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Momentum!The Proclamation Day Special!We are pleased to bring you the second issue of Footprints for
the year. July and August have been busy months here at
DRSIS, packed to the brim with events and competitions. This
issue is an attempt to capture the essence of this energy that
has been embodied by each one of our students in these
weeks.
This energy was perhaps most palpable on our Proclamation
Day, which coincided with our celebrations of the nation
completing 70 years of Independence. This day was a true
celebration of our students' untiring energy, their achievements
and accomplishments, a testament to the fact that they excel in
any field of learning they aspire to. This issue is dedicated to
the spirit of these young achievers.
The DRSMUN2K17 also makes the headlines in this issue. The
sheer scale of participation, and the scope of discussion
witnessed at the MUN was unprecedented and extraordinarily
productive. Many delegates walked away from the conference
with renewed confidence and a deeper interest in world issues
and this issue chronicles some of their experiences. This issue
also covers the main highlights from across the spectrum of
activities in the school. We hope this infectious energy
translates off the pages, and on to our readers.
Happy Reading!
Taking on the
World!Page-2
Taking The
Lead!Page-5
Notes from
the FieldPage-9
Off to a Great
Start!Page-10
Footprints
- The Editorial Team
Festive Fun!Page 8
Proclamation Day Special July - August 2017-18
Dancing our
way to Fitness!Page 16
What’s Inside
Page-6
A Day of Pride!
Faculty Development
Programme
AStepAhead!
Our school firmly believes in
life-long learning and
collaborating with other
schools. One of our school
librarians, Ms Geetalatha and
Ms Ankitha Bhandari, our
PYP ICT facilitator attended
workshops in Aga Khan
Academy on integrating the
use of the Library and ICT,
respectively.
While the workshop on
librarianship focus on how to
nurture reading skills through
the attributes of the IB
Learner Profile, the ICT
workshop focused on skill-
development and the
integration of the use of
apps, as well as the SAMR
model for the subject.
With our facilitators honing
their expertise, our students
certainly have a lot of new
learning experiences to look
forward to!
Page 02
DRSIS Footprints
DRS International School
hosted its 5th Model
United Nations
Conference, the
DRSMUN2K17 from the
4th to the 6th of August,
2017, at the school's
campus. A highly
anticipated event in the
student community of
Hyderabad, the conference
saw nearly 400
participants from across
30 schools in attendance.
The school has associated
previously with the United
Nations Information
Center for India & Bhutan
(UNIC) to make the
conference as realistic a
simulation as possible of
actual proceedings. The
three-day student-event
began with a meaningful
opening ceremony that
was a call to action, that
urged students to make
the choice to be active
peace-makers.
The eight committees and
panels at the conference
had agenda that ranged
from current global
concerns such as
Information Security, the
situation in the Middle-
East, to the rights of
humanitarian workers in
conflict areas. The
committees saw intense
and stimulating
discussions over the three
days that gave students
hands-on experience of
discussing, caucusing,
drafting, deliberating and
voting on resolutions.
TakingontheWorld!
DRSMUN2K17 drew to a close on the evening of
the 6th with a bang! Day Three of the conference
was an exciting one, with seven of the eight
committees coming to consensus about their
resolutions.
With DRSMUN2K17 grabbing the limelight in MUN
circles this year, the school's MUN next year
promises to be bigger and better!
Page 03
“The committees saw
intense and
stimulating
discussions over the
three days that gave
students hands-on
experience of
discussing, caucusing,
drafting, deliberating
and voting on
resolutions...”
IB PYP Coffee Morning
Alotcanhappenovercoffee!The Coffee Morning held by the PYP Wing
was an excellent opportunity for parents to
come along and join their children on their
learning adventures! Students presented
what they explored throughout the inquiry
through displays, role plays, puppet shows,
PPTs and shared group activities that added
zing to the day. The UOIs presented, ranged
on themes such as 'Homes', 'Rights and
Responsiblities', 'Human Body', 'Tribes' etc.
A rubric helped parents assess their children.
They also shared their personal experiences
and gave feedback to the students. The
concept of Coffee Morning was appreciated
by students and their proud parents alike!
Anti-Addiction Drive
WalktheTalkThey say prevention is better than cure! As
part of its ongoing preventive 'Anti-Addiction'
Drive, DRSIS organized a guest lecture by Dr.
Harish Reddy from Sahara Mind Clinic as
well as an informative Poster Display to
create awareness about types of addictions,
their effects and coping strategies…
The interactive talk shed light on the process
of becoming an addict and the importance of
staying vigilant and firm against peer
pressure and gateway drugs.
The anti-addiction drive was a success with
students pledging to create further
awareness in their own circles!
Page 04
DRSIS Footprints
Investiture Ceremony
TakingTheLead!The Investiture Ceremony saw newly appointed members of the student-council
pledge to serve the school and make a difference with their leadership. The ceremony
began on an auspicious note with an invocation dance and a prayer song. Mr A K
Agarwal, Mr S K Agarwal, Mr Sai Shekhar (IPS), Mr Venkatesh (SI), Mr Satyanarayana,
several other dignitaries and members of the parent community graced the occasion.
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The solemn occasion saw the chief guest and the guests of
honour felicitate the student council members and award
them their badges, after which they were administered the
oath 'There are many eyes upon meʼ.
Subsequently, the chief guest congratulated the student
council and encouraged them to develop their leadership
abilities.
The event concluded with a symbolically meaningful
plantation ceremony in which all the guests planted saplings
to bless the school and the students.
The day's message of how leadership isn't necessarily about
a role or a title, but the ability to lead work towards a goal,
truly encouraged the entire student body to grow as leaders.
Page 05
“The chief guest and the
guests of honour felicitated
the student council members
and award them their
badges...”
Independence Day & Proclamation Day
ADayofPride! On 15 August 2017, DRSIS celebrated Independence day and Proclamation Day
together with a spirit befitting the occasion. Various patriotic performances, poems,
pratigyas, the distribution of awards and the unfurling of the tri-color made the day
special.
Our students set the tone for the program with the recital of the patriotic classics such
as 'Ye Tiranga', 'Janani Janma Bhoomi' etc. which described the valour of our freedom
fighters and also paid homage to the efforts of the numerous freedom fighters of India.
The welcome address imbued the day with new meaning by urging the students to
take 'reconnect' and take stock of their values, ethics and legacy.
The highlight of the program was the cultural extravaganza by our students to show
devotion towards the nation, in which the students performed for several patriotic
songs that set the stage on fire. The patriotic song and dance performances received
much-deserved applause from the audience present.
As part of the Proclamation Day celebrations, students from across the school were
honoured and felicitated for their excellence in various fields. From their extraordinary
proficiency in english, to their genius at math and their achievements in sports or in
character, the Proclamation Day was a true celebration of the best qualities our
students possess. Students made their parents and teachers equally proud through
their achievements, with many students bagging multiple awards and recognitions.
Our CMD, Sri Dayanand Agarwal congratulated the awardees and encouraged the
gathering to value the freedom we have secured after the sacrifices and follow in their
footsteps with humility.
Page 06
DRSIS Footprints
Scholastic Book Fair 2017
CelebratingBooks!DRSIS celebrated 'Book Week' from the 24th to the
30th of July in a big way! The travelling Scholastic
Book Fair, in partnership with our school offered
our students a reading experience like no other!
The book exhibition catered to every genre and
taste imaginable, with ʻYoung Adult Fictionʼ and
ʻFantasyʼ books drawing crowds. A cosy reading
corner was the perfect nook for our readers.
Character visits, quizzes, colouring competitions,
classroom challenges and even a lucky draw, made
the book fair an exciting one for our little
bookworms!
Multi-University Visit @ DRSIS
TheFutureBeckons! The 'Student-Assist Teams' from multiple
American Universities, such as Emerson, Utah
State, Iowa and De Paul, conducted a career
counselling session for the secondary students at
DRS International School on 2nd August, 2017.The
counsellors spoke about the adaptations of non-
traditional courses and professions, how students
can pursue higher education and be mindful while
making decisions related to further education.
The counsellors spoke about the merits of
American Higher Education and helped students
understand the need to follow their passion and
dream and how they can choose the right path for
their career. The session concluded with an
interaction between university's representatives
and our students.
Page 07
“The talk helped
students understand the
need to follow their
passion and dreams...”
Raksha Bandhan Celebrations
CelebratingSiblings!Here at DRS International School, we
understand that the bond between
brothers and sisters are not only between
those related by blood.
To celebrate this special bond, the
Residential Wing celebrated
Rakshabandhan Day by organizing a
rakhee-making event, followed by our
students exchanging rakhees, sweets
and promises of protection.
Janmashtami Celebrations
FestiveFun!The International
Kindergarten celebrated
Janmashtami and
Independence Day with
gusto! The tiny-tots of the
IK, came dressed in as
'Krishna' and 'Gopikas'
and other colorful outfits
wearing peacock
feathered head-gear and
flaunting decorated flutes.
They celebrated both the
occasions through song
and dance. The IK-1 and
IK-2 students danced for
the songs of “Kanha
Makan Chor” and “Pyara
Kanhaya” respectively,
whereas, the IK-2 children
wore tri-color outfits and
danced adorably to the
tune of “Jai Ho” song as a
tribute to Independence
Day.
Later, a “Matki Phod”
event was also organized
to mark the naughty
nature of “Little Krishna”
and the children
thoroughly enjoyed the
experience.
Page 08
DRSIS Footprints
Plantation Drive under Haritha Haram
PlantingAwareness!As part of the third phase of the state-wide
programme 'Haritha Haram', our school had a
plantation drive of its own in a bid to go more
'green'. The event saw the dignitaries interact with
our students to gauge their awareness of
environmental causes and educate them further
about the urgency of the need to collectively build
our green cover. The guests also appreciated the
school's green campus and suggested the school,
in partnership with the Mandal, adopt the
approach roads in the locality and work on local
afforestation needs.
The gathering took a collective 'Haritha Haram'
pledge in which each individual present promised
to do their best to contribute to the green cover by
taking the initiative to not just plant but also to
nurture saplings. The students were gifted
saplings to help begin making their pledge a
reality. Not letting the rain dampen their spirits,
the gathering then proceeded to the grounds,
where the first saplings were symbolically planted
by the dignitaries and students together.
Page 09
Our CIE & CBSE students of Grade VI went on a field-trip to the Nehru Zoological Park to explore how animals are classified according
to their eating habits! The sheer variety of animals fascinated the students to no end!
Into the Wild!
Our students of Grades VII & VIII ventured out to the Golconda Fort for a field trip into
the past! They enjoyed exploring the architecture, science & purpose behind the
rich history of the fort…
Time-travellers!
The students of Grade 1 visited the Fire Station as part of the field trip for the Inquiry on Community Helpers. The
little inquirers learned about extinguishers, reflective jackets and safety helmets!
Fire Away!
The Grade IX students of DRSIS, visited the Masqati Dairy Farm, Hyderabad and had a hands-on experience of exploring how dairy
foods & products are farmed, processed, packed and preserved!
Dairy Diaries
Notes from the Field
Inter-House Holy Verse Recitation Competition
NourishingTheSpirit!
IBDP Parent Orientation
OfftoaGreatStart!
The IB PYP students from Grades I to V actively
participated in the Inter-House Holy Verse Recitation
Competition held recently.
The verses recited were from a diverse selection from the
Bhagvad Gita, the Quran, the Bible, Guru Granth Sahib
and other scriptures. The shlokas were recited in Sanskrit,
Hindi, Arabic and Telugu, showcasing the multilingual
abilities of our students. The students recited the holy
verses eloquently and with due reverence for their
meaning. The judges judged the participants on the basis
of their confidence, expression, memorization, voice and
clarity. The event encouraged our students to tap deep
into their spiritual sides!
The IB Diploma Programme community of facilitators and
students welcomed the new batch of DP students and
their parents to the Orientation session held to introduce
them to the programme structure, course specific
requirements and criteria.
The Orientation was an informative event with a lot of
light shed on the nuances of the subject areas and
assessment policies.
The event was also a bonding experience for all involved,
especially with the current DP students sharing their
experiences and learning journeys!
The event clarified many questions from the new students
and parents, and helped dispel many misconceptions and
assuage many fears about the rigor of the course and its
expectations.
A great start to the year ahead, indeed!
Page 10
DRSIS Footprints
On the Spot Art Competition
ArtMeetsSpontaneity!Our students of the Secondary Wing had a great time
creating art at the 'On the Spot' Art Competition held
to put their creativity to the test. Working with a dry
medium of their choice, such as colour pencils,
crayons, and sketch pens, the students were inspired
deeply by the themes assigned to them.
Students of Grades VI to VIII were given the theme
'Childhood' while the seniors were asked to create art
that captured the essence of the 'Monsoon'. Stills and
free-hand sketches were the most popular forms the
students chose. The event was a truly creative one
and inspired many beautiful works of art that are now
on display for all to see!
Page 11
IC3
ShapingFutures!Ms Aarfa Abbani, our Career Counsellor and Dr Muradia, our Principal,
attended the International Career & College Counseling Conference
(IC3) on the 29th, 30th and 31st of August. The conference was a
confluence of 167 university delegates and nearly 352 high school
delegates including counselors, teachers, and school principals.
The conference included panels on study abroad options and
eligibility, applications review processes, holistic development, the
rising prospects of Liberal Arts and so on, besides University & High
School Exhibits. Ms Abbani was also recognized as one of the top
three nominees amongst all the applications for the 'Emerging
Counselor Award' at the Awards Ceremony that concluded the
conference. Without doubt, this stimulating conference is sure to take
our Career Counselling programme to the next level!
The following sessions headlined the conference:
Ÿ Using Big Data and Technology in the College Applications Journey
Ÿ A Paperless College Admissions Journey
Ÿ Start a school based Guidance Curriculum
Ÿ Understanding Holistic Education and working towards an 'Intelligent' Curriculum
Ÿ Cracking the Code: Holistic review in selective college admissions
ICTRC Regional Summit
GettingtotheHeartofLearningAs part of our commitment to training our educators
to equip our students to face the challenges of 21st
century learning, Ms Abha and Ms Anuradha from our
school attended the Institute of Counsellor Training
Research and Consultancy's Regional Summit on
Guidance and Counselling based Education.
Creative & Critical Thinking Workshop
CultureShock!Is it possible to really completely understand a culture different from one's own? To explore
this question, our Grade IX students chose props of their choice to enact a tribal ritual
assigned to them with specified prompts, while the other group of students were tasked
with understanding and reporting the event.
The lively discussion that followed saw our students ponder over questions such as 'How
would aliens perceive our morning assembly at school as a ritual?' and came to the
conclusion that 'developed' or 'westernized' cultures had their own rituals and artefacts as
well, although our familiarity with them makes them seem self-evident.
The sessions focused on differentiating Counselling and Guidance, as well as strategies to
ensure they are effectively understood and implemented in schools accordingly. The summit
was helpful in clarifying the powerful roles guidance and counselling can play in empowering
and supporting students through choices and challenges.
World Population Day
WhenEachPersonCounts…The World Population Day was observed by the special assembly
held in the Secondary Wing. The assembly was well-researched,
with a poster-display and presentation that explored awareness of
population issues, and that of the causes of over-population in
India in particular. The assembly talked at length how family
planning, gender equality and ensuring maternal health was crucial
in maintaining a stable and healthy population.
The Interactive Quiz that followed got everyone thinking about
World Population facts. With guesses and approximations, the quiz
was open to the entire assembly to participate in. The assembly was informative and saw a good turn-out of
participating speakers and students.
Page 12
DRSIS Footprints
Achievements in Sports
ExcellenceinMotionDRSIS students have always excelled at sports and athletics. Hearty congratulations to the
following students who have made us proud with their sporting achievements in inter-school
events, tournaments and championships in July and August:
Ÿ Satvik Bommerla and Ojaswin Alla found
their mark at the Inter-School Premier
League Archery Championship held at DPS
Nacharam with a gold and bronze,
respectively
Ÿ Aditya Reddy was a smashing success at
both the ASPIRE Open Tennis Tournament
and T.S.T.A. State Ranking Tournament,
Hyderabad, with a gold and bronze
respectively.
Ÿ S.R.K.G. Achut, Tarun Rakshit and Reeshab K.
proved themselves at the 63rd SGF under-19
event with a gold medal each at the district
level, ensuring a win for the team.
Ÿ Sanjay Goud and Tanush Amaram bagged
gold, Swachit Amaram and Kamya Tanwar
secured silver while Karthik Raj Guptha, Rhea
Bogarapu and Swahika Amaram won bronze
at the National level Karate Championship
2017, held in Hyderabad on the 13th of
August.
Ÿ Tanush and Karthik also won gold and silver
respectively at the 63rd SGF Karate District
championship, besides winning a gold each
at the State Inter School Karate
Championship along with Rhea and Sanjay.
Swachith and Kamya won silver at the same
championship while Adithya Bogarapu won
bronze. Karate kids indeed!
Ÿ Sathvik Reddy made waves at the 63rd SGF
Skating District Championship in the under-
19 category by walking away with 3 gold
medals!
Ÿ Our cricketers have also had a busy couple of
months. While our school team qualified uptil
the quarter-finals of the Inter-school DPS
Cricket tournament at Nacharam, Aryan Jaju,
Siddharth Jain, Raghav Lohia and Nihal
Parupalli made it to the SGF Zonals in the
under -14 category and were selected for the
Dundigal Zone. Sambhav Jain, Akhil V., Harsh
Patel and H. Rithwik shone in the under-17
category and were selected for the Medchal
District. Meanwhile, Shanmukh reached the
3rd round of HCA A Division (two-day
matches). H. Rithwik has also been selected
to attend the Gary Kirsten Cricket Camp at
South Africa in October.
BUZZER BEATERS!
A team of students from our school, was
selected to participate in 'Junior NBA', the
world's largest basketball clinic at the
Yousufguda Stadium on the 28th of July. The
challenging clinic was conducted by the
legendary NBA Champion Kevin Durant of
Golden State Warriors. Our lucky students
were part of the world record set!
Page 13
Opinion
Fidget Spinners: Stress Buster or Health Buster?From Scooby Strings to Loom Bands, there is always a craze sweeping schools and
playgrounds across the globe and 2017 is no different. This is the year of the Fidget
spinner. And like all crazes, this one is getting slightly out of hand; they are being used
in every place possible, kids are begging their parents to get one for them, and schools
have resorted to banning them.
Fidget toys are meant to help kids with ADHD and kids who can't sit still and help
them maintain concentration. But are fidget spinners really doing that? The main issue
is that there is a fundamental difference between Fidget spinners and the traditional
fidget toys. Fidget spinners require hand/eye co-ordination and can be used in
different ways. As children explore new tricks, they no longer become about fidgeting -
they required actual engagement and concentration. Suddenly, the focus is only on the
toy and not what is happening around.
We live in an increasingly digital age. Children are over stimulated; living in a world
where everything moves, everything makes noise and everything lights up.
Concentration spans are becoming noticeably shorter and a toy that focuses the mind
and allows children to concentrate is widely welcomed. However, the real issue here
becomes about how, where and when the toy is used.
- Park Jinryeol
Grade IX E
Page 14
DRSIS Footprints
Inter-House Debate Competition
ABattleofWords!Our school held an inter-house debate competition for the
senior students on the 16th of August. Two students from
each house were selected to be either for or against the
motion ʻCensorship in Indian Cinema is justfied. in Grades IX-
XII while students of VI-VIII debated the motion ʻMen and
Women should be paid equal wagesʼ.
With eight students in all in each category, the competition
was a battlefield with words acting as bullets. The audience
was immersed into the debate as some of the school's best
speakers displayed their talent.
It was quite interesting to see censorship being debated upon
as many Indians across the nation continue to protest on the
censorship of various means of entertainment. The wage gap
debate also touched on many salient points. With each
speaker drawing the audience in using relevant points and
information, it is easy to say that the speakers had taken the
time to research the topic thoroughly and were eager to win
for their respective houses.
The debate was an exciting way for the houses to interact
and compete against each other! This is definitely not the last
inter-house competition and all the students are very eager to
participate in more competitions.
- Rhea Bogarapu
Grade IX E
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Page 15
"The competition was a
battlefield with words
acting as bullets...”
Zumba Dance
DancingourwaytoFitness!
As part of a new initiative
in the Residential Wing,
our hostel students
enjoyed a workout of a
very different kind in a
Zumba dance class held
for them!
Part of the Zumba Dance
Fitness Programme at
DRS, the session with Ms
Anukriti saw our kids
begin with warm-ups
including step-touch and
basic arm movements that
encouraged lower and
upper body co-ordination.
They then powered
through some High
Intensity Merengue, paced
with Medium Intensity
African rhythms,
alternated by High
Intensity Reggaeton and
some power-packed
Bollywood rhythms.
The session saw our
students understand how
they can infuse music and
energy into their workout
routines while not
compromising on rigour!
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Color of the Month
ASprinkleofYellow!Our kindergartners wowed onlookers with some 'yellow'
themed performances & rhymes on Yellow Day. IK 3
danced smartly to the ʻYellow songʼ, while IK 2 and 1
followed with the 'Yellow Bumblebee' and 'Sunflower
Song'. Creative take-aways like 'Yellow' Giraffe puppets
& hand-print clowns ensured that our students took
home a bit of the day with them!
DRSIS Footprints
