‘On the First Day of School’ – Poem by Devika Nair, Ekya School, ITPL

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Ekya / June 03, 2017 Posted by : administrator

First day of school brings out so many emotions; excitement across the faces of teachers welcoming their new students, anticipation as parents gather to see off their children at the school gate, eagerness of the kids to begin their year with fresh set of uniforms and stationery.

Ekya School, ITPL had a fine start to their academic year 2017-2018 with a wonderful assembly address by Miss Devika S Nair from Grade XII A. Below is the excerpt from the same:

‘My name is Devika and I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you. It is indeed very exciting to watch our family grow. To the fresh faces of the year, welcome aboard our jolly ship! We’ve got a journey to make; the more the merrier!

The first day of school can be both exhilarating and daunting, whether you are new to school or otherwise. I would like to share a poem that I penned down that portrays the mind of a student on the first day of school, which I am sure you will relate to,

The holidays have come to a close

We stride mightily through the school’s front doors,

Armed and equipped for the long year ahead

Well masking the turmoil in our head,

The challenge of building the best first impression

The fear in making new friends and connections,

The pain of playing smooth and smart

The need to win the teacher’s heart,

Is all but too much drama and exertion

On a mere child who is lost and filled with apprehension,

But don’t stray too far for love and understanding

For school is home unconditional and caring,

Don’t be afraid to stand out of the crowd

For it’s a celebration of diversity, each colour screaming loud,

Explore your opportunities and unleash your talent

Fight to amass knowledge and prove a valiant combatant,

If ever in doubt, you’ll always find a way out

Through a teacher’s care or a friend’s support,

Well, what are you waiting for? We’ve got a mountain to climb!

We might struggle to the top but the view is worthwhile.

So friends, this journey is the long trek up the mountain. By the grace of God, love from our parents, guidance from our teachers and support from each other, we are sure to reach the summit – our goal and take in the view – our dreams.

The only way to attain success is through hard work and perseverance. We must keep in mind that through the highs and lows of our journey, we must always remember our roots and be thankful for our opportunities

The taste of victory on reaching the summit is much sweeter when shared with ones whose hopes are our dreams, whose support is our strength and whose prayers are our blessings. We should always remain grounded and grateful. That will make our achievements meaningful. No matter how high the tide may be, you will always have us – friends, teachers and parents to help you tow the waves. For we stand together, stronger than ever, united as one.

Together as One’

Ms Devika S Nair, Ekya School, ITPL

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Ekya / May 08, 2024

15 English Language Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Although English is a funny language, it has become a global language. It is one of the highest-speaking languages in the world. And to effectively communicate in English is crucial in today’s time. For students, parents, and professionals alike, speaking English confidently and correctly is a necessary skill. However, speaking in English can be tough, especially for beginners. It takes confidence and knowledge to put sentences together and express your ideas in a language that might not feel comfortable yet. Even as you get better, there are still some common errors in the English language that can sneak into your speech. Most of them aren't a big deal, but sometimes they can cause misunderstandings. As one of the best CBSE Schools in Bangalore, we’ve identified fifteen common English language mistakes and give you tips on how to fix them, so your next conversation can go more smoothly.

Not Speaking Enough

One common mistake is not speaking English enough. Many students feel shy to speak English at first, but speaking is one of the best ways to improve your command over the language. Imagine a cricket player who only watches others play but never picks up a bat themselves. They would never get better. The same goes for English. So, don't be afraid to use your voice. Talk with friends, ask questions to teachers in English, or even practice speaking to yourself. The more you speak, the better you'll get.

Translating from Your Native Language

A common error in the English language many students make is trying to directly translate their thoughts from their native language into English. This is a problem because translations are rarely exact and it takes longer for your brain to do the work. Even if your English is basic, don't worry. Use the expressions and phrases you have learned. Practice using new expressions so they become a part of your regular vocabulary..

Emphasizing The Wrong Syllable

Another tricky English language error is emphasizing the wrong syllable. It's like singing a song out of tune. For example, "import" is pronounced as "im-PORT" not "IM-port." Another one is "address" which is pronounced as "a-DRESS" not "AD-dress." These little changes in emphasis can change the meaning of words and make it hard for others to understand. To improve this, listen carefully to your teachers and make note of how they say the word. The best ICSE schools in Bangalore prioritize proper syllable emphasis in spoken and written English, incorporating it into the grammar lessons. Additionally, you can watch English movies, sitcoms, or cartoons to mimic how they emphasize the syllable.

Pronouncing Sounds That Aren’t There

Pronouncing sounds that aren't there is a common mistake in English. It happens when we add extra sounds to words. For example, saying "aks" instead of "ask". To avoid this, we need to pronounce words correctly and not add any extra or unnecessary sounds.

Overuse of “Will” for Future

This is one of the most common English grammar mistakes. A lot of students rely too much on the word “will” when composing future sentences. While it may seem like the easiest option, using the more versatile structure of "going to + base form" is actually more appropriate in many situations. "Will" is best suited for promises, spontaneous decisions, predictions, and future actions beyond the speaker's control. However, when discussing plans for the future, it is more accurate to use "going to". For instance, instead of saying "Tomorrow I will go to the bank," it is correct to say "Tomorrow I am going to the bank."

Adding Unnecessary Words and Missing Necessary Words

Another common English Grammar mistakes that students often make are adding unnecessary words or leaving out necessary ones. These errors can make sentences sound confusing or change their meaning completely. For example, saying "I am agree with you" is incorrect because the verb "agree" doesn't need the helping verb "am" before it. On the other hand, forgetting a necessary word can also lead to problems. For instance, saying "I looking for a bus to the city center" is incorrect because the word "am" is missing. When talking about something happening right now, we use the Present Continuous tense by adding "am," "is," or "are" before the verb, along with the suffix "-ing." So, a correct version of the sentence would be "I am looking for a bus to the city center." Remember, it's important to use the correct words and structure so that your meaning is clear.

Saying Incorrect Negative Sentences

Students often make mistakes when forming negative sentences. For instance, saying “I no like pizza" instead of "I don't like pizza." In the Present Simple, to create a negative sentence, we need to use "don't" or "doesn't" before the verb. It's also important to remember that after "he," "she," or "it," we should use "doesn't" and remove the "-s" ending from the verb. For example, instead of saying "He's not wanting to go," the correct phrasing is "He doesn't want to go."

Using the Wrong Word Order in Questions

Using the incorrect word order in questions is another common English language mistake. For instance, asking "What you are doing now?" instead of the correct form, "What are you doing now?". Remember word order is crucial in the English language. In questions, following this pattern is necessary: question word (what) + auxiliary verb (are) + subject (you) + verb (doing) + complement, time, place (now). Top schools in Bangalore, like Ekya Schools, emphasize the importance of students asking questions in English and providing corrections when necessary.

Not Using Adverbs

Many beginners don’t use adverbs in their speech. Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They add more details to a sentence and make it more interesting. For example, instead of saying "he ran fast," we can say "he ran quickly." Adverbs help us paint a clearer picture of what is happening. So don't forget to use adverbs in your speech to make it livelier and more descriptive.

Missing Comma in a Compound Sentence

Not using commas or pauses in a sentence while talking or writing can lead to confusion. It becomes difficult to distinguish between different thoughts or ideas, making the overall communication less clear. A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." For example, instead of saying "I went to the store and I bought some apples," we should say "I went to the store, and bought some apples." By using a comma, we can indicate the pause between the two independent clauses. This helps our listeners understand our thoughts and ideas more effectively. So, don't forget to include commas in compound sentences when you're speaking or even writing.

Faulty sentence structure

Faulty sentence structure is a common English language error that arises when a sentence is not properly constructed. This can make the sentence difficult to read and understand. An example of this error is using too many commas, which can make a sentence disjointed and confusing. Another example is failing to use proper subject-verb agreement, which can make a sentence grammatically incorrect. To avoid this error, it's important to practice constructing sentences with clarity and precision.

Lack of pronoun

A common error in English is forgetting to use pronouns. Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. For example, instead of saying "John went to the store," just say "He went to the store." Remember to use pronouns like he, she, it, they, we, etc.

Unnecessary Shift in Verb Tense

It occurs when there is an inconsistent change in verb tense within a sentence, paragraph, or passage. This can confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of the writing. To avoid this error, you should ensure that you maintain a consistent verb tense, making sure that all verbs match in past, present, or future tense.

nnecessary or Missing Apostrophe

An unnecessary or Missing Apostrophe is another common error. For example, "it's" is a contraction of "it is" and should not be used to show possession. Instead, "its" without an apostrophe indicates possession. Missing apostrophes result in incorrect pluralization, such as "apple's" instead of "apples".

Poorly Integrated Quotation

Lastly, poorly Integrated Quotation is a common English grammar mistake. It happens when a quote is not smoothly integrated into a sentence. For example, "She said, 'I like pizza.' instead of 'She said that she likes pizza.' To fix it, we need to integrate the quote correctly into the sentence.

It is okay to make mistakes while learning. However, the key is to learn from those mistakes and continuously improve. Learning English may be challenging, but the rewards it brings are immeasurable. By being mindful of grammar mistakes and actively working to avoid them, you can enhance your fluency and communication skills. So, embrace the learning journey, avoid common English language mistakes, and watch yourself grow more confident and fluent in English. For exceptional mastery over English , consider Ekya Schools, one the best CBSE schools in Bangalore. Call 080-49609096 for more information about admissions.

Ekya / 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.

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.

Ekya / 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.

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.
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.
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.
Not maintaining the hierarchy: Arranging the slides haphazardly
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.

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.

Preparing for Academic Year 2017-2018 #livethelesson

Fresh pair of shoes, tailor-made uniforms, matching lunch box sets and loads of stationery! A lot is talked about a student’s checklist for going back to school. What about the view from the other side of the hill? Would you like to know how we got ready for the start of this academic year?

How we are getting ready for school at Ekya

Setting up classrooms for Monday

Aside the yearly drill of student admissions and orientations, campus renovations and upgrading classrooms with fresh furniture, ordering and bundling books for distribution, we had all our schools prepped to usher in the new season of schooling. At Ekya, it wasn’t just the normal routine of preparation that got us going. Our excitement lay in bringing to the fore, our vision for the new academic year: ‘Live the lesson’. Our aim at Ekya is to create an environment where a child would live the lesson rather than just learn it. Inquiry based learning that is immersive and focuses on not just what to learn but how to learn. Ekya Learning Centre (ELC), our stellar curriculum team, put in over eight months of rigorous research to identify and benchmark practices implemented by global leaders in Education. Keeping in tune with the best educational frameworks and international standards, we were able to craft well-thought lesson plans that are at the core to our comprehensive syllabus. Transcribing this vision to our teachers was achieved by a two week long orientation, led by Mrs Tristha Ramamurthy, Founder & Managing Director, Ekya Schools. Over 300 teachers from across all our schools convened to kick-start their preparation; sharing the same emotion, the sheer excitement of getting back to class and meeting their students. After introducing our new teachers to the Ekya family, we welcomed our faculty members back from their well-deserved summer break.

Ekya teachers looking forward to the new academic year

Our teachers all set for the new academic year

Taking the teachers through the Learning Areas of their respective subjects, the ELC also established lesson plans for the academic year that will be set in motion as soon as the students arrive for their first day when school begins. It was not all talk at the Orientation, as teachers got their hands on few of the industry’s top tools and platforms. With technology seeping into every field of work, Education isn’t an exception. Our teachers caught up with the latest inclusion of tools that make their work paperless, convenient and easily accessible to their students. Tucked in between sessions were the activities that raised the spirit of togetherness and spread smiles across. From showcasing quick reaction time for the True and False game to belting out Bollywood songs across the lively rounds of Anthakshari, our teachers had their share of fun and laughter. To ensure we get our teachers the best start to their year, a few international experts flew in to host interactive sessions on subjects spanning across grades K1 to 4. Exchanging notes with teachers and trainers from the other side of the globe helped bring new perspective to teaching methods and mentoring techniques.

A session on Singapore Math

Throughout the week, our teachers were given the opportunity and space to tinker with the tools of the trade, open up to new concepts, explore and understand what lay ahead while making room to have fun and enjoy their learning experience. Connecting the dots and reflecting on the week that was, our teachers realized that they had in fact lived the lesson themselves. Two weeks of the Orientation was brought to a close with the sincere promise of helping every Ekya child live the lesson. With only two more days left to get back to school, the stage is set! With classrooms, lesson plans and the year planned ahead, our teachers look forward to welcoming their students back. Be it the current crop coming back from their summer holidays or the new ones who are about to start their journey with Ekya. After all, new students equate to more new friends and all of us at Ekya Schools are eager to meet them. Roll on, Academic Year 2017-2018!

The Week That Was – Welcoming July

Our schools bid June goodbye after a week of celebrations, intense competition, fresh start under a new student leadership and a feature to remember. As the festival of Ramadan concluded at the start of the week, pre-schoolers from all our campuses observed the ‘Ramadan Appreciation Week’ across the seven days. Ekya JP Nagar was lucky to host Ms. Sumaya, our kind parent who accepted our invitation to come down and take the pre-primary students through story of Ramadan. Tiny tots from Ekya Kanakapura also joined in on the celebrations by dressing up for the festival while our ITPL students got know more about the holy month thanks to the guest speeches by Ms. Asifa and Mrs. Nida Khan. [caption id="attachment_1878" align="alignnone" width="900"]

Our children learning more about the festival of Ramadan[/caption] Speaking of reasons to celebrate, Ekya students did us proud as their models were featured on the World Industrial Design Day (WIDD) 2017 Exhibition held at Gallery Manora, Bangalore. These models are products of the annual Design Thinking Challenge organized by and for the Ekya community to tackle social relevant problems and answer human centred challenges such as ‘How might we better integrate the elderly into Bangalore’s society?’ and ‘How might we solve the garbage problem in Bangalore to improve the lives of citizens? With designers, artists and the industry’s who’s who attending the exhibit, our children’s work was put in the spotlight, sharing space with the exhibits from Tanishq, Tata Elxsi Id, Srishti Institute of Art, Ezetap and Footsy. [gallery size="large" link="file" ids="1864,1863,1862"] As we celebrate our students' achievements, our Grade 4 student Ashwat Prasanna deserves to be lauded for authoring a book titled “Journey Through Space Time – Unlock the Secrets of Space”. At the age of eight, our young author from Ekya JP Nagar has compiled his thoughts on six different topics in Science – from the explaining the age of the Universe to answering how the Earth was made and why the Sun is so hot. [caption id="attachment_1868" align="aligncenter" width="606"]

Ashwat Prasanna, Grade 4 Ekya JP Nagar with his book[/caption] Over at the Kanakapura Road campus, our tiny tots observed Animal Day – some coming to school dressed as their favourite animals while a few others had their animal toys to accompany them to class. [caption id="attachment_1877" align="aligncenter" width="2048"]

Observing Animal Day at Ekya Kanakapura Road[/caption] Not far away, our pre-schoolers at the BTM campus celebrated ‘Scientist Day’, donning the lab coats of Issac Newton, Albert Einstein, Abdul Kalam, Aryabhatta, and Graham Bell amongst the many eminent personalities in the field. In addition to learning more about their work, our little budding scientists were also audience to several experiments that were demonstrated by some of parents who joined in on the fun. [caption id="attachment_1876" align="aligncenter" width="900"]

Celebrating Scientist Day at Ekya BTM Layout[/caption] As our young students dressed up to mark these special days, our older children at the ITPL campus dressed up for a competitive week. Agni House fielded their best line-up to take on Bhoomi House on the Basketball court as the campus hosted its second match of the Inter-house Basketball Tournament. An intense game from the get-go, Bhoomi house took home the win with a score of 36-26. [caption id="attachment_1872" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]

Basketball Teams (Bhoomi House & Agni House)[/caption] It was not just the game of Basketball that made the week exciting at our ITPL School; Election Day came by as our budding leaders concluded their week long campaigning and the school came together to vote. [caption id="attachment_1871" align="aligncenter" width="3264"]

New wave of Student Leaders at Ekya ITPL[/caption] Elected into the school’s Student Council, our election winners took their oaths and were sworn in as Council members at the Investiture ceremony led by Ms. Sharmila Choudhary, Senior Director of Academics at Ekya. With the week that was, we at Ekya Schools look forward to July and welcome all that lies ahead with this new month.

Find A World Beyond Boundaries

We intend to build progressive K-12 schools that provide technology-rich and immersive learning experiences. Facilitated by passionate educators, we want to prepare our students for a rapidly evolving future.

Ekya ITPL

Ekya JP Nagar

Ekya NICE Road

Ekya Byrathi

Ekya BTM Layout