GRACE TRACK “Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy”

Vol. 23 | Issue: April 2018 - September 2018 Investiture Ceremony

Prize Day & Inter-house Grace Foundation Investiture Activities Day 02 Ceremony 04 08

Guidance What’s the News! Teachers’ Day 10 12 Counselling 14 Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 2 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy Annual Prize Day & Investiture Ceremony he 27th Annual Prize Day and Investiture Ceremony was held on the 12th of May 2018 at Grace Academy. Dr. Sameer Jadhav, Associate Professor IIT Bombay, was the Chief Guest who was accompanied by his wife Mrs. Melody Jadhav. Mr. Benjamin Newton, Principal, welcomed them along Twith the School Captains Designate. Nathan Taylor and Sanjana Rana, Master and Mistress of Ceremonies invited Dr. Matthew Ebenezer, Principal, Presbyterian Theological Seminary, to commence the programme with prayer. The Principal introduced the Chief Guest and thereafter read out his Annual Report and highlighted the „ activities of the year. He guides Chrysalis band enthralled the audience with their melodious music followed by an exciting choreographic performance by Class II students. Prize the humble in winners were felicitated for their outstanding achievements as certificates and prizes were given away by the Chief Guest and his wife. This was followed by presentations by Primary School and Senior School Choirs.

what is right The solemn occasion was marked by the introduction of the Primary School Student Council and Senior School Student Council for 2018-19 which was led by Mr. Majasing Kamei as they marched with grace and poise onto the stage. Proud parents placed sashes on their children and the Principal and teaches led the Council members in the oath of office for their new responsibilities. The School Boy Captain for this year is Richie Soshan and the School Girl Captain is Stuti Kutiyal. Rev. Sam McGregor, Chairman, Grace Educational Society, prayed and committed the students into the hands of the Lord for them his way. His wisdom and discernment to carry out their duties. Psalm 25:9 In his address, the Chief Guest commended Grace Academy for its beautiful campus and the emphasis laid on character building, apart from academic excellence. He exhorted the new Student Council to practise the words spoken by Mother Teresa to be faithful in small things because it is in them that their strength lies and not to be afraid of making mistakes. Thereafter, Mrs. Esther Jacob proposed the Vote of Thanks. To conclude, the audience rose for the National Anthem played by Chrysalis Band. Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 3 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

ŲŲBOOK FAIR

A book fair was organized by the Dr. David G. Fiol Scholastic Book Publication from 3rd to 5th May. Mrs. Sudeepta Inter-School English Debate Newton, the school Guidance Counsellor inaugurated the book fair. There were a number of books for all level of students; fiction, non-fiction, biographies, activity books and encyclopedias. Students enjoyed seeing the books and bought them too. Parents visited on the last day and purchased books for their children. Maximum number of books were purchased by the students of class 4 A. They won a gift hamper of 15 books for their class library.

ŲŲ“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19 On 21st August 2018, Grace Academy organised the 3rd Dr. David G. Fiol Inter-School English Debate. The topic at hand was ‘Modern Youth is a Story of Disaster.’ Nine renowned schools from and participated in the debate. The panel of judges comprised of seasoned educationists: Mr. Samuel Jaideep and Mrs. Christina Bruce. The master and mistress of ceremonies, Stanzin Othsal and Ayesha Jaideep welcomed the gathering. This debate is held annually, in honour of its founding Principal, Dr. David G. Fiol. The Principal, Mr. Benjamin Newton gave a brief introduction of Dr. Fiol and his contribution towards building this institution Ms. Shefali Bahadur and Mrs. Irene C. Khan jointly chaired the debate. All teams put in their best with articulate speeches and the will to persuade judges and audience, alike. The occasion was also marked by melodious renditions by Junior and Senior Choirs and recitation by Middle School. Mr. Jaideep encouraged the students with advice and suggestions for enhancing their debating skills. The final results were announced by Vice-Principal, Mr. Andriyas Singh. Eshani Gupta of the Asian School was the best speaker followed by participants of St. Joseph’s Academy, Saloni

Kathait and Suryansha Rawat who bagged second and third positions, respectively. Gurnoor Puri from Kasiga School and Monal Bharti of Convent of Jesus & Mary were adjudged as promising speakers and winning three years in a row was the team from St. Joseph’s Academy which now owns the rolling trophy. Mrs. Nancy Farmer proposed the Vote of Thanks and concluded the programme with prayer. Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 4 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy Inter-House Activities

SATYA SNEHA SAHAS SANYAM HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE HOUSE

»» Inter-House debate competition was held on 10th August for classes IX to XII. The debate was held in the Modified Cambridge format. The students were given four topics to prepare as a team of three students. The final topics to debate were decided by casting lots on the final day. Stanzin Othsal and Aradhana Kumar were the Masters of ceremony. The topics were ‘Responsible journalism is a thing of the past’ and ‘India is unprepared for a Digital India’. The competition started with a word of prayer by Mrs. Deepshika C. Daniel. It was followed by the introduction of the judges namely Mrs. Delphine Katare, Mrs. June Shepherd and Mrs. Ameeta Bahadur by the MCs. Mrs. Anjana Joel and Mrs. Anjna Jaideep jointly chaired the debate. The time keepers were Ms. Monika Bisht, Shivam Tomar and Shashank Dhasmana. Suchita Thapa stood 1st; Richie E. Soshan 2nd and Nita Charlotte 3rd. Satya House bagged the overall position. The judges presented their valuable suggestions and pointed out the areas of improvement. They commended the hard work of students and teachers and asked students to continue striving for excellence Mr. Andriyas Singh, vice principal announced the results followed by a vote of thanks by Mrs. Anjana Joel.

»» Inter-House debate competition was held on 15th August for classes VI to VIII. The debate was held in the turncoat format. There was a lot of enthusiasm as this was a new format for the students here. The Master of ceremony Yashasvi Oberoi and Nita Charlotte welcomed the judges Mr. Benjamin Newton, Principal, Mr. Andriyas Singh, Vice Principal and Mrs. Sangeeta Ranjan, Primary School superintendent. Yashvi Tyagi of class XII and Ayesha Jaideep of class XI jointly chaired the debate. To encourage more students to come up and speak, 8 students from each class were given the opportunity to participate. Therefore, a total of 24 students participated. Each speaker was given 2 minutes to speak on the topic assigned to that class. One minute for the motion and one minute against. It was a new experience for students but they did a good job in presenting their views. The final winners were- Class VI Varnika Pant [1st], Palak Dilawar [2nd] and Astha Bisht [3rd]. Class VII Shreya Mani [1st], Simon Sunny [2nd] and Suryansh Dubey [3rd]. Class VIII Vidushi Rawat [1st], Sampada Mall [2nd] and Ashlyn Fiol [3rd]. Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 5 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. “

Philippians 4:13

»» All the children participated with great enthusiasm in the Inter House Art Competition held on 23rd April 2018 for students of classes VI to VIII. Students displayed their creativity in their beautiful sketches and paintings. Sahas House secured the first position, Sanyan stood second and Satya secured the third position.

»» Come rainy season, and the students eagerly wait for the Football Tournament after coming back from the summer vacation, which is scheduled for July every year. Since the game is one of the favorites, students from class 3 to 12 are always excited to be a part of a football match. This year the tournament was organised for three categories namely Sub Junior (classes III to V), juniors (classes VI to VIII) and seniors (IX to XII) in July. It was played in the round robin format. The House teachers made sure that maximum students get an opportunity to play. The maximum points were scored by Sanyam House which stood first. The second position was taken by Sneha House followed by Sahas House in the third position.

»» Cricket is a game that students love to play and therefore an Inter –House Cricket Tournament for Junior and Senior boys was organized from16th April, 2018 to 8th April and 23rd April, 2018 to 27 April respectively. It was played in the round robin format. The junior boys’ team displayed their talent and it was a joy to watch them play. Satya House stood first which was followed by Sanyam and Sneha House in the second and third position respectively.

»» Inter-House Basketball Tournament for boys and girls was held in the month of July and August for Junior and Senior Girls and August September for Junior and Senior Boys in the round robin league format. The matches were played with a lot of zeal and fervor. It was amazing to watch the junior teams putting their skills into practice. Sneha House bagged the first position followed by Sahas and Sanyam in the second and third position respectively.

All the sports activities were organized and planned by our Physical Education Teachers, Mr. Majasing Kamei and Mr. Charles Dysal. Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 6 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy Primary School Activities

The youngest members of our school [Nursery] were welcomed by all the teachers of primary section to make their day comfortable and exciting.

• Art Competition was held on 4th May 2018 in the classrooms. All the students participated with great interest and joy. Best four were selected on the basis of their drawing & colouring skills and creative imagination from each section.

Every child is an artist...... ~ Pablo Picasso Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 7 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

»» English Week was observed from 16th July 2018 to 20th July 2018. During assemblies and in the classes teachers talked about the importance of English as a language; why to talk in English; importance of developing reading and language skills; some good reading habits etc. Posters were put up to remind them to speak in English. English Recitation Presentation was held on 20th July. All the students of each class presented two poems each. They all did well but class II A was the best. They presented their poem with good actions and expression. For classes 3 to 5 activities were planned in order to help students master the five important skills of reading, speaking, listening, writing and grammar in English Language. There are two aims of the Week; first, to make use of English in this school visible and second, to encourage all pupils to use English Language as a medium of interaction with their friends and teachers. The week culminated with the Inter-House Elocution Competition.

»» The Fruit Break was implemented from 25th July after a letter was sent by the Primary school Superintendent to inform parents about the initiative to be taken by school to motivate students to eat healthy food, especially fruits. The response from the parents and students was good. They look forward to eating fruits in their second break.

»» An Inter- House Art Competition was held on the 19th of April. The students were encouraged to use drawing and painting as a means of thinking. Art and Crafts activities help stimulate a child’s imagination and creativity. The finished products were amazing as the children had let their imagination run wild to create absolute magic. It was indeed a very successful event and a memorable one too as all our children proudly displayed their works.

»» Inter-House Elocution Competition was held on 21st July. 24 students, 8 from each class participated in the event. Some factors which were adjudged during the competition were voice quality, poise and pronunciation, content and fluency and clarity. All students spoke well with poise and confidence. The judges were teachers from the English Department.

»» Inter-House Hindi Debate was held on 10th August to develop a competitive spirit, creativity and divergent thinking among students, The students of Class-III debated on the topic ‘Vidyalaya Me Kya Mehatvpurn Hai, Library Ya Khel’ , Class IV ‘Bacho Ke Liye Vidyalaya Ki Avdhi kam Ho’ and Class V ‘Tuition Pardna Bacho ke Liye Anivarya Hai’. The poise, self- confidence and articulation delivered by the speakers was praiseworthy.

»» Spell Bee was conducted on 11th August to improve spelling skill and to enrich vocabulary. This activity has encouraged the students to SPELL confidently in front of an audience. Each class had 3 competitive rounds. ‘Spell the Word’, ‘Guess and Spell the Word’ and Rapid Fire Round’.

»» 3 students bagged prizes in solo singing competition which was held at the Morrison Memorial Church on the occasion of Sadhu Sunder Singh’s 129th Birth Anniversary. In the English Solo, Anirudh Judd stood 1st, Abel Francis 2nd. Vishwas Ranjan 3rd. Anirudh Judd bagged 2nd position in the Hindi Solo too.

»» A group of 26 students from Class V participated in the ‘Terre Olympiad Contest’; an environmental theme based national online quiz competition on 6th September.

»» Students of classes IV and V planted saplings in the school campus, this was a project Mission Rispana: Rispana to Rishiparna. Not only did the students plant saplings in school but were also given a sapling each to plant at home. Once done, the students filled in the pledge card and handed it over to the class teacher which was further handed over to the organization.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Psalm 96:11-12 Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 8 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy Grace Foundation Day The theme for this year’s Grace Foundation Day was Firm Foundation and the theme verse was taken from I Corinthians 3:11: ‘For no other foundation can anyone lay than this which is laid, which is Jesus Christ’, which „ was celebrated on 13th July. The Lord is my strength and my Jonathan Livingston (XI) and Sanjana Nautiyal (X) were the masters of the ceremony. The program began with prayer by Mrs. Nancy Farmer, coordinator XI-XII followed by worship time led by Mrs Pearl Samson and shield; my heart Mr. D. L. Nungate. Scripture portion was read from Ephesians1:3-10 by Sarah Akhter (VI). The school Choir trusts in him, and he presented a special number and the Primary School presented choreography. helps me. My leaps Rev. Philip Fiol was our Chief Guest and he addressed the students and the staff, encouraging each one to for joy and with song be firmly founded in Christ to excel in whatever we do. The middle school presented a skit and a power point I praise him. presentation by Mr. Valerian Mani & Mr. Manish K. Singh was displayed on the memories of the gradual growth of Grace Academy since its inception. The program was well coordinated by Mrs. Anjna Jaideep and Mrs. Renuka Singh. Psalm 28:7

The Independence Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm. The theme for the program was taken from Galatians 5:1- “It is for Independence freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

The Chief Guest for the program was Mr. Jai Raj, Principal Chief Day Conservator of Forest. After the flag hoisting by the chief guest, the National Anthem was sung followed by the Indian pledge in Hindi led by Stuti Kutiyal, School Girl Captain. Later the Chief Guest addressed the school with motivating and encouraging words. He urged the students to become good and responsible citizens of India. Mrs. Bhawna Joshi led us in prayer for the nation and the School Boy Captain, Richie Soshan E, addressed the school. The Middle School Students of the dramatics club recited a poem in English and the students of the Choreography club presented a folk dance. A patriotic poem in Hindi was recited by Mayank Bhatia (X) and a patriotic song was presented by the Senior Choir. The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. B. Newton, Principal. The program was coordinated by Mrs. Sunita Joseph and Ms. Anvita D. William. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil… 1 Peter 2:16 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 9 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You Inter-School need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Activities Hebrews 10:35-36 • A Badminton Tournament was organized by Delhi Public School, Kala Gaon on 3rd and 4th of August. It was played on knock out basis. Both boys’ and girls’ teams of our school played well but it was the boys’ team that went ahead to play the quarter finals but could not qualify for semifinals.

• Like every year, this year too Carman School, Dalanwala organized the 33rd Carbury Memorial Inter School, Sub Junior Football tournament from 1st to 9th August. It was played on the knock-out format. Our team won two matches played against The Himalayan School and Sant Kabeer School to reach the quarter final against Horizon School but lost in extra time. We could not qualify for the semifinal. Although the competition was quite tough our team gave their best.

• Carman Residential and Day School, Dalanwala held its annual ILG Futsal Tournament from 9th to 18th August. It was played in the League cum knock-out format. Our boys took part and played against Carman School, Dalanwala, St. Thomas’ College and The Heritage School. Our team topped the pool and played against Galaxian School in quarter final and lost the match. It was a good exposure for our junior team.

• 5th Negotium Agon organised by Wynberg Allen School was conducted on 28th August 2018. Five students of classes XI & XII went to Mussoorie escorted by Mrs Sarina Bysack to participate in the competition. Thirty seven schools from Dehra Dun, Mussoorie, Lucknow, Kolkata, Nainital, Delhi, Rajasthan and Dubai were part of it. The competition was divided into four parts. The first was Dinoprasia (Auction) round in which Aaron Jacob and Kirteek Kainthura took part along with Vishesh Anand and Rishab Kala in the Business Quiz and qualified for the finals along with five other teams. They answered the questions fairly well and achieved 4th position. All five students Kirteek, Vishesh, Aaron, Rishab and Sean Junj also participated in the Viva Video and La Marque (Logos and Tagline making) round. The last round Tangzo (Advertisement) was the most exciting round in which the students had to form and enact an advertisement on a product. Grace Academy secured second position in this round. The chief guest Mr. Kartik Taneja, head of Channel Sales, Google, for Europe, Middle East and Africa spoke on creative thinking and its impact on everyday living. The students enjoyed a sumptuous meal provided by the school. It was a well organised programme and for our students it was a good exposure competing with reputed schools of the country.

• Twelve Schools from all over India participated in the `Doon School Invitational Junior (under 14) Football Tournament - 2018 which was held from 28th August to 1st September. Our senior boys’ team played against RIMC which was a draw and Selaqui International School that was won. The Team played quarterfinal against St. Joseph’s Academy and lost and could not qualify for the semifinal. The team gave their best and came back a bit disappointed but ready to take the next challenge.

• 14th Gardner Silver Jubilee Inter School senior Girls Basketball Tournament was organized by St. Thomas College, Dehradun from 7th to 15th September. It was played in the League cum Knock-out format. Our team played against Summer Valley Public School, Carman School, Dalanwala and won the matches to qualify for the quarter final.

• An Art Competition was held at The Doon Girls’ School on 17th April and four students of our school participated in four different categories. Our students spread environmental awareness through their creativity. The participants were: Pooja Parmar (VI), Joy Mahal (V), Tamanna (IV), and Sarah M Ralsun (III). Mrs. Manju Topno coordinated well and accompanied the students to the host school.

• On the 4th of September two students, Anmol Sharma and Nathan Taylor represented Grace Academy in the Cryptic Crossword Competition [CCCC]. It was organized by Manava Bharti India International School. 22 schools from Dehra Dun affiliated to CBSE participated in an hour long test. Our students cleared the test and secured the 2nd position.

• On the 1st of September 2018, St. Joseph’s Academy organized the J. L. D’Souza Inter-School Debate. Eight schools from across the city participated in the debate which was conducted in two rounds. The Qualifying round was in the Oxford format and the Final round was in the Modified Cambridge format. Richie Soshan, Suchita Thapa and Mohd. Arham Azam represented Grace Academy. Both Suchita and Arham put their views forward confidently but could not qualify for the final round.

• On the 18th, our students went to Wynberg Allen School, Mussoorie, to participate in the Literary Fest ‘Le Mot Juste’. Arjun Rajeev (XII H), Harshita Rawat (X A), Angela Rajeev (VIIIA) and Spandan Srivastava (VIB) took part in the Rev. Brigg’s Inter-school Spelling Bee 2018. Spandan Srivastava secured 3rd position in Division 1, Angela Rajeev got 2nd Position in Division 2, and Arjun Rajeev secured 3rd Position in Division 3.

• Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Dehradun Chapter (ISRS-DC) conducted a drawing competition to celebrate National Remote Sensing Day on 12 August 2018 at the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun. The theme of the competition was REMOTE SENSING: WHAT and WHY. Five Students of Grace Academy participated among thirteen other schools. Grace Kim (VIII) and Angela Rajeev(VIII) participated from the middle school. Shekinah Thouman (IX), Eden Lal (IX) and Prajjwal Sonkar (X) were the other participants. Shekinah Thouman won a consolation prize. Mrs. Manju Topno escorted the participants. Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 10 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy What’s the News! And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

• The Regional Science Centre and Innovation hub organized a Summer Camp for students of classes VI-XII from 22nd May to 16th June. There were four different camps and students had to register themselves with a fee of Rs. 1500.00 per head for each discipline ranging from Robotics, Electronics Pro & Arduino Pro, Science Activity and Biology. Few students of our school registered themselves for the camp.

• The CBSE results of classes 10 and 12 were out in May with students getting distinction in various subjects. It was a joy to see the result of the hard work put in by the teachers and students.

• The Principal, Mr. Benjamin Newton went to Dayawati Modi School, Meerut as a subject expert for Science Class X to conduct a meeting for all the Head Examiners of CBSE schools of Dehra Dun region and for the spot evaluation of March 2018 Class X Science, of all CBSE Regional Schools, Uttarakhand. He was appreciated and honoured for holding the workshop effectively.

• New members were added to the Grace staff in this session namely Mrs. Hanna Masih, Mrs Neha Osmond, Mr. Charles Dysal, Mrs. Roselin Gomes and Ms. Akriti Mall.

• In the new academic year three posts were created. Mr. Rohit Dilawar, formerly the Senior Accounts Office Superintendent and Business Manager is appointed as the Bursar, Mrs. Nancy Farmer, (PGT Math) as Coordinator class XI & XII and Ms. Shefali Bahadur, (TGT English) as Coordinator classes IX&X.

• The students of Grace Hostel participated in the quiz, speech, solo, duet and choir competition organized by Morrison Memorial Church from the 31st August to 3rd September. The competition was tough in all categories but the students gave their best. Nita Charlotte and Joice Angelin bagged 1st and 3rd position in the speech competition as they presented their views confidently. Joanna Wankhede stood 3rd in the Junior Hindi solo category.

• The Extra Marks organized the Toppers Felicitation ceremony on 29th August at Carman School, Dalanwala to felicitate the toppers of various institutions for their outstanding performance in class X. Five students of class XI Alankrit Negi, Aman Negi, Nita Charlotte, Mohd. Arham Azan and Tanmay Rauthan from Grace Academy received an award for their achievement in academics. The Guest of Honour was Mr G. I. G. Mann, Principal, Carman School. He motivated and encouraged the students to continue to work hard and set higher goals.

• The Ministry of Forest Research, Government of India sent 1000 saplings of fruit trees to be planted by students in the school campus and in and around their homes. Each student of classes IX, X & XII planted a sapling in the school campus and school land in Paundha. Students of other classes were given a sapling each to plant in their homes and neighbourhood.

• Indian Christian Youth Fellowship awarded a certificate and trophy to the students scoring distinction in their board examinations. Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 11 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

• The habit of reading seems to have become a thing of the past. To encourage students to read more, a new programme named ‘DEAR’ (Drop everything and read) was started for classes VI to VIII. Every week the students were assigned a period to just read and do nothing else. They were to read books, articles, journals etc. and maintain a log book of their reading activity. The students who read the maximum books each term were recognised and given awards in the assembly. The students who were given awards were Astha Bisht VIA, Palak Dilawar –Class VIB (who was able to complete an outstanding number of 16 books from April to September); Rushil James- Class VIIA; Jenifer Joseph- Class VIIB; Ashlyn Fiol- Class VIIIA and Aadya Pant- Class VIIIB.

• With the main objective of motivating students and helping them to revive the enthusiasm of working and learning, be it in the classes or in any other event, we have come up with a simple endeavour that motivates the children to strive towards doing better for themselves. ‘Name in a Jar’ activity was initiated for classes IX & X. Each class had two jars; one for academic excellence and the other for behaviour. Every week two names one with the best behaviour and one who did well in academics were put in each jar. It was encouraging to see a big number [61] names and these students would be recognised in the classes for their achievements.

• Some of the Class IX students were a part of the summer project called ‘Project X’ which was headed by Mr. Danny Nungate, the music teacher. They worked along with Mr. Nitin Yadav on making a customized Xylophone out of waste products. The students enjoyed this activity immensely and also felt that it was a great learning experience for them. They were eager to be a part of more such activities.

• In April 2018, CBSE introduced the Health & Physical Education Programme (HPE). Work Education as well as the Physical Health Education classes were subsumed in this programme and a very intricately planned and detailed curriculum was introduced for classes IX-XII. The HPE programme is coordinated by Ms. Shefali Bahadur and Mrs. Nancy Farmer with the help of all the teachers of senior classes. The students are enthusiastically participating in it and are enjoying the various activities planned. The teachers too, are fervently working towards fulfilling the requirements of the programme. Even though it is tiring and time consuming, the feedback from both the students and teachers is positive. Since this is a new venture initiated by CBSE, there is excitement and enthusiasm, which can be seen in the children as they participate in new activities such as aerobics, trekking, calisthenics, futsal, etc.

• An online quiz competition based on Environmental Education and Awareness – Terre Olympiad was organized by Terre Policy Centre. Students of Classes V-XII were registered on line and the quiz was conducted on 6th August 2018. The online quiz was conducted on the e-library computers. Total 46 students participated in the contest under two categories. Online certificates of participation were received on the same day. Results are awaited.

• The first stage of MCQ based General Knowledge Quiz was conducted in the school by BYJU on 5th September 2018 for classes VI-IX. Overall 204 students had given their names for the quiz but only 164 students appeared for the test as it was conducted after school. The students will be awarded a participation certificate. Grade VI appeared in Category-1 and Grades VII-IX appeared in Category-2 of the contest. The results are awaited. The quiz was coordinated by Ms. Shefali Bahadur and Mrs. Anjana Joel.

• The construction of the new block began in the month of June. The work is due to complete by the end of this year. It’s a joy to witness God’s faithfulness here at Grace Academy. Grace Track, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Vol. 23 12 Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy Guidance and Counselling Department

• Like every year, this year too we were blessed to have a ‘Team’ come and spend their time with the students from 11th to 14th April. They took morning assemblies, were part of scripture clubs and residential students program over a span of 4 days. The team consisted of Ms Ruby Mangaldoss, Mr. Remo Paul, Mr. Rohan Koshy, Mrs. Pauline Koshy and Mr. Arpit Paul. The theme was Unlimited Choices in Life and its effects on our thoughts, words and actions. Information was shared on different aspects of life through lectures, meaningful games and discussions. The students of middle school were given a talk on “An Ideal Student”. The students enjoyed these sessions, thoroughly.

• The CBSE held a two day workshop on 4th and 5th of July at for Counsellors and Teachers, in order to equip them on how to guide students for counselling them to choose their career. The workshop was attended by 60 teachers and 3 School counsellors from Uttrakhand/Uttar Pradesh Region.

• Institute for Career Studies, Lucknow conducted ‘Personality Development Workshop on 14th July for 30 students comprising of the student council along with the budding leaders from Grade IX & X. The workshop was organized specially to hone the skills of students to develop an Emotional Mastery for Holistic development along with Effective Communication Skills. Each student was made to analyse their own personality and adopt measures to work on the areas which hinder their growth. The participants enjoyed the workshop and said it was very beneficial for them. Acquire Knowledge, Walk Worthy 13 Vol. 23, Apr ‘18 to Sep ‘18, Grace Track

• Students from classes IX & X were introduced to the Career Development Module on 17th, 18th and 25th July. Students were helped to understand with help of activity sheets and power points on how important it is to know and understand one’s personality, interests and aptitude to choose a career, understanding all the parameters it involves.

• Motivational Talk on “A Career in Indian Army” for students of Grade 11&12 was organized on 24th July. Col. Rajeev Kumar, Director, Recruiting in the Army Recruitment Office, addressed the students and apprised them on the avenues available and how to enroll into the army.

• The school observed Drug Awareness day in order to sensitize students about the importance of abstaining from substance abuse. Mr. Saurabh Malhotra, founding member of NIJAAT, was the resource person for this program along with Dr. Ramandeep. The team addressed the senior school assembly and then later spent time with grade XI & XII students. Meanwhile the students of grade VIII, IX &X wrote on Drug Awareness during the English period and pledged to be Drug Free.

• 35 students and the parents who had enrolled for the ICS-Career Counselling Program attended the 2 day program. The counsellor introduced them to a variety of Careers, admission along with the procedures, subject eligibility involved for each career. The students had one-to-one personal counselling. Interested parents too joined in the personal counselling. The program enlightened the students and parents and one could see that at the end of the sessions the students were confident about their future goals.

• organized a career fair on 4th September where seventy-two universities from India and abroad had come. Thirty-three students had the opportunity to attend. The Students met the university admission representatives and collected information with regard to the courses available. The visit was very beneficial to the students.

• The In-Country representative for University of Alberta, Edmonton, Ms. Parul Khurana, was invited on 5th September to give a presentation about the courses offered at the University of Alberta. Since a number of students are exploring admissions abroad after class XII, the talk was insightful. All 3 streams of grade XII attended the 45 minutes presentation in the school activity hall.

• All the programmes and events of the Guidance and Counselling Department were organized by Mrs. Sudeepta Newton, the school Guidance Counsellor.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. There is always excitement in the air on 5th September as the students are eager to express their love and appreciation towards their teachers in various forms. The students presented a programme on the occasion for teachers. The Theme of the programme was ‘Teaching is Planting’, with the theme verse taken from Galatians 6:9 ‘As you teach, do not get tired of doing what is good, at just the right time you will receive a harvest of blessings’.

The program was conducted by Tanishka Rana and Susanna Raj of Class XII. It began with a word of prayer followed by praise and worship which was led by class XII. Aayushi read a portion from the scripture 2 Timothy 2:1-7. Thoughts for their teachers were presented by the Head Boy and Girl Richie Soshan and Stuti Kutiyal. The middle school girls presented a beautiful choreography which was followed by a lively and fun loving dance by students of classes Nursery to 2. A musical performance by Tio, Abel, Vishwas and Ruth was soothing and melodious. Another action song ‘ Teacher Ne Bola Tha’ was presented by students of classes III to V In the end a meaningful skit was presented by the dramatic club on ‘Expressions of Gratitude’ and the role of a teacher in the life of a student. The programme concluded with a colourful folk dance by senior school girls. Mr Benjamin. Newton, the Principal thanked the student for their efforts and asked them to honour and respect their teachers and elders always so that they live a blessed life. He also thanked the coordinators Mrs Selma Singh and Mr. Ashutosh Biswal and their team for organising such a quality of programme within a short time.

>> ”But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not go weary, they will walk and not be faint”. ~ Isaiah40:31

The staff and students are busy with the ongoing examination that started on 13th September. The Grace Track committee is grateful to those students and teachers who have contributed towards this newsletter in any capacity. We thank God for helping us to achieve our goals and look forward to the next session.

M GRACE ACADEMY 21-C New Cantt Road, Dehradun - 248001 (U.K.) India Tel: 0135 - 2740820, 2743056 Grace Track Committee:Mr. B. Newton, Mr. A. Singh, Mrs. S. Ranjan, Mrs. E. Jacob, Mrs. D. Dayal, Mrs. A. Joel, Mrs. A. Jaideep & Mr. V. Mani Email: [email protected]