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Bringing you the power of education 6

NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW BEGINNINGS

“TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH AND BEGIN THIS WONDROUS NEW YEAR BY BELIEVING” The students of class 6 got back to their online classes after a stay-at-home winter vacation which most of them had because of the pandemic that had made travelling and socialising difficult. During the class teacher’s time, the teachers and students discussed the good and the bad moments that they had experienced during the past year. The students wrote down the same on a poster as well. As part of the new year celebration, the students and their class teachers played a game of ‘Catch the Object’. Students as well as their families had enthusiastically participated in this game, which involved finding a household object that started with the letter that the teacher had announced. This ice-breaker game rejuvenated and energized the students to come together once again for the online classes with a sense of positivity breaking down the monotony created by this pandemic. CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR !! REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATION The 72nd Republic day was celebrated with all its fervor on the 25th January 2021 with a fantastic video presentation by the Student Council that instilled patriotism in the hearts of each child. The cultural program included wonderful patriotic songs and folk dance. GRADE 5 In connection with Republic Day, the grade V students were asked to make objects with tri-colour. The children made different tri-colour exhibits like illustrations, badges, greeting cards, craft filled with rich patriotic spirit.

GRADE 6 An interesting activity of making the Tricolor badges was conducted through all the sections of Grade 6. The children participated with great enthusiasm in the activity and thoroughly enjoyed it. GRADE 7 In celebration of Republic day, the students of grade 7 took part in various activities. The students engaged themselves in poster making activities. They choreographed and danced to patriotic tunes. A few of them delivered a Republic day speech and created a digital art poster. Elizabeth, Rowena and Maria baked Flag themed goodies.

GRADE 7 A student from each section of grade 8 was selected to present a PowerPoint presentation on Republic Day in their respective classes. The students explained why Republic Day is celebrated every year in our country. They also spoke about the parade which is held in Rajpath in Delhi and the prestigious awards that are given on this monumental day to defence personnel, police officers and children for their bravery. It was a very informative session. Students also made Republic day cards. They participated with great interest and exhibited beautiful cards.

GRADE VII ASSEMBLIES – AN ONLINE JAMBOREE !!

Long gone are the days where a school’s assembly was monotonous and predictable even. With assemblies going online, it seems the magic has only begun and has already broken all barriers. Grade after Grade, students have been proving that even a pandemic that shook the world cannot deter the brave Choiceans from their passion, duties and responsibilities. From dance, to music, to elaborate plays and even Virtual Trips, the online assemblies are a celebration for all.

CLASS ASSEMBLY – GRADE VIIA Gateway to Information To mark the beginning of the new year, Grade VIIA commenced their assembly with an interactive session held between the students and special guests ‘Mr. Bill Gates’ and Executive Vice President, ‘Mr. Judson Althoff’. The enthralled audience experienced a time lapse as they went through the Age of Windows which included an 80’s dance by the boys and an energetic dance by the girls. The assembly concluded with a virtual trip to the headquarters of Microsoft. The ‘guests’ were thanked through a poem penned and recited by Diva. CLASS ASSEMBLY – GRADE VIIB Go Google !!! Google and its related apps was the theme chosen by Grade VIIB for their class assembly. The presentation was done in the form of a skit where the highlight was the underlying fact that age is not a barrier when it comes to getting onboard Google. The presentation carried out by the well-researched students went on to prove that Google is indeed an effortless platform to navigate and learn too.

CLASS ASSEMBLY – GRADE VIIC Jack Ma - A Global Ambassador ‘Jack Ma’ graced the online screen as Grade VIIC showcased their assembly in the form of a talk show called ‘Chat with Billionaires’. The audience was given an opportunity to ask the entrepreneur and philanthropist a few questions. In between the question and answer session, there was even an advertisement on COVID 19 precaution and some entertainment as well. The life of Jack Ma was depicted to encourage students to strive harder and give their best in all that they did. The assembly concluded with the famous quote by Jack Ma- “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” CLASS ASSEMBLY – VIID Firefox Fiesta Grade VIID performed their assembly on ‘FIREFOX’. The scripting was done by Izzak, Abel and Kris while the credits for editing goes to Neil and Saif. Students divided their roles equally and practised for the same well in advance. The talented class showcased their skills through their colourful dance and music. A commendable skit based on Firefox thus brought out the various talents of the enthusiastic students.

CLASS ASSEMBLY – VIIE AMAZING AMAZON Grade 7E began their assembly with a bang presenting ‘Amazon.com’. A play portraying , an impatient young boy, James awaiting his Kindle was shown. According to the plot, he had no idea what Amazon truly was even though he bought things from it almost every day! He educates himself on the various topics and is joined by his father, sister and her friend. During the particular topics, ‘Amazon Prime Video’ and ‘Amazon Music’, the students performed an enthralling dance and a melodious song was rendered by Maya. Through the play, the students unwrapped the amazing complexity of Amazon.

CLASS ASSEMBLY – VIIF Duan Yongping- Electronics Kingpin The assembly of Grade VIIF started off with a skit that tells the story of the founder businessman Duan Yongping. The lesser known BBK is a Chinese electronics manufacturer that specializes in marketing televisions, headphones, blue-ray players, smartphones and others. Oppo, Vivo, Realme and OnePlus are all subsidiaries of BBK. Scripted by Anshi, Akshaj, Michele and Daya, the skit launches into the genesis of BBK. The students delved into their characters seamlessly and brought the script to action. The graceful dancers also played a huge part in bringing out the jazz. Through team effort, creative editing and amusing special effects by Daya Fathima, the assembly of Grade VIIF was a resounding success wherein all the students enthusiastically participated. CLASS ASSEMBLY – VIIG GAME OVER!! The online assembly of Grade VII G was mapped on the Chinese internet-based platform company ‘Tencent’. The assembly portrays a group of friends who desire to make a film on Tencent and so visit the Tencent office to gather information on the Chinese Multi National Company. They discuss the various ventures of Tencent like Tencent Comics, WeChat, Tencent PC Manager, WeChat Pay Platform, Tencent games and so on. On touring the Tencent office, they stumble upon a gaming console which mysteriously transports them into the game. Luckily, they are rescued by an invisible man. The friends then reflect on their whimsical experience and think about the violence portrayed in games. The entire skit was edited using chromo key effects. Ensuing the skit, all the students presented a dance followed by Manjira’s display of a Covid-19 themed game that had been coded by herself. The assembly closed with a vote of thanks presented by Jovana and Samarth through shadow puppetry.

AS THE PAGE TURNS - BY TANYA ROSE JIKKU - 8E

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin Reading! We have all been told since we were in primary just how vital it is in one’s life-long journey of learning. But it is also true that when we get older it is easy to forget to do the same on a regular basis as our schedules get more crammed. Recently in our class 8E, our dear classmate, Arav Jose put together a Literary Exhibition called ‘As the Page Turns’. To say we were thrilled at this would be an understatement. The whole event was in the form of a mini-movie of sorts, laboriously planned and pieced together by Arav. The programme commenced with successful individuals of various different professions talking to us about how reading supported them in developing their now thriving careers and in their childhood. These included entrepreneurs, authors, CEOs, etal. They talked about what they read as children. They elaborated saying that they started with comics and then went on to poems, classics and novels. They went on to explain how the benefits of books surpassed just enhancing their vocabulary but acted as a friend in times of need by enlightening them on how to deal with the different situations of life. When reading, you get to explore how different characters face the challenges thrown at them and we grasp how complications can be dealt with. They emphasized that reading assisted them in learning how to converse with people in various social situations. Overall, reading helps in expanding your knowledge and wisdom in unimaginable ways! Next, some literary works by our fellow classmates were displayed. We were absolutely mesmerized by the eloquent poems and short stories. It undeniably opened our eyes to the literary talent in our class. The programme came to a close, with some inspiring images and pictures on how books are marvellous windows to the world. We were fascinated by how the significance of reading was displayed in such an artistic manner. I can genuinely say this literary event has truly motivated me to read constantly. It was phenomenal! We can gain innumerable things by reading on a daily basis. Reading and books can support us in every phase of our lives regardless of our age. In today’s day and age, reading is being forgotten more and more due to mobile phones and other modern electronic devices. It is crucial that we all put down our devices and pick up a book. So, in the words of W.P. Kinsella- “ Read, read and then read some more!” Happy Reading!

BOOKS EXHIBITION AND MY READING

The students of grade 6 discussed about the many books that they have read during the lockdown days. The children themselves essentially became their favourite characters from the books that they had read and enjoyed while holding them up on the screen and sharing what they most admired and liked most about them. They shared the wonderful memories they had while reading the books and suggested to their friends to read those books which they had found interesting and exciting. The world of imagination was opened up to the students with the discussion of the Panchatantra tales, Aesop’s fables, etc. It was indeed a great opportunity the students had got to share their reading experiences with their classmates. The teachers also introduced the world of reading to the students. The teacher and the students had an interactive discussion on the importance of reading. SAFE ROAD; SAFE LIFE

To achieve a significant improvement in road safety, the Government of India, committed to Raise Awareness about Road Safety Issues, had decided to observe Road Safety Month and Road Safety from 18th January 2021 to 17th February 2021 with the theme ‘Sadak Suraksha, Jeevan Raksha’. To observe the occasion, a series of activities were listed to promote the awareness of road safety among the students. Thus, the students of the Middle school of The Choice school conducted a presentation to spread the awareness about the various aspects of road safety, the social and economic implications of road accidents and preventive measures to curb the rising menace of road accidents.

PEDALLING THE WHEELS OF PORTUGEUSE HISTORY Reviving and infusing the spirit of Portugal history to serve a treat of the myriad tales of portuguese as a part of the ‘Integrated Research Learning’, the student council group collaborated together to present the topic “The Advent of Portuguese in India” to our Founder and President Mr Jose Thomas in an interactive session held on 12th January, 2021. Their presentations traced Portuguese rule in India from the year 1498 when Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut to the year 1596 when the Dutch defeated the Portuguese. The presentations dealt with topics like the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama, details of the three voyages undertaken by him to India, Portugeuse rule in India under Almeida, Albuquerque, and Sampaio and their conquest of various states in India. The Presence of Portugeuse architecture and monuments in India was explored too as well in the presentation. ENHANCEMENT SESSIONS BY STUDENTS

The enhancement sessions that were conducted between 21 January and 3 February 2021 were an excellent initiative to enhance student’s moral values and strengthen their emotional skills which would help them tackle difficult situations. A few students of Grades 5 and 6 were selected to conduct a session by presenting a PowerPoint presentation followed by discussion in Grades 7 and 8. Similarly the students of Grades 7 and 8 also did a similar presentation for the students of Grades 5 and 6. Each grade conducted two sessions. The topics that the students explained are as follows: GRADE 5 • SESSION 1 : NO BULLYING The introduction of the flip classroom concept in the enhancement sessions breathed a new lease of life on January 20 and February 3. Students took the initiative to conduct a presentation on the concepts of character building - ‘Avoid jealousy and No Bullying’. The first session was held on January 20 in Grade 7 classroom with PPT and videos to spread awareness on “What is bullying, the different types of bullying and what should be done while one experiences bullying” . • SESSION 2 : AVOID JEALOUSY The second session was conducted on February 3 where the students explained ‘Jealousy’, what causes jealousy and how to fight when one is overpowered with jealousy.The novel way of an experimental learning in the enhancement bore its fruition as children researched on the topics and collaborated together to make a confident display of their knowledge in the presentation and learning.

GRADE 6 • SESSION 1: TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED The students spoke about Empathy for the first session of the Enhancement flipped classroom that was conducted on 21 January 2021 by some selected students of Grade 6 for the students of Grade 8 during the Class teachers Time (CTT). Some real life situations wherein Empathy was expressed by individuals was shown with the help of a colorful and well illustrated PPT. The different ways in which empathy can be expressed was also discussed. The difference between Empathy and Sympathy was also explained to wipe off the confusion that usually existed between the two. Before the session concluded a video was played to help the students to get a better understanding of the topic. • SESSION 2: IDENTIFYING AND EXPRESSING EMPATHY The students spoke about Identifying and expressing Empathy for the second flipped classroom session that was conducted on 28 January 2021 by some selected students of Grade 6 for the students of Grade 8 during the Class teachers Time (CTT) . Sympathy as an emotion was explained by the students with the help of a colorful and well illustrated PPT. Sympathy and Empathy are often thought to be the same and are generally misinterpreted. So clarity was given on the same with the help of real life situations showing pictorial representation so that students could distinguish between the two and discussions ensued. Videos on expressing sympathy were also shown. Stories connected to the topic were also narrated which definitely made the session more interesting.

GRADE 7 • SESSION 1 : STRESS MANAGEMENT In the first session students explained the concept of stress, different types of stress and what are the reasons for stress. They also showed different videos to narrate the impacts of stress in day to today life. Effective methods to handle stress and to lead a happy life was explained. They conducted a survey with a questionnaire to identify how much stressed we all have. The session was overall very interactive and informative. • SESSION 2 : ANGER MANAGEMENT In the second session, the emotion “Anger , how anger creates trouble in one’s relationships and what causes anger” was explained. Students narrated stories as well as shared videos to show the adverse impacts of anger. Effective ways to manage anger was also shared. Overall it was a very detailed and informative session. GRADE 8 • SESSION 1 : BULLYING AND HOW TO HANDLE IT : A wonderful PowerPoint presentation was showcased on 21 January 2021 where students gave information on “ What is bullying , where and when it occurs and how it impacts one’s life” to grade 6 by the students of grade 8. The students assured the class that no one needs to live in the fear of being bullied, as one can always reach out for help from an adult ( parent , teacher)for support. Students were also encouraged to be kind to one another, to spread love and happiness. Ways to avoid being a victim to bullying were also explained. It was a very informative class. • SESSION 2 : RELATIONSHIP IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA : The second session was held on 28th January 2021 where pros and cons of social media, and its impacts on one’s interpersonal relationships was presented in the class with a PowerPoint presentation. They also discussed the effects of social media on our mental health. The session was concluded by talking about the solutions to resolve the aforementioned issues. The objective was to ensure the students were informed that if they were facing any issues now or in the future, they weren’t alone and that there is a solution to every problem.

These sessions were very effective and are sure to have a long lasting impact on the students’ lives and their morale.

INTERSCHOOL SCIENCE COMPETITION

STUDENTS PARTICIPANTS: THIRD PRIZE WINNER: JOVITA JOSHY (CLASS 5E) & JIYA A ADODRA JIYA A ADODRA (CLASS 6D)

Sastra Samasya is an interschool competition organised by Vidyodaya School. Various events were held under different categories. The students of Class 5 & 6 participated in the event known as DIFFERENT STROKES (Poster Presentation). The topic given to them was MERGING OF MAN AND MACHINE-WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE? The participants were asked to speak out while presenting the poster via screen sharing at the time of the competition.

Jovita and Jiya from our school participated enthusiastically and presented the topic provided. Jiya bagged the third prize for the same.

THIRD PRIZE WINNER: JIYA A ADODRA ART IN ARITHMETIC!!! The Choiceans had yet another field day as students ranging from Grades VI to VIII took part in an online inter school competition conducted by the Cochin Refineries School. The competition involved designing T- shirts using Mathematical Symbols. The competition was held in memory of the school’s late teacher Sri P.V.V Namboothiri in connection with the annual school exhibition ‘GYAN 2021’. The worthy contenders were Madhav Ramabhadran and Jiya Arora, Liyanna Fathima and Hannah George along with Sephra Visagh and Neha Maria Siju from Grades VI, VII and VIII respectively. The participants enthusiastically dived in to create interesting designs and patterns. It was without doubt an enriching experience for the students to be a part of the competition in which more than 80 schools from in and around Kochi participated. THE CROWNING GLORY In the All-Kerala Inter school Sanskrit Recitation Competition held at Govt. Sanskrit College, Tripunithura on 16th December 2020, Gayathri. B. Nair of Grade 5-F outshone her competitors and bagged the first prize in the Grade 5 category adding to the glory of our school.

STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENTS IN FRENCH WORD POWER Joshua Philip Thomas from grade 5G participated in the French Word Power exam and qualified for the national level. This is an International Certificate in French Language, French Word Power, certified by the Quebec Government Office (Bureau du Quebec, Mumbai & Alliance Française Rouen, France). It was conducted at two levels - State and National.

Inaya Fathima Jerish from 6C also participated in the same competition to successfully clear it with a certificate.

REPORT ON VIRTUAL TOUR TO OSTEOLOGY MUSEUM

Grade 6 students went on a virtual tour to the World’s Only Skeleton museum in the State of Oklahoma. The tour was an extension to their learning of Science on the topic “Movement in Animals”. The students were able to see how different animals move and how the bones of an animals’ hands and feet can give us hints about the animals’ lifestyle and their habitats . The children were able to see the skeletons of humans, apes, reptiles, terrestrial animals etc. The trip to the museum provided children with the opportunity to explore and understand the arrangement of bones in different animals which help them move in their habitat. A SESSION ON THE INDIAN JUDICIARY FOR GRADE 8

Grade 8 students of The Choice School were fortunate to attend an online awareness session on the Indian Judiciary by Adv. Dinesh Menon, a Senior Practising Lawyer of the High Court. This was arranged by the Social Studies Department as part of effective curriculum transmission through external faculty resources. The session provided the students with an insight into the different levels of judiciary in India and the procedure followed in courts with regard to different types of cases. The Students raised different queries like the involvement of political parties in high profile cases and how the judiciary administers a fair system of imparting justice to the deserving. All the queries were very professionally answered by Mr Dinesh Menon and he also encouraged students to think about opting for law related courses at the graduate and post graduate levels. The session was well appreciated by all the students.

UPCOMING EVENTS • Class Assembly – Grade 5 & 6 • Inter class Quiz – English

COMPILED AND EDITED BY MS SHEENA SAM (VP, MIDDLE SCHOOL)