Our Schools

Shanthi Sivaram / July 28, 2020 Posted by : editor

“Kathy! Have you finished your homework? You have a math test tomorrow, remember?” Mom called out from downstairs.

“Seriously! That’s gross! Do you know, I heard that Lydia and Jamie are no longer friends because Karen dared Lydia to throw food on Jamie, and that made Jamie really mad, and you know how mad she can get!” Kathy laughed, her phone practically glued to her ear.

“Kathy? Kathy! Kathy!” Mom yelled, annoyed at her daughter’s casual attitude towards her studies.

“I have a ton of homework to slog through, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kathy moaned, looking at the opened books scattered across her bed. She ended her phone call and picked up a random book. “An integer number line has positive numbers on the right and negative on the left. Fascinating.” Kathy uttered sarcastically.

The next day, Kathy ran to school and all the way to Candace, her best friend.

“Oh my god, I have so much to tell you!” Kathy squealed.

“Me too!” Candace replied excitedly, jumping up and down.

“Alright, me first. When I went to put the trash out, I saw our Bio teacher walking his dog. And do you know, that dog tried to bite me.  How could he tell me to learn some manners, when his own dog doesn’t have any!” Kathy said dramatically.

“Really? Well, that’s just terrible. But do you know, I saw Riley Gains step in a puddle of mud and then–” Candace stopped talking.

“What? What did Riley do? Why did you stop?” Kathy queried.

“Do you see that girl?” Candace pointed to a sixth-grader with wavy brown hair, a striped t-shirt, a blue skirt, and red sneakers. She was holding a pile of books in her arm, looking nervous.

“Yeah. So?” Shrugged Kathy.

“Her name is Grace. I heard that she is really good at all subjects, especially subjects like math and bio. All the teachers seem to admire her, even the strictest teacher in the whole school, Mr. Adams. Today’s her third day at school, and the whole school already wants to be her friend!” Candace whispered.

“She is? Well, I’m not going to let that nerd take my spot as the coolest kid in school.” Kathy smirked.

“What are you going to do?” Candace inquired.

“I have my own ways of teaching people lessons. I’m going to teach that geek not to steal my position in the school.” Kathy declared, walking away.

During lunch hour, Kathy went up to Cynthia, a seventh-grader.

“Cynthina, I have to tell you something. Today we had a quiz in Geography, and you will not believe what I saw. I saw Grace, a so-called genius cheating! She had this special device that she kept whispering things too. I moved a bit closer to her, and I saw her asking that gadget everything on the quiz sheet, and it was giving her the answers!” Kathy gossiped.

“What! I better tell Lisa. She was going to sit with Grace at lunch today!” Cynthia jumped from her seat and ran to Lisa. Kathy followed her discreetly. She saw Cynthia murmur something to Lisa. Lisa gasped and ran to Roger, and whispered something to him, and then Roger went to another stranger and told him that, who told another, who told another and another…

“Ha! Who’ll want to hang out with her now.” Kathy snickered, watching Kelly Anderson telling someone much taller than her something quietly. Kathy snuck up behind her and nearly fainted when she saw who Kelly was telling Grace’s secret to. Mrs. Jones, the Principal.

“What! Who told you that?” Said Mrs. Jones in her raspy voice, wagging her bony finger towards Kelly.

“James told me,” Kelly said.

“Michelle said that to me.” James retorted.

“Kyle said that to me.” Michelle frowned.

“Roger told me.” Kyle folded his arms.

“Lisa told me.” Roger pointed to Lisa.

“Cynthia informed me about that.” Lisa shrugged.

“Uh-oh,” muttered Kathy, her heart beating like a bongo drum.

“Kathy told me that Grace cheated during the quiz,” Cynthia said, looking around.
“Where is she?” Asked Mrs. Jones.

Kathy slowly came out of her hiding place.

“And who told you, Kathy Sanders?” Mrs. Jones asked.

Kathy sighed. “I made it up,” she admitted.

Everyone gasped. Kathy then had to go to Grace and apologize to her. After that, she had to stay at school for two extra hours and study. But that’s not important. What’s important was that Kathy realized gossip mongers never accomplished anything. She put in a lot of effort and finally aced her math quiz!

By

Prisheta Ravi Murugan

Grade 6, Ekya Byrathi

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Shanthi Sivaram / March 26, 2024

The Hot Garlic Soup Inspired by ‘The Last Leaf’ by O. Henry

Sue and Johnsy, two young artists, shared a small flat on the third storey of an old house.
Johnsy fell ill in November. She was diagnosed with pneumonia. She would lie in her bed, gazing out of the window. Sue sent for the doctor. The doctor said to Sue, “Johnsy’s condition is not so serious yet. It seems she is unable to recover because she has lost the will to live.”
Sue became extremely worried for Johnsy’s well-being and mental health. She tried to make Johnsy interested in the things around her, but Johnsy never replied with more than a noncommittal hum.
One day, Sue was painting when she heard Johnsy counting backwards. Sue looked out of the window and saw an old ivy creeper climbing on the brick wall. The ivy was shedding its leaves in the strong gust of the wind.
“They are falling faster now,” whispered Johnsy. “Three days ago there were so many leaves. Only five are left now.”
“It is autumn,” said Sue, “and the leaves will fall.”
“When the last leaf falls, I will die” said Johnsy with finality. “I have felt this for the last three days.”
“Oh, that’s nonsense,” replied Sue. “Why do you believe your fate is tied to those old ivy leaves?”
“Human life is fleeting, just like those ivy leaves,” said Johnsy. “I got sick just as the ivy started shedding its leaves. It must be an omen. The last leaf will fall, and I will slip into slumber forever.”
Sue sat on Johnsy’s bed, kissed her and said, “You are not going to die. Plenty of people fall sick in autumn, and they recover soon enough. Do you want some soup?”
“I don’t want any soup. My time is almost up, I’m sure of it,” murmured Johnsy.
Sue decided to change tactics. She was not going to give up on Johnsy.
“It is true that human life is somewhat fleeting, but that’s exactly what makes life valuable. Do you not want to see what life has to offer before you slip into slumber? Will you not miss the cool breeze waking you up, the warm embrace of sunlight? Do you want to give up the feeling of the paintbrush gliding over the canvas?” Sue quavered.
“Look beyond the ivy to that tree over there,” Sue continued. “Even that tree is shedding its leaves, but it is also growing new leaves. It is going to live for many more years, just like you.”
Johnsy contemplated for a while. Then, she looked out of the window and smiled.
“Perhaps I will have some hot garlic soup. You made me realise that life is worth living after all.”
Written by Aahana,
from grade 9A

Shanthi Sivaram / March 22, 2024

Importance of Literature in a Classroom.

"Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity" - P.T.Barnum

We as humans are social beings. We can't imagine our lives to be solitary. Literature facilitates us to understand and communicate with one another in society. It helps us explore the world around us and is a medium to express our views and experiences. So it is of vital importance that the students are introduced to literature at a young age.

Literature is necessary for students as it helps them to develop imagination, improves vocabulary and language skills and even enhances creativity. Literature helps them understand the world outside their home and school.

It is disheartening to see that literature is often not put on the same pedestal as other technical subjects like Math or Science. where it shouldn't be the case.

Literature includes different types of texts like stories and fables, myths

and legends, poetry and drama or even informational texts that help them explore other subjects. It prepares students to read and understand the real world.

There are one too many benefits of including literature at a young age. It is like an exercise for the brain, keeping an individual mentally active and stimulated.

Exposure to cultures from different countries brings in a sense of respect and tolerance, a feat possible through literature. It motivates one to appreciate different lives and their ways and also to graciously disagree with something that may not be right. The different characters the students are introduced to become a source of inspiration. They start to imagine themselves in varied situations. they learn different solutions to problems they come across.

More importantly, reading is fun and literature develops an inclination toward reading and makes them self-learners.

It can be concluded that literature is a gateway to nurturing a child’s life skills more than any assignment or task

can ever do.

Written By:

Shruthi Prakash

English Educator - Primary

Ekya Schools BTM Layout

Shanthi Sivaram / March 22, 2024

A Day to Remember: Juniors Bid Goodbye to Seniors with a Spectacular Farewell Party.

As the academic year draws to a close, emotions run high at our beloved school. The time has come for the juniors to express their gratitude, love, and affection for their departing seniors.

And what better way to do this than by throwing an unforgettable farewell party?

The air was buzzing with excitement as the juniors meticulously planned every detail to make it a night that their seniors would cherish forever.

The audio-visual room was transformed into a place of nostalgia and celebration, adorned with decorations to welcome the seniors. Each performance was filled with energy, enthusiasm, and dedication. Each video played, spoke volumes about the memories shared and the bonds formed throughout their academic journey, blanketing the atmosphere with a mix of joy, laughter, and a hint of bittersweet anticipation.

Our seniors were all dressed up to the nines for the occasion with the girls in a blue and white saree and the boys in black suits.

But how did all of this come to be? I am a grade 11 student and let me take you through behind the scenes of this event and how we prepared for this event.

  • Many girls formed a group and decided to dance to “Paint It Red” and “All Is Well”. Everyone’s efforts are to be appreciated as they come up with new steps and formations. Well-coordinated teamwork led to an amazing performance that got everyone cheering.

  • Meanwhile, my batchmate, Lara,  and a few teachers were preparing to sing songs dedicated to the seniors. Lara sang a melodious rendition of “When You Believe” and the teachers sang a medley of songs which got the seniors singing along as well!

  • The boys planned on dancing to the song “Galti Se Mistake” and their performance was full of creativity and humour. The choreography was inspired by the original music video of the song and they worked hard together and taught each other the steps. This performance got everyone giggling and cheering so loud!

  • It did not end with the students, even the teachers chose to step into this grand celebration. They danced on a variety of songs and each song made the seniors hoot louder. Even though they had a very busy schedule they would still take time and dedicate it to the dance practice during after-school hours. Huge kudos for their coordination and effort!

  • Mohana and Arshia came up with a very engaging script which had the attention of the audience. A small game was organised for the students where they had to write something good about one of their batchmates. Everybody put their hands together and made 32 crowns of appreciation for their seniors. A video of the seniors was made including photos and videos of their dearest memories. Last but not least, our teachers also prepared a video message for the seniors bidding farewell and wishing them the best for their future endeavours.

The day finally came. The 10th of February came. It was the day - the day for which we had been preparing for days. The graduation.

The place was set, the background screen was ready, the mic was ready and the sound system was ready. Our seniors came one by one and the auditorium was filled with chatter until the anchors came in and the event started.

After a few minutes, the head boy gave a heartfelt speech, followed by the chit game of affirmations then Lara’s beautiful performance.

The girls donned black kurtis and sunglasses and danced to “Paint It Red”, which got a round of applause. The seniors loved the “Galti Se Mistake” dance by the boys for its creativity and comedic execution and what made it better was the shorts with shirt and tie combination. The dance finale was to the song “All Is Well” which got the audience cheering for the dancers with lots of enthusiasm.

Then a video filled with the memories of the seniors was shown which made most of them emotional. The dance which everybody was eagerly anticipating started - it was our beloved teachers who completely rocked the stage with their amazing performance.

Then a few teachers gave a very emotional message followed by songs dedicated to their students. The event came to an end with video messages by the teachers,  a crowning ceremony and high tea.

In conclusion, the event was successful, and enjoyed by all the students - juniors, seniors and teachers. It wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s contribution and teamwork. It was an emotional roller coaster for everyone and a day which will never be forgotten.

Written By:

Stutee Samantray

(Grade 11, Ekya BTM)

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#HumansOfEkya: My First Experience of the Unprecedented Virtual Classroom Shift

  My first experience of the unprecedented virtual classroom shift was “That’s exciting”.To me, my first instinct was “That’s exciting!” A new experience to dive in as a teacher. My students will be welcomed at my home. They will be with me on my sofa, study table and all those places where we have no disturbance. The second thought which came in my mind was that after the lockdown, now life will be organized! It started with a great feeling of brightness and colors all around when I saw students in colorful clothes on my bright screen. To set the mood of the day we start morning greetings followed by sharing good things(in such a pandemic situation). It made me believe that happiness can be found in small things and it can be found anywhere. Each day students were so excited that my waiting room would be ringing 10 minutes prior to the class. A sense of responsibility was in the air, students at a blink of an eye student learned the technology and tools. I was amazed not to see a noisy class, but a class where students value and respect the speaker and understood the importance of being good listeners They started expressing their thoughts and views through this platform very easily. As the classes progressed I realized that the feedback of the sessions was immediate which helped me to clarify misconceptions from my lessons and plan it smoothly. Suddenly the virtual classes stopped. There was again a sense of shock on both sides of the screen. Again a pause to exploration and routines.No more guests at my home.A lockdown in a lockdown. The happiness of the mornings, finding out good things around and the smiling faces disappeared. I have always learned and read that learning can happen anywhere and in any form. Now I keep reading and seeing updates in a hope that tomorrow it will begin again!  By Jalpa Pandya Mathematics Teacher Ekya School, BTM Layout    

#InsideEkya: Why Saturday’s at Ekya are the best by Avyay Jayanth

Hey friends! I'm writing this blog to share a wonderful experience and one of the best periods or 'fun Saturdays' I have ever had. Surely you all have guessed by now it's the one and only breakfast club. After a week of vigorous learning and finishing assignments everyone is tired and wants to have fun, so if you haven't attended the breakfast club please do try it. We do all kinds of fun and productive activities while eating on every Saturday except the 2nd.  On the first day, we were introduced and were oriented about what and how the club works, and then the real fun began. On the next Saturday, we started playing fun games interacting and Anjana Ma'am made it the best class ever, by cracking jokes, playing games, coming up with many more fun activities and much more. In the next class, we played an awesome game in which ma'am asked us riddles and we, instead of answering them verbally brought the object and showed it in front of the camera. We were all full of energy even at the end of the class and never wanted it to end and the previous class was the best ever. In this game, we had to copy the action done by the previous person and make up your own, following that. Anyway, sorry for making it such a long blog, but seriously you have to try out the breakfast club. By Avyay Jayanth Grade 6C, Ekya JP Nagar

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