Ruan locks – donating hair to cancer patients
Hello everyone! My name is Ruan. I am in 7th grade.
With the world changing almost overnight due to Covid in December 2019, we all knew that physical school had shut in March 2020. Barber shops were shut too. My first haircut during lockdown was funky and styled in layers by none other than my mother at home.
Soon after I wanted to try something different. I wanted to sport long hair like my hero, M S Dhoni. My mother was comfortable with the idea and allowed me to have my way of nurturing and caring for it week after week, day after day. As the results started showing she introduced me to the world of cancer patients in need of hair donations. She asked me to consider donating to a noble cause at the end of my journey with my style statement. My mother, Ar. Roopa Roy channelizes donations of refurbished woodwork to various under-privileged organizations through her work. Following in her footsteps came naturally to me in my way.
Cancer patients lose hair during the radiation therapy process which takes a long while to grow back only after the treatment is complete. Hair donation facilitates making wigs for such people helping them look and feel more normal and acceptable in our judgemental society. It boosts their self-esteem.
However, donating hair is not as simple as it sounds.
Donation hair needs to be a minimum of 6 inches long and a maximum of 15 inches long.
Donation hair should be free from exposure to any chemicals through hair coloring, perming, or any other hair styling sources
Furthermore while cutting the hair for donation it should be kept in mind and taken care to not fall or touch the ground. It should be collected in a cotton cloth bag, placed in a zip-lock pouch, and then sent to a specific organization dealing with the making of wigs for the purpose.
It’s time now to bid adieu to my long locks as I shall be back to physical school next week. I feel humbled to be able to contribute to a noble cause. I’m excited, it feels great! For girls probably it is easier to do this, but as a boy, I’ve had to answer a lot of questions. My mother has faced trolls of being too lenient or spoiling me with such freedom or style precedents at such a young age. She has faced them with panache every single time! I urge you to do something that makes a difference to the world, to mankind. To be kind enough quietly, strong enough mentally to make that difference count.
Last week I visited the school to prepare for the academic year ahead. Yet on knowing the reason she was all praise. I’d thus like to take the opportunity to thank Madhuri ma’am and Asha Ma’am for encouraging me to share this with you. Thank you!
The buzz in our campuses -June 2022
Ekya BTM - The electric campus
Joy, laughter, happiness, colour and energy - these are the words that define the atmosphere at Ekya’s BTM campus. On the first day of school, as the teachers prepared to welcome students to their classrooms in open arms, the excitement was palpable.
Now, the wait for classrooms and corridors longing for the sights and sounds of children is complete. Boards inviting students to their classes, books filled with knowledge, chalks describing complexities and stationary documenting the experience; the little things that the students have missed are all back. Smartphones and televisions are joyfully traded for school bags and lunches with their friends. With so much to share, the only commodity we are short of is time.
Reminiscent of all the classes they have been through with us, I rejoice as I see our students walking down the corridors enveloped in a world of learning with their friends. There are seldom finer moments of felicity when students ask me, ‘Ma’am, do you remember me?’. The sparkle in their eyes reminds me of years past, as I reminisce about their growth in school. With students in Montessori asking for homework, I am ecstatic about the efforts our teachers have put in to develop our students.
With a euphoric sense of achievement, we in Ekya are walking into a year filled with optimism, filled with hope and most importantly filled with energy!
BACK TO OFFLINE SCHOOL
Teacher: “Sam, can you please turn on your video?”
And that’s how our two years have passed. Years 2020 and 2021 have been a challenge for the entire universe. As the memories continue to haunt us, the education sector was one area that was severely affected by the pandemic.
Today, after two long years, when the school gates have finally opened to welcome children, our effort has increased by two fold. The sanitiser station continues to be present at every corner of the school, everyone at school continues to wear a mask and take precautions when we are under the weather.
While we are excited to see the happy faces of our children, we are duly aware of the times they have missed being around their friends. Several ice breaking activities have been included to help children overcome their social bubble and get acquainted with the physical school environment.
Online teaching has not only compelled us within four walls, it has also given us ample learning strategies which we have carried over to the offline platform. Presentations, study-videos, visual imageries- have been beneficial in honing the speaking and logic and reasoning skills of students. While the threat of the virus continues to scare us, we, while holding the hands of our children, continue to bridge every gap, onward and forward.
You know how you go for a test but all the questions are out of the syllabus? That’s what happened on father’s day, but with a lot of dad jokes, love, and sportsman’s spirit, we were able to save it. Due to the heavy rains on the previous night, the scheduled basketball match didn’t take place, instead, it was replaced by a very interesting badminton match between multiple father-child pairs. Mark the date folks, we saw emerging Olympic players in Ekya ITPL on Saturday 18th June. Not only did we witness this beautiful bond between a father and his children but also the deep friendships students at ekya cultivate, Sashwat Srirangembar was right there passionately supporting his friend from the audience stands with loud cheers and thunders of claps to lift his spirits.
After a series of enticing matches, we were down to our final six pairs, for the qualifiers. Let me tell you, as a spectator I was on my toes. The Sarda’s kept hitting smash shots that were undefeatable, and the unforgettable Mr.Roy quickly became a fan favorite with the way he pumped energy into the crowd. Unfortunately, not everyone can win the medal. We saw an intense, nail-biting, edge-of-our-seats match between Roys and Sardis for our finals. The Roy family won with a smashing 7 - 3 beating the Sardis and taking the coveted first place, but I can confidently say everyone was a winner in our hearts.
Pre Primary- FATHER’S DAY
On Saturday 18th of June Ekya School ITPL saw a downpour of joy, love, and heartwarming moments. Though I saw him in the morning before leaving for school, everything about the event made me want to hug my father. To begin with, all the fathers were given a beautiful goodie bag dedicated to them by their children, followed by a photo booth where we witnessed gorgeous moments. To get the crowds energized, our wonderful hosts Rudra Ajay (12E) and Avinash V (12A) along with the teachers, lead them through a refreshing chicken dance. After this, we had a lineup of fun activities such as a bean bag race, pasta string necklace race, and a ring-rod race. After these fun races, our beloved hosts asked the kids and the fathers to talk about each other. We got some of the cutest responses, but a moment to note would be when a boy thought it necessary to stop the hosts from continuing just to tell his father that he loved him. Later, the families jammed to some tunes for a game of dance and freeze where they were busting out some of the most incredible dance moves seen till day. Lastly, I’d like to point out that some of these duos sported matching t-shirts, and flaunted them as they should. We ended the event with some tasty treats and comforting conversations.
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