Index [] - Nov-Dec Volume 8 Issue 4.pdf · Index I have often wondered: ... I , Me, Myself and Art...

VOL. 8 / ISSUE 04

CORE VALUE OF THE MONTH: KNOWLEDGE

3

Index

I have often wondered: How do parents perceive those days on almost every school’s calendar that are marked “Professional Development” or “Teacher In-service?” Students, of course, have these days off, and while I am sure that some parents enjoy the prospect of spending one of these days with their children, for others it may be a disruption to the normal routine. I imagine that at least some of you wonder what it is, exactly, that takes place in school on those days and whether it is valuable enough to justify a day off for students…and those are reasonable questions.

As you all know, one of these days occurred on Friday, November 20, when OIS staged “Teachers Teaching Teachers 2015 (TTT),” a day devoted to providing learning opportunities for both our academic and non-academic staff members. The day was designed as a professional learning conference similar to those run by the regional educational organizations of which OIS is a proud member, namely

the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) and The Association of International Schools in India (TAISI).

In early October, OIS faculty members were asked to volunteer to offer short presentations on a topic of their choice. Few restrictions were imposed, with the goal of getting our teachers to share something within their area of expertise or job role or even something of a more personal interest or talent. Our hope was that at least 30 teachers would agree to present. Imagine, therefore, our surprise and delight when, by the end of the sign-up period, we discovered that our teachers had volunteered to offer over 60 distinctive presentations! (A full list is on the following page.)

In the days leading up to November 20, there was a discernible buzz in the building, helped along by the use of an online scheduling tool called Sched that allowed participants to sign up for sessions (10 – 12 to choose from during each time slot!) and enabled presenters to share resources and communicate with participants.

The day itself was a great success on a number of levels, not least of which was the way it brought colleagues together. Teachers from different divisions had the opportunity to work and learn together, and our non-academic staff was especially eager to attend sessions that would allow them to learn more about how we work with students. We heard the sounds of enthusiastic chatter during breaks and at lunch as staff members shared the interesting things they had learned. The day concluded with activities related to physical fitness and wellness: swimming lessons, yoga, ultimate Frisbee, Gond art, water polo, and rock climbing.

OIS TeacherS are LIfeLOng LearnerS, TOO!

03OIS Teachers are Lifelong Learners, Too!

08Primary School Workshop: “Good Touch, Bad Touch”

09Road Safety

10

Helpful Articles

India of my Dreams - A OIS-UIF Collaboration

15

OIS Reaches for the Stars!

Eyeliner on Fleek? Try Something More Chic!

Art Workshops

Annie

Athletics Department

Mental Health Week at OIS

Mr. Stephen AugeriDeputy Head of School

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Our Very Own Puppet Theatre

12

20

22

24

25

31

Advanced Google Commands and Search Engine Tips

33

35

Students Achievements 37

OIS in the News! 39

Important Announcements 41

Field Day

Celebrations 17

Hour of Code 13

VOL. 8 / ISSUE 04Nov-Dec 2015


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All told, over 300 OIS staff members participated in the day’s activities, and a survey conducted at the close of the day showed that the participants felt it was very valuable. Many commented that it gave them the opportunity to learn about something outside of their immediate area of responsibility, while others mentioned how impressive it was to see our faculty’s depth and breadth of expertise and talent on display. Still others highlighted the power of learning from one’s peers.

Schools sometimes make the mistake of viewing teaching and learning—the two most important activities taking place in any school—as being exclusive to teachers and students, respectively. However, our goal is for OIS to be a true learning community, and that requires that we all take on the role of learner in addition to other roles that we may occupy within the community—teacher, student, support staff, or parent. The benefit of creating learning opportunities for teachers is clear: they become better teachers who are more adept at guiding the learning of our students. Also, there is no better way to demonstrate the importance of being a lifelong learner than for the adults in the building to spend a day focused on their own learning.

We appreciate your support for this day of learning, and we look forward to an encore performance next year!


(cont’d..)


(cont’d..)

Title SpeakersPlay and how it affects emotional development in Kids

Cate Arnquist

Using Plasticine Creatively and Skillfully Holly BlairGreen Screen Fun Alex JohnsoniMovie: Taking it Further Vijay WaghKeeping it All Together Using Blendspace Vijay WaghAugmenting Reality using Aurasma Jalpa Sheth, Twisha PatelMath software -Geogebra Rahidabano PatelCreating Constellations with Circuits & LEDS Alex Johnson, Ashrita PaisDestiny as useful teaching aid Tasnim Shaikh, Anil ManeThe New Britannica Online: Teacher Tools Tasnim Shaikh, Sarah Colwell, Anil ManeAdvanced Google Search Commands Tasnim Shaikh, Sarah Colwell, Anil ManeDrills to Build Swim Strokes Bhavesh Singh, Shrirang Joshi

Learn to swim (Basic) Bhavesh Singh, Shrirang Joshi, Nanna Kaspersen

Water Polo/Basketball Gopal ShelokarModels of Teaching- CAM and ITM Aparna ChatterjeeSchool leadership Neil McWilliamTESMC -Module 3 Gail O’ConnellYoga in the Classroom Lisa WyerYoga Practice Lisa Wyer

Socio-emotional development of a child Pratibha Sharma, Neha Minda, Shreya Pandya

Ultimate Frisbee Matt SippleRock Climbing Shane RussellGames and activities in the Primary language class

Pascal Fuzier

Assessment in PYP Toshi WaghStory telling and sounds Naveen CabralStory telling and sounds Naveen CabralMakerspace Marcel Ideler

Math through Literacy Ketaki Shah, Nalini SrinivasanGond Art Shilpa Karmarkar, Shikha AgrawalOf Cool Shapes, Playing Cards and Some Maths

Manju Upadhyaya, Neha Thakar

Role of the Arts (for Early Years) Shilpa Karmarkar, Shikha Agrawal



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Learning through play Nalini Srinivasan, Anuradha BalachanderArtist and Architect David San JuanThe Odd Ball- Supporting Students with Different Learning Styles

Anindita Mukherjee

Building a Positive Learning Environment David San JuanTransformative Language Hetal PatelLearning Stories II Ingrid IdelerHOP TO IT! Kinesthetic Learning in the Classroom

Deborah Dodd

Responsive Classroom Highlights Melissa HendersonUnderstanding introversion as a personality trait and a learning style

Steve Augeri

Understanding introversion as a personality trait and a learning style

Steve Augeri

Transdisciplinary teaching and learning Sneha Kathpal

Incorporating ‘news’ in classroom curriculum Brinda Anandh, Sudha Rakesh, Megha Bansal

Simplifying Excellence Shirisha KonduryQuick and Easy Formative Assessment Shraddha NayakMindset Ulka AdivrekarI , Me, Myself and Art Neha PanditReading Through Visuals Neha PanditResearch and Citations Ian CornellWhat is TOK? TOK Integration Ian CornellLearning Through Adventure: Gamification and Classcraft

Lukas Gohl

Writing is not just for the English Class Susan Singh, Nandini ShahCollaborative Planning Ketaki Shah, Nalini SrinivasanFormative Feedback for Student Writing Mary Rose BurnsMy kids attend the school where I teach. Neil McWilliamReading and Socratic Seminar Lyle GreerBuilding Trust in Schools Matt SippleAcademic Language Regina Hausch, Vilma FernandesEngaging Middle Schoolers! Priya Ramteke, Susan SinghFreedom to think.. Empower to be! Swati MehtaGroup 4 Science - A Focus on Internal Assessment

Richa Gupta

Social Media for Dummies Puja Srivastava

MENTAL HEALTH WEEk AT OIS


(cont’d..)

Mental Health Week or “Mental Health Awareness Week” was established in 1990 in the United States to educate and increase awareness about mental illness and has spread vastly ever since. Speaking in terms of India, 1 in 5 Indians suffer from mental illness. Hence, during this week, organizations and mental health advocates across the world organize a range of events and promote public education concerning mental well-being.

At OIS, our theme this year was “Be Younique.” In the Secondary School, our peer counselors (Saiba Ahuja, Varanya Kapoor, Anouskha Mathur, Arth Vidyarthi and Simran Jaisinghani) led the assembly by sharing the importance of mental well-being, how mental well-being plays a role in life, and why it and physical well-being are equally important. Students recorded videos and presented a collage of “youniqueness” during the assembly. In collaboration with the Secondary SSP Department and Ms. Pradnya Shetty (Secondary School Counselor), there was a showcase of activities planned around improving one’s self-image and celebrating one’s “youniqueness.”

Our Grade 7 students held an amazing bake sale where students had the chance to decorate their unique cupcake or cookie. At the same time, our Grade 8 students sponsored a photo booth. Around Rs. 6,200 was collected in just one hour from these activities, and all proceeds were donated to a charity foundation that assists people suffering from depression.

In the Primary School, our Counselors, Ms. Renee Babu and Ms. Kruti Goradia, led classroom sessions that encouraged children to focus on who they are as individuals and how celebrating “youniqueness” promotes well-being. Students shared their individuality by designing their personal ‘gems’ and writing descriptors of what makes them who they are (Younique). We hope you got a chance to look at the wonderful collage of gems on the 3rd floor during PTMS in October. We have decorated our Primary School walls these past few weeks to extend the purpose of embracing individuality. This month, your child will be bringing home their decorative gem, making this a great time to celebrate your child’s “youniqueness!”

Ms. Dhanya BhatHead of Student Counseling

& Psychologist



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PrImary SchOOL WOrkShOP: “gOOd TOuch, Bad TOuch”

During the month of November, Primary counselors Ms. Kruti and Ms. Renee worked with all students on a personal safety workshop called “Good Touch, Bad Touch.” The workshop’s purpose was to educate our students on personal safety.

During the session, all students were educated on what is a “bad touch”: any interaction that involves hitting, pinching or showing/ touching of private parts. “Bad touch” is a negative experience that makes one feel uncomfortable and hurt and is very different from a “good touch.” They were also educated on problem-solving strategies they could use if they experienced a “bad touch.”

Additionally, JKG and SKG participated in a follow up activity whereby they created a safe circle. A safe circle is a list of people whom they need to inform if they experience a “bad touch.” After the workshop, Primary students engaged in a written activity followed by a discussion to reinforce personal safety. Your child’s completed safe circle/written activity was sent home with your child. We encourage

all parents to process the safe circle /worksheet with their child.

It has been wonderful to see our students engaged and interactive as they gained more insight into personal safety.

Ms. Dhanya BhatHead of Student Counseling

& Psychologist

rOad SafeTy

Mr. Stephen AugeriDeputy Head of School

It is an unfortunate fact that the streets around OIS are knotted with traffic every day during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. We also have a significant amount of foot traffic, both on the sidewalks and on the streets, as parents and drivers let students off at different points to avoid becoming stuck in the worst of the congestion.

For parents and drivers who negotiate the roads during these times each day, we urge you to please keep in mind a few points:

• Always travel at a reasonable speed: We have received reports of rash driving and will address driver behavior when it becomes a problem.• Reduce noise pollution: Do not use your horn on the streets adjacent to the school; this tends to jangle already sensitive nerves and generally makes our environment unpleasant. If you employ a driver, please make sure he understands this as well.

• Follow directions from the school guards: Our guards are placed to facilitate the flow of traffic and promote safety, so please allow them to do their jobs.• Pick up and drop off in designated areas when possible: Do not bring traffic to a halt to drop off your child in an ill-advised location.• Be respectful of others’ right to the road: This applies to other drivers, but especially to pedestrians. No one should have to feel as if his/her safety is in jeopardy.

We do our best to ensure the safety of families while they are arriving to and departing from school. We continually work with the Mumbai Traffic Police to raise concerns and suggest ways in which traffic could be better managed (speed breakers, zebra strips, etc.). While we are not always successful in our efforts, we will continue to call their attention to the challenges presented by our physical location and the condition of our roads.

Please behave responsibly and respectfully when you are on the road, and remember that we all have a shared responsibility toward ensuring the safety and happiness of our children.



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Advanced Google Commands and Search Engine Tips to Help You Transform Searching to Research

We all use Google, almost every day, to find the information we require in many areas of our lives. Yet, when it comes to doing formal academic research, or even limiting the information overload that can waste so much of our time, we could probably all benefit from practicing advanced Google commands that put us in charge of our searches.

Here at OIS, we encourage students and teachers to go first to one of the many vetted premium websites we offer for academic research purposes: Destiny, Britannica for all grade levels, and, coming in January, JSTOR, the first stop for full-text academic research. There are, however, queries that even the most sophisticated paid online service may fail to answer.

In such instances, we have begun teaching secondary students to try out some of these tricks outlined below. Any .url can be cited in MLA format quite easily using the Research pull-down tool in Google Docs.

We hope that parents, too, can benefit from the use of these commands. They are not intuitive and they require trial and error, along with regular practice, but, when properly applied, these commands can make us the masters of our Internet exploration.

Let’s Get Started:

*To find every variant ending of a word stem, use the asterisk on the 8 key on most keyboards *. This is also called the “wildcard operator.” This works in Google and many other search engines: psych* will give you psyche, psychiatry, psychiatric, psychiatry, psychiatrist, psychology, etc. Note: not necessary for plurals or possessives. You can even use * to find variants of entire words within phrases, for example, “in * we trust.” Try it out and see what you find.

*To find your search term in the website TITLE: intitle:copernicus

*To find your search term in the .URL NAME: inurl:copernicusNote: there are allintitle: and allinurl: commands for multiple search terms, but usually parentheses work better: allintitle:(buddh* ahimsa) will search for buddha, buddhist or buddhism AND ahimsa.

*To limit to a particular domain type: site:.edu OR site:.org OR site:.gov

* To limit to type of file: filetype:pdf OR filetype:mp3 OR filetype:ppt

*To limit to a country (other than US): site:.in OR site:.jp OR site:.de

*To create a yearly date range, use the tilde ~, NOT the hyphen: 2012~2015 (the tilde is shift`, next to the number 1 key)

advanced gOOgLe cOmmandS and Search engIne TIPS

*To give prominence to a particular term in your search: +japan* culture Note: this doesn’t always work in any noticeable way and, since the operation of the + “feature” is opaque, it doesn’t empower the user in the same way that explicit commands do.

*To establish proximity between two terms: near # as in stalin near 5 churchill This will search for all occurrences of both names within five words of each other--hopefully in the same paragraph. Some search engines have a “same paragraph” operator, but Google sites are too randomly structured for such a feature to work consistently. Using the same term repeatedly with the near # command may find more substantive, in-depth sources, a technique I call “recursive searching.” (intitle:jane austen) AND (austen near 8 austen near 10 near austen near 15 austen near 12 austen) site:.edu Note: Google allows only 32 words per search.

*To NOT out (exclude) a term or group of terms, use the hyphen: -wiki* Note: NOT commands should always be placed at the END of your search strategy for logical reasons. NOT operators may apply themselves to everything that follows them. Not sure? Use parentheses or a series of -not commands. Usually only one -not is optimal. Google can’t seem to handle neither/nor very well.

*Exact phrase searches: use double quotes: “peace in our time” Note: Google and other search engines ignore small, common words like articles, prepositions, common adverbs and some conjunctions, often called “stop words”. If these words need to be in your search

term, use an exact phrase: “to kill a mockingbird.”

*Make sure all Boolean operators--in the case of Google, AND and OR, are in ALLCAPS. NOT rather than the hyphen is used as the Boolean negative in some other search engines. Check out the Advanced or Power Search option to see how a particular database handles Boolean logic. *Be mindful of sequence and grouping of terms around Boolean operators. Think like a computer: if the parentheses don’t match or make sense of our question, the search won’t work. Count them to make sure the number of open parentheses (matches the number of closed parentheses). Check the logic as well. This may seem hard at first, but it soon becomes a natural way to address any search engine.intitle:(copernicus AND (pope OR papa* OR “roman catholic*”)) AND (site:.edu OR site:.org) 2013~2015 -wiki*

Once you become proficient with these commands, don’t be surprised if Google asks you to prove that you are human. If your get into a persistent captcha loop, it’s time to take a break. Google can always handle complex queries, especially during peak traffic periods. Have questions? Email me at [email protected] or stop by the 4th floor Library. Happy searching!

advanced gOOgLe cOmmandS and Search engIne TIPS (cont’d..)

Library Research TeamMs. Tasnim SheikhMs. Sarah Colwell

Mr. Anil Mane



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The OIS Annual Field Day celebrations were held during the last week of November on successive days for our Early Years, Primary School, and Secondary School students. After the playing of the Indian national anthem and a short introduction, the games began! Our parents looked on as children rotated through a series of activities and challenges that allowed them to exercise both body and mind. As you can see from the photos below, happiness looks much the same whether it is JKG student negotiating an obstacle course, a 3rd grader pulling the rope in tug-of-war, or an 11th grader running a 3-legged race!

Mr. Alexander Johnson has recorded and edited a small video on the Primary Field Day.

Please click the link below to view all the fun:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7FUGDgx0EI&feature=youtu.be

To view more pictures please check our Flickr Album:https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberoi-school/albums/with/72157661583011996

fIeLd day hOur Of cOde

Week of Hour-Of-Code, 7-13 DecemberThis was a very successful week at Oberoi! Many of our students, teachers (and parents!) were engaged with computer science related activities, under the umbrella of the worldwide “Hour-Of-Code”

The goal? Create opportunities for every student in every school to learn about, and actively practise computer science. Here at OIS, we had Early Years and Primary working a lot with Apps on their iPad devices in homerooms and with their specialists, whereas the Secondary students were coding on their 1:1 laptops, either in their technology classes, or integrated within Math, Science or Humanities subjects.

How did we do? (compared to other schools)Altogether, our students and teachers clocked around 900 hours of

coding, which is also a remarkable improvement compared to last year!

What did our students do mostly?Lower grade students did activities available at studio.code.org and many used the App Tynker on the iPads. Higher grade students were, for example, creating animations with Alice.org, wrote mobile Apps (using snappy.appypie.com, or www.vizwik.com) or tried to create a widget with Wolfram Alpha. Last Friday, we even welcomed parents for two engaging hands-on sessions.

If you want to support your child, or even learn more yourself, Google “hour-of-code” and you will find a wide range of resources. Many companies support the event, and you will find activities for every age range, and every level.

Total Hours Clocked at Friday 8:37 Proud to see the (1 hour!) App working

Mr. Marcel IdelerIT Integrator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7FUGDgx0EI&feature=youtu.be

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oberoi-school/albums/with/72157661583011996

https://code.org/

https://code.org/

studio.code.org

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tynker-coding-for-kids.-visual/id805869467?mt=8

http://www.alice.org/index.php

http://snappy.appypie.com/app/creator-software

https://vizwik.com/

http://developer.wolframalpha.com/widgetbuilder/

VOL. 8 / ISSUE 04


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frOm The earLy yearS

“One of the nice things about puppets is that it’s your own hand in there. You can make it do anything you want it to.” Jim Henson

Stories in picture books are a good way for a child to jump into the world of imagination and make impossible things happen. To boost creativity even further, Team Library geared up to create a space in the Primary Library for a Puppet Theatre facility and program. The Puppet Theatre will give parents, teachers and students the opportunity to explore, present, and have fun-based learning by using and watching different types of puppets. As rightly said by Jim Henson in the quotation above, you can make a puppet do anything because it’s your own hand creating the character.

“I could never be on stage on my own. But puppets can say things that humans can’t say.” Nina Conti

This year, we were fortunate to have Children’s Day fall near Diwali Break, and, accordingly, we planned to inaugurate our Puppet Theatre on 16th November. Ms. Shirin Bagnouli, along with other parents, volunteered to present our first Puppet Show. They created a puppet play based on the story “ The Dragon who Couldn’t Breath Fire,” and boom!!!! we had a blast. It was a scintillating experience to see kids enjoying butterflies, fish and, finally, flowers blown on them by a dragon who ordinarily breathes fire. The children in our audiences were thrilled and shared their experience:

I like Dragon blowing butterflies – Nyra

I like dragon blowing fish. I like fish – Gia

I like witch as she was kind to allow dragon in her house – Kian

Puppet show is Fun – Kian

Yes, it was complete fun: something unusual coming alive, mesmerizing our student audience. It also inspired them to think, to experiment and to make their own puppets as a new way of sharing stories with their friends, parents and teachers. We are eager to encourage EY students to use innovative means to express themselves, and we welcome the participation of parents and teachers in helping students to use puppet performances as a new way to communicate and learn.

Our very OWn PuPPeT TheaTre

Mr. Anil ManeHead of Primary Library



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If you would like to be a part of this endeavor, please feel free to email - [email protected] /[email protected]

Please watch video : 1. Puppet theatre inauguration video 2. Puppet show

Our very OWn PuPPeT TheaTre (cont’d..)

Celebrations, is a part of the Nursery grade’s Unit of Inquiry in which we introduced not only celebrations in India but across the world. Our Nursery children were extremely enthusiastic throughout this unit. They used their thinking skills to reflect upon each and every celebration. They were open minded about certain celebrations that they had not even heard of. At the end of each festivity, they reflected not only upon why and how it was celebrated but the similarities and differences of each as well. Here we are going to talk about just a few:

Our first celebration started with a Baby Shower. The term shower is often assumed to mean that the expectant mother is ‘showered’ with gifts. Nursery was thrilled to see Ms.Vani

expecting her child and called in for a baby shower celebration. Each class decided to surprise the mom-to-be with their creativity. They made a sash, card, balloon bouquets, decorative backdrops and a crown for her. To add to this celebration, there was a surprise performance to welcome Ms.Vani and her soon- to- be baby. Students were completely excited when they had to predict if the mom-to-be would have a boy or a girl. Some students could even make connections as they themselves were expecting a new addition into their family. Nursery was as elated as the mom to be to connect with this celebration along with some fond memories.

Nava’ means Nine and ‘Ratri’ means Night time. Navratri is a very popular Hindu festival, which is celebrated to signify the victory of Godly rightness over the evil. Nursery was fully excited to celebrate this festival. Our Nursery children wore accessories in addition to their regular uniform according to the Navratri colors, each day a different color for all the nine days. They explored more about the Navratri celebration through the exploration table, which was displayed in the Nursery hallway. During the Navratri celebration, the students came dressed up in Indian traditional clothes. They enthusiastically came together

as a grade to perform the traditional Garba and Dandiya dance. The celebration wrapped up on a positive note where students showed respect towards each other and the idea of celebration.

ceLeBraTIOnS

Ms. Seema ParwaniNursery

https://drive.google.com/a/oberoi-is.org/file/d/0B17IlkpHYJ7hQk9URGdOWmJybWc/view

https://drive.google.com/a/oberoi-is.org/file/d/0B17IlkpHYJ7hVU9kVEphRHdFVW8/view



1918

Halloween traditions originated from an ancient Celtic harvest festival. Today’s Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by some Celtic folk customs and beliefs. It is celebrated around the world on 31st of October. For our Nursery children it was celebrated on 30th of October with Halloween activities like attending a costume parade, decorating the Nursery hallway with Halloween art and craft, carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, participating in making a magic potion and other games, playing pranks, visiting other classes for “trick or treating”, reading Halloween stories and singing funny Halloween songs and rhymes. Students were creative with the costume choices and were respecting the choices of costumes of others during the parade.

Diwali being the biggest festival in India, was celebrated with great fervor in Nursery. In order for the children to understand the reason behind the celebration, we had a puppet show of ‘Ramleela’, wherein we were introduced the story of Ram and Sita. Later some classes role-played the story while others

tried their hands on re-telling it in through different means. Going further to know about the elements and symbolic representations of the biggest festival, we engaged students in open-ended art activities and various learning engagements. As this was also a parent-led celebration, all the mothers of the grade volunteered to bring everything together. They decorated the Nursery hallway with diyas, rangoli, flowers and student artwork related to Diwali. They also sent in some delicious Indian sweets as a part of a potluck. Later, some students built on their thinking skills by comparing Diwali to Halloween through a Venn diagram while others showed the

profile of being caring towards animals by promising not to burn crackers.

Thanksgiving is a celebration of gratitude. In this celebration, we asked our children to show gratitude to everyone around them who helps in the smallest of ways. In our learning engagement, we had our children make ‘Thank You’ cards and notes for whomever they wanted they wished to. They were then asked to post it in the Communication box which was placed outside the classroom.

ceLeBraTIOnS(cont’d..)

The children showed great enthusiasm and respect. They were open minded in their thoughts by giving thanks not only to their family but also to the community helpers like the lift didis, security guards, their nannies, painters, carpenters and cooks. They gave specific reasons as to why they were thankful to them. Who would think that our little children pay so much attention to the slightest details and are so sensitive in their thoughts. Their notes brought tears of joy and a big smile to our faces.

The celebration did not just end here. As a Grade, we had a Fruit Feast together. We sat with our class family and ate together in the cafeteria. In this celebration, we greatly reflected and gave thanks with our hearts. By the end of all these celebrations, we are not just a Nursery grade but we have turned into a Nursery family. The celebrations don’t just end here, we are now looking forward the upcoming celebrations: Christmas and New Years. We have shared some great memories together, which brought great smiles and laughter for us to remember for a lifetime.

ceLeBraTIOnS(cont’d..)

Nov-Dec 201520

1. 64 Positive Things to Say to kids

You never know which words of encouragement from you your kids carry with them the rest of their lives. To know more click on the link below:

http://creativewithkids.com/64-encouraging-things-to-say-to-kids/

2. Make Time For Play

To learn more about finding the balance between structured & unstructured play please click on the link below:http://www.cbc.ca/parents/play/view/free-play-in-a-structured-world-how-to-balance-structured-and-unstructured

3. Why I Don’t Push My kids to Read Early

We need to give children lots of open-ended opportunities to learn, and then follow where they take us. Read the article on the link below:

http://www.raisinglifelonglearners.com/why-i-dont-push-my-kids-to-read-early/

heLPfuL arTIcLeS

frOm The SecOndary

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/06/29/can-free-play-prevent-depression-and-anxiety-in-kids/



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Blasting off in a rocket to distant stars and planets, being afloat in zero gravity, and zooming past celestial bodies are some of the things every kid fancies. Astronauts, the heroes of our childhood, do things in space that we cannot even imagine. Everything about the fantastic life of an astronaut, the arduous training they have to go through, and the tough selection process of the world’s leading space organization was demystified by Dr. Donald Thomas, a NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Agency) astronaut, who visited our school on Oct 28 and 30.

When he was 14 years old, Dr. Thomas watched the broadcast of the Apollo 11 moon landing and said, “I want to do that!” From then on, he aspired to become an astronaut.

“I used to be an average student,” said Dr. Thomas. While his brother achieved straight A’s, his report was riddled with B’s

and C’s. What led to his success was his hard work and perseverance. Dr. Thomas worked day in and day out, and his academic progress shot upwards. Eventually, he attained a Ph.D. in Physics and worked in AT&T Bell laboratories. He then applied to NASA to be an astronaut and waited eagerly for the results but found out subsequently that he had been rejected.

Dr. Thomas didn’t give up, though. He built up his CV and applied again. But he was rejected again. He took scuba diving and pilot lessons and applied again. This time he made it to the semi-finals. A week or two later, he received a call saying that NASA was sorry as he had not made it to the next round. Heartbroken though he was, Dr. Thomas tried yet again. This time, he joined the NASA Johnson Space Center as Material Engineer, and the next time he applied for an astronaut’s post, he made it!

With the help of his story, Dr. Thomas made us understand the importance of not giving up. If we work towards our goal and put our hearts into our work, we will always succeed, no matter what.

Dr. Thomas, a veteran of over 1,000 hours in space, showed us some pictures of himself before one of the four missions he has been a part of, as well as told us about freeze-dried space food, the beautiful views of Earth from space, and amazingly, the micro-gravity toilets! He also told us about the importance of teamwork and following the precise instructions given to them by NASA, as small mistakes in space can have great consequences.

OIS reacheS fOr The STarS!

Abhishek RoyGrade 10

After Dr. Thomas’s enlightening and inspiring talk, Mr. Michael Flachbart, the Vice President of Center Operations at US Space and Rocket Centre, introduced the space program in Huntsville and opportunities for aspiring astronauts with astronaut training programs for students. Both Dr. Thomas and Mr. Flachbart inspired us to study space science or consider being an astronaut as a career. The space program in Huntsville offers a variety of activities replicating the activities done in space: around in vacuum conditions, handling emergency situations, operating simulators, etc. Mr. Flachbart, emphasized the importance

of continuous practice and experience to correctly carry out these activities and highly recommended the space camps for aspiring astronauts and those interested in space science.

Dr. Donald Thomas and Mr. Michael Flachbart gave us all an informative and interesting session, encouraging us to reach for the stars and to never give up! We wish to thank them, and also Mr. Davi and Dr. Richa, for giving us this opportunity!

OIS reacheS fOr The STarS! (cont’d..)



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For all of us who grew up thinking that makeup was restricted to making your face look pretty or, in my case, thought make-up was the tool of the devil sent to haunt those with no make-up skills, the Fat Mu make-up session was not only a huge eye-opener, but an intriguing and new look into make-up application.

For many people, make-up is a separate ballgame from hair and clothes. We often use timeless methods like winged eyeliner or a fixed palette of colours recommended to us from a beautician or well-wishing friends. Fat Mu doesn’t restrict itself to colouring within fixed lines, but instead uses the unique approach of being inspired by the things they see around them, something which turned out to be a valuable experience for all of us. We began our foray into make-up artistry by spending ten minutes staring at a Picasso painting and wondering just how we were supposed to turn that into inspiration for make-up ideas. After trying to apply our initial ideas onto a paper

face, most of us were told in no uncertain terms that we were designing clown faces!

In fact, I was told that my idea would look more natural in a circus setting rather than a design used for the face of a John Galliano model. My immediate response was, “So how do I make her stop looking like a clown?” Apparently, the key to avoiding the fashion disaster that was my make-up idea is to view the face as a canvas and then play around with shapes and colours accordingly. After being told to take elements of the Picasso painting into thought while redrawing our ideas, we finally chose the best one from each group and descended onto the model for our trials.

Restricted to make-up cakes and grease, we began by applying moisturizer and then highlighting the darkest part of our canvas – in our case, it was thick black lines drawn in an arbitrary fashion across the face and eyes. Then we began to fill in block colours and develop a gradient base as we worked. The grease was applied on the eyes and lips as well as one part of the check to make certain areas of the face stand out. The final step was the designs on the lips and eyes, done using black supra-colours and some other colours of grease.

The final product was something that I do believe Picasso would have been proud of but gave our model palpitations once she saw her face on the mirror. We then put all the models together and decided whether the model’s make-up looked like Picasso inspired it. We were successful for the most part, and our instructor, Ms. Victoria, was quite impressed with the results we managed to produce in twenty-five minutes.

eyeLIner On fLeek? Try SOmeThIng mOre chIc!

Brinda MehraGrade 10

As someone who can barely apply eyeliner without poking herself in the eye three times, this was a really interesting take on make-up. I think that such an innovative approach towards make-up application is something everybody should experience at least once, in order to set themselves free from the constraints modern make-up tutorials impose. So give the next time you’re dressing up to go somewhere, give up your motto of ‘eyeliner on fleek’ and get inspired by stuff around you. The results may be more fantastic than you think.

eyeLIner On fLeek? Try SOmeThIng mOre chIc! (cont’d..)



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California College of Arts

Recently, the California College of Arts visited our school and interacted with us, the students of Visual Arts, Grade12. One of the most exciting things about our interaction was that not only did she talk to those interested in pursuing art as a career, but also lent out essential tips about our art exhibition that we will be putting up at the end of our course. She talked to us about the importance of technical aspects as well as aesthetic aspects of visual arts and how different parts of the world have different interpretations of what art really is. For example, Architectural structures in India and America have a massive contrast on the ways in which they use design to alleviate structural features. She also explained the importance of how it is crucial to maintain a balance between our ideas and our execution of those ideas. Lastly, she also explained to us how we should put together our portfolio wherein we concentrate on our strongest works rather than trying to make a superficial variety,

however to also simultaneously represent the fact that we can work with various mediums.

T-Shirt Ripping Workshop

The T-shirt Ripping Workshop with Ms. Shital Deliwala was a perfect way to end the day for the OIS faculty. Teachers brought old t-shirts from home. Various techniques were explained to cut the t-shirts in different ways to wear them in unique styles. Some other techniques included making yarn out of the t-shirts and turning that yarn into scarves and necklaces. All-in-all a good recycling project that also inspires creativity.

It was a fabulous experience ! It gave me an opportunity to bring out my creativity side. Thanks a lot for providing such opportunities for teachers as it breaks the monotonous routines and we have so much fun. :)Kudos to Art team! You people are not just creative but I must say....very innovative....Thanks again! -

-Ms. Richa Gupta

The workshop was very very useful! I have learnt how to make a simple t-shirt something fashionable!- -Ms. Carmen Recio

arT WOrkShOPS

Nanki LambaGrade 12

Ms. Shital DeliwalaArt

It was fun and informative.I enjoyed , laughed and workedThanks a lot.- Ms. Jagruti Joshi

Zentangle Art Workshop

The Zentangle workshop was one of the best workshops I have attended at school. Almost everyone in my class loves to doodle and draw what comes to their mind. We were told that there is a small difference between doodling and Zentangle. Zentangle is structured and its patterns are uniformed but doodling is freestyle with no structure. There are many benefits of Zentangle. It helps your concentration, patience, technique and much more. We were guided well and given lots of freedom to choose what we like the best. We all helped each other do the best we could. It was an awesome work shop!

arT WOrkShOPS (cont’d..)

Vianca Sawant Grade 6



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Fondant Workshop for Staff

Theme: Edible Floral Bouquet

Materials Required: Non- Edible: Fondant Modelling Tools, Floral Plungers, Leaf Plungers, Floral Tape, Floral Wires, Rolling Pins, Plastic/Ceramic Pots, Floral Sponge, Wooden skewers/Toothpicks, Green Parchment Paper(for leaves), Nozzles (star, teardrop, etc for flowers)

Edible: Cornstarch, Natural Gel-based Food Colours, Edible Gum Paste (Fondant), Edible Stamens, Buttercream Icing, Cupcakes

Techniques: Basic Fondant Work: With the help of embossing tools, ball

tools, plungers and cutters, delicate fondant flowers were made. Pistils and stamens were also incorporated to give it a natural look.

Buttercream Icing Techniques: With three different types of nozzles, students learn how to make roses, daffodils, lilac, hydrangea.On a plastic pot, a structure was created with green colored paper, floral foam and wooden skewers. Cupcakes were inserted, decorated and presented for display

Outcome: This is really a handy skill-set as it can be used to make a special arrangement during Christmas, birthdays, fondant flowers can be used in accentuate cards, gift boxes and any kind of dessert.

Ms. Ria Bhattacharya


Animation Workshop

The Animation session was interesting because of the different styles and techniques of animation shown to us. It was cool how there were many ways of doing the visuals for the same story.

Here are 3 types of animation: Stop Motion, 2D animation, and 3D animation.

Stop Motion is a technique that is used with static objects. For example: clay models, puppets, etc. The process involves taking multiple pictures of the model being moved a tiny bit at a time, then all images are played quickly to create the movement.

2D Animation is another name for traditional animation, the method has been used since the 1800’s. It is made out of a series of drawings,

each one showing a different pose from the one before it. These are then played in order very quickly (24 frames per second) to produce the illusion of movement.

3D, also known as CGI (Computer generated Imagery), is a type of animation that is made completely on the computer. It has more depth and more detail than 2D animation, therefore it is more realistic.

We enjoyed watching the different clips.

Zoe KothariGrade 7




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Learning from our seniors As our final IBDP Visual Arts deadlines approach, we get more nervous and flustered about our work. Ms. Neha thought that it would be helpful for us to interact and ask our doubts and questions to somebody who had been in our shoes just a few months ago and called our senior, Vridhi Didwania. After listening to Vridhi speak about her experience, all of us realized the extent of work that needed to be done in the next few months. Her tips were quite insightful, and I’m sure that all of us will be relying heavily on them as we form a plan to finish our work and meet all our deadlines. I think that we were all quite shaken up after our talk and realised that we need to start working even harder and help each other more often. The best thing about listening to advice from a senior was that we found strength in the fact that there were students just like us all around the world and

students who had done this before and received amazing results and that’s what I think is a fact that we all find comfort in.

The visit of the ex IB Visual Arts student (Vridhi Didwania) was an eye opener to all of us. Though we had been given proper instructions and guidance by our teacher, we got to hear it from the person who had experienced it all. She told us about the “Dos and Don’ts” to follow in our last three months of this course. Her experiences about her batch’s difficult situations helped us in better planning to avoid those situations for us.

Moreover, it helped me to learn from her batch’s experience and to avoid making mistakes. I also will follow her advice on submission and studio works that gained her and her classmates amazing IB points. This talk with her made me aware of what these next three months will be and how to enjoy the beautiful process of the final exhibition to the fullest.

Smiti ModiGrade 12

Anoushka MehtaGrade 12


IndIa Of my dreamS - a OIS - UIF COllabOratIOn

The Udaan Foundation Project held on Nov 25, 2015 was a successful collaboration and great opportunity for all students.In this project,120 students from OIS (Grade 7) and 74 students from UIF (Grade 7 & 8) drew the India we desired for. Even though we were from different backgrounds, we had similar dreams to make India a better place. Working with them on something creative was an enjoyable experience. We tried to be artsy however some of us failed at doing so but that didn’t matter because we all had fun. We thought that they were really creative, respectful, friendly and open-minded to new ideas. They were really organized as they got in stationary when we didn’t! Overall, it was an amazing exposure!

The Udaan meet was a very memorable experience for all of us, something that we would remember forever. We all were assigned a student from the Udaan foundation. I was so happy to work with the student in my group. I learned so much about her dreams and her passion. She was a very diligent worker and always seemed to learn more. We were given a task to make a drawing on India of your Dreams. The girl whom I was working with instantly came with an idea of how religions are segregated,especially Muslims and Hindus. She wanted her dream India to be full of people living together, staying together and being united. Her thoughts and ideas made me feel how we both share so much in common. While coloring and painting we both shared the things that we like to do in our free time, our hobbies, our likes and dislikes. I came to know that she adored drawing and wanted to grow up and become a doctor. I was so glad to know someone who I had never known before. Once we all were done with drawing we all took a group snapshot of the students of the Udaan Foundation and

the OIS students. We exchanged goodbyes and gave them a little gift of crayons. They were extremely delighted and they all left with huge smiles on their faces.

Sia BaidGrade 7

Ria BaidGrade 7



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The Udaan meet was wonderful, I will remember it forever. When the Udaan students entered the class we were already in pairs. We were then given an Udaan Student to work with. The student I worked with was highly intelligent and hardworking. Her dream was to become a doctor, she wanted to improve life for whoever she could. As our topic was India of your Dreams the girl we were working with instantly came up with the idea of more schools and better living conditions. We all thought of 3 things each and then went on with the drawing. None of us were able to draw the map of India except her. She was extremely talented but only needed more resources. Towards the end, me and Yash from OIS really struggled but she calmly handled everything. Our final drawing looked amazing. I was really astounded to see a girl with so many skills. I really enjoyed this meet and learned a lot of new things. This girl has been an inspiration to me and I will always remember this memorable day. I would love to do this again.

Udaan foundation is a non-profit organization that works with children from low income communities. They believe that every student should have a strong educational foundation to become responsible, compassionate and confident citizens of tomorrow just like some of our core values. As a class, we got to meet Udaan foundation kids and make a beautiful drawing of our India in 10 years. I was confused and thought we had to draw a picture of how we thought India would look in 10 years. I know it sounds the same, but it is totally different. We had to draw a picture of what we WANTED India to look like in 10 years. My group had already started drawing a picture of dirty roads and smoke in the air and when it was time to present, well ours was the only one with brown, black, and yucky green colors. Every group drew beautiful pictures with tall buildings and lush green gardens and well our picture was like India today but 10 times worse. I think you get the picture. Even after all that, I really loved that one hour with them

because we had a great time laughing at MY picture. I thought the Udaan India kids were really positive thinkers and had a wonderful picture of what they want India to be in a decade.

Ruchi GalaGrade 7

Shreya RamanGrade 7

IndIa Of my dreamS - a OIS - UIF COllabOratIOn(cont’d..)

annIe

It is with deep gratitude that I can look back at the fall 2015 production of Annie as the semester comes to a close. What a show (each night!)…and to think it began with just a script. However, the script was not lying around for long once auditions were announced in early August. We had over 100 students audition—a true reflection of OIS encouraging students to pursue their passions, and the hard work and dedication of the past and current performing arts department building a theatre arts culture at the school. Any production is a lot of work, but especially a musical with the added layers of the music, solos, choruses, and dancing. However, the kids stayed the course as the new set pieces evolved and performance spaces shifted, or when decisions were made to add in a verse here or to extend a dance sequence there.

As rehearsals progressed and several mops and buckets or hats and aprons were found, the students managed to make their way to combined choreography rehearsals with Ms. Tiffany Goulet, character rehearsals with Ms. Anne Murray, music/singing rehearsals with Mr. Stephen Curran, and blocking and production rehearsals with me. I would be remiss to not mention the backstage crew who independently designed the lights, managed the props building and gathering, and painted the gorgeous (and humongous) backdrop--all in their respective locations as well. However, aside from the spectacle, the students are what truly make the show. With such a young cast, it was a great opportunity to teach rehearsal procedures, the concepts of ensemble and leadership, and how to make artistic choices when learning a script. Learning did happen at different rates for each student, but at the end of our first dress rehearsal when we were practicing curtain call (how could we not with so many actors on stage!)—all the students cheered. In that moment, they realized what they had accomplished together. It took from August to December, but they made it! However, it wasn’t until after the first night’s performance that students realized what they truly learned for him or herself: the value of an audience, hard work, friendship, awareness for others, trust…and so much more. Grade 6 students walked away making friends in grade 8; other students commented that they never knew a particular person in the cast before the show, and now they are like best friends. This is what I love most about theatre. It is a place for so many. It is a place where all students get to feel capable, connected, and that they are contributing to something that matters. This is why I feel gratitude for our production of Annie—because all our performers are more assured that they are capable, connected, and that their contributions matter today…and ‘Tomorrow’.

Ms. Tiffany GreerDrama



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All the directors of Annie would also like to recognize and thank the following people:

Mr. Jaywant and his security team for all their support; Mr. Deepak and the entire PMS team for their help in building sets, sourcing materials, getting the stage ready, etc; Ms. Gayatri in Purchasing and Mr. Vinayak for sourcing and buying all the odd things we needed; Ms. Priyanka and the rest of the accounts team for managing the sale and distribution of tickets; Mr. Anand and Mr. Shailesh for keeping the mics and sound working throughout; Ms. Puja and the IT team for technical support throughout the show; Ms. Jagruti and Ms. Neha of the ACE team for all their support and expertise throughout pre-production and the show; Sneha and Shiki for photography throughout and Ms. Ria for our website design; Mr. Soumya, Mr. Shayok, and our student musicians Shlok and Punit.

annIe(cont’d..)

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -- Michael Jordan, basketball icon (1984-2003)

Persistence

If success is a journey and not a destination then persistence is the most valuable friend on this journey. It is good to take some time off to celebrate victories from winning tournaments, games, and races or to learn from defeats. But the most important thing is to move ahead.

Continually challenging oneself will bring one face to face with one’s potential. Sometimes waiting for opportunities tests one’s patience, but put that time to use by preparing and training for them as they

always come to those ready for it.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you continually strive to achieve something and it doesn’t work out. It may seem like a struggle but with the help of optimism, which goes hand in hand with persistence, one can achieve one’s goal.

The twin of persistence is optimism, the feeling that everything will turn out in your favour in the end. It provides an athlete the faith when the journey is hard and gives the courage to make difficult adjustments that will keep one on the road.

aThLeTIcS deParTmenT

Mr. Gopal ShelokarDirector of Athletics



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aThLeTIcS deParTmenT (cont’d..)

Date Sport Venue Participation/Achievement

Saturday, 21st Nov.15High School Boys Football @ Ecole Mondial World School (EMWS),

Juhu

EMWS 2nd Place

Saturday, 21st Nov.15High School Girls Basketball @ Ecole Mondial World School

(EMWS), Juhu

EMWS Participation

Saturday, 05th Dec. 15

High School Girls Basketball @ OIS

OIS ParticipationOIS v B.D.Somani International

School (BDSIS), Cuffe Parade

Saturday, 05th Dec. 15High School Boys Football @ OIS

OIS ParticipationOIS v B.D.Somani International School (BDSIS), Cuffe Parade


Middle School Boys Football @ OIS




Middle School Girls Football @ OIS



Saturday, 12th Dec.15

High School Girls Basketball @ OIS

OIS ParticipationOIS v American School of Bombay

(ASB), Bandra-Kurla Complex

Saturday, 12th Dec.15High School Boys Football @ OIS

OIS ParticipationOIS v American School of Bombay (ASB), Bandra-Kurla Complex


Middle School Boys Football @ OIS




Middle School Girls Football @ OIS



STudenT achIevemenTS

OIS girls relay team won silver in 4x50 Medley and 4x50 Free.

Student of Grade 3, Aahana Manglam won 1 gold and 3 bronze in under 9 age category at the GMAAA lower age group swimming competition.

She also won 1 gold and 2 silver in under 9 age category at the YMCA Swim Meet 2015.

Student of Grade 1, Aarav Dengla came first in the under 8 category at the Chess Academys Interschool Chess Tournament 2015.

He also came first in the Maharashtra open fide rated blitz championship 2015 and third in the Maharashtra open fide rapid championship 2015.

Aarav won the trophy in the under 7 category at the Chabildas Rapid Chess Championship

Here is a listing of the events that OIS Athletes took part in during the month of November & December:



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Student of Grade 4, Daksh Patil won Second prize (Silver medal) at the MSSA Mallakhamb competition (Under 10 age group).

STudenT achIevemenTS

Student of Grade 4, Vedika Chandra won 1 gold and 2 bronze in the under 9 age category at the YMCA Swim Meet 2015.She also swam for the school in the under 17 relay team winning a silver medal.

She continued her winning streak by winning 1 gold and 1 bronze in the under 12 age category at the MSSA Swim Meet 2015.She also swam for the school in the under 17 relay team winning 2 bronze medals.

Student of Grade 6, Angath Sadanah won 1 silver and 1 bronze in the under 13 age category at the YMCA Swim Meet 2015.

OIS IN THE NEWS!



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OIS IN THE NEWS!

Online Coverage:

1. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-former-nasa-astronaut-donald-thomas-inspires-students-to-aim-for-the-stars-2139647

2. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/US-astronaut-with-1000-hrs-in-space-inspires-students/articleshow/49573337.cms

3. http://educationinsider.net/detail_news.php?id=2806

4. http://www.ummid.com/news/2015/December/04.12.2015/annie-at-oberoi-international-school.html

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Friday , December 17th to Sunday, January 3rd is Winter break.

• Tuesday, January 26th is a school holiday on account of Republic Day

• Saturday,January 23rd, OIS will host TEDxYouth.

• The DREAM project will take place on Saturday, January 30th.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-former-nasa-astronaut-donald-thomas-inspires-students-to-aim-for-the-stars-2139647

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-former-nasa-astronaut-donald-thomas-inspires-students-to-aim-for-the-stars-2139647

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/US-astronaut-with-1000-hrs-in-space-inspires-students/articleshow/49573337.cms

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/US-astronaut-with-1000-hrs-in-space-inspires-students/articleshow/49573337.cms

http://educationinsider.net/detail_news.php?id=2806

http://www.ummid.com/news/2015/December/04.12.2015/annie-at-oberoi-international-school.html

http://www.ummid.com/news/2015/December/04.12.2015/annie-at-oberoi-international-school.html

R C O SAE

Oberoi International School, Oberoi Garden City, Off Western Express Highway, Goregaon (E), Mumbai - 400 063 | +91 22 42363131/199

CEEB Code: 671665 | UCAS Centre Number: 46207 | IB Code: 003566

Index [] - Nov-Dec Volume 8 Issue 4.pdf · Index I have often wondered: ... I , Me, Myself and Art...

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