Ekadaksha Learning Center, a center for children with special needs, is introducing Varma therapy for treatment of various disorders. Varma is a traditional, holisitic approach which deals with the balancing of the invisible energy flow in the body.
The center is also recruiting teachers for the morning school. At R. A. Puram. For details send an email to ekadaksha@gmail.com or call 24950831, 9790912759.
Ramakrishna Mission Students’ Home in collaboration with HCL Foundation will be conducting free tally classes at its campus from Nov 1. At 66, P. S. Sivaswami Salai, Mylapore. For details call 9884028298, 8072919259.
The fifth edition of the P. S. Senior Secondary School’s model United Nations conference was held at the school’s campus on Oct 23 and 24. More than 200 delegates from several city schools participated in this event.
There were discussions and debates by the students of all the six committees. Satchidananda Valan Michael of UNHCR inaugurated the event and Madhusudan Ganapathy was the chief guest for the valedictory function.
Alumni and CEO of Warhorse, Vishal Vasanth, was the secretary general at this conference. The best school award was given to Chettinad Vidyashram, R. A. Puram.
The primary students of Vidya Mandir, Mylapore will be showcasing their projects today at the school campus. A dance will be held at noon. At R. H. Road, Mylapore.
Three students from P. S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, Hansini, Hrithika and Lalithashree, were declared the winners at the XXII Sports Star-Mylapore Club State Table Tennis School Tournament held in the city from Oct 27-29.
Organised by the Mylapore Sports Trust in collaboration with the Madras District Table Tennis Association, this year saw more than 600 entries from 60 schools across Tamil Nadu.
Prizes upto 16 places were awarded in each individual category. The chief guest was S. Dinakar, senior deputy editor, The Hindu.
A couple of years ago, a bunch of hyperactive middle schoolers at Vidya Mandir, Luz, set out to do something creative, they decided to put up a rooftop garden. And showing them the way were their principal, Shoba Raman and their teacher Vijayasri Sharath.
Vijayasri Sharath, an English teacher at the school for over two decades, heads a team of more than 80
students who made this possible. She says, “About three years ago, the team which is part of the Vivekananda Study Circle group, decided that something had to be done to improve the green cover in the school and the neighbourhood. We decided to start small first and then adapt as the wind blows”.
Vijayasri inspired the students to grow fenugreek in small to-go cups and give them to their mothers with little thank you notes. Later, under her direction, the students started growing herbs like tulsi, karpuravalli and money plant on their window sills. “In December, when the chill air set in, the students would pluck out a few leaves and eat them”, she says.
She gradually began to see a change in the students who wanted to do more. On Oct 15, 2015, on past
president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s birthday, the group planted saplings at Pattinapakkam. “The pariesh priest at St. Luke’s Church, Mandaveli gave us the saplings”, says Vijayasri.
A timely award also motivated them to take things forward.
Shoba Raman, the principal says, “In 2015, we received 3.5 lakhs from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and one of the conditions of the award was that we set up a rooftop garden”.
The team started working on the garden about a year ago and are very proud of the results. Brinjals, lady’s finger, pumpkins, snake gourd and greens are just some of the plants grown at the school’s KG block. “We also have three banana saplings”, says Vijayasri proudly.
On the school ground, the team has planted flower shrubs, aloe vera, pineapple and guava saplings too.
The school is located at R. H. Road, Mylapore. For details contact 24980834.
Pest-free garden: Vijayasri’s tips
– Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies. Dilute it with water
and spray to keep pests away.
-Ash powder from homams can be sprinkled on leaves and diluted
turmeric water can be sprayed when you notice holes on leaves.
– Neem leaves can be dried up, powdered and used. Diluted neem
oil can also be used.
Composting at the campus
A composter was recently acquired by the school. All the dry leaves that fall in the campus are dumped into the huge iron drum and a little bit of diluted buttermilk is poured into it. The compost gets accumulated in a small cage underneath and is spread at the base of the plants. “It helps keep the soil a little moist. When the water supply is low, the water in the compost keeps the plant healthy”, says Vijayasri.
Green activities of the group
-Cotton seeds from the cotton tree at the campus were sown in small plastic bottles. The saplings will be planted at a village adopted by Sri Ramakrishna Math.
– Pizza boxes have been coverted into ‘post boxes’ and have been fixed on each floor at the middle school campus. Students drop in unused sheets which made into small notebooks.
-A recycle stall is set up every year at the annual funfest. The proceeds are used to improve the green cover in the school. Dupattas are used to make doormats, wedding cards are cut up to make thank you cards.
Reported by Preeti Srivatsan
On Monday, Nov 20, students from three local schools, San Thome Higher Secondary School, San Thome (seen in the picture), Rani Meyammai School, R. A. Puram and St. Raphaels Girls School, San Thome received free laptops under the scheme introduced by the Govt. of TN.
The guests at this event were J. Jayavardhan, member of parliament, Virugampakkam MLA V. N. Virugai Ravi, and Mylapore MLA R. Nataraj.
At all the three schools, laptops were distributed to students who passed out of class XII this year.
In what can be described as yet another successful effort to introduce the nuances of theatre to school students, Chettinad Players, Chettinad Vidyashram’s theatre group, presented their 13th production ‘Hiranya Brothers’ to a select audience at Kumara Rajah Muthiah auditorium, R. A. Puram on Wednesday, Nov 22.
Based on the life of the infamous brothers Hiranyakashupu and Hiranyakashan, the English play has been directed by J. Jayakumar with lavish sets created by art director Thotha Tharani.
The idea to train the students in drama and theatre was first conceived by the principal of the school S. Amudhalakshmi. Every year, along with her team of students and professionals, she sets out to add a dollop of freshness to mythological tales. She says, “We want the students to hone their conversational skills and in the process also understand their rich heritage and culture”.
Training starts in June every year, and youngsters from classes VII-IX and class XI are trained extensively, in script reading, stunts and vocals.
Alumni pitch in too, this production had eight students from previous batches.
The play will be staged till Sunday, Nov 26 and is open to the public. Tickets priced at Rs. 400 and 450 can be purchased at the venue.
For details call 9444531963.
This is a Christmas time tradition that has been kept at the St. Bede’s Anglo-Indian School campus. A party for the boarders at this San Thome school which was started with the goal of educating Anglo Indians.
Over recent times though the Anglo Indian students are a very small group because the community itself has shrunk in size. Most are boarders.
This December, school alumni will host a party for the boarders and this year the meet is on December 8, early because the exams and holidays push students into a busy timetable.
This year, the school’s alumni team is banking on ‘old boys’ of St Bede’s to donate for this party – where some 30 boys will be entertained, given gifts and enjoy a special dinner. Goodies are also to be given to 25 poor day-scholars too.
Alumni Association president Stafford Mantel says donations can be sent to his office at the school. Contact him at – stafford.mantel@gmail.com. Or call him at – 98400 28773
Kauvery Hospital, Chennai in association with Chennai Corporation and Rotary Club of Madras East (RCME) is conducting the convocation programme for underprivileged students, who completed the free paramedical courses, today, Dec 1 at the Chennai Corporation Community College, (behind Winners Bakery), Alwarpet.
Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director, Kauvery Hospital, Chennai and B. S. Purshotham, director, Vocational Services, RCME will address the audience. At 3 p.m. Ph: 9094745180.
The 1992 batch of San Thome Higher Secondary School, San Thome is planning to celebrate their 25th year reunion on Dec 24. They also plan to honour their teachers on this occasion.
Old students can contact Sathyanarayanan AR at 9884004081 for details.
Kesari Higher Secondary School, Mylapore has embarked on an ambitious journey, they seek to train students to represent the school in district and state level tourneys.
And to achieve this goal, on Nov 17, the school inaugurated a table tennis coaching centre with two new table tennis tables, racquets and balls.
Aparna Rajesh and her spouse R. Rajesh, both former state champions, will coach the students. More than 190 students from classes 3-12 have already registered for coaching at the school’s new facility.
A professional cricket coaching facility with nets and a concrete wicket is also being readied at the school.
Three students from P. S. Senior Secondary School, Mylapore Pranav Janakiraman, Hansini. M and Hrithika. S claimed the titles in the master boys singles, master girls singles and junior girls singles categories at the City School Table Tennis tournament held in the city on Nov 18 and 19.
The tournament was conducted by Krishnaswamy Table Tennis Club under the aegis of Chennai District Table Tennis Association. The chief guest was J. Selva Kumar, secretary, Tamil Nadu Table Tennis Association. Prizes upto eight places were awarded in each individual category.
Old Bedeans, the alumni of St Bede’s AI School in San Thome are getting up a Christmas party for the boarders here on December 8 evening.
Music and dance, carol singing, Santa’s visit and gift-giving and dinner are lined up for this party for the 30-plus boarders who live on this campus.
Fr Y L Irudhayaraj, the Salesians’ province delegate of the past pupils of Don Bosco institutions and Fr.Stanley Ignatius, rector and correspondent of St Bede’s are guests at this social function that is held every year in December.
Stafford Mantel, president of the Old Bedeans Association says that the school’s alumni are invited to the function which will start at about 7 p.m. in Savio Hall on campus and go on for an hour. Donations from alumni are also welcome, says Mantel
P. S. Matriculation Higher Secondary School conducted a three day cul-fest, Zephyr, for its students during the second week of November. Students from LKG to class XII participated in fancy dress, newspaper art, jewellery making, mehendi, fireless cooking and several other events.
A staff member says, “We have been conducting this competition for six years now. This is to encourage students to display their talents”.
Vivekanda College (Day and evening), Mylapore will be conducting their ‘Graduation Day’ on Dec 16 and 18. Dr. P. Duraisamy, vice-chancellor, University of Madras, Chepauk and K. Periaiah, additional commissioner of police (traffic), will be the guests at the events. They will address the students and distribute the degree certificates to the graduands. At P. S. Sivaswami Salai, Mylapore. Ph: 24993057.
The monsoon season can be very upsetting for schools. State-declared holidays. Flooding in the neighbourhood. Children in wet uniforms. Affected classroom and exam schedules. Many plans go for a toss.
The city’s monsoon can be a good one at times, or unpredictable at most times. And this season, a season of cyclonic weather and rain, neighbourhood schools have had much on their hands.
So how do schools prepare for the monsoon season following the many experiences of the past?
At the Chennai Corporation School at Sringeri Mutt Road, Mandaveli, principal J. Dhanammal says his team kept three rooms on the ground floor of our school ready in case students and their parents needed shelter. “Since the rain was not severe, nobody came to us with any request to house them,” he says. “During the December 2015 deluge, many students came to us since water had entered their homes and their note and text books had got wet.”
At Chettinad Vidyashram, R. A. Puram, school principal S. Amudha Lakshmi says the management ensures the local drains are not clogged and blocks are cleared to ensure flooding is avoided. “We also ensure that our rainwater harvesting system and our water recycling plant are in condition,” she adds.
“This year, just before the students got back from the week long monsoon break, we made sure there were no issues with the supply of electricity. All the water tanks were cleaned and drinking water supply was checked. We also fumigated the premises. Sanitisers were used to clean the tables and chairs in the classrooms. The water that stagnated inside the school premises was pumped out into the Adyar river, ” she explains.
At San Thome Higher Secondary School, school principal Bro. A. Stanislaus says they ask the general ground staff to clear any water that stagnates in the campus. He adds, ” We ensure the classroom windows and doors are in condition. We have also water-proofed our terrace.” The campus has a rainwater harvesting system, so water stagnation is minimal. A percolation tank-like structure has been planned in a spot where water was seen stagnating.
T. Ananthanarayan, the principal of P. S. North School, Mylapore says workers are asked to clean the terraces and pipes to make sure stagnant water does not cause leaks. “To compensate for the rain holidays, we work half a day on Saturdays,” he adds.
At Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya Senior Secondary School, Mylapore, a staff member says teachers always plan their schedules for November and December keeping in mind disruptions. ” Only a few exams had to be rescheduled this season,” we were told.
The past few weeks have been quite busy for the KG and primary students of Montfort Academy School, San Thome. Three events were held at their premises.
The first was ‘Vegetables Day’, held for KG students on Nov 17 (seen in the picture). The children, who came dressed like chillies and carrots dance and sung rhymes. Classrooms were decorated with drawings, creative craft was displayed on chart and foam boards. The special guests from San Thome Higher Secondary School were Rev. Bro. Arockiasamy, the vice-principal and Rev. Bro. Christy, the bursar.
On Nov 24, class I students celebrated Animals Day. The students wore animal costumes, their classrooms were modified into dens and caves to to help students understand the habitat of the animals.
Students of classes II and II also hosted ‘Go Green Day’. The chief guests were Rev. Bro. K. K. Thomas, principal and bursar of Montfort School at St. Thomas Mount and Rev. Bro. John Xavier, headmaster and correspondent of St. Louis Institute, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar. Several models were displayed, most of them were made from waste and discarded material. A skit was also put up.
The students of the 1992 batch of Vidya Mandir, Luz will be celebrating their silver jubilee on Dec 22 at the school premises. On this occasion, retired and current teachers and staff will join in the celebration followed by lunch.
V. Kamesh, an alumni says, “We started planning for this event about a year ago. Our batch mates from across the globe including US, Europe, the Gulf and Singapore will be coming to school on that day”. Old students can contact Sujan at 9840040188.
On Saturday, Dec 9, the students of class V of Fatima Nursery and Primary School, R. A. Puram participated in a christmas play held at the school premises.
On the stage, the students dressed in masks and colourful costumes presented the events leading upto the birth of Jesus.
Pauline Gomez, the coordinator, says, “The students sang about 10 carols, after which the play was enacted. Parents, teachers and staff were invited to this event”.