School Notes: Investiture ceremony in St Mark’s,Janakpuri

Sonia Luthra,principal of ASN Sr Sec School,Mayur Vihar,was recently conferred with the State Teacher’s Award by chief minister Sheila Dikshit in the presence of Delhi Education Minister Kiran Walia. She was awarded for her achievement in the field of education. As a dynamic principal,she has taken the school to greater heights. Being an efficient,energetic,industrious and a strict disciplinarian,she remains a pillar of strength for all. Her pragmatism and forethought helped in the materialisation of many laudable projects of ASN.

Sneh International School holds exhibition

An Exhibition titled “One World Many Nations” was inaugurated by Chantal Prost,Attache in Embassy of France, in the presence of school director K Jacob,principal Ritu Gupta and members of the staff ,parents and students. The exhibition was an inter-class competition in which students displayed their knowledge and talent by showcasing a vivid display on different countries of the world. The exhibition gave students a platform to learn about various countries and showcase the different cultures and traditions. Chantal Prost while talking to students and parents agreed that the value of “being one” should be taught to children and the message of unity and brotherhood should be spread. She emphasised the oneness of all religions in the oneness of the human spirit and said all expressions of truth,beauty and good are aspects of the same self truth.

Apeejay School marks Literacy Week

Apeejay School,Pitampura,hosted an inter-school on-the-spot poster,slogan and cartoon-making competition on September 7 as part of Literacy Week celebrations of the Delhi Schools’ Literacy Project. After the inaugural welcome song,principal D K Bedi,highlighted the role of youth in spreading awareness about the need for literacy,how it leads to empowerment and can be used as a strong tool for social transformation. He exhorted the students to take the lead in such challenging projects,which help in nation building.

The competition brought forth an extraordinary range of creative work from the participants which was based on the theme “Literacy For Peace”. Students from 21 schools participated in the competition. The competition was judged by Ashish Arora (faculty member,College of Arts), K P Raizada ( former deputy director of education and member of the managing committee,Apeejay Education Society) and Nidhi Puri (Senior Arts teacher,Apeejay School,Pitampura).

Spic Macay organises event at Tagore School

In its efforts to familiarise the youth with the culture and heritage of India,SPIC MACAY organised an enthralling performance by Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt,renowned Mohana Veena player and Grammy-award winner,was organised at Tagore International School,Vasant Vihar. Students of Classes VI to VIII got an opportunity to witness a scintillating performance by the renowned artiste.

The show commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Principal Madhulika Sen. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt was greeted with a huge applause by the students. What made the performance special was the interactive approach which Vishwa Mohan Bhatt adopted throughout the session which generated interest among the students. He interacted with the students by telling them about his own musical background and his creation,the Mohana Veena, a modified guitar which consists of 20 strings. Mohana Veena — a combination of the sitar,the sarod,the veena and the Hawaiian guitar — has given the artiste international recognition. Commencing the performance with Raga ‘Bhairav’ played on the instrument, he not only entertained but also mesmerised the students with his skill. He was accompanied by Pandit Shubh Maharaj,grandson and student of Pt. Kishan Maharaj on the tabla. Throughout his performance,he gave tidbits of information on classical music,with particular emphasis on the “Teen Taal” used in Hindustani music. This enabled the students to not only understand but also thoroughly enjoy the performance. Also,the sound of peacocks and chirping birds in the mountains,recreated using the Mohana Veena captivated one and all. Students interacted with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

Literacy Week celebrations come to an end

Celebrating 24 glorious years of the Delhi Schools’ Literacy Project ,the valedictory function of the Literacy Week celebrations was held on September 15 at Springdales School ,Dhaula Kuan. It marked the end of a week devoted to activities such as recitation,declamation,story writing,street theatre and poster-making. The events were intended as a motivational force for students to spread literacy among the less-privileged.The most innovative and meaningful event held during the week was the learners’ dance competition hosted by Mira Model School,Janakpuri. Springdales School,Dhaula Kuan,came in first in the event.

Principal Dr Jyoti Bose said the Delhi Schools’ Literacy Festival Week was an occasion for all schools to showcase the talent and creativity of the staff and students.

The chief guest on the occasion,P K Tripathi,Chief Secretary,Govt of Delhi, gave away the awards and trophies to prize-winning schools. He lauded the efforts of Delhi schools and their principals and said,“Literacy is a necessary skill to acquire knowledge“. He exhorted the students to be committed towards imparting education along with social awareness to the under-privileged . Greeting the member-principals ,teachers and colleagues of DSLP and congratulating student volunteers,for their efforts in making 6,000 people literate,Rajni Kumar,honarary advisor and founder of DSLP,said the idea behind the festival was to bring the school and community together working collectively towards the goal of an inclusive,integrated and socially just society. The M P Mathrani Trophy for excellence in the literacy week in South East zone went to SPS,DK. In the North West zone,the trophy went to Sachdeva Public School.The S M Arya Memorial Trophy and Henry Selz Trophy for maximum interaction between school and community was given to Laxman Public School,Hauz Khas Enclave and Dev Samaj Modern School,Nehru Nagar. The Laxman Trophy for Best Street Theatre in North West Zone was awarded to Francis De Sales,Janakpuri and Laxman Public School ,Hauz Khas Enclave won the H L Verma Trophy for the Best Street Theatre in South East Zone. Siri Ram Jolly Memorial Trophy instituted for the first time for the Best Group Song went to Springdales School,Dhaula Kuan in the South East Zone and S S Mota Singh Senior Secondary School in the North West Zone.