greenwood high international school...greenwood high international school jan –mar 2016 newsletter...

Greenwood High International School

Jan – Mar 2016 Newsletter

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Greetings from Greenwood High! Hope everyone had a wonderful spring break, and is now

ready for this last quarter of the school year. School reopened in January 2016 with great

enthusiasm, and the 3rd quarter has been an extremely busy one. Even though the

highlights of these three months seemed to be the IB and IGCSE Mock exams, IAs and

uploading the externally assessed assignments, students were busy with various activities

throughout, especially drama and gardening. Sports, student council election, music,

language and math assemblies, the hugely successful Social Science Day, CAS leadership

camps, TED Talks and theatre workshops, camps, and above all, Annie the musical have

been as important as academics, keeping true to the Greenwood ethos of balancing studies

with co-curricular activities.

Music Assembly -- January 13th

On the 13th of January, 2016, the Music students from Grade 9 to Grade 12 conducted the

Music Assembly with the theme being the ‘Benefits of Music’. The program started with the

song ‘Almost is Never Enough’ by Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes followed by a

presentation on the various benefits of music, from playing an instrument to music therapy

to singing in a group. The band then demonstrated the method by which a song is built,

starting with the pulse or tempo all the way to the singers accompanying the various

instruments. The next segment was a medley of multiple genres of music such as pop, funk,

jazz, hip-hop, reggae and metal. The program ended with a rendition of the famous song

‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles which helped the audience really feel the true benefits of music,

because everyone joined in gleefully!

The music students singing!



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Talent Show (MSP) -- January 19th

The MSP students displayed their talents on stage by singing, dancing, reciting poems and

staging acts. It was an entertaining event for the audience, and an opportunity for the

talented middle school students to perform for an enthusiastic crowd.

Student Council Election

The nominees gave their persuasive speeches on January 8th, and began their vigorous

campaign. The entire school was festooned with posters, placards and banners,

enumerating the enticing qualities of each candidate. The students and teachers of

Greenwood High voted for the candidates, and the student council was elected. On January

20th, during the Investiture Ceremony, the Student Council of 2015-16 solemnly handed

over the duties and responsibilities to the newly elected Student Council of 2016-17 . The

newly elected student leaders are:

School Captain: Pavan Chitta

School Vice Captain: Ruhi Ramesh

Sports Captain: Kieran Adams

Sports Vice Captain: Veda Patnaik

Sports Prefect/Band Major: Rishabh Ponnappa

Ruby House Captain: Maya Eapen

Ruby House Vice Captain: Rohan Cherukuri

Ruby House Prefect: Abraham Amrit

Emerald House Captain: Rahul Krishnan

Emerald House Vice Captain: Sanchita Narayan

Emerald House Prefect: Rahul Alluri

Topaz House Captain: Rohan Mullangi

Topaz House Vice Captain: Riya Agarwal

Topaz House Prefect: Mohammed Ali



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Sapphire House Captain: Siddharth Pandiya

Sapphire House Vice Captain: Bhavana Sreepad

Sapphire House Prefect: Josh Menon

Hindi Day (MSP) January 28th

The Hindi Assembly showcased the significance of the Indian National Language in an

international academic curriculum. The invocation, the Hindi Divas Geet, led to an

informative show where the students brought forth the importance of water conservation

through a poem and lessons on stress reduction through a short play. The students also

presented dohe by Kabir, Rahim and Vrind, discussing the significance of universal

brotherhood. A Kathak performance based a on Krishna bhajan in Brij Bhasha (a dialect of

Hindi) delighted the audience, and a dance performance on the colors of India was indeed

breathtaking. And how could Hindi be complete without a Bollywood song? A young

student sang a melodious number. Hindi Divas proved that indeed, the students are

blending the local and the global.

Robotics : January 30th-31st

The Greenwood High Robotics Team ‘Flaming Phoenix’ won the first prize in the FLL

Robotics regional competition held at Chennai, and qualified for the National

Championship held in Delhi on 9th-10th February.

The junior team (grade 8) performed well in the RoboCup Junior (23rd-24th Jan), held in

Delhi, as well as in the ‘Rescue Robot’ event.

The proud Robotics Team



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Mock Exams (Grades 10th and 12th) Feb 8th-19th

The Mock Examinations had the students of grades 10 and 12 working hard, while the rest

of the school tried to remain quiet throughout the exam hours.

Social Science Day: Feb 6th

Social Science Day was held in the International Block of Greenwood High for the first time,

and it was solely dedicated to all the Social Science subjects – history, economics, business,

psychology and geography. The day featured a quiz competition in Economics, a film in

Psychology, a musical historical presentation of world events through popular songs.

Students displayed their creativity and ingenuity in the advertising competition by

advertising interesting products made out of fused light bulbs. The FMCG (Fast-Moving

Consumer Goods) stalls from the four houses ran robustly, competing to make the biggest

profit which would go to charity. With items ranging from baked treats to packets of chips,

the tight race between the teams ended with Emerald making a mammoth profit of Rs

7300.

CAS Leadership Camp (Boys Feb 12-15) (Girls Feb 19-22)

The students of grade 11 (in separate groups of boys and girls) visited Camp Quiet Corner

in Mudhumalai, (near the Tiger Reserve) Tamil Nadu as a part of a Leadership program

organized by the school. The students got the opportunity to get away from school and the

city, know each other in an informal and natural environment, and play games that taught

them leadership, team work and trust.

Theatre

International Drama Festival, Kerala: Jan 11-13th

The drama students of grades 9, 10 and 11 went on a trip to Thrissur to watch the

International Drama Festival, with their Drama teachers. The students watched different

plays, met the artistes, and got a few tips about what to keep in mind when directing and

writing scripts. The drama students were also able to see a black box theatre, which is used

for experimental drama. They also visited Veda Academy to learn about the Kerala Martial

Art form: Kalaripayettu, and visited a Jewish Synagogue in Cochin. Truly a trip immersed in

culture.



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Jagriti drama workshop The Jagriti drama workshop for 8th graders taught everyone how to bring out the true actor

within. Stage position, diction and a wide range of other assets were just a few of the points

focused on. Students learnt how to reach out to a larger audience. They also experienced

how to manage props and costumes. The student’s plays, based on the Chennai

declaration, and the ill effects of anti-microbial resistance helped spread awareness about

the use of antibiotics and what precautions the public can take.

Preparing for a show?

Annie

Annie, staged on March 4th and 5th, was the culmination of the hard work of the students

and teachers. The departments of Drama, Music and Art truly showcased their immense

talents, and the audience was taken aback by the professional quality of the acting,

direction, music and sets. Truly an amazing show!



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Globe Theatre

The Globe Education, UK, in collaboration with Imbroglio Theatre, Bangalore, held

workshops for both students and teachers.

Teacher’s Professional Development: Mar 19th

The professional development workshop for the English and Drama teachers in Greenwood

High was conducted by Tas Emiabata from the Globe Theatre, and the objective of the

workshop was to incorporate ‘techniques for teaching Shakespeare’s text in class.’ Twenty

excited English teacher (from both the ICSE and International Curriculum blocks), and two

equally eager drama teachers participated in the workshop. Through the various activities

the teachers all got ideas on incorporating not only Shakespeare and theatre in teaching

English, but also ideas on how to invigorate the class with enthusiasm.

The teachers with Tas Embiata

Student Theatre Workshop: Mar 18-24

The student workshop was held in five batches for students of middle school. After the

introductory theatre activities, Mr. Embiata merged Shakespeare’s texts, Julius Caesar and

the Merchant of Venice and the students learnt not only theatre and drama techniques of

enunciation, intonation, gestures and improvisation, but also communication skills that

they can incorporate in all spheres of life. This workshop has certainly given the students a

sense of confidence in themselves.



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ESL/German Assembly: Mar 2nd

The ESL/German Assembly was highly illuminating. The ESL students began the assembly

with presentation on the importance of English in the world, and how difficult it is to learn

English, yet these non-English speaking students are trying very hard to master the

language. The German students took us all through a tour of Munich, giving us a taste of

yummy German food, taking us to the Oktober Fest, giving us a glimpse of German fashion

and shopping, and a tour of the BMW museum. Indeed, the assembly was a mini-tour of

Germany.

MUN (MSP) Mar 8-9th

The MSP Model United Nations started off enthusiastically, with two committees: HRC and

DISEC. The young delegates discussed the 2015 European Refugee Crisis. The students of

grade 11 held a press conference with the delegates of China, DPRK, Syria, France, Brazil

and USA, asking about a particular problem in their respective country. The DISEC

committee meanwhile had been discussing about how to stop anti-state actors from

acquiring weapons of mass destruction, and had conducted their GSL and moderated

caucus. Finally, the delegates got a chance to state their solutions. The MUN session closed

with an award ceremony.

PIE Day: Mar 14th

International PIE Day was celebrated in Greenwood High and began with a round of Math

Olympiad. The Olympiad was followed by an interesting Quiz Show that focused on the

lesser known facts of mathematics. The students of the different house teams

demonstrated their knowledge of mathematicians, mathematical quotes and theories, and

Emerald House won the event. After lunch, PIE day was celebrated with a treasure hunt for

the senior students, and a collage making and Math Bingo for the MSP students. Indeed PIE

Day revealed that Mathematics can be a matter of merriment.



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Harvesting (Gardening Club MSP)

Sowing, planting, waiting….

The MSP Gardening Club, under the supervision of their teacher Mr. Manjunath, has been

very productive. The students have harvested in this quarter what they had planted in the

last. The young students have not only had the chance to work and play in nature, but have

learnt crucial gardening skills in planting and harvesting bitter gourd, coriander,

fenugreek, sunflower, cauliflower, and tomatoes And the money collected from the sale of

these fresh, green (and other colored) produce has been saved for a charity. As you sow, so

shall you reap!

Sweet harvest of bitter gourd!



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Sports

Greenwood High has given a stellar performance in sports this quarter. The football

champs won the Greenwood High Football Champions Trophy. They were the winners of

the Boys U-16 and U-14, as well as the Girls Open.

Proud winners

In Basketball, the girls won the U-14 Amar Jyoti Basketball Tournament. Reshma Ramesh

of 8C has become the Captain of the Karnataka State Basketball team and led the team at

the Sub Junior National Basketball championship held at Pondicherry. The U-14 Boys won

the TENVIK Basketball Tournament and the U-18 Boys won the TRIO Basketball

Tournament. The U-12 Boys and the U-14 Girls won the TISB Basketball Tournament. The

U-14 Girls also won the Sophia Basketball Tournament, and the U-17 Girls won the Rotary

Basketball Championship.



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In Tennis, the U-14 girls won the TISB Tennis Tournament, and in Badminton, the U-14

Girls were declared runners-up in TISB.

Indeed, this has been a very busy term, and everyone was glad to have the Spring Break.

We now look forward to the Final Term, and despite the IB and IGCSE Board exams and the

School Summative, we are sure the students will balance academics, sports and fine arts to

make it another eventful term.

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