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Ekya / March 03, 2021 Posted by : administrator

Getting the most out of a parent-teacher interaction

“Education is a shared commitment between dedicated teachers, motivated students and enthusiastic parents with high expectations” – Bob Beauprez

I resonate with this thought and believe that unless and until we educators and parents have a strong partnership with each other, we will not be able to achieve our goal. Our goal is the same – ‘We want to support our children to reach their full potential. This requires a shared commitment and a shared sense of purpose. Our children bridge the gap between us and the parents and thus complete this school-home partnership. 

A healthy and positive relationship between the school and parents is imperative not only for the child’s holistic development but it is equally essential for school development. The teaching faculty form the face of the school and what better instrument can there be to foster and nurture this relationship between the home and the school.

A Parent-Teacher Meeting is a great opportunity to initiate this relationship and get it going. The communication between the teacher and parent determines the extent and quality of involvement of the parents in the child’s learning. A two-way communication kept going always helps the teacher and the parent in understanding the child and collaborate in all the efforts taken by both sides to bring out the best in him or her. Thus, a good parent-teacher interaction helps the parent understand where their child stands in both academics and behavioral aspects. They get an opportunity to understand the reasons as to why things are not going the way they are supposed to and collaborate with teachers in arriving at possible solutions. This leads to parents and teachers starting to work as a team or a family to help children achieve and succeed in life. 

The student is at the core of everything we do as Educators. The child is the bridge between the school and home. Everyday interactions with parents are great opportunities for us to know what the students have been saying about the school at home and we get to understand what the parents think and feel about what we do. Without such a communication channel both parents and the school will stay totally disconnected.

At Ekya, we are very fortunate to have a very supportive parent body that never fails to appreciate our endeavors and at the same time provides constructive feedback if there are any shortcomings. Feedback always provides us scope for self-reflection, retrospection, and strategizing for improvement. Timely intervention is done and action is taken taking into consideration the feedback from the parents and that aspect has helped us ensure that we provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our students. Thus, good feedback is what we look forward to keeping this relationship between us and the home going. It requires listening to others and getting their inputs with an open mind. And this simple technique does help in fostering and nurturing this beautiful relationship between parents and us. 

By Ms. Sreepriya Unnikrishnan, Head of School, EJPN

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Ekya / 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

Ekya / 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

Ekya / 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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#TeacherBlogger: Approaching Science – Virtually by Ms. Aarthi V B – Senior school faculty, EJPN

Science is learnt by doing experiments and making observations. As a science teacher, taking students to the lab and getting them to try experiments gives me a feeling of immense accomplishment. The moment a lab session is announced, the students sit up straight, faces brighten and their questions keep pouring in. Students have ample opportunity to change variables in the experiment, observe changes and justify concepts. Labs have always been associated with fun, creativity, a safe place to make errors without being judged.

When the school moved to the online mode, there was this one nagging question on my mind - How are the students going to learn without doing experiments? How will I retain their interest without a physical lab? How do we compensate for the lab sessions? My mind at that time could be compared to the busiest crossroad in Bangalore--so Chaotic !!! So I started seeking answers to those questions and finding alternatives. Google gave a lot of options and so did our ELC team. We started to introduce simulations in our lesson plans and many DIY experiments during our science club sessions. I started planning with a lot of apprehensions, practised clicking on all options possible so that I would be ready with answers when children needed one. To my amazement, most of the students were able to navigate the simulations, interpret results and in fact I learnt a few shortcuts from them.

Online experiments in our class and club were all about using easily available ingredients and things from home. Students were challenged to design and execute experiments. Again, it was my turn to learn how wonderfully their mind worked… They impressed me with their amazing ideas such as an eco friendly table ( with newspaper that can hold the weight of a few books) or a comfortable shoe (again eco friendly). They also tried out the neutralisation reaction with turmeric, soap and lime.

Whether it was simulations or DIY experiments, the students were patient, curious, observant , helped each other and shared learnings.Isn’t that learning is all about? ”Lab” or “ no lab” did not determine the curiosity of our young learners. They were ready to accept challenges and work their way ahead.At that point I realised that Science is not just doing great successful experiments in the lab but is part of everyday life. Real science develops skills, ability, not just knowledge. And it's time that we as educators adapt to change and accept different virtual approaches with an open mind. As hard as we try to maintain predictable routines, unforeseen circumstances lead us to face change whether we’re ready for it or not.”The only thing in life that is certain is change.” Isn’t that the truth? So we need to be ready to learn and evolve and the best part is that I learnt it from my students.

Aarthi V B

Teacher (Science/ Biology)

Grades - 7 -10 (ICSE/IGCSE)

Ekya- JPN

#TeacherBlogger: Learning at Ekya – Online Classroom Culture by Ms. Sudha Ramesh, Ekya ITPL

WHAT LEARNING LOOKS LIKE AT EKYA

Challenges can indeed turn out to be gifts that bring out the very best in us. With the sudden onset of the global pandemic in early 2020, educators like me found ourselves challenged. We had to replace our traditional in-person teaching methodologies with remote online classes. Despite a tumultuous start, I soon realized that, as an educator at Ekya, I had the responsibility, as well as the means, to make a difference in these challenging, yet formative years of my students. 

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together,” said the famous artist Van Gogh. I love this line, because it is so true. At Ekya, the classroom culture of sharing good things and affirmations continues to be so nourishing, more so during these tough times!  With their beaming faces and sparkling eyes, my students share their daily experiences and express their gratitude to their friends and family for their help. Could there be a more important lesson that they need to learn at such times?

Oftentimes, students face issues that trouble them. We provide an inclusive environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and discussing their problems. Acknowledging that students truly miss the opportunity to talk to and interact with their classmates, as their English teacher, I strive to facilitate meaningful discussions amongst students by putting them into breakout rooms, albeit in an online setting. 

The enthusiasm and creativity displayed by students, continues to amaze me. The clarity with which these young minds share their ideas and opinions is so refreshing. The grade 6 students demonstrated this admirably, when I asked them to collaborate and come up with a group presentation on aspects of various sub-genres under Fiction. 

As we embark on our journey into 2021, we are confronted with a road that may not be easy to traverse. At Ekya, we are determined to stand shoulder to shoulder with our students and their families, as we overcome the impact that this pandemic has undoubtedly had on our physical and mental health. Looking forward to working together to make 2021 a successful year for our students.

By, Ms. Sudha Ramesh, English Faculty, EITPL

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