Singapore International School, Mumbai Ready for the world. Ready for the future. An IB World School SIS Spirit 2010-11 Singapore International School, On National Highway 8, Near Dahisar Toll Post, Dahisar (East), Mumbai - 401104. Tel.: 022 - 28285204 / 05 / 06 Fax: 022 - 28285208 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sisindia.net The path to excellence is never walked on your own. Singapore International School, Mumbai Ready for the world. Ready for the future. An IB World School
Transcript
Singapore International School, Mumbai
Ready for the world. Ready for the future.
An IB World School
SIS Spirit2010-11Singapore International School, On National Highway 8, Near Dahisar Toll Post, Dahisar (East), Mumbai - 401104.
The path to excellence is never walked on your own.
Singapore International School, Mumbai
Ready for the world. Ready for the future.
An IB World School
A great jockey made it to the top.
But not without a champion horse, an experienced trainer and a visionary patron.
A great musician won the world over.
His thank you speech included an expert mentor, a visionary director and an international filmmaker.
A legendary batsman
broke records across the globe.He could not have done it without a perseverant coach, inspiring captains and motivating teammates.
A small town boy became theundisputed World Chess champion.
But not without a competent training partner, international exposure and excellent training technology.
Inde
x Head of School’s Message 1
Principal’s Message 4
Coordinator’s Message 5
Faculty Snapshots 9
Students Framed 19
SIS Spirit 2011 45
Beyond Textbooks 47
All School & Inter-school Spirit 59
Experiential Learning 73
SIS Sat Club 85
Celebrations @ SIS 87
Young Author’s Corner 105
Creative Expression 127
SIS ‘The Second Home’ 131
Graduation Day 135
Having become SIS learners,these students are truly
as our school slogan promises. Our studentshave a global perspective and they dream of achieving their ambitions on the global stage. The world needs their talent, energyand enthusiasm for change.
"ready for the world, readyfor the future,"
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For me and for all of us at SIS, saying goodbye can be exciting,
as well as sad. June at SIS is a time of goodbyes. The most
exciting and inspiring farewells involve our 2012 graduates,
many of whom are heading off to excellent global placements
in university programmes in the US, Canada, and UK.
After months and years of preparation to achieve their goals
and fulfill their dreams, parents and teachers, as well as the
students themselves, see the positive results of all their
efforts in the IB Diploma Programme. Having become SIS
learners, these students are truly "ready for the world, ready
for the future," as our school slogan promises.
Learning how to be a good learner at SIS has been a key factor
in helping these students to get admissions to top US, British
and Canadian university programmes. Our students have a
global perspective and they dream of achieving their
ambitions on the global stage. The world needs their talent,
energy and enthusiasm for change.
We encourage them to ask themselves, "What would I dare to
do if I knew that I could not fail?" Then we teach them that
setbacks may come -- and will come -- but that failure
happens only when we cease to learn and grow. Thus we
should keep on trying until we succeed. Our role is to guide, to
support their learning and to encourage them to choose goals
which are worthy of their lives.
Here at Singapore International School, our outlook is global
from the very start. We strive to offer the very best curriculum
from proven international programmes of the highest
prestige and efficacy, beginning with the unique South Asian
perspective and the high standards of the Singapore Ministry
of Education curriculum at the core of our Primary Years
Programme, continuing with the discipline, challenge and in-
depth study of the IGCSE (Cambridge) Board Examinations,
in Grade 10, and culminating in the International
Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the final two years of
the SIS experience.Our students love the variety of cultural
perspectives and the depth of teaching experience of our
faculty, which is highly cosmopolitan.Students can find out at
first hand about what they may expect when they go abroad
for further studies from their own teachers, many of whom
have studied and taught in foreign universities and have
themselves held prestigious fellowships like the Fulbright.
Our school´s vision is always global because from its
inception SIS has held strongly to the ideal of educating
students to take on roles of leadership and citizenship in the
global society of the 21st century. As our school graduates its
fifth cohort of IB Diploma Programme candidates and as our
Grade 10 students finish their IGCSE (Cambridge) Board
examinations, we are also putting in place the International
Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) for our
youngest students in Kindergarten through Grade 6, fusing
the inquiry-based programme structure of PYP with our very
effective Singapore Primary Years curriculum.
To explain more fully how we want students at SIS to learn, I
would point to the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. From
the youngest child in Kindergarten to the Grade 12 student
who is completing the IB Diploma requirements, every
student at SIS learns about what it takes to be an effective
learner through the characteristics ofthe IB Learner Profile:
A good learner is a risk-taker who knows that failure is just
another opportunity to learn and succeed. The path to
success is not always easy or smooth, but the hard spots and
challenges make us stronger and teach us a great deal about
ourselves. As risk-takers, they are eager to explore new
situations, ideas and strategies with courage, persistence
and independence.A good learner is an inquirer who knows
that good questions lead not just to answers, but to new and
deeper questions. The answers are provisional, always
dependent on our maturing and developing ability to
understand ourselves and our world. As learners, we all strive
to develop our innate sense of curiosity about the world. The
SIS motto: carpe diem (seize the day) is about using every
opportunity to learn and developing a questioning attitude to
life. A good learner is knowledgeable because of being
interested in learning about the whole world. At SIS we
encourage everyone to think globally -- not just in terms of
self-interest. We start from our local concerns and interests,
move out to learn about the wider implications and then look
for opportunities to act locally. "Think globally, act locally" is
an adage we embrace wholeheartedly. We encourage our
students to take a balanced and holistic approach in learning
about their world. Beyond the library, the laboratory, the
classroom and the computer screen, a good learner must also
learn kinesthetically, through physical activity & training and
Cultivating Global Learners for 21st Century Challenges
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learning who can do a great deal to help and support
them -- but ultimately, each of us must work
constantly to learn. I am immensely proud of the
community of learners at SIS. When students come
to see me, it is often to ask for some new or different
opportunity to learn, or to propose a new service
activity. Their faces and their voices reveal a passion
for learning that is the ultimate reward for any
educator. Through the years here at SIS, I have seen
this passion for learning, for sharing knowledge, for
caring and for service to others -- a constant but ever-
changing flow of students through our school & into
the world, of learners changing & challenging
themselves so that they can then change and
challenge the world.
We ask our students to "be the change you want to
see in the world." Are we asking too much of them?
Not at all! Every parent and every teacher has seen
the enormous potential in our children. They are the
hope of our world, the future we are shaping day by
day at Singapore International School.
artistically, through media & traditions of creative
expression. A good learner is a thinker who uses
critical thinking skills to tackle problems that may
have many dimensions. A good learner is also open-
minded and understands that other people may see
the same problem from differing perspectives,
diverse cultural backgrounds, and a variety of
concerns. Therefore, a good learner accepts and
understands that there may be many views of the
same problem and that we all learn from the ideas of
others who think differently from us. A good learner
also understands that ideas have consequences and
that ethical standards must be applied in exploring
ideas -- a good learner is principled. A principled
person does not learn just for the sake of curiosity.
Instead, learning leads to action, to make the world a
better place for all of us. A good learner approaches
such action with a sense of responsibility for the
consequences of actions undertaken, in a spirit of
respect for the dignity of others, with the aim of
building a world where principles of justice, fairness
and honesty prevail.As a communicator, a good
learner applies many skills to get ideas across,
including skills in more than one language, skills in
the creative & performance arts and skills in using
electronic media. At SIS, we encourage students to
explore all these channels so that they may express
their ideas with originality, creativity and genuine
individual strength. A good learner also understands
that collaboration with others leads to more
powerful understanding and communication. A good
learner is caring, shows empathy, compassion,
respect towards the needs and feelings of others. At
SIS, students provide help to rural communities,
work to protect and conserve earth´s precious bio-
diversity, look for many other meaningful
opportunities for service that can make a positive
difference to the lives of others and to the
environment. Finally, a good learner is reflective.
Teachers and students together take time to assess
what they have learned, to understand & build on
their strengths and to address areas of weakness.
They understand that teachers are facilitators of
study trips and foreign trips. We continued to see our
students strive for excellence, achieve laurels for
themselves and also make our school proud of them!
This year was also the time for reflection and looking
ahead as we completed successfully our 5 year IB
Diploma Programme Evaluation Self Study protocol.
This has helped us to look back on our 5 years in the
IBDP, self assess, evaluate and set targets for the next
5 years. I am happy to write that from May 2012 SIS
has also acquired the PYP candidate status which will
direct our inquiry based learning at SIS.
Around our term, weekly and day boarding
programmes we have built the SIS community spirit
which ties in with our four core value pillars - engaging
minds, touching hearts, dignity in action and a sense
of enterprise. The year we also bid an emotional adieu
to class of 2012 which was with SIS from its inception
day! We wish them all God’s choicest blessings and
hope they would be successful and ethical global
leaders of the future !
My heartfelt appreciation to our staff and parents who
are co-partners in this journey of educating minds,
hearts and spirit. This magazine is a reflection of our
spirit we cherish as SIS community, a reminder of who
we are, where we belong and what we value most.
My first year at SIS has passed by swiftly leaving a trail
of defining moments, challenges and successful
times, pensive moods, development of new
perspectives and setting of new goals. The year was
about “continuity, change, reflection and pressing
forward and this has cast its shadow on the 4th edition
of SIS Spirit.”
The school community supported and also adapted
well to all the new changes such as increase in the
staff and student numbers, “two home room teacher
concept”, adding of in house SEN teachers and
personal & college counsellors adding of new courses
for IB and IGCSE, the day concept, level based
teaching in second language, online reporting &
management system, comprehensive staff
department system, new format for inter house
competition, new assessment policy, integration of
technology in the learning process, starting term
boarding facility at SIS , new activities such as karate
and horse riding. The school has been really
galloping ahead!!
Coupled with the above changes, the sense of
continuity prevailed with our regular calendar of
sports, games & co–curricular activities, PTMs, open
house events, parent–student matches, SISMUN,
Confluence and Conquest which are SIS hosted inter-
school initiatives, co-curricular activities, CAS, IAYP,
UPD
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As I sit here pondering and reflecting on the past year… Friedrich Nietzsche’s words come to mind…
“Let that day be lost to us on which we did not dance once!”
Mrs. Meera Bhalla Miss Patricia Bailey Conway
What hits me straight away is the many firsts SIS has experienced.
Our first year with the two teacher experiment, the first International training on the Reggio Emillia Approach for the LPD teachers, using the Learning Management System, our first Spelling Bee, our first at the Kala Ghoda Fair, the first art workshop on folk art, our first portfolios being developed, Grandparents Day, clubs in Lower Primary Division, the butterfly garden we hope to see being visited before the year is out… All moments we dance to and will cherish.
All these and the regular ups and downs could be described as a year of consolidation. The class strength has been slowly picking up as has been the activities on offer.
We took the rain dance and kite flying events to the SIS fields creating a panorama of colour and excitement. The art experience at a workshop on M. F. Hussain at the Kala Ghoda Fair along with the exposure to the artist in the classroom and the workshop on folk art has helped create an interest in the arts and most certainly paved the way towards an appreciation of the creative arts. We hope to take this forward through workshops and viewing, thus sensitizing our students to the beauty and finesse required in moulding the citizens of tomorrow.
Our focus at raising sensitivity to issues bore fruit through the environment projects – ‘Saying No to Crackers’, the ‘Kids for Tigers’ programme, the ‘Recycle, Reuse and Reduce’ project and the environmental awareness survey that our little ones from Grades 1, 2, and 3 undertook. The outreach programme with our special friends from the Mobile Crèches was furthered through our book collection drive.
A big hit was the Grandparents Day with every child from the Lower Primary Division performing for the grandparents and sharing their day’s routine with them hand in hand.
The celebrations always our year’s highlight started with the Janmashtmi pyramid amidst dance and music, followed by the Independence day, Garba, Ramleela, Republic Day. The entire annual calendar interspersed with the festivals and occasion that offered themselves be it Teacher’s Day, Children’s Day, Diwali, Eid, Christmas etc. You will agree with me when I say that the Celebrations Project in December that included the Christmas Musical, the class wise displays, presentations and the children’s parade helped the children learn while they played, at the same time offering them the global vision that we are striving for.
The programme on International Mindedness spread over the year is empowering our students with a vision of the world and its graces.
All this did not take away from the academic focus; we worked steadily to cover all that had been planned on the academic front and more. Students faced year long assessments at regular intervals, the results of which we have been communicating to you an Eduberry (another first for our school).
The Annual Day was a grand culmination of a successful year. I can thus say with a content smile on my face
Ours has been a year of firsts; Many creative bursts.
Ours has been a year of learning; Winning, losing nevertheless striving.
Ours has been a year of celebration; Spreading the message of a world beyond the nation.
Ours has been a year of achievement; Understanding differences, needs, nuances of each moment.
Ours has been a year fulfilling, Memories, hues, experiences and sharing.
We wrap it up never to forget, A milestone important no matter where to we get.
The Three Rs and the ABCs of UPD
If you are a parent – or even a teenager – reading these lines, I ask you to try to remember the child you were at the age of eight or nine, or even ten or eleven or twelve.
These are the years of Upper Primary Division, Grades 4 through 6 and they are surely some of the best years of a person's life.
At SIS, the programme of Upper Primary Division aims to support each student's development – intellectual, social, moral, emotional and physical -- through this crucial period of late childhood.
Every lesson and every activity of the UPD programme is meant to support the child's growth, to encourage resiliency, reasoning and responsible behaviour, which we might well term the “three Rs” of UPD, since these qualities develop late in childhood and are essential to a successful transition through adolescence to adulthood.
Resiliency – picking oneself up and dusting oneself off after an unexpected failure, getting on with the business of living and learning in spite of inevitable
setbacks – is a quality that flourishes in our classrooms and on our playing fields. Teachers and peers respect sincere effort.
Reasoning – systematic thinking that challenges unsupported assumptions and probes for coherent explanations develop in UPD classes as students discuss and debate ideas, research to find answers to questions and communicate their ideas to others.
Responsible behaviour - is a challenge to all of us, always, at every stage of development. For the UPD student, responsibility acquires many dimensions, from punctuality in following schedules to honesty in following the rules of a game, from careful use of laboratory and sports equipment to the hard choices that must sometimes be made between doing as one pleases and doing what is best for others or for the group as a whole.
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Mrs. Vijaya Jegatheesan Mrs. Jasmine Madhani
As we come to the end of yet another academic year, all the events of the year along with the interactions between me and the students and those between themselves merge to form a collage of an image which feels like seeing though a kaleidoscope. The children on their journey towards growing up are developing certain attitudes, character, preference, inclination towards different subject areas and are starting to look at their career options. This is a stage where there are marked changes in attitudes & behaviour and each one out there is trying to master the set which will lead them to winning ways.
Also certain thoughts flit through my mind, thoughts about the student’s journey through school, after having spent five years at Singapore International School, I have now seen quite a few of the students from the time they started school at SIS to them growing to a stage where they are ready to embark on the future course of life as confident young adults. This obviously gives me great pride in the work that has gone in collectively to nurture the inherent talents in the students through the various platforms and the varied opportunities we have been able to provide to the students at school.
We have had several reasons to believe that as facilitators – the teachers have played the role of a gardener who prepares the soil, sows all the different type of seeds, nurtures & provides support to all his plants so that all may grow, flourish, blossom and bear good fruit. The beauty of a well tended garden is rarely seen in the similarity of plants, but rather in the glorious variety that makes up the lavish whole. We continue to take pride in the fact that – the conscious effort that goes into tending the youngsters under our care, helping them grow, blossom and reach a fulfilling maturity, where they will be global citizens of tomorrow. Nature does not aim for monoculture, neither do we, which is why we celebrate the efforts and success of our students in all walks of school life from academics, to sport, performing arts to public speaking, service to society to environmental awareness. As partners in this endeavour, we have encouraged students, wanting to spread the message to all the parents, to let the children grow up to be someone we will be proud of when they achieve success, fame and glory in their chosen area of life - to be there to guide them, support them and point them in the right direction - not to force upon them our choice, our vocation or dreams.
As Kahlil Gibran rightly said – “You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.”
We have believed in giving them the opportunity to develop skills through the MUN programmes in SISMUN, and the other MUNs that our students have attended. We are well aware that in the years ahead these students will be leaders on the global stage in their chosen profession. Bearing this in mind we help them in learning skills of etiquette through our ILEAP initiative to groom them as cultured individuals. Every activity has grown in magnitude in terms of the intellectual standards being raised keeping up with the changing demands of the desirable skill set among the students.
As in my analogy of the gardener who constantly
monitors the progress, the growth of his varied plants and develops ways & means to keep the growth constant & healthy, we constantly monitor the progress of your children and work towards maximizing their own potential. Towards this end we have introduced regular assessment schedule of which you are kept abreast of through our reporting system of Eduberry.
Every opportunity where the child needs help - whether to find his or her path, develop the morals required for a successful & fulfilling life, nurturing a child to develop a good social & spiritual quotient or choosing a right career -at SIS there is always someone a child can look up to. An in-house counselling team has come a long way in reinstalling the philosophy of giving individual attention and helping a child through the educational journey.
On the academic front I am happy to report that we have maintained consistently excellent results at the IGCSE Examinations. We have had several of our students get subject highest across the subjects.
Our distinguished team of subject experts, our teachers’, guide students at every stage be it academic or pastoral and this care continues to grow in strength as we grow in numbers.
The SIS Student Council – which comprised student representatives - has provided students to be a part of the decision making process. The student council has undertaken student led projects and has been successful. We swell with pride at the sense of responsibility our students have shouldered so well on several occasions.
In a nutshell, as we look at the end of an academic year, we continue to seize the day filled with endless opportunities hoping to see our students become ambassadors of the school’s ideals and values. As aptly stated by Eleanor Roosevelt – “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” – Our collective dream is to nurture a global citizen with good universal values while maintaining high academic standards.
School life is one of the most important phases of a person’s life; it shapes your future, your aspirations and your dreams. At SIS we try to ensure that enough opportunities are provided to the students for them to achieve all of these.
With the advent of the 2011-12 school year, the International Baccalaureate Program at SIS is really building on its success. What we started as a group of 28 students in the IB class of 2007, now grown to a total of 130 students in the IB Diploma Program for UD 11 and 12. These students are attending best universities in UK, USA, Canada, Singapore, as well as in India. This year one of our students, Rohan Sawkar, has earned the Global Undergraduate scholarship in the Business Studies program at York University, Canada. This is a full scholarship being offered to very few outstanding international students. On behalf of entire SIS family, I wish our graduating class of 2012 a success in all their future endeavours.
The school fraternity has worked with the students to help them widen their horizon in terms of understanding and interacting with people from different cultures, experiencing simulation of Model United Nations and staging plays that underscore the need to develop a global perspective. Again this year, our UD students visited US & China, to take part in the annual and rather prestigious, Harvard MUN & China MUN. During the course of their stay, they got an opportunity to understand the functioning of the United Nations as well as examine issues from the perspective of other countries. Their learning was further consolidated when our school hosted its SISMUN and we had an opportunity to interact with different schools from across India, thus enabling us to perceive our national affairs in an international and global context.
Besides this, the physically demanding International Award for Young People (IAYP) trips, undertaken by the UD students helped them understand nature and build physical endurance. It also taught them the value of team spirit and view nature as an integral part of human life. One of the students, Devika Gupta noted that, “I was amazed to see how little we need to survive and being close to nature is so refreshing, harmonising”. As an offshoot of this thought process we have now started to develop our in house butterfly garden and regular attempts tree plantation is zealously undertaken by our UD students as theirCAS activity.
One of the highlights of this year has been the staging of two in house productions, a play in English examining the ever changing, fluid identity of urban Indians and a play in Hindi probing the impact of globalization on Indian society. The two productions modelled on modern theatrical norms, using minimal props & dual dialogues, were engaging and enriching for the students at SIS.
The International Global Citizen Awards program was started last year at SIS. This year we had Silver and Bronze Awards recipients at SIS, who exemplify this international mindedness while being aware of our culture and practices. We devised a reflection sheet where students evaluated themselves under categories like understanding other culture, personal global footprint and working with others, with some interesting insights from students. I feel this exercise has helped them in developing tolerance & appreciation towards other cultures and this is especially desirable in today’s world as the world is increasingly interdependent.
All these achievements are possible because of the dedication, commitment and co-operation from the Head of School, Principal, Teachers and Students.I sincerely thank our faculty for all the help and support they give to each and every student at SIS and wish everyone the best for the next academic year.
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Facu
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Top Row:01. Aarya Patil02. Sabina Vashisht03. Muskkan M. Sayyed04. Evita Fernandes05. Sandra Monteiro
4th Row (Left to Right)47. Krushna C. Patnaik48. Damodar Agni49. Luz Maria Engineer50. Meena Pramod Patwa51. Pronomita Banerjee52. Aarya Patil53. Sangeeta Deshwal
54. Ana O. Landaverde55. Julio C. Landaverde56. Sonia Kedia57. Annapurna Udhalikar58. Jennifer Dsouza59. Neelam D. Mishra60. Flona Patrecia Tauro61. Dr.sreekala Pillai
62. Muskkan M. Sayyed63. Yogesh Patil
5th Row (left to right)64. Soumen Sinha Babu65. Kishor Joshi66. Goutam Sen67. Asha G Kumar
68. Patricia Bailey Conway69. Vijaya Jegatheesan
72. Jasmine Madhani73. Meera Bhalla
70. Kaisar Dopaishi71. Sharonee Mullick
74. Pritha Kumar75. Mukesh Gupta76. K G Vinodh77. Pramod Kumar Trivedi
0102 03 04 05 06 07
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Circle of Trust SIS Care
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01. Priti Shah02. Suresh Pawar03. Tilak Manral04. Lizy Varghese05. Som Bhola06. Sohan Singh Thiara07. Motiram H Devasi08. Shailesh S. Sutar09. Musharaf Laddha10. Keshardev Tokshiya
Prize Distribution for Spelling Bee and Story Telling
67 68
Sanctuary Club - Competition
Senior School Production -
A Play on Swami Vivekananda
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Confluence and World Economic Forum
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Malaysia
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HMUN (US)
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Rajasthan
Delhi - Agra
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IAYP Camp -Rajgarh
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IAYP Gold Camp -Mukteshwar
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IAYP Gold Residential Project -Saputara
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CAS
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Social Responsibility Act -Kids for Tiger
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Donation Drive - Diwali Sale
83 84
Shopping Expedition
A Visit to the Biscuit factory
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SIS
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• Golf
• Horse Riding
• Kick Boxing
• Taekwondo
• Techno Club
• Forensic science
• Sailing
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Independence Day
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Rain Dance
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Diwali Mela
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Holi
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Janmashthami
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Children’s Day
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My Magical Mom
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Christmas Musical
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Celebrations Around The World
Grandparent’s Day
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Navratri
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Kite Festival
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International Evening
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Workshop for Kalaghoda Festival
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Kalaghoda Festival Display by SIS StudentsWor
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If I Were a Kite
If Toys Could Talk
If I were a kite, I would be a dragon kite. My fire would burn other kites. My colour would be red and orange. I would go to Europe, Asia, and all other continents. I would see the Colosseum in Europe and the Taj Mahal in India. It would be very good to fly up in the sky and it would be fun too. I would burn other kites with my fire and I would be the only one to fly and soar high in the sky.
I would also be a kite that can throw ninja stars with led on other kites and throw fire balls on them. Eventually, I would get cut by the other kites and I would never get back to my old form.
Deep Goradia, Grade 3
If I were a kite I would be blue in colour and the pattern would be of a snake, so that I can scare everybody. Then, I would have a Bollywood or Hollywood star fly me, so that he would fly me very high. If I had luck, I would go to some other country like Rome or Egypt. When my kite would get cut, I might land in some rich person’s house and I would have so much fun. If I don’t, then I would have fun in the air.
The person who would fly me would make me a super kite and take me to space. In space, I would see the moon, the planets and the sun. But I would burn myself, so I would not go close to the sun. When I would come a bit lower I would have a kite fight.
Amey Panjwani, Grade 3
I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard voices! My toys are talking! I heard them saying, “Master, friend Rajat came yesterday and accidentally broke the engine of the car and lost the remote control of the car!” This was a nightmare! I pinched myself to check if I was dreaming. I screamed because this was real! My toys looked at me and said, “Hello!” I fainted. The toys were close to the sink and they threw cold water on me. My beyblades could talk only when they spin. My toys were saying, “Let’s have a cricket match.” My board game was playing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. My flame Libra was making a hole in the wall which goes to the bathroom! My toys were saying, “It’s very cold in here with the AC, on so let’s turn it off.”
Tejas Shivaraman, Grade 3
RainHumaira likes to get wet and play in the garden when it rains.
She also likes to see the frogs hopping from one place to another.
Humaira, KG 2
Moesha likes to see the falling raindrops.
She also likes to see the grey clouds.
Moesha KG 2
Ansh makes it a point to get wet in the rain and float the paper boats made by him.
Ansh, KG 2
What I like to do with my grandparentsI like to play snakes and ladders with my grandparents.I like to go shopping with them.I like to play golf with them.I enjoy listening to stories narrated by them.We have a great time when we all sit and watch cartoons together.
Kavya, KG 2
I like to sleep with my grandparents.I like to go out shopping with them.I like to play shopping games with them and also play in the snow.I enjoy swimming with them.
Maya, KG 2
I like to read books with them.We enjoy watching television together.We like to go out for walks together.They make jalebis for me.
They take good care of me when I am out with my friends.
Vedika KG 2
English
106
Floods in July 2005In the floods of Mumbai over 1000 lives were lost. People
were stuck in the water because the water came up to the
people’s shoulders. Thankfully, I was with my maid at home,
I was turning three, so my mother wanted to celebrate my
birthday. I hadn’t celebrated my birthday so my mother
went to Crawford Market to buy presents. Unfortunately,
when she was returning it started to rain and then it flooded.
I was scared so I tried to call my mother. She answered my
call and calmed me down. I was ok after that, until I realized
it was very late and my mother had not come. I panicked
and called her again and she told me to sleep. I fell asleep
and my mother came at 11 o’clock. My dad was in London
and his flight was cancelled because of the weather.
We were safe and alive by the grace of God but my heart
goes out to people who lost their lives and homes.
Reina Bhatkuly, Grade 4
All About Me!
On The Farm
My Super Mom!
My Favourite Toy
Spring Is Fun
My name is Archit. I live in Mumbai. I study at SIS. I am seven years old. I am a tall boy. My favourite movie is Iron Man. I enjoy going to the beach. I sleep with my brother.
Archit Sinha Babu, Grade 1
My name is Noella. I am six years old. I go to SIS. I enjoy playing badminton with my mother. My favourite colour is white. My mother reads a story to me every night before I go to sleep.
Noella Horo, Grade 1
One sunny morning my family decided to go to a farm. The first thing we saw was a pig playing in the mud. After that we saw a chicken hatching an egg. When we were going to see the cows grazing on the grass we saw a snake. The farmer said it was ok the snake will do no harm. Then we saw a bee passing by and a dog running away from it. We also saw a rooster. Finally it was time to go home.
Aishwarya Shivaraman, Grade 1
My mother’s name is Anupam. She is pretty. She enjoys cooking. She cleans our home. She is the principal of Tree House. I love my Super Mom!
Vaibhavi Parihar, Grade 1
One Sunday my sister got a toy cat for me. I named it Nina. It is white with a yellow nose. I always play with it. I made a bed for it. My sister and I enjoy dressing it. I carry it with me
sometimes when I go out It is my favourite toy.
Vibha Ranganathan, Grade 1
Spring is a beautiful season, flowers are beautiful in Spring. Easter eggs are seen. Babies come out from the eggs. There is new life. Spring is magical. Butterfly with colourful wings are there. Everyone likes to play and be happy in Spring!
Meher Kundu, Grade 1
KiddiesShubham: I like to play. I like to be a train or a car or a horse.
Mikeala: I like my school because it has everything, books and toys. I also like my teachers.
Anika: I like my mummy because she gives me milk and lets me play downstairs.
KG 1
107
The holiday of my dreamsMy dream is to go to Fairyland on a flying white horse. I would sleep and then play with the sweet flying horse. I would hear the frogs croaking and the bees buzzing. Then I would go back on my flying horse to my house and sleep again.
Tanisha Agarwal, Grade 2
I would like to go to U.S.A. on a jet-ski. I would fly in the air to my hotel room. I would swim in the pool, then I would go snorkelling. The thing I would want to eat is Chinese food. I would go to an amusement park. Next I would go to the sea world. I would have a Coke, go back to my hotel room and back home after that.
Shivank Menon, Grade 2
The holiday of my dream is to go to fairyland. I would like to go in a flying house. I would go with my two fish and my brother. We would meet a lot of fairies. My brother would see the king of the elves while I would see the queen of the fairies. In fairy land all the fairies would become our friends. The fairies would make me a fairy too. All the houses outside the palace would be so tiny. It would be a lot of fun, that I would not want to go home.
Ashni Sheth, Grade 2
Mumbai of my dreamsI like my city and it is pretty. It’s name is Mumbai. I live
in Mumbai. My family lives here, too. I wish it had no
traffic. I also wish it had no pollution in the sky. I wish it
had no beggars. I like my city to be clean. I love to live
here. I wish it had clean oceans and seas. I love my
Mumbai. So please do not spit and litter the place.
Rahil Nathani, Grade 2
I want Mumbai city to be clean and beautiful. I like this
city because there are lots of rides. I want Mumbai to
be very tidy. I want less noise pollution in Mumbai city.
I don’t want woodcutters cutting down trees. I want
the people of Mumbai to be happy. I like Mumbai
because it is wonderful. I want Mumbai to be the best
city. I don’t want animals dying. I will help Mumbai by keeping it clean.
Tanav Choudhary, Grade 2
Rain poemRain rain go away
Baby John wants to play;
Just leave some drops for the crops,
Let the sun come our way
So we can get a chance to play
Shivank Menon, Grade 2
At the beachYesterday I went to the beach. I went there with my family. I walked around the beach on the sand. I played in the water on a motor bike. I made a sand castle and later played a cricket match. I stayed there for an hour. I saw a large blue whale in the water. I found beautiful shells on the beach. I
had so much fun.
Vir Saraiya, Grade 2
Independence Day EssayTo be independent means not relying on another
or others for aid and support. For a country it
means not to be controlled by others or to come
under another’s authority or jurisdiction. It also
means freedom to express ideas to exercise a
free choice in security or voting for a party to
govern the country.
I can be more independent by getting a solid
education that will help me in work that pays
well. It will help me to be able to invest wisely.
This will make me have a solid self-esteem.
Being independent will help me discover and
understand my true potential and abilities. It will
help me to care about other people.
I will insist that every Indian gets a solid
education, which will help them to earn a better
livelihood. I would set up a good infrastructure to
help India progress economically. It would be
vital to help people of different religions to live in
harmony. I would extend all help to remove
corruption so that my country becomes stronger
and wiser.
Reina Bhatkuly, Grade 4
108
The lost Land of Jujania It was night when a boy called Alex looked out his window and glanced at the stars. He imagined what it would be like in space. As years passed, this boy glanced at the same spot, a planet unknown to man called Jujania. Alex wondered and dreamed what the star was called.
In school, Alex learned about the solar system and stars. He realized the star he always gazed at was fake. He was petrified. He rushed to the library after school and looked in every book about stars; he saw that the star did not exist.
Alex came home and all he thought about was the star. When Alex went to bed he gazed at the star. That night he dreamed about the star. He dreamt about a city on that star with floating cars, trains, and more. The next day he thought about the star for a long time.
He bought a telescope and went back home. When the star appeared, suddenly he felt a pull on his arms. That mysterious pull dragged him to the planet Jujania.
The queen of Jujania saw him and remembered an ancient scroll that said, “A boy from Earth will seek this land and be carried to Jujania to defeat the almighty king of horrors.” The queen picked up the boy and pulled him to her carriage, saying, “You, the chosen one, must be taken to the palace at once.”
The boy replied, “I’m not the one you seek, for I am a normal boy.”
The queen said, “ No. You are the right one. Now come with me to the palace at once.”
When they arrived at the palace, the boy was given weapons that would help him in defeating the almighty king of horrors. The queen told the boy the whole story of how Jujania had found out he was bad. The queen told him all the king’s strengths and weaknesses and he was set.
Alex had to climb many mountains to reach the almighty king of horrors’ den. When Alex came face to face with the almighty king of horrors he was petrified. He dropped his weapon and then carefully picked it up with fear.
Alex and the almighty king of horrors had a fight. They twisted and turned. Alex decided to use one of his weapons, the magic perfume. Alex sprayed the perfume on the king’s face and the almighty king of horrors fell into a deep sleep and snored away.
Alex carefully cut off a sample of his fur and then killed the almighty king of horrors. The king had blood dripping down his back. Alex watched his blood drip.
Then Alex returned to the queen. The queen was delighted and she gave Alex a medal, a big one and congratulated him for saving the town.
Grace Hendricks, Grade 4
109
The Sports DayOn 17th December we had our annual athletic meet. I was fresh
and ready for the race. I was nervous and the first race was the
obstacle race in which I took part in the heats. I came 4th but in
the final race I came 3rd. I got a bronze medal. The other races
took place. Then it was the march past and when that ended it
was our drill time.
We had fun doing the drills and Milin Sir had promised us that if we did our drills perfectly, then after Christmas vacation we would have a whole week’s recreation and we did well, as he said.
Then I went up to play football with my friends. I enjoyed kicking the ball into the goal and defending our goal. After few minutes I went down to the field because the gymnastic display was
starting. I was doing back roll and handstand to roll. In the
pyramid, I was doing chakkasan, in pyramid 2 I was sitting on
Aniket and Vraj like a horse, with Saheel standing on me, and in
pyramid 3, I was on Vraj’s shoulders while he was standing. I
enjoyed my sports day. I will never forget it.
Then Rahul and some big students did a boxing display. They fought with each other and kicked steel plates. It was my best sports day. I enjoyed my sports day very much and it is one of my memorable sports day.
Smeet Shinde, Grade 4
Acrostic Poems by Grade 4 StudentsBirds are beautiful
In the branches of the tree
Rome is the best place for birds, there
Domes are covered with birds
Dakshesh Bhattad
Rat is a small animal
And it has an enemy – that’s a cat.
Tumbling over cheese – there’s a rat!
Vidyut Baradwaj
H = herbivorous
O = our friend
R = responsible
S = smart
E = energetic
Siddharth Davda
Grumpy gorilla,
On the loose,
Ravage the whole city, will you?
Inspired by your primate-like cousins, the monkeys!
Like no other, you are so impatient
Lovely deep fur you have!
Always so impatient
Neil Ghosh
School Lesson I had fun during one school lesson with my teacher. She taught us decimals. I had a lot of fun. I was the first one to finish my math. If I got something wrong and Ms. Madhu was giving the answer, I would quickly change it.
When we were playing a quiz on decimals, I got the answers right . I was very happy. Then I was so happy when I came to see my test marks.
My lesson did not really turn out so well as I had expected, but I did try my best. I know I did. I hope I can do better. My teachers told me, “Whatever marks you get, they are good marks if you have tried your best.”
If I try listening more I might do better in my lessons. Though I was not so happy with my marks, now I pay attention in class. I know I will do better next time. So now I keep on trying.
I liked this because it made me pay attention so that I can do better next time. So now I keep on trying. I hope I do better next time. Who knows? I will keep trying on and on! I wonder if I will do better next time. I wonder. I really enjoyed doing this class. I really, really did.
Arundhati Kapur, Grade 4
110
Jantar MantarThe Jantar Mantar was started by Jai Singh in 1728. It took
five years to build it. Jai Singh built five Jantar Mantars in all
but the one in Jaipur was the biggest. Aurangzeb gave Jai
Singh his title of Sawai.
The word Jantar means instruments and the word Mantar
means formula or calculation. Jaipur was Jai Singh’s new
capital, built between 1727 and 1734. The first Jantar
Mantar was built in the Mughal Capital, Delhi. Jantar
Mantar was built using the materials in the local area,
namely stone and marble.
There are 26 instruments in the observatory. These are
made of seven different metals mixed together. The Samrat
Yatra is the largest instrument. Its shadow is used to tell the
time of the day.
The Jantar Mantar has people all over the world visiting it,
as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both astronomers
and astrologers use it to gather information. Thus we see
that the Jantar Mantar is a source of both material and non-
material heritage. We must therefore preserve it.
Arundhati Kapur, Grade 4
“Veni, Vidi, Vinci” Inter-School
Art CompetitionThe Inter-School art competition was held at the Sir
J.J. School of Arts, in South Mumbai. There were
about 175 children in total and I was in the middle age
group slot, 11-14. Our topic was ‘Something You
Really Like’.
My Painting
I painted a texture painting about ‘Urban Lifestyle’. I
used oil pastels and poster-water paints to paint my
picture. I drew highways and high rises with lights on
and the roads all busy to set the night time scene.
My Experience
I really had fun at this contest. Besides being in the
contest we got to do lots of things. Two of the
sculpture department students made statues for us
and we attended an award ceremony.
Tara Ranganathan, Grade 5
The Football Match We were at the football field and we played fastest
of all. We had a draw when we finished the match at
3:00 pm. We had a lot of fun. We also roamed around
the field saying that it was a draw, so people were very
happy and parents started cheering us. My mom
clapped and told me I was playing good.
Then after some time we had a new match and in that
match we lost, so I was very sad. I told myself I would
play better and win the cup. Then there was a rematch.
I was very happy and told myself that I would beat
them and win the world cup so we went into the
grounds. Then people were cheering us and told us
that we could win, so show your real power and then
play keeping in your mind that you have to win.
We made one goal and we were very happy so then we
started shouting. At last we won! People were happy.
They learned their lesson, we became friends and
never fought together. We were all very happy. This
was the end of the fighting.
Dakshesh Bhattad, Grade 4
111
Q.12
Q.13
I am grey
I live in the jungle
I trumpet
Who Am I?
I am green and slimy.
I can hop.
Who Am I?
Amrita Shivaraman, Grade 1
Q.04
Q.05
I am yellow.
I have black spots.
I can climb on tree.
Who am I?
I am red.
I am small
I walk in a line to carry food.
Who am I?
Mahima Shah, Grade 1
Q.15
Q.16
I am strong.
I am the king of the jungle.
I have a mane.
Who Am I?
I live in the ocean.
I have eight hands.
I am purple.
Who Am I?
Vaibhavi Parihar, Grade 1
Q.01
Q.02
Q.03
Black and white is my colour,
China is my home and bamboo is my food.
Friends, Who am I?
I love eucalyptus leaves,
Some people think I am from the bear family but that is not true.
The Mysterious Forest and the PrinceOnce there was a very brave, handsome and wise prince called Jonathan. He had one big problem. He didn’t have a princess. The king and queen were very worried about that. The prince searched far and wide but could not find a suitable spouse.
One fine day Jonathan was roaming about on his horse. After some time he entered the neighbouring forest of his kingdom which was unknown to him and which had been banned since many dangerous things like monsters had set up their lair in the forest. As he went deeper, he suddenly heard some voices and hid behind a bush. What he saw and heard totally shocked him. Two witches were having an argument about who will marry Prince Jonathan. Then the two of them went different ways with an unresolved argument.
The prince then tied his horse to a tree and quietly followed one of the witches. The witch knew she was being followed and led the prince to her cottage. She then turned around and asked the prince to marry her. The prince simply declined which angered the witch and then a duel started. They fought for quite some time; at last, the prince emerged victorious by slicing off her head.
As the prince sat down to take some rest, a small boulder hit his head and the prince fainted. When he regained consciousness, he saw before him a monster as terrible as Frankenstein. It shouted, “I hate to eat people when they are sleeping, so now get ready to be chomped up.” Jonathan immediately took his shield and sword out. On seeing this, the monster took out his thorny club. Then a legendary fight began. The monster blew fire and swung his club wildly. Jonathan didn’t attack, he only defended himself. He was waiting for the monster to make an error. That moment came quite quickly. The monster came close and tried to blow fire onto the prince’s face, but Jonathan ducked and chopped off the legs of the monster. Then he stabbed the monster’s chest.
As the prince got ready to leave, he heard a voice behind him and turned around. A huge diamond was lying where a dead body had been seconds ago. It said, “Hello, Prince Jonathan, I am a spirit that had been cursed to live as a monster. Now that you have freed me, I can grant you two wishes”. The prince replied, “I want a wise and beautiful princess. I also want you to clear this forest of all its hazards”. The wishes were granted and the prince and the princess reached home. His parents were overjoyed to see the couple and immediately started planning their marriage. The marriage was celebrated with a huge party to which everyone was invited. Then they lived happily ever after.
Rahul Sen, Grade 7B
No Turning Back...He was slowly inching his way to his post - the small,
old temple on the left of the narrow, conjested road.
Enshrouded with three shawls, a blood- stained
headscarf and a dead woman’s clothes, he dragged
his tired feet, dreading his near future.
He had no room for regret or sorrow. From up above,
ambushed and coverted, his fellow accomplices
watched him with their hawk-like eyes, observing
his every move. Even his best friends in the houses
above would shoot him if he turned and walked away
from his doom.
Resignation was his last resort. All he could do was
accept his fate as a suicide bomber and die, blown up
into a thousand pieces along with other innocent
victims he did not know personally.
Passersby did not recognize him as a man nor did
they notice the huge bulges in his body. He was
carrying about twenty wired bombs strapped to his
body, shielded under his clothes. As he made his
way across the road, the sirens started blowing. The
rally was approaching; the politician’s motorcade
was arriving. The terrorists above were preparing
themselves to shoot the guard cars, all replete with
black cats who had dedicated their lives to the
politician.
He was sitting near the temple on a small, dusty
bench, nervously waiting with every bone in his body
rattling. His friend’s laconic instructions made him
feel like a dummy. The cars started passing...
approximately fifty cars loaded with security were
confidently making their way through the busy
street. He flinched when one of the guards loaded
his rifle.
Finally, he saw the politician’s car arriving. Slowly, he
got up and pulled the veil over most of his face. This
was the crucial moment. With the detonator on him,
he pulled his finger near it, and then drew it back. His
lachrymose face was now ashen. He muttered a
small, comforting prayer and placed his hand near
the detonator again. The images of his family raced
through his head. His children and wife were all
oblivious to the reprehensible crime he was about to
commit. In the midst of all these thoughts, he
suddenly seemed to realize the uselessness and
futility of his act.
113 114
Mumbai – The City of
ContradictionsAn utter waste of a city! Confusion stalks its streets
and vain hopes live within the ones who call it
home...Mumbai. A local political turmoil, a vain and
underpowered attempt at the creation of what they
call the great city. The heartless men here live off
trickery and deceit and lost innocents are forced into
survival mode. One would go to extremes as to
calling this place a “life-ruiner”, but her natives call
it “home”.
One sees in this city, so compact and dense,
minorities and neighbourhoods forced together.
People here are interdependent, even though they
appear to be uncooperative. A slight twitch in
traditional ways sets off a wildfire like falling
dominoes. It is often as if strings interconnect all the
heads of the populace, and every time an individual
falls, he or she pulls everyone down with him or her.
This unique feature is not necessarily a negative
aspect. The men and women here share a close
bond, a bond so close that they surrender their
awkwardness and attitudes to fit in and feel
acceptance. Such is Mumbai.
The city’s structure is far from commendable. The
less urban are shattered and tainted with signs of
distaste left by testosterone-filled youngsters. As
for the more modern areas, it is far more bearable.
Significant changes can be observed if one were to
travel from Malad to town. One would notice how
the trash-filled streets would slowly disperse into a
more liveable choice. It would also be seen that the
buildings would grow considerably taller and the
roads considerably wider.
Unfortunately, the town has lost all its social
recognition. Back in the small and congested streets
of Malad, people still see each other’s faces; one
would see an aspiring young adult making his way to
work or a mother returning home with a bag of
vegetables to feed her children. However, in the heart
of the city, where the streets are large and windows
are tinted, contact is restricted to social networking
sites and mobile phones; no one sees the other’s face
anymore. It is astonishing how in the name of
progression, one abandons all one’s values.
Still, Mumbai is a city of great hopes. Warmth
radiates from positive souls here, and decisions are
respected. Trains are filled with many who are
content to have survived the day, and beaches are
shared by the ones who are hopelessly in love. Such
is the beautiful place we call Mumbai.
Vrishank Menon, Grade 9
Descriptive Writing – First EncounterShe Is Not the Queen of England!I sank into the worn, wooden Starbucks seat. “Be
calm,” I whispered to myself, “she’s only your future
sister-in-law, not the Queen of England!”
I looked around. Was I nervous? No doubt about it.
My nerves were killing me. Probably it was because I
had secretly arranged to meet with her, my brother’s
future wife. Somehow, the bustle of my surroundings
calmed my frantic mind. My eyes wandered around
the room. I caught sight of a lady wearing a peach
coloured silk shirt. It was just like the one I was
wearing when I had met with Jonathan (he’s a pretty
good big brother, so he flies in to meet me a lot). We
were in “The Hare and the Tortoise”, a modern
Japanese restaurant on Ealing Broadway, enjoying
bowls of steaming hot rice and teriyaki salmon. That
was when he had told me about Natalie.
I glanced at my watch. It was four fifty nine. I had
decided to be a bit early (we were meant to meet at
five o’clock), so I had been at Starbucks for exactly
fourteen minutes already. Just as I was about to
officially announce that Natalie had been late, I saw a
tall, slender figure, gracefully glide across the battered
wooden flooring, in six inch heels. I was mesmerized
by her aura. Her hair was a glossy, dark brown with
soft waves. Two flawlessly round pearls adorned her
ears, flattering her bronzed, tan skin. She wore a coral
cut-out sleeve shirt, dark skinny jeans, and leopard
print wedges. She did not seem as dull as I thought
she would be! After all, she did work for a bank.
She was closer now, almost at the seat opposite me. I
guessed she had recognized my face, as, after
scanning her surroundings, her face lit up, and she
smiled as she noticed me. She had extremely white
teeth! I could just about make out the colour of her
eyes. They were a shimmery emerald green,
partnered by long, charcoal black lashes. She
seemed perfect!
A split-second later, I found myself awkwardly
staring at her outstretched arm. She sported a
French manicure, a sign of high-maintenance. She
wore an undeniably enormous diamond ring on her
left ring finger… No prizes for guessing it was her
engagement ring! I always knew Jonno had great
Man and Horse to the Finish Line!Lined up, I could feel the sweat trickle down my spine,
the adrenaline kick in and my horse’s heart pound
against my right foot. The enormity of the competition
hit me like a bolt of lightning. My pulse was racing, and
I could sense even the slightest movement; everything
around me seemed to slow down.
I heard a distant shot and all of a sudden my horse
was galloping. Over the roar of the crowd, I could
hear the other riders constantly shouting words of
encouragement while spurring their horses forward.
I could feel their hooves hard against the brick red
track, sending jarring sensations up my spine.
Suddenly I was back at my training ground, galloping
round my track, and I could hear my coach shouting
just as I crossed the finish line, “Fifty seven point
eight two seconds! You can do better than that Nick.”
Words I had heard innumerable times in the past. All
that training, the early mornings, the blood, sweat
and tears boiled down to this moment.
I was jolted back into the ‘real world’ and to my horror
I saw that I was in fourth position. My stress
mounted further when I felt my horse slowing down.
“Faster Emanuel,” I urged, while digging my spurs
into his muscular flanks. “Don’t let us down now, not
after all that we’ve been through together,
The politician’s car was now just seconds from
arriving, but then there was a moment frozen in time
which made him think. He was looking the seated
man in the eye and the man was looking back at him.
He thought about the children and wife of the man,
his loved ones and relatives. He was just about to
obliterate everyone’s lives and his own at the push of
a button. This was ridiculous and he was being
treated like a tawdry dummy, gullible and easily
persuaded; now he regretted it. But now it was far
too late.
As the politician was at point blank range from him,
he stared into the man’s eyes. Everything seemed to
move so tardily... another moment frozen in time. He
wanted to be released from this hell. He realized the
terrible blunder he was in. What is the purpose of it
all? Nothing... Nothing... That was when he turned
around and began to walk away.
The men above, not wanting to lose the opportunity,
automatically pushed the detonator they had with
them and it blew him up. At the push of a button
every single person on the street was dead including
the terrorist. He was dead along with many others,
and he received no remuneration.
Riya Philip, Grade 8
taste in jewelry. Needless to say that he learnt from
me, and the countless times I had dragged him into
Tiffany and Co.
Waking myself out of my daydream, I shook her
hand. I was almost scared to touch it as it looked so
pricelessly delicate!
“You must be Amy!” she exclaimed with her radiant
smile. “I’m Natalie.”
“Yes,” I replied, “Jonathan has told me so much about
you, Oh, you mustn’t tell him about us meeting, by
the way. He’s not meant to know!”
“I most definitely won’t; no need to worry,” she
assured me.
She seemed lovely. My dubiousness was
unwarranted after all!
AmyJoy Hendricks, Grade 9
English: The Forgotten British Boon to the World
A quintessential global language should undoubtedly
possess certain characteristics. It should be easy to learn,
understand, speak and write; however, this list is missing a
vital element: most importantly, the global language should
be able to bring the world and its different cultures together.
This milestone has been achieved by an amicable British
gesture: the proliferation of English.
English has proven its ability to bring the world together not
by its universality, but by its versatility. The language isn’t too
culture-centric, and adapts to other cultures. Words and
phrases from various languages have been incorporated by
the Oxford dictionary: ‘déjà vu’ or ‘karma’. These words
would be challenging to paraphrase in English to enable their
universal comprehension. They have also made the world
aware of cultures it was previously indifferent towards. For
instance, the word ‘karma’ has sparked global interest in
Hindu mythology and Indian philosophy.
English has also been credited for its contribution to tourism.
In India, not only do most novelists write in English, but
businesses, hoardings, tickets and other socio-economic
factions incorporate the language. This enables foreign
tourists to visit the country and get a true sense of the culture
. Imagine all the texts around you being in a foreign language
that you can’t comprehend, and you will ironically
comprehend my latter statement! From conversing, to asking
for directions, English has been a boon for tourists and
economies worldwide.
English also undoubtedly hones the more orthodox
characteristics of an ideal global language: the ease of
learning, writing and speaking the language. It consists of only
26 letters of the alphabet, unlike the various Chinese dialects
each encompassing a few thousand characters. Certainly, a
monkey would prefer to write in Chinese, wouldn’t it?
Although Spanish and French have been adopted from the
same script as English, the monkey would have some
difficulties understanding the accents in these languages. The
language is also spoken by about ten times the population of
its country of origin, unlike the scenario with Chinese dialects.
Yes, the language does have some complications. Some
letters, for instance the letter ‘g’ in the word ‘thorough’, are
not meant to be pronounced. Yet, this is not as cumbersome a
concept to grasp as accents in Spanish where even the
direction of the accent makes a difference. Not only is this
tougher for the monkey to comprehend, but also for people.
Direction is vector geometry, vector geometry is math, and
math is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea!
The world’s most important language must be globally
acceptable and used. Good old deserved English has attained
this title and hopefully, shall retain it for centuries to come.
Aryaman Jalota, Grade 10
115 116
Reflections...Our school’s vision, “Ready for the World, Ready for the
Future”, is in sync with my thoughts as I move towards
completing my IB program. A distant dream which began
five years ago is now an inevitable reality. This journey has
had its fair share of twists and turns, but we have come
through it together as a class. Personally my experience has
been memorable to say the least. It has transformed an
uncoordinated introvert into a confident young man with a
hint of maturity and responsibility. While words are not
enough to convey my thoughts, feelings and emotions,
there is an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards all my
teachers and friends who have made my moments at SIS
memorable. The many teachers who have taught me for
varying time periods have each left an impression upon me
with their caring nature and diligence towards their work.
More often than not they have sacrificed their personal
interests to help me. Then there are my friends who have
begrudgingly tolerated my constant barrage of irritating
and out of context comments and yet been so nice to me.
Just for the record these were all my attempts at making
conversation about impersonal and academic topics.
Nevertheless, as I venture into the world outside, I leave SIS
with a sure understanding of my abilities and short
comings. This transition into reality is scary as I have lived
the dream here at SIS for five long years. Peace out.
Kanak Pansari , Grade 12
The True Face of Mumbai High rises
Offices
Malls at every nook
Cement roads
Fancy cars
There’s more to it than how it looks.
The slums
The hawkers
The crowd
The traffic The unplanned growth
There’s more to it than how it looks.
Beneath the roads lie potholes
Below the glass building a slum develops
Above the trains travel as many as inside it
Within the city exist parallel worlds
From beggars to big shots
There’s more to it than how it looks.
People from different strata of society
Live together but don’t
One’s boss is another’s employee
Yet they’re alike in many ways
The city isn’t as it appears
There’s more to it than how it looks.
Ananya Somani, Grade 11
” I implored through gritted teeth. As if in response, I
felt him pick up speed.
Almost in a blink of an eye, we surged past rider
number three and two and were inching closer and
closer to the leader. The finish line loomed ahead.
Our bodies seemed to move in synchronicity as if we
were bound together by an invisible force. Swiftly
and surely we gained on the leader. I continued to
exhort Emanuel and he responded by another burst
of speed that took us past the leader as we crossed
the finish line in a blur.
Almost immediately we were thronged by people
grabbing my hand and yelling congratulations as the
cameras flashed continuously. My mouth was dry,
and my heart was pounding hard against my ribs. I
felt Emanuel tremble violently beneath me. A sense
of exhilaration and pride rushed through me. We had
done it, we had achieved the impossible. I hugged
Emanuel; amidst the crowd, we had the moment to
ourselves. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down, boy,” I
ge igyh] nqljh vkSj rhljh d{kk ds Nk=ksa us feydj fd;kA
bl ukVd esa /kjrh ij lcus feydj ?keaMh tqxuw dks feydj
lcd fl[kkrs gSaA gekjk ukVd lcdks cgqr vPNk yxkA
pSu] d{kk & 5
IykfLVd
IykfLVd dk iz;ksx de ls de djuk pkfg,A
[kkuk IykfLVd dh FkSyh esa dHkh ugha ykuk pkfg,A
ckt+kj diM+s dk FkSyk ysdj tkuk pkfg,A
dqN pht+s iqu% iz;ksx esa ykbZ tk ldrh gSA dkxt+ dh iqucuh phtksa esa
;g fpUg cuk gksrk gSA
vjf’k;k vkuan] d{kk & 5
eNyh jkuh
eNyh jkuh] eNyh jkuh
cksyks rks fdruk gS ikuhA
dNq, HkS;k D;k crykš
lHkh rjQ ikuh gh ikuhA
eNyh ckgj vkvks rks
vkiuk ukp fn[kkvks rksA
dNq, HkS;k dSls vkš
esjk thou gh gSa ikuhA
[kq’kh tSu] d{kk & 5
ck?k cpkvks
gesa ck?k dks cpkuk pkfg, D;ksafd
ck?k gekjk jk"Vªh; i’kq gSA
ck?k /kjrh dh 'kksHkk gSA ;g Hkkjr
dh 'kku gS vxj ge bls cpk,¡xs rks
gekjh vkusokyh ih<+h vius jk"Vªh;
i’kq dks ns[k ik,¡xhA
vk’kh"k f=osnh] d{kk & 5
Hkkjr
Hkkjr I;kjk ns’k gekjk
lcls lqanj lcls U;kjk]
lkjs tx dh 'kku fujkyh
d.k d.k esa NkbZ gfj;kyh]
xaxk&;equk bldh 'kku
Hkkjr I;kjk ns’k egkuA
;’k rkEcs] d{kk & 5
esjh ek¡
esjh ek¡ gS cM+h I;kjh]
nqfu;k esa gS lcls U;kjhA
lcdk /;ku gS og j[krh
eq>s esjh ek¡ vPNh yxrhA
gj jkr eq>s lqykrh
vPNh&vPNh dgkfu;k¡ lqukrhA
cgqr I;kj eSa muls djrh
muds fcuk u eSa th ldrhA
fguy] d{kk & 5
igsfy;k¡ esgur ls eSa
dHkh u Mjrh]
dkuksa esa eSa
fVd&fVd djrhA
gSa] lcds iSjksa esa iM+rs
dHkh fdlh ls ugha vdM+rs]
tks mudks NksM+ dj Hkkxs
jkg esa dk¡Vs mldks ykxsA
tokc% ?kM+h] twrs
ns’k gekjk
ns’k gekjk] ns’k gekjk
LoxZ ls lqanj ns’k gekjkA
;s caxkyh] ;s xqtjkrh
lc gSa ,d fn;s dh ckrhAA
;s iatkch] ;s eæklh
ge lc HkkbZ HkkjroklhA
ftlds csVksa us lfn;ksa ls
/kjrh dk J`axkj l¡okjkAA
fgUnw] eqfLye] fl[k] blkbZ
lnk jgs gSa HkkbZ&HkkbZA
dksbZ ugha dj ik;k
ek¡ dh eerk dk c¡Vokjk]
ns’k gekjk] ns’k gekjkAA
Jo.k] d{kk & 5
ckfj’k
>e&>e ckfj’k cjls
fVi&fVi cw¡ns fxjrs]
xM+&xM+ ckny xjts
Ni&Ni [kPps [ksyrs
>e&>e ckfj’k cjlsA
fj;k Hkkj}kt] d{kk & 6
fefgj HkkyksfV;k] d{kk & 5
121 122
La diversité culturelle en Belgique – Cultural diversity in Belgium
L'île de BréhatL'île de Bréhat est le paradis des amoureux de la
nature. Les voitures y sont interdites. Ce n’est pas
étonnant puisque ses faibles dimensions permettent
parfaitement de la découvrir à pied ou à vélo. En vous
baladant, vous allez comprendre pourquoi elle est
surnommée l’île aux fleurs’…et pourquoi tant d’artistes
se sont inspirés de Bréhat.
Zeel Mehta (French Ab initio), Grade 12
L'île de SeinL'île de Sein - De toutes les îles de Bretagne, la
minuscule île de Sein, est la plus extraordinaire. les
maisons du village sont regroupées dans une petite
zone offrant un abri contre les vents. L’île de Sein a deux
visages: elle apparaît parfois accueillante et ensoleillée
et parfois il y a une brume épaisse ou un vent hurlant.
Zeel Mehta (French Ab initio), Grade 12
La Belgique est l'un des nombreux pays connus pour ses différentes cultures et traditions. Au Nord de la Belgique il y a les Pays-Bas, à l’Est il y a l’Allemagne et au Sud il y a la France.
Belgium is a country known for its different cultures and traditions. The Netherlands are located in the North, Germany in the East and in France is Southern.
Il y a deux régions en Belgique: la Flandre et la Wallonie. There are two areas in Belgium: Flandre and Wallonie.
Les langues: la Belgique, divisée entre Wallons et Flammands
En 1993, le royaume de Belgique devient officiellement un Etat fédéral, dans lequel coexistent deux communautés culturelles et linguistiques. Il y a trois langues officielles: le néerlandais (59% de la population le parle, essentiellement en Flandre), le français (40% de la population en Wallonie) et l’allemand (1% le parle en Flandre). A Bruxelles on parle français et néerlandais.
Languages: Belgium, divided between Wallons and Flammands.
In 1993, the kingdom of Belgium officially became a federal state, in which coexist two cultural and linguistic communities. There are three official languages: Netherlands (59% of the population in Flandre area), French (40% in Wallonie) and German (1% in Flandre area). In Bruxelles, people speak French and Netherlands.
Aryesh (French B SL), Grade 11
Mon ami
Il s’appelle Shrey Srivastava. Il est né le 13 juillet 2000 et je le connais depuis l’âge de 7ans. Il vit en Angleterre, dans une petite ville Harrow sur la colline. Il va dans une école préparatoire qui s'appelle Alpha. Il joue de la batterie. Il aime dessiner. Maintenant je suis en Inde et lui est toujours en Angleterre mais je me souviendrai toujours de lui.
Au revoir mon ami.
My friend
My friend’s name is Shrey Srivastava. He was born on 13 July 2000 and I have known him since I was seven. He lives in England, in a small town called Harrow on the hill. He goes to a school called Alpha Preparatory School. He plays the drums. He loves to draw. Now I am in India and he is still in England, but he will always be remembered by me, goodbye my friend.
Aditya Singh (French Foundation), Grade 7B
Zeel Mehta,(French Ab initio), Grade 12
French
123 124
Les langues régionales de France Regional languages of France
English French Euskara
Hello Bonjour Kaixo
Hi Salut Hola
Yes Oui Bai
No Non Ez
Thank you Merci Eskerrik asko
Good bye Au revoir Agur
Sorry Pardon Barkatu
L’interdiction du voile en France
The ban of the headscarf in France
C’est quoi la laïcité? C’est un principe, une loi qui a été votée en 1905 en France et selon laquelle la religion et l’état sont clairement séparés.
Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? L’église ne peut pas intervenir dans les décisions de l’état et l’état ne peut pas intervenir dans la vie religieuse. Théoriquement, c’est simple mais dans la vie de tous les jours, ça a crée une grande controverse sur le port du voile.
Est-ce que le voile est contraire au principe de laïcité ? En France, les signes extérieurs de religion sont interdits donc le gouvernement a interdit le port du voile à l’école.
Si les catholiques ne peuvent pas porter la croix, est-ce que c’est juste de permettre aux musulmans le voile ? Est-ce que le voile est une barrière pour se faire des amis ? Mais cette loi est-elle toujours positive ?
Ça inquiète les musulmans de France. A cause de cela, il y a des manifestations dans les rues et certaines jeunes filles musulmanes n’assistent plus aux cours.
Qui a raison ? Y-a-t-il une solution ou un compromis possible ?
What is the principle of “laïcité”? It’s a law voted in 1905 in France, according to which religion and government are clearly separate.
What does that mean? The church cannot interfere in the decisions of the state and vice versa. Theoretically, it’s simple but in everyday life, it has created a huge controversy regarding the headscarf.
Is the headscarf contrary to the principle of “laïcité”? In France, external symbols of religion are banned at school therefore the government has banned the headscarf at school.
If Catholics cannot wear a cross, is it fair that Muslims wear the headscarf? Can the headscarf be sometimes a barrier to make friends? Is this law always positive?
Muslims of France are worried. Some protest in the streets and some girls have stopped going to school.
Who is right? Is there a solution or a possible compromise?
Yash Bhagat (French B SL) , Grade 11
La puerta de colores.
The door of colors.
Mi primer color es el verde es el color de los árboles y la hierba,
amarillo es el color del sol y latón,
marrón es el color del bollo y el oso,
negro es el color de la noche y el cabello,
púrpura es el color de la pitahaya y la uva,
blanco es el color del arroz y la cinta de primeros auxilios,
rojo es el color de la rosa y la cereza,
rosa es el color de los labios y la frambuesa,
azul es el color del mar y cielo,
mostaza es el color del cielo al atardecer,
melocotón es el color de los dedos de los pies y nariz.
El mágico hechizo lo digo ante usted.
Ahora, por favor, escucha y abierta la puerta,
dejar el color del cielo reflejarse en mis ojos.
Meha Patel, Grade 7B
My first color is green; the color of trees and grass is,
Yellow is the color of the sun and brass
brown is the color of the bun and the bear,
black is the color of the night and hair
Purple is the color of the dragon fruit and grapes,
White is the color of rice and first aid tape,
Red is the color of the rose and cherry,
Pink is the color of the lips and raspberry,
Blue is the color of the sea and sky,
Mustard is the color of the sky at sunset,
Peach is the color of the toes and nose.
The magical spell I say to you.
Now, please listen and open the door,
leave the color of the sky reflected in my eyes.
Meha Patel, Grade 7B
La langue nationale de la France, c’est le français, bien sûr, mais vous entendez parler d’autres langues dans les régions. Il y a en effet six langues régionales principales: l’alsacien, le breton, le basque, le catalan, l’occitan et le corse. Il y a des émissions de télé en breton, par exemple, des journaux en basque et en occitan.
La langue basque (Euskara) et le français sont parlés dans le
Pays Basque.
French is the national language of France of course but you may hear some other languages in certain areas. Indeed, there are six main regional languages: Alsatian, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Occitan and Corsican. There are TV programmes in Breton for instance or newspapers in Basque and Occitan languages.
Basque language, named « Euskara » and French are both spoken in the Basque Country area.
Sudharshan Iyer (French B SL), Grade 11
Querida mamá,
Dear mom,
Hola! ¿Cómo está usted? Como está el clima ahora en
Mumbai? Es muy agradable en Nueva York y estoy muy
bien. La semana pasada yo tuve una cena informal con mis
amigos.
Yo decidí a preparar una variedad de platos de comida que
incluyen los platos tradicionales de India como “Kadhai
Paneer” y el pan que llamamos “Naan”. En adición preparé
algunos platos locales de Estados Unidos como el pollo y el
sándwich de jamón. La idea para preparar una variedad de
platos fue para disfrutar la gastronomía diferente de dos
culturas con más influencia en todo mundo.
Mis amigos que tú conoces, llegaron a mi casa a los ocho de
la noche. Tuvimos un tiempo muy agradable. También con
esta cena yo ahora tengo un buen conocimiento de la vida
social en Nueva York y sus características diferentes de la
vida social en Mumbai, India.
Tu hijo siempre,
Kanak Pansari.
Kanak Pansari, Grade 12
Hi! How are you? How is the weather in Mumbai? It’s very
pleasant here in New York and I am fine as well. In the
weekend that went by I had friends over for a dinner.
I decided to prepare a variety of dishes for the dinner. They
included traditional Indian dishes such as “Kadhai Paneer”
and “Naan”. In addition I also prepared some local American
dishes like chicken and ham sandwhich. The idea was to
make dishes gastronomically different of the 2 most
influential cultures in the world.
My friends, whom you know of, arrived at my house by 8’o
clock in the evening. We had a very pleasant time. Due to
this dinner I now have a better understanding of the different
characteristics of social life in both New York and Mumbai.
Your loving son,
Kanak Pansari
Kanak Pansari, Grade 12
Spanish
125 126
Mi día en el colegio!!Mi día en el colegio ha sido muy entretenido hasta ahora, eso es porque a mí me encanta el primer día del ciclo de la semana y también porque disfruté mi día con mis amigos y mis profesores.
Yo vivo en el colegio, entonces en las mañanas voy a desayunar y luego voy para mis clases, pero hoy cuando fui
a desayunar y fui a mi clase temprano, vi a uno de mis
amigos, lo saludé y empezamos a revisar nuestra tarea para
hoy y ver si teníamos las mismas respuestas.
Cuando entré a clases no me estaba sintiendo muy bien,
porque me dolía la cabeza así que me costó prestar
atención en clases (mi primera clase era ingles con Ms
Kara), pero si preste atención, entonces cuadro me empezó a sentir mejor fui a mi segunda clase que fue matemáticas y mi tercera clase que fue química
Después de mi recreo fui para la clase de arte mientras hacíamos nuestro trabajo la señora Mullick vino a ver lo que hacíamos, antes que ella entrara a nuestra clase, todos nosotros estábamos hablando y trabajando y cuando ella entró todos nos callamos inmediatamente y eso fue un
silencio muy extraño, después de arte fui a geografía y luego
fui a “ICT” y en esta clase nosotros creamos un blog para
nosotros mismos y eso fue muy divertido.
Después de mi almuerzo fui a español, y empecé a escribir
en este pedazo de papel.
Cuando español se acabó yo fui a C.C.A (deportes), y después de eso fui al campo del colegio y empecé a caminar con una amiga y mientras caminábamos empezamos a hablar.
Cuando regrese al internado fui a ducharme y después de eso fui a Tabasco (el lugar donde comemos comida chatarra).
En este momento he terminado de escribir en este pedazo
de papel (en el laboratorio de computación).
Te veo mañana mi querido diario.
Ashika, Grade 7B
A day in my schoolAs of now my days in school has been very entertaining,
because I like the very first day of my school and also I
enjoyed my days with my friends and my teachers.
I live in the school residence hence every morning I go for
my breakfast and later I go for my classes. But today when I
went for my breakfast and then my class early, I saw one of
my friends, greeted and we began revising our work of
today to see if we had the same answers.
When I entered the class, I wasn’t feeling well as I was
having headache and that was making it difficult for me to
pay attention during the classes (my first class was with
Ms. Kara). I started feeling better in my second class which
was mathematics and my third class which was chemistry.
After my break I went for the art class, while we were doing
our work Mrs. Mullick came to see what we were doing,
before she entered our class, we all were talking and
working but when she entered we were all quiet
immediately and that silence was very strange. After the art
class I went for the geography and then for ICT and in our
ICT class we created a blog for ourselves and that was fun.
After lunch I went for Spanish and began to write in a piece
of paper.
After Spanish I went for CCA and later went to the school
field and began to walk with a friend and while walking we
began talking.
When I returned back to my hostel I went for a shower and
later went to Tabasco (the place where we eat junk food).
Now I have finished my work in this piece of paper (in the
computer lab)
See you tomorrow dear diary.
Ashika, Grade 7B
Poema de amor
A love poem
Tú eres el diamante, que quiero llevar
Tú eres la flor, que quiero oler
Tú eres el libro, que quiero leer.
Tú eres la belleza, que quiero valorar.
Tú eres la persona, que quiero admirar.
Tú eres la estatua, que quiero moldear.
Tú eres la brisa, que quiero sentirme.
Tú eres la persona con quien quiero vivir
Tú eres el mundo en que quiero vivir.
Por IB 11 Español Ab-initio
You are the diamond, which I want to wear
You are the flower, which I want to smell
You are the book, which I want to read
You are the beauty, which I want to value
You are the beauty, which I admire.
You are the statue, which I want to carve
You are the breeze, which I want to feel
You are the person with whom I want to live
You are the world in which I want to live.
By IB 11 Spanish Ab-initio
ActividadesYo me miro en el espejo
Tú escribes en el cuaderno
Nosotros trabajamos en oficina
Ella estudia en clase
El lee el periódico
Yo conjugo los verbos
Yo hago helado
Tú respondes a la profesora
Yo vivo en Mumbai
Tú tienes muchos pasteles
Ellas hablan español
Ellos escuchan música
Yo preparo pastel
Yo canto muy bien
Aliya, Grade 6
Activities1- I look at myself in the mirror
2- You write in the notebook
3- We work in office.
4- She studies in class
5- He reads the newspaper
6- I conjugate the verbs
7- I make ice- cream
8- You replay to the teacher.
9- I live in Mumbai
10- You have many cupcakes
11- They speak Spanish
12- They listen to music
13- I prepare a cake
Aliya, Grade 6
Mi rutina.
Mi rutina.
*Primero en la mañana yo me cepillo mis dientes y me pongo el
uniforme. Después como fruta y tomo café en el desayuno luego, voy
en el carro a mi escuela. Más tarde yo estudio en clase inglés, español
y matemáticas.
*Yo almuerzo a las 11:30. Cuando la hora de almuerzo termina yo tengo
clase a las 12:10 y luego tengo deportes (CCA) a las 12:50. Al final yo
tengo dos clases más y luego voy a casa a las 4:00 de la tarde.
Tara, Grade 5
*First in the morning I brush my teeth and wear my uniform. Later I eat
some fruits and drink coffee for breakfast then I go by car to my school
later on I study in class English, Spanish and mathematics.
*I have lunch at around 11:30 when the lunch period is over I have a
class at 12:10 after I have CCA class at 12:50. At the end I have two
more classes after that I go home at around 4:00 in the afternoon.
Tara, Grade 5
Mi horario
My routine
Por la mañana me levanto a las 6 de la mañana,
me ducho, me pongo el uniforme de mi escuela.
Mas tarde como mi desayuno, luego tengo clases
y después nosotros vamos a comer el almuerzo a
las 11:30 de la mañana, después del almuerzo
tenemos otra clase, cuando termina vamos a
jugar en el jardín. Al final tenemos dos clases más
y luego nosotros nos vamos a casa donde
descansamos mucho.
Aneesh Rohira, Grade 4
In the morning I get up at 6 am, have a bath, wear
my school uniform. Later I eat my breakfast, later
have class and lateron all of us have lunch at 11:30
am, later after lunch we have one more class,
when this is finished we go to play to the garden.
At the end we have two more classes and then go
home where we relax very much.
Aneesh Rohira, Grade 4
127 128
Opinión personal sobre “Una vida saludable”
Views about “Healthy life”
Creo que la vida sana es necesaria para tener la vida activa. Para lograr la meta hay que seguir un régimen. Debemos seguir un horario de alimentación adecuado y ejercicios.
Una dieta equilibrada es muy importante para vivir una vida saludable. Hago ejercicio todos los días con el fin de mantenerme en forma. Me levanto por la mañana y hago yoga, bebo mucha agua y jugos para no deshidratarme. Por la mañana, para mi desayuno, tomo muchas frutas, cereal y tomo un café.
Para el almuerzo, tengo ensaladas y pescado. El pescado es muy bueno para una vida saludable. Pienso que una dieta equilibrada es muy importante para todo el mundo. En mi tiempo libre, me gusta leer libros y también me gusta tomar un poco de jugo de frutas. En mi opinión, hay que beber mucha agua. No prefiero la carne roja porque tiene mucha grasa. Me gusta comer las nueces por la mañana, ya que es bueno para nuestro cerebro. Me gusta comer zanahorias ya que son muy buenos para nuestros ojos. También me gusta beber jugo de tomate, ya que es bueno para la circulación de la sangre.
En mi opinión, todo el mundo debería tratar de seguir una vida sana y una dieta equilibrada. Porque una vida equilibrada es necesaria para vivir saludable.
Hacer ejercicios es muy importante para una vida sana.
Shruti, Grade 11
I think that healthy life is required for active. In order to achieve this goal one has to follow a diet. We must follow an appropriate routine for food and exercise.
A balanced diet is very important for a healthy life. I do exercises everyday in order to stay fit. I get up in the morning and practice boat, drink a lot of water and juices so that I don’t get dehydrated. For my breakfast in the morning I eat fruits, cereals and drink coffee.
For my lunch I eat salads and fish. Fish is very good for a healthy life. I think that a balanced diet is very important for everyone in the world. In my free time I like to read and also like to drink some fruit juices. In my opinion one has to drink a lot of water. I don’t prefer red meat as it contains a lot of fat. I like to eat nuts in the morning as it is good for our brains. I like to eat carrots as they are good for our eyes. I also like to drink tomato juice as it is good for blood circulation.
In my opinión everyone in the world must follow a healthy life and a balanced diet. A balanced life is necessary for a healthy life.
Exercising is also important for a healthy life.
Shruti, Grade 11
En una sociedad que convive con el miedo, la solución más fácil sobrevivir como cobardes.
The easiest solution is to survive like a coward in a society which lives with fear
Estoy de acuerdo con el punto de visto de la frase. Es siempre más fácil sobrevivir como cobardes pero eso no puede resolver el problema, solo va a aumentarlo. En mi opinión, en una sociedad que convive con miedo, la gente necesita ser valiente y luchar por sus derechos. Aunque ellos les faltan es importante que no vivan con el miedo. Creo que cuando alguien vive con el miedo no sabe sus límites y se acepta el dolor sin límites porque se piensa que es más fácil. No es sano convivir con el miedo. Al contrarío nosotros pensamos y sentimos, juntos. En una vida es más difícil vivir con el miedo porque es difícil hacer algo cuando solo se puede pensar en sus miedos y no pensar nada más. Yo pienso que la gente le parece que es más fácil vivir como cobardes pero no se puede ver los efectos y las consecuencias de vivir como cobardes. También muchas veces los matones son matones porque piensan hay sola una opción de vivir, y es como los cobardes. Es posible mantener un equilibrio entre el cobarde y el matón. Con este equilibrio alguien puede vivir sin miedo y eso es más fácil que todas otras opciones.
Manasi Goel, Grade 11
I agree with this point of view. It is always much easier to live like a coward but it cannot solve the problem as the problem will only increase. In my opinion a society that lives with fear, people need to more courageous and fight for their rights. It is important not to live with fear. I think that when one lives with fear they don’t know their limits and just accept the pain as they think it is much easier. It is not healthy to live with fear. On the contrary we think and feel it together. In a life it is more difficult to live with fear and not think much. I think that the people find it to be easier living with fear without understanding effects and consequences of living like a coward. Also many a times the victim(bully) think that there is only one option to live and that is like a coward. It is possible to strike a balance between a coward and a bully. With this balance someone can live without fear and that would be easier than other options.
Manasi Goel, Grade 11
Holi y Tomatina
Holi and Tomatina
Buenos días:
Os presento la fiesta de Holi en India y la fiesta de Tomatina en España. Voy a contar las semejanzas entre las dos fiestas. Se celebra la Tomatina cada ano en la ciudad de Buñol de Espana. Para la fiesta ellos piden más que cien toneladas de tomates. También la fiesta está más conocida como la lucha más grande del mundo de los alimentos. Una semana antes de la fiesta también empieza la fiesta de música y baile en las calles de Buñol. Y un día antes por la noche hay un concurso de Paella.
El dia de la fiesta aproximadamente 30.000 a 40.000 mil personas viene de todas las partes para participar en la gran lucha. Empieza la fiesta a las 11:00 de la mañana. Los tomates vienen de la provincia de Extremadura que es famosa por los tomates y también son baratos.
Al contrario Holi que también se llama fiesta de colores se celebra en todas las partes de la India. Se está celebrado en Braj, una provincia en el norte de India. Es el lugar de nacimiento de Dios Krishna.
En lugar de tomates las gentes juegan con polvos de colores y a veces colores mojados en agua.
Un dia antes ellos queman “Holika” y las gentes bailan y cantan. Y con Holi llega la estación de primavera. Ese día los amigos y los parientes se abrazan. Las casas preparan diferentes tipos de dulces.
Shruti, Grade 11
Good Morning,
I would like to present to you all the festival of Holi in India and the festival of Tomatina in Spain. I will narrate the similarities between the two festivals. The festival of Tomatina is being celebrated very year in Buñol, Spain. Hundred tons of tomatoes are required for the festival. The festival is also known as the biggest fight in the world for food. A musical and dance fest begins a week before the festival in Buñol. And a day before there is a Paella contest.
On the day of the festival 30,000 to 40,000 comes from all parts come and participates in this great fight. The tomatoes are brought from the Extremadura province of Spain which is famous for tomatoes and it is cheap.
On the contrary the festival of Holi is also called as the festival of colours in all parts of the world. It is celebrated in Braj, in the northern province of India. It is birth place of Lord Krishna.
A day before they burn “Holika”, people sing and dance. The
Más que un lugar (More than one place)
P
P
erú es un país ubicado en Sudamérica. El nombre “Perú” viene del quechua y aimara (lenguas nativas del Perú) “Piruw”. Pero Perú es más que su nombre en quechua, Perú es un sentimiento, es una pasión. Perú para mí y 30 millones de personas mas es llevar la blanquirroja (la bandera de Perú es rojo, blanco, rojo) en el corazón. Es cantar y sentir el himno nacional. Perú es muchas cosas. Lo más importante de Perú es su cultura. La cultura peruana viene desde hace miles de miles de años con Caral, la primera ciudadela en las arenas de Sucre. Luego vinieron los Mochicas, Virus, Waris, Chachapoyas (Culturas peruanas antes de la conquista de los incas) y al final los Incas. Los Incas hicieron florecer la cultura peruana con Machu Picchu, sus andenerías, los quipus y sus templos. Pero Perú sigue siendo más que sus culturas. En Perú existen tres zonas geográficas la costa, la sierra y la selva. Esas tres zonas enriquecen la cultura general peruana y hacen que el país sea multicultural
eru is a country located in South America. The name "Peru" comes from the Quechua and Aymara (native language of Peru) "Piruw". Peru is more than its name in Quechua, Peru is a feeling, is a passion. Peru for me and 30 million people is to have blanquirroja (the Peruvian flag is red, white, and red) in the heart. When you sing the national anthem, you are feeling every word. Peru is many things, most important of Peru's culture. Peruvian culture is thousands of years old with thousands of Caral, the first citadel in the sands of Ica. Then came the Moche, Virus, Waris, Chachapoyas (Peru Cultures before the conquest of the Incas) and finally the Incas. The Incas flourished the culture with Machu Picchu, its terraces, quipus (Incan method for counting) and their temples. But Peru is still more than their cultures. Peru has three geographical areas the coast, highlands and jungle. These three areas Peruvian culture enrich and make the country is multicultural
spring season comes with Holi. That day friends and relatives embrace each other. Different sweet dishes are prepared in each house.
Shruti, Grade 11
129 130
U
O
na de las zonas de Perú es la costa. En la costa
encontramos una variedad de danzas, comidas y música.
Los bailes tradicionales de la costa son la marinera norteña
y el festejo. La marinera norteña es un baile donde la mujer
coquetea con el hombre de una manera delicada y muy
femenina. Las mujeres que bailan marinera se visten con
unos vestidos largos, con bordados y en la mano llevan un
pañuelo blanco. El cabello normalmente lo llevan trenzado
y danzan descalzas. El hombre se viste con un terno y
utilizan una correa de textiles nativos. Llevan un gorro de
paja en la cabeza y el pañuelo blanco en la mano. A veces el
hombre puede estar montando un caballo mientras baila y
bailan con el caballo. Fue creado en 1789 en honor de de la
Marina Peruana de Guerra. El festejo es un baile entre
parejas en el que los movimientos son fuertes sobretodo en
la zona pélvica y el estómago. El festejo es típico de la zona
de Ica al sur del país. Lleva mucha percusión, como el cajón,
las cucharas y la quijada de burro. Este baile también es
conocido como baile afro-peruano porque floreció en la
época de la esclavitud africana en Perú. La vestimenta de
esta danza es normalmente de colores rojos y blancos por
la bandera de Perú. Otra danza importante de la costa es el
vals peruano. Este es el vals vienés con influencia de los
instrumentos típicos peruanos como la guitarra, el cajón y
las cucharas.
ne of the areas of Peru is the coast. On the coast we find a
variety of dances, food and music. The traditional dances of
the northern coast are the “Marinera” and “Festejo”. The
“Marinera del Norte” is a dance where the woman flirts with
the man of in a gentle and very feminine way. The woman
dancing wears long dresses with embroidery and in her
hand carries a white handkerchief. Her hair usually braided
they follow his lead him barefoot. The man wears a suit and
uses a native textile strap. He wears a straw hat on his head
and a white handkerchief in his hand. Sometimes the man
may be riding a horse while dancing and dance with the
horse. It was created in 1789 in honor of the Peruvian Navy
War. The “Festejo” is a dance between couples in which the
movements are strong especially in the pelvic area and
stomach. The “Festejo” is typical of the area of Ica, south of
the country. It has lots of percussion, as the “Cajon” (a
hollow box, with a hole in the middle), spoons and “Quijada
de burro”. This dance is also known as Afro-Peruvian dance
because it flourished in the era of African slavery in Peru.
The costume of this dance is usually red and white for the
Peruvian Flag. Another important dance is the waltz from
Lima. This is the Viennese waltz with the influence of
typical Peruvian instruments the guitar, Cajon and spoons.
Otra de las zonas de Perú es la sierra. El baile típico de la
sierra se llama huayno y hay muchos tipos de huayno. Esta danza está desde los tiempos del Imperio incaico (Tahuantinsuyo). Los instrumentos que se utilizan en esta danza son la quena, el arpa, la guitarra, el violín y el charango. Pero en sí, lo más importante de la sierra es Machu Picchu en Cusco. Machu Picchu viene del nombre del quechua sureño “Machu Pikchu” que significa “Montana Vieja”. Es mundialmente conocida como el Santuario Histórico de Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu es una ciudadela incaica, hecha totalmente de
piedras. Esta ciudadela es una de las maravillas del
mundo, y el año pasado celebró 100 años de su re-
descubrimiento por Hiram Bingham el 24 de julio de
1911. El fue guiado a Machu Picchu por unos nativos
cusqueños que le enseñaron la ciudadela. Machu
Picchu es uno de los lugares turísticos más importantes
del Perú, ya que es una ciudad hecha totalmente en
piedra por los Incas y fue la residencia del primer
emperador Inca, Pachacútec. Machu Picchu es impresionante porque es una ciudad construida totalmente de piedras en medio de montañas. Si escalas las montañas puedes tener una vista total de Machu Picchu. El día 7 de julio del 2007 fue considerada una de las Maravillas del Mundo, y en el Perú ese mismo día se celebra el "Día del Santuario Histórico de Machu Picchu, Nueva Maravilla del Mundo",
La última zona de Perú es la selva. En la selva peruana, las
danzas tradicionales de la selva son alegres y coloridas.
Una de las danzas de la selva es la “Amuesha” que es una
danza guerrera. Esta danza se baila al son de los tambores,
maracas, bombo y quenillas. Esta es la danza de la
comunidad nativa Yanusha. Las danzas de la selva
representan su vida el día a día de diferentes maneras. La
fauna selvática muy es diversa y se divide en la selva alta y
selva baja. En la selva alta encontramos mamíferos,
reptiles y aves. Entre los mamíferos que encontramos
están monos, osos de anteojos y el tapir. Los reptiles son
mayormente serpientes y lagartijas. Las aves son el gallito
de las rocas, los tucanes, picaflores y los pilcos. El gallito de
la selva es el ave nacional del Perú, que vive en las zonas
rocosas del país. La selva baja tiene el 50% de fauna del
Perú. Entre las aves encontramos al pájaro carpintero, el
guacamayo y el águila harpía entre algunas. Entre los
