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Shanthi Sivaram / March 20, 2019 Posted by : editor

We all know about Butterfingers, right? the boy who manages to mess up anything he lays his hands on? But do we know who gave rise to him? It was a brilliant and creative mind of Ms. Khyrunnisa who brought this clumsy yet hilarious boy into our lives. We had the honor to have her pleasant acquaintance in our school.  We had no idea that her talk would make us roar with laughter.

She started off by an amusing quote which was “Lecturers are people who talk in children’s dreams.” On this, not only us but even the teachers started to giggle and laugh. I was impressed and Ms.Khyrunnisa grabbed our attention by her sense of humor that made not only the students but teachers also laugh. She narrated the first of her 4 novels about Butterfingers. The first novel tells us the story of how Amar aka Butterfingers and his group of friends designed a unique game called “Crack It!” as their cricket gear gets swiped. It also reveals the departure of a certain character which was so well written that it even got a boy from 7th grade in tears. She also briefly narrated the story of her second book which goes something like this: ‘The boys of Green Park School are obsessed with football and our dear Butterfingers has a brilliant idea which is to organize a football tournament where each class gets to play as a country. When they were taking suggestions from the boys of the class, Amar’s absent-minded friend, Arjun, suggests that even India should take part in this.’

The author narrated the story of the rest of the books and none of us had any idea how forty minutes just flew by. When the skilled author was asked who was her inspiration, she revealed that it was her whole family. Everyone wanted to know more about her and asked some questions which, she, answered brilliantly. At the end of the session, she signed some books for us. The talk benefitted me as I learned how to add humor in my stories. This was truly a wonderful experience.

– by Mahashree G Das, Grade 6, Ekya School JP Nagar
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Shanthi Sivaram / May 07, 2024

5 Things You Need To Know About The IGCSE

Introduсtion The International General Certifiсate of Seсondary Eduсation (IGCSE) is a globally recognized curriculum and qualifiсation for seсondary school students. First offered in 1988 by Cambridge Assessment International Eduсation, the IGCSE board allows 14-16 year old students across the world to develop skills for further aсademiс рrogression or рrofessional life. Over 5,000 schools in 160 countries offer IGCSE subjeсts sрanning languages, humanities, sсienсes, mathematiсs, and voсational skills. Read on as we exрlore 5 key asрeсts of this globally foсused curriculum framework.

Globally Reсognized Qualifiсation

First and foremost, the IGCSE board is an international qualifiсation that is recognized by universities and сolleges around the world. Unlike state board сurriсulums that focus on sрeсifiс geograрhies, the IGCSE emphasises global relevanсe suited for today’s increasingly borderless world. With aссeрtanсe across Ivy League institutions, Russell Grouр universities, and aсademiс рowerhouses both in North America and Europe, the IGCSE signals readiness for tertiary education abroad. So, for students who are targeting internationally oriented сareers or рlanning their higher education outside their country, IGCSE serves as an ideal foundation. Its globally foсused рedagogy also рreрares students well for multicultural workрlaсes.

Curriсulum  

Central to the IGCSE’s global recognition is its well-rounded curriculum сovering сore subjeсts like maths, science, first and second languages as well as a рlethora of eleсtives sрanning humanities, social sсienсes, teсhniсal voсations and сreative arts. This exрoses students to diverse subjeсts aiding aрtitude identifiсation while keeрing further education and сareer oрtions oрen. Allowing sсhools flexibility to offer any mix of 70 subjeсts encourages individualised subjeсt сombinations tailored to evolving student interests. This is augmented by loсalized teaсhing сontent adaрtation рermitted to ensure relevanсy. Suсh сustomization opportunities make the IGCSE framework agile to institutions’ aсademiс рriorities.

Age Grouр

As an internationally benсhmarked qualifiсation aimed at seсondary education learners, IGCSEs are most suited for students in the 14 to 16 age group sрanning grades 8, 9, and 10 or equivalent national grades. However, enrollment flexibility exists for those falling slightly outside standard age рarameters based on individual capabilities and сirсumstanсes.

Certifiсation

Uрon сomрletion of the IGCSE examinations, students receive individual сertifiсations for each subject they have taken. The number of subjeсts required may vary from sсhool to sсhool, but students have the option to pursue a minimum of five subjeсts and a maximum of 14 subjeсts.

Examination

The IGCSE assessment is сonduсted by Cambridge International Examination (CIE) and involves a сombination of сoursework, oral exams, written exams, and рraсtiсal exams. This сomрrehensive assessment allows students to demonstrate their learning effectively, especially for those whose first language is not English.

IGCSE Core vs IGCSE Extended Oрtions

Many subjeсts рrovide twin oрtions – IGCSE Core and IGCSE Extended сatering to different skill levels within student сohorts. The Extended alternative integrates suррlemental content for advanced learners seeking greater rigour and higher attainment рossibilities. It leads seamlessly into tertiary рathways loсally and abroad. Conversely, the Core oрtion сovers foundation syllabus сontent for students still strengthening their grasр over subjeсts. It рreрares them for further skill-building required to ultimately transit to higher education through graduation сredentials. This built-in flexibility allows сustomization for сomрetenсy varianсes across learners by deрloying an aррroрriately сhallenging сurriсulum version benefitting them. Careful subject selection tailored to individual strengths and interests thus remains key.

Assessments

A robust globally standardised assessment methodology forms the baсkbone of the IGCSE curriculum. Rigorous written examinations test сontent mastery and aррliсation сomрetenсies while рraсtiсal assessments gauge exрerimental skills and deeрer understanding.   Certain subjeсts incorporate oral tests and сoursework рrojeсts demanding research, analysis, and synthesis abilities. Suсh multidimensional assessments aligned to international standards signal to universities that сertifiсate holders рossess well-rounded сomрetenсe. Exams are administered by the Cambridge Assessment International Eduсation (CAIE) division in June and November worldwide, with results deсlared next January and August, respectively. Over 10,000 institutions across 160 countries сonneсt students to these globally benсhmarked IGCSE assessments annually.

Different From Cambridge O-Level

While both the IGCSE and Cambridge O-Level are qualifiсations offered by Cambridge International Examination (CIE), they differ in their curriculum structure and assessment aррroaсh. The IGCSE curriculum offers a broader and more flexible curriculum, сatering to a wider range of students' interests and abilities.

Grading

The grading system for IGCSE exams follows a scale of A* to G, with sрeсifiс сriteria for each grade to indiсate the quality of aсhievement. Students are encouraged to read questions carefully, underline сruсial details, and use сharts and diagrams to enhance their answers for better сomрrehension.

Subjeсts

IGCSE offers approximately 70 subjeсts, inсluding 30 languages, сategorized into five groups: Languages, Humanities, Sсienсes, Mathematiсs, and Creative and Voсational. Students are encouraged to carefully seleсt their subjeсts based on their interests, talents, and strengths. Conсlusion As the IGCSE student community swells across geograрhies, standout рerformers continue enjoying рriority aссess to рremier universities in the US, Canada, and beyond. This signals the relevanсe of integrating this globally foсused curriculum as early рreрaration for tertiary studies internationally, even if initial higher education рlans remain loсal. So, for students and рarents seeking globally validated сredentials beyond home boundaries while keeрing international education рossibilities oрen, Ekya Sсhools, one of the best IGCSE sсhools, рrovides quality education and holistiс develoрment for students, ensuring they thrive aсademiсally and рersonally. Whether you're seeking a сomрrehensive curriculum, robust assessment structure, or the best IGCSE sсhools in Marathahalli, Ekya Schools delivers exсellenсe in education.    

Shanthi Sivaram / May 07, 2024

What Is IGCSE And Is It the Right Choice for My Child?

Every parent wants their child to have the best education, you are no different. However, when finding the right school for your child, you are often presented with a plethora of options. One such option that has grown in popularity in recent years is the IGCSE Schools in Bangalore. It is a globally recognized board and its curriculum is designed to foster holistic growth among students.  As one of the top IGCSE schools in Bangalore, we will explain what IGCSE is and help you decide if IGCSE schools are suitable for your child.

What is IGCSE?

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an internationally recognized board created by the University of Cambridge in England. It caters to 14–16 year olds (usually grades 9-10) and prepares them for further university studies worldwide. IGCSE courses offer a rich curriculum that tailors to individual strengths and nurtures the skills and competencies of students. Here are some of the benefits of IGCSE schools for your child.

Student-Centric Approach

The IGCSE curriculum is student-centric and fosters creativity. Teachers and students contribute equally to the class, making it an enriching experience. Learning is practical, allowing students to understand concepts better through real-life applications. IGCSE schools encourage students to ask questions, share ideas, and learn collaboratively with their peers. This approach nurtures logical and creative thinking skills in students. 

Preparing for the Universities

One of the major advantages of joining IGCSE schools is that the students here are well-prepared for further studies. This is made possible by the extensive knowledge and benefits that come from a globally standardized education. The students are encouraged to become independent thinkers and learners which is crucial for university studies. IGCSE schools focus on understanding and grasping the concepts rather than just memorizing. These are the traits most universities look for in a student. 

A Community Worldwide

The IGCSE program brings together students from all over the world in a global community. Children learn how to be inclusive and empathetic towards different people and cultures. This helps them develop a broad perspective. The program also allows each child to become a part of a diverse and comprehensive global community.

Inquiry-Based Learning

IGCSE courses foster curiosity in students by emphasizing real-life experiences, exploration, and expression. This encourages children to ask questions and research answers, helping them gain a better understanding of their communities and the world around them.

Rigorous Assessments

Top IGCSE schools in Bangalore such as Ekya Schools offer a rich experience for students with thought-provoking assessments. These include a variety of modes such as oral, written, coursework, and practical assessments. These assessments offer questions of different difficulty levels, enabling students to challenge themselves and discover their strengths and weaknesses. By instilling confidence and boosting morale, the IGCSE curriculum empowers students to plan their future educational journeys. 

Choice of Subjects that Cater to Different Abilities

The IGCSE subjects are designed to meet the needs of different students. With over 70 subjects to choose from, including 30 languages, schools can offer a combination that suits each student. Students must select at least 5 subjects, which include: 
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Science
  • Languages
  • Creative, Technical, and Vocational Subjects Students also have a wide range of 30 languages to choose from, including their mother tongue.

Recognized by Universities Across the World

The IGCSE is the most recognized examination qualification across the world. Students with these qualifications are accepted into several countries like the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Many universities acknowledge and accept the IGCSE curriculum as part of their entrance criteria. The IGCSE opens up opportunities for further vocational education and serves as a strong foundation for employment. Students with IGCSE backgrounds have the necessary abilities that employers value in potential employees.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing the best school for your child can be a daunting task considering the number of options today. However, if you think a strong syllabus and robust curriculum are best for your child, IGCSE schools are the way to go. To find the best IGCSE schools near Bannerghatta Road, look no further than Ekya Schools in JP Nagar. Our goal is to give students a well-rounded education that nurtures critical thinking, and creativity along with academic excellence.Join us and allow your child to delve into the stimulating realm of IGCSE subjects, nurturing their personal growth and development along the way.. We're here to shape future leaders with an inclusive and inspiring learning environment.      

Shanthi Sivaram / May 06, 2024

Common Mistakes When Making A Class Presentation

A successful school presentation demands a lot more than just good content. Presentations are more about expressing and explaining things in a creative manner which involves two important parts- the content in an understandable form and its way of presenting it. The second involves speaking skills, presentation skills, voice modulation, and more. Many aspects of class presentation should be taken into consideration. However, there are a few common mistakes that are often committed during its preparation: 

Not Doing Your Research

Whatever topic you choose to present, you need to have a good knowledge about it. Well, that will only come with good research skills. You can do that by getting help from your teacher, the school library, or the Internet. Research not only helps you with better presentation but will also prepare you to answer the questions asked during the question hour.  

Not Making a Proper Introduction

 Whether the presentation is in front of a small group or you are representing your school, a small introduction about yourself along with the topic’s introduction is a must. This not only gives you a great start but also gives the audience an idea of what the presentation is about. To make your introduction a bit more interesting, you can start the presentation with a quote or some statistics to grab attention. 

Lack of preparation for the presentation

Not preparing well before the presentation day may put you in a difficult spot. It is possible that you will present well but you are internally not satisfied with your performance. Well, one of the best ways to prepare is to at least go through the content twice. Practice in front of the mirror or ask your parents to be the audience during the preparations. This way, you will get to know your weak areas and work more on them. You will be fully prepared to capture the attention of the audience with your confidence and speaking skills. 

Confident Body Language

Confidence is the key to a good presentation. It is not something that will develop overnight, we need to work on it. As per a study, poor body language affects your confidence. You need to understand that your language speaks a lot about your personality. With good content and strong body language, confidence reflects automatically. For class presentations, you can practise hand movements and voice modulation. Another important point that should not be ignored is maintaining eye contact with the audience. Before the final presentation day, it is advisable to practice in front of a mirror.

Not Being Engaging

 If you want your audience to understand the presentation well, then keep it engaging. A presentation full of text will make it boring so, to keep a balance between the infographics and text to make it more interesting and engaging. If possible, minutes of video related to your topic. This will keep your audience entertained. Remember whenever on stage  it is your responsibility to keep your audience engaged sensibly without going off-track. 

Inconsistent Slides

 Presenting slides in a good way demands a perfect framework that involves a lot of things and often focusing on one aspect might lead to ignoring others. Here are a few common slide mistakes made during the presentation. 
  1. Overcrowding the slides: It is one of the most common presentation mistakes often committed by students. You need to understand that for presentation “less is more” fits perfectly. Instead of too much text, visuals should be used. Instead of paragraphs, pointers should be used. Using different colours also makes the presentation interesting.
  2. Reading directly from the slides: Reading directly from the slides only projects you as underconfident and unprepared. Although it might seem a little tempting and an easier option, the best is to make small pointers of important topics on which you want to talk.
  3. Complicated data: Data should be presented in a way that the written content becomes more understandable. For this Pie charts or bar graphs in different colours can be used. 
  4. Not maintaining the hierarchy: Arranging the slides haphazardly
  5.  only confuses the students. It will distract them as there will be less clarity regarding the points. 

Going Off-Topic

Many times you might go off-topic to make your point more clear during the presentation. But as a presenter, you need to understand that class presentations and question sessions should be done within a time limit. For this students need to maintain the flow as per the hierarchy and should have an idea about which points need more explanation than the others. This will only come with a few practice sessions before your final day. 

Not being prepared for feedback and questions

 Once you finish your presentation, allow your audience to put their doubts in front of you. This way not only will your audience get a chance to clarify their doubts but you will also learn to tackle difficult questions. Sometimes, if you have no answer or are in doubt about the question, it is ok to accept and consider returning with better research next time.  As a presenter, you need to keep the flow of your presentation in a positive direction and end it on a positive note. It leaves a good impression on the audience. Keeping a way forward slide at the end is a good way to end. You can also present an idea about a drive you want to start in your school related to some global concern. But make sure everything is related to your topic of presentation. Nothing should go off-track.

Conclusion

If you are searching the internet with terms like- the best schools in Bengaluru or ICSE schools in Bangalore, CBSE syllabus schools consider Ekya Schools. We are among the leading schools in Bangalore, offering the best quality education. Our Understanding by Design (UbD) framework curriculum is designed in a way that caters not just to the academic requirements of a student but simultaneously builds the overall personality of the student.  We encourage students to actively participate in co-curricular and other group activities like presentations. This helps in building confidence and developing skills like speaking skills, presentation skills, tackling questions, and more. We have expert faculty that prepares our students for holistic development. At Ekya, different school clubs also help students develop different skills such as music, dance, coding, debating, and more.  Hopefully, the above information will be helpful.      
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Women’s Day Celebrations at Ekya School BTM Layout

The Women's Day celebrations at Ekya School BTM Layout were exuberant. The women staff painted the campus pink as they came dressed for the occasion. An occasion to glorify the strength of the women to work without pause. The expert speakers for the day Ms. Saraswati Ramamoorthy, and Ms. Ashwini encouraged the women at Ekya School BTM Layout with their motivational speeches. Ms.Saraswati, a woman entrepreneur in the field of education owns an education firm named LEARNING MATTERS. She addressed the teachers about the challenges that working women face every day. She appreciated the teachers for nurturing responsible citizens. Ms.Ashwini an advocate by profession, spoke about the rewarding experiences a teacher gets along with her paycheque. The 'women at work', by the end of the day, came together to celebrate their day by relishing various delicacies.     

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Ekya Early Years, JP Nagar – Graduation Day

‘‘Graduation is an exciting time!

It brings in warm memories of the past and great dreams for the future.’’

Montessori senior students celebrated their graduation day programme on 16th March 2019. Dr. Tristha Ramamurthy, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Ekya schools and VP CMR group of institutions graced the occasion and applauded the young enthusiastic learners of pre-primary. With great zeal, she also welcomed the students and their parents. Ms. Ayesha Sirajuddin, Head of Ekya School JP Nagar, congratulated and blessed all the little ones in her motivating address. An exhilarating musical performance was presented by adorable graduating students. They merrily sang their well-rehearsed songs - "It's a beautiful day" and "watch me as I graduate". Students were then conferred with personalized citations as they received the graduation certificates from Dr. Tristha Ramamurthy and Ms. Ayesha Sirajuddin. They looked their best in hat and sash and were thrilled to receive their certificates in the presence of parents and grandparents. Parents were then invited to visit the Quest showcase displayed in all the Montessori classes and corridors showcasing the students’ work in Language, Math, Quest, Visual arts and Performing arts. Some of the new topics like needs and wants pushes and pulls, weather and its effects and needs of living things were the highlights of this year. Children naturally love visual arts and this years’ topics like pop art, abstract art, monochrome painting, designing a coffee mug, optical illusion art, watercolor shading, etc. were the addition to the already existing prodigious content. Students enjoyed working on pop art as it involved working with lots of colors, different patterns, and designs. They also learned new techniques like monochrome painting where they used just 1 color and painted different shades of it. Performing arts was another interesting subject which students enjoyed a lot. Some of the new songs done were the hokey pokey action song, po pow pay dance, walking in the jungle, hold still, icky sticky bubble gum, and yo gabba. Their imagination flew high with new stories like The Gingerbread Man, The Elephant Story, Wolf, and the Seven Goats and Mr. Wiggle and many more. Parents took a keen interest in the exhibits and were mesmerized by the work done by the students and enjoyed watching it.         Also as part of the Service Learning plan, students of Grades 5 to 9 made art, craft and other utility articles. Items like hand painted bags, quilling earrings & hairclips & keychains, book corner & bookmarks, hand painted t-shirts, runner & placemats, vase were put on sale. The proceeds collected will be directed in sponsoring the education of 10 girls, studying at St. Anthony’s School, Banashankari, under the care of the Calvary Chapel Trust.
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