Dear Parents,

Greetings from Hill Spring International School!

I am happy to present to you our second edition of

SpringTimes for this Academic Year.

To keep us culturally rooted and closely bonded, the

festivals of Navrati, Diwali and Christmas were celebrated

with much enthusiasm and energy. “Helpers Day”, as is

every year, was sponsored and completely managed by

the Gr 9 students to appreciate all that the helping staff do

at the school.

The PYP Global Perspectives programme came alive on

stage on all the “Grandparents Day” celebrations with

each actor cleverly making connections from their reading

and drama programmes.

I am once again proud to announce that our 38 Middle

and Senior students won prestigious medals, cups &

trophies at The Tournament of Champions - the finale of

the “World Scholar's Cup” at Yale, USA.

It is my privilege to share with you that on Thursday 28

November, 2019 HSI was recognised and awarded a

prestigious plaque as a “School of Excellence” in French by

Mrs. Sonia Barbry, the Consul General of France in Bombay.

Mr. Philippe Guillien the French linguistic and education

attachéin the presence of many French teachers from

Mumbai schools who attended and graced the occasion.

Our very own Primary and Middle school choir was one of

the three specially invited to perform at the Royal Opera

House on Friday 29 November, 2019.

There was so much enthusiasm, energy and excitement

displayed by our students and parents at the PYP Sports

Day on Friday 6 December, 2019.

Wishing all of you a cheerful and wonderful festive season.

May 2020 bring you joy, peace and happiness for the next

decade and beyond.

Warm regards,

Nalini Pinto

Newsletter

NOTE FROM PRINCIPAL’S DESK

December 2019 - Issue No. 2: 2019-20 E-Edition - www.hsieducation.org

Hill Spring International School is a registered Cambridge International School

Sheth, Uddant Patodia, Shreya Tandon

with the ;

for Team Soham Doshi, Anushka

Sonawala, Arhant Jajodia and Team

Mehek Vora, Aadit Zaveri, Krishaanu

Kapadia respectively in

with Anushka Sonawala and

Krishaanu Kapadia achieving individual

.

Team Anaya Sheth, Uddant Patodia and

Shreya Tandon were

.

Hill Spring Seniors were as impressive.

Their Championship ranks were: -

Sidhant Sharma, Jash Shah, Prakhar Goel;

- Devarya Shah, Nysa Adurkar,

2nd Rank in Debate Ranks of 5

and 9

Collaborative

Writing

ranks of 5 and 13 respectively in Writing

ranked 11 in the

overall Championship

Rank 14

Rank 21

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With over 60 countries and an

unprecedented 3300 Scholars from the 6

Global Rounds, the 2019 Yale World

Scholar's Show Finale (November 8-13)

themed “A World on the Margins” lived

up to its name of the Tournament of

Champions. On discussion were thought-

provoking topics covering the six subject

areas like: “All art is pointless”; “The

unexamined life is not worth living”;

“Societies progress faster when people

are more sympathetic”; “How will your

country tell the history of 2019 in a

different way than other countries will?”

Doing justice to these even while braving

inclement weather and jetlag and

coming with the full academic baggage

of pre-Semester Examinations, 38 Hill

Spring students made their presence felt

in this assembly of super-achievers.

The Top School Scholars were Anaya

Sheth of Grade 8

among the Juniors

and Jash Shah of Grade 10

among the seniors. Kiara

Wassoodew was the

in the Scholar’s Challenge.

Other notable achievements of the

Juniors were Krishaanu Kapadia with the

, Team Anaya

(Championship Rank 9

and Debate Rank 2)

(Championship Rank 17 and Writing

Rank 3)

World Literature

Scholar

17th Championship Rank

World Scholars Club

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OVERALL CHAMPION SCHOLARS -

JUNIORS:

Rank 9

Rank 17

Rank 78

Rank 85

Rank 89

OVERALL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP RANKS -

SENIORS:

Rank 14

Rank 21

Rank 28

Rank 54

Rank 55

Rank 71

OVERALL CHAMPION SCHOLARS - SENIORS:

Rank 17

Rank 29

Rank 61

Rank 132

Rank 150

Rank 192

- Anaya Sheth

- Krishaanu Kapadia

- Aashi Bagaria

- Uddant Patodia

- Mehek Vora

- Sidhant Sharma, Jash Shah,

Prakhar Goel

- Devarya Shah, Nysa Adurkar,

Aryan Shah

- Aalia Jagwani, Harshvardhan

Zaveri, Siddh Mehta

- Kiara Wassoodew, Maahin Jain,

Raina Talwar Bhatia

- Ananya Vora, Ananya Kalantri,

Zahra Hamdulay

- Yug Goradia, Jahnavi Choraria,

Jash Parekh

– Jash Shah

– Aryan Shah

– Harshvardhan Zaveri

– Raina Talwar Bhatia

– Aalia Jagwani

– Devarya Shah

Students also received medals for their

excellence in individual subject areas,

such as Literature, Art and Music, History,

Social Studies, Science and Special Areas.

Aryan Shah; - Aalia Jagwani,

Harshvardhan Zaveri, Siddh Mehta.

In their ranks

were: - Aalia Jagwani,

Harshvardhan Zaveri, Siddh Mehta;

- Sidhant Sharma, Jash Shah,

Prakhar Goel.

In the :

were Sidhant Sharma, Prakhar

Goel, Jash Shah; were Devarya

Shah, Nysa Adurkar, Aryan Shah.

Finally, in the :

- Kiara Wassoodew, Maahin Jain,

Raina Talwar Bhatia; - Sidhant

Sharma, Prakhar Goel, Jash Shah;

- Devarya Shah, Nysa Adurkar,

Aryan Shah. Hill Spring Scholars won

several gold and silver medals in various

events and categories.

Other vignettes were: Soham Doshi’s sitar

performance which received a

resounding applause at the Scholar’s

Show; a rite of passage of the first

encounter with snow (at Harvard

University no less); and one which Hill

Springers would have gladly avoided -

experiencing rains in US winters.

The Team and Individual Ranks are as

follows:

- Anaya Sheth, Uddant Patodia,

Shreya Tandon

- Mehek Vora, Aadit Zaveri,

Krishaanu Kapadia

- Aashi Bagaria, Nitya Doshi,

Hrishika Shah

Rank 28

COLLABORATIVE WRITING

Rank 11

Rank 16

SCHOLAR’S BOWL

Rank 25

Rank 33

SCHOLAR'S CHALLENGE

Rank 18

Rank 21

Rank 28

OVERALL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP RANKS -

JUNIORS:

Rank 11

Rank 38

Rank 63

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SEF Award

On the 28th of November 2019, the

Institut Français in India in

collaboration with the French Embassy,

presented Hill Spring International

School with an award for excellence in

French teaching in India. With this

accreditation, Hill Spring International

School is one of the six schools in India

to be a part of the network of “Schools

for excellence in French language”.

Mrs. Sonia Barbry, the Consul General

of France in Bombay and Mr. Philippe

Guillien, the French linguistic and

education attaché presented the

award to the Principal, Mrs. Nalini

Pinto.

Along with this accolade, Hill Spring

International School had the privilege

of hosting the first edition of the

International Day of Teachers of

French. The afternoon was graced by

French teachers from various

institutions all over the city.

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DAIMUN, MumbaiThe delegation of Hill Spring International

School

, debating

across seven committees on topics and

issues ranging from conflict situations to

humanitarian crisis from the world of

contemporary global politics, as well as one

on a historical conflict set in the Cold War

era. The delegation set new standards in

conclusive research skills and diplomacy,

and was well rewarded across all the seven

participated in the Dhirubhai Ambani

Model United Nations 2019 conference over

the weekend of 10-13 October

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won an outstanding delegate award,

while Nandini Kataria earned a verbal

commendation in the Futuristic UN

Convention on Climate change.

Harshita Agarwal was awarded an

Honorable Mention in the UNHRC, and

Aarush Sachdeva and Shubhay

Bhavnani also won Honourable Mention

awards in the Historic Lok Sabha.

Maahin Jain (Grade 11) and Kushaal

Patel (Grade 12) served on the

Executive Board of the conference as

Guest Chairs. Congratulations

delegation HSI! We really appreciate

your effort and enthusiasm.

12 students of Grades 9, 10 and 11

participated in JBMUN 2019 from 15th to

17th November. Our delegates were in

committees discussing agendas like the

crisis in Nicaragua, and the consequences

of climate change. They were also a part

of two historical committees that revisited

Bhindranwale's demand for the

establishment of Khalistan in 1984, and the

Vietnam war in 1967. After two and a half

days of intense debate and negotiations

the HSI delegation was crowned with

success. Reeyan Udani and Nandini

Taparia were judged as the best

delegation in the UNSC. Savyan Aggarwal

JBMUN, Mumbai

committees, with 13 out of the 14 delegates

receiving prestigious awards! The school has

thus won the Best Delegation Award in

addition to the individual ones, setting new

standards for future delegations! The school

takes great pride in congratulating the

delegation for yet another thumping success

and for all their efforts and perseverance in

advancing the MUN Club agenda of conflict

resolution through diplomacy and

collaboration!

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Ritsumeikan Uji School

Ritsumeikan Uji School

visits Hill Spring

International School – Cultural

Exchange

A Japanese delegation from the

visited Hill

Spring International School on

Monday, 18th November which led to

an enriching, interesting exchange of

cultures. They attended a Business

Management class which focussed

on the different business tools of

analysis such as the fishbone analysis

and this led to a thought-provoking

discussion on the ramifications of a

monopoly like the TATAs on Indian

markets. One of the students in the

delegation discussed how she

blended the fishbone analysis and the

4 P's of marketing for her Internal

Assessment which broadened our

range of creativity when it comes to

the real world.

Next, a presentation on Japanese

culture highlighted startling similarities

between Japanese and Indian

cultures. They too have a golden

temple, and the practice of bowing

which had deep significance. While the

delegation shared their delectable food,

Hill Spring students performed the Indian

classical dance form, kathak, for them.

Following the performance, the students

enthusiastically shared their music

preferences, which soon resulted in

twenty minutes of singing and dancing to

the music being played. In the end, this

exchange enabled us to truly understand

the essence of Japanese culture and

simultaneously allowed us to share

knowledge about India.

Cultural Exchange with a Japanese School

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Hindi Kavya Pratiyogita

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Dandiya Raas CelebrationDandiya Raas was organised by the Hindi

Department on Oct 11, 2019. The

objective was to inculcate love for the

Hindi Language and to acquaint our

students to our Indian Culture. All the

students from Gr 6 to Gr 10 took active

part in this colourful cultural display and

thoroughly enjoyed playing Dandiya with

befitting music. It was enjoyed by the

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The Pre-primary children along

with the children from the

French school celebrated

Navratri as part of the

Community Action Service

Program at school. The

cafeteria was beautifully

decorated creating a rustic

ambience as the children

dance the traditional Raas

Garba to popular folk music.

Our little stars looked adorable

in their festive clothing. The

event was a grand success,with

a lot of merriment, dancing and

feasting on delicious snacks.

teachers also who participated in the

Dandiya and made it more colourful. At

the end of the programme three special

prizes were given to the students.

Best dressing prize was given to

and Best dancer prize was

given to

The programme ended with lot of joy

and enthusiasm.

Hitansh

Doshi Zaara

Dharam Doshi

.

PYP Navratri Celebrations

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At the special Children’s Day Assembly

that followed, IGCSE teachers put up a

little programme for the students, in which

teachers sang, danced and acted. The

IBDP teachers put up the IB Swag Talent

Show: Version 2.0, a sequel to the

celebrated IB Swag Talent Show from

2018 with other highlights like the rapid

fire ‘Toffee with Teachers’ where students

answered witty questions that tested their

humour and spontaneity and the winning

team received a splendid gift hamper; a

comical Fashion Show with props; dance

and musical performances by the

teachers; and a parody of an old Hindi

Song to acknowledge student efforts. In a

nutshell, it was for teachers and students,

a celebration of childhood – a day of fun,

food and freedom!

Childrens Day Celebrations

A Celebration of Childhood!

Children’s Day on November 14, 2019,

with students in Smart Indian Casuals,

was enjoyed with much fanfare and

enjoyment at Hill Spring. The day

began in the IGCSE with mini-parties in

every homeroom! Most had organized

“pot luck”, and students brought in a

little something which everyone

shared, while in some classes, the

teachers had organized snacks for the

students. There were games organized

for the students within the homerooms,

after which students played music and

danced. In the IBDP, mentor teachers

gave personalised notes on gift cards

to their mentees. Teachers reiterated

the seminal roles that they play for

these soon-to-be young adults by

continuing with lessons - and the

academic deadline of the day – the

second EE Reflection!

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House on the 29th of November when

they collaborated with a French

chamber of music to produce some

outstanding melodies and technical

virtuosity and was one of the three school

choirs chosen to perform there. Their

beautiful performance at the Assembly

reached the professional standards of a

choir performance which was deeply

appreciated.The Hill Spring Teacher's Band brought the

House down with a superb delivery of “O

Holy Night”, “Rudolf the Red-Nosed

Reindeer”, and “Feliz Nadidad”. The

Finale received a standing ovation – a

tribute also to the participation of Mrs

Pinto and the Coordinators, Mr Prashant

Gohil and Ms Wilma Athaide and Ms

Havovi Khan. The Assembly closed with a

call by Mrs Pinto to reflect on the diversity

and spirit of India and to preserve that

inimitable ethos.

Nativity Play

Joy to Hill Spring – the Nativity AssemblyThe merry cheer of Christmas

pervaded Hill Spring with the red,

green and white theme establishing

the scene for it. Classrooms were

celebrating the infectious Christmas

spirit with Secret Santa play. The

Special Nativity Assembly began with a

rendition of popular carols Like “Silent

Night, Holy Night..”, “Joy to the

World…” and “Jingle Bell Rock” by the

Spring Productions Club. The baton

was then passed on to the IGCSE

Drama Club which enacted the

Miracles around the birth of Jesus Christ

in a unique meta-fictional manner as a

rehearsal which was witnessed by the

audience who thus participated in the

making of the play. The Hill Spring International Choir then

repeated their success at the Opera

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Global Perspectives

On Thursday,28th November and

Friday,29th November Snr.Kg. had some

very special invitee visiting their

Homeroom- Grandparents. They

interacted with the children and were

entertained by a production of Lion

King. This event was followed by snacks

and tea.Snr.Kg.’s rendition of the popular

broadway musical Lion King was an

Grandparents Day

The King's Chessboard is a mathematical

folk tale that depicts the battle between

the devil and an angel within a king's life

. While the rice reward in the story holds

the plot, the essential theme is who do

we listen to, our devil or our angel.

attempt to showcase

their learnings through

UOI- Stories for their

Grandparents.It began with a P.E drill

that depicted a

beautiful sunrise over

the Savannahs and

the coronation of

Simba through the

Malkhamb Act. The

animals of Pride Rock

demonstrated their allegiance and

respect through the yoga act towards

their King. The singers sang “I just can’t

wait to be King” to show Simba’s

impatience at donning the mantle of king.

The African Drummers sounded an

ominous warning on the jembe followed

by the Hyena Dance planning a war of

succession. The Hakuna Matata dancers

advocated a Worry Free philosophy.The show concluded by the animals

balloting with their paws and declaring

Simba as the president elect.

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The students of Grade II Alpha put up a

play called 'Dada's useless present'. Dada

celebrates his eighty second birthday but

still considers himself to be young, until a

seemingly thoughtful gift from his son tells

him otherwise. The story beautifully

captures the spirit of ageing

grandparents who refuse to give up their

independence. The grandparents were

thoroughly impressed and enjoyed the

show as they took back memories and

hand-made suitcase- cards created for

them by their grandchildren.

IGCSE & IBDP Annual Concert

EXPRESSIONS2019

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Hill Spring International School held its annual performance.

‘Expressions” on September 27. The shoe is a medium through which students from Grades 6 to 12 express their talent beyond academics and a culmination of different art forms such as dance, music and theatre. The showcommenced with the lighting of the lamp by Dr. Jaydeep Mirashi (Chairman), Dr. Pratibha Mirashi (Managing Director), Nalini Pinto (Principal) chief guests Marzi Pestonji and Mihika Mirinda.The three houses (Aqua, Flora, Terra) based their productions around the Theme “Mindfulness) and brought out the true essence of the topic in creative sensetive and extravagant ways. The winning house- Aqua-took a humorous approach on this theme through their play Rattled Out. Web of Lies and Are you out of your mind were the two musicals that won hearts and applause.

To mark the completion of 15 years of the school, they introduced new school anthem, which is written and composed by Vishal Dadlani and sung and recorded by the students themselves.“The theme of mindfulness was beautifully

portrayed by students in many different ways,” said Principal Pinto.“Every time we think this is the best show put up by students, they come back next year with more enthusiasm and

zeal. It's a true depiction of expression in motion,” added Dr. Pratibha.

“Rattled Out”Aqua House

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“Web of Lies” Flora House

“Are You Out of Your Mind” Terra House

dances and even a slow motion act! There was

also an “Art Parade” where a few of the

learners [guided by their Art teacher] created a

pictorial story & “Walked

the ramp” with their

canvasses.

The Concert culminated

with the thought of

making story telling and

listening an enjoyable

part of daily life.

Taking the maxim-“Everyone & everything has a

story”, the learners of SNR KG, deep dived into

the exploration of STORIES for their Annual

Concert.

This year's presentation

“Kahaaniyon ka sheher”

was based on Rukmimi

Banerjee's story- “City of

stories”. The learners

presented their version of

this story entirely in rhyme

and infused their

presentation with songs,

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THE SUNFLOWER SWORD

The sunflower sword was the story of a little boy

named Jackie and his “game changing

“friendship!

So, here’s looking at the dramatised adaptation

of Mark Sperring's story, presented by the artists

of JUNIOR KG on Friday, 13th of December 2019

through the medium of Dance, Music, Drama

and Visual Arts. The presentation for the viewers

was thrilling, entertaining and reflective.

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The students of Grade I A and Alpha

played dodge ball and football

against each other. This healthy

competiotion brought in the spirit of

team work and sportsman spirit.

The PE department conducted a field

day for the Grade 2 students. The

games and activities organized,

enhanced their social skills and self-

management skills. The students

focused on independent decision

making and managed their time

effectively keeping the safety of others

in mind.

A field day was oragnised for the

students of Grade III, IV & V. They

played football, dodge ball and

cricket with vigour and excitement.

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Field Day

Campus University Visits

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paper out of which journals were

designed. They also reused empty Bisleri

bottles, out of which they created

beautiful potted plants. Both items were

sold out by the second day itself!

The planning process of the exhibition

began much in advance considering the

scale of the event. Each IBDP student was

given the responsibility to make at least

two of any of these items – journals,

potted plants, decorative glass bottles or

jewelry. Even though many of the articles

made were attractive most of them

needed refining, the potted plants

especially - which was extremely time-

consuming. The students spent most of

their free time during the day refining and

perfecting items or creating more.

Another product sold at the exhibition

was the wooden plank key holder, the

carving, designing and painting of which

was entirely done by students.

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CAS Exhibition

Minding the Gap - Hill Spring

International School Annual CAS

Exhibition

Hill Spring International School students

put up their Annual CAS Exhibition from

October 3-5, 2019 - an event that

allows students to hone their artistic

talents creating and selling goods, the

proceeds of which are donated to

various charitable organizations. The

exhibition with its stalls of curios, knick-

knacks, trinkets and kitsch was put up

in the IBDP Art Room. Mindfulness, as

well as being the theme for the

academic year, was the key idea

around which the exhibition revolved,

and students extensively applied this

concept in the making of various

items. For instance, they utilized rough

paper that would have normally been

discarded, recycled it, and made new

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CAS Exhibition

After all the items were made,

priced, numbered, and recorded,

they were finally ready to be sold,

which was not very difficult due to

the truly overwhelming response

from the parents. Students were

allocated to different stalls

depending on their free blocks on

each of the three days. This active

involvement in the exhibition also

helped in improving their

marketing, auditing and inventory

managing skills!

The CAS exhibition turned out to be

a great success, with most items

sold out. The fund that was raised

will be donated to VCare

Foundation, Light of Life Trust, Khel

Khel Mein, SRCC Hospital, Helping

Hands, JJ Dharamshala, as well as

Toy Bank. The process was tedious

yet exhilarating and even though it

took up a lot of time and effort, the

goal of raising funds for a worthy

cause and doing our bit to make a

change in the world was a fulfilling

feeling for the students.

-Sarrah Lokhandwala, Grade 11.

underprivileged children. Every student

that went for the visit found it unique,

overwhelming and undoubtedly worth

the extremely long 3.5-hour journey.

Especially when one of the teachers of

the boarding school informed Hill Spring

students that the children often braved

harsh weather conditions and terrains

without any footwear. The heartfelt

welcome which included flowers, an

aarti, a dance and music performance;

the delight of the children on receiving

their own new pair of shoes; and the

respect accorded to Hill Spring students

deeply moved them and made them

grateful for this meaningful and valuable

opportunity for self-growth through a

spirit of service.

Green Sole – CAS Visit to Shahpur

Last year, the students of the IGCSE

and IBDP participated in a crowd-

funding campaign with “Fuel A

Dream” raising an impressive amount

for Green Sole, which provides

footwear for underprivileged children.

Students acquired essential skills of

fundraising far exceeding their

individual goal. On the 12th of

October, Grade 11 students witnessed

the fruit of their labour and conviction

at Shahpur – a village in the Thane

district – and distributed the shoes that

were made by Green Sole using these

funds at a boarding school for

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Green Sole

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This makes the role of the school

environment and us educators a crucial

one. We could be that “SOMEONE” to

light a lamp for another; especially the

youth. We could be the one to provide

with the required emotional support one

needs, to be the listening ear, to help

secure a balanced state of mental

health.

Celebrating World Mental Health Day -

on 10th Oct 2019 at Hill Spring

International School

The WHO (World Health Organization)

has declared 10th October as the

World Mental Health Day. This year's

theme is “Suicide Prevention”.

Statistics show that close to 800 000

people die due to suicide every year,

which is one person every 40 seconds.

Since suicide is a global phenomenon,

suicide prevention becomes even

more imperative.

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International School (Bombay

Cambridge), Hiranandani Foundation

School, Gopi Birla School,

Jamnabhai Narsee School, H.R.College Of

Commerce and Economics, Arya Vidya

Mandir School....

The Universities appreciated that they had

enough space to meet with parents and

students, and also appreciated all the

facilities we offered. The Universities that

were present offred a very large variety of

majors for students to choose from. They

sapnned Hospitality, Business, Engineering,

Liberal Arts & Sciences, Law, Global

Affairs, Math, Actuarial Studies, Fashion

Design, Communication Design, Media,

Film, Performing Arts, Technology etc..

We look forward to next years edition -

Nov 2020 !

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University Fair

INDIA UNIVERSITY FAIR @ HILL SPRING

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Last year we hosted the India

Universities fair for the first time and

hosted just over 30 Universities from

across India. This year we had just

under 50 Universities at our 2nd edition

of the India Universities Fair on Nov

16th 2019.

Our own students of Grades 9, 10, 11,

12 visited the Universities on Saturday

morning from 10 am to 12 noon. We

also received 68 guest parents and

students from schools all over the city -

Bombay Intl School, D.Y.Patil School,

Aditya Birla World Academy,

Cathedral & John Connon, Podar Intl

School, Oberoi Intl School, Campion

School, B. D. Somani School, Mount

Litera School, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

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Ms. Shainaz Devle had an

interactive session with the

Nursery children. She

explained to them the various

food chains of the jungle,

ocean, Arctic region and the

desert through a game.

The learners had an interactive session

with Mrs. Sejpal where she showed

them her pet turtles and spoke about

their features and characteristics.

Professor Internet and Professor Sparks made a connection with UOI Senses by Tuning-In to the unit through experiments that provided every learner with a hands-on opportunity. A customized science programme that adheres to the philosophy 'we do and we learn', it proved to be inter-active. The first activity was 'Observing like a scientist.' Professor Sparks and Professor Internet asked the learners to observe the jars of liquid and guess which jar carries the most liquid. A game of hearing where learners practiced their sense of hearing by using sound tubes. A game of smell and touch where learners made their own bath salts. They smelt and touched the ingredients used. A game of sight where learners observed that water beads could not be seen in water but you could see them out of water.

Grade 4Nursery Food Chain

Grade 4Junior Kg Pets

Grade 4Nursery UOI Senses

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sThe students of Grade 4 visited Grade I

and spoke to the students about the

impact of different wastes like solid, liquid

and gaseous waste on different habitats

like the marine, forests, grasslands etc.

Students of Grade IV worked on their

passion project and presented it on

22.10.19. The projects were based on

the theme of habitat.

Grade 4

724

Mr. Mohit made the students of

Grade 4 aware about the

importance of trees and the need

to plant more trees in the city of

Mumbai. He also showed the

students a video of Greta

Thunberg's UN speech and the

urgency for action towards Global

Warming.

Grade 1 Buddy Teaching

Mr. Cyrus Dastur and Ms. Shreya

from Shamiana shots screened

three short films to explain to the

students how one can express

themselves non- verbally through

sign language and art.The students

had a great time viewing the

movies and came up with

interesting reflections.

Grade 2 Movie Screening

Global warming

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Aksh Dudeja and Shubh

Mehta from Grade V

spoke to the students of

Grade IV about different

Indian habitats. They

also discussed various

endangered,

threatened and extinct

animals.

Exploring the interdependence

between biotic and abiotic factors,

Ms. Hansa led Grade 4 into the Web

of Life activity where they made

connections with a ribbon on how

these factors are interdependent.

The students of Grade 4

performed a street play on

Noise Pollution. This was in

connection to their unit on

Habitat.

Dr. Kishore spoke to the students about

the importance of maintaining a

healthy lifestyle. He also gave them

pointers on the different ways in which

they can keep their body healthy.

Grade 4Grade 4 Web of Life

Grade 4Street Play

Grade 4Indian Habitat

Grade 4Grade 5 Healthy Lifestyle

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The students took an initiative to set up

a sale for Teachers. They worked in

three groups - Social, Mental and

Physical as they are learning Human

Body Systems in UOI. They used

Persuasive techniques which they had

learned in English to employ marketing

strategies for their sale and Profit and

Loss from Math. Subject Integration

was effectively implemented through

this sale.

Mrs. Shantala from our enrichment centre

supported student learning focused

around mental health through a talk that

provided students with strategies for their

emotional management, reduing stress

and anxiety and also, being able to

manage anger and resolve conflict. She

spoke to the students about the

importance of maintaining their mental

health ranging from topics from having a

positive body image and self-esteem and

tackling bullying with empathy and

kindness.

Ajit Sir took a session with our students where

they were starting their school day with an

exercise routine. Exercises ranged from low,

moderate to high intensity training. Students

also recorded their pulse every week which

they used in integration with Math. Students

were able to reflect on their learning and the

importance of daily physical activity playing

an important role in an individual’s overall

well-being. Students reflected on how their

moods were affected for the positive, how

their stamina increased over the weeks and

also their increased ability to concentrate

during class activities.

Grade 4Grade 5 Healthy Lifestyle

Subject Integration

Mental Health

Students of Grade IV celebrated

Childrens' Day with the students of the

NGO, Helping Hand in Service.

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The students of Grade I visited the

Cathedral Infant school for their garden

and waste show. This exhibition

connected to our unit on Waste. The

students really enjoyed this show and

learned different ways to make items out

of waste. They also participated in the

various activities organised by them.

Grade 4Grade 4 Childrens Day

Grade 4Grade 1 Best of Waste

Ms. Preeti , a reprsentative of Kids for

Tigers spoke to the learners about the

need to protect the tigers. She

conducted the session with an audio

visual pressentation which was

engaging for the learners.

Grade 4Nursery Save Tigers

Shumita Sharma Deveshwar visited our

school for a book talk on The Story of

Karna : The Great Giver. She spoke to the

students about her book which is on

Mahabharata from Karna's point of view.

Grade 4Grade 5 Author Talk

27

Three Level Year Long Robotic Program

at The Hill Spring International School

(Year 2019 – 2020)

Three Level Year Long Robotics Program

has started in our schools to help

students from Grade 1 to 12 turn their

knowledge into creativity and

innovation. When students program

physical robots, it's easy for them to see

and correct any errors as they learn

what robots can and cannot do. This is

a valuable life lesson that teaches our

students perseverance and

determination when faced with

challenges. They develop the skills

needed to create precise and

accurate instructions and have fun

while learning valuable lessons.

In Level 1, i.e. iEngineer program ,

students from Grade 1 to 4 learn about

different simple machines, mechanisms

and structures. They make different

models using simple machines and test

them to see how the simple machine is

used to make the model work.

In Level 2 students from Grade 4 to 6 are

introduced to Robotics, they go through

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the terms like 'What is Robotics' and 'What

is a Robot'. They go through specifications

and functions of many robots like Nao,

HAZBOT, Atlas, Honda ASIMO, TROV and

NASA space station etc.

In Level 3 students from Grade 6 to 10

were introduced to various sensors, made

to learn Robotics using Arduino, an open-

source electronics platform based on

easy-to-use hardware and software. The

recent event called Robotic Competition

organized at Dhirubhai Ambani

International School on 17th November

2019 revealed that such activities helped

students apply their knowledge and

logical abilities to arrive at solution.

Grade 4Robotic Program

28

The leadership workshop conducted by

Ms. Garima Bahl and Ms. Soumya on

December 16, 2019 for Grade 11

students aimed to inculcate qualities

that nurture leadership enabling us to

develop into responsible, decisive

individuals who can make a difference

in this world.

Ms. Bahl introduced herself with a varied

captivating collection of her

experiences that have shaped her from

which we learnt that every individual’s

path to success is different and unique

and is likely to be riddled with obstacles

and difficulties that need to be

overcome and what works is hard work

hard and an optimistic attitude. She

also told us that it took her a long time

to find her true purpose and calling,

and there were many missteps along

the way. This showed that it is never too

late to pursue one’s dreams and attain

one’s aspirations.

One activity stood out for its simplicity

and effectiveness where we had to

open our partner’s clenched fist for

which we used force and coercion. To

our surprise, when Ms. Bahl and Ms.

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Soumya demonstrated the activity, Ms.

Bahl simply asked Ms. Soumya to open

her fist. That proved to be the most

effective method of completing this task.

From this we learned a fundamental

lesson of leadership: before resorting to

force to get what one wants, it is always

better to simply ask, collaborate,

cooperate or compromise. This showed us

the value of utilizing soft skills and

diplomatic measures. Another useful

activity was writing down different ways in

which we could tackle and minimize

interferences which prevent us from

achieving our goals. This was an effective

way to conquer the impediments and

challenges we face.

Our primary takeaway from this workshop

was that the first step to become great

leaders is to become the best versions of

ourselves, and that can be achieved by

reaching the peak of our potential. In this

manner, this workshop taught us life

lessons that transcend beyond leadership

qualities. All in all, it was an incredible

experience!

Siya Bhanshali, Grade XI

Grade 4Grade XI Leadership Training

29

In today’s competitive world,

distinguishing yourself as a favourable

candidate is becoming increasingly

difficult. In order to stand out, one must

prove one’s superiority through soft skills

like proper etiquette and mannerisms.

Thus, on 17th December, Mrs. Vinita

Alvarez Fernandes conducted an

etiquette and grooming class with the

12th graders. We were asked to dress in

formal attire, like one would for a MUN

conference. Separate sessions were

organized for the boys and the girls.

Through the course, Mrs. Fernandes

taught the boys how to wear a properly

fitting suit and trim their hair. Wearing

the right tie, polishing one’s shoes, and

using the right pen are some of the

important things that recruiters review

when evaluating a candidate to judge

their personality.

The girls were exposed to proper table

etiquette and fine dining social rules.

They learned that even the little things

like presenting a business card the right

way and entertaining guests in a formal

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manner can help seal important business

deals. Mrs. Fernandes also focused on

self-care techniques like the application

of sunscreen, choosing the appropriate

shampoo and suitable skin products

depending on skin type.

We are thankful for the insights shared

with us. We certainly feel more confident

about conducting ourselves properly in a

formal environment. Such skills will help us

gain an edge over other candidates as

well as aid in maintaining professional

relationships

Workshop on Etiquette & Grooming -

Aamir Arsiwala & Aliyah Mulla Grade 12.

Grade 4Grade XII Etiquette & Grooming

30

As part of the UOI - Myself, the learners of

Nursery Visited the SRCC Hospital to

importance of health and hygiene to

maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The learners were taken on a

field trip to Amateur Riders'

Club to sensitise them about

their responsibility towards

animals and developing the

learner profile of being Caring.

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Amateur Riders' Club

Senior Kg Shantivan Gardens

Snr KG learners went for a field trip to

Shantivan garden as part of their unit on

Senses. The understanding that our senses

help us to receive stimuli and we react to

htat stimuli ib different ways was the

learning inferred by the young learners.

They further enhanced their Research skills

by observing, collecting, and categorising

information onto a graphic organiser after

a fun day at the garden!

The students visited Imperial towers to

learn waste management in the

building. They learnt how wet waste

goes into machines to decompose and

convert into soil.

The students visited Churchgate Station

to observe signs and symbols used.

They identified a number of them used

locally and globally and realized the

purpose behind a sign and symbol

used in a particular place.

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Grade 1Grade 2 Churchgate station

The students of Grade 2 attended a

Session - fossil fables which was

conducted by the Children’s museum in

the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu

Sangrahalaya. Students were exposed to

the names of the Indian dinosaurs ,types

of fossils and how fossils are formed by a

process of petrification through audio

visuals. Students used their senses to

explore the different fossils. There was a

demonstration of a volcanic eruption

that explained the formation of the

igneous rock. Students also witnessed

how fossils were excavated. Students

finally made their own fossils ( hands

on) which they could take back home.

Grade 1 Imperial Towers

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangralaya

Grade 4 enjoyed delving into this man-

made forest in the heart of Mumbai

and learnt about the biodiversity of

plants, insects, birds and animals on a

nature trail led by the forest expert.

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Students visited Chhatrapati Shivaji

Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in order

to understand their unit on civilizations

better. They learnt about the Indus

Civilization through various artifacts

and exhibits in the museum.

Grade 1Grade 4 Nature Park

Students of Grade IV and V visited

Dadar Chowpatty Beach for a beach

clean up drive

The students of Grade V visited the

Nehru Science Centre in connection to

their unit on Scientific Principles. As part

of the tuning in activity, the students

had to observe the various models and

experiments on display, making

connections to the branches in Science

and understanding the functioning of

each these.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangralaya

Cleap up drive Nehru Science Centre

733

From HILL SPRING INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL