AUGUST SCHOOL NEWS

SCHOOL IN ACTION

Singapore National Day Celebrations The 49th National Day celebrations of Singapore were held on August 8, at the L.M Singhvi Stadium. A special assembly was conducted in the morning in which students from Kindergarten and Classes 1 - 10 participated. In line with the National Day spirit, the entire school was dressed in red and white. The celebrations commenced with the flag hoisting by the Principal. Lavanya .S of Class 6 delivered a speech highlighting the progress of Singapore from a fishing village to a modern metropolis, which was followed by the Principal’s address. The programme concluded with the presentation of National day cards to the Principal by our Level Co-ordinators. These cards were prepared by the SEWA volunteers of Classes 6 and 7. Beautiful cards prepared by senior students were also presented to our Kindergarten students. 20 students of Class 5 went to BGPS to be a part of Singapore National Day celebrations. The theme was, ‘our people our home’. Our students were taken to the parade ground where they saw the march past, sang the national anthem and recited the pledge. BGPS students also presented a skit reminiscing Singapore’s Independence. Beautiful performances like Angklung performance, skit, quiz on Singapore, Malay dance and community singing led by the school choir were put up. Google Plus Link

Indian Independence Day Celebrations The 68th Indian Independence Day celebration s were held on August 14 at Dr. L.M. Singhvi Stadium. The programme commenced with the flag hoisting by the Principal, which was followed by march past by the students of Classes 7 and 8. The school choir filled the air with the rendition of two patriotic songs. A well co- ordinated drill was presented by students of Classes 4 - 6. Yaashi Khatri of Class 8A delivered a speech emphasising the contribution of our freedom fighters. Nandini Joshi of Class 7C highlighted the achievements of India post- Independence. Our tiny tots from kindergarten presented themselves as freedom fighters like Rani Lakshmibai, Jawaharlal Nehru etc. A dance group presented a beautiful dance on a peppy bhangra beat. The programme concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by our Junior Head boy Kevin Rodrigues. Google Plus Link

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Indian Independence Day Celebrations – The High Commission of India On August 15, 15 students and Dance Teacher Ms. Srabonti Haldar entered the gates of The High Commission of India savouring the fragrance of patriotism all around. The High Commissioner of India to Singapore, Ms. Vijay Thakur Singh with her team had organised a grand event to host more than 700 Indians who dutifully attended the 68th Independence Day celebrations. At the stroke of 9.00am the Indian Flag was unfurled amidst the proud recitation of Jana-Gana-Mana. The programme commenced with the President’s message to the Nation being read out. This was followed by a gamut of diverse colourful events. GIIS East-Coast inaugurated the show with Shiva Tandav Stotram Nritya - a beautiful composition to which our very talented students performed a graceful jugalbandi of Kathak and Odissi dance forms. It was greatly appreciated and the excellent performance by all our dancers evoked a sense of immense pride. The entire programme was a huge success with children from other Indian schools performing to melodious patriotic songs and singing our evergreen desh -bhakti songs. They were later served scrumptious breakfast with the highlight being the delicious tri-colour cake. It was a memorable day that left an indelible mark in the minds of our performers. The students felt privileged for having represented our school in the prestigious HCI grounds, on the most important day of the year - a small tribute to our majestic and mystical nation. Google Plus Link

Dahi Handi Celebrations On the occasion of Matki Phor on August 18, students made pyramids and with great enthusiasm broke the dahi handi which was tied at a convenient height. Google Plus Link

Open House The Open House was held on August 23, at the East Coast Campus from 11.00am to 1.00pm. Various booths were set up to familiarize the guests with the different curricula offered by our school. The booths also showcased various projects, worksheets and workbooks etc. which are done by the students as a part of their class activities. It commenced with a presentation by Ms. Shyla Menon, the IGCSE Academic Co-ordinator, who gave an overview of the school curricula. Ms. Rema Rajiv, our Kindergarten Co-ordinator briefed the parents on the Global Montessori Plus Programme.

Kindergarten students did a presentation on the monthly theme, colour, concepts, second language and some ‘green songs’. Students from the lower primary class presented ‘Show and Tell’. They used props which were made out of recycled material. Students of Class 8 presented their ARC entitled ‘Render the Path of Future’. The stage programme concluded with a dance performance by Class 3 students. The Open House provided an opportunity for our guests to witness our holistic approach to academics and acquaint themselves to the various curricula offered by our school. Google Plus Link

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Kindergarten Annual Day The event was graced by Guest of Honour, Mrs. Piu Lahiri, President of the Indian Women’s Association (IWA). This year’s Annual Day, brought along ‘The Golden Touch’, a story synonymous with that of the ancient King Midas with a twist. Featuring King Wangchuck of Timbaktu, the story epitomized the consequences of greed when he was confronted by a Genie granting him a wish. Upon wishing for everything he touched to turn to gold, King Wangchuck made the fatal mistake of embracing his daughter who turned to a golden statue due to a spell cast on him. To redeem himself of his avarice, King Wangchuck embarked upon a journey with his golden daughter to the most exotic places on the planet, counting on her happiness to absolve himself.

A story of moral value, the kindergarten students succeeded in entertaining and educating their parents and the spectators. It was indeed a visual delight to witness the colourful dances and flashy costumes on stage. All the hard work put in by the students and teachers was evident and did indeed pay off. Google Plus Link

Classes 1 and 2 Annual Day Classes 1 and 2 presented their Annual Day on Saturday, August 30. Guest of Honour, Mr. K.V. Miyapan, CEO, Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) graced the event. Cultural Potpourri enraptured the audience with its journey from the Deep Dark Woods to meet ‘Little Red Riding Hood ’ to the musical fantasy ‘Cinderella’. Our own Barbie Band and Taka Dhimi Taa, the Percussion fusion band performed live on stage captivated the audience. The dance and music performances beautifully expressed various forms - tribal dance, K-pop, Indo Western, Ballet, Bharatanatyam, Peacock Dance etc. The assemblage was enthralled with Circus Royale - the spectacular show of balance, agility and motor co-ordination. The vibrant costumes added to the picturesque description of the various performances. It was a celebration of the passion, excitement and the long hours with which our students, teachers and support staff put together this wonderful event for a memorable afternoon. Google Plus Link

KG Colour Day From the leaves of a tree to the signal of the traffic light, we see green all around us. In order to emphasize the importance of this colour of balance and harmony, green was chosen as the colour of the month. Kindergarten students came dressed in various hues of green on August 29.

IMPACTFUL ASSEMBLIES

On August 4, Class 1C presented a Special Assembly on the Living Value of the month - Unity. They presented a skit called ‘Unity in Diversity’ where the students demonstrated how the British adopted the divide and rule policy thus creating people of different religions to fight amongst themselves. Under the able leadership of Mahatma Gandhi they unitedly gained independence. Our students portrayed it brilliantly and were dressed up aptly. Google Plus Link

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IMPACTFUL ASSEMBLIES

Interact Club Installation 5th Installation Ceremony for the Interact Club was held on August 4 as a Special Assembly for Classes 8, 9 &10. 8 members from Classes 9 and 10 were selected to lead the Club. The Chief Guest for the ceremony was Rotarian Jeff Rajeck, Chairman of the Youth Service Committee. The ceremony was also attended by Rotarian Mr. Mohandas, advisor to our Interact club. The handing over ceremony was done by the outgoing members followed by outgoing president’s report. The new President of the Club, Tanvi Gabriel presented an overview of the future plans. Interact Club provides valuable lessons and opportunities in leadership, community service and collaborative skills. Members plan and execute various projects under the guidance of the teacher advisor and also raise funds to sustain the service projects. Following students were selected for the year 2014-15 :

1. Tanvi Gabriel - President 2. Aashay Chouhan - Vice President 3. Samana Sridhar - Secretary 4. Varsha Menghani - Treasurer 5. Arshia Narkar - Director 6. Shweta Harish - Director 7. Swarnim Lakhotia - Director 8. Srishti Mehta - Director Google Plus link

REACHING OUT TO PARENTS

Coffee Morning with Principal – Classes 4 and 5 Parents of Classes 4 and 5 met up with the Principal on August 16 to share concerns and show appreciation with regard to academics, ECA-CCA, general issues etc. brought up by parents during the session.

Information Shared with Parents via mail : . Recycling of Story books for Kindergarten . Regarding Dress Code and Discipline . Canteen Pricing

Parent Engagement Programme On August 13, as part of our Parent Engagement Programme, a talk was conducted by Mr. Sujit Mukherjee, Financial and Project Controller – Asia Pacific, at Schneider Electric. He shared with students that through sheer passion, dedication and

discipline he was able to complete the projects he had undertaken. He talked about “Six Sigma”. During the Q & A session students of Class 7 were keen to know about his projects at firms such as Honeywell (Airbus Engineering) and Bechtel (London Underground Metro System). It was indeed an inspiring talk by Mr. Sujit Mukherjee where he laid emphasis on hard work, passion, aspiration and discipline being important factors to achieve success.

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GREEN EFFORTS

CLASSES 6 - 10

ABC Waters Budding environmentalists of Class 6 attended a two part workshop (on July 30 and August 4) called ABC Waters Bedok Reservoir Learning trail. This was organised by PUB, the N ational Water Agency that manages Singapore’s water supply. The aim of the workshop was to create awareness in students regarding the importance of water sustainability in Singapore. Special emphasis was laid on understanding how Bedok Reservoir has been transformed into a place where people come for sports, recreation and community bonding while providing a natural habitat to many birds, fishes and other wildlife. The first part of the workshop was held at Bedok Reservoir and the students learnt more about the ABC Waters programme. This included hands on activity of testing the water for debris, smell, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and pH. The second part of the workshop was held at the NEWater Visitor Centre where the students were introduced to the strategies required in supervising or managing other students attending Learning Trail@Bedok reservoir. Lesson plan and guidelines were provided to them to enable them to cover the themes associated with the ABC Waters Learning trail@ Bedok Reservoir. The students came back with the message of fostering common responsibility towards conserving water while valuing and enjoying the water resources in Singapore. Google Plus Link

Siloso Resort, Sentosa – Eco Tour On August 18, eight teachers – Ms. Shyla, Ms. Jagriti, Mr. Husain, Ms. Soumya B., Ms. Shilpa, Ms. Jigna, Ms. Kirti and Ms. Fulva, attended the Eco Learning Tour @ Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa. During the planning stages of the resort, it was decided that it would be an eco hotel and its construction would adhere to the following guidelines:

a. The preservation of natural terrain. b. The preservation of trees. c. 28% of the terrain would be covered area and 72% would continue to be open space.

The televisions in the rooms display the message of preserving nature. The Resort has roof top gardens and organic farms. Over 75% of their food is sourced locally or from ASEAN countries. Food waste is recycled through vermicomposting to produce natural fertilizers from the soil. The use of underground spring water is a step towards conserving natural resources. The tour was indeed a great learning towards preserving nature.

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Educational journey to Singapore Garden Festival The Singapore Garden Festival is a biennial garden and flower show held in Singapore, organized by the National Parks Board of Singapore in partnership with the other organizations. It is the only International garden show in the tropics to showcase creations from the world’s top award winning garden and floral designers under one roof. This year Herbal Garden Team (Class 8A) set up a booth in the fest. Our school initiates green activities to promote the awareness of the importance of our mantra : Reduce- Reuse-Recycle. This was a great opportunity to learn and share ideas on topics like innovation and gardening. We shared our innovative ideas and our school’s ‘Herbal Garden’ greening efforts : the use of recycled materials like coconut shells, milk and plastic bottles for gardening and how the ‘Herbal Garden Green Club’ sells a variety of plants like basil, aloe vera to name a few on occasions like Earth day and Sports day to be more self-sustaining. This Fest gave them an opportunity to interact with Kranji Secondary School, Siloso Beach Resort, GIIS Balestier and various other organisations. They were taught to make organic compost with animal waste. It was an indeed a therapeutic educational journey.

OUTREACH

Golden Jubilee Celebrations

30 students and 5 teachers of GIIS had the privilege of attending the inaugural ceremony kicking off a year-long celebration commemorating 50 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and India. The function was held at NUS

Cultural Centre on August 16.

Along with students of other international and local schools, our students welcomed the Guest of Honour, HE Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External

Affairs of India and HE Mr. K Shanmugham, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and

Law of Singapore, with flags of both countries as a symbol of friendship between the two countries. The main event commenced at 1800 hrs with a welcome speech by the esteemed guests which was followed by the traditional lighting of the lamp and unveiling of the logo of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations of

Singapore and India.

To add spark to the programme, Indian dancers of Singapore and talented students of the Kalakshetra Foundation, India, performed a beautifully choreographed dance.

The event concluded with the national anthems of both the countries sung with immense patriotism. It was indeed a memorable event.

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SINDA - Volunteers’ Tea 2014 15 students of our school participated in the SINDA - Volunteers’ Tea programme held at Nanyang Polytechnic on August 2. Mr. Lawrence Wong, the Minister for nd Culture, Community and Youth & 2 Minister for Communications and Information was the Guest of Honour. Mr.Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, Ms. Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State Ministry of Law and Ministry of Education and Mr Barathan – CEO, SINDA were also present to witness the event. The senior girls of the school performed a fusion dance - Odissi and Kathak Jugalbandi in the presence of SINDA volunteers, SINDA Board of Trustees, SINDA Executive Committee Members etc. It was a memorable and prestigious event for our students. D.A.V. Hindi Centre Day Programme Rakshabandhan was celebrated in a grand way on August 10, at the Shri Perumal Temple. Girls of Classes 5 - 8 performed an energetic Bhangra dance, with finesse and in complete synchronization, on a very upbeat rhythm, which was very well received to celebrate the harvest festival of Baisakhi. Our participants were given certificates and were provided with delicious, traditional South Indian food. Parents were appreciative of the exposure provided to the students through these events.

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WINNING MOMENTS

STUDENT OF THE MONTH AND CLEANEST CLASS

‘Student Of The Month’ for July 2014 Category Name Class & Sec.

Category 1 (Classes1 - 3) Anshi Nanavati 2A Daksh Patel 2D

Category 2 (Classes 4 & 5) Yagnesh Sivaramakrishnan 4E Category 3 (Classes 6 - 8) Sobita Bharathi 6B

Category 4 (Classes 9 & 10) Ridhima Awasthy 10A

‘Cleanest Class Of The Month’ for July 2014 Category Name Class & Sec.

Category 1 (Classes 1 - 3) Ms.Olivia Majumdar 1C

Category 2 (Classes 4 & 5) Ms. Arti Bhardwaj 5D Category 3 (Classes 6 - 10) Ms. Aparajita Ghosh 8C

CIB Gold Award GIIS-East Coast Campus was awarded The Community in Bloom Gold Award 2014 on August 24. It was collected on behalf of the school by Ms. Jigna Shah and Ms. Jessy Shibu - members of the Herbal Garden team, along with a cheque for S$500/-. Picasa Link

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Global Fest for Literary and Cultural Championship (GFLCC) 11 students of Classes 8 and 9 attended the Global Fest for Literary and Cultural Championship (GFLCC) held on August 8 and 9 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On August 7 morning, students visited KLCC and Twin Towers as a part of their learning journey to study the local Malaysian culture. Global Fest organized by GIIS-KL had 10 schools participating across borders including KR Mangalam, New Delhi, MGD Jaipur, DAV Nepal, CSDP Sri Lanka, SMK Selangor, GIIS Cambridge, Kuala Lumpur and the host school GIIS-CBSE Kuala Lumpur, to name a few. On August 8, competitions started with the Director’s welcome speech. The first event was Suara (Western Solo) Competition followed by Debate Competition, Ad Zap and finally ended with Splash (Pot painting) Art Competition. On 9th, our students took part in the Science and Math Quiz and bagged 3rd position followed by the ICT quiz and Nrityanjali (Group dance) Contest in which our dance group won 2nd position. The event concluded with an encouraging address by his Excellency Shri T.S. Tirumurti (High Commissioner of India in Malaysia). It was a great learning experience for our students and teachers as our students witnessed world class performances from students of all participating schools, at the same time showcasing their talent and skills.

Envirofest 2014 This was a yearly competition held by Commonwealth Secondary School on August 12. The competition comprised of 5 schools each having one team, ours being one of them. Students Deep Shah (8B), Kartik Shah (8A) and Karthikeya (8A) participated. There were specific topics on which a website was to be made and the topic chosen by our students was public health. Our students found it a challenging as well as an enriching experience to create the html website from scratch. They were overjoyed when they got to know that they had won the 2nd prize of SGD $200/-. The website created was : wecareforu.net GSN Link

Singapore National Day Cricket Tournament East Coast Campus students participated in the prodigies U-16 Cricket Tournament which was conducted by the Singapore Cricket Association on August 8. They won the runners-up championship. Hanshul Singhania of Class 10 received the Special Award for hitting maximum number of sixes in the tournament. AISS One Day Cricket Tournament 2014-15 Australian International School had organized an U-12, 6 players in a side Cricket Tournament. 12 teams from various schools participated in the one day tournament. GIIS-EC beat AIS in the semi-finals and then beat NPSI in the finals to win the title. Captain Pramesh Singhavi top scored for GIIS in the tournament while Pranav Sudarshan got a hat-trick against NPSI (JAUGERS). GIIS Team players were : Pramesh Singhavi (Captain), Pranav Sudarshan, Ratik Bhatnagar, Dikshant Shreemal, Sriman Narayanan Ramesh, Sharanya Sharma and Viraj Chaturvedi. Google Plus Link

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LEADERSHIP CAMP

The ILTC Camp Report

Six members of GIIS-EC Campus Interact Club attended this leadership camp - President - Tanvi Gabriel (10B), VP - Aashay Chouhan (10B), Secretary - Samana Sridhar (10B), Treasurer - Varsha Menghani (10A), Director - Arshia Narkar (9A), Director - Srishti Mehta (9A).

The training they received at the camp focused on four main aspects - Leadership, Interaction, Team Work and Acceptance towards community. It was a two-day, one night camp and their day began with fun icebreaker challenges, where they got to know a lot people from different communities and school backgrounds. Their first challenge was called the ‘Face-to-Face challenge’, where four groups debated against each other for the inclusion of community service in their curriculum - the motive was to create an undefeatable team for which they were required to interact with other team members to win the debate.

They were briefed by former Interactors and Rotarians from The Rotary Club Of Singapore, as they provided them with an insight of what to expect as members of the interact club.

For their next tough challenge, they were supposed to transfer a dummy casualty on a stretcher from one place to another, through various patterns of logs. Walking on logs required a great deal of balance – they could achieve this task successfully with combined efforts of their team members. It was a great learning experience for all of them.

NEW INITIATIVES  Buck-a-Day : 3 students who came up with Innovative ideas for the month of July were given certificates in the morning assembly on August 25.

 No Text Book Day (NTBD) : Classes 4 & 5 had

NTBD on August 29.

 Innovation Day : Classes 6 - 8 had innovation day on August 29.

Picasa Link :

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos Facebook Link :

https://www.facebook.com/GIIS.EastCoast.Singapore

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