Learning from Others
This weekend saw
us host an inspiring initiative at Pathways School Noida.
The Swatchability run
with 2,500 participants was held to mark the Day of Disability. Led by the
iconic Major DP Singh, India’s first blade runner the event underlined the
lesson that almost every handicap can be surmounted with a strong spirit and
determination. Many participants were amputees with prosthetic limbs or in
wheelchairs and their zest for life was a wonderful lesson for our students and
parents who participated.
A couple of
weeks ago we were delighted to host the celebrated nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar
who spoke on healthy eating, breaking many myths and emphaszing the importance
of natural and local food. Despite school being closed due to high pollution
the event saw a packed room of parents, staff and students.
And finally
primary school teachers were the audience for the celebrated theatre director
and writer, Feisal Alkazi who spoke to us about Rabindranath Tagore on who he
has written a book for teachers, leading an experiential writing session to
convey his thoughts and inspiration.
Sharing and Giving
It is great to
see the community spirit which characterises Pathways School Noida in the buzz
of activity around the Christmas Carnival. All the food is home cooked and all
parents are invited, so I do hope to see you there. Students across the school
are planning games stalls as fund raisers. The proceeds of the carnival go to
three charities chosen by the students of the Interact club. Students decided
they will work to raise funds for the orphanage
Sai Bal Sansar, for Cansupport (many children have family members with
Cancer and feel an emotive bond) and for SPCA (which this group of students
feel strongly about). The amount they
hope to raise is 2.5 to 3 lacs. However the main thrust of the event remains community
building – and the generosity both of spirit and financial is an amazing
characteristic of our parent community.
Making a Mark
We are proud of
the successes of a number of our students and I would like to congratulate:
Shubhi Raghav of
Grade 11 for her published poetry anthology 'The Golden Despair'
Kavya Gandhi of
Grade 11 for entering the Badminton Nationals
Three middle
school students – Vanshika Goel, Prachi Sharma, Samarth Modi who participated
in the final round of the World Scholars Cup in Yale. They won a silver medal in the debate,
competing against 700 teams from around the world. Vanshika also won an
individual gold and a silver medal for being in the top 200 scholars.
Our students will be participating in the CIS 4th Annual
Interschool Golf Tournament, to Canadian International School
Sharing Student Learning
Across the
school in different ways students are sharing their learning progress and goals
with parents. The Student Led conferences involve reflection, careful planning
and some tension. It is always surprising to see how nervous students are as
they plan what to share with their parents. The learning process is invaluable
because the most effective way of students improving is when they identify
their own areas of development – more effective than being told what to do by
adults.
In contrast there is pride and excitement in
our youngest students from Pre Nursery to Grade 1 who have Class Showcase
events where they sing, recite or present their learning to parents.
Student Council
Ten days of lead
up, campaigning, posters, speeches and politicking culminated in the secondary
school student council elections.
Between the
elected and the nominated positions, I am happy to report that we have a very
good council in place who will I am sure, take up the baton of leadership. It
is an important feature of the culture of Pathways to encourage student
leadership and voice and the year ahead promises to be interesting.
New Student Council 17-18
President Anya Lauria
And finally….
All good wishes
to all of you for the festive season. I
hope you have a happy and safe family time together. We look forward to seeing
all our students back in school on 12th January. Please note that presence on this day is an
expectation of all children. If for an exceptional and unavoidable reason your
child will not be in school on that day, leave must be applied for in advance,
from the Principal.
As always, for the month of January, school
will begin at 9.30 am.
Dr. Shalini Advani
School Director
