Relevance of Mythology today

Many of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s cannot forget Amar Chitra Katha (ACK). Uloopi, Chitrangada , the beautiful pictures of Sita and other princesses, the unique sounding names, Pingalaka, Bhasuraka, the beauty of Malavika of Kalidasa – each one has a special place in my life. More than History lessons in school, I learnt about Baji Rao and Kannagi from Amar Chitra Katha.

Such was the allure of the pictures and stories that my father used to bring one or two titles every month. There used to be competition among classmates and friends on the titles one possessed. Titles were exchanged, to be read and enjoyed. It was a matter of pride to possess titles of ACK.  

My initiation into mythology was through ACK only. I was attracted towards Indian mythology and the intriguing stories of the great heroes and heroines like Rani Lakshmi Bai, Rani Padmini inspired me no end.

By the way, once upon a time it was fashionable to be knowledgeable about Indian mythology.  I wonder why it is no longer so now. Why the gen Y, gen X gen Z are running after angry birds, Pokemon, Doremon and other monsters?  What is not there in mythology to attract the active minds of youngsters? Mythology has alluring beautiful ladies, great warriors, black villains, breathless adventure, exciting action and to top these all, values and life skills to follow and imbibe.

How many of the young generation knows the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata? Why do they consider that it is infra dig to know about two of the greatest epics? Is it not the duty of the schools, teachers and parents to introduce mythology to the young generation?

All the schools make it a point to have life skill activities. What better way to introduce life skills and smart thinking than stories of Panchatantra and Hitopadesha? So many competitions are being organized in schools. They have themes in the morning assembly, themes for their annual function, themes like sustainable living, green and clean world etc. these topics again have become fashionable. These can be taught in a wonderful manner with the use of interesting stories from the mythology as well as panchatantra / Hitopadesha.

Planting and preservation of trees are made sacred in religious functions Indians have worshipped trees, we have tied sacred threads around them, we have taken shelter under them, have held social ceremonies around these, offered these water, milk and sometimes even cow dung.

In short, I mean to say that today’s children are ignorant of mythology, their importance and relevance in today’s time. This ignorance is not bliss. This is nothing but ignorance which can be rectified to make a positive impact on the society. Connect the mythology to science, art, social science and of course literature too. It is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Use them wisely to overcome the evils of society.

QUEST for British Council International School Award

QUEST for British Council International School Award

“Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest. Pursue thy aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain victory. Struggle earnestly and thou shalt triumph.” – Gautam Buddha

The British Council International School Award programme, is not a simple journey, it is a Quest. A Quest for knowledge, a Quest for experience, a Quest for friends and peers, a Quest for personality development, in short a Quest for all things good and beautiful that education can give.

This Quest is not a one man Quest but a team one. The urge for it came from our Principal Madam Mrs Prem Lata Garg, whose motivation and inspiration spurred the ISA team and the entire school staff to move ahead relentlessly in achieving the Quest.

From our earlier experience, we have a clear understanding that the path is neither simple nor easy. Right from planning activities for the Action Plan till the submission of the dossier, our focus should be on the target. This is what we had gained from the first ISA experience.

This time too the whole school was involved in planning and of course implementation of the Action Plan. The ISA team got unflagging support from all the stakeholders without which the Quest would have faced great turbulence. There was turbulence, but everything was manageable.

The school has come a long way, as teaching-learning is beyond the concrete wall and the printed text books. Our students are guided to be on the Pegasus, and enjoy the whole wide universe of which they are the citizens. International Projects make us one with our transatlantic peers in thought and action. The ISA and the Projects have given the school a vibrant and evolving international Policy and ethos. These have been harmoniously blended into the school systems.

Teachers and students upgraded their 21^st century skills especially collaborative skills through technology. The technological skills of students are par excellent, but the need for thorough and proper guidance is needed. That is what the teachers did. With their navigation, the students were able to successfully improve their online skills.

Our Quest was not devoid of turbulence. There were many which were overcome with strong and focused leadership, togetherness and team work. As Henry Ford had said “coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress and working together is success.”  When the team works like a well oiled machine work is no longer a task but a joyous enterprise. The entire ISA Quest was a joy for each teacher and student as we supported each other. Team members for each assignment were chosen with great care so that they complemented each other. Finding the right person for the right task was the toughest job. But as each one was eager to learn, they adapted wonderfully to the job at hand, helping each other, smoothing out frayed nerves and moving ahead.

Getting the ISA Kite mark doesn’t end our Quest. As the school has applied for re-accreditation, we understand that the Quest never ends but it is a constant movement ahead. Our partnership with one of the schools in the UK is its successful 4^th year. We have another school from the UK as a new partner. We plan to work on sustaining these partnerships as well as look for and sustain more such partners from other countries. We also propose to have interesting collaborative activities with our international peers.

We began the Quest with the aim to achieve re-accreditation of the British Council International School Award. The school will not stop here. The Quest will continue as it is the Quest for knowledge, the Quest for experience, the Quest for friends and peers, the Quest for personality development, in short the Quest for all things good and beautiful that education can give. The ISA Programme has given us this unquenchable thirst for more and more rewarding experiences such as what ISA has given all of us.

Rubric for poetry writing

RUBRIC FOR POETRY

Name:                                                                                      Date:                                        Period:

CATEGORY	Excellent  -  4	Good  - 3	Satisfactory -  2	Needs Improvement - 1
THE WRITING PROCESS / EFFORT	Student devoted a lot of time and effort to the writing process and worked hard to make the poem a good read.  The poem has no errors.	Student devoted adequate time and effort to the writing process and worked to get the job done. The poem may have one or two errors.	Student devoted some time and effort to the writing process but was not very thorough. Does enough to get by.  There are several errors.	Student devoted little time and effort to the writing process. It appears that the student does not care about the assignment.  The poem has many errors.
TITLE	The poem has a title that clearly relates to the poem and adds interest to the theme or message of the poem	The poem has a title that relates to the poem	The poem has a title	The poem has no title
NEATNESS	The final draft of the poem is readable, clean, neat and attractive. It is free of erasures and crossed-out words. It looks like the author took great pride in it.	The final draft of the poem is readable, neat and attractive. It may have one or two erasures, but they are not distracting. It looks like the author took some pride in it.	The final draft of the poem is readable and some of the pages are attractive. It looks like parts of it might have been done in a hurry.	The final draft is not neat or attractive. It looks like the student just wanted to get it done and didn’t care what it looked like.
STYLE	The poem is written with a great sense of style.  The poem has been well thought out and makes sense to the reader.	The poem is written with a defined with style.  Thoughts are clear to read and understandable.	The poem is written  somewhat with style.  Thoughts are clear to a degree.	The poem lacks style and the thoughts did not come out clearly on paper.
VOCABULARY	The poem is filled with descriptive vocabulary that appeals to the reader.	The poem includes many descriptive elements and is appealing.	The poem includes some descriptive words and phrases.	The poem lacks description and does not allow the reader to visualize the poem.

TOTAL SCORE:  __________________________________

ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAY 23^rd April, 2015

Mahatma Gandhi had said, “English is a language of international commerce, it is the language of diplomacy and it contains many a rich literary treasure; it gives us an introduction to western thought and culture.”

Today  is English Language Day and also commemorates William Shakespeare’s birth anniversary.  

The appropriate use of language and communication is the basis for success in virtually every domain of human activity, from politics, to business, to all areas of work, even to personal and family life. There are uncountable languages in this world. Every country has its own national language. There are different local languages spoken and understood by people in different regions.

English is by far the world’s most important language in terms of international business and trade, intellectual activity, technological and scientific advances, social trends, and popular culture.

English language is the dominant language of international communication and with increasing globalisation, it is important to have a refined understanding of the nature and structure of English and how we communicate with each other. An understanding of the various dimensions of language and communication will give you the ability to communicate more effectively in this complex, globalised world.

English is the chief language in the Indian education system today. All the prestigious schools and colleges use English as their medium of instruction. Today, careers in the field of science and technology, business and commerce require a good knowledge of English. Most of the works in the field of space, nuclear technology, medicine etc. are available only in English. The vocabulary and terminology used in these are available in English. Therefore, English has become a passport of getting a good job not only in India but also abroad in almost all fields.

Being fluent in a second language clearly demonstrates a powerful brain and reflects someone who has put in the huge amount of time, resources and commitment needed to master another language. No matter what combination of languages you speak, adding English to your CV will be particularly useful. English is an incredibly useful language to learn because so many countries speak it. English skills are just as desirable to employers in your own country as they are to employers in English-speaking countries. 

  

English is widely regarded as the language of higher education. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and MIT are just a few of the famous universities that occupy the lofty heights of the top of the world education league tables, and you’ll need to speak English fluently for access to any of these, as they’re all English-speaking.

Did you know that 55% of the world’s webpages are written in English? Knowledge of English therefore allows you to tap into far more of the world’s intellectual resources.

Generally, English is used among Indians as a ‘link’ language and it is the first language for many well-educated Indians. It is also the second language for many who speak more than one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge between the major countries of the world and India.

English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament, judiciary, broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. The language permeates daily life. It is unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities.

A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people into Indian society. Using English you will become a citizen of the world almost naturally. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The impact of English is not only continuing but increasing.

When he said that “Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift” Nelson Mandela was of the opinion that “Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club -the community of speakers of that language.”

Our dear students must try to understand and appreciate the importance and status of English Language and strive to be able to use it flawlessly.

A VERY HAPPY ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAY

CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHERS

CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHERS

A teacher has to renew himself each and every day as his students are full of youthful energy and vigour. They are able to internalize new technologies and novel scientific advancements with great ease. As facilitators, teachers need to keep pace with their students. This is true not only to teaching profession … but true to all professions. A tailor, for example, stitched ‘bellbottoms’ in 1990s. if he continues to stitch clothes in the same style and fashion followed then, he will have to close shop. He has to fall in line with the world.

‘I don’t know how to handle computers, I am used to pen and paper or blackboard’… teachers who stay aloof from the changing time have been rejected by time itself. Likewise, this is the time of specialists. Doctors with only MBBS degree have less value. He has to upgrade himself with M.S. or M.D. degree. One has to specialize in any particular field. But it is not right to run a hotel with the tagline that ‘we serve only special dosa’. A hotel has to serve other things than only special dosa. This is the time of multiplexes. There should be specials as well as other items available to suit different tastes. Positive attitude towards being constantly updated, the urge to be skillful in one’s chosen field, the urge to gain knowledge all that is relevant to one’s chosen profession, always ready to accept and learn new technologies and novel ideas – all these are basic requirements in all professions.  

These are basic requirements to be successful even in the most ordinary jobs. Teachers who shoulder the responsibility to guide generations, need these qualifications more than others. The changes happening in education systems, the pros and cons of the country’s education system, the way developed countries put technology to good use in classroom teaching and the latest in educational technology …. A teacher has to possess unquenchable thirst for these things. If it is not so, it is only the students who are affected and suffer.

If a tailor is not worried or bothered about latest trends, it is his personal loss. Whereas, if a teacher is behind his times, it is the loss of all his students, their families which in turn will affect the society and the country. A teacher needs this wide perspective to be passionate about his job.

It is now time for the best human brains i.e. the teachers to go hand in hand with technology to make our country walk shoulder to shoulder with other developed countries.

-          Courtesy anantha vikatan 10.08.2014

-          By S.AKILANDESWARI

The Invisible Man by H G Wells ----- Summary of Chapter 1

The Strange Man's Arrival

It was a wintry day, in February, with biting wind and driving snow.  He was wrapped from head to toe, his hands were thickly gloved and his face was completely hidden. Only the tip of his nose was visible. He reached ‘Coach and Horses’ – a local inn - and as he was feeling terribly cold he wanted a warm room. He threw a couple of sovereigns (gold coin of the United Kingdom used in the past) and settled in his room.

Mrs Hall, the innkeeper, prepared a meal for him. She felt happy and satisfied because

1.     A guest in Iping (the name of the place) in wintertime was a piece of luck.

2.     A guest who did not argue or bargain, who immediately gave the money demanded by her (couple of sovereigns).

When she entered his room with the meal, the fire was burning and the room was quite warm. Mrs. Hall was surprised that the visitor had not removed his hat and coat. He was standing with his back to her. He refused her offer of taking his hat and coat for drying. Her attempts at a conversation were cut short by the strange visitor.  She served him lunch and left.

Only the sound of his scraping the plates could be heard by her from the kitchen. Then she noticed that the mustard was not served. She scolded her help Millie about this, took the mustard to him. (mustard – is a condiment made from the seeds of mustard plant. The whole, ground, cracked or bruised mustard seeds are mixed with water, salt, lemon juice and other flavourings to create a paste or sauce).

As she entered his room with the mustard, she saw he had removed his overcoat and hat. She was about to take them for drying when she heard his muffled voice asking her not to take the hat.

When she looked at him, she was too surprised to speak. He was holding a serviette over the lower part of his face and was speaking through it. This had muffled his voice. But it was the face which startled Mrs Hall. All his forehead above the blue glasses was covered by a white bandage, and another covered his ears. Not a scrap of his face was exposed excepting the pink bright and shiny tip of his nose. The collar of his brown jacket was turned up about his neck.

Still holding the serviette (napkin or face towel), he told her again to leave his hat. She tried to converse with him and tried to find out the reason for his strange appearance. She assumed that he had met with an accident. As she left baffled and bewildered he pulled the blind down and the room was left in with a dim and dull light.

When she went to clear his lunch, she observed that he was smoking his pipe. He had a silk muffler wrapped around the lower part of his face, and without removing it, he put the pipe’s mouthpiece to his lips.

He enquired Mrs Hall about his luggage. He wanted them brought from Bramblehurst station where he had left them. Mrs Hall replied that it would be possible to arrange for the luggage to be brought only the next day, but the visitor wanted them earlier.

Mrs Hall guided the conversation towards accidents and operations in the hope that the visitor would disclose the truth about his appearance and what exactly had happened to him.  But her attempts were cut short rudely by him. She wanted to reply him but the two sovereigns shut her up. Everything was quiet till four o’ clock in the evening except for the occasional sound of the visitor pacing the room and the creaking of the armchair as he sat down.

THE RATTRAP by Selma Lagerlöf

1.    Rattrap is a device for catching rats using baits (like a piece of cheese or bread) to make the rat enter the trap. Once inside the trap, the rat cannot escape as the only exit of the trap gets shut.

2.    Rattrap also means a daunting situation. (daunting makes you feel slightly afraid or worried about dealing with it.)

‘The Rattrap’ is a metaphor to highlight the human predicament. Just as a rat is fooled by a bait and gets trapped, most human beings are likely to fall into the trap of material benefits. Here human beings are compared to the trapped rat which is lured by the bait. The lucrative (profitable) baits for human beings is the material benefits such as food, shelter, clothing, good life, fame, joys or anything else that attracts a human. The story upholds the belief that the essential goodness of a human being can be awakened through love and understanding.

The protagonist of the short story the Rattrap, is a ratttap peddler.

The story begins like a fairytale. The central character is a beggar and a petty thief who goes about selling rattraps of wire to make a small living. He finds it difficult to make both ends meet. It makes him reflect about his own condition and the world at large.He fancies that the whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. This thought amuses him.

One dark and cold evening, he was made welcome at a cottage and the owner was alone without a family. This loneliness made the old man share porridge and tobacco with the peddler. He even played a card game with the peddler. The old man started talking about his days as a crofter and how now he lives by selling milk for the creamery. He even shows the 3 ten kroner bills he got last month as proof.

His confidence was not respected by the peddler when he stole the money next day by smashing the window pane, to get hold of the pouch with the thirty kroners. In order to escape from the authorities, he avoided the public highway and went into the woods. He got lost in the forest and did not know the way to get out and recalled his thoughts about the world being a rattrap waiting to trap the humans with many baits. He felt he was fooled by the money which was the bait.

His gloom and despair increased as it became darker with increased dangers in the forest. He thought he would die there itself. Suddenly he heard the sound of hammer and understood that there was an iron mill nearby. He located the mill and saw that the master smith and his helper sat near the furnace and on account of the noise in the forge they did not notice the peddler entering. The peddler lay down to warm himself and sleep. He did not exchange any words with the smith.

The owner of the iron mill’s greatest ambition was to ship out good iron to the market. He had made it a habit to check the work done both day and night. When he entered the mill that day, he saw the stranger. Unlike the blacksmiths, he went and removed the hat to get a better view and addressed the fellow as Nils Olof. The peddler, in the hope of getting some money did not refuse that he was misidentified by the ironmaster.

The ironmaster took the peddler to be one of his old regimental comrades (belonging to the same military unit), misunderstood that his pathetic condition was because he had resigned from the army.

He compelled the peddler to come with him to his house but the stranger continued to refuse this offer and the ironmaster left. Some time later, the ironmaster’s daughter returned accompanied by a valet. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest and quite shy. She introduced herself as Edla Willmansson and noticed that the man afraid and concluded that “either he has stolen something or else he has escaped from jail.” She reassured him that he will be allowed to leave them as freely as he came but requested him to stay with her and her father over Christmas Eve. The peddler accepted the invitation and was offered a fur coat but regretted taking the kroners from the crofter.

The next day at breakfast Edla told her father that she never thought that the peddler was an educated person. Te ironmaster told her that she should have patience and with a little bit of cleaning up and good clothes, the tramp will lose his tramp manners and show that he was an educated army man.

The tramp entered and he was now clean and well dressed. The ironmaster understood that he had made a mistake in taking the tramp to be one of his regimental comrades and was angry with the peddler. The peddler answered that he did not accept the ironmaster’s invitation and said that he would wear his own torn clothes and go away from the place. The ironmaster threatened him the sheriff would definitely have something against the vagabond. Now the peddler struck the table with his fist and told the ironmaster that the whole world is but a rattrap. He said that if the sheriff takes him away then one day the ironmaster himself would be baited by the world and would be caught in the trap. The ironmaster asked him to leave immediately.

Edla was very happy that morning as she had planned to make the peddler comfortable. She felt that Christmas is a time for charity and good cheer which should be shared with the needy. She argued with her father that the peddler is never welcomed anywhere at anytime. He is always afraid of being arrested and Edla wanted him to enjoy a day of peace, just one day in the whole year. She said that they had promised Christmas cheer. The father gave in to the daughter’s plea and was fed.  He slept the whole afternoon, and again after lunch he slept. He went down to have Christmas dinner and saw the decorated Christmas tree. He went around and said tank you to everyone. Edla said that the suit he was wearing was to be a Christmas present and if he wanted to send next Christmas Eve in a place where he could rest in peace and be sure that no evil would befall him, he would be welcomed back again.

The next morning, the father and daughter went to church where they came to know that one of the old crofter’s had been robbed by a man selling rattraps.

As they entered their house, the valet informed them that the peddler had already left but he was empty handed. He had left behind a package for Miss Willmansson as a Christmas present.

Inside the package the girl found a rattrap containing the wrinkled three ten kroner notes.There was also a note which said that “I do not want to you to be embarrassed by a thief. You can give back the money to the old man and the rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain.”

It was signed “Captain von Stahle”.

The peddler experiences a change of heart after experiencing Edla’s sincere kindness and essential human goodness. He attains nobility of spirit as he ‘becomes’ Captain von Stahle.

It is the victory of human goodness.

Selma Lagerlöf’s  THE RATTRAP as a fairytale…

One of the elements of fairy tales is that they often start and end with special words like "once upon a time," "a long, long time ago," When you read those words, you know that the story could be a fairy tale.

Another element of a fairy tale is that the story often takes place in a castle, a forest, or a town. This is called the setting. The setting is where the story takes place.

Fairy tales always have at least one good character, or person, in the story. An example of a good character is Cinderella.

One of the most important elements in a fairy tale is that they always have a problem that must be solved. For example, in the Princess and the Pea, the prince wants to find a real princess to marry. His mother, the queen, helps him find a real princess by putting a pea in the bed to find out if the princess can feel it.

·         A fairy tale begins with "Once upon a time...”

·         Fairy tales have a problem that needs to be solved.

·         Fairy tales have happy endings –

·         Fairy tales usually teach a lesson or have a theme.

In the fairy tales the magic and the supernatural permeate everyday life, showing that everybody can live happily ever after, that the poor man can make a fortune and that everybody has to face some trials and overcome some difficulties in order to get a better life. In this way the fairy tales deal with real problems and there is a deep meaning in them that you must be able to catch in order to understand the human nature and better realize one's own individual history.

Although we live today in a very different world, the fairy tales' language is still alive and rich in meaning: it is true that those tales always refer to distant times (Once upon a time there was…), but the message they include - success and happiness reached thanks to one's own merits and to other people's help - is universal.