One step forward

Last Saturday, a group of parents got together to discuss how to improve things (not that anything in particular is doing very poorly!) in the School. This included this year and last year's parents' representatives in addition to something like eight others. The Principal and other members of the Management were also there.

Of course its too early to give any specifics, but basically there was considerable discussion on various matters that pertain to the well being of our children. And much discussion on what we, as parents, can do. And on teachers and teaching. And on Sports.

There is a lot that can be done, of course. And here is a place to air your opinions. Please write in.

Facebook and other networking sites

As many of you would have learned, there is some concern about the use/abuse of Facebook and other social networking sites by our children.

What do parents feel about this? What do they know? And what about the children? Are they aware of how the social networking sites manipulate people and data?

Some discussion on this matter would be good.

Integral Learning

The concept of Integral Learning - something that MIS followed in earlier days- could still be relevant in today's context. There are experts on this mode of education in Auroville and they do this for a living.

Can we harness this resource to get back the lost glory at MIS? Follow the links below to learn more about it, and write back with your comments to this post!

• http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/IntegralLearning.pdf
• http://www.auroville.org/education/edu_centres/ilc.htm

A Sports Policy for MIS

Vikram Singh, a parent who is also in charge of Sports at the JNU writes in about a possible sports policy for MIS that came up in a discussion of the parents who participate in the morning sports activities at the School.

Health, Physical Education and Sports play important role in realizing the outcomes of physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and spiritually fit personality. The robust education has to be created and inculcated into the physical soil of the child, nurtured through interaction with the parents, teachers, peer group and the community. The father of modern Olympic Games Baron Pierre de Coubertin had said that “Physical Education is the integral part of the total education process”.

Hence it is imperative to conduct the sports training and fitness related programs in a systematic, scientific and pedagogical way. Eminent educationists have clearly marked the role of Health & physical education, arts, creativity, peace education and other allied subjects in the National Curriculum Framework-2005. We see that the Government of India has taken a small step towards decreasing the academic load by making class tenth board exams optional to make way for the co-curricular activities.

All the teacher training curriculums are going under modifications for the sake of joyful learning and development of the life-skills. Even the corporate sector is incorporating the yoga and fitness classes so as to improve the employee productivity and check increasing health related expenses of their employees.

Mothers International School is a place where we find one of the most organized and receptive human beings, whose habits and attitude can be changed, modified and improved and are at the appropriate age to do so because once the habits are formed they generally stay with the person for ever.

Thus MIS parents have thought of framing the sports policy that can be a guideline for the future programs so that the MIS students can become an asset to the society rather than a liability and they are able to become future leaders championing the cause of the great visionary Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It is strongly felt that there can be no better service than to produce the men and women of action and wisdom with the best quality of head and heart so that our children are better future citizens.

Accordingly, a sports policy for MIS is proposed as under:

1. To make the sports activities more systematic and satisfying for the students.
2. To improve upon the parents and all teachers participation in the sports and physical education programs
3. To carry out regular fitness camps for the MIS community.
4. To organize more and more extramural and intramural sports activities to build up confidence and leadership qualities amongst the students through exposure.
5. To contribute to the “INTEGRTED LEARNING” concept through wholesome experiences.
6. Create new and upgrade the existing sports infrastructure on campus.
7. To nurture talent for higher pursuits of excellence in sports and physical education.
8. To organize sports activities/competitions exclusively for the girls.
9. To organize sports activities/competitions for the otherwise able students.
10. To engage more and more talented coaches and parent volunteers for organizing sports in the morning (before school), during school hours and in the evening.
    
11. To encourage students to take up allied issues like NCC, NSS, SCOUT and GUIDES etc.

Please write in with your reactions, or call him at 9868614409

Sports!

Its time to take stock of how things have been at the MIS over the past few years- as many of you have commented during the last year (at least thats how long this blog has been around) there is much room for discussion.

Hence this post, at the special request of our Representative, Vivek Bhushan. This note is just to start things off, but among the various points you may like to comment on, here are some:

Are you happy about the level of sports at MIS?

Facilities- are they adequate? Some more games? which ones?

How much of a balance is needed between sports and studies? In which classes?

Do give your feedback- this is most important- and let's try to emphasise the positive aspects of all sides of the system, namely the efforts of the teachers, parents, and most importantly, the students!

An Unusual Festival

कबाड़ से जुगाड़ : RECYCLING WORKSHOP

Kabaad se Jugaad is presented by Red Earth as part of The Monsoon Festival 4 in Association with British Council, Swechha & Lakshya

IN ONE-LINE: Learn to make beautiful things from waste.

DATES AND TIMINGS

Friday 4 September 2009
First Session: For Schools; 9 am to 12 Noon
Second Session: For General Festival Audiences; 4 pm to 7 pm

VENUE: British Council; 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

ENTRY DETAILS: Free workshop. Register in advance.
Maximum number of participants: 50 per session
Maximum 10 participants from each school.
Event happening in outdoor area.
Participants should carry the following: hat; water, fruits / snacks.

Open to all ages.

Please also bring old newspapers and chips packets.
For registration contact
Lopamudra Sanyal / swechhaindia@gmail.com / 9958147041
Himanshu Verma / himanshu@redearthindia.com / 41764054

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

We produce increasing amounts of waste each year, using natural resources at a faster rate than ever and putting strain on the environment's capacity to deal with waste. Given the immediacy of the global environmental crisis, it becomes very important for each of us to think of relevant ways in which we can ease the pressures on resources and the planet.

One tangible way for each of us to go-green is to RECYCLE some of the waste we generate, in order to create new, beautiful and useable things. Lakshya, a Faridabad based organization that makes bags, belts from jute and waste cloth, and jewellery from waste plastic, help us understand ways in which each of us can recycle items that we normally send to the dustbin.

The Lakshya team teaches the audience to make durable paper bags from old newspapers, wallets and cell-phone purses from plastic wrappers, earrings from used plastic wrappers and other items from everyday waste.