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A GOOD WORD

This year we have introduced an exclusive

‘Activity’ period in the Middle section. The

main aim is that teachers should conduct

some activity in their class every week.

The activity may be related to the subject

that the teacher teaches in the class or

something general like a quiz.

I take this period in one section of class

6 where I teach English and it has been a

very rewarding experience. I am happy to

conduct some of the activities I used to do

in the old school. Till now, I have conducted

Debate, Dumb Charade, Mute Skit and

‘What’s the Good Word?’

and I plan to add Quiz,

‘Just a Minute’ and ‘Twenty

Questions’ and many more

to the list. All the students

are made to participate.

There is no selection for

these activities nor is

there any preparation. The

surprise element excites students

more. In fact, they look forward to this

period and ask me what we are going to

have next week.

It is very important to plan activities

well. Activities should be knowledge-

based or value-based. They should also

give a chance to students to show their

creativity. A teacher must take care that

every activity is educative. The teacher

must try, as far as possible, to link the

activity to the syllabus of her subject.

For instance, for

‘What’s the

Good Word?’

I took words

from the

English text

book and I

was glad that

students could get many of the answers.

They knew the meaning of the words.

Indirectly, it was a revision for their

unit test. Similarly, for ‘Dumb Charade’

I took proverbs, phrases, first line of

poems and names of countries. For

Mute Skit, I gave each group a situation

and the each one had to build a story

around it and enact it. This had to be

done without any paper work. As such,

the skit had no dialogues; it was mute

skit that depended totally on action

and gestures. I noticed how some

students could work in a group, while

others could not and also, how some

took leadership and directed the skit!

While conducting activities, the

teacher should avoid the use of

worksheet. If students are going to

write in an activity period, it seems

almost like another exercise! This

period should be a change from study

period but, at the same time, an informal

learning.

I am very pleased that the class teacher

sits in my class and observes the

students. These activities give a chance

to the teacher to observe the response

of students and also their behaviour in

groups. The teacher gets some material

for her ‘Anecdotal Record’.

Ms. RADHIKA IYER, Principal

R A I N Y D A Y S A R E H E R E A G A I N ! ! !

UDGAM MATTERSVOLUME 2 ISSUE 2 JULY 2014

1

WhatsApp CommunicationWe have started sending important notices through WhatsApp. Please add the following numbers to your WhatsApp list.

Thaltej Campus: 9925153153 • Jodhpur Campus: 9099902221

2

Qualities that make a person successful.

DesireThe motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to

achieve a purpose.

“Whatever the judgment of human beings can conceive and

believe, the intellect can achieve.”

CommitmentAttempt not only to be successful in life but also

a person ofvalue.

“Integrity is keeping your commitment even if you

lose money and wisdom is not to make such foolish

commitments.”

ResponsibilityA duty which becomes a desire will ultimately become a

delight. Responsible person accept and learn from their errors.

“You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what

they could end should cause for them.”

Hard workThe difficult work is both a commencement and an end in

itself. The harder a person plays, the safer he feels, and the

better he feels, the harder he makes.

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the opportunity

to play hard at something worth doing.”

CharacterCharacter is a combination of integrity, unselfishness,

understanding, conviction, courage, loyalty and respect.

“Ability will get you success, Character will keep you

successful”.

Positive believing Sustaining a positive attitude without realizing the effort is

nothing more than having wishful dreams.

“A person with a cocksure attitude is like a fruit of all season.”

Give more than you getGive back more than you get regardless of....

Paying more than you make it make yourself more valuable,

regardless of what you do and where you go.

“Ability without dependability, responsibility and flexibility.”

The power of persistence Persistence is a decision & commitment to finish what you start.

“World is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and

determination alone are omnipotent.”

Pride of performancePride of performance represents pleasure with humility.

“The quality of the work and the quality of the worker

are inseparable.”

Be willing to be a student – Get a Mentor.

A good mentor will guide and give right direction.

“Be an interested student and gets the best out of a teacher.”

Do you have what it takes to be successful?These all qualities we all have as hidden treasures. All we need

to do is bring them to the surface and use them.

WHAT MAKES A PERSON SUCCESSFUL!!

Ms. SEJAL MEHTAAssistant Administrator

3

Mrs. DEEPA HEMNANIAcademic Coordinator

Hustle BustleLittle cool droplets of rain brought lots of relief from scorching heat and

faces of kids bloomed like flowers in the garden.

Children were busy preparing for their tests and long with having fun,

playing and enjoying in the school.

Two Commerce Stream toppers of class 12 were conferred with Apurv

Kharidia Award.

Blood Donation CampSchool held Blood Donation Camp at the two premises, Thaltej and Jodhpur.

School received very good support and cooperation from parents, teachers,

staff and voluntary donors.

Donating for a good cause takes a new dimension of ‘selfless giving’ when

one donates his or her own blood.

PREPRIMARY

Lime And Lemony LemonadeThe tiny tots of our Preprimary Section participated whole heartedly in the

team activity of preparing lemon juice with excitement. With the help of the

teachers and the helpers, they made the lemony drink for all. They enjoyed

the team building activity besides learning to make something on their own

that is nutritious as well.

Green And Brown DayThe pre-primary section celebrated Green and Brown Day. Shades of these

earthy colours could be found all around. The children were involved in

many enjoyable activities like playing with pots of plants, tracing alphabets

in wheat gum, hand and foot printing. The entire event was related to a

project titled ‘My Family’ and ‘Save Trees’.

Field Trip As Learning ToolThe children of Sr. KG were taken to D-Mart by their teachers. Teachers acted

as shopping guides while taking the small team of ‘mini shopaholics’ around.

Germination As A Basis Of LifeChildren of Sr. KG were involved by their teachers in a Plant germination

project wherein they were introduced to the texture of soil and seeds. They

were encouraged to water the seeds and small plants everyday. Soon the

freshly germinated seeds sprouted and their garden was ready.

Fun n learn objective was completely fulfilled.

Learning Through ActivitiesChildren of Class I had a unique team building experience in school. They

had to bring to forth their culinary skills in the team work pursuit. They

brought ingredients for Bhel Puri and Basket Chaat and mixed them to

make delicious and scrumptious assortments of nutritious Indian snacks.

This yummy way to build the team spirit among smaller children was designed

enthusiastically by their teachers with the right help from the parents.

The students of Class VI learned the importance of Balanced diet through a

class activity, wherein they brought lunch comprising the various nutrients

that the body requires. After the activity children were well aware about the

inclusion of fruits and vegetables in meals.

To introduce students of Class 3 to the “Solar System”, a skit was performed

in the class wherein the students had placards around their neck in order

to represent different planets and the sun. The objective of performing this

skit was to make students aware about various facts regarding planets. This

interactive method will last long.

Career Counselling School arranged for a sessions for Class X and XI which was based on

counselling that encompasses all kinds of subjects and streams. The

students were made aware of the different types of courses and careers

along with the colleges where they can be pursued.

Students found that there is array of career choices if ‘hard work’ is observed

in daily life.

Learning ValuesStudents of secondary section were taken to a nearby Government School,

wherein they distributed stationery items among the children.

They conducted interview of the Principal, a few teachers, students and

parents of the school.

Also students were taken to Visamo Kids Foundation, wherein Udgam

students conducted games for the kids there. An interview was conducted

by Udgam Students to know the running of such institutions. Our students

came back with the feeling of fulfilment and updated information.

HUSTLE-BUSTLE

4

GLIMPSES OF ACTIVITIES

Apurv Kharidia Prize

Class I Activity

Class VI Activity

Visit To Visamo Kids

Blood Donation Camp

Class I Activity

Municipal School Visit

Visit To Visamo Kids

Career Counselling

Class III Activity

Municipal School Visit

5

MEDIA BUZZ

6

Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity

Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity

Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day

Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day

PREPRIMARY IN ACTION

7

Mrs. VIJAYALAKSHMI GTeacher Secondary School

RADIANT REFLECTIONSCARE TO GO OFFLINE?

Recently a friend asked her son the homework for the day and was promptly

told by the eight year old to find it out on ‘Whats App’. As far as the child

was concerned the mobile application that his mother couldn’t do without,

could communicate home work details as well and perhaps absolve him of

all responsibility of listening attentively in the class.

In another instance, a colleague confessed that the constant messaging

from friends was definitely hampering her interactions with her child whose

exams were just around the corner. She felt the compulsions of responding

to her friends’ every message a tad irritating!

While networking is undoubtedly a great way to

keep in constant touch with the rest of the world

it is nevertheless intruding into our personal lives

spreading its tentacles in the most surreptitious

way and perhaps robbing us of face to face

interaction with our loved ones at home. All too

often we hear of youngsters hooked to social

networking sites. But we conveniently overlook

the fact that the adult world is equally or more

involved in networking given the fact these

applications are not penny pinching at all.

‘Social Networking Addiction Disorder’ is

prevalent among youngsters and adults alike.

In fact reports indicate that adults addicted to

blogs, chat rooms, virtual worlds, electronic

instant messaging services and specific social networking sites like Facebook

are hooked in much the same way that others became addicted to drugs or

alcohol, which result in academic, social, and occupational impairment.

There’s this oft quoted saying that if we point a finger at others we are in

fact pointing three at ourselves. What I mean is if we expect our kids and

students to put away their pods, pads, apps, etc., then we better do the

same. It is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black when we keep

harping that excessive social networking is a bane and then we are only too

eager to get into the same world ourselves. The dangers that youngsters

are exposed to are traps for adults too. How often we read about adult

professionals using and sharing morphed , inappropriate photographs and

information about people they stalk. The recent report of an IT executive

intimidating his estranged wife on Facebook and that of an aspiring model

in her twenties being swindled of her money by an FB ‘friend’ are just tips

of an iceberg where adults are equally susceptible to falling victims just as

school students are.

It seems to be contradictory that people would lose social skills because

of social networking sites. Yes, parents do complain of introvert

children more comfortable typing and chatting on applications

than have verbal conversations. We need to perceive this as another

disadvantage in parents’ lives as well. Gone

are the dinner conversations around the table.

Today if one parent is perhaps negotiating a

valuable contract over the mobile at dinner,

then there is another who is busy catching the

latest gossip on the App. And uploading or

downloading the recent party photographs.

In such a scenario many of today’s youngsters

are sorely losing out on family bonding. Face to

face interaction with parents becomes a remote

possibility when all in the family are happily busy

in the virtual world. And then we blame ‘My child

does not communicate with me anymore.’

If students are copying answers to even the

simplest of academic questions and problems

from friends over virtual chat groups, then it

is an extremely common phenomenon and

a disturbing one too. If they prefer machine over mankind and drift away

from healthy connections then it indeed is an alarming trend. One sure

way to reverse this orientation is to keep away to some extent from virtual

networking ourselves. As parents and teachers if we can curb our tendency

to lift the smart phone at every ‘ping’ and from consistent messaging then

perhaps we can categorically demand a similar change in our youngsters.

Let’s therefore ‘walk the talk’ and as the proverb goes ‘be the change that

we want to see in others’. Going offline can be undeniably refreshing and

gratifying. Do try it!

Social networking sites can be completely anonymous, and it’s possible to

create a fake profile as well

8

ARE TUITIONS DESTROYING CHILDHOODS?

In all my years of teaching, I have never understood the reason behind extra

tuitions; especially in young children. There is something fundamentally

wrong with the Indian education system where parents believe that a child

will be taught better at tuition than by their school teacher. Children, as young

as 10 or 11 years old attend tuition multiple times a week for several hours at

a stretch. They sometimes study upto 9 hours a day – 6 hours at school and 3

hours at tuition. That’s more time than an average white collar worker has to

spend it their workplace.

Let us take a few examples here for better comprehension.

Deepti is a child in Class 8. She has been going to a coaching centre from Class

7. Her everyday routine accounts for 6 hours of school, and then going to a

coaching centre wearing a different ID card, uniform and carrying a different

set of books. A typical coaching class has about 40 students. Most of them

have their own text books also. Deepti sits there for about three hours learning

all what the school has taught, or will be teaching. And she goes there five

days a week! Then she comes home only to have to do her school homework

and then tuition homework. And does she score hundred percent? No!

Another example, Arjun, joined a new school in Class 5. To cope up with the

pressure of his new school, his parents hired a personal tutor. The tutor comes

home, 6 days a week to teach English, Maths, Science and Social Science. On

Sundays, he has English grammar tuition for two hours. On top of it, every

week he goes for an hour of handwriting classes. Even after all this effort the

child still struggles to pass his subjects. Is it really worth all that extra time and

effort?

I have seen many children who do their tuition homework in school. Poor

souls! So very conscious of their responsibility, even at such a young age.

What are we doing to our children? Aren’t we destroying their childhood?

And why are we doing this in the first place?

Childhood is a time to enjoy ourselves, explore the world around us, develop

new ideas and play games. Instead, these children have become robots-

jugglers, with no independent thinking and always bouncing their time from

school to tuition and back. They possess no imagination or creativity, and

seem to have no dreams or ambitions of their own; only the ones their parents

force onto them.

Being a parent myself, I can understand why a parent feels that their child

needs academic help outside school but more often than not, the child goes

to tuition because everyone else seems to be doing it too!

I’ve often parents had tell me that their child shows no improvement in

marks, even though they go for tuition. Sometimes they even fall below their

earlier level! This may be because tuition teachers use different methods of

teaching to school thereby leaving the child confused. Unless it personalised

tuition, which takes into account the learning style of the child, most of the

tuitions are generic. One size seems to fit all! If the child does not clarify doubt

in the familiar school setting, then he would never ask his doubt in front of

other people. Every child is different and their academic requirement is also

different. We shouldn’t send our child to tuition centres just because they are

the new “in thing”.

However, I can obviously understand tuitions are sometimes unavoidable. If

the child is from different board, or the parents have no time or if they are

illiterate then the child needs all the help they can get. But why can’t parents

encourage the child to seek help in school? Teachers know the child better.

They can plug the gaps in academic knowledge to tailor it to the child.

Furthermore, if the parent is educated to some level, they are usually the

child’s better teacher. They know what parts of the syllabus is problematic for

the child and can devote their individual attention to them unlike teachers. By

10 years of age child should be able to read, write and speak the language and

understand the basic operations in Maths. Any literate parent can help them

do it. If the above things are in place then what is the need for extra help in

science or social studies? If their comprehension is decent, then the student

should be able understand all the reading material that passes through their

hands.

If we follow this, the extra time left can be utilized by the child to do something

meaningful. Children may pursue some leisure activity like painting; learn

classical dance or an instrument. Even reading story books can be taken up as

a hobby – which sounds so simple but in reality, is rare to find. By encouraging

reading for pleasure, children can escape to the magical world of Harry Potter,

learn wizardry in the land of Oz, or dream about the beautiful secret garden

of Alice.

Mrs. SHANTHI SHIVAN,Special Educator

9

‘STARSHIP’ The

big bold blue letters

on the front of the

massive ship

was all I could

recollect. The shout

‘man overboard’ the

words I was

hoping to hear were

replaced by an echo in

silence. My last sweet

memory was that

of the sun merging with the gold tinged waters of the sea,

the silhouette of the seagulls dominating the sky. Suddenly, I

blacked out. I had no light to guide me, it seemed like I was

falling into a deep hole of nothingness.

I couldn’t fathom how I would encounter Poseidon’s purgatory

reign. An expert could have known the directions through the

constellations. But my ignorance towards anything unearthly

did not serve me well. There was no twinge of hope, not even

a twig I could latch on to. There seemed as if the ocean was my

master, and I, its slave. There was only one support system I

could hold on to, it was hope. The hope of meeting my loved

ones again, the hope of returning back home. Ahh! How I

wished that I was back home, on dry land. The gigantic waves

carried my nearly lifeless body here and there. My limbs kept

me breathing into the salty air. Ironically I was thirsty. Hunger

and thirst were going to take my life, if not the freezing water

of the ocean.

The strength given to me by my petrified mind served me

well. Today was the second day. Imagine two days of no

human contact, two days in which each second your life was in

danger, two days when the idea of oblivion seemed extremely

near. Some people would say that this experience would be

inspirational. Those some people would have not even seen the

glimpse of danger let alone stare right into the eyes of death.

On this third day I geared on. There was still hope. The hope

provided to me by my befuddled yet working mind. I wanted

a miracle to take place but my brain knew that the only way I

could survive was not a miracle, but my hard work.

After 3 days of hellish survival I finally heard something. It was

not much but it was something. The distant sounds of seagulls

screaming made me realize that land was near. Now I know

that the lesson on animal habits in college wouldn’t go in vain.

As you see, seagulls only live near land. Its their nesting place

that is on land. I used my last ounce of strength and went

forward. Followed the sound till I couldn’t anymore. Land

Ahoy! I found it! I swum a mile and the water was only up to my

waist. I could walk. The feeling of sand rubbing on my bare legs

was the best thing I had ever felt. Believe me capital strength

is nothing compared to the triumph of survival. And take my

advice, climbing the rails of a ship may seem fun but it is really

not a good idea. Now came the horrific questions. Why can I

not hear the usual turmoil of mankind? Was this island known

to man? If yes then was it populated? I could not resist myself

from recollecting the scenes from Caste Away.

At this point of time I didn’t have the time to think about the

rough 3 days which proved to be the worst of my life. PTSD did

not have any space in my amygdale. All thoughts that sprinted

through my mind were those that would help me survive.

When I came back from my mind palace, my hunger and thirst

hit me like a wrecking ball. I heard the most beautiful voice. Not

of a maiden, but of gushing waters. I ran towards the sound. My

EMOTIVE EXPRESSIONSIf God makes a mistake, It is fate.

If a barber makes a mistake, it is a new style.

If a driver makes a mistake, it is an accident.

If a tailor makes a mistake, it is a new fashion.

If a doctor makes a mistake, it is an operation.

If an engineer makes a mistake, it is a new design.

If a politician makes a mistake, it is a new law.

If a teacher makes a mistake, it is a new theory.

But if I make a mistake, it is a ‘Mistake’! JAANYA PARIKH, CLASS III-B

SALONEE SHUKLA, IX E

ALL MAKE MISTAKES

THE CASTAWAY

10

Higher education

professionals are

often confronted

with students who

are so afraid of

failing an exam or

assignment that, in

the end, it may be

the fear itself and

not the difficulty of

the task that prevents the student from achieving his or

her academic goals. This blog post aims to help all higher

education professionals who have regular contact with

students to conceptualise the fear of failure psychologically

and will provide some pointers on how best to advise

students who suffer from this fear.

FEAR OF FAILURE: A BLURRY CONCEPT

Unlike a specific phobia (eg fear of heights, fear of spiders),

the anxiety around anticipated failure is highly subjective

and often vague in nature. Strictly speaking, it is not failure

itself that students fear, but certain negative consequences

associated with underachieving. Students specifying what they

are actually scared of often refer to following consequences:

Personal: Feeling ashamed about one’s own inability and

incompetence, the hurt from having to acknowledge own

shortcomings and limitations, feeling guilty and worthless.

Interpersonal: Disappointing parents, receiving ridicule from

classmates, and loosing the professor’s trust and support.

Career-related: Having decreased chances on the job

market and decreased chances to have a decent income

and appropriate social status.

happiness had given me newfound strength. I cupped my hands

and let myself massacre the water. After my thirst was fulfilled, I

came to the realization that there were the most beautiful trout in

the stream. Catching one and roasting it was easier than anything

I had done I’d done in the past couple of days. My arrival created

a new ecosystem all together. I was part of the food chain. I was

one of them. But then the fact dawned upon me. I could become

the breakfast of any predator that reined the woods.

If this island was known to man, there would surely be a means of

communication. A mayday in a rusty old radio would do me a

whole lot of good. So in search of any of these means I thought

of going off to the highest point I could locate on the island. A

mountain far out in the woods. But before, as the twilight struck,

I needed a place to spend the night. But at this point of time of the

day, my only option was the beach. I collected some dry twigs, lit

up a fire and went off to sleep. My exhaustion was unexplainable

but obvious.

I was woken up by a sharp pain in my toe. No, it was not a

predator; it was a tiny lizardish animal. It looked to be an iguana.

And I being humane was immediately selfish and decided to

keep it with my self. My sheer lack of any kind of contact had

imbalanced my thoughts. I needed to talk. So Yoda (the iguana

was tiny and green. A star wars reference was humorous) was my

new psychiatrist as well as a friend. Its ability to listen was degree

enough for me.

A leaf on my toe wound, an iguana on my shoulder and the

remains of my clothes on my back was all I needed for my trip

up the great mountain. With the hope and that only, of finding a

cave unguarded by a bear to spend the next night. First I needed

to figure out how to reach the mountain. A steep side was

something I did not need at this point of time.

I started walking. Then I turned back. As usual I had forgotten

that my stomach had needs. I went back to the stream I had

found. I packed a trout in a big leaf but had no way of carrying

water. Looking up for inspiration, I found a tree full of fruits with

hard shells. But it was far up on the tree. Tree climbing was not

one of my many commendable talents. Now looking down in

desperation helped me. The same fruit had fallen on the ground.

Scrape out the pulp with a fishbone and here I had a 2 gallon cup.

I had kind of learnt survival skills but hoped I wouldn’t need to use

them for that long.

I started walking again. On the way there, I found some logs. Not

the kind that could have been broken in a bad storm. These were

neatly placed stacks of firewood that seemed to have been cut by

an electric saw. No offence to Yoda, but a human who could reply

would be much better. I followed the logs and finally came up to

a mine. This looked like illegal caving. Returning to my home in

shackles would not be perfect but it wasn’t half bad.

From the mine came a shout. Then came a 7 foot man in extremely

yellow clothes. Running up to him was something of pure delight.

Soon I was on a ship back home. This seemingly illegal mine was

actually a gold mine in the jungles of Africa. Completely legal.

This made me happier than ever. My trauma had ended and I was

back home with my loved ones.

PRATEEK PARWANI, X C

EXAM PHOBIA??? GET OVER IT NOW!

11

UNDERSTANDING THEIR FEAR

You can support your students simply by helping them to better

understand what they are afraid of. As soon as they become

more aware of the ‘fear behind the fear’ and learn to specify their

concerns, they can start thinking of ways to cope and overcome

their fear.

If they, for instance, realise that they are too worried about

disappointing their parents, peers or professors, they can reflect on

solving the underlying issues pertaining to the relationship at stake.

If it became apparent that they are mainly concerned about

career opportunities, you could guide the students by taking a

closer look at recruitment criteria and perhaps help them to

understand that excellent grades are not the only way to impress

potential employers.

If they come to understand that it is actually more about the

unrelenting standards they apply, this could be a starting point

for developing a more accepting attitude towards themselves.

PREPARATION HELPS!

Let the student know, that a very simple way to reduce fear of

failure is to put in more effort to feel better prepared. Help the

student to find more effective study techniques, for instance by

exploring how useful different methods have been so far and

suggesting new ones. Help them to remember past successes and

review various strategies in coping with negative performance

evaluations. By reframing potential failure as an opportunity to

learn and grow, this can help to bring the student’s fear levels

down. In fact, discussing the experience of failure as chance

to find alternative sources of self-esteem – not just through

performance and achievement – may be the best advice you

could give to students who struggle with performance anxiety

and self-worth issues! Here are some final thoughts to end on:

A perfectionist, for example someone who believes he or she

must get everything 100% right, will be more afraid of failing than

someone who grants him or herself the right to learn and improve.

Someone who, equates ‘failing a task’ with ‘failing as a person’ will

be more fearful than a person with a stable sense of self-worth.

A person who knows that s/he is okay and worthy as a human

being regardless of how much s/he accomplishes in life, will be

a more relaxed and less anxious performer in comparison to

someone who judges his/her worth by his/her achievements.

No matter how much I try, My thoughts are away from sums and fly

Out of the window sill, Goes the rain in rhythm - pitter patter

How I long to drench and gather, All the raindrops and go unfetter!

Glisten on Beautiful Rain, Its time for the sun to refrain

From shining harsh and bright, My lush school lawn is such a sight!

Splashing puddles are a joy, In this moment of buoy

‘Maths’ is counting raindrops in a row, ‘Science’ is watching the magical rainbow!

RHYTHM OF THE RAIN

MAHIMA PAREKH, VIII D

12

DEVAK D SINHA IX D SHREYAS SHANKER IX D SAAHIL UPPAL IX D

A little boat slowly pulled away from the dock just as the

night sky erupted into colour as another barrage of fireworks

detonated in the heavens. Within this unimpressive vessel was

the equally unimpressive form of a man who pulled frantically

at the oars. It was not until his diminutive means of transport

was away from the pier that he slowed his motions, allowing

the current of the river to perform his task for him.

With a glance from side to side, he reached slowly into the

folds of his cloak and patted about his person, as if he expected

to feel something but did not. His lips moved in a silent curse

as he began to scan the tiny interior of his boat for something

elusive.

From the roof of a nearby building, I allowed my lips to curl

into a smile as I watched the lone mariner pull off his clothing

and shake it angrily. I closed my fist tighter upon a hard

object within my

right hand as I

looked at the charm

that had, moments

earlier, been within

the breast pocket of

another. Slipping it

into a small leather

pouch at my waist

I turned from the

river; as I was a good

enough thief to

know better than to

remain close by after

relieving a client, as I

called them, of their

belongings.

A second blast of light cast its multi coloured touch over the

roof tops and I turned towards that which interested me the

most that evening. I broke into a sprint and with practised

grace jumped from roof to roof in the direction of where I

would ply my trade that evening.

It was late March in the year 1492 in the city of Venice. People

from all walks of life had come to celebrate what would be

their final evening of excess before their forty days of denial,

slowing their steps as they danced to the tunes of the many

musicians that worked their way through the crowd fingering

flutes and lyres as they went. And all of this was done in

anonymity, for each of the happy masqueraders hid their

identity behind masks of as many shapes and colours as there

were stars in the sky.

I could see that this mass to indulgence took place in the

shadow of the

greatest Cathedral in

the city. Yet I cared

not, to me the edicts

and dictations of

the Church of Rome

meant as little as the

drunken ramblings

of a man staggering

home from a tavern.

Thou shall not steal,

I thought as I vaulted

down from over a low

wall. After my parents

had succumbed to

plague, I had been

A GLIMPSE IN THE LIFE OF A THIEF

13

TEENAGE..... Who is a teen? A person falling in the category of

age 13 – 19 years is called a teenager. This is the age when most of

the tragedies of your life take place. One big turn comes in the life

of everyone. Some are disastrous while some are silly. Academic

pressure, peer pressure, parental pressure can sometimes make us

face very challenging situations. We may not be able to get through

all of them. We might have some situations where there is no way out

but, there is always a solution to a problem. A student of Class X has

to face a lot of academic pressure. It’s not that only that person has

to face it, the whole class has to face the same pressure. But as we

always say....

Winners don’t do different things...

They do things differently

The age of 14 – 15 yrs is the age when a lot of peer pressure has to be

faced. There is always a way to tackle them. The first thing we need to

learn is to say ‘NO’. We should deny things which can harm us or put us in

trouble. Secondly we should choose friends in a way that they help us in

our difficult times and teach us the right things than teaching us wrong

things. The last but not the least we should always listen to our parents.

We often neglect our parents and their word of caution. We should

k n o w that

t h e y have

h a d m o r e

e x p e r i e n c e

than us in their life and they

know the world a lot better than we do.

Following these three things peer pressure could be easily handled.

Parents keep telling us day and night about studying and doing the

right thing. Lets first deal with the study matter. We should know that

we are not studying for our parents nor are we doing a favour to our

parents by studying. They spend a huge sum of money for our studies

because they want us to be successful in our life, they want us flourish

in our streams and fulfil our own desires. We should understand the

importance of study in our own life and implement it. The next is about

doing the right things, parents say this as they want their children to

go on the right path and not follow anything wrong. It is for our benefit

that they tell this and there is nothing wrong to ever do something

right in our life, it is simply going to benefit us and not our parents.

So I suppose all of you must be very clear after reading this article and

know the way to handle various pressures.

RUTVIK SHAH 10D

PRESSURE FACED BY A TEENAGE

sent to an orphanage run by the village padre and I vaguely

recalled him citing those very words whilst switching me for

taking the first steps towards my later career by pilfering

bread from the pantry.

No, the faithful may live their lives in preparation for the next

but I did not. For a man alone on the streets of a city there

were but three choices; I could beg, or do nothing and starve.

Most choose the former of these options but for me, neither

of these were suited so Ihad chosen a forth option; to steal.

It had not always been easy for I had not always been the

artisan I now was. Many of my earliest attempts to take simple

things like food or clothing had ended sourly for me and many

faded bruises on my body reminded me of that.

God and his church be dammed, I had survived by my own

means and thought nothing of what was to be mine after I

passed by a cathedral; For me, the sight of hundreds of drunken

men and women with loose purse strings was heaven enough.

Quickly, I pulled my knapsack from my back and from it

produced a light cloak and a simple black mask. I had no

interest in dancing this evening but the best of thieves knew

that it was better not to stand out in a crowd; and I knew

myself to be one of the very best.

Arranging my mask over my handsome though hard face, I

tossed the cloak over my shoulders. I walked to the edge of the

roof and peered over it on the darkened ally a good two stories

below. Time to make some money, and I stepped over the ledge.

Yes! It is a good life.

14

5 COMMON SCIENCE MISCONCEPTIONS

1. There Is a Dark Side of the

Moon Misconception: The far side of the moon

is the dark side of the moon.

Science Fact: The moon rotates as it

orbits the Sun, much like the Earth.

While the same side of the moon always

faces the Earth,

the far side

could be either

dark or light.

When you see a

full moon, the

far side is dark. When you see (or rather,

don’t see) a new moon, the far side of

the moon is bathed in sunlight.

2. Venous Blood Is BlueMisconception: Arterial (oxygenated)

blood is red, while venous

(deoxygenated) blood is blue.

Science Fact:

While some

animals have

blue blood,

humans are

not among

them. The

red colour of blood comes from

haemoglobin in red blood cells.

Although it is a brighter red when it

is oxygenated, it is still red when it is

deoxygenated. Veins sometimes look

blue or green because you view them

through a layer of skin, but the blood

inside is red, no matter where it is in

your body.

3. The North Star Is the Brightest Star in the SkyMisconception: The North Star or Polaris is the brightest star in the sky.Science Fact: So, certainly the North

Star (Polaris) is not the brightest

star in the Southern Hemisphere,

since it may not be visible. Even in

the Northern

Hemisphere,

the North

Star is not

exceptionally

bright. The

Sun is by far the brightest star in the

sky. The brightest star in the night sky

is Sirius.

The misconception likely arises

from the North Star’s use as a handy

outdoor compass. The star is easily

located and indicates north.

4. Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place TwiceMisconception: Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

Science Fact: If you have watched

a thunderstorm any length of time,

you know this is not true. Lightning

can strike one

place multiple

times. The

Empire State

B u i l d i n g

gets struck

around 25 times each year. Actually,

any tall object is at increased risk of

a lightning strike. Some people have

been struck by lightning more than

once.

So, if it’s not true that lightning never

strikes the same place twice, why do

people say it? It’s an idiom intended

to reassure people that unfortunate

events rarely befall the same person

the same way more than once.

5. Microwaves Make Food

RadioactiveMisconception: Microwaves make

food radioactive.

Science Fact: Microwaves do not

affect the radioactivity of food.

Technically, microwaves emitted by

your microwave oven are radiation, in

the same way visible light is radiation.

The key is that microwaves are not

i o n i z i n g

radiation. A

m i c r o w a v e

oven heats

food by

causing the

molecules to vibrate, but it does not

ionize the food and it certainly does

not affect the atomic nucleus, which

would make food truly radioactive. If

you shine a bright flashlight on your

skin, it won’t become radioactive. If

you microwave your food, you may

call it ‘nuking’ it, but really it’s slightly

more energetic light.

On a related note, microwaves do not

cook food “from the inside out”.

Even intelligent, educated people often get these science facts wrong. Here is a look at some of the most widely held scientific beliefs that simply aren’t true. Don’t feel bad if you believe one of these

misconceptions -- you’re in good company.

15

Anand S. Gandhi

Std. VIII – C

Roll No. 3

Anand S. Gandhi

Std. VIII – C

Roll No. 3

ENGLISH VINGLISH

AB

C

D EG

FH

IJ

K

LM

N

ANAND S GANDHI VIII - C

16

BOOKMARK THISWHODUNIT?

Mysteries have a unique way of

unlocking one’s inner detective and

getting the brainpower working to its

fullest. The innate human tendency to

get to the core of the matter and make

sure the pieces fall into place makes

sure that mystery novels and detective

stories will never go out of fashion. As

children, we want to know everything.

Why do earthquakes occur? Why does

a firefly glow? Why do I have to get up

early in the morning? As you grow older,

you start introspecting, thinking deeper

into the question and try to find viable

solutions. Secrets and mysteries get

your brain machinery working overtime

and you won’t sit until the truth is

revealed.

Fiction has had a long and successful

innings with this genre. Edgar Allan

Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue

and The Purloined Letter kick started

the whole whodunit era, and was ably

assisted by the Doctor Fu Manchu series

some time later. In 1887, Arthur Conan

Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes, and

detective fiction was never the same

again. The taciturn, aloof, brooding

detective, with his towering intelligence

and unmatched brilliance changed the

entire landscape of solving mysteries.

Another epic detective was the plump,

kind hearted Frenchman with a head

shaped like an egg. Hercule Poirot.

Created by Agatha Christie, this middle

aged rotund policeman instantly

captured hearts and minds with his

amazing ability to ferret out murderers

and thieves. Christie’s other novels, like

And Then There Were None, The Hollow,

The Body in the Library, Lord Edgware

Dies, Nemesis, The Man in the Brown

Suit etcetera only went on to prove

the immense popularity of the writer

and genre. And Then There Were None

deserves special mention as it quickly

became the world’s bestselling mystery

in a very short time. The Mousetrap and

Witness for the Prosecution are also

worth mentioning here, as they were

widely read and adapted into many

languages, despite not having Poirot as

the main detective.

Later on, towards the end of the

twentieth century, novels featuring the

immensely popular teenage detectives

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys came

into vogue. These teen sensations, with

their quick wit, charm and a motley

cast of characters to help them out,

further changed the course of detective

fiction, which now became fast paced

and trendy. Further changes occurred

with the Famous Five and Secret Seven

novels, which were primarily targeted

at children. Two Indian detectives

associated with whodunits include

Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda. The latter

series, written by Satyajit Ray, proved a

hit with adults and children alike.

Of course, mystery has evolved with the

times. There are many kinds of mysteries

to solve. Medical thrillers (Robin Cook,

Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs), forensic

mysteries (Jeffrey Deaver, Patricia

Cornwell), legal thrillers (John Grisham),

police procedural (James Patterson)

supernatural mysteries and many

more. This is truly a genre where newer

findings are constantly overshadowing

the older ones and fresher approaches

are needed to get to the bottom

of the matter.

So, coming back to the body in the

room. Whodunit?

A dead body lying in a room closed on all sides. No open window, no open door and no visible signs of violence. None of the housemates have an apparent motive for the murder. So, who did it? Or, a daring daylight theft in a rich man’s home, the

valuable object whisked away right from under everybody’s noses. Who is the thief?

Ms. PALLAVI SRIDHARLibrarian

17

Ingredients

Serves: 4 1 big potato boiled and cut into small cubes1/4 cup pomegranate seeds2 tablespoon spicy green chutney2-3 tablespoon sweet chutney4 tablespoon sev4 tablespoon spicy groundnutsblack salt or kala namak as per tastecorriander leaves1 tspn chiili powder1 tspn chat masala powder1 tomato cut into small pieces1 big onion cut into small pieces1/4 cup sprouts ( can be green gram, channa dal etc)

DirectionsBoil the potatoes and cut into small cubes.Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and serve with sev and a few pomegranates seeds on top

CREATIVE IDEAS

BUDDING CHEFS

ALOO CHATPATA CHAAT PERFECT FOR RAINY DAYS

18

FUN ZONE Perfect For Rainy Days

19

3. Sudoku

4. JUMBLED WORDS

A NOTE FROM THE EDITORRecently a small boy in my neighbourhood whom we fondly call Laddoo, came to my house and gave me a list to fill in as a part of his school project. Usually these lists have some basic questions which take about five minutes to fill. I asked Laddoo to wait while I filled in the responses. In the middle of the list there was a question which looked simple enough but had me stumped! Before I knew it, I was asking Laddoo to come back the next day.

Do you know what the question was?

Q. Make a list of 10 things that you love about your life.Yes, looks easy peasy but it is the hardest question to answer. If I had been asked to write 10 things I am miserable about, I would have compiled a list of 25 in a jiffy. But 10 blessings are so difficult to think of at random. We are so often lamenting about the things we do not have (which probably our friends have) that we forget to adore what we possess. And by possessions I do not mean worldly goods. An answer to the above question cannot be I love my life because I have an iPad! Laddoo would never forgive me if his teacher sneered at my responses. Slowly but surely I made my list. It took me a while to actually compose an honest one but finally I was done. When I handed mine over to Laddoo the next day, I was not surprised to know that mine was the first he had got back. Others were still troubling ‘deaf heaven with their bootless cries’. So, why don’t you make a list of things that you love about your life? It will take at least half a day but only half a page...

Here is a small poem that I would like to share with you.

Edit

or: S

agar

ika

Saha

na, C

onte

nt M

anag

erD

esig

ned

by :C

reat

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Gra

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Udgam School For Children

Opp. Sardar Patel Institute, Thaltej, Ahmedabad- 380 054 Gujarat.Phone No: 26850339 99251 53153 | Email Id : info@udgamschool.com

Pre-Primary SectionNear IOC Petrol Pomp, Jodhpur Cross Roads, Satellite, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Gujarat.Phone No: 26769595, 90999 02221 | Email Id: jodhpur@udgamschool.com

Mrs. SAGARIKA SAHANAContent Manager

I LOVE MY LIFE

20

Maybe my life isn’t always easy, But I love living it anyway.I have a family who is always there for me, They love me no matter what I do or say.

I have friends to talk and make fun with, They pick me up when I am downMake me see true friendship is not a myth, Cheer me up, make me smile through my frowns..

I have a house, safe and secure, A place to call my home.A shelter for whatever I may have to endure, My own personal dome.

I have my strength and courage too, My pride, a loving heart and loyalty.Whatever may happen, I will get through, And I will enjoy life royally.

I have so many things to be grateful for around me, So many things that make me smile and laugh.My life doesn’t have to be perfect I am already happy, The things that I have are more than enough.