Showers of blessings in this rainy season !!!!!!!

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He is an “embodiment of Love, Peace and Tranquility”, He speaks as “Sprint of Knowledge”, His affectionate heart makes Him “Fountain head of Compassion”, He lives for others …”A Symbol of Sacrifice”, He is the ultimate “Source of Inspiration”, His divinity makes him” Emancipator from all Evils”, nothing is beyond His reach..He is A Walking Encyclopedia”, the God realized Saint……Confluence of Dharma”, these are the several attributes showered on H.D.H P.P Hariprasad Swamiji ,the Peripatetic Deity, who visited Atmiya Vidya Mandir on 22nd and 23rd June 2011 , once again sanctifying the school campus with His Divine Presence.

A living legend, Hariprasad Swamiji occupies the most unique position in everybody’s heart but His most beloved are the students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir. It was a matter of extreme joy for AVM Family as Swamishree expressed His ardent wish to meet students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir before he moves for His US Vichran in the last week of June’11.

As soon as Swamishree reached the school campus, it was a festive moment for AVM family. The teachers, students, and members of other departments felt strongly that His Grace would come to them unasked at the right time. Swamiji entered the temple arena in the evening and showered His blessings upon the children. Students who drew extraordinary percentage in the latest board exams were fortunate enough to be patted and greeted by Swamiji on the stage. The newly elected members of Student Council were also greeted by Swamiji on the stage. Afterwards, Swamishree addressed the students enlightening them with His affectionate and Divine words. Swamiji urged the students to remain concentrated and focused on their studies all the time. He also advised the students to respect and accept instructions and decisions given by their parents. It seemed that Swamiji has taken a promise from these students that they should remain cool and God – reliant in any unfavorable and distracting situations. Once again Swamiji insisted the students for revision on daily basis and remain attentive in the class.

It was quite a hectic schedule for Swamishree as he has been travelling and straining so much yet His love for AVM family members overflowed when he expressed His wish to call teacher’s meeting after dinner at late evening. Though it was obvious to be tired after such exhausting schedule of the whole day but Swamiji’s ever beaming face and benign smile conveyed his pleasure of being with faculty members of Atmiya Vidya Mandir family in the school auditorium. He addressed teachers’ meeting explaining them His mission behind this school to gift the society morally, spiritually and academically strong individuals. In this teachers’ meeting, Swamishree stressed upon loving the children unconditionally and showing them the path of an ideal life. Swamishree also urged the teachers to give value based education. The meeting went on till late night but Swamishree did not seem to stop benefitting the faculty members giving them advice like an educator. He repeatedly asked the teachers to find the students as embodiment of God and to take care of them all the time.

His prodigious memory is a matter of great wonder for all. Sternly determined as He is to love unconditionally and uplift all of us, He feels profound joy in seeing and meeting students of Atmiya Vidya Mandir. He is comparable to dam which contains wild floods within control. He teaches us the path without teaching. Most importantly, He shows in His conduct what he asks us to do.

All about Learning to Write!

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Recently students of Std IX A were taught a nature poem written by Alfred Tennyson where he personified a river named Brook. Our students used personification in their poems trying to go parallel with Tennyson.
 
Here are some compositions by the budding poets of Atmiya Vidya Mandir:

Pencil

Among school children I got my fame,
Natraj is my family and extra black is my name.
I am born to serve,
Till last with all my curve. 
I play with pages and papers,
With sharpeners and erasers.
With funny face that they made,
More they write, more I fade.

Now small and short is my look,
With that black colour I took.
I think my owner is cool,
As he tossed me as a fool.

I shed my skin everyday,
To give my best day by day.
Bob’s pen-stand is my beautiful home,
Living here take a still-form.

I am shorty smart I say,
And slim and fit in every way.
Bob keeps me in his hand,
Because I am a big magic wand.

-Parikshit.J.Patel {9 A}

Paper

I take birth from a tree,
And all that they get me for free.
People took me for granted ,
And threw me wherever they wanted.

People used me to fulfill their will,
And took me to that paper mill.
Man uses me in any way,
I am better than a plastic they say.

– Siddharth.R.Jain {9 A}

A Fan

I spin, I spin, I spin, I spin
With none of my kit and kin.
Strong are my hands ,
Which sometimes are mend.

I swirl, I twirl, I twist, I turn
As fast as a rocket when I run.
Hurting air is my hobby,
But I am never in the lobby.

I nick, I gash, I snip, I tear,
The cool air whose cry I hear.
My favorite dish is electricity,
Which is only found in the city.

I spin, I spin, I spin, I spin
With none of my kit and kin.
I swirl, I twirl, I twist, I turn
As fast as a rocket when I run.

– Harshit.Y.Aggarwal {9 A}

Assemblies are Special here..…

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For me the diamond dawns are set
In rings of beauty,
And all my ways are dewy wet
With pleasant duty.
~John Townsend Trowbridge
Education at Atmiya Vidya Mandir is blithesome and an enlivening experience. Our philosophy is that each child is unique and has his own strengths and fixity of purpose. Through various activities, a lot of emphasis is given to personality development; here, each child is lovingly mentored and chiseled to find his niche. Our focus is to groom our children to be global citizens with regard to Indian culture and values and morning assemblies at Atmiya Vidya Mandir provide a platform for the same.
Great ability of students developed and revealed itself increasingly through the active participation in proceedings of morning assemblies. It commenced with a round of interview sessions on the stage during assemblies. The first in the round was an interview of the top scorers of AVM for board exams of 2010-11; they were Sahishnu Patel, Samyak Varia, Anirudh Chandak and Shaivin Patel. These students were interviewed by Pranshu Savani to share their secrets of getting such a good result. These students talked about some handy and practical tips to keep going with top scores in every exam. The next day, during morning assembly the Head Boy Sarthak Jariwala was candid with Ghanshyam Dabhi sharing with audience (the other students from Std 6th to 12th) his way of dealing with various matters related to studies and his duties as Head Boy. The next day, students who joined AVM only last year were interviewed to talk about their experiences and it was quite amazing to know that they find AVM a Home away from home….
In order to maximize the use of leadership skills, confidence and understanding of leadership among students, this year once again the Student Council was introduced with a few changes and greater scope. In the next morning assembly, Paras Sir gave a better insight to the students about the working and structure of Student Council and all the four Student Houses.

The following assemblies were quite electrifying as the election fever for the Student Council soared high among the students and campaigning buzzed into the air. The nominees for the various posts of Student Council adorned the stage with their marvelous speeches campaigning and boasting themselves as most deserving candidates for the posts of Head boy, Vice Head Boy and Sports Captain. They came on the stage and made all the effort through their impressive speeches to lure the students to vote for them.
Irrespective of their winning or losing the elections, one fact is sure to be accepted that these applicants proved to be the best speakers. The scene and the show were no more different in the next day assembly when candidates for the posts of Captain and Vice-Captain for all four students’ houses delivered mind-blowing and stirring speeches.
Thus it was all folded up with the elections held in the most sophisticated manner. A special software designed by the school IT Department was used to make the elections fair and smooth. Thus, this new session 2011-12 commenced setting up some new tasks for the students which are outside the classrooms to check and hone their abilities and capacities and nurture a sense of duty into them; we conducted morning assemblies differently this time. Effective communication is the key to successful leadership and students learnt both the art and science of speaking through these assemblies, both through interview rounds and election speeches. Though we do realize not every student is an award winning public speaker but it was an effort to train them as an influential communicator. Listening is another key factor which was manifested by the students as audience.
Election result for the student council is yet to be declared but one fact is sure that it brought lots of actions from students’ side, and Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. And we can boastfully say that our students are being developed and trained to be dutiful and responsible which come along with an attitude of self-discipline… amazingly it’s a complete package!!!!!!

Ice breakers warmed up AVM Campus

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Air, filled with the shrieking of fun and merry-making,
………mirth and laughter knew no bounds
The fun unplugged and silence slipped away 
Letting them to merge into the pool of ultimate Atmiyata.
Welcome Party was the very first event of Atmiya Vidya Mandir for this session 2011-12, which was organized to welcome the students back at their ‘Home away from home’. The event was organized and managed by the MAD (music, art & dance) group teachers in such a manner that students enjoyed it at fullest. Suhradam sir began the show, setting the tempo and mood of the party. With pulsating ambience, flashing lights and foot tapping music, began the welcome party with a difference. Later the dynamic and energetic team of students from senior classes set the stage on blaze by Antakshari round among the students of all four houses –Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram and Suhradam. The energy level at this Ice Breaker was like never seen before. The musical evening kicked off by Jay Tailor and Saurabh Biyani warming up the audience.

 

The show wore a special get up as the judges of this Musical Contest were Head Boy Sarthak Jariwala and Vice Head Boy Yash Pachchigar. They had a gala time with the tunings and musical instruments. The music at pick was followed by a small skit presented by senior students making the audience rolled with laughter. There were an exhilarating array of activities including some ice breakers and cultural games. Jovial smiles and high spirits marked the welcome party for the students. The party manifested fun and enthusiasm at its full flow. The excitement augmented to a joyful high when the teachers and newcomers joined the festivities with other students on the stage. And as the mercury began to rise, the dance floor was left open for some unbridled exuberance.

At the end kids were spotted mingling with one another and enjoying the party together. There were the Best Dancers, Sunniest Smiles, Well Dressed Tiny tots, Sparkling eyes and chubby Cheeks…..the glittering pearls of AVM Family. Party was not merely enjoyment but was also the way to make a strong bonding among students and teachers to have a feel of being a family…the AVM FAMILY larger and stronger with many new students!!!!!! It was a great chance for students to get to know the teachers and other students a little better in a more casual and fun setting! Everyone had fun enjoyed singing and dancing while meeting and making new friends! 
Thus the music and dance kept the event going with lot of enthusiasm to welcome them and break the ice among the new students and the old and the teachers. It is also arranged with an objective to orient them towards the life outside the classroom, an initiation into cultural activities and extra-curricular activities that happened at this party.

Fun, frolic and party went on till the ice was finally broken and the students were found getting into the groove. The well begun party ended well with sumptuous food and Coco with ice-cream.

Teacher’s training and induction programme

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“If improvement results from change, there must be something to initiate that change. And what’s going to initiate it other than staff development?”  – Guskey (quoted in Asayesh- p. 24, 1993).
Educational reform requires the teachers to not only update their skills and information but also to totally transform their role as a teacher. Professional development is a key tool that keeps teachers abreast of current issues in education, helps them implement innovations, and refines their practice. 
As Atmiya Vidya Mandir is committed to bind excellence to all its students through a competent and proficient teaching staff, the school continues to move into different phases of educational reform but one factor that remains consistent in school plan is the need for professional development of all teachers. Catering to this need, in the beginning of the session 2011-12, teacher’s induction and training programme was organized. This programme focused on the smallest unit in education, which is the classroom full of all varieties of students. This programme helped teachers not only to update their skills and knowledge but also to totally transform their roles as educators. 
During the one – week – long session, the school principal, Vijay Sir, explained the most effective format of Unit Plan and Daily Lesson Plan. He also presented the new home-work policies which are intended to make students self-dependent and responsible towards their studies. He also stressed upon evaluating students’ progress on daily basis and put that into grades. The corrective measures for poor grades will ensure teacher’s extended support to those learners.

A lot of brainstorming took place about the functioning of different committees of teachers for smooth running of co-curricular activities. Furthermore, an in-depth discussion was held about the revised CCE format and its role to check students’ multifaceted development.

To vastly varying degrees, all the sessions contained elements of faculty and facility introduction, classroom management, student discipline, professional conduct, and professional obligations. In subject meetings, teachers discussed about a variety of teaching techniques and evaluation processes.
Educators have access to an expanding body of knowledge in regard to their content area, teaching techniques and meaningful engaged learning for students. This increased flow of information – along with the current focus on educational standards that emphasize in-depth learning experiences and problem-solving abilities in mathematics, science, social studies, and other disciplines – has made it imperative that teachers are prepared to implement change in the classroom. 
Thus, this training and induction programme aiming at professional development, helped the teachers as individuals and as educators but also enriched teaching and improved learning for all students. It is an essential link to higher student achievement.
One of the most exciting parts of this training and induction programme was the workshop on use of technology encouraging teachers to take on new and expanded roles, both inside and outside of the classroom. Within the classroom, technology supports student-centred instruction. Outside of the classroom, technology supports teacher collaboration. Instead of working in isolation, teachers can work together on school wide programs. Professional development is an integral part of the overall technology plan, which clearly identifies specific learning goals to achieve.
Thus, through such teachers’ induction and training programme, Atmiya Vidya Mandir holds a shared vision of what and how students should learn, and it acknowledges the importance of ongoing professional development in promoting student learning.