Source: Higher Education Digest
Anushree CN, Counseling Specialist at Ekya Schools, Bangalore is an ICF certified Coach and certified counselor. She has over 10 years of Corporate experience in leadership and executive roles across various verticals including Operations/ Administration/ Finance/Human Resources in Automobile, IT, Media and Hospitality sectors. Inspired by Maria Montessori’s contributions to the world, she has completed her Diploma in Montessori education as well. She is working towards building her life in teaching, counseling, mentoring and coaching specifically focused on parenting and empowering children to unleash their true potential.
Mental Health is the foundation for overall well-being. The Dalai Lama says – “A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering”. This quote holds good for all ages. It helps in achieving developmental milestones which further helps children to acquire emotional wellbeing and social skills.
It is believed that in India every 7th person suffers from some form of mental condition/ disorder. The Pandemic has posed fresh challenges to Education as a whole as well. In tweens and teens especially there is a rise in screen time, social isolation, fear, anxiety, depression, becoming a victim of bullying due to the lockdown. Covid 19 was not only a stress starter but also had negative psychological effects on the students.
Parents are also feeling burdened and seem to be struggling to find a work-life balance. They are finding themselves in a position of helplessness as they see their children go through the tough phase. Hence, it is of utmost importance to become aware of how to be emotionally healthy.
Children are the world’s most valuable resource. They are the foundation of our nation’s future. As a parent, teacher and caretaker, it is essential to look after them and provide utmost care and support. The following ABCD guide will help students overcome the situation and ensure their complete well-being.
Always be patient – Remember that some students need more help and support. Be gentle and approach with calm behaviour, show that you are trying to help them and be very patient.
Be alert for any behaviour change – One of the most important duties of a teacher is to identify the change of behaviour in the students. Slow learning, inactive in class, missing out on class, failing to deliver assignments and remaining quiet are some of the signs signalling that they must be going through some anxiety or stress. You may seek a counsellor’s support in this case.
Communicate – It is one of the best solutions. Listen attentively to their problems and help them understand the situation. Be supportive. This will help build their resilience. They are curious and they will get scared easily of the unknown. Reassure children about their safety and well-being. Explain to them about the situation and the virus, give honest and accurate age-appropriate information. Also, encourage them to share their stories and let them understand the joy of sharing and caring.
Do activities together – Teamwork is dream work. A simple thing such as meditation for a minute before the class commences is helpful to de-stress the mind. Along with learning, do activities together that promote mental health and bring a balance to the mind, body and soul like dancing, cooking, reading, take breaks in between occasionally.
Additionally, you could practice the following as well –
Be mindful – Being aware of what is happening within you e’g – your thoughts and emotions and also what is happening around you?
Empathy – Put yourself in the place of the other person (start by being a good listener). This will help in connecting better with your children.
Establishing healthy routines – A regular routine eases your brain activity and reduces stress so have some activities that you can do with your family and on your own regularly.
Spaces – Provide adequate space to your children especially the tweens and teens. Give them space to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions without fear of judgement.
Normalizing Emotions – No emotion is good or bad. They need to be taught that all emotions are ok to be felt, it is how they respond to such thoughts & feelings that are important. This will create greater self-acceptance and in turn, their self-worth and self-esteem will grow. The best way to teach is to be a role model and accept all your emotions as is and respond instead of reacting.
Constructive Challenges – From time to time if students are given constructive challenges that make them think out of the box and come up with solutions it will help in their brain development and sharpen their intelligence. It is also a good way to keep them occupied.
Seeking Support – Do not hesitate to reach out to your confidant, friend, Counselor when you or your children need support.
Last but not the least, “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha. As caretakers ensure you care for yourself as well. Ensure you get proper rest and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well.
Stay safe and maintain social distance when you step out.
Source: Easy Shiksha
Natasha Chetan, a sports enthusiast, started her sports practice at a young age with a determination of creating history, is all set to realise her dream. The 8th grader from Ekya School JP Nagar, recently won the Sub Junior State Ranking Snooker & Billiards tournaments organised by KSBA (Karnataka State Billiards Association) and she will be representing the state at the national level.
Natasha held her first cue at a tender age of 10, inspired by seeing her mother play the game at Bangalore Club. Natasha developed a liking for the game since then and she pursued it further. Soon Natasha started to ace the game winning various tournaments. She has also participated in the Chinese pool tournament held in Malaysia.
Billiards, snooker and all cue sports require precision, accuracy, stillness, patience and excellent hand-eye coordination. This is what enthrals Natasha about the game and she is all set for the new challenge. Her determined pursuit of excellence in sports has led her this far.
For the past three years, Natasha has been practicing for 3 hours every day under the able guidance of her coach, Pranit Ramchandani of Sight Right Cue Sports India. Now, most of her time is dedicated to practicing with her focus on the national championship.
About Ekya Schools:
Ekya Schools (ekyaschools.com) offers world-class education using modern pedagogic learning methods to ensure well-rounded students. Established in 2010, it has four schools and nearly 2800 students. Drawing on the legacy of CMR Group of Institutions, Ekya Schools are imparting innovative, application-rich education by using their in-house developed curriculum. Ekya’s vision is to provide real-world learning experiences facilitated by passionate educators, to prepare students for bigger challenges in life. Ekya empowers young minds, driving them to make a difference in the world. A host of features makes the schools’ curriculum unique and exemplary. It is on par with the global curriculum – learning is fun-filled, contemporary, and meaningful: insightful, real-world methods of understanding and application. For senior students (14-16yrs) Cambridge IGCSE model is followed as it is recognized by leading employers and universities worldwide.
Source: Indian Express
As many as 14 districts in Karnataka reported neither new Covid-19 cases nor related deaths on Sunday, said the state health department bulletin. These districts were Bagalakote, Ballari, Bengaluru Rural, Bidar, Chamarajanagara, Chitradurga, Gadag, Haveri, Kalaburagi, Koppala, Raichur, Ramanagara, Vijayapura and Yadgir.
239 new cases, five more deaths linked to Covid-19
Karnataka reported 239 new Covid-19 cases and five deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of infections to 29,89,952 and the toll to 38,112.
The day also saw 322 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 29,43,809, the health department bulletin said. Bengaluru Urban topped in the number of cases (151), as the city saw 150 discharges and two deaths. The total number of active cases in the state is 8,002.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.21%, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 2.09%.
Of the five new deaths, two each were from Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru, while one was reported from Belagavi.
Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 151, Mysuru 17, Uttara Kannada and Hassan 12 each, Dakshina Kannada 11, followed by others. Bengaluru Urban district topped the list of positive cases, with a total of 12,52,831, followed by Mysuru (1,79,297 cases) and Tumakuru (1,20,891 cases).
Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 12,30,170, followed by Mysuru at 1,76,668 and Tumakuru at 1,19,524. Cumulatively, a total of 5,13,87,155 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,10,220 were on Sunday alone.
Pre-schools to resume classes tomorrow, first time since pandemic hit
With the Karnataka government deciding to resume classes for pre-school (kindergarten) students from Monday, private school managements are hopeful of admissions in the coming days, as no offline classes have taken place for LKG, UKG students since March 2020.
D Shashikumar, the general secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said that most schools have started calling parents to inform them about the reopening, in a bid to urge them to send their wards “confidently”.
He noted that most loss in continued learning has been noted in this age category. “The damages caused to continuous learning are irreparable. We hope parents will consider this and uphold all possibilities of learning by sending their wards back to schools, across classes,” he said, adding that all schools were instructed to adhere to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures issued by the government.
Further, Shashikumar noted that only five to ten per cent admissions have been done so far this year. “We have three to four months to go in this academic year. Better late than never. Young brains need personal and group learning sessions that they have missed for the last 20 months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sreepriya Unnikrishnan, the head of Ekya School in Bengaluru’s J P Nagar, said that a good number of parents of primary school students had given a positive response. “They (parents) have been busy with the preparations to send the children to school in terms of procuring uniforms and Covid-safety paraphernalia and also planning their commute to school. We’re looking forward to seeing more children come into campus and in good numbers too,” she said.