Apeejay Institute of Design

WORKSHOPS

CURRICULUM WORKSHOP ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION Apeejay School, Pitampura was nominated by CBSE for a collaborative project started by ‘International Inspiration’ between India and United Kingdom in the area of Physical Education at the Primary level. In continuation to this project a workshop on the Curriculum Development in Physical Education at Primary Level was attended by Ms Renu Nagpal at British Council Library on 20th and 21st October 2008. A feedback presentation on the project being carried out at Apeejay School Pitampura , was given by Ms Renu Nagpal.The meeting was attended by Ms Sharon Kee from UK, Professors from Laxmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) Gwalior, Readers from Regional Institute Of Education (RIE) -Ajmer and Bhubaneshwar, Consultant- United Nations Population Fund, Professor from NCERT, Education Officer from CBSE, and Education Officer from UNICEF .
WORKSHOP CONDUCTED ON THINKING SKILLS On 26th July 2008, Mrs. Malini Sridhar, PGT-Biology, conducted a workshop on “Thinking skills”. It was workshop for all the teachers. It was focused on various aspects of thinking process that would improve the interpretation of the information, understanding and problem solving skills. To bring about the desired outcome a brief introduction of the topic with emphasis on skills and principles involved was given. Then the teachers were grouped on the basis of the subject they teach i.e. language teachers formed one team followed by math., sciences and social studies the teachers were also asked to select a team leader. A questionnaire was given to each team, in which different situations were given, with the help of group activity the teachers were asked to answer the questions. Teachers were divided into different teams, where, they were given a cartoon clipping to analyze the situation depicted and note down its Plus, Minus and Interesting aspects of it. Later on, the team leaders were invited to read out the answers and share their experiences. It was indeed a motivating learning experience.
WORKSHOP ON KNOW YOUR GENOME On 26 th September 2008, Biology and Biotechnology students of class XI accompanied with Mrs. Malini Sridhar had attended a workshop “Know Your Genome”at National Physical Laboratory on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day. Prof. Doron Lancet discussed about History and Future of Human Genome, Prof V. Heyningen talked about “Making of Eyes” and Dr. Stephen – deduced the genetics behind tobacco addiction. The eminent scientist shared their experiences on human genome project.
PREPARATION OF QUESTIONS BASED ON HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS (H.O.T.S) In order to acquaint the teachers with the latest changes in the design of question paper pattern introduced by CBSE, a workshop for Physics teachers was organized on 27th September 2008 on “Preparation of Questions based on Higher Order Thinking Skills (H.O.T.S). Teachers from Apeejay schools in and around Delhi attended the workshop. The resource persons were Dr. N. K. Sehgal and Dr. K. L. Chopra from Delhi University . The teachers were trained how to prepare questions based on Higher Order Thinking Skills. It was a very educative experience for the teachers.
WORKSHOP ON PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT A workshop dealing with Personality Development by Indian Express was organised for class IX students on 25th August 2008. The resource person Ms. Dimple Kaur described it as the person who he/she is –and his personal thoughts, aspirations and his/her judgments about people. Further, the students were given the task of describing appropriately using two words starting with their initial. It helped them to analyze themselves and understand their characteristic traits. On the basis of this activity, it was concluded that the most important aspect of Personality Development is Self Knowledge - knowing who you are? The instructor also questioned the students as to who their idols were and what they admired about them. She pointed out that it was know whether you liked them because they had a trait you would like to develop or they had something which you already have or would like to nurture. On a parting note she attended the queries posed by the students and winded up the workshop.
CREATING LASTING IMPRESSIONS Students of class-VIII were given a dose of confidence –building on 22nd August 2008 , when a personality development workshop by Ms. Pria Warrick on “Creating Lasting Impressions” was organized. A PowerPoint presentation highlighted the traits required to present oneself in front of the public. Ms. Pria emphasized the 6 P’s to create personality like Persona, Packaging, Positioning, Presentation, Promotion and Passion and answered the queries raised by the students effectively. She also gave them helpful tips to kick start their life and get rid of low self-esteem. The students thoroughly enjoyed the session which ended with a brief lesson on ‘Salsa’ and had the students tapping their feet enthusiastically.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PROGRAMMME The first session of English Language Proficiency Programme was formally inaugurated by Mrs P. Soorma, the Middle School Coordinator on 8th August 2008. It was attended by Pre –Primary teachers including Mrs Nalini Singh, the Primary Incharge. At the onset, a brief introduction about the programme was given, in which objectives of this project were told to the participating teachers. This was followed by conducting pre-test, listening activities and post-test. There was a marked improvement in the score as participating in the activities gradually improved their listening skills. The session on listening skills received an overwhelming response from the teachers.
LITERACY FOR DRUG PREVENTION A presentation on ‘Literacy For Drug Prevention’ was delivered by Mrs. Vandana Arora on 8th August 2008 in which she made the staff realize the seriousness behind being aware of what a drug is and what are the various after-effects of using different kinds of drugs. Various kinds of drugs easily available in the market were told and what the lead to was conveyed. It was also told what role does literacy i.e. education plays in reducing drug use in the younger generation. How an elder as a teacher or a parent can help avoiding those circumstances which lead to drug abuse. The presentation ended up with young children joining hands and ensuring everyone to sing along ‘To Drugs, Just Say No’.
REJUVENATING ESTEEM THROUGH PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP On 17th July 2008 Apeejay School, Pitampura hosted a workshop on “Building Self-Esteem’ by the famous psychologist and personality expert, Ms. Pria Warrick. Students of class IX enjoyed an interactive and fun filled session which opened their minds to simple techniques to gain confidence and erase low self esteem which often leads to serious inferiority complex in people. The students came up with their hidden doubts and fears which were dealt with expertise by Ms. Warrick. A PowerPoint presentation, with meaningful inputs brought out the message with clarity. The session ended with a fun filled ball-room dancing session for students with soft and sleek twirls and graceful rhythm of the presenter herself. Happy faces and confident strides brought the session to an end.
WORKSHOP ON TEAM SPIRIT On 26th April 2008 , a workshop on “Team Spirit” was conducted by Mrs. Kiran Nayak, PGT-Physics. It was workshop for TGT’s and PGT’s. There were total 36 teachers who attended the workshop. The idea of team spirit was developed amongst the teachers with the help of group activity. Six groups of five teachers and one observer were made. Teachers were given the activity to complete a square individually as well as collectively as a team. Later on the teachers were invited to share their experience during the activity. It was indeed a fruitful workshop.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AWARENESS PROGRAMME, HYDERABAD Mrs. Renu Nagpal attended a Physical Education awareness programme held in Hyderabad on 28th March, 2008 organized by International Inspiration Programme, British Council and Youth Sports Trust for creating awareness on physical education and schools sports. Its main aim was to raise the profile of physical education in schools and emphasize its relation to the overall physical, social and professional development of children, teachers and schools. The guests present at the inaugural ceremony were Mr. Balasubramanyam, Director Schools, Govt.of AP. Sri Damodhar Reddy Hon’ble Minister for IT Communication Sports and Youth Services, Sri Raja Narsimha, H-on’ble Minister School Education Govt. of AP, Mr.Sudhakar Goud- Director British Council Hyderabad and Mona Shipley Head Sports and Education, British Council. There were around 100 participants including Principal and Primary teachers from Medak a UNICEF integrated district, teachers from the newly linked schools from Andhra Pradesh and officials from SCERT and Diets. Ms. Sharon Kee, U.K. Curricular Consultant gave her presentation on her experience with the in-service training for accreditation and development of P.E. in Delhi schools. A feedback data was presented by her showing the positive and encouraging results of the in-service training programme.	Mrs. Renu Nagpal also delivered a presentation based on the importance of physical education at primary level, the new dimensions and practice in physical education curriculum, the class teacher’s role and apprehensions of class teachers, benefit to students, the infrastructural requirements and the future plans of Apeejay Pitampura School. The presentation was well received as it indicated that the project started by the above organizations can be practically implemented. A group activity was carried out by David Barnett and Sharon Kee. An interactive session was held. At the end, feedback was taken from all the participants.
CONFERENCE ON WATER CONSERVATION AND WATER RECYCLING Ms. Preeti Sharma attended the conference organized by the Departmental of Environment, Govt. of NCT of Delhi along with Prakhar Helpful Society (NGO) on 24th March 2008 at Indian National Science Academy (INSA). The secretary of Environment – Mr. Dado, addressed the gathering and stressed on the harvesting and reuse of water at the institutional and house hold level. It was announced that the government will provide technical and monetary support for the installation of water harvesting system in institutes all over Delhi. Aspect of Ground Water Conservation in Delhi was discussed by Mr. P. N. Singh, Scientist - Central Ground Water Board. Dr. R. C. Trivedi, Add. Director – CPCB discussed Pollution Aspect of Surface Water and Recycling of Waste Water. Water Bodies and Eco Balance was discussed by Shri Anupam Mishra from Gandhi Peace Foundation. The conference was attended by teachers from schools and colleges and members of Resident Welfare Association.
WORKSHOP ON AFRICA – NO MORE A DARK CONTINENT Apeejay School, Pitampura organized a workshop on “Africa - No more a Dark Continent” on the 19th February, 2008. The workshop was conducted by Mrs. Uma, Lecturer (Economics), University of Delhi, Mr. Manish Karnwar, Lecturer (History) – Deptt. of African Studies - University of Delhi and Mr. Shrya Desai, a research scholar in the Deptt. of African Studies - University of Delhi. Mr. Shrya Deori covered the geographical aspect of Africa in his presentation. He explained to the children why Africa is called the Dark Continent. He also explained the physical boundaries, physical features and climatic conditions of Africa.	Mrs. Uma took up the economics aspect of Africa. She explained the main problems of Africa, which were- population, conflicts and poverty. She made the children focus on the various challenges that were faced by the African to uplift themselves. Mr. Manish covered the historical aspects of Africa, where he presented his power point presentation on colonisation, slave trade, direct and indirect rule and also the apartheid system. Mrs. Praveen Kumari, Incharge – Primary School, presented the vote of thanks. The main purpose of the workshop was to enable the children, why Africa was called the Dark Continent and why it is not called so today. The workshop helped them to know about the continent. This has enabled them to make a comparative study of Africa with India too.
WORKSHOP ON DESIGNING RUBRICS The workshop on ‘Designing Rubrics’ was organized at Australian High Commission on 16th February 2008 by Ms. Priya Virmani from Banyan Tree School and Ms. Praveen Kumari – Primay School Incharge, Apeejay School, Pitampura. The main aim of the workshop was to understand the meaning of Rubrics and how to implement it as an alternative way of assessment through a practical approach. The teachers were divided into various groups for conducting certain activities related to the objective. The rubric assessments would be taken for subjects like Mathematics, Science and Languages dealing with Primary and Middle School levels. The fruitful objective of the workshop was that it enables the students to make out where they stand and how to improve upon through practical and logical concepts thereby discouraging comparisons and creating a better environment to study.
35th AnnualNationalProgressiveSchool’sConference Mrs. Indu Malik, PGT – Economics attended the 35th Annual National Progressive School’s Conference which was held on 15th – 16th February 2008 at DAV Public School, Gurgaon. In the first session, the keynote address was delivered by Mr. Michael Danino on School education – urgent need for radical overhaul. The session was highly interactive and the main highlights were the impact of cultural heritage on education system. The afternoon session was chaired by Mr. S. K. Bhattacharya. The topic of discussion was learning from changes and challenges. On 16th February 2008, the first session was chaired by Mr. M. L. Babbar and area of focus was multiple-intelligence. Mr. Vikram Dutt and Mrs. Shovana Narayan were the eminent panelists. The final session was presided by Mr. T. R. Gupta and the panelists included eminent sociologists and Prof. Depankar Gupta and Prof. J. D. Aggarwal, Chairman – IIF. They discussed Education and the emerging economic trends in detail.
WORKSHOP ON LIFE SKILLS Ms. Seema Chauhan and Ms. Inderjeet Kaur attended a workshop on Life Skills at Australian High Commission on 9th February 2008. The workshop emphasized on the need of making life skills an integral part of the school curriculum so that the students can face real life situations. The guest speakers were Ms. Meenakshi and Ms. Gunjan. Various activities were conducted to make the participants understand the value of team spirit and co-operation. At the end, an interactive session was held where the participants shared their views.
WORKSHOP ON GENOME THERAPY To sensitize the students on the various researches and advancement in the field of genome therapy a workshop “GENOME THERAPY TO CURE GENETIC DISEASES” was organized on 25th January 2008 by Apeejay School Pitampura. Dr. Arun Kumar Sharma, Reader, Department of plant molecular biology, University of Delhi was invited to preside and enlighten the students of class XI and IX with the topic. Dr. Arun Kumar Sharma, Ph.D. in life sciences from JNU, New Delhi has intense expertise on Plant Biology, especially dealing with the latest application in genome therapy.	He explained the various aspects of genome therapy through his lecture and slide then he gradually focused on origin, history, research, technicality, process, the methods by which the defective gene can be detected, and the corrected sequence can be inserted into the patient’s body with the help of genetically modified vectors, threats, significance, and economics of it with special reference to genetic diseases like Cystic Fibrosis, Familial Hypercholestremia, Severe Combined ImmunoDefiency (S.C.I.D.), Hemophilia A, Hemophilia B and Retinal Pigmentosa. The workshop was really an enriching experience to the students and an eye opener to know that genetic diseases are also curable.
WORKSHOP ON DENTAL HYGIENE On 29th January 2008 , a workshop was conducted by COLGATE for students of Class II – V. A Cartoon film “Batooni and his talking teeth” was shown which was followed by a discussion on Oral care. Students were made aware of how the tooth decay takes place and what can be done to prevent it. Brushing twice a day was stressed upon. Students were also given a Questionnaire and a Booklet containing Tips for Oral care.
WORKSHOP ON TEACHING SKILLS A workshop was organized on teaching skills on 4th January 2008 . The resource person was Mr. Ashok Kumar, Professor – Apeejay School of Education. He emphasized on stimulus variation which makes teaching purposeful, skillful and interactive process. Stimulus variation will propel the interpersonal relationship between the teacher and student in such a manner that it will promote sustained interest and effective learning by the student. The workshop was very good and superb learning experience attended by all science teachers of Apeejay School , Pitampura.

RECENT EVENTS

DEEWAR – THE PLAY

On 12th October 2008, Mrs. Karuna Mishra alongwith 10 students went to view the play ‘Deewar’ held at LTG Auditorium. It was a 55min show written by David Holman and directed by Vibha Chibber. The play was all about two worlds of Reds and Blues and the relationship between them. It was a blend of comedy and emotions. Students enjoyed watching the play and felt motivated to be united.

LITERARY WEEK 2008

Apeejay School, Pitampura rejoiced it’s Annual Literary Week from 29th September to 4th October 2008 with an aim at tapping, recognizing and nurturing the potential of the students and promoting reading habits, creative thinking and an ability to express themselves.

The week was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Ms Meera Kant, Reader, NCERT and the Principal Mr D.K.Bedi with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. During the weeklong programme many Inter-School and Inter-Class competitions like Debate, Dramatization of Literary Characters, Skit, Hindi Play, Book Review etc. were held.

These competitions gave an outlet to students of varied talents to come up and display creative brilliance through their language & histrionic skills. Several prominent schools of Delhi participated in these activities. The Literary week showcased the multifaceted talent of students & provided them a platform for proving their mettle. Eminent educationists and journalists judged the various competitions and felicitated the winners.

On the whole, the Literary Week was a tremendous success evoking immense fervor & excitement among the students.

BLOOD DONATION CAMP

Interact Club of Apeejay School, Pitampura organised a blood donation camp on 27th September, 2008 in the school premises. The camp was organised in association with the Rotary Blood Bank of Delhi.

The parents highly praised the noble deed where several people donated blood to save precious lives of the needy patients. A total of 86 people donated blood in this camp. The names of blood donors are as listed alongside.

Apeejay School , Pitampura is an active participant in arranging such social service initiatives from time to time. Besides its staff members, members of the community were also encouraged to donate blood.

In view of the escalating environment related problems which made the people vulnerable to a variety of maladies, the demand for blood is on the rise. This action had served as a major support to the sick people of the society in emergent situations.

S.No.	Name of the Donor
1.	Mr. Deepak Gupta
2.	Dr. Pankaj Garg
3.	Dr. Ritu Raizada
4.	Dr. Bishwajeet Paul
5.	Dr. Sushil Sharma
6.	Mr. Neeraj Aggarwal
7.	Mr. Rakesh Mehta
8.	Dr. Manoj Sharma
9.	Mr. Deepak Goel
10.	Mr. Sandeep Sachedva
11.	Mrs. Sangeeta Paul
12.	Mr. K. V. Ravi Kiran
13.	Mr. S. K. Sakhuja
14.	Mr. Gurmeet Singhs
15.	Mr. Sanjay Arora
16.	Mr. Praveen Kumar
17.	Mr. Rajiv Gupta
18.	Mr. Pawan Sharma
19.	Mr. Arvind Gupta
20.	Mr. Mukesh Kumar
21.	Mr. Manoj Nagpal
22.	Mr. Ravi Gauba
23.	Dr. J. K. Sarna
24.	Dr. Manbir Singh
25.	Mr. Anup Bansal
26.	Mr. Hemant Handa
27.	Mr. Manish Singhal
28.	Ms. Romy Chopra
29.	Mr. Narendra
30.	Mr. Sachin Anand
31.	Mr. Amitabh Passi
32.	Mr. Tarun Chhabra
33.	Mr. Amit K. Jha
34.	Mr. Jagvinder Chhikara
35.	Mr. Sanjiv K. Chand
36.	Mr. H. P. Singh Ahuja
37.	Mr. Pradeep Garg
38.	Mr. Vishaveer Verma
39.	Mr. Rakesh Kumar
40.	Mr. Yogesh Singhal
41.	Mr. Munish Sarin
42.	Mr. Pradeep Punjabi
43.	Mr. Prem Prakash
44.	Mr. Harswrwi Bakshi
45.	Mr. Shailesh Kumar
46.	Mr. Vinish Khanna
47.	Mr. Rajiv Sharma
48.	Mr. Raj Kumar
49.	Mr. Atul Malhotra
50.	Mr. Amit Dua
51.	Mr. Baskar K. V.
52.	Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Sharma
53.	Mr. Anil Rajoria
54.	Mr. Sanjay Singh
55.	Mr. Satish Malik
56.	Mrs. Savita Malik
57.	Mr. Jayant Kapoor
58.	Mr. Lokesh Gupta
59.	Mrs. Ritu Sawhney
60.	Mr. Atul Gupta
61.	Mr. Yogender
62.	Mr. Pawan Chawla
63.	Ms. Vratika Jain
64.	Mr. Shailendra Rastogi
65.	Mrs. Smita Sharma
66.	Mr. Jitener Makhija
67.	Mr. Sareen Goel
68.	Mr. P. K. Chopra
69.	Mr. Suneel Singh Kamujia
70.	Mr. Rakesh Grover
71.	Mr. Arvind Bajoria
72.	Mr. Diwakar Sharver
73.	Mr. Vijay Singh Shishodia
74.	Mr. Sanjay Singh Rajput
75.	Mr. Amit Vohra
76.	Mr. Rohit Sahni
77.	Mr. Tribhuvan Chawla
78.	Mr. Dhananjay Kumar
79.	Dr. Arun Kapoor
80.	Mr. Vinod Sharma
81.	Mr. Harish Kumar Hassija
82.	Mr. Vishal Malhotra
83.	Mr. Sanjeev Katyal
84.	Mr. Sudhir Chawla
85.	Mr. Swarn Singh
86.	Mr. Sumit Kumar Arora

DUSSHERA CELEBRATIONS

On Friday, 26th September, the students of Pre-Primary Deptt. presented a vibrant, dramatic yet miniature version of the Ramayana. The students had prepared this abridged adaptation for the special assembly to celebrate Dusshera. The fervour with which the children acted out their roles was greatly applauded by the audience.

ID-UL-FITR CELEBRATIONS

On Thursday, 25th September, the students of the Pre-Primary Deptt. celebrated Id-Ul-Fitr. The students prepared a special assembly in which some Nursery students came forward to speak about the significance of Ramzan and the celebrations of Id. The students of KG prepared a special kit. The enacted the touching story “Dadi ka Chimta”. This was followed by a colorful, symbolic dance by the Nursery students, entitled – Id Mubarak. The enthusiastic participants came forward and taught all the children sitting in the audience how to wish each other on Id.

THE EQUINOX

In these days of speeding technological advancement, the little kids of class - V were given an opportunity to practically understand and logically explain a very important aspect of the universal geography – The Equinox on 22nd September 2008. The word Equinox is derived from Latin word Aequus (equal) and Nox (night) and it comes twice in a year. It is time when the sun crosses the pane of the sun’s equator, making day and night of approximately equal length all over the earth. On the day of the equinox, one can find its won latitude by observing the sun angle at local noon. Our students performed this activity too. The shadow of the sun was measured after intervals of five minutes using Gnomon. The length of shortest shadow was used to calculate the latitude of Delhi. The longitude of Delhi was also determined by finding the difference between the noon time of Delhi and Allahabad. This experience was not only fun filled and educative but also created interest and enthusiasm among the children to know more about such geographical facts.

DAY CAMP FOR CLASS-II

Day camp for class II was organized on 21st September 2008 . The idea behind the organization of the camp was to teach the importance of cleanliness to the students. 158 students and 10 teachers attended the camp. An informative puppet show was presented by the teachers on the theme of cleanliness. The students were divided into various groups then the students were taken to Japanese park where they played many games. The students really had a gala time in the park. It was followed by various group activities. All the group students did various art ‘n’ craft activities. The hectic but fruitful day came to an end and parents came to pick up their wards in the evening. The camp on the whole was a great success. The students realized the importance of maintaining cleanliness and had a great fun too.

CLASS – III : OVERNIGHT CAMP

An overnight camp was organized for the students of class – III on 23rd – 24th August 2008, which was attended by 152 students along with 9 teachers. The theme for the camp was “Dignity of Labour”. The students were introduced to the theme by explaining that all jobs are equally respectable. The students were then divided into groups where they performed various activities like carpentry, weaving, clay modeling and puppet making. Later they enjoyed the hurdle race and shaken legs on latest Bollywood numbers. On 24 th August, students were taken to Azad Hind Gram to live up to the spirit of the chosen theme. The students watched Puppet show and a variety of snakes. They were also taken for camel cart ride to a nearby village. The students felt the importance of the labour jobs and realized that these jobs are not easy. Restoring all the memories of the night camp, students moved for their homes in the evening.

KOSI RELIEF FUND

On behalf of Apeejay School, Pitampura we would like to thank all the Parents who have contributed towards Kosi Relief Fund.

The details of contribution made are as follows:

S.No.	Class	Amount (In Rs.)
1	NURSERY	53,725
2	K.G	38,824
3	I	65,502
4	II	47,173
5	III	41,913
6	IV	43,902
7	V	50,741
8	VI	36,633
9	VII	42,415
10	VIII	30,646
11	IX	38,693
12	X	32,712
13	XI	19,398
14	XII	18,551
15	Staff Members	21,200
	TOTAL	5,82,028

EXHIBITION ON WATER – THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

To celebrate the most important element of life, an exhibition was organised by Apeejay School, Pitampura in its premises on 30th August on the theme- Water- The Elixir of Life.

The exhibition commenced with ceremonious ribbon cutting by the Chief Guest: Mr. R.K.Sharma, Regional Director, Directorate of Education, Guest of Honour: Mrs. K.D. Jassal, North West district and other luminary guests.

In the exhibition, visitors could explore the many facets of water: its astounding physical properties, its ability to shape ecosystems, landscapes and societies, the importance of conserving water and ultimately the fact that water is essential to life. Throughout the exhibition were examples of the different ways that life has evolved around the amount of water available to them. The exhibition aimed at displaying each and every attribute and problem concerning water. The well attended interactive models followed by movie shows were well received by the attended delegates and was appreciated.

The school students prepared interactive models and emphasized at the conservation of water through their exhibits on Rain Water Harvesting, Water Shed Management, Multi River Valley Projects, and Drip Irrigtaion etc.

The purification of water was also stressed at through models depicting Reverse Osmosis, etc. The impending scarcity underscores the need to implement better water practices and conservation was stressed by a Quiz Competion. The tiny tots of the schools presented a beautiful spectrum of aquatic life through their fancy dress competion.

A movie playing constantly in one corner of the exhibition touches on the ways that agriculture (which comprises most of our use of freshwater) can institute better water practices. An entralling cultural programme comprising of various music and dance suquences and band performances lifted the spirit of every visitor. The exhibiton was highly appreciated by all.

VISIT TO AMERICAN CENTRE

Apeejay School, Pitampura has qualified the FUTURE CITIES INDIA 2020 competition among other fourteen schools in Delhi and NCR. Ms. Vandana Dhara among other four students namely Apoorva Arora (XI-B), Medha Khanna (XI-C), Ayush Jain (XI-B) and Rahul Malhotra (XI-B) attended the launch ceremony of FUTURE CITIES INDIA 2020 on 27th August 2008 at the American Centre, Connaught Place which is an annual program sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology in assosiation with BENTELY system for school students. The program encouraged students to use their design skills to address India 's growing infrastructure need as a result of rapid economic development.

The competition encourages students to work upon real world issues and to develop and integrate the functionality of their ideas, engaging teachers as program counselors and technical professionals as mentors this year's problem statement is
"RE-DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DELHI RAILWAY STATION".

Apeejay School, Pitampura has qualified for the finals of The Future Cities India-2020 : The Redevelopment of New Delhi Railway Station as the problem statement of year 2008-2009.

The competition is to be conducted on 17th January 2009.

VISIT TO HWA CHONG INSTITUTE, SINGAPORE

A group of 10 students from class IX along with the Principal Mr. D. K. Bedi and Primary School Incharge Mrs. Praveen Kumari visited Hwa Chong Institute, Singapore to attend and participate in sabbatical courses from 17th August to 24th August 2008.

There were more than 300 courses broadly categorized into 6 streams namely, Leadership, Research, Aesthetics, Entrepreneurship, Chinese Studies and Information Technology.

These courses are conducted by the In-house teachers, students and external vendors. Chinese class, Scrabble, First-Aid, Writing Skills, Canoing , Kayaking, Cooking, Film-making, Overseas CIP, Science Eureka, Fishing, balloon sculpting, drums, fencing etc were sone of the courses mostly liked and opted by the students.

Many of the local and overseas school participated in these sabbatical courses. Our students also joined the different courses like PET rocketry, Micro mouse, Negotiating the World - Mun and Hip hop dance. Attending these courses was indeed a wonderful exposure and great learning experience for our students. Visit to various museums and other places of interests gave our students an insight into the Singapore culture and life of the people.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS

The school celebrated 61st Independence Day on August 14, 2008 with full zeal and enthusiasm. The principal, Mr. D.K. Bedi hoisted the National Flag. The Investiture ceremony was also a part of this celebration. He administered the oath to the newly appointed Prefectorial Board who pledged to uphold the honour of the school on all occasions. He also presented the ties to all 34 new appointees of Prefectorial Board. The students also presented a mosaic of dance drama and song which were rhythmically crafted. The cultural programme was greatly appreciated.

PRE-PRIMARY INDEPENDENCE DAY & RAKSHA BANDHAN CELEBRATION

The week commencing from 11th – 14th August was celebrated as Independence Day Activity Week and Raksha Bandhan Celebration. A variety of activities were planned for the children. Some of these were:

Finger Tri color painting in caps
Tri color Blot printing in kites
Pasting of tri color strips on wrist bands
Preparing picture frames
National flag activity race
Bringing special tri color sandwich for lunch
Preparation of Rakhi’s using craft paper, colorful sequins, braided thread, mirrors and colors.

The children went home everyday carrying their colorful creations. Students of both Nursery and KG prepared a special assembly on the 13th of August. Together they presented a vibrant and patriotic dance and rhyme. They also enacted the activities of Raksha Bandhan with a song and dance. Students of KG – D shared a few lines about the importance of Independence Day. It was encouraging to see the enthusiasm of the students as they participated in all the activities throughout the week.

VISIT TO RUSSIA – A REPORT BY KAUSTUBH BANSAL

It was a great time while I was in Russia . I enjoyed a lot and had fun. I never knew that I would be selected in such a Competition. After I got up on 15th of May I was really surprised to see the Results of the test. I got ready and packed my bags for the big trip. We went to Centaur and then proceeded with our flight. We reached Russia and everyone was more Than happy.

We went to St.Petersburg first thing of all only to find out that the navy day was Being celebrated their. We saw war ships, Lots of people with traditional costumes and Even a submarine. After two days we boarded our plane to Moscow. We met our Guide Irena and spent two days there in which we went to meet the Indian Ambassador of Moscow.

We stayed in a hotel called COSMOS which looks like a space shuttle. From above we took a ride in the Russian metro and believe me the station is 100 meters below from the ground. We went to the Moscow space city and saw a spaceship, which really went into space. I even bought a packet of Breads which astronauts eat in space. Then we boarded our flight for Novosibirsk . We reached Novosibirsk and went to the Novosibirsk University where we were scheduled to stay. We searched for a place from where to view the eclipse .

Finally the University ground was selected. Everyone was just running from the university to the ground and vice – versa. All the children were assigned individual experiments to do. I was supposed to do the timing of contacts which I did. Finally the eclipse occurred and it was all so exciting. I really think that S.P.A.C.E is doing a great job conducting these contests and encouraging students.

RAKHI MAKING COMPETITION

On 2nd August 2008, the Pre Primary Deptt. organized the Fourth Rakhi Making Competition for mothers.

The Chief Guest for the occasion was Ms. Sulekha Bhargava, General Secretary of Satya Global Regd. Society – an organization engaged in the aesthetic and creative development of Mankind.

Approximately 60 mothers of Classes Nursery, KG, I and II participated in the event.

The mothers were given approximately 45 minutes to prepare their most creative, rakhi using any material, preferably not the ready made material available in the market. The outcome was a delightful array of color, creativity, and innovation all on a thread which depicted their love for their brothers.

The first position was bagged by Ms. Geetika Aggarwal, second position was secured by Ms. Alka Rajpal and Ms. Nandita Richie and Ms. Meenu Sharma shared the third position. Like every year the rakhi’s prepared by the mothers are sent to the Jawans of the Armed Forces deputed at the border.

SOLAR ECLIPSE – A LIVE SHOW

On 1st August 2008, Apeejay School, Pitampura conducted a session on Live Show of Solar Eclipse where Parents were also invited. The show started with the PowerPoint presentation on Solar Eclipse deliverd by Mrs Sarita Sehgal. Different techniques to view Solar Eclipse were used and taught to all. Students and Parents enjoyed viewing the Solar Eclipse with the help of:

Projection through telescope.
Pin hole Camera.
Live telecast from Apeejay School terrace.
Through Internet – Total eclipse view from Russia.
Through Solar view goggles

Parents and Students actively participated and enjoyed the event. The event was a great success.

MOVIE SHOW - ‘A DAY AFTER TOMORROW’

On 21st and 22nd July 2008, class VI and VII went to see the movie ‘A Day After Tomorrow’ at Amba movie hall respectively. The movie was sponsored by The Times of India in order to sensitise students about the Global Warming. Students not only enjoyed the venture but were extremely cautious about the Global Warming.

CLEANLINESS CAMPAIGN

The Pre Primary Deptt. conducted a Cleanliness Campaign in the month of July. The highlights of this campaign were:

Preparation of eco friendly paper bags
Visit by the friendly Dentist
Preparation of Waste paper dustbins
Visit to senior school wing to share cleanliness slogans.
Dramatization of rhymes and stories by students for morning assembly.

In addition to these the students prepared useful items from waste material, like: pencil stands, utility boxes, picture frames, collages etc. The students also indulged in cleaning their classrooms and corridors with the class teachers. They took home articles on the importance of Dental Hygiene, and Cleanliness awareness for their parents. It was encouraging to see the students participating in all the e vents with such enthusiasm, joy and creativity.

VISIT OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FROM UK

Under the UKIERI Teacher – Student Exchange Programme, our school hosted 6 students and two teachers from Manchester – U.K. from 4th July to 10th July 2008. The students from UK stayed with the families of the students of our school. It was an educational cum cultural exchange programme.

These students mainly worked on the following two projects:

The problem of traffic congestion during forthcoming Common Wealth Games 2010.
How the opinions are formed and how are they different from the beliefs and facts?

The students went for the field work to observe the traffic conditions on Delhi roads. They also met the Delhi Traffic Police Commissioner and satisfied a whole range of queries. The students prepared and presented a wonderful PowerPoint presentations based on their study and had proposed a few possible solutions to the problem of traffic congestion in Delhi. A copy of the same was later sent to the DTP Commissioner.

An interactive session was conducted by Prof. R. P. Sharma on the topic ‘Opinions, Beliefs and Facts’. This session was indeed very enlightening and enriching.

During their stay at Delhi, they visited various historical monuments, religious centres and museums. They shared their views about the warmth and hospitality of Indian people in the special assembly organized by them. They also enjoyed performing a dance on Bollywood songs.

INDIA – AUSTRALIA BRIDGE PROJECT 2008

This year Mrs. Sarita Sehgal participated in Indo-Australian Teacher Exchange Programme. It commenced on 24th May and ended on 6 th June 2008. In this two weeks cultural exchange programme 12 teachers were shortlisted from different shools of repute and paired with Australian teachers from different background like Govt. Schools, independent or language schools. The first three days of the programme briefed the Indian teachers about Australian Education System, their schooling, evaluation system, parenting etc. They were also accompanied to the places of national and cultural importance like National Melbourne Mueseum, Potter’s Art Gallery, Melbourne University, Colleges and Markets.

Their host teachers would be visiting India in the month of January 2009 to get their share of information and knowledge about Indian culture.

On 28th May teachers were shifted to their Home stay where they went to the hosts school and stayed with them. It was a wonderful experience going and teaching Indian Culture, education system to inquisitive brains. On 5th June, they flew back to Sydney where they had evaluation session and exchange of experiences of group teachers with their hosts, their schools etc. It was a very interactive and informative session which helped them to know all about Australia and its people. On 6th June with heavy hearts they bid farewell to each other with loads of work to be carried back home for life.

14th STUDENT LEADERS CONVENTION (SLC), SINGAPORE

A group of six students accompanied by Mrs. Praveen Kumari went to Hwa Chong Institute, Singapore to participate in the 14 th SLC Programme from 26th May to 1st June 2008. The Student Leaders Convention (SLC) is an annual conference hosted and organized by Hwa Chong Institution High School Students’ Council.

All the participating students were engaged in rigorous discussions to formulate action papers. They were made to acquire a deeper insight into the real problems faced by the Asia-Pacific region related with the topic.

Our children also participated enthusiastically and made ever-lasting friends and strong bonds that will last beyond their convention. It was indeed a memorable trip and a great exposure to develop the leadership potential and assist them to become effective, critical and leaders with passion to serve our society.

It is 4-day leadership seminar for youth leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region to engage in discussions of pertinent societal issues of the 21st century and ways to ameliorate them. 14th SLC had participants from 60 local Singaporean High Schools and 12 schools from foreign countries.

The theme for 14th SLC programme was “Education and its Future: It lies in Youth”. The convention provided a viable platform for youth leaders of different cultures and backgrounds to convene, discuss and deal with global issues. The whole exercise has surely inculcated the skills needed by our students to address societal issues and assist them in their future endeavors to build a better tomorrow.

EDUCATIONAL TRIP TO GWALIOR

A group of 40 students and four teachers headed for an educational trip to Gwalior and Shivpuri on 18th April 2008 . It was a 3-day programme where children were taken to Gwalior and Shivpuri located in Madhya Pradesh. On the first day the children went for sight seeing to various places like Palace Museum , Saas Bahu ka Mandir etc. and were astounded to see the Jai Garh Fort in Gwalior which is one of the oldest monuments in the history of Indian art.

The next day, they were taken to Shivpuri. There is no doubt that the natural splendor of Madhav National Park includes a wide spectrum of wildlife inhabiting this land ranging from tigers and leopards to antelopes and gazelles, other mammals and reptiles and an abundance of bird life.

The long journey to the destination by Bhopal Shatabdi made the children very excited. Even though the temperature was on the higher side but the children could fight the heat by swimming in the pool at the resort in Shivpuri. They also relaxed themselves by playing various games available in the resort. It was a great learning experience for the children.

‘PROTECTION OF OWLS’ – A MOVIE SHOW AT AMERICAN CENTRE

The students of Class IX along with their respective class teachers went to see a movie at the American Centre on 8th April 2008. The movie was about ‘Protection of Owls’. It was an interesting and informative movie which kept the students glued to their seats throughout the screening of the movie.

UKIERI - VISIT OF TEACHERS FROM UK

Apeejay School, Pitampura had a visit of 6 teachers from different schools of UK on 4th April 2008. A formal welcome was given to them, where the children of the Primary wing performed few dances and songs depicting the Indian Culture.

A group of 2 teachers visited the school on 5th, 7th and 8th of April 2008 respectively. On their visit to the school they dealt with the primary classes where they performed many activities and took lessons in the classes.

In one such class, they used the library and made the story session more enjoyable and interesting by making the children make props related to the story and then made a story sack for each story.

They had an interactive sessions with the English teachers where they discussed about the effective use of teaching aids, curriculum and activity based teaching.

Our teachers also showed them some activities in the class which made the teaching-learning process more interesting and enjoyable for the students.

Some of the activities were – telling stories using puppets, using flash cards for framing different kinds of sentences and vocabulary building activity with block having alphabets etc.

The visit helped to broaden the vistas with the exchange of ideas which proved to be fruitful at both the ends. They showed various vocabulary building and language games on the computer which enriched the students as well as teachers.

Such exchange of ideas have helped the teachers to introduce more innovative ideas in their day-to-day class room teaching to make the teaching-learning process more interesting.

A DOCUMENTARY FILM ON APEEJAY SCHOOL, PITAMPURA

On the 19th March 2008, professionals from BBC UK through the British Council Division visited Apeejay School, Pitampura to shoot a documentary film with an aim to promote Globalisation among the various schools around the world. This was in association with the UKIERI Cluster School Partnership. They started with this project in UK with Attriham School. Apeejay School, Pitampura was chosen to represent the schools in India.

For this purpose an exhibition cum cultural programme was organized by the students of the Primary Department where they did a comparative study between different countries of the globe and especially that of UK. Few teachers and students from the senior wing shared their experiences which they had when they visited schools in UK last year. From here they would be moving to different member schools around the world to complete their documentary.

OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR CLASS – III STUDENTS

An Overnight Camp was organized for the students of class III on 29th - 30th March, 2008. The theme of the camp was “Rendezvous with Nature”. 157 students along with 9 teachers attended the camp. Mrs. Anita Sharma was the Teacher Incharge. Ms. Bharti Khurana, Mrs. Harjeet Kaur Lamba, Mrs. Deepa Ahuja, Mrs. Abha Jhuman, Ms. Santosh Kashyap, Mrs. Nitasha, Mrs. Veena Bhatia and Mrs. Seema Lakhina were the other teachers who attended the camp.

Mrs. Deepa Ahuja told them the names of a variety of herbs, shrubs and trees grown in the school premises. The students also participated in the activities organized under Treasure Hunt. Mrs. Harjeet Kaur taught them ‘Flower Making’. The students learnt to create beautiful flowers using tissue papers, crepe paper and ice-cream sticks. After the dinner, there was an informal interaction between the students and the teachers for about an hour.

On second day of the camp, the students did meditation and yoga exercises in the morning. They visited the Garden of Five Senses. In the Garden they observed a variety of plants and recorded their names in their note books. Thereafter, they returned back to the school and had lunch. After having their lunch, they presented a report on their visit to the Garden of Five Senses. This overnight camp was an enriching experience for all the students.

EDUCATIONAL TRIP TO JAIPUR

A group of 64 students and five teachers led by Mrs. Sarita Sehgal headed for an educational trip to Jaipur on 25th March 2008. It was a 3-day programme where children were taken to important places like City Palace, Jaigarh, Jantar-Mantar etc. The long journey to the destination made the children very excited when they saw the beautiful chilled 5-Star hotel waiting to absorb the weariness of their journey. The meals provided were elaborate nutritions and sumptuous.

Although the temperature during the day was on the higher side but still the children were lively and enthusiastic about the information they received through trained guides.

Everything they saw or heard was captured either in the form of still photograph or became a part of their project assignment notepad.

The traditional welcome, food and funfair at Chowkhi Dhani filled their trip with unforgettable memories. With that their trip came to an end on 27th March 2008.

PRE-SCHOOL ORIENTATION PROGRAMME 2008

The Pre-Primary Department of Apeejay School, Pitampura conducted its Annual Orientation Programme for the parents on 8th, 15th and 29th March 2008. Eminent psychologists, educationists and pediatricians addressed the parents on various topics related to the psychological and physical development of the child.

The inaugural session was held on 8th March which was addressed by Prof. R. D. Sharma – Former Director, CIE. Prof. Sharma emphasized on the importance of providing healthy and congenial home environment to the child. Talking on the philosophy of the school, Principal – Mr. D. K. Bedi, guided the parents on the pivotal role they were to play in the upcoming years of their child’s schooling. This was followed by an interactive session on how to increase the confidence level of your child by Ms. Pria Warrick. Finally, Dr. Rajeev Sharma, Senior Consultant – ENT and Surgeon, suggested remedies on the topic ‘TV viewing and health hazards’.

During the second session held on 15th March, eminent educationist Mr. K. P. Raizada, emphasized that providing encouragement and guidance for character building was an essential aspect of Parenting. Pediatrician Dr. Poonam Sidana initiates the need for the parents to administer self-discipline in their children by observing their limitations through love while Dr. Sujata guided the parents on the importance of balanced diet and immunization.

The third session held on 29th March was addressed by Dr. Arvinder Jai Singh (Counsellor and Psychologist), who helped the parents understand the unique learning strength and weakness of the child thus preparing him to face the challenges of life with a healthy self-esteem. The importace of communicating with the child by giving him undivided attention and listening to him patiently was the topic discussed by Dr. Varsha Das, Director – National Gandhi Museum. Talking on the topic – Education, Values and Academics, Ms. Rashmi Sethi, Lecturer – CIE discussed the significance of values at this level.

During each session the parents were given an opportunity to interact with the speakers to get their personal queries answered. Parents appreciated the school’s effort in providing such informative sessions and looked forward to such opportunities in future.

FAREWELL CEREMONY

To bless and bid adieu to the outgoing batch of class XII students, the school organized the farewell ceremony on 17th February 2008. The programme was an amalgamation of cultural item and speeches. Agrima Mian of class XI gave a kick start to the programme by welcoming the gathering. To seek blessing from heavenly father, a stuti raaga was presented. Group Dance and recitation of self composed poems were touched everyone’s heart. Class teachers, in their speeches, blessed and guided the students to carry forward the dignity of the school.

INVESTITURE CEREMONY 2008

The students of Class XII (Session 2007-08) were given a warm send –off in their alma-mater on 16th February 2008. The day started with the ceremonial ‘Havan’ in which the students alongwith their teachers and parents invoked the blessings of the almighty amidst chanting of the mantras. Principal – Mr.D. K. Bedi alongwith Mr. Raizada an eminent educationist with a profound knowledge of Vedic traditions blessed the students.

The Citation Ceremony took place where the students were presented with their citations alongwith, a copy of ‘Reflections in Time’, a book by Dr. Stya Paul, Chairman – Apeejay Education Society, as a motivating guideline for their future endeavors.

The function ended with a sentimental interaction among the students, parents and teachers.

GOOD LUCK PARTY

A special assembly was organized to wish Good Luck to Class X students for their Board Exams on 14th February 2008. The programme commenced with lighting the lamp, Saraswati stuti and by giving Class X students Good Luck Cards and gifts as a token of love. Class X students felicitated the teachers with rose buds, expressing their gratitude and love. The students of class IX presented a cultural programme. The whole programme culminated with a western dance. In the end Principal – Mr. D. K. Bedi addressed the gathering and showers them with his blessings.

ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

Apeejay School, Pitampura celebrated its Annual Day on 7th February 2008. School Principal Mr. D.K. Bedi welcomed the Chief Guest Mrs. Rina Ray, Secretary (Education), Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Guest of Honour
Mr. R. S. Sharma, Former Commissioner of Police, Delhi. Mr. Bedi also highlighted the activities of the school in his anuual report.

This year’s Annual Day was dedicated to the senior citizens. The drama showcased the problems, sorrowful and painful life passed by the senior citizens. To tackle their problems the presentation also came out with some helpful solutions that the senior citizens should not remain lost in nostalgia but endeavor to adopt changes in the life style and to take initiatives.

On this day, students were awarded for their achievement in different fields. Names of the Awardees (Category-wise) are mentioned below:

PRIMARY CLASSES

Category	Name of the Student	Class
A Shining star of Apeejay School Pitampura who has scored ‘A’ Grade in both terms in all subjects in Class-V	Somya Sangal	V C
Students of Class V who have scored ‘A’ Grades in Consolidate in both terms	1. Rajvi Hans – V B	V B
	2. Somyaa Aggarwal	V B
	3. Shreya Chauhan	V C
	4. Grusha Aggarwal	V D
	5. Nimisha Kaushal	V D

SPECIAL AWARDS

Special Awardees in different fields for the year 2006 – 07 in Primary classes are as follows:

S.No.	Category	Name of the Student	Class
1.	Best All Round Girl	Amrisha Bhardwaj	V-A
2.	Best All Round Boy	Parth Gupta	V-B
3.	Best Student In Literary activities	N.V.S. Aditya	V-A
4.	Best Artist	Amishi Goel	V-C
5.	Best in Computers	Mudit Murarka	V-C
6.	Best House	Peace House House Incharge: Ms. Neena Nautiyal

SENIOR CLASSES The following students of Class VII – XII have secured the top three positions:

Class	Position	Name of the Students
VII	1st	Anisha Suri
	2nd	Deepti Kathuria
	3rd	Nidhi Ahuja
	4th	Adit Jain
VIII	1st	Devanshi Srivastava
	2nd	Kartik Sharma
	3rd	Sanjana Narang
	4th	Shatakshi Kulshrestha
IX	1st	Aayush Jindal
	2nd	Rahul Malhotra
	3rd	Supriti Gupta
X	1st
	2nd	Shreya Sabharwal
	3rd	Agrima Mian
XI (Science Stream)	1st	Aditya Joshi
	2nd	Simranjit Singh
	3rd	Nihar Khurana
XI (Commerce Stream)	1st	Kush Gupta
	2nd	Vikram Khanna
	3rd	Ipshita Rana
	3rd	Mansi Gupta