UDGAM MATTERS SEPTEMBER 2016

SEPTEMBER 2016

udgammatters

SometimesI LIKE YOUSometimes

NOT…!

LIFE STORY what an

inspiration!

BESTTEACHERSOF INDIA

Page10, 11

Page17

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2 UDGAM MATTERSSeptember 2016

Science And Technology Page 13

General Knowledge Page 14

Book & Movie Review Page 15

Tell Me About Page 16

Life Story Page 17

Backpacking! A Place To See For Sure Page 18

The Profile of a Modern Teacher Page 19

Radiant Reflections Page 4

Preprimary In Action Page 5

Primary Section Page 6

Middle Section Page 7

Secondary Section Page 8

Sr. Secondary Section Page 9

Tips & Traits Page 3Sometimes I LIKE YOU sometimes NOT…! Page 10-11

Page 12

WHAT’S INSIDE

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

TO TEACHER…WITH LOVE- Mrs. Sagarika Sahana Content Manager

I teach…two simple words that hold meaning that’s too deep to comprehend. Choosing to be a teacher is a life changing decision. Very few professions deal

with people and in this case they deal with children and leave impressions that last a lifetime. At the same time no other profession earns the amount of respect that teaching does.

A teacher once shared with me her best compliment ever. She was wearing a polka dotted dress and a child piped, “Teacher, you look so beautiful today…just like a clown”. To appreciate the value of this compliment we need to understand that a clown is probably the most wonderful creature to a child. Another retort that struck me a sure shot way to save paper is when a teacher asked her student “Where is your homework?” and he replied, “It is still in my pencil.”

A teacher is distinct from any other person and she always stands out in a crowd. I am not sure whether it is the walk, or the look or the straight back and the ability to make even Generals fumble, but you know you are a teacher when-…you start correcting restaurant menus…you sometimes refer to adults as boys and girls…you have the urge to discipline children even outside school…you can eat lunch in two minutes flat…you raise your hand when a question is asked…you get called ‘Mummy’ by your student by mistake…you think of the day in terms of class periods

The list is endless and each and every teacher will have at least one point to add. But these wonderful people are actually quite unaware of their impact and often go through life immersed in their classes and children, quite oblivious of the fact that they are creating tomorrow’s nation.

Read and enjoy Udgam Matters, our special edition for Teachers and do send your feedback [email protected]

Editor : Mrs. Sagarika SahanaStudent coordinator : Mrs. Hitiksha SoniDesigner : Chintan Shastri (Creative Grapes)


IMpROvE WORKplAcE lEARNINg FROM A TO Z

TIpS & TRAITS

Courtesy:learningstream

UDGAM MATTERS

WE CAn’T ConTRol EVERyTHInG

Mrs. Rohini nanda, Teacher, Primary Section

Each one of us is surrounded by issues and concerns. As we look at those

things, it becomes apparent that there are somethings over which we have no real control and others that we can do something about. So it is very important to look at where we focus our time and energy.

Let us try to find the relevance today in our life with one of the strongest personality theories given by great philosopher and thinker Dr. Stephen R. Covey – Circle of concern/ Circle of influence

We can’t control everything that happens to us and those things come under our “Circle of concern” e.g; physical assets of nature, our past deeds, behavioural pattern of others towards us. Circle of influence includes things which are always in our control, things that we are in-charge of. let us elaborate the things that we have power to control. We have complete control over

all the choices that we make day in and day out. We have complete control over ourselves, our mind set, our thinking, our actions,our behaviour. We have complete control over how we respond to everything that happen to us. We have complete control over our attitude we choose for every structured day.

But, “There’s always going to be the circumstances you can’t plan for. There’s always the unexpected relevance and the serendipity. ” There is a tendency for human beings to forget that every human being is fallible, i.e. liable to error and not perfect. The central idea is – we can’t control everything that happens to us but we can control how we respond to what happens to us.

“Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out!”

WE ARE THE CHIlDREnMrs. Preeti naik, Teacher,

Middle School

Anecdotes (Based on real conversation with students)

Student A – “Ma’am, my parents have no time for me. My mother is always busy on WhatsApp and Face book. My Dad comes late and after that he watches sports on TV till late night”.

Student B - “Ma’am I think social media should be banned. When I sit with an iPad

my parents scold me but they themselves are busy on mobiles the entire day.”

Student C – “Ma’am, the last bell is about to ring. Will you play ‘Ham, cheese, burger….’ with me? My mother says she has forgotten it. I will teach you. It’s fun.”

Student D – “Ma’am my head is aching. I slept late as we had gone for a party last night.”

Student E – “Ma’am I am very sleepy. I wake up early for sports practice. In the evening I have my tuition classes. I get very tired.”

Student F - “Ma’am my father tells my brother not to cry like a girl. Why does everyone think that only girls cry?”

Student G – “Ma’am my parents assign all the work to me only, while my younger brother plays with his friends.”

Student H – “Ma’am, my parents tell me when my cousin/friend can score full marks

why can’t I? Ma’am I also work very hard. But my parents still keep on comparing me with others.”

Dear Parents,What do you think matters most to your children? Things which money can buy or priceless things like a tight hug and a gentle smile? All they want is your unconditional love, acceptance and most importantly – QUAlITy TIME. listen to them, their views, their jokes and even their complaints. Don’t bludgeon them under the weight of your expectations. Prepare them for life but don’t rob them of their innocence and childhood knowingly or unknowingly.Remember that the small little things you do will matter the most to them and they are going to remember it for a lifetime. After all, they will not be children forever! Make this phase, in the one way journey of life, worthwhile for them.

RADIANT REFlEcTIONS

4 September 2016

Mrs. Ankita Parikh, Teacher,Senior Secondary

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pREpRIMARY IN AcTION


My WoRlD

oh ! My dear world,your name is Earth.So many countries

live in you.

Can I wonder?Think about you are, That I always asked,

Who discovered you?

I Don’T KnoW, The answer I know!But the question is,

Still in the little mind.Heart says that,

You can find.

I’ll always try and never forget,And you will know when I’ll get. .

navya Ghatta - V B

pRIMARY SEcTION

RAIn, RAIn, RAIn

Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again,

In winter in summer and in spring.Come with joy, fall with happiness and

take away the sorrow,Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.

Rain, Rain, Rain come to relieve the earth’s pain,

Rain, Rain, Rain come to make nature happy,

Rain, Rain, Rain come to bring a smile to the grumpy,

Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.

Rain, Rain Rain don’t go away,Rain, Rain, Rain I hope you will stay.

Rain, Rain, Rain come again and again.

naisha niraj Dave – V A

My TRIP To DISnEy lAnD, USA.

This summer vacation I went to Disney land

with my family. Disney land is in orlando, USA. Disney land has many fun places like Animal K i n g d o m and Magic Kingdom.First, I went to Animal K i n g d o m . It is a very big place. We can go there in a boat or a train. In Animal Kingdom, we saw many wonderful things like African Safari, the lion King show and the Finding nemo Musical show. We

also enjoyed many thrill rides like Mount Everest ride, the River ride and many others.next day, we went to the Magic Kingdom. There we saw Cinderella’s Castle. It was beautiful. I also met all Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy Duck and Pluto. I took pictures with them and took their

autographs.We also saw M i c k e y ’ s night Parade and the light show at Disney land in the night. I had an amazing trip

in Disney land.

Vihaan Shah II D

Aarnav Patel – III EJia Goyal – III E

Dhyana B Shah – III E

Dia Dadlani – III E

Kesha niraj Kinkhabwala – III A

Jainil Shah – III E

Falak Doshi – III E Tanishka nagori – III A

Arpita Gupta – III D

Tarjani Gajjar – V E


FoRGIVEnESS

What do you understand by forgiveness? Is it simply

to forgive and forget? no. When you forgive someone you don’t simply say, “It’s okay” superficially. Forgiveness comes from within. There is one particular anecdote about Sir Isaac newton that is related to forgiveness. Sir Isaac newton was a famous scientist who worked several hours

every day for many years. He wrote down the findings of all his research works on paper. one day, he left those papers on the table and went out for a small walk.

A candle was burning on that table. His pet dog named ‘Diamond’ was lying in that room then. not knowing about the importance of those research papers, he jumped on the table. This pushed the candle over those papers. Within few seconds all those papers were burnt into ashes. When newton

returned back, he was shocked to see

his years of work being destroyed.

newton realized how that accident

had happened. Instead of getting

angry over his dog, newton sat down

and stroked the head of Diamond with

love and care. He forgave the innocent

dog. In five years he completed the

work and invented Calculus. What an

attitude!

yoGAM SonI – VIII G

MIDDlE SEcTION

FREEDoM To ME

We enjoy seeing the

birds flying freely in the beautiful sky

rather than see them in a cage where

they live a pitiable life. ‘Freedom’ - the

word conveys that all the living things

including birds, plants and animals

have the right to live their lives in

their own ways. We have one precious

life so why to waste this precious

opportunity by being captured

under the clutches of someone. Just

think if we humans are made to live

alone in a cage how would we feel?

obviously, we will feel miserable.

Thankfully, we are Indians. Article

19-22 of the Constitution of India tells

us that we have the right of freedom

of education, speech, voting etc. We

should be thankful to the Almighty for

giving an opportunity to live as human

beings and we should try our best to

do good for the society.

SoHAM BHATT – VIII F

GIRlS ARE THE GolD

If only I were a boy,Would my dreams have come true?Why can’t we be treated equally?

Why do boys have all the fun?Why don’t girls get to learn?Why can’t girls be the one?

Is there any problem?I would like to know.

Well, now people have improvedTimes have changed

no gender discrimination,or go to jail!

But some egg-heads,are still on the same path.

For them,All the punishments fail.

We ought to be strong, and won’t follow their trail.

I know this is strange, But we will be different, We will be the change!!

Girls are the gold to be told,not to be sold,

We know we are worth a lot,But ‘For sale’

no WE ARE noT!

nIA SHAH – VIII B

VAlUESWe should always say

what is true,Even when it is hard to doHonesty is always right,

Morning, afternoon and night

Tell the truth in all you sayTrust and friends are built this way.

We should always be politeSpeaking nicely is such a delight,

Say sorry, excuse me and thank youAlso say ‘May I help you?

Be respectful in whatever you sayTrust and friends are built this way.

SRISHTI KAD – VII E

FRIEnDSHIPoh what joy it is!

To have a friend like you,For giving me strength,

The way you do.

For lifting me up,When I’m feeling down,

And putting a smile on my face,When I’m wearing a frown.

Thanks for being there,And helping me grow,

your friendship means a lot to me,This I’d like you to know.

AnoUSHKA MoDI – VI B

UDGAM MATTERS

THE SToRy oF A SAMURAI

on that dark moonless night,

There was a shadow cast. Holding on me sturdy and tight, Waiting for

his moment steadfast.

Extremely trained, brutal and a pro,Polished my blood stained tip

gentle and slow.Then putting me back

into my scabbard,He silently vanished into the dark.

To protect you, comes in the blink

of an eye, He appears from the colourless sky.

Remember him in the darkest times,

He will come as a shield against atrocities and crime.

Don’t think of him as a mean guy,

now it’s time to justify.And if you think it’s a lullaby,

Go to bed, it was the story of a Samurai.

nitant Kothari - IX G

CHIlD lABoURlook at that boy who works at the store,Alas! He is cleaningthe floor.

Why is he working at a tender age?Why is the master in such a rage?Doesn’t he know that he is a child?

That he is still very fragile.A thought comes to the mind,Why cannot we be more kind?

Whether a girl or a boy,Childhood comes only once,While others are free to have fun,Why in this case it’s a curse?Child labour is a crime,

For each work there is age and time,We heartily eat four meals a day,But some have to sleep hungry today.

We should try our level best,To remove this dirt away,Don’t wait for the rest,you start it right away!

nakul Sharma - X G

- Sanya Mendiratta - IX F

SEcONDARY SEcTION

8 September 2016

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SR. SEcONDARY SEcTION

STUDyInG FoR MARKS, ARE yoU?

The only thing we fear the most are marks. It is like technology isn’t ruling our world anymore, marks are. not even one person right now would say yes when asked ‘is failing good?’ yes maybe not. At least not according to what we have been told. I agree failing pulls down your self confidence. But ever thought of how much you learn if you fail once. not only in the aspects of study but also in the other parts of life. you learn to get up, move on and perform even better. But alas that brings down your character, right? I am not saying go fail just because I say so, no. what I am trying to say is that exams aren’t why you should be studying. Marks aren’t why you should be muggings things up. Sure if you score good, you are good. That doesn’t make you learned though.

Exams are methods of the society telling you what you are worth. But are you going to let other tell you how much you are capable of? They say you can enjoy your life as much as you want, if you score good. They say you can have whatever you want, if you get good grades. They say you are a good person, if you are good at studies. oh well, they say a lot. They have nothing to do but say. let me tell you what society will tell you. It increases the possibility to get a ‘good’ job. what your parents might say‘make me proud.your life will be a lot less stressful. If you have a degree and a 10 cgpa, you are probably very smart. MARKS are the key.’ Are only grades making people proud? oh well, then Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Socrates, Malcolm X, Sean carter, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Michael Jeffrey Jordan, Henry Ford, Steven Spielberg were all illiterate then right? I’ll let you know, we all have different abilities and different

strengths. However much your score might be important for your resume, which honestly you need in this society, but what is more important is how you do in life altogether. What if you remember the correct solution only 1 minute after you give the paper? Does that make you dumb? Does that make you dull? no, it doesn’t. learning is the key to a good life. not scoring good or getting educated for the namesake. If you learn, you will score good. now that I can promise you. It is because you’ll know then. you’ll know what you need to know and you’ll know how much more you are worth. Trust me, marks aren’t worth that much your time. They are given way too much importance that they should be given. I am not asking you to stop studying, no. All I am asking from you is to stop studying for marks and start studying for yourself.

Isha Sharma – XI B

ADAPTInG CHAnGES

In life, the only thing which is

constant is change. People tend to resist change as they don’t want to come out of their comfort zone. It depends on person to person how they adapt or react to changes which come to their lives. like animals, human beings too go through very difficult and brainstorming situations in their day to day lives which somewhere or the other affects the life of the person. Adapting changes is one of the most sensitive topics which adolescents go through. I would

like to share one of my experiences on this topic. Previously, I had been studying in Zydus School For Excellence - Godhavi. I had to change my school after my tenth, because my school wasn’t offering those subjects which I wanted to study. I changed my school to Udgam. Coming from Zydus to Udgam was a major transition. Initially, I missed my

friends, teachers and the school. But as time passed by, I learnt to adjust. Udgam is a very well - known school for academics which bought a positive change in me for my field and career. Yes, at first adapting to changes feels impossible and it creates a feeling of distort among adolescents. It depends on us how we view the situations in every angle either positive or negative. Change is the law of nature, which if taken positively will sooner or later help us become better beings. Even Churchill has said “ There is nothing wrong in change if it is in the right direction “.

Aashkaa nair – XI H


While the above line is true for most relationships, for a teacher, students have only ‘likes’.

Our UM team asked the students from Classes 1 to 8 to write a letter to their favourite teachers mentioning their likeable qualities and a few not so likeable ones. The response was overwhelming and the reason this issue is a day late is because our team was literally submerged under a ‘sea of letters’. Words fall short when we try to describe the beautifully written letters and the heart tugging words in them. Some of them stand out because of sheer creativity.

Since we received 1000s of letters, we could include just the punchlines and the rest have either been put up on the softboards near the school entrance or have been distributed to the teachers.

One clear outcome of the project is – TEACHER, YOU ARE LOVED INDEED!

Sometimes I LIKE YOU sometimes NOT…!

You let uschoose our

favourite booksto read.

4) You alwayssmile at me

Even hard topics become easy in your class.

You arebeautiful.

You make concepts clear.

You are always approachable.

UDGAM MATTERS 11September 2016

You helped to improve my Maths

I want to be in your class next year too.

4) You alwayssmile at me

You arevery sweet.

You are loving and caring.

You are very funny.

Your clothesare very stylish.

Your English

is very good.

You speak

softly but we

can hear you.

Your teaching method is simple and easy.

You give us time to copy notes.

Your handwriting is beautiful.

You teach us to be punctual.

You never get angry. You are so

polite to us.

You don’t allow junk food.

You are too strict.

You teach well but SS is boring.

You often come late to class.

You scold for no reason.

From the Counsellors…Mind Full, or Mindful?


The stage was set and the auditorium was full. Parents were flocking in to cheer their 12 year olds as we were getting ready for our dance show. My peers were happy and excited as you would expect them to be but my emotions had a different game. My feet felt cold and I knew I wanted to throw up. But why? Could I not just run away from there?I eventually gave in and performed but this feeling of heaviness did not end even after the show. What made it worse is, Irealized I started feeling the same for every social event whether in school or outside. I felt this fear in all those situations that took me out of my comfort zone- Home. My parents and teachers were really worried for me as it started affecting my health and my school performance. As a result of their continuous worry they resorted to take me to a counsellor who tried to understand my fear and told me that I was just very “anxious”.

Anxiety being an alien word for me then, I grew up with it for many years and realized that only “ I had the power to fight it “.Anxiety is becoming part of our world in the

same way as stress, sadness and happiness. We are all living in automatic pilot mode. We are pre- occupied with our routines at home or at school or at work. We sometimes end up eating without tasting, looking without seeing and talking out of context. Humans are blessed with ability to think about past present and future. But most of us spend lot of time thinking about past events and situations or future outcomes. Fear and anxiety are essential emotional responses but they become a problem when it handicaps our growth and performance.

I was asked, “Vidhi ,have you ever felt a bit down, maybe upset about what someone said to you or perhaps anxious about exams in a few days’ time? Possibly you‘ve found your thoughts running out of control or you worry a fair bit.” This got me thinking and may be this time in the right direction.

Mindfulness may help in all these situations. So what does it mean to be mindful? As a child I was occasionally told, ―”Mind your manners.” This I think meant that I should

be aware of what I was doing and how it was affecting other people – usually adults! That‘s not a bad start, mindfulness certainly is about paying attention. Paying attention to what is happening right now, right before our eyes ... and ears and noses and other senses, including our internal ones. What pains and tensions are there in my body, how am I feeling right now, am I aware of what I am thinking or am I on automatic, daydreaming, or perhaps going over and over a difficult encounter?

Mindfulness activities can be as varied as your imagination- take the time to have ‘mindful moments’ whenever possible. Some suggestions:• One minute of mindful eating during dinner • A mindful walk around the house • A mindful moment while driving • Mindfully brushing your teeth • Mindful gardening/cooking/craft • Mindful patting/grooming of a pet • Mindfully throwing a ball/dancing/moving. Even a few seconds of really being ‘in the moment’ is a good start.

“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end

today, it’s already tomorrow in Australia.”“Whatever you are doing, ask yourself what is the state of mind ? ”

Dalai lamaCharles Schulz


SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY

nasa’s Mission To SampleA Killer Asteroid launches In SeptemberGET READy FoR oSIRIS-REX

nASA’s oSIRIS-REx mission is visiting an asteroid and bringing us back a souvenir. The spacecraft will travel 1.2 billion miles to 101955 Bennu, where it will collect rocks and pebbles off the asteroid’s surface and carry it all back to Earth. The mission is slated for takeoff on September 8, and will return with its special delivery in 2023.

Self-shading windows switch from clear to opaque

new system can rapidly switch glass from transparent to dark, and keep it that way without power

Researchers at MIT have developed a new way of making windows that can switch from transparent to opaque using electrochromic materials. once the glass is switched from clear to dark, or vice versa, the new system requires little to no power to maintain its new state; unlike other materials, it only needs electricity when it’s time to switch back again.

Happy Cows Make Better Milk

Daily infusions with serotonin, a naturally-occurring chemical associated with feelings of happiness, were shown to increase calcium levels in both the blood and milk of dairy cows. The results could lead to a better understanding of how to improve the health of milk-producing cows.

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UDGAM MATTERS14 September 2016

GENERALKNOWLEDGE

BEST TEACHERS OF INDIAThis Teacher’s Day, let’s take a look at some of the legendary teachers or Gurus,

who contributed a lot in the field of education and in shaping India.

1

Aryabhatta was a great Indian mathematician and an astronomer. He discovered arithmetic, algebra, plane trigonometry, spherical trigonometry, fractions, quadratic equations, sums-of-power series and a table of sines. He was an extraordinary teacher and a great scholar, with an immense knowledge.

2Maharishi Valmiki was a great Sanskrit scholar, who composed mythological scriptures like Ramayana and Ramacharita. He is revered as a great saint.

3Ved Vyasa is credited to have written the holy scriptures of Mahabharata and Bhagwad Gita. He is considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He had split the original version of Vedas into four parts: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda.

4

Gautam Buddha was born as Siddharatha in 480 BC near Kapilavastu in Lumbini region of southern Nepal. At the age of 29, he renounced his princely and luxurious life, in the search of freedom from sorrow and lived an ascetic life. He received the title Buddha when he attained nirvana (enlightenment). Buddhism was founded on the basis of his teachings.

5Mahavir was a Jain Tirthankara who gave up worldly riches to attain spirituality. His teachings are the tenets of Jainism and are very relevant even today.

6Chanakya was a great economist, philosopher and a thinker, who taught “Arthshastra” in ancient India. ‘Chanakya Niti’ is known all across the world. He was a professor in Taxila University. He is revered as a great scholar and a diplomat, not only in India but in the West too.

7Shankaracharya wiped away superstitious religious practices which were rampant during his time. He had a unique skill to retain whatever he used to read even once.

8Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan is the teacher on whose birth anniversary Teacher’s Day is celebrated. He served as the first Vice President of India and second President of India. He was the proud recipient of India’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.

9Swami Vivekananda left his influence all over the world. His teachings are an inspiration for the youth of India. He successfully represented India in the US and his Chicago Address is phenomenal. His main purpose of life was to help the downtrodden and poor people.

10Sri Ramakrishna is popularly known as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. His chief disciple Swami Vivekananda formed ‘Ramakrishna Mission’ in his name.

11Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a great saint, who founded the Arya Samaj. He revived vedic ideologies. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Sri Aurobindo called him one of the ‘makers of Modern India’.

12Raja Ram Mohan Roy is known as a great social reformer. He abolished evil social practices like Sati and raised his voice against dowry system. In 1828, he founded the Brahmo Samaj.

13

RabindraNath Tagore is India’s first Nobel Prize laureate and he established Santiniketan school (abode of peace) now known as Visva-Bharati University. He focused on Gurukul system by imbibing his students with the value of spirituality and he also inculcated outside knowledge in his students. He composed the National Anthem.

14Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was India’s “Missile Man” and the former President of India. His wish was to be remembered as a good teacher. Even after assuming the post of India’s 11th president, Dr Kalam used to take time for his penchant of teaching.

15 All Teachers!

Aryabhatta

Ved Vyasa

Mahavir

Shankaracharya

Swami Vivekananda

Gautam Buddha

Chanakya

Dr Radhakrishnan

Sri Ramakrishna

Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Rabindra Nath Tagore

Maharishi Valmiki

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

BOOK& MOVIE REVIEW

UDGAM MATTERS15 September 2016

Roald Dahl’s books are a delight to read and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the best for children ever written. It has deep lessons for life amidst occurrences that keep us wondering until the end about the conclusion. A brief synopsis will definitely urge you to read the book.

Charlie Bucket and his family are poor. And honest. And likeable. And in the time-honoured tradition of poor/honest/likeable folks, Charlie goes through the usual pangs of hunger, desperation and out-of-reach cravings before he finally

hits pay-dirt (read: chocolate). There is also a candy maker - Mr.Willy Wonka. Mr.Wonka is an eccentric genius who owns the greatest chocolate factory in the world. But fear of rivals and spies has made him keep the factory hidden from public-eye. Then one fine day, Mr.Wonka holds a contest where five Golden Tickets are hidden under the wrappers of his candy bars. Whoever finds them will win: a daylong tour of the factory and a lifetime’s supply of Wonka treats! After several nearly-there moments, Charlie Bucket wins the fifth ticket. And thus begins the madcap tour.

12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China where he faces cultural differences. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a

little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease.

With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches

and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

Relevant for all, children and adults alike, this movie is a must watch for its humour, challenges and excellent maneuvers.

This movie was first made in 2004 and remade in 2010because of its powerful message.

A challenge he never expected… a teacher he never imagined.

THE KARATE KID (2010)

BOOK

MOVIE

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory-ROAlD DAHl

10 FACTS ABOUT CHINA


Fact 1:China is the world’s most populous country, with over 1.38 billion people, and the second-largest country by land area.

Fact 3:China is the world’s largest exporter and second-largest importer of goods.

Fact 7:The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake in China was the deadliest earthquake on record with 830,000 deaths.

Fact 9:China invented ice cream, and Marco Polo is rumored to have taken the recipe (along with the recipe for noodles) back with him to Europe.

Fact 5:In China, over 35 million people still live in caves.

Fact 2:China has the world’s largest standing army and second-largest defense budget.

Fact 6:

All pandas in the world are on

loan from China. Giant Pandas date back two to three million years. The early Chinese emperors kept pandas to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters.

Fact 4:The World’s First Paper Money was created in China 1,400 years ago.

Fact 8:The Chinese invented paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.

Fact 10:According to popular legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shennong in 2737 B.C. when a tea leaf fell into his boiling water. The Chinese consider tea to be a necessity of life.

LIFE STORY

In 599 BC, a boy was born in the royal family of a state which we now know as Bihar. His

parents, King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala named him Vardhamana. He was a very bright and courageous boy and showed extraordinary skills right from a very early age. He had all the attributes which would make him a good future

king and his parents doted on him.

Though he had all the luxuries of life at his command, he led a very simple life. He left all his worldly possessions after his parents expired and became a monk. He gave up all

pleasures and left his family for the purpose of attaining enlightenment.

For twelve years, he deeply meditated in order to overcome his desires and cravings.

He succeeded in going without food for days together, avoided clothes and never harmed

another living creature even if it was an insect. once while meditating, he was bitten by a deadly snake. Since he did not develop

any kind of hatred for the snake and kept meditating, nothing happened to him. After twelve years, he attained divine knowledge

and self-realization. His perception about everything was crystal clear and he paved the way for spiritual pursuit for future monks. The

attainment of this spiritual knowledge was known as keval-jnana.

once he realized this knowledge, he traveled to the remotest places in India preaching whatever he had learnt. All through his

wandering, he was barefoot and refrained from eating too often. His simple living and

high morals attracted believers from all walks of life, which included kings, paupers, priests and untouchables. His teachings were based

on the concept of self-realization for ultimate attainment of Moksha. He taught people how

to gain freedom from misery, pain and the cycle of birth and death.

He was the renowned teacher, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, lord Mahavira.

From riches to rags…in the pursuit to be a teacher


what an inspiration!


BACKPACKING!

KoDAIKAnAl! Beauty Beyond compare…A Place To See For Sure

Kodaikanal is one of Tamil Nadu’s finest hill stations. It is situated 7,200 feet above sea level amongst the

picturesque western ghats of India.

WHAT To SEE?

Pillar Rock site Berijam lake - Perhaps the most pristine of the three

lakes in Kodai. This is a plastic free zone and it is beautiful and serene. The lake lies within a reserved forest region. The route to Berijam lake is more scenic than the lake itself.

Chettiar Park- A beautiful park with many coloured flowers and greenery. An area of reclining back at peace with nature. It is a pretty place for clicking pictures.

Coakers Walk- Offers a beautiful view of the scenic valley below. The afternoon walk is beautiful with clouds overhanging the path.

Bryant park - Its main entrance is on the road surrounding the lake and is a 10-minute walk from the entrance to the boat club. Their flower shows during summer are very famous.

Kodai lake- If you are going in winter, go boating in the evening, as it’s an amazing experience to boat through fog settling on the lake. This is a star shaped lake and walking around it during the night is one of the best walking experiences you can have in your life. There is also option to hire bicycles, tandem bikes, horseriding all around the lake.

Echo Point - If you are on a trek for Dolphin’s nose and still walk further, you finally reach the Echo Point where at the very edge if you scream facing the rising mountains on your right, your voice will echo.

Kurinjiandavar Temple - About 4 km from the lake is a temple whose presiding God is Lord Muruga. The flowers inside the temple bloom once in 12 years. one can get a view of the Palani Hills and the Kodaikanal Town from this temple. Flowers of the Kurinji plant that bloom once every twelve years

Green Valley View/Suicide Point- has a more than 5000 ft steep drop from this point. Renamed Green Valley View, apparently to prevent people from being lured to commit suicide.

Pillar Rocks - huge steep cliffs. Watch out for the cross at the top of the mountain hoisted by an English adventure enthusiast.

Silent Valley View

Devil’s Kitchen - a cave known more to the locals. Watch out for the deep hidden ravines. Many unsuspecting people have fallen prey to the “devil’s trap”. So, watch your step!

Guna Caves - a cave which became very famous after the movie GUnA. Very steep and risky to get in. The public may not be allowed to enter this cave nowadays, though it’s a very good place to take pics.

Pine Forest -It’s on the way to the guna cave. A great view of long, pine trees which were actually planted by the Britishers. you can also buy fresh carrots and plum and local fruits from there.

Silver Cascade - it’s a nice waterfall on the road side from Kodai road to KodaiKanal.

Wax Museum Recently opened wax museum is situated near Green Valley View/Suicide Point.

THInGS To Do

Cycle around the lake - and watch the clouds while they slowly descend onto the water; cycles are available for hire at the lake on an hourly basis.

Boating at the Kodai lake - paddle and row boats are available at the lake. Entrance is via the Kodaikanal Boat Club.

Trekking - Kodai offers several scenic trekking spots, including one which is to walk along the stream which goes to dolphin nose. An easy trek is the Perumalmalai trek which is the tallest mountain that area.

Wander About - Kodai has numerous waterfalls and beautiful views not mentioned in the tourist guides, so wandering about can bring you to some spectacular place.

Horse Riding - Right near the front of the entrance to the boat club, you can rent a horse (with the trainer) to take you around the lake.

Balloon Shooting: outside Green Valley View

HoW To REACH?

The closest airports are Trichy 150km, Madurai 120km and Coimbatore 175km. nearest railway station is Kodai Road

at a distance of 100km.

19 September 2016 UDGAM MATTERS

EXAMS AHEAD! WHAT PARENTS NEED TO DO…A child’s exam is of supreme importance, especially in Indian homes. While as parents we should not

impose too much on the child, we have a major role to play in the days before and during exams.

Here is the NO PANIC way to tackle exams.

n urture with Healthy Meals

o bserve a Calm Atmosphere at Home

P repare Practice Papers

A rrange Study Breaks

n o Focusing on Grades

I nsist on Revision

C reate a Practical Time Table

UDGAM MATTERS SEPTEMBER 2016

Education

Transcript of UDGAM MATTERS SEPTEMBER 2016