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From the Principal’s Desk

April 2018

Dear Parents and Guardians,

There are many different ways of learning; teaching is only one of them.

Children learn a great deal on their own, in independent study or play. They

learn a great deal interacting with others informally — sharing what they are

learning with others and vice versa. Children learn a great deal by doing,

through trial and error. At Indus students are offered a wide variety of ways to

learn. They are encouraged to explore the world beyond the classroom and

experience learning in myriad ways. April saw different things being learnt and

inculcated in numerous ways in all the three programmes offered in school.

THE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (Reception to Grade 5):

PYP Exhibition: In the final year of the PYP, students participate in a culminating project, the PYP exhibition. This requires that each student demonstrates engagement with the five essential elements of the programme: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action. It is a transdisciplinary inquiry conducted in the spirit of personal and shared responsibility, as well as a summative assessment activity that is a celebration as students move from the PYP into the middle years of schooling.

Grade 5 students inaugurated the event as they showcased global issues

through various art components such as dance, drama and music. They then

led all the invitees to the eight learning centers and shared their journey with

them. Students demonstrated multiple innovative solutions for the global

issues they had identified for the PYP Exhibition. They had inquired and

created solutions for topics such as Air pollution, provision of education for all

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including the visually challenged and emotional well-being of the students.

Some of them came up with apps to monitor water usage, identify which

companies use animal products, application of Piezo electricity to conserve

energy, use of sensor to segregate waste and creating a website by combining

WIX website creator and coding. The whole Indus fraternity came together to

commend and celebrate our students’ effort and creativity. We were also

happy to host the Grade 4 and 5 students of Sharanya Narayani International

School who interacted with our children and gained insights on innovative

solutions to various local and global challenges.

Leadership Summit - The PYP Leadership Summit was held on the 19th April

and students from Reception to Grade 4 participated actively in it. It gave our

fledglings opportunities to share their journeys as they set and achieved their

goals, think out of the box, climb higher mountains and find and unlock their

own potential. They discovered the outcome of a growth mindset and

discovered a new identity that they had not noticed before. They learned to

articulate and share ideas and concepts either through their innovative and

creative projects or through the books they had read. The Early years from

Reception to Prep 2 showcased their ideas behind their innovative STEAM

projects wherein children explained their process. Literature was a big part of

the projects, students identified problems in stories like the ‘The Three Little

Pigs’, ‘Three Billy Goats’ and ‘Rapunzel’. They worked in groups to come up

with a prototype to help solve the problem identified in the books. Students

demonstrated their working robotic models and explicitly explained the

process they went through and the components in the models. Grades 1 to 4

shared their insights and their reflections on the components of Goal setting,

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Deep Reading, Mindfulness and Innovation. In this volatile, uncertain,

complex and ambiguous world we hope that these skills will help them attain a

better understanding of this complex world.

Field Trip to The Fire Station: Prep 1 visited the Sarjapur fire station on a field trip based on the Transdisciplinary theme ‘How we organize ourselves’. They observed and gained knowledge about the role of a fire engine as an emergency mode of transport. Their hands- on explorations enabled them to evaluate the importance of a fire station as well. They also explored the Indus Ambulance in order to inquire into its purpose as an emergency mode of transportation on our school campus.

Spanish Presentation: The Spanish teachers shared their culture with Grade 2

students as a part of their inquiry into the Transdisciplinary theme ‘How we

express ourselves’. They introduced them to the Spanish traditions and art

forms and also spoke of their belief system and cultural history. Students were

able to make connections to their own culture and also found some similarities

between Spanish and Indian cultures.

Author Visit: We aspire and always hope to inspire students to read, develop their

ability to visualize, predict and enrich their creative spirit. On 5th April, the author of

Chatur Chanakya and the Himalayan Problem, Dr. Radhakrishnan Pillai had the

students of Grade 2, 3 and 4 engrossed as he enacted and unravelled parts of the

story with them. He interacted with them on the theme of the story, the big ideas

and probable take aways from the book. He launched his book in the presence of all

our students and all the books we had stored in the library for purchase were sold

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out. We celebrate our readers and their journey as they derive inspiration from

books to think higher and transform themselves into caring and humane individuals

of the world.

Trip to Martin’s Farm: Based on the Central Idea ’All living things undergo change’ students from Reception visited the Martin Farm. On arrival students were greeted by the farm animals like Guinea pigs, tortoises, rabbits, goats and its kids, cows, horses, sheep and pigs. The caretaker allowed students to touch and hold the animals there. Children also enjoyed feeding the animals. They made relevant connections that animals and plants need food, water and shelter to live. Observing their young ones, they realized that animals change as they grow.

Guest Speaker: Grade 3 students were happy to have Ms. Carla, who came in as a guest speaker on Friday, April 27 to share her experiences of volcanoes. Ms. Clara also shared possible ways to prepare for natural disasters. We appreciate and thank her for her time and effort in enriching the young minds of our children.

THE MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME AND IGCSE [Grades 6 to 10]:

Academics: An orientation for MYP Year 4 and Year 5 was conducted for

parents of Grade 8. Information about subject choices, nature of IB

assessments and MYP projects was shared with parents. An enriching question

and answer session followed the orientation.

As part of the Scholastic Literacy Programme, students completed the final

round of testing. The test results showed the progress that students have

made through deliberate reading activities completed through the year.The

second midterm test reports were published a day ahead of schedule.

The MYP Head of School and Coordinator conducted a Professional

Development session for MYP teachers. The focus was on effective use of

ManageBac for unit planning and assessments. Post the training session,

teachers worked collaboratively to plan for the next academic session.

Grade 10 IGCSE Oral recordings were conducted for English as Second

language, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and French where students were

internally assessed on their speaking skills as per IGCSE guidelines. Grade 10

Art students had their IGCSE Art Component 1 Final exam as scheduled.

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Grade 10 Mock Exam results and Grade 9 second mid-term test results were

published ahead of schedule.Grade 10 IGCSE Final ICT practical exams were

conducted as per the IGCSE guidelines. PTM was organised for Grade 10

parents and students to take feedback from the teachers. This feedback helped

them to structure their study plans and prepare for their IGCSE June Series

Board exams accordingly.

The hard work and efforts put up by the Block 8 teachers finally culminated in

the Grade 10 students submitting their Final Coursework for PE, Music,

Enterprise and Art well ahead of time. Each and every coursework was

moderated and reviewed by the HODs, Coordinator and HOS. These have been

submitted to Cambridge assessment for evaluation and moderation.

The Grade 10 students were given a week long preparatory leave for their

IGCSE June series Board exams which began on 30th April.

Extracurricular: Our Grade 8 students went for ISL Camp at Kanakapura to

hone their leadership skills through a range of well-thought out and

challenging activities.

We would also like to mention the community service efforts taken by one of

our Grade 7 students, Ansh Kothari. He is part of Rotary programme/club and

has volunteered for various community events. One was the APR Walkthon

organized by ACT charitable trust (in association with Rotary club) to help

collect donations for the NGO. Ansh also organised a Buttermilk Drive, where

he gave buttermilk to maintenance staff (gardeners, workers etc) in his

community.

Grade 9 students bid farewell to their seniors by hosting a memorable farewell

party. The Grade 10 students were invited for a special lunch followed by an

enthralling show put up by their juniors. Each student was commemorated

with a distinct superlative badge by their teachers as a token of their love and

appreciation. The farewell party came to an exciting end with a football match

played by Grade 9 versus Grade 10 students. The Grade 10 students are wished

all the very best for their IGCSE Board exams and all their future endeavours.

Two batches of Grade 9 students went to ISL Camp near Kanakpura to hone

their leadership skills through experiential learning.

Guest Speaker for IGCSE: Grade 9 and 10 Biology students attended a

presentation by Prof. Larson from University of Waterloo. He interacted with

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the students to share information about their University’s Environment

faculty/programme and then took questions from students regarding careers

in this field.

Achievements: We are happy to inform you that Natasha Jaichandra of Grade 6 not only won the first game of the Bangalore Junior Golf tournament 2018 (which is a 12-game series held at Bangalore golf course) but also won the first place in the south zone golf championship that was held in Ooty. This tournament was organised by the Indian Golf Union.

THE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME [Grades 11 and 12]:

Graduation Day: The Graduation Ceremony was held on 13th April, 2018 for the twelfth batch of our Grade 12 students. The solemn ceremony commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and the invocation song. Our young eagles assumed a matured and grown up look as they walked down the aisle, dressed in black saris and suits and wearing the graduation gowns in the Indus colours of green and gold. The evening had an enlightening feel with the inspiring speech from our CEO, Gen Arjun Ray. Gen Ray spoke about the importance of having a vision in life and deriving strength from it to achieve one’s goals, while I highlighted the importance of failure as a stepping stone to success and the role of adaptability in an unpredictable, volatile world.

It was an environment where emotions ran high as the Valedictorians and Young Achievers reflected about their school life and how their alma mater, Indus has played an important role in moulding and building their personalities. The Valedictorian awards were presented to Hyunsik Lee, Neha Bharat and Rithana Srikanth, while the Indus Eagle award was awarded to Sidharth Ramanan. The Indus Eagle Award is given to a student who displays exemplary leadership qualities and makes an outstanding contribution to the society by working towards community service goals and by going beyond self. Sidharth was recognised for his efforts to make a difference to the society by making a mobile app called ‘Donate Now’. Donate Now is a platform that connects NGOs that support underprivileged children with donors willing to support these children.

The DP Coordinator also spoke on behalf of the teaching fraternity and reminisced fond memories that each teacher carries about the graduating batch. It was a picturesque moment laden with meaning, when the lights were dimmed and the young eagles lit candles and took the pledge to uphold the

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values imbibed at Indus. The teachers urged the students to do their best in the upcoming IBDP final exams and wished them well in their university admissions. The fireworks after the ceremony and dinner in the beautiful ambience accounted for a memorable evening.

Academics: Like in the middle school, mid-term tests were conducted for

students of Grade 11 whereas, the Grade 12 students appeared for their mock

examinations. Academic focus intensified for Grade 11 after the spring break.

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The Grade 11 second mid-term test results were published and feedback was

provided for the same.

This month also saw the culmination of the Grade 12 IBDP course with the students gtting feedback on their performance in the mock examinations, after the spring break. After the Graduation ceremony, the students went on a preparatory leave and returned on the 27th of April to take their final IBDP Examinations.

Placements: Good news continued to come in for our graduating batch of 2018 with acceptances from reputed universities across the world. It is also heartening to note that thus far, many of our students have also been awarded a substantial amount in scholarships. Also, highly selective institutions from the US visited our school on 16th April.

Grade 10 students were given the opportunity to meet the delegates and

understand the application details of the following universities: The University

of Minnesota, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin, Rutgers

University, Illinois University, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University

of Nebraska, and lastly the Penn State University.

Club Activity: The Clubs conducted various activities in April. The students

worked on socio-economic policies and foreign affairs during the brief

introduction of the MUN agenda of Border Crisis. Later they also worked on

their GSL and participated in Moderated Caucus and a Press Conference.

In the Dance club, students were happily engaged in producing a self-

choreographed dance to underscore their unique style and perspective.

The Genomic club students observed cells in various stages of mitosis when

they prepared slides of onion root tip. They followed the method discussed to

prepare temporary slides and observed the arrangement of chromosomes in

different stages of cell division under the microscope. Few permanent slides of

plant cells were also observed. They made notes of their observation followed

by reflection.

The Culinary group made Pizzas with the help of the teachers and kitchen staff.

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In the Chess club, students played matches based on levels; Level 1 included

game correction, Level 2 mandated a practice match and Level 3 incorporated

tactics training, practice match and analysis.

Sports: With a view to improve sports in the school and build a strong system

of identifying and training athletes at the grassroots level, the Sports

department organized various sports competitions, for students of Grade 1 to

5 (Inter-Class Competition). Through matches in Badminton, Tennis, Cricket,

Football and Basketball, the aim is to provide every student the best possible

experience of sport from an early age.

There are competitions scheduled to be held in Yoga, Aerobics and Karate after finishing the above-mentioned sports. As the next step, inter-house tournaments are planned where selected students will compete.

Boarding: Boarders returned to boarding after spring break with great spirit and enthusiasm. Weekends were occupied and well planned with extra academic support, learning and recreation. Boarders Socials where the kids exhibited their talents in the form of music, singing and dance with special dinner in the lawns was enjoyed by students across all the grades. Paper craft activity helped the junior students to show their uninhibited creative skills and was a great learning experience. The Zumba, Yoga and swimming sessions were taken up with utmost spirit by the students.

The boarders also relished a sumptuous dinner at "Rural Blues" restaurant that catered to their various choices.

ITARI Graduation Ceremony: On 26th April, the Indus Institute of Training and Research Institute (ITARI) celebrated the graduation of our teacher trainees as they embark on their journey to teach, to learn and to transform lives. Through the PGDIE (Post Graduate Diploma in International Education) and CIDTL(Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning) courses and the able mentorship of our experienced teachers, the teacher trainees worked hard to enhance their pedagogic competencies and deepen research into best

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teaching and learning practices. We wish them all the best as they take on the noble challenge of pursuing excellence through educating. As evident, the school has been abuzz with activity. A positive learning climate in a school for young children is an amalgamation of several things. It is an attitude that respects children. It is a place where children receive guidance and encouragement from the responsible adults around them. It is an environment where children can experiment and try out new ideas without fear or failure. It is an atmosphere that builds children’s self-confidence so they dare to take risks. It is an environment that nurtures a love of learning. Indus constantly endeavours to provide this positive learning environment for our students. Warm regards, Mrs Sarojini Rao Principal

Dates For Your Diary: May 2018

DATE EVENT

15th May Annual PAC Meeting

17th May PYP Prep 2 Graduation

18th May PYP Grade 5 Graduation

24th May -7th June RC-D Final Examination for Grade 9

26th May Working Saturday for teachers and staff 28th May - 7th June RC-D Final Examination for Grades 6-8

28th May - 8th June RC-D Final Examination for Grade 11