tears to the eyes of most of our
mothers. The activity that followed, kept both mother
and child engaged. They were asked to choose a theme and do a painting/drawing together. For
example one mother drew a mother duck and the child drew a baby duck. They shared their drawings
with all as they went sketching and painting away. Then one teacher shared a beautiful poem and the
mothers were very touched on hearing the words of this beautiful poem. The event ended with a song
and the teachers told the fathers to click pictures of the mothers and their children completing their
painting and sketching.
The event Dad and Me took place on 25th July. The K1 teachers had
sent an invite to the ‘fathers’ well in advance as we wanted all of them
to participate in this event. All our ‘Dads’ attended virtually and took
part enthusiastically, along with their child.
The teachers had beautiful quotes, videos and poems on their screens
which sent out a message of how important Fathers are to children and
of how fondly the children love their fathers. The Quizzes, Games, Art
and Craft work organized by the teachers were enjoyed by all the Dads.
There was laughter and enjoyment right through the event which ended
with the children hugging their fathers and the fathers reciprocating in
the same way. Mothers were requested to post pictures of the end result of the art and craft work done
by the dads with their children.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The K1 and K2 children were given prior information to get ready for the virtual field trip with their caps,
goggles, some packed snack and their water bottles; so
as to make them get the ‘feel’ of a real field trip.
There was a lot of excitement amongst the children.
They were all set for their virtual field trip as they
boarded their virtual bus singing "The wheels of the bus
goes round and round..." along with their friends. They
had a ‘stopover’ at Channapatna for breakfast, where the
children virtually shared their snacks with their friends
and teachers.
The beauty of the Mysore Palace both interior as well as exterior was admired by the children. They
were given further information about the famous
“Dussehra Celebration and Jamboo Savari”. They
loved the sight of the illuminated palace.
The visit to the Mysore Zoo was very amusing and
exciting for the children. They were in glee at the sight
of all the animals and birds.
The virtual fieldtrip to the Mysore Palace and the Zoo
was a great way to engage the children despite the
pandemic. The children were engrossed through the
trip. It was a much-welcomed break from the usual routine as well as a good learning experience which
our children enjoyed thoroughly.
The stars of PreK went on their first Field Trip ever. So
the teachers tried to make it as real as possible for
these tiny tots. They ‘boarded’ the school bus, sang
rhymes on the way and they were excited to see
Lalbagh and spend the entire morning there. After
sitting on the ‘hillock’ and enjoying their breakfast, they
were taken around and finally enjoyed the ‘flower
show’. They were super excited to see all the different
trees, flowers, birds and the lake. They wore their
caps, goggles and carried their backpacks all along. It
was a fun morning for them.
The teachers prepared well for this Virtual Field Trip, giving the children a breathtakingly fresh
adventure. All the children enjoyed doing the review.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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The PreK activity was based on the story 'Scribbles and Ink'. Scribbles and
Ink are a cat and a mouse, one of which likes to draw, the other to paint.
They argue about who's the best, and that argument takes the form of them
first trolling each other with threatening drawings/paintings, then chasing
each other splattering paint and pencil lines all over the page. Finally, they
work together on their versions of 'well-known works of art'....... Based on this
story, the PreK teachers did an activity that brought out the 'artistic' talent of
all the children. They loved the story and the virtual session was
very interactive. The children enjoyed doing their ‘work of art’ and shared
their work with their classmates and teachers.
Science is not about memorizing; it is about thinking creatively. We need to help our children think and
be inquisitive, from a very young age. The more questions
they ask, the more they will learn and find interest in
Science. The K1 and K2 teachers organised a virtual activity
- Engage, Experiment and Explore on 23rd and 26th
September. With the help of slides, the teachers spoke about
scientists and inventors. They gave live demos of different
experiments. The children too followed the instructions and
did the experiments with their teachers. Some children
dressed as scientists and wore goggles and the white coat.....
The parents uploaded lovely videos and photos of children doing different experiments.
The PEY KG Team was sure they wanted to make this day a
special and memorable one for our Great Grand Parents and
Grand Parents. The preparations began a whole month earlier
and we sent the ‘Save the Date’ card to all the parents a week
before the event; the actual
Invite was sent to the
grandparents a few days
before the event. Teachers
collated photos of the children
with their grandparents a few days before the event. Teachers also
collected a note written by the children on their grandparents. Our
Great Grand Parents and Grandparents joined in virtually for the event,
which was held on Saturday, 19th September 2020. Some joined from
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
Page 17
Mysore, Belgaum, Maharashtra, Delhi, Bihar……… All were very excited with some going virtual for the
first time in their lives. Grandparents and grandchildren wore colour coordinated outfits; some dressed
in retro style. PPT presentations on the photos and messages sent in by the children and messages
from our teachers, video songs, games such as ‘Antakshri with a Difference’, bonding activities, a special
dance performance by our very own dance teacher, a quiz session – all these items formed part of the
programme for this event. There was a display of beautiful cards, made especially by the children for
their grandparents. Participation was overwhelming and the grandparents gave beautiful
speeches/messages about how important they were made to feel and how privileged they were to have
their grandchildren studying in this prestigious school. It was an emotional moment for all of us to hear
them speak; and they thanked us profusely. A Big Thank You to all our parents for their support and for
bringing our great grandparents and grandparents on, for this virtual-multilingual celebration.
Usually we hear that the teachers and parents read to their
children…..but how important is it for an older sibling or
friend to read to a younger child?
The teachers spoke to the parents about the importance of
choosing an older child to read to our younger
children. These were some of the points covered:
The older child will be like a role model and hence an
inspiration who the younger child may want to
emulate. A child who has been read to will want to learn to read herself/himself............. It’s a change for
the child because it may always be the parents or teachers who may be reading to them. The child may
be further motivated to read.......
As an older child is reading, this child may choose a book that is at a slightly higher level for the child
being read to, so this too is very helpful in terms of vocabulary
and he/she may have more to learn from this read aloud
session
When an older child reads, he/she is like a coach or a friend,
who, a younger/quieter child might be comfortable with and
may open up to him/her about the book…….. and start
speaking….. The older children were really excited to read
online to the children. Some dressed in the character of the
story and some used props …….. Most of them prepared
really well. The younger ones were very thrilled to hear a story read by an older child…… It was a good
experience for all and the teachers tried to make it as interactive as possible.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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This festival was celebrated at all three levels and the children enjoyed
seeing videos and Krishna’s tricks related to this festival. The children were
dressed as Krishnas, Radhas and Gopis. The activities done by the parents
and children brought out the real significance of this festival.
Our 74th Independence Day was celebrated by the children of Presidency
Early Years with a lot of enthusiasm and excellent participation. It was a
treat to see all the children dressed in one of the colors of the flag. The
teachers made small presentations, held quizzes and did craft and painting
activities where every child took part. It was touching to see all the children
and parents stand at attention and sing the National Anthem with their
teachers, while the Prime Minister hoisted the flag. Other patriotic songs
were also sung and it was a delight to see our children speak on various
national leaders and freedom fighters of the state and the nation.
In continuation with our theme, Caring for our Environment, we sent a video
to our children on ‘How Paper Is Made’ explaining how we will need to cut
more trees if we waste paper; hence we need to recycle paper and save trees. On this Independence
Day, we encouraged the parents to assist their children, to plant a sapling.
Ganesha the elephant-headed God is a very popular God in Hinduism.
One child described him as ‘a chubby little deity who is one of her
favourite God’s’.
The children were dressed in ethnic wear and were all ready for the virtual
celebration that was held on 19th August. The teachers showed one-
minute videos on ‘The Story of Ganesha’. The children had an interactive
session and were very excited to speak. All the teachers organized an
activity of making Ganesha’s, and his favourite foods- modak and ladoos.
They did these activities online using clay and wheat flour dough mixed
with natural colours; the photos taken were all of the Ganeshas made
online.
It was an interesting and exciting virtual celebration.
HOME & SCHOOL CONNECT First Edition: June to October 2020
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Onam, a harvest festival, is basically a celebration to commemorate the ‘homecoming’ of King Mahabali
to Kerala. Intricatel decorated Pookalam, ambrosial Onasadya,
breath taking Snake Boat Race and exotic Kathakali dance are
some of the most remarkable features of this festival, celebrated
predominantly in Kerala.
The teachers prepared slides and showed short videos depicting
these celebrations and the story of King Mahabali was narrated.
The children and the teachers were dressed in their traditional
best. The highlight of the event, were the children’ drawings and
craft activities depicting the different Pookalam designs using paper flowers
Dussehra an important festival, is celebrated with pomp and gaiety all over the country. The teachers
had a beautiful virtual celebration starting with the explanation of how Dussehra is celebrated differently
in different parts of India. They explained the different foods eaten during this festival and explained
about Navratri. The children made dandiyas and masks and danced away to the peppy music. All had
a blast and it was a good way to start the vacation.
Every student of grade 1 ardently participated in the Theme Exhibition that was conducted virtually
where they exhibited models and charts on the topics learnt
in various subjects like Lar, Math, EVS, Hindi and Kannada.
Topics were assigned to them by their class teachers.
In LAR, students demonstrated their understanding of the
subject through topics like Nouns, One and Many, Articles,
Diagraphs etc. In the Subject Math they showcased their
presentation through topics like Place Value, Relative
Comparison, Odd and Even Numbers and increasing and
decreasing order. In Science, they presented on introducing
self, others in my World, Celebrating Together, My body and
its Organs and Our Food. Subjects Hindi and Kannada saw the students’ present pictorial presentation
of fruits and Swar. Students showed great eagerness in participating and presenting their exhibits and
were confident in sharing their learning.
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Theme exhibition was planned virtually where all the students were divided
into 5 groups according to subjects Lar, Math, EVS, Hindi and Kannada.
The topics chosen were based on the concepts learnt in Semester I and
the students had to depict them in the form of a chart or model. It was a
great pleasure and we felt privileged seeing students talk on the subject
which they had selected. Models and charts showed the hidden talent of
every child and their understanding of the concepts.
Presenting information to others is motivating for students and can make learning better. The respective
teachers of grade – 3 facilitated the students on what to make and
how to present the information which included dance, recital and
dramatic enactment. Students demonstrated their learning with
either a performance or presentation. The knowledge assimilated
by the students was expounded through performances and
displays. All the participants for the role-play were well-prepared
and dressed up as different characters from the Novel- The
Charlotte’s Web.
They delivered their dialogues effortlessly and with confidence. The students recited poems of Eleanor
Farjeon and Christina Rossetti with great zeal and presented the best of their talents and abilities.
Students steered the event by their exceptional presentations displaying their oratory skills in Hindi and
Kannada with the given topics.
Classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Yakshagana performed by the students depicting
different states were splendid and colourful. To comprehend the concept of patterns, students made
colourful imprints by creating different shapes and ardently participated in the brain teasing tussle and
quizzes. Students enthusiastically participated in making models of nests and Indian monuments like
Taj Mahal, Charminar and India Gate, creatively.
The activity not just enhances and discovers the skills of the students, but it also creates a strong bond
between the students. Together with children we teachers shared a joyous day and prolific
achievement…...
The programme started with a school Prayer followed with a small note on the birthday of Dr. A.P.J
Abdul Kalam. Culmination Day was a platform for students to
showcase their learning of the topics covered in the first quarter.
This enabled them to synthesize on their ideas and build on the
concepts of what they have learnt.
The students were allotted the theme for a subject.
Students choosing Language Arts, enacted on the characters from
the Novel Matilda. In Hindi and Kannada, they narrated stories with
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a moral .In Mathematics, it was about Math in Nature or Math in wonders of the
world .In Social studies, students had to showcase their learning through a
debate on internet -in favour and against. For General science they made
posters on pollution and global warming.
The activity enabled them to have an increased retention of the concept and
made learning deeper. Overall, they presented themselves well and it was an
active learning for all the students.
Activities and competitions are a part of learning in Paul’s and learning
virtually did not stop the teachers and students in conducting or
participating in activities and competitions. The students of grade 1 to 4
participated in the literary competitions organized by the teachers based
on various topics. It was interesting to note that the complete class
participated in the competitions virtually.
Grade Competition Details
Grade 1 Describe the
picture
A picture related to what they have learnt in LAR was displayed on the
computer screen. The Teachers showed each student a different
picture. He/she was asked to speak about the displayed object and to
share whatever they knew about it with the class. The winners were
chosen on the following parameters: Pronunciation &
Fluency/Confidence/Relevance to the topic/picture.
Grade 2 Create a story The teacher initiated the first few lines of a story/ situation and the
students were asked to complete the story on the spot with the help of
the initiated sentences and also give a suitable moral to the story. The
students were judged according to their creativity, fluency and time.
Grade 3 Elocution Students were asked to choose any topic from the choices given. Every
participant was given precisely 2 minutes to speak on the prepared topic.
It was indeed astounding to see how beautifully the students had put
their thoughts, insights, humour and delivered the speech which was
fluent, articulate and erudite.
Grade 4 Poetry Recitation “Beauty is the realm of poetry’. Recitation is one of the important and
effective modes of learning a language and appreciating a piece of
literature. Students enthusiastically participated in the competition as
they got an opportunity to exhibit their talent and confidence. Students
were judged on the parameters like confidence, voice modulation,
memorization and overall presentation.
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Field trips are a way of enhancing classroom learning by making real world connections. The
main objective of conducting a field trip for students is to
reinforce experiential and contextual learning .Virtual field
trips allow us to take our students where the bus can’t.
Students can make connections with locations, concepts or
people through the power of virtual field trips. During the HRP
and the first period, Students were taken on a virtual trip to
the renowned flower show at Ooty - botanical gardens and
the Madras Regiment in Coonoor, which is one of the
oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. Respective
class teachers gave a brief description and interesting facts
about the places they would be visiting. Students were
thrilled to watch the special flower show gallery in different
colours of nature. They also watched a grand parade
where the army recruits swear in to dedicate their lives to
the nation, after a rigorous training at the army base. After
exploring the virtual trip, students write about their
experience, describing the place of the visit and the
interesting things they learnt in their virtual visit.
Also, students keenly observed the parade done by the
Army recruits, an informative and interesting trip indeed.
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Students watched a short film series shot by IMERSE Team on Hampi. They took a stroll at different
spots and re-lived the greatness associated with this forgotten kingdom and its people. After a short
introduction of the place Hampi as a village and a temple
town in Karnataka and one of the most historically rich
places, the teacher went on to explain its historical
importance and its legacy. As per statistics of the year
2014, Hampi is said to be the most searched place of
Karnataka, online. People who visit Hampi are mostly
people who love history and architecture. It is no surprise
that Hampi is such a famous place for tourists who visit
from all over the globe. Students enjoyed the virtual field
trip.
‘Celebrating biodiversity' - a concern that is both urgent and existential
World environment Day is celebrated to create awareness on
environmental issues and give positive actions. This year Nature has
sent a strong message through this Pandemic the damage our
species has wrought to our Nature.
Having altered 75 per cent of the Earth’s ice-free surface and
destroying 420 million hectares of forest, for agriculture and
urbanization and also being the
main cause for one million species
to face near extinction, we have
not stopped. Our demands from
Nature are increasing day by day. This Pandemic is a warning sign
that the degradation of nature is threatening our health, peace and
prosperity. We humans should realize our mistakes and address the
existing concerns about the environment in order to keep it of utmost
quality. It should be clean, safe and secure for the healthy life of all
humans, plants and animals. By adopting few activities we can easily
diminish the bad impacts currently happening in the environment.
Starting with the cabinet taking a pledge on saving the environment, the event was observed virtually
with students involved in making posters, writing slogans, essays and many more. The first virtual quiz
on environment was conducted for grade 9 students and Principal Ma’am took the students of grade 10
on a virtual tour of the rainforest and explained the importance of forest and its depleting status now.
The day was dedicated to saving Nature and our future.
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To mark this occasion a special assembly was
conducted for the students of grade 1 to 5. The
teachers discussed the major role of oceans in
everyday life, this was followed by students sharing
their views on ways to conserve and protect oceans
from being polluted. A video on
“World oceans day”
(https://youtu.be/uoOVomWRGYs) to raise
awareness of the importance of caring for our oceans was shown. It was an interesting and an
informative session.
The focus was on the theme for this year – ‘Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family’
During the HRP period, the class teacher spoke a few lines about the
history of yoga, importance of yoga, yoga in India and how the
knowledge of yoga was passed on to us and about how sage
Patanjali’s book Yoga sutra is the basis of modern yoga. The class
teacher also explained the importance of International Yoga Day, since
when the International Yoga Day came into existence and the theme
of year 2020, which is “Yoga at Home and yoga with family”.
The students were also made aware of the type of clothes to be worn
while performing the asanas. The students were guided by the class
teacher to perform asanas. Asanas were performed by the students
namely Om chanting, Padahastasana, basic Pranayam techniques,
Surya Namaskar and other simple asanas. Students enjoyed performing yoga and the experience of
conducting virtual Yoga sessions was interesting and challenging for teachers.
The Global Tiger Day 2020 slogan was ‘Their Survival is in Our Hands’.
Global Tiger Day, often called International Tiger Day, is an annual
celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation. It was created in
2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit.
The students of grade 1 and 2 virtually observed this day creating
awareness in their own ways. Some had their faces painted and the
others made masks and mimed the animals sound. The teachers
provided facts on the dwindling numbers of the Cat family and the reason
for the same. The little ones pledged that they would not use products
made of the animal skin and do their best to save this species.
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The day began with patriotic feelings when the teachers recalled the
heroes of the Kargil War. Incidents, experiences and the names of
armed forces who lost their lives during this war was discussed and
students were shown a video as remembrance. The video was the
song sung by the Students of Paul’s during the year of the war and had
left timeworn memory in the minds of the juniors. Recalling the
sacrifices made by the soldiers, students bowed and placed their
salutes at the feet of these Heroes.
The young Paulite’s remembered Dr APJ Abdul Kalam popularly
known as the Missile Man of India on his 5th death anniversary. He
was a great humanitarian and a visionary who served as the 11th
President of India from 2002 to 2007, taught students and achieved
milestones as a scientist. In his words to students of this country he
had said, ‘Speak 5 lines to YOURSELF every morning- I am the best,
I can do it, God is always with us .I am a winner and today is my day’.
This has been a great motivation for the students to do their best.
The students enthusiastically involved themselves in creating a virtual
rally online, holding the quotes said by Dr. Kalam. It was indeed a day
to remember the great leader and visionary. The Young Paulite’s join
the Country in Saluting the People’s President.
After the regular school prayer and the thought, the Hindi sections
from middle school celebrated the Great Authors Birthday.
The Hindi department teachers – Ms. Urusa, Dr. Aarti and Ms.
Anjana spoke to the students about the Author and his
contributions to the growth of the language. This was followed by
presentation by the students on Munshiji. It was a very informative
assembly for the students.
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Come August and it’s time for festivals and celebrations. The
students of grade 1 to 4 were excited as they had planned for
Krishna Janmashtami celebrations online. Many students dressed
up as Lord Krishna and girls as Radha. They spoke about the
celebration in their houses. The class teacher showed a video on
the life history of Lord Krishna and his naughty acts as a little boy.
A few students also narrated passages from Bhagvath Gita. It was
a colourful assembly.
On this day teachers and students remembered the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi as one of the
greatest men in the history of India. They were made aware of how he
gave shape and character to India's freedom struggle. He sacrificed his
own life for the sake of his country. The respect that he earned for
himself despite leading a simple lifestyle is much appreciable.
Students discussed how Mahatma Gandhi played a pivotal role in the
freedom struggle of India. His nonviolent ways and peaceful methods
were the foundation for gaining independence from the British. Gandhi
took his time to grow and develop his techniques to ensure that his
actions made an impact. The students acknowledged that how the cry
of complete independence was raised and after much sacrifices and
efforts, India gained its independence on the 15th August, 1947
because of the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi.
Celebrating festivals is an integral part of learning. Through such
celebrations, students not only learn the significance behind the
festival, but they also learn to embrace other traditions and culture
just like they do with their own. Celebrations bring the school
community together building a close bond between the children.
Keeping up to this tradition, the festival of Dussehra was celebrated
virtually by our primary children today. Children came dressed in
ethnic clothes and showcased their talents by performing online.
Students also enjoyed the drawing competition for which the theme
was “Dusherra Celebration”. Teachers also shared some valuable
information about the festival thus enhancing their learning.
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1st May 2020 Teacher what is your Future?- By Dr. Giri Balasubramanyam
5th May 2020 Strategies for engaging children by- Dr. Kala Mohan
9th May 2020 Security for Educators – Mr.Sai Sushanth (Cyber Law Expert )
8th May 2020 E- Learning in times of Global Pandemic- by Goyal Brothers
Prakashan
Dr. Asher .R. Jesudoss-presenter / Workshop moderator- Divya
Anand.
14th May 2020 Importance of Learning Environment for Students /Speaker - Dr.
Kamala Mukunda
16th May 2020 The power of questioning – Dr. Bala Subramanian( former director
CBSE
6th June 2020
Future schools – Over Coming the challenge beyond
Host- Gitanjali Gandhiok (Assistant vice president –development
Ashoka University)
21st June 2020 Right to learn/ Organised by- TWEET STORM
23rd June 2020 Tea with Teachers: Organised by- COAE- INTERNATIONAL
5th September 2020
Webinar by SHIV KHERA -Organised By-Kriti Groups
Cope with Current Crisis/ Prepare for success and win/ Motivate
yourself and others.
12th September 2020 What works best in Science Teaching?
Organised by- sir John Holman Past-(President of Royal Society of
Chemistry) in collaboration with IISER- (Indian Institute of Science
and educational Research).
26th September 2020 Webinar on Making an Impact with Online Teaching.
Organised by- Dell Aarambh. Ms. Madiha Ahmed
(Virtual Mentor at US based Mc Ferrin centre for entrepreneurship
at UK based global thinkers Forum, at Canada based skills for
change, Expert at German based DO school).
It’s hard to believe but we have finished our first semester with this new mode of teaching and learning.
Our students have been working hard at home to try their best in this “new normal”. We are excited that
Second Semester has started and we look to have a safe and successful season. Nothing is more
important than the health and safety of our students, staff and families. We pray for the safety and good
health for all our students and their families. When we work together we can ensure the safety of
everyone in our school community.
We appreciate your flexibility and support as always!
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!