ROCKSPORT ADVENTURE CAMP: JIM CORBETT MAY 21-23 , 2023

Travel expands the horizons and school life cannot be complete without the fun of educational tours and excursions. Shalom Hills International School meticulously planned an excursion, Rocksport Residential Program for grades VI and VII from 21st May to 23rd May 2023 at Rocksport, Jim Corbett. This adventure camp provided a great platform to the students to unleash their inner strength and imbibe new skills. Each day at camp was customized to bring out different aspects of a child’s personality and hone them. The first day expended in picking up the camping dos and don’ts followed by two days of fun, frolic inculcating patience and love for nature. Day long activities such as Body Surfing, Zip Line , Bonfire and other camp activities kept the children engaged throughout the day. The most interesting part of the trip was the 50 km long Jungle Safari. Students were able to spot various wild animals and felt very connected with nature. The camp was duly supervised by school teachers and professional instructors from Rocksport.

ROCKSPORT RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM (MUSSOORIE) 15- 19 MAY, 2023

The best education youll get is traveling. Nothing teaches you more than exploring the world and accumulating experiences.

Education is limitless; not restricted to classrooms anymore. With this thought in mind Shalom Hills International School methodically planned an excursion , Rocksport Residential Program for grades VIII IX from 15th May to 19th May 2023 at Rocksport, Mussoorie. It helped them broaden their perspective and gave them an engaging educational experience. During the course of the program, students performed adventure activities, explored nature, visited villages to get a taste of rural lifestyle and live independently, becoming self-reliant. To make it an unforgettable experience, the team of rock sporters encouraged the students to stay in Swiss tents and cottages. The program witnessed enthusiastic participation across a plethora of adventurous activities, including rock climbing, rappelling, water trekking and raft building. The activities at camp helped students to overcome their fear of water. They forged through the natural stream and built their own raft and paddled it on the artificially created waterbody. They trekked through the undulating terrain and learned survival skills. It gave them a chance to appreciate the calmness and beauty of nature. It also promoted the habit of an active lifestyle. The tour concluded with a prize distribution ceremony followed by music and dance. Tokens of appreciation were given to the best campers, best journal writers and the best team. The students had a joyful and enriching experience, they thoroughly enjoyed the immersive tour experience.

ROCKSPORT ADVENTURE CAMP: NANITAL HILLS MAY 12-16 , 2023

“In a cool solitude of trees, where leaves and birds a music spin, Mind that was weary is at ease, as new rhythms in the soul begin.” Travel expands the horizons and school life cannot be complete without the fun of educational tours and excursions. Shalom Hills International School meticulously planned an excursion , Rocksport Residential Program for grades X & XI from 12th May to 16th May 2023 at Rocksport , Nainital Hills. Rocksport Residential Program is an experiential learning holiday for school students. As nature keeps us grounded, obstacles make us perseverant, adventure makes us tough; at Rocksport Programs, these three forces combine to unleash the X factor in children and give them a power packed experience that pushes them to challenge themselves, enhance their confidence and acquire new skills. This adventure camp provided a great platform to the students to unleash their inner strength and imbibe new skills. Each day at camp was customized to bring out different aspects of a child's personality and hone them. The first day expended in picking up the camping dos and don'ts followed by three days of fun, frolic inculcating patience and love for nature. Day long activities such as rock climbing, rope walking, guerrilla warfare, treasure hunt were undertaken. The most interesting part of the trip was trekking to Naina peak, a 13 km uphill and downhill walk along the mountainous terrain. The camp was duly supervised by school teachers and professional instructors from Rocksport. The trip culminated with prize distribution to the winning team members, best tent inhabitants, best campers and the children reaching home safely. The outing helped to expand students' learning beyond the school with an element of camaraderie and amusement.

Author’s Meet 26 Th -27 th April,2023

Books have an important place in our lives. Consistent readers have strong writing skills and a better vocabulary growth. Keeping this important aspect in mind an Author’s Meet took place at Shalom Hills International School on 26 th and 27 th April for grades V, VI and VII. This interactive session was organized to inculcate a love of reading in the children, and also to provide an opportunity to them to meet and interact with an acclaimed author.
The guest speaker at the meet was Mr. Saksham Garg the author of the record breaking national bestselling, mythological fiction novel, ‘SAMSARA: ENTER THE VALLEY OF THE GODS’. This book is being translated into many languages and was the highest selling book at the recent New Delhi World Book Fair 2023. An introduction about the book and the reasons for writing it was explained to the students by the author. Mr. Saksham emphasized on the importance of reading books in today’s digital world. A ppt showing some important parts of the book as well as a short animation on the novel was also shown to the students. The author told the students about the interesting presence of Greek and Hindu mythology in his book. He also asked questions in the form of a quiz. The students answered the questions with a lot of enthusiasm. Mr. Saksham praised and appreciated the children on their knowledge of Greek and Hindu mythology.
Towards the end of the meet Mr. Saksham Garg also personally autographed the books bought by the children. The session was very interactive and the students were excited and eager to know more about the unique and intriguing story of ‘Samsara’.

HPSC Meeting for Cyber Security Awareness Campaign April 20, 2023

Ensuring the safety of our students is a top priority. With the increased use of technology in education, it is becoming important to be aware of potential cyber threats and ways to protect children from them. With a view to raise awareness of appropriate cyber security behaviour while using computers and Internet, HPSC hosted a meeting on April 20, 2023 at DPS School Sec-45 along with the Cyber Crime Cell, Gurgaon team.
The workshop was headed by ACP Priyanshu Dewan to discuss ways to prevent cybercrime and promote online safety in schools. During the meeting, Mr. Dewan and his team shared some practical tips and best practices for keeping students safe while they use the internet for learning and research. They also discussed the obnoxious impact of social platforms, which often leads to unwanted distraction and cyber bullying. Students were advised to devote their crucial time on learning and exploring educational material which would benefit them in imbibing high values. The workshop was attended by HPSC Schools’ Principals, teachers and student representatives.

Grade VII Workshop - Body Language and Social Skills February 15 ,2023

On February 15th, 2023 a workshop on Body language and Social Skills was conducted for the students of Grade VII in the school auditorium. The resource person, Ms. Jayshree Mehta is an independent consultant and life-skills trainer. She commenced the session with a story about the power of language and its importance. Moving on, she picked students from the audience and gave them small tasks like having a conversation with each other, or acting out a small situation, among others. With these activities, she engaged the students and established the meaning and importance of language in terms of usage of appropriate words, tone, expressions, gestures as well as body language. The students learnt a lot about verbal and non-verbal communication. Towards the end, a small question answer round was conducted in which students participated actively. The whole session was crisp, meaningful and truly enriching for the students.

CLASS: VI Workshop - Enhancing Vocabulary Skills February 13, 2023

A workshop for grade VI was conducted by Ms. Jayshree Mehta on the topic - Word power, to increase students' vocabulary skills for use in daily life. Various creative activities were conducted that unravel the fascinating world of the English language with an emphasis on vocabulary building and discovering words through their 'roots'. Multiple quiz rounds were held where Latin words were given from which students were required to identify words that are being used at present.  Through this workshop students were able to learn more about language roots and their meanings. By the end of the workshop, the enthusiastic participants received ample input on how to use the language more vividly, forcefully, and, above all, persuasively.

Grade X XII Webinar on “Path to Success” February 13, 2023

A Webinar on “Path to Success” was conducted for class X XII students by Ms Mimansa Singh- Clinical Psychologist with the Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Fortis Healthcare. Ms. Mimansa stated that with the Board Examination approaching, it is the journey they have to take and define success in their own terms and to stay prepared to deal with uncertain challenges like distractions, avoidance and failures. She also said that prioritizing long term goals are important, and to meet long term goals, short term goals need to be achieved. Emphasizing that memory loss takes place within the first 24 hours, she suggested that for best results children should revise on days 1, 2, 7, 15 30. She advised them to study in a proper environment, minimize unhealthy peer distractions, devote 15 minutes to listen to instrumental music, doing 'e' exercise to improve focus and attention span, fast reading and focusing on key words to enhance concentration and learning. Use of Mnemonics, self-testing can help them in assessing themselves better before examinations. She summed up the session by guiding the children to avoid comparing their tasks with each other, revise thoroughly without overdoing it, avoid frantic last minute study, minimize waiting time outside the hall and to settle down and compose themselves before the exam.

Adolescent Peer Educators Leadership Training program in Life Skills 23rd January-25th Jan & 1st February 2023

A Webinar on Life Skills Adolescent Peer Education training program was organized by CBSE Academic unit in which two students from each grade of IX and XI participated, along with school counsellors Ms Bhupinder Kaur Ms Geetika Chutani. The total duration of the training program was 8 hours spread over 4 days.

The aim of the workshop was to empower the peer educators with the skills that are required to overcome any challenges in life and how they can reinforce positive behaviours change risky behaviours in their peer group.

The students were selected as peer educators to accomplish the mission and impart life skills among their peers in schools. The webinar comprised 7 Modules like: Theme 1- Priority health issues and concerns covering Adolescence mental health, and importance of life skills in managing situations effectively. Theme-2- Resilience as an important skill for adolescents, Ability to regulate emotions, Solution-Oriented approach to dealing with life problems. Theme 3- Growing up healthy, Importance of nutrition and hygiene. Theme 4- Family bonding, caring communication, role of a family. Theme 5- Identifying Emotions and Feelings, improving the ability to connect with self and others, overcoming stress, increasing confidence. Theme 6- Developing healthy interpersonal skills and relationships. Theme-7 Empowering yourself for the digital world.

The peer educators participated in various activities and discussions and showcased their works through art, drawings presentations with other participants from across the country.

The initiative by CBSE was appreciated by the students and counsellors.

Workshop on Puberty February 1, 2023

A workshop on "Puberty" was conducted for the girls of classes IV and V by the in- charges of Health & wellness department- Ms. Bhupinder Kaur and Ms. Geetika Chutani. They were explained that they are at a pre-teen phase wherein they will experience many changes. The session aimed to make them aware about what is Puberty and to sensitize them about the changes that occur in terms of physical, emotional/social and mental growth and development.

The young girls were explained that Puberty is a process that usually happens between the age of 10 and 14 for girls and they start getting ready for the adulthood. Changes in the physical body are quite normal. They may start feeling sudden emotions like getting sad, angry or nervous also.

The girls were told about the process of Menstruation as a normal phenomenon and that they must not panic or feel uncomfortable or ashamed while talking to their trusted grownups about the same. The importance of taking care of their personal hygiene was also discussed. They were motivated to continue following their regular routine even when they are menstruating. They were encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle and keep a regular routine of exercise and nutritious diet..

They showed curiosity to know more about it and in getting their innocent doubts clarified.

An Enlightening session with the Dalai Lama on 21st December, 2022

Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. -Dalai Lama
An enlightening and interactive session with the Noble Laureate, Global Luminary and Spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was attended by the students of class V to IX at Salwan Public school on 21 st December, 2022. While speaking at the public forum on the topic- “Compassion and Secular Ethics: Educating the Heart and Mind”, the Tibetan spiritual leader praised India's democracy which respects all religions. He further added that Indian tradition and culture is very rich, so young Indians should preserve India's thousand-year-old secular tradition and keep it alive. He also shed light on India's concept of Karuna and Ahimsa and urged everyone to preserve it. Overall, it was an enriching and insightful session. It gave a message to the entire human race that no matter how different we are, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is imprudent to dwell on external differences, because our basic nature is the same.

Grades XI & XII -CUET Workshop October 20, 2022

It has rightly been said that the right guidance at the right time can do wonders for a child.

In pursuit of the same, an informative workshop on 'How to Prepare for CUET' was conducted on 20 October, 2022 by Mr. Deepak Madan. The very articulate and intellectual Career Coach familiarized the students with several ways to prepare for CUET.
He guided them through the three sections of the CUET apprising them about the number of questions in each and the time for answering them. He discussed the key highlights of NEP and gave detailed & comprehensive information to the scholars of all streams in different slots. Giving details of the Entrance exams-IIT-JEE, NEET and CLAT, he made them aware about the curriculum and study pattern. He also provided information about the neutral careers that a child from any field can pursue, for e.g. Law, Management & Mass Communication courses, Journalism, Public relations, Advertising, Film Making, radio Jockeying, Media Planner and so on.
The session proved to be immensely useful for the students. The presentation made it more effective. Students interacted and gained significant information, resolving their queries.

YOGA FOR WELLNESS (TEACHERS, PRE-PRIMARY TO VIII) October 01, 2022

Shalom Hills International School considers good health a priority not only for its children but also for its staff. Since teachers are the key towards the success of any school/Institute, ensuring that they remain healthy, happy and content is a matter of precedence for its benevolent Founder and Chairperson.

As a step towards the fulfilment of this goal, the sports department organised a YOGA FOR WELLNESS seminar for the school teachers. The aim of the seminar was not restricted to only their physical health but also their mental well-being. The eminent speaker for the session, Mr Alok Jhinkwan focused on many lifestyle corrective diseases. He enlightened everyone with his wisdom of Yogic sciences.

The teachers were familiarised with a few important yoga Asanas which could help them build their physical health and overcome their stress.

The event was organised in the very systematic way and benefitted the teachers a lot.

Workshop on The Art of Teaching Science September 27, 2022

A Workshop on the Art of Teaching Science, organised by Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, was attended by Ms. Lajeeli Sinha and Mr. Rahul.
The resource person, Prof. H. C. Verma categorically stated that no child is a poor learner, in fact, in the age group of 0 to 3 years, every child learns without any external factors, with his own devices. Later in life, binding a child to curriculum, we burden him with the expectations for results, killing his natural instincts to learn.
Since we are also the products of the same system, we must take care to be sensitive to the learning skills of the learner, as every child learns differently.
He emphasized the need to create curiosity in a child and not to curb it. As teachers we must encourage a child to understand, then think and finally, help him to explore.
He concluded by saying that we must feel blessed that the child is in our supervision and we must help him to grow up into confident young individuals, knowing how to deal with successes and failures.
The session was very enlightening.

Visit to National Science Centre September 29, 2022

The students of grade XI got the golden opportunity to witness a session with Dr. T.V. Venkateshwaran, a Senior Scientist with the Vigyan Parisar at Noida, who was the honourable speaker at the National Science Centre Auditorium at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The idea was to allow the intriguing subject of Science to reach the masses, particularly the children who become the torch-bearers of our ever-evolving nation.
Dr. Venkateshwaran enlightened the students about how the years 2020-2022 are witnessing a revolution as the James Webb Space Telescope, popularly christened JWST, has become functional, looking as far into the space as no other space vehicle has ever done before. He shared the details of the six pictures captured by the JWST. He mentioned how we are able to see the size of the space comparable to a grain of sand and emphasized that the stars are actually so far away that it would take a hundred years to reach there.
Aditya Ranjan Jha, our student from grade XI, asked a very intelligent question, which was aptly answered by Dr. Venkateshwaran with words of praise for the thoughtfulness of the boy.
The session provided our children an opportunity to listen to such enlightening sessions by eminent scientists and researchers, and learn from them.

Global Career Fair September 21, 2022

Global Career Fair was organized by Uniwizard- an exclusive Career & University program for school students to meet top University representatives, for grade XI & XII students. Thirty-five Overseas and National Universities participated in the fair. The team of international admissions officers/counsellors from renowned universities brought years of experience in admissions, counselling and guidance that helped in providing information to the students. Some of the prominent Universities that participated were: Victoria University, Australia. Toronto Metropolitan University Canada, Saint James School of Medicine, Indian Institute of Design (IIAD), Ashoka University, Aston University, Bennet University, NIIT University India, Queen's University, Belfast, UK, GD Goenka, Richmond University, UK, University of Kent, UK, Sai University and many more.
The main objective of the fair was to introduce students to careers related to their coursework and to help them identify the key skills needed in order to become a successful professional, along with providing students with opportunities to explore career paths in their respective streams. To gain awareness of colleges/universities and courses they offer, admission processes, scholarships, eligibility criteria and its placements. Students got the opportunity to get guidance from the best coaches/ subject matter experts in making right decisions in selecting the right stream. In today's ever dynamic economic landscape, it is imperative, children keep pace with the changing paradigm and are ready to face it with the right set of advice from their teacher's and mentors.
The event was a huge success and taken full advantage of by the students.

Grade X - Workshop on Career Guidance September 20, 2022

A Career Guidance workshop was organized for grade X students. The resource person, Dr Sona Vikas from NorthCap University, is working as a senior faculty of HR and OB in the school of Management and Liberal Studies. She is also a Master Trainer for the ICP- CSR Certificate program (under IICA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and Government of India.
Dr Sona shared common concerns that every child has before choosing a career- like confusion about what to do, peer influence, parental pressure, ignorance of future prospects, callousness of taking any subject, perception/bias of students and parents towards traditional and unconventional careers. She guided the students to make informed decisions in choosing a stream and career by keeping in mind their aptitude, interest, personality and scope in the future- like jobs, roles, opportunities (quality & quantity). She also enlisted some popular and trending careers options available in Science, Commerce & Humanities/Arts.
She also focused on how to choose an institute and made them aware about the factors involved in making a choice of college. She apprised them of new age skills required for new age careers, for e.g analytical thinking and innovation, complex problem solving, creativity, originality and initiative, leadership and social influence, emotional intelligence, persuasion and negotiation.
DR Sona shared her own childhood and professional experiences that made the session interactive and interesting. The session ended with DR Sona resolving the queries of the students.

Global Career Fair September 21, 2022

Global Career Fair was organized by Uniwizard- an exclusive Career & University program for school students to meet top University representatives, for grade XI & XII students. Thirty-five Overseas and National Universities participated in the fair. The team of international admissions officers/counsellors from renowned universities brought years of experience in admissions, counselling and guidance that helped in providing information to the students. Some of the prominent Universities that participated were: Victoria University, Australia. Toronto Metropolitan University Canada, Saint James School of Medicine, Indian Institute of Design (IIAD), Ashoka University, Aston University, Bennet University, NIIT University India, Queen's University, Belfast, UK, GD Goenka, Richmond University, UK, University of Kent, UK, Sai University and many more.
The main objective of the fair was to introduce students to careers related to their coursework and to help them identify the key skills needed in order to become a successful professional, along with providing students with opportunities to explore career paths in their respective streams. To gain awareness of colleges/universities and courses they offer, admission processes, scholarships, eligibility criteria and its placements. Students got the opportunity to get guidance from the best coaches/ subject matter experts in making right decisions in selecting the right stream. In today's ever dynamic economic landscape, it is imperative, children keep pace with the changing paradigm and are ready to face it with the right set of advice from their teacher's and mentors.
The event was a huge success and taken full advantage of by the students.

Career Counselling Workshop July 28, 2022

“Direction is more important than speed.”
Career decisions play a significant role in sculpting the future growth and development of students. In today's environment of multiple options, the clouds of vacillation hover over the students. It is exigent that students should receive the right career counselling in order to make well informed decisions and interactions like these end such quests.
In pursuit of the same, a Career Counselling Workshop was organised for the students of Grade X to assist them in the choice of subjects to be taken in Grade XI and the career options available after they choose a particular stream. The workshop was conducted by Ms. HemaChaudhary, motivational speaker and career counsellor.
She apprised the students about various subject choices available in streams like Science, Commerce and Humanities and different career paths. She also highlighted some stream neutral options available for the students. Ms. Hema also motivated the students to choose a career field according to their own area of interest. The workshop was an interactive one and concluded with the question and answer session.

METAMORPHOSIS - Draw a Line: stand up to bullying August 5, 2022

The session “Metamorphosis” organised by Blue Bells Model School, Sector- 4, Gurgaon, was held on a very sensitive topic- “Draw a line: Stand up to bullying”. It was conducted by Dr Alka Saxena- Deputy Director, Health & Wellness, Blue Bells Group of schools.
The participants and the speakers had an interactive session about Bullying, which included the difference between conflict and bullying, Negative impacts of Bullying on the Bully, the Victim, and the Bystander. The children were also advised and provided with certain strategies on how they must stand up to bullying. Several examples of celebrities were given who were bullied in their childhood. The participants were also shown two videos on 'Bullying' and how to be assertive in managing situations at school level. An impactful role play on 'Bullying' by the Blue Bells team was also presented.
To keep the session keen & interactive, a bunch of activities were also organised for the children wherein they were encouraged to share the thoughts from their own perspectives.
A separate group activities like pot painting, drawing and art/craft were conducted with the teachers after showing them the video clip on Bullying- 'Ghungroo' which was taken from the School Cinema.
The session was fruitful and enriched with learning, and was much appreciated by the children.

Grade XII Career Counselling Workshop May 25, 2022

A workshop with grade XII students was organized by outsources agency-Pratham. It was conducted by Ms. Hema Choudhary, a motivational speaker and a Career Counsellor. She trains and coaches thousands of students and teaches General Awareness, Current Affairs, Business Awareness and Scientific Aptitude to Test prep aspirants.
Ms. Hema talked about newly introduced concept of CUET-Common University Entrance Test which is a national-level exam for admission to undergraduate courses in 45 Central Universities. She discussed the key highlights of NEP and gave the detailed & comprehensive information to the students of Science, Commerce & Humanities streams in different slots. Giving details of the Entrance exams-IIT-JEE, NEET and CLAT, she made them aware about the dates, syllabus and study pattern. She also provided information about the neutral careers that a child from any field can pursue, for e.g Law, Management & Mass Communication courses, Journalism, Public relations, Advertising, Film Making, radio Jockeying, Media Planner and so on.
Although agreeing on the expectations of parents, School teachers, Tuition teachers, Siblings and relatives, she stressed that they must choose the careers depending upon their interests, values, intelligence, aptitude and personality. She encouraged the students to simultaneously prepare for entrance exams and not procrastinate. The passionate students will definitely achieve success and will be able to target their goals.

UNVEILING CUET April 26, 2022

Keeping in view the hovering uncertainty and growing need among students for further elucidation on CUET, DAV Public School, Uppal's Southend, Sec 49, Gurugram under the aegis of GPSC, provided an opportunity to the students of class XII to meet the pioneers from DU ADMISSIONS UNIT on - 26 April 2022, 1200 hours onwards.
The session was conducted by experts from Delhi University - Professor GS Tuteja , Joint Dean Students' Welfare, DU and Professor Ranjit Behera, Member Admission Branch, DU, who apprised the students about the detailed process for applying for CUET - thus dissipating their anxiety to a large extent.
Ten students from Shalom Hills International School attended the session which provided clarity on the process of admission into Delhi University. Professor Ranjit Behera, gave a detailed presentation on the structure of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and the Under-Graduate courses being offered by the university. Professor GS Tuteja reiterated all the main information in a simplified form and answered the queries of the DU aspirants in an interactive session.
The workshop was highly informative and helped the students to gain clarity about CUET and clear their doubts.

Grade-VI & VII Webinar on Vedic Math March 15, 2022

Vedic Mathematics is the ancient system of calculation, which was drawn from the Vedas, between 1911 and 1918 in India. The advantage of Vedic Mathematics is that it allows for uncomplicated problem-solving methods for difficult arithmetic problems and large sums.
In order to equip the students with the techniques of VEDIC MATH, a workshop was organized by Shalom Hills International School, GURGAON for students of classes VI & VII on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. It was conducted by Ms. Kanika Chawla, AVAS and IIVA Vedic Maths and Abacus master trainer.
The workshop sought to apprise students of tricks that they could employ to make their calculations faster and more accurate- whether it is finding the cube roots of big numbers, multiplication of a number with a number of Nines or for two-digit multiplication. The moderator gave various examples and in hand practice to the students to grasp the tricks spontaneously. The students thoroughly enjoyed the techniques of fast calculations through a series of fun activities. Students showed keen interest and participated in the workshop with zeal and enthusiasm.

Counsellor's Forum Webinar- Back to School February 12, 2022

Counsellor's Forum, an initiative of Fortis School Mental Health Program, returned in full swing with an eminent Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh- Director- Department of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, conducting it. Ms Bhupinder Kaur along with her fellow colleague Ms Kristna attended the webinar on the theme “Back to School”.
Dr Parikh emphasised that the unprecedented times have not only brought the feelings of anxiety, life style changes, distress, loss and grief but also reduction of sports activity, reduction in peer connectedness and significant increase of digital interface among children. Now it's time to readapt and to take care of mental health of children. He firmly said that school should introduce physical stimulated activities for 1 to 2 weeks and the goal is to ensure that children should adjust and have better peer connectivity so that they look forward to coming back to school while following Covid appropriate behaviour. Teachers should focus on activities such as extempore, poster making, skits; explore learning through projects that instil creativity and positive feeling of peer connectedness.
By following hybrid structure, the students should be given time and space. While interacting with the middle/senior children, the school counsellors/teachers should notice signs of withdrawal, school refusal, avoidance of sports and be sensitive and support them by using non-judgemental & non directive approach.

Grade- X Webinar – Pathway to Success February 5, 2022

Too much of confusion & unpredictability among children related to board exams and choosing of careers has brought certain anxieties in young minds, in order to overcome the situation, the in charge of Health & Wellness department, Senior wing- Ms Bhupinder Kaur conducted the webinar on “Pathway to Success”.
The session commenced with a short motivational video of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam highlighting the 4 pillars of success - “to have great aim, continuously acquire knowledge, hard work and perseverance”, and the importance of knowing how to manage failures and criticisms.
To be more realistic and achieve success they were guided to stay focused, pay attention and be honest in giving assessments, being punctual & be a good listener. The children were encouraged to share novel ideas that develop creativity and problem-solving skills and become a divergent thinker. These are also the key elements in achieving success. Key study skills like skimming, chunking, mnemonics and memory enhancement tips were also shared.
Finally, they were told while choosing a career it is required to be aware about their strengths & weaknesses. Intelligence, Interests, Aptitudes and Personality are important psychological factors which vary from child to child and are important while taking crucial and informed decisions.

Webinar – Importance of Adolescent Health in Teen Girls VI-VII January 22, 2022

In order to make the Teen girls aware about their Physical and Mental Health, a webinar was conducted for the girls of grade VI & VII by Ms Bhupinder Kaur, the in charge of Health & Wellness Department, senior wing. The main focus was on Physical Health- the Puberty, Mental Health- Sexual Abuse and the POCSO guidelines.
She stated that Puberty is a biological change and sexual maturation that occurs during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the onset of puberty begins at the age of 11 and it varies from child to child. This transitional phase not only brings change in physical attributes but also certain changes due to emotional factors attached as a normal course of human development.
The young teens were informed that while growing it is important to take care of hygiene and also to be more acquainted with the right information from trusted adults. They were also made aware about the POCSO guidelines and the sexual offences and violence against girls and the punishment process. Also how to distance themselves from the people who are cause of discomfort and embarrassment.
The girls enthusiastically participated in discussions with ample of queries opening up and expressing freely.

Webinar - Know your E-waste: An Eco-System Update January 18, 2022

With India's status as the 3rd largest E-waste generator of the world, after China and USA, a Webinar on E-Waste Awareness was organised for the students of class VI by the NGO- SAAHAs. The webinar highlighted the current status of electronic waste management in India and the existing policies.
The session was conducted by Ms Panni Verma, a project Manager at Saahas Gurugram. She defined E-waste as any electrical equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes. She discussed the health hazards due to unauthorized recycling. She updated about the latest developments pertaining to E-waste management in the city. The main focus was on current arrangement of E-waste management and what is the way forward to come up with better strategies and policies for an efficient management of E-waste.
The session was followed by a round of questions and answers which were diligently answered by Ms. Panni Verma. The workshop was very informative, interactive and the students enjoyed the whole session.

VI-X Online Engagement for Young Warrior Movement 29th July-19th August 2021

As a CBSE, YuWaah & UNICEF initiative, a series of online live YouTube videos were shown on different topics to make the students (Young Warriors) understand of right protocols, to ensure Covid appropriate behaviour, mental health among other. Through expressive activities of poetry, theatre and other art forms, students will inspire positive change and action in their communities.
In Stress Buster session students were made aware of their emotions and themselves during the pandemic. Emotion Floor Plan Drawing activity was conducted in Life Skill class. Fake News sessions helped them to learn how to advocate and promote right information by learning to identify fake news. In recovery Tale session students learnt how to take care of the immediate surroundings and family members. They were informed about the signs they need to look out for Covid. During the last session-Super Young Warriors- students understood ways of extending support within their communities to help them fight the Covid-19 pandemic

Grades VII & VIII Sanskrit Workshop August 11, 2021

Sanskrit has recently become a much sought-after language across the world. Almost all the scriptures related to Hinduism are written in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is now being given special importance in competitive examinations.
To inculcate interest in Sanskrit among the children, a Sanskrit workshop was organized for the students of grades VII & VIII. Professor Sardendu Tripathi of Banaras Hindu University was invited as the keynote speaker.
Expressing the importance of Sanskrit, he told the students that all subjects are originated from Sanskrit, whether it is science or astronomy, yoga or medicine. Today, at the time of worship in every region of the world, mantras are recited in Sanskrit, so Sanskrit is called a world-class language.
To make Sanskrit interesting and to memorize quickly, he advised the students to memorize the words and forms by singing in a rhythmic manner. He said that if the pronunciation and sentence formation of the verses are sung according to the verses, then it will not only be interesting but also easy to memorize. Many methods of grammar were also clarified in the workshop in a simple way. The workshop was very interesting and informative. Students participated in this workshop with great interest.

Webinar on Significance of English Language in Modern Life Grade X August 13, 2021

An enriching Webinar was conducted by the English Department on the topic 'Significance of English Language in Modern Life' for the students of Grade XI and XII of Shalom Hills International School on the occasion of the Founder's Week of the school. The Guest for the Webinar was Dr. Neepa Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She teaches both UG and PG courses. Dr. Sarkar is also a writer, a poet and a freelance editor. She has won numerous national and international awards and published research articles in international journals and presented papers in many national and international conferences.
Shalomites showed immense interest in her talk about how English Language was a part of our everyday lives especially story telling. With numerous examples of popular books and stories she enlightened the students on the subject of the significance of English. An interactive session towards the end of the Webinar was exceedingly engaging and content driven.

Grades VII & VIII Sanskrit Workshop August 11, 2021

Sanskrit has recently become a much sought-after language across the world. Almost all the scriptures related to Hinduism are written in Sanskrit. Sanskrit is now being given special importance in competitive examinations.
To inculcate interest in Sanskrit among the children, a Sanskrit workshop was organized for the students of grades VII & VIII. Professor Sardendu Tripathi of Banaras Hindu University was invited as the keynote speaker.
Expressing the importance of Sanskrit, he told the students that all subjects are originated from Sanskrit, whether it is science or astronomy, yoga or medicine. Today, at the time of worship in every region of the world, mantras are recited in Sanskrit, so Sanskrit is called a world-class language.
To make Sanskrit interesting and to memorize quickly, he advised the students to memorize the words and forms by singing in a rhythmic manner. He said that if the pronunciation and sentence formation of the verses are sung according to the verses, then it will not only be interesting but also easy to memorize. Many methods of grammar were also clarified in the workshop in a simple way. The workshop was very interesting and informative. Students participated in this workshop with great interest.

Grade VI Hindi Workshop August 11, 2021

A Hindi workshop was organized in the literary festival for the students of class VI. The theme of the workshop was Poetry Ras. The resource person, Dr. Krishna, told the students about Kavya Ras. How a poem is composed through Poetic Ras, problems faced in writing poetry and how they can be tackled. She gave detailed information about the various Ras used in Hindi. Emphasis was placed on the use of rhyming words in poems.
Emphasizing on the importance of poetry in Hindi, she said that "To read, to teach, to teach everyone, to advance the Hindi language. We have to take this message to the masses.”
Through this workshop, Dr. Krishna also recited poems written by her to the students. The students were mesmerized after hearing the poem. After listening to the poem, the students asked their questions. The students felt a sense of confidence and joy through the workshop. They got a new experience by attending this workshop. It helped to develop their listening skills, creativity, contemplation and confidence.

Career Counselling Workshop 9th July 2021

Career Counselling Workshop was organized for grade X which was conducted by Ms Sushma Singh -leading Career Counsellor, recently working as a college advisor at the American Excelsior School, has her own rich experience to share, worked as acareercounsellor with Modern School, Barakhamba Road and is a co-founder as well the director of one of the leading career counselling groups-Career Smart. Choosing a career for 15-year-old is the hardest yet most exciting as at this age children are most confused while selecting the various subject to be taken after grade 10th. Ms Sushma said the children should be well prepared whereas sometimes chance or luck also plays an important role. In order to make their careers successful as well in order to please the parents, the two parties-Parents and The Child need to sit together and take decision. It is important to 'Know About Yourself'- Abilities, Interest and Personality. If still in turmoil- the psychometric aptitude tests conducted by career counsellors is the reliable source to get authentic information about an individual's attributes. She also focused on skills required in technology driven society to have excellent communication/interpersonal skills& leadership qualities, good with numbers, analytical programming & logical skills, problem solving and good administration skills. She helped the students by differentiating various career options (traditional/new) keeping the market demand in mind in Science, Commerce and applicable for all the fields. In the end, Q&A round helped the students clarified their certain doubts & queries. It was truly an enriching & interactive sessions wherein the children will be able to take positive and informed decisions before selectinga suitable career of their choice.

Virtual Educational Fair 7th & 8th July 2021

In association with theInternational Centre for Advancement in Education- ICAE, New Delhi, aVirtual Educational Fair was organized for grades XI & XII.Like every year, this year too,the senior graders got the opportunity to meet the delegates from overseas as well Indian Universities. The event concluded on 8th July during which the students got their queries resolved on various courses (Major/Minor) being offered, eligibility criteria, admission & application processes at the undergraduate level and fee structure. The students interacted individually with the panellists in the break out rooms after the small presentation shown by each representative. The students gathered information about the uniqueness and strengths of each university and how it is different from others in terms of courses, eligibility, extracurricular activities or scholarships offered. St George University- School of Medicines, University of Lethbridge, Lakehead University, Ottawa University, Canada, UTS College Australia, Singapore University of Management-SIM, Istituto Marangoni, ESSEC University & Education USA were among the Overseas Universities that participated in the event. Among the Indian Universities were Plaksha, Flame University, Ashoka University, KREA University & OP Jindal University. Overall, it was an enriching experience that helped the students in taking informed decisions while choosing careers abroad and within the nation to pursue higher studies.

Summer Online Course-Hospitality & Luxury Management X-XII 31st May-9th June

The Foundation course on Hospitality and Luxury Management, organized by Vedatya Institute, was attended by students of grades X-XII. Organizing such courses helps them in getting vocational guidance which will further help them in exploring future career prospects and build up the suitable interests according to their choices. The course was structured in the form of two-hour input sessions with assessments on the eighth day. Students gained valuable insights into trends that matter in the luxury and hospitality industries. They were introduced to academic master classes in service excellence, contemporary trends as well as practical workshops in culinary, fine wines and cocktail mixology. The program provided the perfect introduction to the exciting, fast-growing and professionally rewarding industry. They were also made aware about how to write professional CV's and building LinkedIn profiles. At the end of the course, the participants were asked to make presentation on different topics, in groups. The children had the opportunity to meet chef John Rajan in an interactive Q/A round wherein they cleared their queries related to the working of commercial kitchen as well as latest food trends.

Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program 17th May-23rd May 2021

Every year the students of grades XI & XII participate under various Internship programs & Pro-Social Peer Moderator Series. This year, an online series of workshops were organized for psychology enthusiasts by the Fortis School Mental Health department under the program - Summer of 2021. The webinars were conducted by leading Psychiatrist and the Director of Fortis Mental Health Department Dr. Samir Parikh. The themes to learn Life Skills in Application included Aggression Management, Media Literacy, Risk Behavior Management, Gender Sensitivity, Study & Exam Skills, caring for the Environment and Bully to Buddy. The webinars were deigned for easy comprehension that would help them to implement skills in real life-based situations. It would also help spread the skills among their peers as a transfer of learning in order to bring out a positive impact in their lives. Each theme was thought provoking that left every child with an enriched experience. The values taught by Dr Parikh's with his own experiences had their own impact.

Grade X - Career Counselling Session 27th Feb 2021

A career counselling session was organized for grade X students. It was conducted by Dr Sona Vikas, a senior faculty of HR & OB in the school of management, IILM University. A qualified professional with more than 21 years of rich experience in industry and academics,she is a master trainer for the ICP-CSR certificate programme (under IICA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India). The guest speaker introduced the career options post-pandemic and informed the children about the right choices they can make in the technology driven world. With revolutionarychanges in roles the children will no more be opting for traditional courses. Ms Sona focused upon the top 15 soft skills like Analytical thinking and innovation, complex problem solving, technology use, monitoring and control, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and analysis, that will be required in every child for the year 2025. She explored various future options like Liberal Arts & Education, Business Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Technology, Psychology, Entrepreneurship etc. She guided the children to prepare for skills enhancement, self- development and higher education,to be aware about the news & current affairs and to focus on extra-curricular activities, volunteering, networking & virtual/Net etiquettesin grades XI-XII. It was a very informative session for the children.

Inter-dynasty Slogan Writing competition February 19,2021

Basant Panchami is an occasion which also marks the onset of the 'Spring Season'. To mark the festival of Basant Panchami, an Inter-dynasty Slogan Writing Competition was organized for the students of grades VII and VIIIon 19 February.Keeping the event in mind the childrencreated interesting slogans showcasing their creativity and thought-processes. They adorned their works remarkably in hues of yellow, ochre and lovely green. The works proved to be a wonderful combination of wit and art which was highly appreciated by the judges.The criteria of judgment wereneatness, creativity and presentation. That the students thoroughly enjoyed the activity, was clearly evident from their excitement and works.

VI-VIII How to Manage Exam Stress February 16-22, 2021

Workshops on “How to Manage Examination Stress” were taken by the senior counsellor, Ms Bhupinder Kaur, during life skill classes. This academic year brought a lot of confusion wherein children showed disinterest towards studies, suffered from low self-esteem, lack of concept building and low participation in online classroom discussions. Thus, it became mandatory to make the children understand the importance of online assessments and how to cope with pressures. The important points discussed were how to create a goal-based schedule, prioritize time and organize self. Lack of motivation and participation, low confidence, learning skill gaps, not understanding how to study well and lack of support are certain factors that come in their wayofscoring well. The ten strategies to deal with such anxieties were discussed. Children were advised never to lose hope if they were not able to perform in earlier assessments.Developing consistent schedule, planning time, believing in one's own strengths, being organized, maintaining the revision schedule and working on enhancing memory techniques will help them in achieving goals and success. The Q/A round helped them to overview their performance and express their thoughts openly.

Career Awareness Programme-Company Secretary January 28, 2021

Shalom Hills International School not only aspires to provide holistic development to the students but is equally concerned about the overall development of the students. To empower the students and enhance their practical knowledge, the school not only conducts workshops and seminars in the school premises but also provides opportunities to the students to attend different career counselling programmes. Mr. Himanshu Sharma, Executive, ICSI took an online session on Company Secretary. He informed about the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), a premier national professional body constituted under an Act of Parliament, namely the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 (Act No. 56 of 1980) to regulate and develop the profession of Company Secretaries. The ICSI imparts Company Secretaries Course by Distance Learning,provides study material to all registered students, allows students to pursue the Course through self-study mode, along with class room teaching facility at select places through Regional Councils/ Chapters on payment of extra fee.E-learning facility through web-based training and live virtual classroom is also available. Mr. Himanshu Sharma elaborated on what the Company Secretaries Course is and appreciated the students about the knowledge they possessed about the subject. Thestudents were also in formed about the registration procedure.

Workshop by Matific Math 23rd January 2021

An online workshop was organized on 23rd January 2021 by the Matific Math Group for KG and class –I teachers for their upcoming new launch of their digital Math platform for kids in this new digital normal world.This group is into homeschooling through the matific interface. Maths generally has a little fear factor for many and every child takes their own journey for learning different concept at its own pace. The resource person, Mr. Ankit Sahu, introduced the launch of a new digital user-friendly interface for both teachers/parents and students.Through this they have built unique sequence of interactive and game-based platform for different concepts that are taken up in Math. It has a unique real time inbuilt reporting system that will allow teachers and parents to track the students' progress at every step of their learning journey.It covers the school curriculum andhas multiplayer scenario in online games and activities so as to give each child a healthy competitive edge as well.It has personalised training zone wherein parents and teachers can also be involved in the same. The app has different student and teacher interface.The live demo to operate and work on same was given and explained. Overall, the app and the content looked good, however, it needs to be explored more and mapped with the actual curriculum of class -1.
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Adopted the New Normal- Challenges and Its After Effects 20th Nov-26th November 2020-VIII 26th Nov-27th November 2020- IX

“Adopted the New Normal- Challenges and its after effects”, yet another important theme was addressed to the students by the senior counsellor Ms Bhupinder Kaur. Separate sessions were conducted in grades VIII and IX. First of all the children were apprised about how important it is that every individual adopted the new normal andcopedwith the Covid-19 situation. Was it for the betterment or worse? Children were invited to give their insights on same. The most worrisome part of virtual classes is that children begin to spend lot of time playing online games,which not only affects their regular schedule, but also the physical and psychological health. Some of the negative points of being at home all the time are reduced physical activity, getting up late in the morning,reduced attention and social connections, declined academic performance, poor self-esteem and too much exposure to social media. The children were advised to equip themselves with indoor activities like meditation, breathing control exercises or playing & spending time with family and siblings, also do video call when they miss their friends and extended families. They were strictly told to not watch or play games that depict violent behaviour. With the interactive sessionthe children realized that they could relate with their own selves and got encouraged to change their life style for the better.
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CBSE IBM EdTech Webinar - Artificial Intelligence 30th November 2020

CBSE IBM EdTech Youth Challenge India is a competition organized by CBSE and IBM to give students an opportunity to work with experts from IBM and its partners to tackle pressing sustainability, climate, and disaster issues through the use of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence. Participation in this exciting challenge enables students to tackle challenges and help humanity look after our worldbetter. Students of grade 11 along with faculty members of Computer Science department enthusiastically participated in this workshop organised on 30th November2020. The workshop on a current topic “ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE”,was conducted on zoom by Mr.Krishna. He started with basic concepts related to AI like NPL, types of AI, uses and motives. His interaction with the students, use of graphics and captivating videos made the session come to life. Modern developing concepts of Amazon Go and other such projects were explained in an interactive manner. The topic of use of AI in achieving the 17 development goals of the world till 2030 was discussed motivating students to come up with their own innovative ideas. Links of websites of courses from IBM on AI were shared. Mr. Krishna answered all the questions and shared his experiences making the workshop engaging and enthralling. Towards the end, future projects were shared and students were encouraged to present their ideas for development by the means of a website named “impactersworld.com”. This session truly helped the students comprehend the science behind the working of an AI.
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Workshop : Know About Yourself-The Puberty 7th November 2020

A session with grade VI girls on the topic “Know About Yourself- The Puberty” was taken by the senior counsellor-Ms Bhupinder Kaur. The young girls were familiarised with the concept of puberty. The session made them aware about certain physical changes that happen internally and externally and how to cope and adapt with the changes. Puberty can be confusing and an awkward time for girls. Most children begin to experience large growth spurts around the age of eleven.
Girls were guided about the onset of menstruation, a sign of normal, healthy reproductive process that often occurs close to the age of thirteen. Girls were advised not to panic or get worried and seek correct information from the guardians, parents, teachers or counsellors and to not depend on media that may lead to misleading and wrong information. Few parents also attending the workshop were told to empathize and reassure their daughters that it is a normal phase of growth and development that every woman goes through.
At the end, girls were guided on how to maintain personal hygiene and to monitor the menstruation cycle by maintaining a diary or marking through calendar. The inquisitive girls expressed their fears, doubts and anxieties in the Q/A round. The parents appreciated the efforts taken by the school for arranging such sessions for girls and looked forward for more sessions with the parents on need-based topic.
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WORKSHOP-EXAM STRESS AND ANXIETY November 5, 2020

“Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.” —Brian Tracy
Stress, pressure, anxiety have become an integral and inseparable part of everyone's life today, be it children or adults, all the more so in this time of pandemic. Constantly living under stress can have serious repercussions on the mental, emotional, physical and even social well-being of a person. Hence, coping with negative pressure and stress is very imperative to leading a happy, healthy, peaceful and meaningful life.
We were very fortunate and honoured that our beloved Founder and Chairperson, Dr (Mrs.) Lilly George, arranged a session for grade XII children with Ms. Jayshree Mehta, an independent consultant and life-skills trainer. She commenced the session by explaining what anxiety is and how the cycle of anxiety works. Stating that one can not just wish stress away, she shared strategies to cope with it. Talking about Neuro-plasticity, she informed that the brain is continuously evolving. To keep it alert we need to challenge it.
Her workshop deconstructed the heavy concepts surrounding behavioural studies into useful guidelines and accessible knowledge. The tips provided during the session to transform distress into eustress were practical and worth implementing.
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Road Safety Webinar July 31, 2020

“Life is precious. No one has the right to take any life, be it human or animal.” These were the words of Mr. Manoj Chandel, a senior Traffic Police Officer, who conducted the webinar on 'Road Safety' for the students of classes IX-XII of Shalom Hills International School. Laying out some important rules and regulations for safe driving, he asked the students to be aware and conscious commuters. Stating that the state spends an enormous amount of money on constructing over-bridges and under-passes, he encouraged everyone to make proper use of them while crossing roads, along with the zebra crossings. He also explained the meaning and practical use of the orange light at intersections, and the purpose of the various lanes on the roads. He clarified the role of the traffic police by saying that they ensure discipline on the roads just as parents do at home and teachers in school.He urged the children to be responsible commuters, andcalled the webinar more a Life-saving webinar than a Road-safety one.He requested the children to insist on their parents following the traffic rules, wearing seat-belts in cars and helmets of specified quality while driving two-wheelers. The session ended with a question-answer round. The students asked their queries without inhibition with Mr. Manoj satisfying them with great patience and gentleness.

Virtual Educational Fair 27th-28th July 2020

Virtual Educational Fair,conducted by International Centre for Advancement in Education- ICAE, New Delhi,was organized forgrades XI-XII on 27th& 28th July. ICAE invited the senior children of Indian and Overseas Universities to avail an opportunity to interact with panelists of IndianUniversities on 27th July and overseas on 28th July. The team of international admissions officers/counsellors from renowned universitiesbrought years of experience in admissions, counselling and guidance that helped in providing information to the students. Pearl Academy, UPES- Dehradun, Flame University, Shiv Nadar, O.PJindal, Academy of Pastry and Krea University were among the Indian Universities invited. The Overseas Universitiesinvited, to name a few, were Institute of Marangoni, University of Ottawa, Canada, Queen's University, University of Windsor, University of Victoria, Canada, ESSEC Business School and Lakehead University Canada. The children were helped with admission requirements and placement processes and the courses available at the undergraduate level these Universities offers; choice of programs, and thus helping them in making informed decisions in finalizing a suitable course and any other topic relevant for studying abroad and within the country. Each University highlighted its uniqueness and strengths and how it is different from others in terms of courses, eligibility, extracurricular activities or scholarships offered.

Life Skill Workshop “Negative Impact of Social Media” Grade-VI 23rd May 2020

An online workshop on 'Negative Impact of Social Media' was conducted by the senior counsellor for the students of VI. The children were familiarized with the various social networking sites like Snap chats, Face book, You tube, their negative impacts were highlighted-like acquiring hate speech, decrease in interpersonal skills, risk of identity theft, cyber bullying- and its emotional implications. Tips on how to stay safe online were also shared like to never share personal details and information, to be vigilant and watch out for phishing and scam, think before posting and to be aware of whom they are talking to, also to follow privacy norms before signing into any social site. They were also apprised about the various dangerous signs that should not be ignored, for e.g if someone tries to insist on having address or contact no, if the person emails objectionable pictures or asks them to post/ email their own pictures, tries to convince to keep the chats secret and asks them to meet without parents' consent. Young Shalomites showed interest and made the session interactive by sharing their experiences and enhancing knowledge on Social Media.

Grades VI-VIII Workshop on “Path to Success & How to Prepare for Examination”

With the aim to overcome examination stress group counselling sessions were takenin the early month of February by the senior counselor,Ms.BhupinderKaur&MsMitu Singh, for the students of classes VI-VIII. The sessions were planned to introspect and understand the causes of stress during examination and how to cope with the pressure. Children were informed to communicate and express feelings and emotions to parents, teachers and counsellor, avoid negative talk & enjoy giving exams with a positive mind set. It is very important to set realistic goals by knowing current status of marks and, recognize strengths & weaknesses. They were also encouraged to prioritize their tasks through activity scheduling.It was stressed to STOP procrastinating which will help them in introspecting to identify excuses, working on easier tasks first,commitment to finish task,breaking large tasks into smaller units, seeking help when the task seems difficult, eliminating distractions,taking breaks to avoid wearing down and rewardingthemselves! Key study skills to beat the exam stress were discussed - studying in a proper environment to minimize distractions, studying for 40-45 minutes at a stretch with regular breaks of 5-10 minutes each, 15 minutes to listen to instrumental music, doing 'e' exercise to improve focus and attention span, fast reading and focusing on key words to enhance concentration and learning, highlighting words and phrases, note-making and use of Mnemonics,and also self-testing which can help them in evaluating themselves better before examinations. It has been rightly said that no body can define success for children but they themselves can.

Webinar on Path to Success 27th January 2020

A session of Webinar on Path to Success was conducted in association with “Fortis School Mental Health Program” for the class X students to promote the emotional well-being of students during exams. The online interactions allowed the students across the country to reach out to Dr. Parikh directly unhindered by geographical barriers.
Dr. Parikh gave the children an insight on study tips and told the children to know their strengthsand learn from setbacks, to create theright environment to study at their table and to avoid studying on the bed. Keeping an uncluttered study table, watching minimal TV, time planning, listening to instrumental music, playing a sport, avoidingintake of caffeine, healthy diet and good sleep for at least 7-8 hours are a must. To enhance visual concentration students were guided to do the 'e' exercise while taking breaks in the maintained study schedule. Children who are more relaxed perform better as compared to the students who are stressed and awake till late hours. The students were also guided to do self-evaluation by taking weekly self-tests and reviews of the performance and to reward and rate themselves on a five point scale. Dr. Parikh informed that typically memory loss takes place within the first 24 hours of studying and then weekly. For best results they students should maintain a revision chart on day 1, 2, 7, 15 and 30 to monitor their progress. While revising they should read only the notes and the highlighted sections by doing skimming and using the technique of Mnemonics.
Webinar concluded with a question and answer round in which Dr. Parikh answered the students' queries through the chat box for open and direct communication.

Winter Internship at Vedatya Institute 7th Jan-10th Jan 2020

The opportunity was provided to class XI students to attend an internship programme in Vedatya Institute to introduce them to contemporary themes that have potential to be developed into career paths and provide value in terms of skills & knowledge required to enhance life skills in general. The students chose Digital Marketing & Role of Artificial Intelligence AND Learning about Entrepreneurship as a theme towards the program. Digital Marketing program allowed students to discuss & analyse the main concepts & theories underlying digital marketing. It also offered exposure to AI as a tool driving digital marketing efficiency and impact. Learning about Entrepreneurship program allowed students to discuss and analyze the main traits that are seen in successful entrepreneur. Basic training to construct an 'idea' into an actionable 'business plan' was also a part of the program. Concepts and theories underlying entrepreneurship were also discussed. Students interacted with a range of entrepreneurs to understand their journey and got guidance on how to pursue that as a career path.

Empowering Self: Social Media & Responsible Decision making 19th December 2019

Students of grade XI of Shalom Hills International School attended a workshop on 'Social Media & Responsible Decision Making', conducted by Ms. NilyaDutt – Counseling Psychologist of Fortis Mental Health Department. The aim of the workshop was to awarethe children regarding the time spent on social internet sites that not only affects health, attention, impaired relationships with peers, parents but also reduces academic performance. Ms.Nilya also expressed that behavior is mostly acquired through observational learning.With gadgets & mobile phones becominga necessity with the children now,they lack in interpersonal and communication skills.As opposed to earlier times, parents give mobile phones to two-year-old children resulting in behavioural complications. The way Google influences an individual's choices/preferences was also discussed in detail.
For better concentration and memory, the resource person specified the need for digital-detox i.e., switching off the mobile phones wherein the children can put the efforts by putting the notifications down, handing over the mobile phones to parents& staying away for let's say 10, 15, 25 minutes and so on.In a way one needs to reduce weight by doing planking.

Playnomics Workshop (Grade XI) November 13, 2019

A highly experiential and interactive workshop was organized by ISBF(Indian School of Business and Finance) for the Commerce students of grade XI. The session started with the briefing of the students by theresource persons, Ms. Navniand Mr. Kaushik. The activity started with the creation of a market scenario and the students were divided into 8 different teams. Each team represented a different country. The teams were given resources like pencils, paper and scissors etc. to produce goods from the given resources and to sell in the market within a given time period. Through the activity the students learnt the working of a market scenario and skills required to survive and work in a competitive environment. After the activity, Ms. Navni explained the learning outcome of the activity and discussed the relevance of international market as well. The session concluded with the students' feedback on the activity.

Grade IV and V Enjoy Tikling Adventure Camp September 27, 2019

'The true essence of life lies in the company of good friends and performing great adventures'. A trip full of adventures is the best way to make the students learn. In order to rejuvenate, an adventurous trip to Camp Tikkling at Rocksport, Gurugram was organized for students of grades IV and V. The students were apprised about the precautions to be followed during the camping activities and then divided into small groups along with their assigned instructors and teachers to enjoy the activities. The excitement among the students and the teachers was palpable. Plethora of activities that were provided proved beneficial for the students to build confidence, sportsmanship and team spirit. The Camp was an exhilarating experience as the students indulged in activities varying from Body Zorb ,Gorilla Cave , Commando net , Sport climbing , Tug of war , Tent pitching ,Hop scotch ,Commando crawl , Vertical ladder with other activities like tractor ride and pottery. The students participated in each activity with full gusto and zeal. The power packed day amidst high thrills and skills engulfed everyone and was an electrifying experience. The students enjoyed themselves, and relished the sumptuous meal.

Trip to “Heritage Transport Museum”, Gurgaon, Manesar 12th &13th September 2019

Visits are not just fun but also provide insight into the information that the place depicts. For enhancing the same information, a trip to the Heritage Transport Museum, Manesar, was organized for the students of class 2 on 12th and 13th September, 2019. This trip involved looking at the various
displays at the museum which showed the evolution of transport over the years and also had vintage transportation exhibits in it. There is everything from carts run on wooden wheels to vintage railway saloon and aircraft as well as marine
transport. The students also saw a visual depiction of the concept in the form of a short film. The children enjoyed to their fullest and came back with their minds full of new and freshly gained knowledge.

Workshop on 'Adolescence Health' August 19, 2019

Adolescence (from Latin adolescere, meaning 'to grow, to mature') is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood.
The change in mindset and the awareness is only possible if the school and parents give proper and appropriate information to the young generation. It is important to impart basic knowledge about menstruation at school. Good menstrual hygiene can help prevent any kind of pelvic inflammatory diseases and infections.
Keeping this in mind, SHIS organized an informative workshop on 'Adolescence Health' for girls of class V. Dr. Pakhee Aggarwal (Senior Consultant Obstetrics & Gynecology) from the renowned Fortis Memorial Research Institute conducted the workshop wherein she educated the young scholars about the rapid physical growth and significance of physical, emotional and psychological changes. During the workshop, the students were told about the science behind menstruation and the myths surrounding it. The girls were also taught basic hygiene that should be maintained during periods.
At the end of the workshop, it was overwhelming to see the students, asking adolescence-related queries with so much confidence and getting their queries resolved. It was an informative and interactive session, targeting the adolescence stage.

Adolescent Health & Menstrual hygiene for girls 19th AUGUST, 2019

A workshop was conducted by the school on 19th August, 2019 to raise awareness among the adolescent girls about their health and menstrual hygiene by Dr. Pakhee Aggarwal, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon. She explained the girls about the various methods and steps to be taken during their menstrual time.
Girls also cleared all their doubts by asking several questions from the doctor. The workshop was attended by the girls of grade fifth and sixth of Shalom Hills International School and Seventh, Shalom Presidency School.

Hindi Guest Lecturefor Grade X Students 7th August 2019

A guest lecture, highlighting the importance of Hindi Vyakran, was organised onAugust 7,2019. Ms.BhartiAnand, a renownd resource person and experienced Hindi faculty, helped the students of GradeXlearn many interesting and new things about Hindi LekhenBhag.
The knowledge the students gained during the course of this guest lecture will help them to understand the Hindi language more easily in future. The students enjoyed the session and interacted freely with the resource person.

SUMMER EXCURSION TO CAMP JUNGA-SHIMLA May 27 – 31, 2019

With the aim of integrating learning with fun activities, Shalom Hills International School organized an excursion for the students of grades XI & XII to Camp Junga, Shimla form May 27 to 31, 2019.
Filled with excitement the students assembled in the school on May 27 at about 8:30 pm to embark on the adventure trip. The students arrived at the Flag House Resort the next morning. Their first activity was a trek up to the old Junga Fort, the palace of erstwhile Junga Princely State. The second day the children were taken on a river trek and engaged in zip lining. Some students refreshed themselves in the coolness of the river water. This was followed by a night trek under the star lit sky. The final day foud the children enjoying leisure filled day on the mall road of Shimla, shopping for their family members.
The children returned to school thrilled and exhilarated

PSYCHOLOGY SUMMER INTERNSHIP-FORTIS

The Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) branch in Gurgaon held its annual week long Summer Workshops for school students during June. Having attended the sessions in the past year, the students were interested in revisiting the workshops this time as well.
The students were addressed by psychiatrists, psychologists, sports psychologists, psycho-oncologists, art therapists and various other counsellors during the workshops. Every session comprised of discussions and activities based on psychological concepts and principles. Children learnt about clinical mental disorders and their effects on patients. They had a glimpse on how psychological interviews and mental health examinations are conducted, the relationship between a therapist and the client, and techniques regarding remedial processes that are applied in real life.
It is important to note that children were introduced to psychology and its applied fields such as health psychology, organisational psychology and sports psychology. One of their sessions was taken by an art therapist where we were made to draw timelines and discuss life experiences in detail. In conclusion, the Summer Workshops at Fortis are very worthwhile, rewarding, insightful and engaging.

ICAE Global University Fair 22nd May 2019

The Global University Fair for Grades XI & XII was organized and conducted by the International Centre for Advancement in Education, New Delhi. The event was facilitated by the Vice Principal, Mr. Madhukar Priya. The team of international admission officers/counsellors from renowned universities, visited the school campus and brought years of experience in admissions, counselling and guidance that helped in providing information to students, counsellors and other education providers in the school by interacting with them under one roof.
Trinity College Dublin, UIV-University of Victoria, Canada, OP Jindal University, India, Academy of Pastry Art, SIM-Singapore Institute of Management, IIAD- Indian Institute of Art & Design are the names of few Universities to mention.
The broad objectives of holding the fair was to create awareness about the undergraduate education opportunities available in these universities; to facilitate interaction between the faculty/students and the visiting admission officers, thereby enabling a discussion about the application processes, choice of programs, finalizing a suitable course and any other topic relevant for studying abroad; to enable exchange of ideas between the management of the school and the visiting delegates in order to establish stronger links for potential collaborations in the future.

Career Counselling Workshop 30th April 2019

A career based workshop was conducted by Ms. Prashanti, Assistant Professor, Vedatya Institute, for class XII students. She helped the students to introspect that career is not equal to work which is an outdated perspective instead career is equal to life. “A career is a lifetime of work, learning, leisure and relationships and learning how to balance those life activities”.
She advised the students that before choosing a good career they should think, explore/research options, reflect, evaluate, pursue the idea, reject and think again. She highlighted the difference between Traditional (STEM) - Science, Technology, Engineering & Math & Non- Traditional career options. Non-Traditional careers constitute and varies from Photography, Animation, Stock Broking, Wellness, Mass Media/Journalism, Writing, Hospitality & Designing, Art/Architecture, Forestry, Archaeology. She explored more careers options related to Design & Hospitality in detail.
At the end Ms. Sumeen Khanna encouraged the students to participate in Summer internships programs that is scheduled in end of May & 1st week of June. The earned certificates add the credentials in child's profile & help in further education and getting placements.

Career Counselling Workshop For Grade XI April 30,2019

Shalom Hills international Schoolarranged a workshop on 'Career Counselling' at IILM for the students of Class XI, to help them gain clarity in choosing their careers.
The resource person, Ms.Ritu, started the session with some real life experiences which was enlightening for the students. Thereafter,she started an interactive session with the students asking their aims and aspirations in life. The students participated enthusiastically in it. They were guided for various career options (and their related educational qualifications) which they can opt for, like career in aviation engineering, business management, commercial designing, public relations, medicines, food technology etc.
Dr. Gandhi, the Career Counsellor, mainly emphasized on “FOCUS ON YOUR DIRECTION RATHER THAN DEGREES”. She encouraged the students to streamline their interests towards career by giving various “Career Aptitude Tests” available online. It was followed by an open session, where students asked their queries comfortably and were answered satisfactorily. Over all the session was awakening and informative.

Sanskriti MUN 2019 24th April-26th April 2019

Shalomites participated in the Sanskriti MUN conference held from 24th April to 26th April 2019 in Sanskriti School, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. In today's scenario, it has become the need of the hour for the present generation to be receptive to the pressing issues of the world. The conference aimed to welcome the diverse opinions and perspectives of each student to understand the global politics and international relations.
In the three day conference, our students competed with the best schools of India and abroad in various committees; UNCA, Politburo of CCP, Disarmament and International Security Committee, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and All India Political Parties Meet. They exhibited their skills in research, diplomacy, policy making, and debating during the conference.
We are glad to share that Ananya Acharya; class XII-C bagged the Honourable mention in UNCA, as a journalist represented the Indian Express for Disarmament and International Security Committee.
Proudly, our students became the 'voices' for the millions of people in the world.

Career Counseling Grade XII April 23, 2019

A highly informative and interactive workshop on Career counselingwas organized by IILM in Gurgaon. The session was conducted by Professor Ritu.The discussion during the workshop catered to certain topics such as-
1. Activity of introducing without speaking.
2. Goals of life
3. Two important things at this point of life.
Second resource person was Dr. SonaVikas.She explained how to select and categorize their career options. Along with that they were apprised about how colleges streamline their selection which can help the children to understand and work on the same. Points to keep in mind while searching for colleges are-
1. Quality of education
2. Placement security by campus
3. Training to groom an all-round personality
The students found the session quite helpful.

Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program: Caring for The Environment 18th April 2019

The workshop on 'Caring for the Environment', organized by Mental Health Dept. of Fortis Hospital, was attended by the students of class IX & XI, accompanied by the Senior Counsellor, Ms. Bhupinder Kaur. Borrowing insights from Ecopsychology, this experimental workshop sought to expand the emotional connection between individuals and the Natural World, applying lessons from life skills to make sustainable life choices.
Ms. Divya Jain, along with her team, apprised everyone of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch- GPGP”, largest accumulation of the World's plastic garbage located between Hawaii & California. Almost 2.41 million tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year. The GPGP patch is of the size of a continent, estimated to be approx. 1.6 Sq. Kms.
The workshop started with 'Situation Analysis of Environmental Issues' wherein the students were asked about the measures that can be adopted now and in future. An activity, 'Best-Out-of-Waste', was organized. The students came up with maximum alternate uses of given items and ideas on how to reuse them. A thought provoking 'Quiz' followed at the end with a 'Campaign-Making' exercise. Each school team came up with creative & eco-friendly ideas like banning of aluminum foil and replacing it with cloth napkins and giving a hash tag name.
To commemorate the event, the participating schools along with Dr Samir Parikh, a leading Psychiatrist, went for a 'Sapling Drive'.

100 Days Bully to Buddy Campaign: Intervention Phase Training to the Anti-Bullying Squad 6th April 2019

The VI-XII students of Shalom Hills International School were encouraged to form Anti-Bullying Squad to monitor bullying in the school premises. With the help of Fortis Mental Health Care department a3-hour interactive training session on Bully to Buddy was conducted by counseling psychologist Ms.NilyaDutt.The module covered variety of topics highlighting the definition, types of bullying & its short term and long-term consequences.
An ambassador for the intervention, the anti-bullying squad will carry out awareness and skill-building sessions with their fellow class mates. Ms.Nilya said that the squad should engage studentsin activities like debate competitions, poster making, and presentationto create awareness, reducing bullying and working on peer support. Reporting of bullying and response will be addressed. The Squad president and a Nodal teacher will be identified to overview the program. To sustain a long-term impact, the team of Fortis will carry out follow up session with the squad in order to help them address the challenges they experience in working with fellow students along with monitoring their progress each month.
At the end Ms.Nilya described how to respond to bullying incidents by forming a circle of trust & support, surrounding the bully & bullied& NOT SAYING anything but standing holding hands in a show of solidarity to the person being bullied. Any two members of the anti-Bullying Squad to reach the place, walk up to the bully and say Stop, bullying is not okay and take the bullied person away from the place. The students who formed the circle of trust should be congratulated for the effort & encouragement.

Workshop on "How to Successfully Prepare for Examination" Grades VI-VIII- (18th Feb-22nd Feb 2019)

Workshops were conducted by the senior counselor, Ms. Bhupinder Kaur, for the students of classes VI-VIII, during the life skill classes. The aim of the workshop was to introspect and understand the causes of stress during examination and how to cope up the pressure.
Children were informed to communicate and express feelings and emotions to parents, teachers and counsellor, eliminate negative talk & enjoy giving exams with a positive mind set. It is very important to set realistic goals by knowing current status of marks and, recognize strengths & weaknesses.
They were also encouraged to prioritize their tasks through activity scheduling. It was stressed to STOP procrastinating which will help them in introspecting to identify excuses, working on easier tasks first, commitment to finish task, breaking large tasks into smaller units, seeking help when the task seems difficult, eliminating distractions, taking breaks to avoid wearing down and rewarding themselves!
Key study skills to beat the exam stress were discussed - studying in a proper environment to minimize distractions, studying for 40-45 minutes at a stretch with regular breaks of 5-10 minutes each, 15 minutes to listen to instrumental music, doing 'e' exercise to improve focus and attention span, fast reading and focusing on key words to enhance concentration and learning, highlighting words and phrases, note-making and use of Mnemonics, and also self-testing which can help them in evaluating themselves better before examinations.

Young Reporters at Times NIE 6th February 2019

To fulfill its objective of according holistic development to the students, Shalom Hills International School, regularly provides opportunities to the children to enhance their skills. The annual Times NIE Newsmakers' Meet, organized at the Sri Sathya Sai International Centre, Lodhi Road, was another such event our students attended to introduce them to the nuances of reporting. The meet was attended by 400 students from various schools.
The young budding reporters, Anjaneya Mishra and Aryaman Tyagi of class VIII, accompanied by their English Teacher, Ms. Meetu Mukherjee, represented the school. This was an opportunity of highlighting their general awareness, creative, artistic and methodical skills.
The panel of judges included Mr. Ajay Kumar Sharma, the world renowned Indian cricketer, Ms. Archana Gupta and Ms. Poonam Singh- national editors of Times NIE.
The students took part in a written general knowledge quiz on current affairs. They also wrote a report to hone their writing skills, quality of thought and ability to conceptualize.
The program was concluded with a Question/Answer session where the guests shared their professional experiences and motivated students to follow their dreams, and become responsible and honest future citizens.
It was a very educative session and a good exposure for the students.

Importance of Mental Health & Positive Psychology Workshop 18th January 2019

The session on Importance of Mental Health & Positive Psychology was attended by the senior Psychology students accompanied by the senior counsellor Ms. Bhupinder Kaur and their Psychology teacher, Ms. Mitu Singh at IILM University. It was conducted by Dr. Samir Parikh- Psychiatrist & Director of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Hospital.
Dr. Parikh enlightened the students and teachers about the need of more young experts and psychologists in the field of Mental Health to build up an empathetic society. He expressed apprehensions at the young generation indulging in projecting and portraying themselves on Instagram by posting pictures contrary to their real self.
He emphasised that knowledge has no limits and can only be enhanced by reading books that will help the mind to grow and develop. He believes mental health requires experts with knowledge with implementation skills by identifying mental illness and ability to help people with therapeutic approaches and also by spreading awareness of mental issues as a social activist in the community.
He also differentiated the role of psychiatrists and psychologists. While Psychiatrists prescribe medicines, psychologists do therapies. He said that in a recent survey conducted by WHO it has been established that most of the population suffers from depression and need mental & health experts who are resilient, have patience and empathy in dealing with such disorders.
The workshop was thought provoking which not only encouraged the students but also the faculties, clinicians, teachers and counsellors. It ended with a Question/Answer round.

Grade VI: Author's Meet 12 December 12, 2018

An author's meet was conducted for the students of Grade VI on 12th December 2018 at Shalom Presidency School. The renowned cartoonist- Mr. Ajit Narayan conducted the session. The objective of the workshop was to evoke a sense of creativity among the students and teach them innovative ways to improve their drawing skills.
The workshop started with Mr. Narayan asking the students to define the term 'cartoon' in layman language. The students enthusiastically answered and were applauded. Further, he urged the students to use their creative potential to complete the figures using geometrical shapes, according to their perception of the object.
He taught the students to draw various visage angles with the help of eye movements. He also asked the students to draw different positions of the hand holding various objects. He guided them to interpret the emotions of the emoticons such as happiness, sadness, anger, joy, surprise etc. He drew few objects such as a school bag, a pencil and interpreted their expressions as well which was a delight for our young Shalomites!
He ended this informative and creative session by apprising the students about the books written by him.
The students enjoyed this interactive session and found it extremely productive and interesting. They were able to learn innovative ways of drawing cartoons.

Exam and Study Skills: Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program 3rd December 2018

A workshop conducted by the Sports Psychologist, Ms. Divya Jain, was attended by the students of class IX- Khushi Sharma, Pranav, Suchit, Anvisha and Daiyan Pathan, accompanied by the senior counselor, Ms. Bhupinder Kaur, at Fortis Hospital.
Ms. Divya Jain made the students understand how effective planning is done by making short term goals that should be specific, measurable, achievable, and realistically time bound. The workshop started with fun activities like making a tower from balloons, blind-folded activity, multi–tasking and learning the lyrics. Children were encouraged to prioritize their tasks through activity scheduling. It was stressed to STOP procrastinating which will help them in introspecting to identify excuses, working on easier tasks first, commitment to finish task, breaking large tasks into smaller units, seeking help when the task seems difficult, eliminating distractions, taking breaks to avoid wearing down and rewarding yourself!
Key study skills to beat the exam stress were discussed - studying in a proper environment to minimize distractions, studying for 40-45 minutes at a stretch with regular breaks of 5-10 minutes each, 15 minutes to listen to instrumental music, doing 'e' exercise to improve focus and attention span, fast reading and focusing on key words to enhance concentration and learning, highlighting words and phrases, note-making and use of Mnemonics, and also self-testing which can help them in evaluating themselves better before examinations.
In the end, role of mentors and friends was highlighted and students were encouraged to approach their respective teachers, parents & counselors for help.

Workshop On Marrying Emotional Intelligence with Design Thinking November 15, 2018

A highly informative and interactive workshop on Marrying Emotional Intelligence with Design Thinking was organized by IILM. The session was conducted by Ms Reshma Budhia, Managing Partner- Toss the Coin and Design Thinking Specialist. The discussion during the workshop catered to certain issues which discussed about emotional content of media and personality factors. The students of Psychology of grades XI and XII participated in this workshop. They were accompanied by their Psychology teacher Ms. Mitu Singh.
Some of the activities conducted were as follows-
1. Draw a pig (Pig personality test)
2. Activity based on problem focused “How might we”.
3. Random mind map to solve a problem.
The children found this workshop really informative. It was interesting for them to know that media, and problems of life are not about logic but also about emotions.

Awareness on Adolescent Health 13th November 2018

A workshop on Adolescent Health and its importance was conducted for the girls of class VI by Dr Pakhee Aggarwal, a Gynaecologist from Fortis Hospital. Dr Pakhee explained various aspects of adolescence, body images, menarche and how to manage the emotions due to these hormonal and developmental changes.
Dr Pakhee formed a very good connection with the girls and helped them in understanding why some teenagers start maturing early while others are late bloomers. Even if a teenager is adult sized he/she may not be developed emotionally or cognitively. The concept of one's own changing body image - how it feels, how it moves through space, how it looks in the mirror and how one thinks it looks to others was also explained.
She also emphasized on healthy diet and personal hygiene, imbibed confidence and said that children at this age should take this variation in a very normal and positive way. Various myths related to the menstruation were also clarified.
Girls put up questions to clarify their doubts and felt that it was a good step to create awareness.

Grade V Trip to Heritage Transport Museum 13th October 2018

An educational trip for Grade V students was organized to the Heritage Transport Museum on 13th October 2018. The Heritage Transport Museum showcases the evolution of transportation in India. While remaining true to the essence of a transport museum, the Heritage transport museum presents a walk- through, of Indian heritage with modernism creeping through especially by the Royal Families of Rajasthan.
On reaching the museum the students were divided into two groups, with a tour guide escorting each group around the museum. The students were first shown a movie explaining the evolution and timeline of transport over the years. While one group watched the movie, the other group was given a guided tour of the museum.
The museum guide first showed the students the automobile gallery with a display of over 75 vintage and classic cars. The students were then shown a chronological order of transportation in India beginning with walking, riding animals, the palanquins, the story of the wheel, bullock carts, horse carriages and camel carts. There was also a display of the famed 'Palace On Wheels'. A section dealing with the history and growth of the aviation and maritime industry was also an integral part. The students were delighted to see the section which had a collection of Indian toys on transport. A futuristic motorcycle piqued their interest considerably.
The museum's vast galleries provided an enjoyable learning environment for the students. The students enjoyed the trip and learnt about the history and evolution of transportation in India.

Grade III Students Meet the Author 10th October 2018

''Reading is a conversation. All books talk, but a good book listens as well.''
Books form an integral part of our life and enrich our mind. With this perspective in mind, an interactive session was conducted for the students of Grade III with the renowned authoress Ms. Rupa Gulab on 10th October 2018.
The session began with Ms. Rupa Gulab briefly introducing herself and speaking with pride about the different kinds of books she has written on children. Full of curiosity, the students engaged in a power-packed communication and question-answer session. Ms. Rupa Gulab introduced her first book- 'Sandy to the Rescue' by telling how Sandy rescued his friend Aftab from a mean lady Mrs. Gupta and her cat. She also told the students about a few interesting incidents from the book. The author showed the students clippings from the book and asked few questions which the children answered excitedly. They enthusiastically participated in the session showcasing their passion for reading.
Our session ended with story books being personally signed by the author and given to the students as a token of her love and a memory for a lifetime! The students enjoyed the session a lot.

Grade V Activity: Authors Meet 9th October 2018

''In the years when Zakir Hussain was growing up, and during the time when Tansen was changing from a child into a young man, pluralism was a way of the world''.
Reading is a vital part of a child's learning experience. Reading books not only empowers each of us but can unite us too. With this vision in mind our young Shalomites of Grade V were given an opportunity to interact with the renowned author, Mr. Sharad Kohli, on 9th October, 2018.
Mr. Sharad Kohli illustrated the biography of Tansen, the Indian legendary musician. The students interacted keenly with Mr. Sharad Kohli and showed great interest in learning from his experiences and insights. Mr Sharad Kohli stated that he felt it is important that children are introduced to our classical traditions, in music, literature, art and in the performing arts. He has a strong belief that students of today should pick on the diversity of India's classical music traditions, and the joy and wonder could be experienced both as a performer and as a listener. The students heard him with concentration and asked him various questions pertaining to music.
The students felt motivated enough to read books on Classical Music and even make it a part of their lives.

ICAE Global University Fair 3rd October 2018

Shalom Hills International School once again successfully hosted the Global University Fair for children of Grades XI & XII, which was conducted and organized by the International Centre for Advancement in Education- ICAE, New Delhi. A team of international admissions officers/counsellors from renowned universities, visited the school campus and provided information to students, counsellors and other education providers in the school by interacting with them under one roof.
The top thirteen Universities which were part of this Global Fair were:
University of Ottawa (Canada), Ashoka University, ISBF- University of London, California State University (USA), Instituto Marangoni (Milan, London, Paris), , Ashoka University (India) , Shiv Nadar University (India), Indian School of Art & Design- IIAD, Queen's University Kingston, Ontrario, Canada, SP Jain School of Global Management, Middlesex University Dubai, Pearl Academy (India), University of Massachusetts Boston.
The broad objectives of holding the fair was to create awareness about the undergraduate education opportunities available in these universities; to facilitate interaction between the faculty/students and the visiting admission officers thereby enabling a discussion about the application processes, choice of programs, finalizing a suitable course and any other topic relevant for studying abroad; to enable exchange of ideas between the management of the school and the visiting delegates in order to establish stronger links for potential collaborations in the future.
It was an informative and useful session for the students.

Workshop on Robotics October 1, 2018

The students of grade V attended a workshop on Robotics on 1st October 2018.
The workshop helped the students to gain information about Robots. They understood the difference between Voice control Robot, Obstacle avoider Robot and Cellphone control Robot. They could comprehend the importance of line follower Robot. This workshop proved to be helpful in developing their scientific approach and making learning of Science easy and interesting.
The purpose of attending the workshop was to enhance their basic skills of questioning, prediction, qualitative and quantitative observation and communication.
The students considered this opportunity to be an amazing experience to discover the truth of scientific facts all by themselves. The mission of the workshop was to train young minds and to disseminate scientific knowledge and scientific outlook.
The students found the workshop quite interesting and enthusiastically participated in it.

Workshop on Relentless Pursuit of Empowerment September 20, 2018

“Keeping the communication channel open with a teen is one of the most important things that an adult can do.”
Teenagers are at the crossroads of childish naiveté and adult realism, where they are constantly bombarded with choices, questions, advices, pressures and challenges. Facing the dilemma to do what is right but uncertain about what is right, ready to bend and mould to conform to group demands, they often tend be confused.
In an attempt to help the teenage girls to perceive things with a little more clarity a highly informative and interactive workshop on relentless pursuit of empowerment was conducted for the girls of grades XI and XII by the Headmistress. She highlighted the importance of making informed decisions and relying on their instincts. The workshop covered topics related to Etiquettes, learning to say “NO”, treating one's body like a temple, creating positive self-image, handling peer pressure, and seeking validation. The headmistress stressed on the importance of education and career, saying that there should be no compromises made in both the areas. It was also accentuated that the girls remain firm in the face of unwanted physical attention and be prudent in choosing friends. A few tips on self-defense tactics were also given.
The girls found the session very helpful and educative.

Grade IV Educational trip to Heritage Transport Museum 18th August 2018

An educational trip to the Heritage Transport Museum Gurugram, was organized for Grade IV students on 18th August 2018. The objective of the trip was to educate the students about the History of transportation in India. The Heritage Transport Museum showcases the evolution of Transportation in India. While remaining true to the ethos of a transport museum, the Heritage transport museum presents a snapshot of Indian Heritage but with a very modern twist. The students were fascinated with the large display of cars, bikes and buses.
On reaching the museum the students were divided into two groups. Each group was escorted by a tour guide. The students were first shown a movie explaining the evolution and timeline of transport over the years and how it gradually evolved into the present modern day transport. While one group watched the movie inside the museum auditorium, the other group was given a guided tour of the museum.
The museum guide took the students through the various sections of the museum showing them first the automobile gallery which had a display of over 75 vintage and classic cars. The students were then shown a timeline of transportation in India beginning with the story of the wheel, the palanquins, bullock carts, horse carriages and camel carts. There was also a historically inspired railway platform and a section dealing with the history and growth of the aviation industry. The students were delighted to see the section which had a collection of Indian toys on transport.
The museum's extensive galleries provided the perfect learning environment for the students that were both fun and educational. This trip was informative and gave students the knowledge about Transport system to the core!

Workshop on Fashion & Design 25th July 2108

With the collaboration of ICAE-International Centre for Advancement of Education, a workshop on Fashion & Design was organised for the students of classes XI & XII from Humanities stream and those from Science Stream who have chosen Fine Arts as an optional subject. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Maheep Bubber of Institute of Marangoni, Mumbai.
The students were apprised about the broad range of courses the institute offers as Undergraduate Progression Programmes, Post Graduate Executive Programmes, Short courses & Executive Short Courses. It brings experienced Italian & International professionals into the classroom to teach and share their knowledge and valuable experiences.
Mr. Bubber gave the students hands on knowledge on Fashion Design, Fashion Styling, Fashion Business, Visual Design, Luxury Brand Management & Marketing, Pattern Cutting, Fashion Business & Fashion Drawing, Draping Womenswear/Menswear design, Web Marketing, Customer Relationships and so on. He also informed, that the course-Graphic Design, is in high demand. He encouraged the students to enhance their skills in creativity, industry knowledge and to work upon their portfolios to get admission in Marangoni which assures the students with 94%, job placements. 80% graduates work with leading industries, absolute and aspirational segment of the market.
Students were also motivated to aim for their goals with determination. The children asked relevant questions related to Fashion & Design and were glad to attend the workshop.

Centenary Commemoration - Life and Mission of Nelson Mandela 18th July 2018

Our Grade XI (Humanities) students, accompanied by their Political Science teacher Ms. Richa Jaini, attended a prestigious event, organized jointly by the United Nations Information Centre, Gandhi Yuva Biradari and Working group on Alternative strategies, on the Mandela International Centenary Day 2018, at India International Centre, on 18th July 2018.
The event commenced with the opening speech of UN Secretary General, which was read out by Mr. Derk Segaar, Director, United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan. He read, “Nelson Mandela was a towering global advocate for justice and equality. He never became the prisoner of his past and poured his energy into reconciliation and vision of peaceful multi ethnic Democratic South Africa”. Affirming his faith in peace and solidarity, Mr. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, former Indian High Commissioner to South Africa and United Kingdom, enlightened the students and teachers on the contemporary challenges confronting nations. He spoke on the life and mission of Nelson Mandela and the impact he had created on the democratic process in South Africa.
During the session, a short film on Gandhi and Mandela's struggle for equality, justice and dignity was screened.
Our students expressed their views confidently and articulated with great precision in the gathering. They raised relevant questions on reverse racial discrimination and peace studies in contemporary times. Rishika Arora and Ananya Acharya won the best interaction award for their intellectual feat! Kudos to our budding political scientists!
'Madiba' as Nelson Mandela was affectionately called in South Africa, believed in the philosophy of inclusiveness. He has emphasised in his book, 'Long Walk to Freedom' that, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." The thought very well resonated in the Deshmukh Auditorium.

Grade XI Students Visit Biodiversity Park July 17, 2018

The students of grade XI-A were taken on an educational trip to the Tau Devi Lal Botanical garden on 17th July 2018 to study biodiversity and gain a better understanding of morphology of plants.
They explored a variety of plant species and gained insights about various kinds of gymnosperms, their leaf modifications, roots etc. The students collected various species of flowers for their herbarium and saw different kinds of inflorescences.
Palmate leaves, compound leafed clovers, simple leaves with different kinds of venations and arrangements helped them understand the major morphological characters of the leaves. Observing the pale colored leaves helped them understand about leucoplasts and other pigments in the leaf. The students gained interesting insights about the arrangement of reproductive organs of the plants etc. Seed dispersion was another intriguing part of their observations as they saw live pollination and dispersal by bees, insects and wind.
Various types of different colored insects and bugs helped them understand the process of attraction to colorful and pompous flowers.
The experience was enriching and indeed educating since all the students were able to learn something new about plants and their growth along with being awe struck at the gorgeously colorful birds, which was a bonus.

Career Counselling/SAT Workshop for Grades XI & XII 7th July 2018

Yet another initiative was taken by the Health & Wellness Department of Shalom Hills to apprise the students of classes XI & XII of various career options available abroad. Mr Amit Govil, an IIT graduate & Chairperson of Erudion Education conducted the workshop that specializes in working with the niche segment of those high school students from India, who wish to pursue under- graduate studies in the US. Mr Govil informed that the company aims in redefining the overseas admissions counselling process and strongly believes in empowering the students to make the right choices for themselves in their pursuit of higher education in America. He interacted with the students and pointed out that if they seek to pursue courses from Princeton, Harvard, Stephen's, Yales or Columbia Universities, they should focus on academic grades in their final exams. He stressed the need for a good recommendation by the school.
Mr Govil also underscored how the US Education System has emerged as a forerunner in overseas courses and preferences, thus becoming synonymous with world class education. There are numerous advantages that it offers to its students like worldwide recognition, academic flexibility, state-of-the art infrastructure and better scholar opportunities, world class faculty and diverse cultural exposure.

Summer Internship Attended by X & XI students at Vedatya Institute

Shalom Hills International in collaboration with Vedatya has been offering short term internships to students from class X, XI and XII in different areas of Management and Hospitality Operations. Almost 20 students had participated in two-week program designed to give interns a platform to explore themselves and increase their knowledge and technical skills in specific themes like - Exploring food, Digital Marketing, Hospitality Events and Entrepreneurship, wherein students learnt about different career options of industry interface for students.
During the week budding entrepreneurs presented their innovative ideas at the Dragons Den. The 'Dragons' or the 'Venture Capitalists', were amazed to see the efforts and ideas put forward by the young minds.
The Culinary program provided a platform for passionate individuals to hone their culinary skills and act as a stepping stone for budding chefs who may like to consider a future career in the vibrant sphere of culinary arts. The four days Program was based on training in kitchen operations in a fun way and included inputs on key tasks, knowledge, and skill components. The internship theme of event management was quite interactive and included tasks like questionnaire as per the themes, layout of a venue, drawing a function prospectus, which will have operational details for operating team. Students designed themes to the likes of Hawaiian, Masquerade, Rain dance to name a few.
Sessions on digital marketing took place where it was talked about Facebook ads, Twitter, Instagram. Case studies were also explained in context to companies which have gained digital advantage and made themselves famous through digital media. It was indeed a fun-filled, interactive and learning based program for young minds to explore various career options in their future.

Playnomics Workshop Report 17th MAY 2018

View

The resource persons, Ms Navni Kothari, a faculty at ISBF and Ms Vani Khanna, a manager at ISBF, were experts in their domain and conducted the workshop flawlessly. The make-belief world economy reflected the real world economy, which was an addition to the workshop.

The session was quite interactive as well as informative as the activity conducted by the resource persons was about the World Trade Market.

Activity Report

1. Students were divided into groups of six each and assigned a country each.

2. Each group had a team representative for carrying the economic transactions such as buying, selling, negotiating etc.

3. The market was open for 25 minutes.

4. Each team/country was given an envelope having stationery meant to represent a country's resources to produce goods (in this case paper shapes) and funds.

5. Each country had different resources and money to start the trade, i.e few were rich and few were poor.

6. At the end growth was measured.

The resource persons also introduced Absolute Advantage Theory and Comparative Advantage Theory, and narrated the growth story of Botswana.

Overall, the workshop was successful and had the students taking interest and actively participating.

CAREER COUNSELLING WORKSHOP FOR GRADES X, XI & XII APRIL 18, 2018

In an endeavor to provide additional information to the students to help them make informed choices, Shalom Hills International School organized a career counseling session for the students of grades X, XI & XII. The young and dynamic resource person, Mr. Abhishek, well understood the needs of the times and kept the students engaged by putting questions to them and sharing anecdotes with them.
He apprised the students about their options to study abroad and gave guidelines on how and when to prepare for the entrances. He informed the students that after China, India has the maximum number of students going abroad to study. He listed some of the advantages of studying abroad and updated them about some upcoming fields in the career industry like-Robotics, Data Analysis, Artificial intelligence, Oceanography, Psychologist etc, which the students could explore.
Overall, it was an interesting and informative session.

Life Skill Workshop

In an attempt to equip children to face pressures and problems of life, a workshop on Life Skills and Peer Pressure was organized for the students of grade VI at IILM, Gurgaon. Accompanied by their teachers, the children visited the IILM Campus on April 6 & 9, 2018 to attend the Life Skill workshop conducted by Dr. Soma Vikas.
The workshop began with an informal interaction with the children, their goals in life, school, friends etc. This was followed by a discussion on their negative and positive approaches. The children learnt many things about peer pressure, appropriate behavior etc. They watched a video and took part in some activities. They learnt how to face problems in day to day life and to develop the confidence to “believe in themselves”.
The session proved to be very helpful for the students in understanding the pressures of life and the right approach towards them.

Hindi Work Shop for Grade VIII Students 12th April 2018

A work shop highlighting the importance of Hindi Vyakran was conducted by Dr. Mukta on 12 April 2018. In this work shop, the students of Grade VIII learnt many interesting and new things about Hindi Lekhen Bhag. The knowledge the students gained from and during the course of this work shop will help them to understand Hindi language more easily in future. The students enjoyed the session and interacted freely with the resource person.

Workshop on Aggression Management by Peer Moderators 21st April 2018

Peer Moderators from Shalom, who had attended the workshop in Fortis Hospital, showed full enthusiasm in spreading awareness among their peers in managing anger within the classroom settings.
They told the difference between Anger & Aggression by highlighting that 'Anger' is an emotion that can be good or bad, need not be directed at others and is normal and natural, whereas 'Aggression' is behaviour, is always harmful, directed at others and can be controlled. Aggression most of the time is learnt from friends, family, community and media. Aggression also means defying authorities, bullying, yelling, breaking, interrupting, intending sarcasm, gossiping, spreading rumours, excluding or sitting alone.
It was explained by the moderators that to control aggression one needs to divert his/her mind by finding alternative solutions, empathizing, regularizing breathing, writing a diary or blog, going for a jog, stopping the blame game and writing a Q-word that associates with happiness.
Guided by the Senior Counsellor, the moderators prepared the presentation and planned activities which were well appreciated by the children of classes IX & X.

Psychology Workshop on Career Counselling April 20, 2018

A highly informative and interactive Psychology workshop on CAREER COUNSELLING was organized by Ms Aex from US, Webster University for all the students of grade XI and the students of XII-C. The workshop started with a very interesting activity where one child was suppose to dance and other kids were asked to follow that. It was later followed by a discussion on human behavior. Using the example of Nazism and Hitler rule and the harsh behavior shown by them, she tried to make the children understand the reason behind their own or other individuals' reasons for behaving in a particular way.
She also described an experiment based on obedience to the children. This interactive and informative workshop helped the children to understand the core of human behavior and the reason for the same.

Career Counselling Workshop for Grade IX April 16 & 19, 2018

In an endeavour to provide additional information to the students to help them make informed choices, Shalom Hills International School organized a career counseling session at IILM. The young and dynamic resource person, Professor Urvashi Nandrajog, well understood the needs of the times and kept the students engaged by putting questions to them and through various activities. She commenced the session by asking the students to define career. After eliciting appropriate responses from them she informed the students that before one can make correct career decisions, one must be able to define who one is. She took the students on a journey to know themselves and to comprehend the difference between their interests and aptitudes, through interesting activities.
Henceforth, she gave a broad outline of some of the careers that they could opt for and how they could begin to prepare for them.
The students found the session very informative and fruitful.

Hindi Workshop for Grade VI students 19th April 2018

A work shop highlighting the importance of Hindi Vyakran was conducted by Dr. Rama Gupta for the students of grade VI on 19 April 2018. This workshop helped the students of Grade VI to learn many interesting and new things about the Hindi Vyakran Bhag. The knowledge the students gained from and during the course of this work shop will help them to appreciate and understand the Hindi language more easily.
The session proved to be very informative and productive. The students enjoyed the session and interacted freely with the resource person.

Workshop on Aggression Management

The Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme is an initiative taken by Fortis Group of Mental Health Department which provides a platform for students to learn application-based life skills through the medium of interactive workshops. The theme of today's workshop was 'Aggression Management' which was attended by Ms Bhupinder Kaur- Senior Counsellor along with the students of class IX & X on 11th April'2018. The children from different schools participated as moderators to learn and spread awareness on 'What Aggression is, its Types, Bystander's Role, Consequences of aggression and How it can be managed'.
Ms Chitwan Kaur & Ms Mimansa Singh headed the workshop and told the difference between Anger & Aggression. Anger is an emotion that can be good or bad, need not be directed at others and is normal and natural, whereas Aggression is a behaviour, is always harmful, directed at others and can be controlled. Aggression most of the time is learnt from friends, family, community and media. Aggression also means defying authorities, bullying, yelling, breaking, interrupting, intending sarcasm, gossiping, spreading rumours, excluding or sitting alone. The concept of bullying was also explained in detail through various activities.
Aggression can be managed by Identifying its triggers for e.g watch your thoughts, catch it at the right time; Channelize Your Anger by expressing yourself, problem solving; channelize your energy and be regular with sleep, appetite and recreation. Build Empathy- by stopping the blame game as blaming does not give solutions, by putting yourself in other's shoes, listening to others' views, reasoning it out and trying to 'forgive'. Become Assertive- focus upon style of communication- Being an Aggressive, Passive, Passive Aggressor & Assertive. Children were helped in giving assertive responses in different situations.
Finally, a Role Paly activity was done by segregating children into different groups who campaigned on 'Life Without Aggression' through Enactment, Poster Making & Story Telling.

WORKSHOP ON “MOTHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP”

A highly informative, interactive and activity based workshop was conducted on March 24, 2018, in the school, by the Psychology teacher Ms. Mitu Singh. The students of Grade XII with their respective mothers participated in this activity and indeed shaped the purpose of this workshop. The aim of the activity was to redefine and enhance the mother-daughter bond. It was based on different activities like-
1. Activity 1- Blindfolding- based on trust factor.
2. Activity 2- Chinese whisper- based on communication factor. This activity had two parts- one where the daughter conveyed the message to her mother and the other in which a big chain was formed through which a message was passed on and later was spoken aloud by the last member.
3. Activity 3- Questionnaire related to web relationship.
Over all it was a very enjoyable experience, both for the students and their mothers. The mothers really enjoyed all the activities which contributed in strengthening this bond.
The parents thanked the School for giving them this great opportunity to be a part of this workshop and help develop a better understanding and bond with their daughters.

Workshop on “Puberty in boys” February 21, 2018

The Health and Wellness Department of Shalom Hills International conducted a workshop for boys of grade V on the topic “Puberty in boys” on 21.02.18. It was conducted by Ms. Kristna, junior counselor of the primary wing. At the onset, she asked the boys about their knowledge and awareness on how they grow. She emphasized that changes occur in every boy's life and is a natural process that everyone needs to accept and behave accordingly. The resource person emphasized that puberty is a time of big changes in body, mind, and life. During one's teenage years, one's body will go through several changes as one becomes an adult. This body development is called puberty. At the start of puberty one will notice hair growing under arms, and face, chest, and legs. One may also develop acne (pimples). Later in puberty, one begins to grow taller and your voice starts to change and get lower.
The resource person also stressed that puberty starts at different times for everyone. It can start as early as 10 years and as late as 14 or 15 years. Every boy goes through puberty at his own pace. The timing of how one's body grows is determined mostly by genes, which means that it is inherited from one's parents. Poor nutrition can also affect puberty. That's why healthy eating is important.
Following Tips were given to the children for understanding growth and accepting it with grace and dignity:
1. Adolescents should be comfortable to discuss things with their parents and seek advises from time to time.
2. Being educated about puberty gives confidence in dealing with it.
3. Accepting physical change is very important.
4. It's a natural change so one should be prepared for it.
5. Unnecessary discussion and worrying should be avoided.
6. Puberty can start early in some while late in some.
7. Getting educated on this topic will help them to remain calm.
The session was an interactive one and the resource person made sure that every student present there actively participated in the discussion for better understanding of the topic and accepts any physical or mental change gracefully.

Workshop on Peer Pressure 20th February 2018

“What kind of peer pressure you receive says a lot about your peer group.”
Peer pressure can be a huge problem for young children. Depending on the person's social group, peer pressure represents social influences. The guidance to children is needed every time in all aspects to cope up peer pressure. Proper guidance plays an important role in preparing the child for dealing with the pressure they face from their peers.
The Workshop on Peer pressure was conducted by Dr. Alka Saxena, a consultant from The Times of India- NIE organized by Ms.Preeti Agarwal (Librarian). There were 4 sessions of 40 minutes each for students of classes –VI-VII, who were divided into two groups as per the classes.
It was apprised by the speaker that Peer pressure can be both negative and positive, which was also well exemplified through the video presentations on peer pressure. The main highlights of the workshop were psychology of the peer, communicative feelings in a direct and open ways, consequences and coping mechanisms.
Ms. Saxena explained to the students how to avoid certain situations by using assertive communication by saying 'No' to peer pressure. 'Stay with the people and share their feelings'; 'Learn to make good decisions', was the advice given by her.

Workshop on “Classroom Behaviour and Refrain from using abusive words” February 19, 2018

The Health and Wellness Department of Shalom Hills International conducted a workshop for boys of class IV on the topic “Classroom Behaviour” on 19.02.18. It was conducted by Ms. Kristna, junior counselor of the primary wing. The workshop highlighted the basic classroom rules that every student must adhere to. At the onset, the counselor asked the children about their knowledge and awareness about the code of conduct. She then went on to explain about listening skills and the importance of respecting others. She also emphasized on refraining from the use of abusive language. The medium of communication is English and everyone must speak in English and limit the use of Hindi only to Hindi slots. One should maintain the decorum of the school and groom up to be ideal students.
Following Tips were given to the children for understanding classroom behavior:
1. More of listening and less of speaking.
2. Only speaking when required.
3. No using abusive words, if used action would be taken.
4. Speaking in English and politely too.
5. Habit of complaining to be controlled.
6. Raising hands to speak.
7. Following instruction and minding oneself.
8. Getting the stationary required from home, avoid asking from others.
9. Proper body posture to be maintained.
10. Behavior should be given equal importance as academics.
The session was an interactive one and the resource person made sure that every student present took instructions and followed them.

Grade IV Edu-Trip to Parle Factory at Bhadurgarh 17th February 2018

An excited grade IV was waiting to board their buses, to go to the Parle Factor in Bhadurgarh, at 7.45 in the morning on the 17th of February.
It took us close to two hours to reach the factory. The excitement of the students kept rising with each passing minute.
On reaching there the group was escorted to an auditorium with a large screen connected to a computer, and comfortable seats for the students to sit on. A young lady executive addressed everyone and showed a movie about the inception, process, hygiene and packaging of their products. There was a short, child-friendly movie that took us on a visual round with two young children along with their superhero toy, showing us the various steps involved in making their products, from kneading of the dough to the crispy crackle of the biscuit in the mouth. She also apprised us about the other factories in different parts of India producing various products of Parle.
The students were then taken on a round through the visitor seeing gallery to see how the biscuits, wafers and crunchy fingers were made in the said factory.
It was an exciting and informative trip which rounded off very well for the students as each of them was gifted with a packet of crunchy fingers and two candies.

Workshop on Examination Tips for VI-XI 25th Jan-1st Feb 2018

“Exams are always stressful”; keeping this quote in mind, like every year Shalom Hills took one more initiative by conducting a workshop on “Examination Tips” and how to de-stress before the examination which was taken up by the Health & Wellness Department In-charge, Ms Bhupinder Kaur along with Ms Mitu Singh, for the students of classes VI-XI.
The students were made to understand & differentiate between positive & negative stress and how to cope with negative stress whenever there is an external pressure, peer pressure, need to excel, societal demands & expectations, and incapability to achieve, that affects their self-esteem, which in turn, results in poor performance during examination.
The children were encouraged to recognize their strengths & challenges and make mini goals by creating a study schedule. Fulfilment of targets is self-rewarding that enhances one's performance. Studying for longer hours will not have effective learning as according to psychologists, human attention span lasts only for 45 minutes which varies from individual to individual. Taking 15-20 minutes break in between is a MUST. This can be utilized by talking to parents- adding up humour, strolling outside, playing a sport, relaxation exercises, visual concentration building activities like 'e'-exercise or listening to instrumental music which will help them to enhance their attention-span and feel relaxed.
It was emphasised that they refrain from watching T.V or reading story books. Other techniques like mnemonics, skimming, breaking difficult content into chunks, healthy diet, and avoiding use of caffeine were also a part of the discussion. The students were also helped with Do's & Don'ts before & after entering the examination room that will help reduce anxiety.

DELHI DYNAMOS FOOTBALL WORKSHOP

A Football workshop was organized by the Delhi Dynamos Football Club in our school on 05/02/18 (Monday) with more than 550 students participating in it. The workshop conducted in four batches, mainly focused on developing the basic techniques of the game in the budding sportspersons.
Batch 1 consisted of 161 Grade III & Grade V selected students.
Batch 2 consisted of 193 Grade IV & Grade V selected students.
Batch 3 consisted of 124 Grade VI to VIII selected students.
Batch 4 consisted of 100 Grade IX to XI selected students.
The students gave an overwhelming response in the workshop and it turned out to be very exciting and a great learning experience for the students. The experts appreciated the interest shown by the children and proposed to have more such learning sessions in future.

JR. NBA BASKETBALL WORKSHOP

A basketball workshop was organized by the Jr. National Basketball Association in our school on 03/02/18 (Saturday) where more than 150 students participated. The workshop conducted mainly focused on developing the basic techniques of the game in the young kids.
The students gave an overwhelming response to the workshop and it turned out to be very exciting and a great learning experience for the students. The experts appreciated the interest shown by the children and proposed to have more such learning sessions in future.

Webinar organized for Grade X on Exam and Study Skills 31st January 2018

Another session of Webinar on Exam & Study Skills was conducted with the class X students to promote the emotional well-being of students during exams, by the Health & Wellness department of SHIS in association with “Fortis School Mental Health Program”. The online interactions allowed the students across the country to reach out to Dr. Parikh directly unhindered by geographical barriers.
Before the start of one hour long session of Webinar, Ms Bhupinder Kaur- In charge Health & Wellness department, apprised the students about exam stress due to boards and how to manage it. She also briefed them about the objective behind conducting the Webinar.
Mr Parikh gave the children an insight on study tips and told the children to create the right environment to study at their table and to avoid studying on the bed. Keeping an uncluttered study table, watching minimal TV, time planning, listening to instrumental music, playing a sport, avoiding intake of caffeine, healthy diet and good sleep for at least 7-8 hours is a must. To enhance visual concentration students were guided to do the 'e' exercise while taking breaks in the maintained study schedule. Children who are more relaxed perform better as compared to the students who are stressed and awake till late hours. The students were also guided to do self-evaluation by taking weekly self-tests & reviews of the performance and to reward and rate themselves on a five point scale.
Mr Parikh said that typically memory loss takes place within the first 24 hours of studying and then weekly. For best results they can maintain a revision chart on day 1, 2, 7, 15 and 30 to monitor their progress. While revising they should read only the notes and the highlighted sections by doing skimming and using the technique of Mnemonics.
He also encouraged the students to reach out to their teachers/counsellors for help in case of stress.
Webinar concluded with a question and answer round in which Mr Parikh interacted with the students and answered the students' queries through the chat box for open and direct communication.

Workshop on “Puberty in Girls” January 19, 2018

The junior counselor of the primary wing, Ms.Kristna, Health and Wellness Department of Shalom Hills International School conducted a workshop for girls of classes IV and V on the topic -“Puberty”. Girls are unprepared for puberty and develop negativity to this transition. Girls feel they lack the information and readiness to cope with the onset of menstruation.
The session started with the counselor asking the girls about their knowledge and awareness on the topic to make them feel comfortable. She also went on to explain things that are shown in the television advertisements. The session was an interactive one and the resource person made sure that every student present there actively participated in the discussion for better understanding of the topic and learnt to accept any physical or mental change gracefully. Emphasizing that such changes are a natural process and occur in every girl's life, she encouraged the girls to acknowledge the fact that growing is inevitable and a part of every girl's journey towards adulthood.
Following Tips were given to the children for understanding growth and accepting it with grace and dignity:

• 1. "Puberty is the cornerstone of reproductive development”.
• 2. The age of breast development is at the age of 8 to 10 yrs.
• 3. Adolescents should be comfortable to discuss things with their mothers and teachers and seek advises from time to time.
• 4. Being educated about puberty gives confidence in dealing with it.
• 5. Accepting physical change is very important.
• 6. It's a natural change so one should be prepared for it.

Workshop on Personality Plus 21st December 2017

“Personality is an unbroken series of successful Gestures.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald

School plays an important role in the personality development of students. This is the need of the hour as it is essential for the holistic development of children in the competitive world.
The workshop on Personality Plus was conducted by Ms.Seema Nagar consultant from Times of India-NIE organized by Ms. Preeti Agarwal (Librarian). There were three sessions of 50 minutes each for students of classes -VIII-IX, who were divided into three groups as per the classes.
The entire session was based on Communication skills, Personality development and appropriate Body Language. The topics explained in the session were Verbal and non-verbal behavior, Public speaking, Articulation, Language fluency, Accent reduction, Importance of speaking skills, Nervousness when speaking in public meetings.etc.
Ms. Nagar encouraged students to give their self explanatory behavior in reference to their peers. She also suggested how to maintain sitting posture in public places.
She tried inculcating these skills with respect to students' lifestyle so that they can enhance their personality in their chosen fields.

Webinar on Exam and Study Skills for Grade X 20th December 2017

To promote the emotional well-being of students during exams, Health & Wellness department of SHIS in association with “Fortis School Mental Health Program”, organized a series of Webinars on Study & Exam Skills by eminent psychiatrist, Dr Samir Parikh. The online interactions allowed the students across the country to reach out to Dr Parikh directly unhindered by geographical barriers.
Before the start of one hour long session of Webinar, Ms Bhupinder Kaur- In charge Health & Wellness department, guided the students about managing exam stress due to boards. She also briefed them about the objective behind conducting the Webinar.
Webinar covered the points such as goal setting and prioritizing, enhancing memory and concentration, coping with exam pressure and developing the right attitude towards examination.
Mr Parikh provided the children guidelines on the right environment to study - avoid studying in bed or watching TV and listening to music while studying and getting a good sleep for at least 7-8 hours. It was even specified that wearing school uniform while solving a 3 hr question paper will help them to adapt to the same environment that arouses anxiety. Children who are more relaxed perform better as compared to the students who are stressed and stay awake for long hours. They were also told to do self-evaluation by taking weekly self-tests and to rate themselves on a scale of 0-5 regarding their own sincerity level.
Mr Parikh stated that typically the maximum memory loss takes place within the first 24 hours of studying. For best results they can maintain a revision chart of revising on days 1, 2,7,15 and 30 to monitor the progress. While revising they should read only the notes and the highlighted sections by doing skimming and using the technique of Mnemonics.
Webinar concluded with a question-answer round with Mr Parikh answering the student's queries through the chat box for open and direct communication.

Workshop on Exam & Study Skills at FMRI, Gurgaon 30th Nov, 2017

The quarterly based workshops organized by Fortis Memorial Research Hospital, Gurgaon through Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program helps the moderators to learn life-skills through activities, role plays, art and interactive discussions. Ritish (XI-B), Karan Shawney (XI-B), Shreya (XI-A), Aryan Bhatia (IX-A), Trisha Carville (IX-B) & VarnikaGangani (IX-B) attended the workshop accompanied by the senior counselor Ms Bhupinder Kaur.
The workshop was conducted by a team of clinical psychologists Ms Chitwan Kaur & Ms Aditi Kaul. The workshop started with fun activities like making a tower from balloons, blind folded activity, multi–tasking & learning lyrics. Children were also made to distinguish between myths & facts like- Memory Pills help?Smoking is a stress buster!Coffee helps you stay awake at night, Multitasking help saves timeetc.
The workshop helped in understanding the importance of making study schedule effectively by studying SMART and not by studying HARD. Goals should be made specific, measurable, achievable, and realistic and time bound. Children were encouraged to prioritize their tasks, & by activity scheduling.It was stressed to STOP procrastinating which will help them in introspecting to identify excuses, to work on easier tasks first, commitment to finish task, breaking large tasks into smaller units, seeking help when the task seems difficult, eliminating distractions, taking breaks to avoid wearing down and Rewarding yourself!
Key study skills to beat the exam stress were discussed like studying in a proper environment by minimizing distractions, studying for 40-45 minutes at a stretch with regular breaks of 5-10 minutes each, 15 minutes to listen to instrumental music, doing 'e' exercise improves focus and attention span. Fast reading and focusing on key words helps concentration and learning. Highlighting words and phrases, note making and use of Mnemonics and also self-testing helps students in evaluating themselves better before the examinations.

Eco Club Activity- Workshop on “Alag Karo”

A special workshop was conducted on 25TH November 2017 for the students of classes VI-VIII. Volunteers from 'SAAHAS' (NGO) Ms Sonia and Ms Gauri addressed the programme. Team 'Alag Karo' had a very interactive session with the children in which the students were sensitized towards the emerging issue of waste disposal and its management. They quoted statistics of the current scenario of waste generation and explained to the students about different types of waste generated at different levels. They used a PPT to make students aware about the '4-Bin' systems which can help in waste segregation.
Students were informed about the 3R`s – Reduce, reuse and recycle and also explained about various innovative things that can be made from waste by showing a notebook made from tetra pack. Students took a lot of interest in the workshop and interacted actively to clear their queries. At the end, they took an oath that they will sensitize their near and dear ones regarding the same and will segregate all the waste produced by them.

National Symposium On Higher Education 16th November' 17

The workshop on CAREER COUNSELING NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON HIGHER EDUCATION was conducted by DPS SCHOOL Gurgaon Sector 45. This workshop was a joint initiative of Institute of Counselor Training Research and Consultancy and Delhi Public School, Gurgaon. The workshop was attended by the students of Grade XII accompanied by their Psychology Teacher, Miss Mitu Singh and Math HOD Mr. Nirender Sharma.
The AIM of the Symposium was to help senior school students to make informed decisions about their higher education.
There were many speakers like, famous Psychologist Dr. Ravindra, Dr. Sk Salwan and Project Coordinator of ICTRC Mr. Keshav S.
Dr. Ravindra separately addressed the students and solved their queries. They were free to ask any doubt.
There was also a special session of all the teachers with Dr. Ravindra, in which he discussed the topic “What is counseling”. He discussed many points related to counseling like- Areas to cover while assigning streams to class X students. Such as-
1. Intellectual ability
2. Aptitude test
3. Interest factor
4. Personality of Child and
5. Value system
The workshop was very informative and provided guidance to the students regarding choice of their higher studies.

Workshop organized for Grade IX on Substance Abuse 15th November 2017

Shalom Hills believes in educating and sensitizing the children regarding life threatening behaviours. A workshop on Substance Abuse with 9th Graders was organized with the help of Clinical Psychologist, Ms Jasmine, of Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon.
She apprised the children about the harmful and hazardous use of psychoactive substances that hamper one's mood, behaviour and consciousness. She explained how childhood is a vulnerable age when substance dependency is easy to fall into. This leads to hallucinations, accidental deaths, crime, violence, and low self-control on body. Children due to lack of awareness, family expectation/conflicts, peer pressure- to fit in, low self-esteem, poor performance in school, wrong role modelling, boredom, try to relieve stress by becoming easy prey to drugs.
Ms Jasmine helped the children to clearly distinguish between myths and facts related to drugs. For example drugs relieve stress, help deal with problems; make you forget troubles; but once effect wears off trouble still there; initial rush these drugs provide can soon turn into paranoia, hostility, panic and so on….
The children were advised to stay assertive and firmly say NO to substance/drugs by responding quickly, maintaining good eye contact, continuing to repeat the word “no” despite the arguments/pressure put by others.
The children showed an interest and participated in Question & Answer round enthusiastically. It was indeed an interactive & learning based session that helped the students to understand the ill effects of substance consumption.

Excursion to National Museum and National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi 27 October 2017

Seeing original pieces of art authenticates the learning experience of students allowing them to study and appreciate great works of art. The Fine Arts students of Grades XI & XII got the opportunity to enjoy the artworks of great master of different eras when 25 students, accompanied by their teachers Mr. M. K. Quadri and Ms. Mitu singh, visited two museums situated in New Delhi. The purpose of the visit was to give the students exposure of Indian art that is included in their course of study. In both the museums, the guides explained important points. The students listened carefully and jotted down points for future reference.
Overall the educational trip was a pleasurable one, and very enriching and enjoyable.

Class XII Students Participate in Budding Chef Competition 11th October 2017

Shalom Hills always initiates career based programs for senior students which helps them in building and exploring their strengths and aptitudes. Monika Bhati and Rupal Tyagi of Grade XII participated in the Budding Chef Competition organized by Vedatya Institute on 11th October 2017. They were accompanied by their teacher Ms. Ambika Yadav. The first round was the preliminary round in which they had to prepare one starter and one desert. Fifteen schools participated in this competition from all over the NCR. It was a great experience for the students.
All the students were given two hours time to prepare their dishes and 15 minutes for presentation. Our students displayed tyheir culinary skills by preparing 'Spinach & Cheese Cannelloni' for starter and 'Chocolate Cup Mousse' as desert.
The programme covered both, Hospitality Management and Business Management, which provided a real world perspective to the students in the Hospitality, Food & Culinary industry. It was an enthralling experience for them to understand their potentials. The Institute had also arranged a session for teachers on 'Teaching Methodology' by Prof Sudhanshu Bhushan, who shared his experiences. The teachers also shared their views on Teaching Methodology and on digital learning. It was an enlightening interactive session.

Workshop on Bullying 14th Sep-27th Sep 2017

A two week campaign on Anti-Bullying was initiated for all classes from I- XII by the Health & Wellness Department of the school on bullying, to create an awareness among the children about the risks involved with regard to child safety and simple preventive measures that can be taken to reduce these risks.
A session was planned with the help of the counsellors along with the teachers for the children of different ages, giving them age-appropriate inputs about simple concepts covering bullying, internet bullying and internet predators, other forms of victimization, physical abuse and sexual bullying. Bullying as a concept, and physical abuse in particular, where a child is frequently kicked or pushed and therefore hurt physically, is far easier to understand, report and manage for the school, as part of its Anti-bullying policy.
The psychology of a Bully and the long term effects on victims was discussed in detail. The children were encouraged to help the victims by giving them the assurance of support. It was emphasised to not leave the incidents unreported as it encourages the violent behaviour of a bully. It should be sensitively managed by informing an adult, teacher or a counsellor.
Help is also needed by Bullies to learn social emotional skills like respect, compassion, guilt, remorse and empathy. The children from various sections paid attention to the presentation and showed maximum participation in the discussion, and many cases of bullying were reported thereafter.

Workshop on Food Safety and Nutrition 6th September, 2017

A workshop on food safety and nutrition was conducted for students of Grade 3 by the representatives from FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India).
The workshop highlighted the importance of safe and nutritious food. This was explained in an effective way through a small play. This play had interesting characters of a boy and a girl discussing the importance of eating nutritious food. One superman and one superwoman depicting good health were also part of the play. These four cartoon characters were able to hold the attention of the students and explain to them the importance of eating safe and healthy food. The play emphasized three key words: deficiency, essential nutrients and fortified food.
The importance of using Tetra-pack was also discussed. The children were told about the emerging trends in food nutrition. They were told how different proposals are being planned to fortify food with essential nutrients and vitamins. The workshop concluded with a small question-answer session. The students could correctly answer all the questions that were asked.

Scratch Workshop For Shalom Students August 9, 2017

Shalomites of Grades VI to VIII attended a workshop related to the animation program, “SCRATCH” in Shalom Presidency School. They were accompanied by Ms. Sarika, the subject in-charge of Computer Science. All the students of Shalom Presidency from Grades VI to VIII also attended this workshop which gave the students detailed information about the program - its uses, its importance etc. The workshop was conducted by a team of “Next Education”. Mr. Mohit was the trainer. The students learnt how SCRATCH 2.0 works, various options present in the Scratch Window, how to enter the command so that students can create an animation.
All the students had a “Hands On” session wherein they practically implemented the concepts of SCRATCH. The first activity was to create a box inside a box and the second activity was to make a maze game. It was really a very interesting and interactive session. The agenda of the workshop was very simple- Learn By Fun. At the end a quiz was conducted related to the topic for better understanding. Next Education Team distributed CDs in which there were free and open source softwares for Grades 1 to 10.

Educational & Career Based Seminar by USA UnivQuest 5th August 2017

In collaboration with USA UnivQuest(USAUQ - a leading organisation that prepares students for seeking admission to world's best universities)its faculty hosted a seminar in SHIS for senior graders and encouraged the participants/students to enrol and register themselves for the STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2017 AWARDS, an activity which aims at giving talented students an opportunity to showcase their talent and participate for honours at City & National level.
Mr. Sameer Kumar, the co-speaker along with his team, briefed the students about the contest that offers following benefits to students:

• An opportunityto avail National & City Rewards, a recognition that will matter throughout their life.
• A life time opportunity for every participant to undergo an interaction with USAUQ experts to define Career Goals & best possible routes to achieve success.
• The exercise costs about Rs 15,000/-, but is Free for all students who register for SOTY 2017 Awards.
• A unique benefit to gain tremendous visibility among top universities in India, USA and other countries, as performance in SOTY 2017 will attract attention.
• Application Process Experience to meet the criteria being followed by world's top universities, specifically in USA.
• Every Student who appears for Process will receive “Certificate of HONOUR”.

Mr Sameer apprised the students and gave the example of Tazeen Ahmed and Kenneth Lobo of SHIS who have won the accolades and gained recognition by winning SOTY City Awards with Silver and Gold Medal in 2016.
The students also enjoyed a quiz in which few questions on various Universities were asked. At the end a magazine was distributed to each child that holds the information of various selection process to register themselves for SOTY. The magazine was beautifully designed with the pictures of SOTY achievers at National level.

ICAE Global University Fair 5th August 2017

Shalom Hills International School once again successfully hosted the Global University Fair for high school children of Grades XI & XII, which was conducted and organized by the faculty members of International Centre for Advancement in Education, New Delhi. A team of international admissions officers/counsellors from renowned universities, visited the school campus and brought years of experience in admissions, counselling and guidance that helped in providing information to students, counsellors and other education providers in the school by interacting with them under one roof.
The few top tentative universities that were part of this tour were:
University of Victoria (Canada), University of Ottawa (Canada), Ashoka University; NIIT University, ISBF- University of London, California State University (USA), Instituto Marangoni (Milan, London, Paris), University of Limric Ireland, Ashoka University, SRH Berlin, Indian School of Art & Design, Flame University (India).
The broad objectives of holding the fair was to create awareness about the undergraduate education opportunities available in these universities; to facilitate interaction between the faculty/students and the visiting admission officers, thereby enabling a discussion about the application processes, choice of programs, finalizing a suitable course and any other topic relevant for studying abroad; to enable exchange of ideas between the management of the school and the visiting delegates in order to establish stronger links for potential collaborations in the future.
The students appreciated the event which was organized with the help of the school management and expressed their desire for the fair to be again held for those students who missed the opportunity to attend the same which has given them the wonderful experience to explore various career options available at undergraduate level.

Workshop on “Mother Daughter Relationship”

A highly informative, interactive and activity based workshop was conducted on July 29, 2017, in the school, by the Psychology teacher Ms. Mitu Singh, with the support of the School Counsellor, Ms. Bhupinder and the Science Subject-head Ms. Vimla. The aim of the activity, in which the students of Grade XII-C and their mothers participated, was to redefine and enhance the mother-daughter bond. It was based on different activities like-
1. Activity 1- Blindfolding- based on trust factor.
2. Activity 2- Chinese whisper- based on communication factor. This activity had two parts- one where the daughter conveyed the message to her mother and the other in which a big chain was formed through which a message was passed on and later was spoken aloud by the last member.
3. Activity 3- Questionnaire related to web relationship.
Over all it was a very enjoyable experience, both for the students and their mothers. The mothers really enjoyed all the activities which contributed in strengthening this bond.
The parents thanked the School for giving them this great opportunity to be a part of this workshop and help to develop a better understanding and bond with their daughters.
In the words of the parents - “Very good and enriching experience. Hope to see everyone again soon.”

Eliminate Hepatitis

July 25th to 31st, marks as the World Hepatitis Week. In a bid to make the students aware of such health issues, Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, organized a workshop - "Training the Trainer". Gracing the awareness program was Dr. Neelam Mohan, from the department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Liver Transplantation.
All the twenty participating schools were introduced and duly praised for their effort. To begin with, the students were given detailed yet precise presentations on Hepatitis A, B, C, and E, with special focus on A and B.
In order to encourage active participation, the workshop kicked off with an impromptu skit and poster making competition. Three students, out of a group of four representing Shalom Hills International School, took up poster making, with enthusiasm. The remaining student practiced their hand at a 'Nukkad Naatak', the said impromptu skit, for detailing out how our society is ignorant towards Hepatitis.
The hall, where the poster making was being conducted, overflowed with creativity, and zeal helping the students to gain knowledge first hand.
Concluding the workshop, Dr. Mohan gave away prizes to the most creative and informative posters. The students learnt most profoundly, and got motivated to spread the word about the gravity of Hepatitis situation in India, and the requisite measures to be taken to eliminate it.

Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme Attended by Grade XI Students 21st July 2017

A workshop on Risk Behaviour Management, as a part of Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme, was attended by the students of Grade XI, namely Vidhi Rohatgi, Aarushi, Vikrant Singh and Piyansh Noni, accompanied by the Senior Counsellor- Ms Bhupinder Kaur. The Pro-Social Peer Moderator Programme is a unique platform for students to learn application based life-skills through the medium of interactive workshops. The programme endeavours to equip students with the skills required to navigate through the plethora of social influences that come their way and support the adoption of healthy and adaptive behaviours. Conceptualized as a peer education initiative, the participants of the workshop are trained to become peer trainers for classmates and junior students in their respective schools.
The workshop was carried ahead by Ms Geetika and her team who explained the enthusiastic moderators from various schools of Gurgaon the concept of Risk Behaviour by identifying its factors and causes, analysing & reviewing them and developing strategies to prevent and reduce negative consequences of risk behaviours, and inculcating skills to engage in healthy risk taking alternatives. The moderators were able to learn skills through group activities like AD MAD Show, Mask Activity, Videos, and Role Play. The facilitators helped the moderators in giving them the solutions in 4 steps in how to say NO and to resist peer pressure as well as to risk taking behaviours.

• Step 1: Self-Awareness
• Step 2: Evaluating Risk
• Step 3: Express yourself Assertively
• Step 4: Find alternate options

Class XI Students Attend Summer Internship 5th June-16th June

Shalom Hills always initiates career based programs for senior students which helps them in building and exploring their strengths and aptitudes. During the summer vacations, a Summer Internship programme, organized by Vedatya Institute, was attended by the Class XI students. The range of options being offered were such as Exploring Food, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality, Digital Marketing etc, to introduce the students to contemporary themes that have the potential to be developed into career paths, and also to provide values in terms of skills and knowledge required to enhance 'life skills' in general.
The short term five day Internship programme was designed to help the students to explore and enhance their knowledge and technical skills in specific themes. The programme covered both, the Hospitality Management and Business Management, which provided a real world perspective to the students in the Hospitality, Food & Culinary, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Research and Event Management industry.
The students of SHIS of Grade XI from the Commerce stream had enrolled themselves for “Learning to Manage Hospitality Events” AND “Digital Marketing and E- Business” which were covered in 15 days in two different slots. It was an enthralling experience for them to understand their potentials and to choose careers in their respective field of interest after class XII.

Workshop on Media Literacy conducted by students of Grade VIII & IX on May 6, 2107

A highly informative and interactive workshop on Pro-Social Media Literacy was organized by Ms Mitu Singh, the Psychology teacher, along with her team of 10 students (class IX and X) for the students of classes VIII and IX. The discussion during the workshop catered to certain issues which understand the impact of media on the psychology of the public. Children really enjoyed the workshop and did 100% participation in activities conducted in class.
The workshop included some interesting activities which elicited enthusiastic participation from all the students. The activities conducted were as follows-
Activity 1- Children were asked to convince people not to ban the particular media they were enacting at that time. (Individual task)
Activity 2- The participants were required to prepare an advertisement based on the target audience assigned to each group.
The workshop gave the students insight into the decoding or deconstruction of advertisements and media related material.
The students conducting the workshop gained confidence and were really happy to get such an opportunity. They would like to be part of such activities in future as well.

Workshop on Peer Pressure for Class VIII Students conducted 2nd May'2017

A Workshop on Peer Pressure was organized by the Health & Wellness Department of Shalom Hills International School for the students of class VIII. Ms Rashi- counseling psychologist from Fortis Memorial Hospital of Mental Health Department, Gurgaon, along with her interns, started with an interactive session in which the students were explained that peer pressure is an influence when a peer group, or individual encourages another person to change his/her values or behavior to suit other people's convenience.
Using everyday examples of negative peer pressure , like cheating during a test, skipping classes, cutting someone out of the group, fighting, missing school, stealing , lying to parents about where they are going, She provided the students with a better understanding on how they get positively and negatively influenced by their peers. She stressed that a child accepts peer pressure due to conformity and the need for recognition, acceptance and affiliation.
Through role plays, the children were trained in building Assertiveness Skills so that they can say NO to unwanted pressure. Some of the tips highlighted being, facing the person directly, keeping an open posture- no crossed arms or fidgeting, leaning towards the person- just enough to show interest, maintaining eye contact and relaxing without fidgeting or getting uncomfortable. Ms Rashi also educated the students on confidence building and decision making skills, and stressed that speaking to adults is the best coping strategy that works best under any situation.
It was a wonderful learning experience for the students to get hands-on training through the experts of Fortis Hospital.

Shalom senior graders go on a press visit to Dainik Jagran office on 20th January 2017

The budding writers and journalists aspirants received a golden opportunity to witness with their own eyes the modus operandi of a newspaper's functioning. A group of students of VII-XI accompanied by Ms. Lalita Yadav (Head of Hindi and Sanskrit Department) visited the office of Dainik Jagran, a leading daily newspaper company. It was an ideal opportunity for the young writers to explore the stream of journalism. These keen students enjoyed the visit and asked plenty of questions about the process of newspaper making, right from writing articles to the distribution of newspapers to various household by street hawkers.
A staff writer explained the basis of newspaper making. The keen enthusiasts asked pertinent questions. Mr. D.S. Besh, the production manager explained the daily schedule of the newspaper office. The students enjoyed the trip thoroughly. They received practical and hands on exposure to the actual world of print media. The students were thankful to the school management for organizing such educational and knowledgeable trips.

Five days Winter Internship attended by class XI students from 2nd Jan-6th Jan'17

Vedatya Institute offered one week training program and invited the students of SHIS to introduce them to contemporary themes that have potential to be developed into career paths, and as a minimum provide value in terms of skills and knowledge required to enhance 'life skills' in general. The internship program covered both the tracks i.e., Hospitality Management and Business Management, which provide a real world perspective to the students in the hospitality, culinary, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and research and event management industry.
The chosen topics by the Shalom students were Exploring Food/Creative Production and Beyond AND Entrepreneurship. This involved training in kitchen operations. In addition to the culinary parameter, the interns were introduced to certain dining etiquettes which are largely observed in the international corporate world today. The entrepreneurship program allowed the students to discuss and analyze the main traits that are seen in successful entrepreneurs. Concepts and theories underlying entrepreneurship were also discussed. The students interacted with a range of entrepreneurs to understand the future career prospects in this line and got guidance from them on how to pursue it as a full-fledged and successful future career.

Hindi Work Shop conducted for Class IV students on 24th November'16

On 24th November 2016, a workshop was organised in SHIS for the students of Class IV. The resource person was Mr. Sanjay Mutto, the Head of Mass Communication Department, IP University. Important information regarding Hindi stories and literary work was imparted to the students. The students were very enthusiastic and participated with much zest and zeal in the workshop. Mr. Sanjay Mutto freely interacted with the students. This workshop was very interesting and educational one.

Grade XI students of SHIS attend a Workshop at Fortis Hospital 16-11-16

A Workshop on Exam & Study Skills under Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program was attended in Fortis Hospital along with 15 top schools of Gurgaon. The aim was guide the students to learn, explore, express and it engaged the participants in a series of activities like Making a tower from balloons , Blind folded activity, Multi-Tasking & learning the lyrics, through quiz and the mnemonics activities. The speaker, Ms Divya Jain made them understand about the importance of Goal Setting, how to plan activity schedule and how to stop procrastination to reach the goals and to adopt healthy life style by minimizing the use of caffeine.
Ms Divya also shared tips on concentration building skills - how to enhance memory with cancellation/music exercise, puzzles and mazes, crosswords, usage of skimming, highlighting, note making and mnemonics. Stress was laid on self-testing/evaluation and the need to rate themselves on an achievement scale before appearing in examinations.
Always say NO to reading, minimize waiting outside, talk to friends but DO NOT talk about studies and indulge in positive self-talk- I am prepared, I will do well after entering the examination room.

Grade XI and XII students go on an educational visit to Indian Agricultural Research Institute on 3rd November'16

PUSA institute is one of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute which is renowned worldwide. Senior Secondary students of Class XII and XI got the opportunity to visit Soil Science Department which is a World Heritage Building, built in 1936 during the British era.
Senior Scientist and professor, Dr. B.S. Dwivedi gave a lecture on Soil Sscience covering the topics of depletion of natural resources, mineral deficiency in soil and degradation of soil. He apprised the students about the scope of studying Agriculture Science.
Next, the students were taken to Soil Museum by Prof and Scientist Dr. Nayan Ahamad who briiefed them about the different types of soil found in India, crops therein, types of rocks, how they are formed, the elements and minerals present in the rocks.
The students also got an opportunity to visit different laboratories where the quantity of minerals is measured; estimated and different methods are used in soil quality determinations.
It was a great learning experience for the students. They were appreciative of this educational excursion arranged for by the school and Science Faculty Head, Ms. Vimala Jossy.

“Workshop on DESIGN THINKING”held for Grade IX students on 25th Oct.'16

The Computer Department organized a workshop on “Design Thinking” for the students of Grade IX. The guest speaker was Mr. Rahul Sachdev, Head of SAP University Alliances SAARC who has been working with SAP University Alliances since 2008. The session started with a welcome address by Rishika Arora, a student of Grade IX and Mr Rahul's felicitation by Mr. Atul Bhatt, the Principal.
Mr. Rahul interacted with the students by asking them their goals in life. Then he went on to explain the concept of Design Thinking and how to design a product with limited resources, limited time, limited man power and get the best out of it.
He engaged the students in an exciting activity named “Marshmallow Challenge” in which 10 teams were formed. They were given 20 spaghetti sticks, 1 marshmallow, a pair of scissors, thread and tape and asked to make a self-balancing tallest tower and the best team named 'Indiawale' won the challenge.
The session ended with the vote of thanks. It was a very fruitful and interactive session for the students as it taught them the importance of out-of-the- box thinking.

Students of Grade VI take part in Jazz dance Workshop on 30th September 2016

The enthusiastic students of Grade VI attended an invigorating workshop conducted by Danceworx Academy. Mr Avdesh along with his team of young and talented choreographers, Ms Nitika, Niyati, Ms Upasana and Ms Nidhi highlighted the importance of jazz and its various forms. They demonstrated how this dance form has defined and redefined itself by changing from a street dance to a theatrical dance performed on stage by professionals.
The young students were engaged in some warming up exercises and then they were demonstrated some typical hand and foot movement which is an essential part of jazz style. The dancing aspirants and enthusiasts of Grade VI showed great energy and dexterity in following and executing the steps shown to me.
It was an enjoyable and physically stimulating workshop for the students.

ICAE Global University Tour-2016 held for Class XI & XII on 2nd September 2016

Health & Wellness Department of Senior Wing took an initiative to invite 10 delegates from top ten universitiesto be a part of a Global University Tour.
A team of international admissions officers/counselors from renowned universities visited the school campus and offered their experience in admissions and counseling to guide the students, teachers, counselors and other education providers.
The objective was to create an awareness about the undergraduate education opportunities available in these universities. The delegations of international officers were well equipped to talk about UG programmes in their respective universities. Senior graders were apprised through the one to one interactive session about the application processes, choice programs, finalizing a suitable course and any other topic relevant for studying abroad.
The few top foreign universities that were part of this tour were University of Victoria(Canada), Hult International Business School (UK), ESSEC Business School (France), ST George 's University (West Indies), ISBF University of London, Full Sail University (Florida) and many more.

Students of Grade XI &XII attended a Career Counselling Workshop on 29th August 16

A workshop was organized for the students of Grades XI & XII by the senior faculty members of Ansal University. Mr Sanjeev Sharma, Mr Mike Knowles and Mr Laurent (Director of Hotel Management) of Ansal University, Gurgaon gave out information about Undergraduate Courses being offered at Ansal University. The key emphasis was on Design Thinking, which says “An empathetic understanding of problem is necessary for a success mantra in life”.
Mr Sanjeev emphasised on career prospects in different fields. Choice of career includes- Self analysis, critical thinking and finally decision making based on further options one can avail as per their aptitude and stream they are in currently.
Options are as follows-/
1. Career options in Engineering and Technology
2. Career options in Medicine
3. Career options in Commerce and Humanities
4. Career in Science
5. Career options in Hotel Management
The workshop concluded with them talking about placements and collecting the email ids and their choices for future career prospects from the students present for the workshop.

Grade XI-XII students visit National Zoological Park on 4th August'16

SHIS always endeavours to fully acquaint its students about concepts like biodiversity. With this objective, the students of Class XI and XII (Science stream) went for an educational trip to Delhi Zoological Park. The trip was a great combination of knowledge, fun and enjoyment. The fun and frolic started as soon as the students boarded the bus. They sang songs, played games on their way to the destination. As soon as they reached there, the students were welcomed by the excursion guide Mr. Parth.
The guide told the students about the history of zoological park and the natural habitats of plants and animals. It was an enriching and learning experience for them as they saw the various wild animals. They were thrilled to see the majestic Royal Bengal tiger, white tiger, jaguar, sloth and Himalayan bear, and gigantic elephant, pretty and colourful macaw. They were excited to visit the reptile house.
Overall it was a day well spent which students will remember forever.

A Workshop on Puberty conducted on 29th July'16

A workshop on Sex Education and Puberty was organized for Grade VI-VIII students by Ms. Bhupinder Kaur- Senior Wing Counselor and Ms. Mitu Singh, PGT Psychology. A leading psychiatrist, Dr Sameer Guliani from Fortis and Ms. Geetika Vindi, a counseling psychologist took separate sessions for boys and girl students respectively.
During their workshop, the boys were explained what exactly is Puberty and what are some common issues related to this stage. Dr Sameer and Ms. Geetika took special care to make a mention of the physiological and biological changes that take place during this stage. They connected well with the boys when they discussed the conflict & attraction towards opposite gender that are the distinct characteristics of this stage.
At the outset of the workshop for the girls, they were asked to put in writing any query or concern which they were hesitant or shy to speak about or openly. Ms. Geetika then tried addressing all these concerns and even answered questions relating to Face book, Whatsapp.
It was an informative workshop for the kids as they were able to understand the age-appropriate changes that are taking place within them.

Workshop on Gender Sensitivity under Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program on 29th July'16

The Workshop on Gender Sensitivity at Fortis Hospital was attended by Ms Aditi Jain (French Teacher) along with a few students - Rishika Arora (IX-A), Aryan Jalali (IX-C), Mauli (IX-C), Rian (IX-A) and Jhanvi (XI-B). The students were given an opportunity to act as a peer moderator under the guidance of eminent psychologists of Fortis Hospital. May children from various eminent schools of Gurgaon participated in it and show cased their talent through role play & group based activities.
The workshop started with a survey on introducing gender sensitivity around us in day-to-day life. This aspect was covered by uncovering various ways in which it can be taken up in different walks of life like- School, peers, community, media etc. through pictures, videos and interaction.
As the workshop progressed, the psychologists explained –What does gender sensitivity mean, what are stereotype notions, what are the consequences of stereotyping and how to break stereotypes. The participating students were then engaged in various activities like Boundaries, Recognizing & Crossing the boundaries etc.
The workshop concluded with a quiz, in which various aspects of the workshop were reinforced by the eminent speakers.

Students attend an Interactive Workshop conducted by Discovery Kids and WWF-India on 22nd July'16

SHIS under the tutelage of Dr Lilly George, its Founder-Managing Director seeks to create future environmental leaders, who with their sharp minds and wise hearts can make the planet a better place to live. For this purpose, the school endeavors to engage the students in frequently conducted environmental related activities and provide them with interactive platforms to learn more about Environment.
On 22nd July'16, the students of VI-VIII attended a workshop by WWF-India. The workshop proved to be an ideal engagement platform to embed the seed of environment conservation through a fun filled and interactive learning experience in the young minds of the students. The students were familiarized about WWF India and its work through 2 interesting case studies from the field and a PPT.
They were introduced to the Wild Wisdom Quiz and the books, and an interesting pop quiz was held for Grade VI students towards the end of the workshop.
The students were informed by Ms. Chetna, the resource person from WWF-India that it is conducting a National Level Quiz, for which students can register with a sum of Rs. 100/-.

Students interact with Ms. Rebecca Davis on 15th July'16

A wonderful session was organized for Ms. Rebecca Davis, accompanied by two staff members from Nashville, U.S. in which she interacted with the girls of Classes VI to X. She highlighted on the topic of girl's education and shared a few success stories of women.
Ms. Rebecca Davis who also works with an NGO is on a literacy project to author a children's novel directed at girls 9-15 to offer society a positive, inspiring example of a young woman with good character and a life of service. During this session, she interviewed various demographics of girls and learnt from them how they perceive the world, whom they consider as their role models, what kind of literature is available to them, and what sort of awareness they have about the current social issues.
A short survey session was conducted in which all girls were divided in groups to answer the questions related to their aspirations and inspiration in life and the changes these girls wants to bring in with their work.

Shalom students attend Psychological Orientation in Fortis Hospital,Gurgaon on 14th July'16

An Orientation took place at Fortis Hospital Gurgaon, on 14th July'16 which was specially attended by the Psychology students of Class XII. As it is important for the students to understand what is abnormal behavior and the process of psychotherapies, Class XI Psychology students, Class XII Medical and Commerce students who are interested in pursuing a career in Psychology field were given an opportunity to be part of this workshop. They were accompanied by Ms Mitu Singh (PGT Psychology) & Ms Bhupinder Kaur (Counselor Sr. Wing)
The Orientation was conducted by Ms Mimansa Singh (a Counselor at Fortis) and her team. They started with a game known as Dumb Charades, wherein they enacted the disorders and the students were supposed to guess the disorder. Then students had their doubts cleared from the counselor and got to know about few real life cases handled by the counselor at the hospital. Different upcoming areas of psychology were also discussed like- Art therapy, Sports Psychology and etc. Disorders explained were-
1. Anxiety disorders
2. Mood disorders
3. Somatoform disorders
4. Schizophrenic disorders.

Puberty Workshop held for Grade - V Girls on 11th July'16

An interactive workshop was conducted on the topic “Puberty” by the Counsellor, Ms Elizabeth Bijo for the girls of Grade V. The main focus of the session was on the physical and emotional changes that happen during the transition from Childhood to Adolescence and how to deal with these changes. The counsellor imparted the young girls with accurate and empowering puberty-based education in a sensitive way.
It is important that these growing girls are provided with accurate information so that they come to realise that their experiences are 'normal' even if they differ from those of their close friends.
The young girls were made to understand the changes that occur during adolescence and their importance, onset of puberty, physical, behavioural, psychological transfiguration and the ways to effectively deal with the same.
The girl students appeared interested as their queries were answered which helped them in breaking the ice about the topic. In all, the workshop was a great success as it helped these young girls to understand and appreciate female diversity, their body and health.

A Workshop on Stand up against Bullying conducted for Grade IV and V students on 4th and 5th July'16

As a part of their Life Skills Curriculum, a Workshop on Bullying was conducted by Ms. Elizabeth B. Thomas, Counselor. The aim of the session was to make the students aware about bullying and also to empower them to take a strong stand against bullying.
The session was made interactive by giving the students an example of a cartoon character named Gian from the famous series Doraemon. After that, the students were asked to introspect and see if they were knowingly or unknowingly a bully. They were asked to keep the answer to themselves, then work upon making themselves better incase the answer was 'yes'.
Different types of bullying were explained to the students through examples. The students were encouraged to stand up against bullying and were re-assured that the teachers would help them in case of any difficulty. A few children shared incidents when they were bullied or they had witnessed bullying. At the end of the session, students promised to be buddies rather than bullies. The children took a very important lesson on self worth and behavior with them.

Enrichment Class held for Class –V students on 2nd July'16

A highly purposeful and beneficial Student Enhancement Programme was conducted in Shalom Hills International School on 2nd July'16 for Grade V students, wherein, the children of all the sections of Classes V were called on Saturday for the practice of forthcoming internal and external assessments. The respective subject teachers had prepared several worksheets along with the question bank and executed a written drill which helped the students in maximizing their subject knowledge. It was an educative and enriching session for the students as it helped in the expansion of their knowledge of the related subject. The main objective behind the implementation of such a programme was to enhance the learning power and writing skills along with the inculcation of scholarly information in them.

Students of Grades VI-XII enjoy a tryst with Mr Amarnath Dar on 19th May'16

Aspiring Writers and avid readers got a 'shot in the arm' when Mr Amarnath Dar, Founder-Editor of The Bagpiper Magazine and former principal of Scindia School, Gwalior came specially to felicitate and acknowledge their writing proficiencies. The writing style and creative expression of students who form the elite group of being the most consistent and regular contributors to the School magazine and The Bagpiper magazine were highly appreciated by Mr. Dar.
During the course of his highly engaging and informal interaction with them, Mr Amarnath Dar urged the young writers to continue writing on whatever ideas and thoughts come to their minds. He praised the school for being blessed to have the most prolific writers. Sharing his experiences from his rich and varied teaching career of 54 years, Mr Dar even mooted the idea of the talented Shalomites taking up editorial tasks and pulling out an Anthology of Short Stories. He urged the children not to confine themselves to one writing style but to explore and experiment with new writing genres and artwork.

Workshop on SAT held for XI & XII students on 16th May 2016

A Workshop on Career Awareness on SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) was organized by Ms Bhupinder Kaur. Erudion Education which conducted the workshop specializes in working with the niche segment of those high school students from India, who wish to pursue under graduate studies in the US. Mr Amit Govil, the resource person, an IIT graduate shared that the company aims in redefining the overseas admissions counselling process and strongly believes in empowering the students to make the right choices for themselves in their pursuit of American higher education. He interacted with the students and pointed out that if seek to pursue courses from Princeton, Harvard, Stephen's, Yales or Columbia Universities, they should focus on academic grades in their final exams. He stressed the need for a good recommendation by the school.
Mr Govil also underscored how the US Education System has emerged as a forerunner in overseas courses and preferences, thus becoming synonymous with world class education. There are numerous advantages that it offers to its students like worldwide recognition, academic flexibility, state-of-the art infrastructure and better scholar opportunities, world class faculty and diverse cultural exposure.

Workshop on Anger Management held for VIII-IX students on 9th May 2016

A Workshop on Time Management was organized by Ms Bhupinder Kaur.The workshop was conducted by Ms Aditi Kumar & Ms Rashi, the counselling psychologists from Fortis Hospital with the objective of teaching the senior graders how emotions such as anger should be dealt effectively in the adolescent period. Adolescents face confusion, discomfort, difficulty in expressing their emotions, and have lack of emotional awareness. Differences with parents, unacceptability by peers, violence in media and own unrealistic expectations are a few factors of aggression that lead to internal/external consequences such as physical harm, health problems, emotional distress, guilt/depression, social isolation & academic problems.
Managing Anger is a skill that the children should be equipped with - they must be able to identify their self-triggers such as knowing their anger cues ( biological, physical & behaviour) and learn channelizing one's anger by expressing oneself positively, playing any sport, having a good diet, pursuing a recreational activity, enjoying adequate sleep & breathing exercises.
The children were encouraged to seek help from parents, teachers, peers and health professionals and not let the anger explode and harm themselves and others around them.

Workshop on 'education through Sports' organized for VI-XII students on 7th May'16

A Basketball Workshop was organized by the Sports Department on 07/05/16 (Saturday) for the students of grade VI-XII. Experts from Gallantry Academy were invited to provide insights on 'Education through Sports' which fosters growth at the mental, physical, and emotional level through participation in organized sports, thus making Sports a lifestyle choice as well as a medium to achieve excellence. Fifty nine (59) students participated in the workshop.
The one and half hour long workshop laid emphasis on progressive coaching philosophy where long term athletic development of the student is focused upon by making the session fun, safe and developmental. It covered fundamentals of ball handling, passing, shooting and footwork through various engaging individual and group drills and ended up with competitive drills. The workshop drew to a close with a highly interactive Q & A session with the experts.
The team comprised of Ms. Manauti Passi- Head Coach, Ms. BhawnaPachouri- Assistant Coach, Ms. Anjali- Creative head and Mr. Shivshakti-Coverage head

Science Workshop held for students of class IX to XII in “Industrial Chemistry” on 3rd May'16

Dr. Mukesh Kumar Madhra, a scientist from Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, in his session with senior graders emphasized the importance of Industrial Chemistry in our school.

Workshop on Entrepreneurship conducted on 29th April'16

A Workshop on “Entrepreneurship” was held in the Physics Lab on 29.04.16 for students of Classes XI-XII (Commerce) from 11.40 am to 12.40 pm.
The resource person was Mr Tarun Dhingra. He imparted an informal talk about the importance of education in the making correct career choices. He stressed upon the importance of various disciplines of Accounts, Mathematics and Economics in taking up fulfilling jobs and also how to become an entrepreneur. He shared many of his school and pre-entrepreneur days with the students. The importance of balancing studies and fun in life was also stressed upon. He spoke about his own business called “ dream box”. The students were curious about this novel business idea.

Workshop on Time Management for X-XII students on 25th April 2016

The workshop on Time Management was organized through Department of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences Fortis healthcare Limited by Ms Bhupinder Kaur. The workshop was conducted by Ms Chaaya Sinha- Counselling Psychologist told the students about the importance of time planning through flow charts, diagrams on prioritizing and activity scheduling.
Why the students struggle to juggle is because they are not able to manage time , co-curricular activities, family responsibilities and social life. Due to which often they submit shabby work, forget commitments, make excuses, and feel shortage of time, compromising on fun and asking for extensions and procrastinations.
To help overcome such situations, the students need to think broadly if from 168 hours in a week, cutting down the other time (personal maintenance & class time=110 hours + work & other commitments = 14 + hours) 44 hours is still the time left ; they can prioritize and organize by setting down the goals that increases the motivation to engage in productive work.
In the end Ms Chaaya pointed out big NO to Multi Tasking which is a waste of a time that leads to increased stress.

Yakult Presentation for Grades III-IV students held on 21st April,2016

A three members team from Yakult visited SHIS on 21st April'16 and interacted with the students of Grades III-IV. They began by introducing the digestive system and its working with the help of a model to the students. The children were asked questions and on answering correctly, they were given a key ring as a prize.
The children were guided how to distinguish between good and bad bacteria through slides and an animated film. The team from Yakult emphasized how Yakult which is replete with good bacteria can work wonders on our immune system. So it should be consumed chilled.
Good food habits, hygiene, exercise along with drinking Yakult were the take away key points that the children carried with them after this session along with a bottle of chilled Yakult.
The presentation was informative and interesting and amply re-iterated the simple good habits we need to observe for our good health.

Students of Grades IX & XI attend a Workshop on Media Literacy on 18th April 2016

Lishika Sahni, Kushi Puri, Bhavneet Kaur &Shruti Bajpai of Grades IX and XI were the peer moderators at a workshop on Media Literacy under Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program at Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon and were accompanied by Incharge of Health & Wellness Department and Senior Counsellor, Ms Bhupinder Kaur.
Ms Divya Jain, the Counselling Psychologist helped the students present there to understand the importance of the program, explaining the concept of Media Literacy i.e - the ability to access , analyse, evaluate, and produce communication in a variety of forms. The negative impact of media was discussed – how it produces Stereotypes &Health Risk Behaviours. Media also encourages consumption of junk food and substance use; leads to sedentary lifestyle, and excessive use at night can lead to sleep difficulties.
The children learnt the concept through various activities like Making an Advertisement, Defending Media Types and Role Play. The students were later on guided by the key speaker on how they can spread awareness about Media in their respective schools in assemblies, and through activities like a Media Free Week, Collages or Posters, Ad mad etc.

Workshop on Health and Hygiene conducted by Balika Manch members on 18th Feb'16

“BALIKA MANCH” – an initiative of Haryana Government to work for the welfare of young girls has been given special status in SHIS. The members of the school's Balika Manch under the guidance of Ms. Suman Lamba meet every month and issue problems and issues pertaining to puberty and adolescence. This month, they conducted a work shop on Health and Hygiene for the girl students of Grade VI. They discussed the importance of maintaining hygiene during the menstrual cycle. The girls were explained such topics with the help of Power Point Presentation.

Taking care of nutrition plays an important role at this tender age. The core members from VI-X took due care to discuss the problems faced by the girls at this age while experiencing puberty and lack of hygiene. Questions raised by the girls were well answered and they were made to feel comfortable while discussing these issues. They were made aware about the physical and internal changes that take place in their bodies when they reach puberty.

Shalom students take part in a Microsoft Workshop at Lotus Valley International School on 6th Feb 16

Shalom Hill was one of the 12 schools from Delhi-Gurgaon that participated in a day long workshop to witness the showcasing of Microsoft tools. Kenneth Lobo and Khushi Puri (Grade VIII) along with their teachers Ms.Neelima Mani and Ms. Anjali Drolia attended the session.

This workshop was an ideal platform for different school to portray the innovative projects adopted by them while applying various toolkits. Indraprastha International School displayed their collaborative projects taken up with Sri Lanka and Taiwan. DPS, Sec-45 shared their take of hybrid cars. Venkateshwar International School showcased River Rejuvenation. New Era Public School declared themselves as a Self Sustainable School where the entire school works on solar energy generated by their own solar panels. Lotus Valley put up a food composter which converts the biodegradable waste into manure.

SHIS team shared how social issues like Safety of Girl Child, Road Rage, Mosquito breeding ground etc were addressed by the students with the help of petitions on social networking sites. The workshop concluded with information from Mr. Rohit Prakash that a grand culmination ceremony would be organised soon in April'16.

Shalom Hill was one of the 12 schools from Delhi-Gurgaon that participated in a day long workshop to witness the showcasing of Microsoft tools. Kenneth Lobo and Khushi Puri (Grade VIII) along with their teachers Ms.Neelima Mani and Ms. Anjali Drolia attended the session. This workshop was an ideal platform for different school to portray the innovative projects adopted by them while applying various toolkits.

Indraprastha International School displayed their collaborative projects taken up with Sri Lanka and Taiwan. DPS, Sec-45 shared their take of hybrid cars. Venkateshwar International School showcased River Rejuvenation.New Era Public School declared themselves as a Self Sustainable School where the entire school works on solar energy generated by their own solar panels.Lotus Valley put up a food composter which converts the biodegradable waste into manure. SHIS team shared how social issues like Safety of Girl Child, Road Rage, Mosquito breeding ground etc were addressed by the students with the help of petitions on social networking sites. The workshop concluded with information from Mr. Rohit Prakash that a grand culmination ceremony would be organised soon in April'16.

Students of Grades IX-X attend a Workshop on Study and Exam Skills on 14th January 2016

Ms. Bhupinder Kaur, In charge of Health & Wellness Department and Senior Counsellor took an initiative to de-stress the students before they appear for their final examination by joining hands with a team of counselling psychologists of Fortis Health Care Limited, Gurgaon. According to the visiting expert, Ms Divya Jain, Exams are more than just a test of a student's academic capabilities.

The topics covered in the workshop were Effective planning and organization, prioritizing, goal setting, improving concentration and self-evaluation. Some techniques for effective studying are skimming, highlighting words and phrases and note making. It was pointed out that use of Mnemonics makes learning more fun based and appropriate. The best Coping Strategy is to remember 'not just to study hard but study SMART'.

Practical and hands-on tips given out during the session included:

• Making a study schedule with focussed, regular and well planned sessions.
• Eating a good diet
• Getting physical activity, relaxation time and engagement in positive discussions
• Sleeping for 7-8 hours during night
• Not comparing your work with that of others
• Avoiding frantic last minute revisions

Students of Grade XI attend session with Google CEO, Mr. Sundar Pichai on 17th Dec'15

Under the guidance of Dr Lilly George, the Founder- Managing Director of Shalom Group of Schools, Grade XI students along with Senior Grades Computer Science teacher Ms. Megha Gupta received the remarkable opportunity to attend a much sought after session with the CEO of Google, Mr. Sundar Pichai at Sree Ram College of Commerce, Delhi on 17th Dec'15.The highly interactive and illumining session started with the performances of DFRENS Drummers and RAGA Trippin. There was great liveliness and excitement resonating in the hall when the audience also participated in the drum beats, singing and dancing together. Next the main guest of the show “Mr. Sundar Pichai” along with the host “Mr. Harsha Bhogle” arrived and was greeted with thunderous applause. Mr. Sundar Pichai shared his experiences with everyone and also answered to the questions put up by the students, teachers and the social media.It was an awesome experience for the Shalom student to interact with Mr. Sundar and they enjoyed meeting other delegates and people from the media.

Students of Grade XII attended a Career Counselling Workshop on 14th December'15

A workshop was organized for the students of Grade XII. Mr Sharma and Mr Mike of Ansal University, Gurgaon gave out information about Undergraduate courses offered by Ansal University. The key emphasis was on Design Thinking, which interpreted in today's context means “An empathetic understanding of problem needs to be there for success mantra”.They emphasised on career prospects in different fields. Choice of career depends on skills like Self analysis, critical thinking and finally decision making based on further options one can avail as per their aptitude and the stream they are currently pursuing. Options mentioned by them were as follows-

1. Career options in Engineering and Technology
2. Career options in Medicine
3. Career options in Commerce and Humanities
4. Career in Management
5. Career in Science
6. Career in Defence Service
7. Career options in Hotel Management

Finally the resource persons concluded by talking about placements and asked the senior graders for their email ids and their choices for future career so that can be in touch with them through their email ids.
One can further get details by logging on to-

http://www.ansaluniversity.edu.in/

Shalom students attend The Times NIE Young Reporter's Meet on 11th Dec'15

The Times NIE organized the Young Reporter's Meet on 11th December'15 at Kamani Auditorium , New Delhi. Animesh Gupta and Ria Sharma of Grade XI along with Dr. Anjali Sharma, a Senior Wing English teacher attended the Meet. The sole purpose of the event was to encourage the Student Correspondents to showcase their talent and to write for Times NIE. The event began with a revitalizing session by Mr. Sanjeev Datta of the 'Sanjeev Datta Personality Development Classes' fame. The session highlighted the irrefutable importance of 'Smile' and the power of 'Meditation'.

A written test was conducted wherein the budding Reporters had to answer ten multiple-choice questions further followed by a story writing spree. The students were also encouraged to give any innovative suggestion on how to curb pollution in the News Hour session.The Shalom team was privileged to be a part of the Press Conference, with Mr. Bhim Sain Bassi , Commissioner of Police , Delhi ; Mr. Sanjeev Vohra, Associate President, TOI , Bennett & Coleman and Mr. Subhendu Mukherjee , Associate Editor, TOI .The students were given gift hampers, certificates and badges.

Workshop on Gender Sensitivity for VII & VIII conducted on 8th Dec'15

Health & Wellness Department of the Senior Wing organized a workshop on Gender Sensitivity for the students of Class VII-VIII. The experts from Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Ms Rashi Khanna & Ms Pallavi- Counselling Psychologists made the students understand about the Gender Roles, Stereotypes and Gender Ideologies. They differentiated between Gender & Sex emphasizing that the sex refers to male/female (Biological characteristics) that cannot be changed and Gender is what is expected of us and what we are allowed to do. Gender Roles are learned behaviors that condition us to perceive certain activities.

The experts highlighted how children also get affected by the stereotypes e.g when boys are being bullied or teased for crying or walking like a girl and girls being commented upon their tom boyish looks. Studies shows that 35% people will help someone when they are not surrounded by people & 75% will never initiate themselves in showing helpful behavior.In the end, Ms Bhupinder Kaur thanked the psychologists on the behalf of the school and students and urged the students to show sensitivity towards each other roles & needs and to reduce the stereotypes.

Shalom students attend a workshop on “Career in Hotel Management” at Hotel Radisson on 28th Novemeber'15

Vedatya Institute, Gurgaon had organized a workshop at Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi on 28th November to share the information regarding career and job opportunities in Hotel Management. As part of the initiatives by the Health and Wellness Department of the Senior Wing, 21 students of class XI along with their senior teachers Ms. Maya, Ms Megha, Ms Sarika and Mr. Madhusudan attended the workshop. The Banquet Manager threw light on the wide scope of jobs in Hotel Management. Also, the resource person from Vedatya Instutute, Ms. Sumeen Khanna apprised the visiting students and teachers about the special highlights and USPs of the Institute, the eligibility criteria, job and placement opportunities it offers.

The students were shown a Power Point Presentation covering the various challenges and benefits of being a Hotelier. The students enjoyed the session and asked many questions. Later on they were taken on a round of the entire hotel to see the Spa, Thai Restaurant, the Kebab factory, Coffee Lounge, etc. It was a luxury visit for the students. They enjoyed a lot and gained useful information regarding the Hotel Management Industry.

Shalom students attend 'A Day with Stephen Alter' session on 23rd Nov'15

“Only generations of readers spawn a generation of writers'
Under the leadership of its Founder-Managing Director, Dr Lilly George, SHIS explores and initiates new avenues by which the students' reading propensity and writing acumen are sharpened. Inviting celebrity authors to the school, arranging for interviews of writers by the students and sending the students to meet and interact with authors are just a few initiatives.A delightful treat was in store for the reading enthusiasts of the school when Priyansh, Harsimran, Doyel, Ruzul, Trisha, Sahar, Jaskeith and Upsana (VI-X students) accompanied by their teachers, Dr Anjali Sharma and Ms Meetu Mukherjee attended an interactive session with Mr Stephen Alter, writer of 'The Secret Sanctuary' in New Delhi. The story revolves around 3 children who make a foray in Jabarkhat Nature reserve. The children sat absorbed through a riveting slide show which showed real pictures of animals captured by camera trap. More fun followed when the author read aloud from his book. Harsimran was felicitated with a special prize for answering the quiz question correctly.All the children received gift hampers and personally autographed books.

Senior students attend SAT Workshop on 23rd Nov'15

A Workshop of SAT/ACT –Prep (Scholastic Aptitude Test) was organized by the Health & Wellness Department of Senior Wing for students of Classes X-XII. Mr Nitin Mehra (Business Head, North & West India test Rockers) explained the criteria and procedure of getting admissions abroad to the studentsThe grades and marks of classes 9-12 are kept in mind whenever a student seeks admission out of India. He explained the difference between Liberal Arts and University and also explained the two types of admissions: regular or rolling.

PROCEDURE TO TAKE ADMISSION IN UNIVERSITIES IN THE US

1. High school transit (GPA, Class Rank, etc.)
2. Test scores (SAT, ACT, Subject Tests)
3. Extra-curricular activities (Sports, Dance, Music, etc.)
4. Essay
5. Recommendations
6. Interviews
Towards the end of the session, Mr Nitin urged the students to enroll for 70 minutes abilities test (basically to assess English & Math's abilities) on Saturday – 28th November free of cost. Students can register for the first free session this Saturday and can take their free diagnostic test to assess their current level and also receive personal consultation from the Test Rocker Advisor.

Students of Grades IX-X attend an Interactive Session on Rocket Science on 9th Nov'15

A session on Rocket Science, an initiative by Divyanshu Poddar, Co-Founder and Head, Business Development of Rocketeers was attended by students of Grade IX- X along with their teachers, Ms Anita Bhutani, Ms Vimala Jossy, Ms Sarika Aneja and Ms Richa Jaini.

Mr. Diyanshu started the session with a brief introduction on rockets. The study of Rocket Science is a window to the history of the evolution of universe. He informed the students about the Model Rocketry Workshop. The module is divided into 4 major sessions in a span of 2 days (8 Hours per day).

The main highlights of the workshop will be

1. To build and fly model rockets.
2. Use launchers and remote ignition systems
3. To understand engineering principles to design any rocket

This workshop would be a catalyst of change and accelerate a positive attitude in each and every student, increase their understanding of how equations convert into real life machines and link the Maths and Physics concepts and their real world applications. The students and teachers kept the session lively with their questions and observations.

Students of Grades X-XII attended a Career Counselling Workshop on 2nd Nov'15

A workshop was organized by the school's Health and Wellness Department for the students of senior grades of X-XII. Ms Prateeksha from Ashoka University gave out information on Undergraduate courses offered by Ashoka University at Shalom Hills International School on 2nd Nov'15. The key emphasis was on Liberal Education, Interdisciplinary studies, Industry needs and International Exposure.

She highlighted Ashoka University's association through its founders with reputed institutions like Indian School of Business, Genpact and Central Square Foundation among many others. She also talked about the university's collaboration with some of the top universities of the world viz, Pennsylvania University, Michigan University, Kings College of London etc.

The admission is held through 4 application rounds starting 5th2015 October to 18th June 2016. In each course there are 12 foundation courses, 9 majors and minors, 8 inter disciplinary majors and 6 other minors for overall completion of the course. For further queries of the students, she gave the website address and email id as www.ashoka.edu.inand admissions@ashoka.edu.in respectively. The university brochure was also distributed to the students.

Shalom students of Grade XII pay a visit to SAP LABS Vatika Towers, Gurgaon on 31st Oct'15

The senior most students of class XII of Shalom Hills International School got the much sought after opportunity to visit SAP labs, Gurgaon on 31 Oct'15. Abdus Samad Hashmy, Surya Iyer, Oindrilla Dutta Gupta, Yashasvi Dutta Gupta, Bhavana Purohit and AmanRathore along with the their Computer Science teacher, Ms. Megha Gupta attended the workshop conducted in SAP Labs.

Mr. Rahul Sachdeva started the workshop with the introduction of SAP and further presented an interesting Power Point Presentation covering the main areas - where, how and what SAP is working for. It was followed by a small competition on data analysis using SAP Lumira software. Abdus Hashmy, Oindrilla Dutta Gupta, Yashasvi Dutta Gupta and Aman Rathore won Webcams as prizes and all the participants were felicitated with SAP T-shirts.

Workshop Attended on “Awareness On Global Dignity” in Fortis Hospital Gurgaon on 29.10.15

A Workshop on Global Awareness held in Fortis Hospital was attended by Ms Bhupinder Kaur- In charge of Health & Wellness Department of Senior Wing, Shalom Hills International School and also by a few selected students of class IX - X. The workshop started with a short video on Dignity wherein the children from various countries shared their experiences through stories on Dignity.

The aim of the workshop was to spread awareness on Dignity through self-exploration & activities. Dignity according to experts means the way we think, speak, behave & develop a concept of who we are? In an activity, each child was asked to write about their dignity stories “Tell your own personal Dignity story”. The workshop concluded when the groups of children were asked to create their own Dignity symbol and one volunteer from each school had to step forward to speak about the symbol & Dignity. In the end, they were again asked to write a letter – “Letter to Self”. The letter was handed over to the teachers from their own schools who were instructed not to read them till after a year.

Shalom Students attended Google Web Rangers Workshop at Presidium School, Gurgaon on 20th Oct 2015

Google India has launched this programme to spread awareness about the importance and imperative need of being safe on the internet. Web Rangers have the opportunity to change the internet ecosystem and make it safe and friendly. A few senior graders from Shalom Hills International School, Khusi Puri, Rishika Arora (VIII) Ritish Grover and Avdesh Vakil (IX ) went to Presidium School for the Web Ranger Program accompanied by their teachers, Ms. Sarika Aneja and Ms. Ambika Yadav on 20th Oct 2015.

More than 10 schools had participated in this programme. The entire workshop was spread over 4 sessions with different themes like how to manage digital footprints, avoid scams etc. Each session involved a group discussion, sharing of personal experiences followed by a Quiz. Since chocolates were given for every correct response, the quiz witnessed a surge of excitement and upped participation quotient as all the participants were agog to answer first. All the students got a participation certificate. Overall the workshop was truly a fruitful one since the young students entered as participants but came out as web rangers.

Visit by Google Chrome team from U.S.A to Shalom Hills International School on 15th October'15

From creating its own website to launching Google apps, online report card, student's portal to E-Resources etc, Shalom Hills International School is a technology enabled and digitally driven school. Recently Google Chrome Team from U.S.A has undertaken a visit to top 10 most progressive schools of Delhi NCR, Shalom Hills International School being one of them.

On 15th Oct'15, Mrs. Jimmy Puri, Michael, Rupali, Jaishree and Tarun came to our school to conduct an interactive session with the students and teachers. They were welcomed by the Principal, Mr Atul Bhatt and H.M – Senior Wing, Mrs Priya Chauhan. After that, an interactive session was held by them with a few students of Grades VIII-XII. The students really enjoyed sharing with them about Google tools, difference between Chrome and Internet Explorer. andhow our school is using latest technology in classroom teaching.

In an informal session with a few Senior Wing teachers, namely Ms. Sarika Aneja, Ms. Megha Gupta, Ms. Jyotin Prinja, Ms. Vimala Jossy, Ms. Vineeta Lomba and Ms. Ambika Yadav, they learnt how all the teachers are making effective use of technology in their teaching techniques.

A Workshop on Road Safety held for students of Grade III-V on 13th October, 2015

An informative workshop on Road Safety was conducted by Eicher Motors for Class III – V held in the Middle Wing Auditorium on 13th October, 2015. The purpose of this workshop is to create awareness amongst the students about the road safety measures. The resource person from Eicher Motors also pointed out that many accidents can be prevented if we are alert, follow the traffic rules and have a better understanding of road safety as public health problems, facts and figures, the root cause of the problem and its consequences. A video on Road Safety was also shown as part of the awareness program. At the end of the session, a doubt clarification round helped the students to get answers to certain significant questions. The workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by one and all present there as it was educational, relevant and informative too.

A Dastak Workshop organized for Grade VI-VIII students on 6th October'15

'Communication broadens one's perspectives and opens the door to many venues.......'
Under the guidance of Dr. Surekha Waldia, 'Dastak' group made inroads into our school yet again on 6th October, 2015 to conduct their third workshop for the students of Grade 6 – 8. The objective of this workshop was to teach them the finesse of script writing.

Students were explained the importance of Script writing. They were given examples on how satire can serve as a powerful platform to convey messages to the masses. The students were given a basic introduction to different forms of theatre and the kind of masses which one needs to cater to. They had to highlight upon two important areas:

• What is the topic a problem?
• How do we eradicate the problem? What should be our actions to reduce the problem?

By means of effective slogans, the students could understand how satire can be used to create an impact upon the minds of the masses. The students understood when a message is to be communicated and the two areas they need to focus on – why and how. The workshop indeed helped the students to develop perfect scripts and guided them in understanding the effectiveness of scripts.

Dastak Workshop conducted for Grade VI-VIII students on 5th Oct'15

Dr Surekha of Dastak Group conducted a second workshop for the students of Grades VI-VIII on 5th Oct'15. The objective of this workshop was to lay stress on the Art of Expression.To begin with, there was a recapitulation of the last session defining why Swach Bharat is important for all of us and the relevance of drug prevention. This activity was important to highlight the social problems and articulate them through stories and powerful scripts. After this, the students were made to understand the important components of story writing. They were given instances in order to make them understand that the moral of the story plays a crucial role in developing a story and creating an impact.

Then the key components of story writing were further explained. The term 'satire' was introduced and how it plays an important role in conveying a social message or spreading awareness about social issues effectively to the society at large. This was followed with an activity where in the students made groups and were given time to think of and articulate satirical messages.

Shalom students attend a Workshop on Mission Green Rhinos on 30th September'15

A workshop was conducted on Mission Green Rhinos by Ms Diti Mukherjee, Ms Chandrima Chatterjee and Mr Kushan from Association for Social and Environmental Development (ASED) and SAKHA NGO. 50 students from Grade 7 and Grade 8 accompanied by 2 teacher representatives, Ms Ambika Yadav and Ms Richa Jaini attended the session.The workshop on Mission Green Rhinos, an initiative by ASED, highlighted Bio-Diversity and its importance to the students. It touched upon the nuances of nature and its conservation with a human face. India is a hotspot for biodiversity and with it comes a responsibility to preserve its richness and develop a thought process amongst us to build upon a 'clean, green and unpolluted India'.

Ms Diti Mukherjee initiated the workshop with an interactive session with students to elaborate on 'Green Rhinos' by relating their specific characteristics with the mission on bio-diversity. Mr. Kushan, a naturalist, with a keen interest in exploring nature, showcased diversities through photographs/pictures and shared his experiences with the students. He ignited the minds of the students on various species of plants and animals existing in our ecosystem. The students were made to play a game 'Web of Life'. Each student was given a badge. Every badge was relating to nature, eg. Sun, tree, soil, frog etc. With the help of a string, students were asked to connect with one another by justifying the social and scientific reasons behind their connection. This created a web of interdependence called 'Web of Life'. The conductors observed the perspective, spontaneity, confidence and leadership quality of each student during this activity.

Based on the result of the above activity, the conductors shall select five students for the next level of workshop on leadership program. These students shall be the Green Rhino team leaders. The list of 5 students shall be shared by the conductors in a week's time.

• Leadership training for Green Rhino team leaders by the end of October 2015
• Leaders to plan a 6-month conservation program
• Leaders to share project with the team

Senior students go on an Educational Trip to National Brain Research Centre on 26th August'15

The Science stream students of Classes XI and XII got the opportunity to visit National Brain Research Centre located in Manesar. Once they reached the Research Centre, they learnt about the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technique and the scientists associated with it. They were attended to and taken around the centre by Ms. Anindita, a research scholar. They also learnt about DNA, its evolution and how it is useful to human beings. They came to know about the scientists who have worked to bring out the biochemical compositions of DNA.

The senior graders got a hands-on experience on PCR technique as Mr. Hriday , another research scholar showed them the procedure involved in it. After this, they saw DNA Fingerprinting technique.

From Dr. Pravat Mandal, the students came to know of the working of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan which is considered as the X-Ray image of brain. He showed them the image of a brain and also explained its different parts and their functions. Overall, it was a great and enlightening experience for the senior students who gained a meaningful insight into a revolutionary topic that forms a part of their Science syllabi.

Students of Grades IX-X attend a Workshop on “Bullying” on 24th August 2015.

Health & Wellness Department of the Senior Wing of Shalom Hills International School organized a workshop for senior graders of Class IX & X on the topic of Bullying. Even the students of Psychology from XII-C were a part of the program. Experts from Fortis Memorial Research Hospital namely Ms Arpita, Counseling Psychologist & Ms Aditi Kumar, Art Therapist conducted the workshop & their focus was to impart a clear understanding about the key issues relating to Bullying – Impact of Bullying in the children's lives, How to deal with bully's, Understanding the bystander effect, and How we can be united against bullying.

It was an interactive workshop and the two specialists from Fortis Hospital asked the students a few questions to be answered in Yes or No about what they think & feel about bullying and its after-effect on human lives. Ms Arpita shared a few incidents her own life in which she revealed how she was a victim of bullying in her school at Ireland & the way she handled it. Each student was engrossed in hearing her real life story and wanted to know what happened next.

Some senior students too gathered courage to share their life experiences when they were being bullied physically which led to the negative consequences and influence in their lives.Ms Aditi and Ms Arpita called upon 10 volunteers from the audience & formed two groups and engaged them in 'Role Play' in form of Overt way of expressing & Covert way of expressing depending upon the given Bulliying situation. This way each student understood the role of a Victim, a Bully & Bystander (an observer) in both the situations. They learned the fact that the bully needs to be told a firm NO repeatedly and pointed out that he/she is doing 'wrong' , a victim should stand for himself/herself more assertively and the bystander , instead of standing and watching the incident of bullying should help the victim.

In the end, the experts ended the session by showing two videos on Bullying. Ms Bhupinder, Senior Counselor too conveyed the loud and clear message that all the students should understand how important it is to acquire assertive skills, instead of aggressive habits as showing aggression in such situations can lead them into trouble and they would need an adult's support in preventing the situation from escalating further. The school principal, Mr Atul Bhatt was also present and Ms Bhupinder thanked Mr Bhatt for his keen interest and involvement in important issues concerning the students and for joining them for the workshop.

Senior graders of Shalom Hills International School go on an ISA Heritage Walk and Educational Trip to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri On 20th August'15

The students of classes XI B, XI C, XII B and XII C went for an educational trip to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri on 20th August, 2015.The trip was a part of a well-planned ISA Heritage Walk and Educational Visit. Nearly 50 senior graders accompanied by their teachers namely Mrs. Lalita Yadav, Mr. Pankaj, Mr. Qadri and Ms. Vineeta Bhatt were a part of this highly enjoyable and educational excursion. The students and teachers set off for Agra in the wee hours of the morning at about 4:30 am. The journey was awesome and covered in high spirits and lively banter. The students were first taken to Fatehpur Sikri where they were taken to different exciting places by a guide, Mohd. Akram. He offered the students and teachers many insights into the monument, its history and construction. One of the best experiences was provided when they paid a visit to the shrine of Salim Chisti. After wishing for three boons in the form of knots on a thread and tying it inside the shrine, they all walked out to explore the huge stone complex. Around 3 pm, the Shalom team left for their next destination i.e Taj Mahal. It was a wonderful and awe-inspiring experience for all of them to see one of the 7 wonders of the world. The entire Taj complex is preserved beautifully with magnificent gardens around the monument. The students enjoyed their sight and tour of 'this priceless marvel in white marble' and took many photographs both in Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal. Based on their experience, the Fine Arts students were directed by the Fine Arts Head, Mr M.Quadri how to capture the grandeur of these monuments in their paintings and sketches etc. After a day packed with action and steeped in history, the students headed back towards Gurgaon in the buses. Although tired after an eventful day, their minds and hearts were full of lovely mental images and sights which they had seen the whole day.

'Workshop on Model United Nations' organized in Shalom Hills International School for senior students on 21st August'15

We at Shalom Hills International School believe in nurturing and honing the debating, diplomatic and leadership skills of the students so that they can project their thoughts lucidly and confidently to an audience. MUN is a student run simulation of the United Nations where the time frames for making decisions are much shorter and appropriate leadership structure is decided with the need to mirror the power structure as it actually exists at the United Nations.

Student delegates representing various UN member nations address specific issues of current interest. Through debate and negotiation, the student delegates attempt to resolve regional and international problems. They are expected to do this in a conciliatory manner to the fullest of their nation's interest. Shalom Hills International School, through constant endeavours encourages its students to challenge themselves rather than simply simulating international affairs. To provide an insight into MUN, a workshop was organised with Mr Tarang Tripathy founder, President of Project Aawaaz, Mr Yash and Mr Mridul.

Student The presentation started with an introduction to MUN and United Nations. This was followed with a brief description about how the MUN debate works that includes flow of debate, setting the agenda, inclusion of delegates to speakers list, time allotted to each speaker, setting the motion to proceed with moderated & unmoderated caucus and finally presenting draft resolution, discussion, debates, negotiation with Voting procedure to pass the final resolution. The students from class VIII – IX took an active part in it, showed keen interest in the workshop and thus, an interactive session which concluded with queries from the students.

Dastak Workshop held on the topics of 'Swach Bharat Abhiyan' and ' Drug Abuse' on 17th August 2015

'Communication broadens one's perspectives and opens the door to many avenues.'

As the saying suggests 'Dastak' seeks to provide an innovative platform of expression that will ignite and open the minds of many and lead to bigger platforms of discussion for the individuals to reason out and come to a conclusion. Under the guidance of Dr. Surekha Waldia , once again 'Dastak' made its way to Shalom Hills International School on 17th August'15 to conduct another workshop with difference for the students of Grade 6 – 8.

The topic of discussion this time revolved around social issues - 'Swach Bharat Abhiyan' and 'Drug Abuse' were the two serious issues which were covered by Ms. Waldia. She engaged the students in an animated and stimulating brain storming session and discussion of the reasons why people indulge in the wrong despite knowing their harmful effects.

All in all, this workshop gave new dimensions to the students to reflect on the message which needs to be conveyed. She shared some links with the students to enhance their thinking skills. The Shalomites were once again prepared to set the ball rolling for scripting some impressive stories and later crafting another powerful street play based on these stories.

Visit of Grade VII students to Yakult Danone Factory on 17th August '15

The students of class VII of Shalom Hills International School visited Yakult Danone Factory located in HSIIDC Industrial Area, Rai, Sonepat on 17th August'15 accompanied by their class and subject teachers. The aim behind the visit was to make the students aware of probiotics, learn more about them and see their unique production process. The Yakult factory tour created awareness among the students that Probiotics are live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confers a health benefit on the host.

The students were shown the Yakult's production process which involved mixing of the ingredients and several stages of, sterilisation, storage tank, blending tank, bottle storage tank, filling machine, packing machine and refrigeration. A short film highlighting the discovery of the special strain of bacteria to make Yakult (a delicious probiotic drink) and how it helps in digestion and building immunity was also shown to the students. In between a short discussion was also carried out wherein the students were given a chance to enquire about various things related to this probiotic drink and their queries were satisfactorily answered by the concerned person. They also savoured the taste of this drink.

The main objective behind this trip was to make the students aware that Probiotics are effective in maintaining good health by suppressing the growth of bad bacteria.DAILY PIYO, HEALTHY JIYO!

Workshop on Career Awareness held for Classes IX-XII on 8th August 2015

A workshop on Career Awareness was organized by the Senior Counselor, Ms Bhupinder Kaur of Health & Wellness Department for the students of Classes IX-XII. Ms Vipula Gupta, a clinical psychologist who is also a visiting consultant with Miracles Medi Clinic, Gurgaon started the workshop with a quiz & asked the full form of various careers like BSW, CLAT, DUMET, BJMC, and BMMMC and so on. She listed the various career choices for the students & enquired from the students whether people opted for careers by 'choice' or 'chance'.

Many children are confused about right careers, the reasons for this may be -it may be that due to expected parental pressure, they are unable to take decide which option is best for them, or they influenced by friend's decisions or not able to resist peer pressure and as a result, end up making wrong career choices. Ms. Vipula Gupta focused on the need of Career Counseling in which the experts tell the students by showing them in a graph how the choice of a correct career depends upon the combination of Intelligence + Interests + Aptitude + Personality. The parents should also understand if the child is not good in Math's or Science, they should not force them to choose these subjects and help the child in recognizing his/her abilities & interests. The child's abilities can be assessed by administering a battery of Aptitude tests- DBDA (Davis Battery of Differential Abilities) after which they will be guided by the career counselor in an individual setting in making positive yet important decisions of their life.

Ms. Vipual spoke about the careers related to Science, Commerce & Humanities as well as the Graduation & Post-Graduation degrees which can be pursued in different colleges of Delhi NCR's. To break the monotony, she played a game named BINGO. At the end of the session many students came forward to ask their queries. The workshop was full of information which should help Shalomites in choosing the path which leads to “Road towards Success”.

Students of Grade X-XII attend a Psychological Orientation in Fortis Hospital on 7th August 15

The Humanities students of Grade XII who have opted for Psychology attended an orientation session that took place at Fortis Hospital Gurgaon, on 7th August' 15. Even the Grade XI Psychology students and Class X students who are willing to opt for psychology in the future were given an opportunity to be part of this orientation. They were by their teachers, namely Ms Mitu Singh (PGT Psychology), Ms Bhupinder Kaur ( Counselor Senior Wing) and Ms Vimala Jossy ( HOD- Science Senior Wing)

The main purpose of the orientation was to give a deeper understanding of certain psychological disorders. It was conducted by Ms Mimansa Singh (Counselor at Fortis) and her team. They started the session with Dumb Charades, where they enacted some disorders and the students were supposed to guess the disorder. A few children were able to guess some disorders. Later on, the students had their doubts cleared from the counselor and got to know about few real life cases handled by the counsellor of Fortis.

An Art therapy was also conducted wherein everyone was asked to close their eyes and imagine whatever is being narrated by the therapist. It was to make them flow with the situation and calm a person when he/she is in state of stress. It was really interesting.
Disorders explained were-

• 1. Anxiety disorders
• 2. Mood disorders
• 3. Somatoform disorders
• 4. Schizophrenic disorders.

Therapeutic approaches discussed were-
• 1. Psychodynamic
• 2. Behavior
• 3. Existential

The Fortis counselors concluded the session by giving guidance about the future scope in the field of psychology. The orientation programme was really helpful for the students. The students gained a lot of information from this session.

Grade X & XI students of Shalom Hills International School taken on an Educational trip to Parliamentary Museum on 1st August'15

Students of Shalom Hills International School are provided endless opportunities for learning through an experiential learning programme and by way of educational excursions. The students of Class X A/B and XI-C accompanied by Senior Wing teachers, namely Ms. Vineeta Bhatt , Ms. Shikha Nagpal, Megha Gupta, Ms. Ravneet Sachdeve and Mr. Ashish Kumar Rawat visited the Parliamentary Museum, Central Secretariat in New Delhi 1st August 2015. The objective behind the trip was to impart visual learning of the working of Parliament and show the students how the sessions in Parliament are actually conducted. It also provided the students with vital 'hands on' learning of the functioning and evolution of Parliament over the years in our country.

It was an amazing experience for the senior graders as they went through the elaborative security screening and arrangements. As they moved further, they were escorted by the security personnel. The first hall they entered is dedicated to Emperor Ashoka and his Ashoka chakra, Buddha and his philosophy which have been incorporated in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. The second hall is dedicated to Mahatama Gandhi where the Shalom students sang “Raghuati Raghav Raja Ram.”The third hall has been dedicated to India's first Prime Minister's famous speech “Tryst with Destiny”. The students were awe-struck when they saw the replica of Pt. Nehru himself delivering the landmark speech. The children saw an interesting movie showing the transfer of power from Britishers to Indians at the time of India's Independence. The students gleaned important information about the World Parliament, an Indian Parliament, relations with other countries and the currencies of other countries and so on. It was a completely educational, awe-inspiring and worthwhile visit as the children gained relevant information and more about the Indian Parliament.

Shalom counselor and students attend a workshop on Risk Behavior Management 20th July 2015

A workshop on Risk Taking Behavior its Management in Fortis Hospital was attended by the Senior Wing Counsellor, Ms Bhupinder Kaur as well as by the Ms Anita Bhutani, HOD –Hindi Department. The students of class IX & XI were also a part of the program. The Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program is a unique platform for the students to learn application based life skills through the medium of interactive workshops. Under the aegis of Dr. Sameer Parikh (Director), the program has been designed to equip students with the life skills required to navigate through the plethora of social influences that come their way & support the adoption of healthy & adaptive behaviors.
Children of this age tend to take risk by indulging in undesirable activities like- smoking, alcohol & other drug abuse, lying & cheating, underage- rash driving, bunking or truancy, physical violence, and compromised privacy (online). They start associating with older people, making new gang of people who already are showing such risky behaviors. These kids don't realize the difference between fact & fiction & learn, imitate through what parents & teachers do.

Dr Divya, a clinical psychologist explored the facts that 10 cigarettes a day costs Rs. 45,625 per year; many Facebook profiles are fake; 377 people die in road accidents in India, equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every day. Over 3 million deaths annually attributed to alcohol consumption. The workshop started with a few activities & each student from different schools of Gurgaon participated in it. It started with filling of questionnaire like list down “In your opinion, which behavior can be defined as risk taking”, “Do teenagers begin to drink/smoke to appear 'cool' among their peers”, “Do you think greater parental/teacher supervision can help reduce risk taking behavior” etc. The causes of risk taking behaviours could be:

•  Observation of parents, seniors and media
•  Exploration, curiosity and thrill seeking
•  Need to fit in and belong- social acceptability
•  Illusion of invulnerability and ignoring long term consequences
•  Desire to rebel
•  Peer pressure and fear of disagreeing
•  Stress, failures, fights and break-ups

The children exhibiting such behaviours are full of guilt, regret, embarrassment and generally have low self-esteem. As a result of further involvement in riskier behaviours, face academic difficulties, can cause physical harm to self or others, and keep on changing friends.

Dr Divya & other trainers present there also gave the solutions in four steps :

•  Step 1: Self-Awareness
•  Step 2: Evaluating Risk
•  Step 3: Express yourself Assertively
•  Illusion of invulnerability and ignoring long term consequences
•  Step 4: Find alternate options
•  Peer pressure and fear of disagreeing
•  Stress, failures, fights and break-ups

Through various activities & video clippings, the fun yet interactive session made the young generation understand that by repeatedly saying NO, expressing oneself assertively and by standing by our own decisions will help them in resisting negative peer pressure& stop them from indulging in risk taking behaviors.

“Onset of Puberty and how to cope up the common period problems” A workshop conducted for girl students of Class V on 7th July, 2015

An informative workshop on educating the girls about onset of “Puberty” and common “Puberty Problems” faced by adolescent girls was conducted by Ms. Elizabeth B Thomas, the Junior School counselor in the Middle Wing Auditorium on 7th July, 2015. The girls were made aware about their “menstrual onset” and that Puberty is the time in which a child's sexual and physical characteristics mature due to hormonal changes, and that it's a normal natural phenomenon. Students were made aware about the physical changes they will go through at the onset of puberty. They were encouraged to consult and rely on the advice of their mothers, teachers and counselor in case of any doubts, problems they face during the periods and were guided about the basic precautions that need to be adopted during this crucial period. They were counseled not to depend on the wide information provided on the internet.At the end of the session, a doubt clarification round helped the students to get answers to certain significant questions.

Shalom students attend a unique Workshop –cum-Competition in Heritage School, Gurgaon on 2nd & 3rd May'15

' CHILDREN FOR CHANGE' proved to be a unique hackathon where students from the best schools in Gurgaon came together to solve live challenges presented by NGOs namely Raahgiri Foundation, Indus Action and Khel Khel Mein covering diverse issues of Environment, Education and Sports. Sakshi Bharadwaj, Sukriti Tomar, Lavya Panthri, Pearl, Diksha Boken and Harshita, students of Grades IX & XI of Shalom Hills International School attended the session accompanied by their teacher, Ms Anjali Drolia.

The participating schools included Heritage School- Gurgaon, Heritage School-Vasant Kunj, Mother's International School, Pathways World School- Aravali, Shikshantar School, Scottish High School, Shalom Hills International School, Manav Rachna International School and The Maurya School. The children were mentored by social entrepreneurs and encouraged to contribute to build a better world to live in. A lot of young entrepreneurs took time out of their busy schedule to be with the students. The participating students worked on a real-life problem, learnt how to create a problem-solving framework, got to interact with many young entrepreneurs and also were able to understand the social reality of our country. Since the competition was only of 2 days in which they had to understand the problem and, design and present the solutions to judges – it was fast paced, time-crunched competition.

The Shalom team were given a Case study on Sangam Vihar. While designing a prototype, the students shortlisted any 3 ideas (2 practical and 1 wacky idea) and started planning for the same. They also used a mind map wherein the students mapped out the structure of process. Then, the students presented the action plan in the form of PPT clearly mentioning about the materials required, funds required, time line, partners for execution of plan. Our school students did well and gained much from this truly wonderful experience for them. The parents have also appreciated about the opportunity given to students.

Workshop on Career Counselling seminar (SAT, TOEFL, GMAT) was conducted for Grades X-XII on 30th April'15

A Scholarship Test and an informative session on SAT, Sat-II subject test and Education abroad were conducted for Classes X to XII on 30th April 2015 by Jamboree Group. This group is India's No 1 Institute which gives coaching to students for preparing for entrance exams such as GRE, GMAT, SAT, IELTS & TOEFL which need to be cleared in order to study abroad.

The seminar was attended by the senior graders, senior teachers, Ms. Meenu Chopra - Senior Wing HM & the counsellor Ms Bhupinder Kaur. The seminar aimed to explore the various career options available in USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore etc. The resource person shared the advantages of education abroad. The choice of Universities & courses in India are limited as compared to the Universities in abroad. The educational system abroad contains flexibility e.g. Indian students are able to complete any degree in 4 years in India whereas they get an opportunity to complete degree course in 3 years from foreign Universities thus start earning soon.

Another biggest drawback of Indian Universities is that the students who pursue BBA cannot enrol themselves in Engineering unlike in USA Universities. They can also choose subjects from other streams while studying abroad but one has to work very hard in class XI & XII to take admissions & qualify with higher grades in the Universities of other countries. They are given weightage based upon scores achieved in class IX till XII. Higher scorers can avail scholarships & financial aids also. Harward & Yale Universities and colleges give 75% scholarship to meritorious students. Excellent placements opportunities lie ahead after completing graduation from these Universities. Students can do Research & Development; enter into the corporate world & entrepreneurial ventures. After the Seminar, the interested students took a test - Cash prizes and Scholarships will be given to the top 3 students with more than 80 percent score.

Astronomy Workshop held for grades VI-VIII students on 29.04.15

Students of Class VI-VIII participated in the demonstration session on Astronomy by Zlife . The session was an interest building introduction to the Science of space i.e. Astronomy via the modes of various facts about black holes, time travel and related paradox along with latest space exploration mission information.

The resource person during the session also briefed the students about the infrastructure of Module I of Astronomy club including nine sessions touching varied topics of space study. Information was also given regarding the night sky observations conducted at camp site, astronomy kit and astronomy week at IIT, Delhi in the presentation by Zlife.

Shalom students and teachers attend Workshop on Peer Moderator Program- Aggression Management, 17th April 2015

A workshop on Aggression Management was attended by the Senior Wing counsellor- Ms Bhupinder Kaur & Ms Anjali Sharma in Fortis Hospital– The School of Mental Health Programme by the department of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences. Five students from Class IX & XI were also a part of the programme. The Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program is a unique platform for the students to learn application based life skills through the medium of interactive workshops. Under the aegis of Dr, Sameer Parikh (Director), the program has been designed to equip students with the life skills required to navigate through the plethora of social influences that come their way & support the adoption of healthy & adaptive behaviours.

The workshop started with the message which was given by Ms Kanika, Clinical Psychologist that Anger can be Good & Bad - Anger is good when it energizes & motivates us to do better, can give us a direction to work towards & can give strength to work against injustice. Anger is bad when it leads to aggression & destruction, can lead to impulsive decisions that we regret later & can create hostility between people. Ms. Kanika made the children understand the difference between Anger & Aggression. Although anger is an emotion, it can be good & bad; it is normal & natural & need not be directed at others. Whereas aggression is a negative behaviour, always harmful, directed at others and can be controlled. Bottomline rule to remember is - Everybody gets angry. That is okay. You can't help how you feel. But how you act is up to you. It matters, because how you act leads to far reaching consequences. Aggression also means: Defying Authority, Bullying, Yelling, Breaking Things, Interrupting, Spreading Rumours, Sarcasm, Gossiping, Excluding, Sitting Alone.

A few leading schools of Gurgaon participated in the program, Shalom Hills International School being one of them. The students were merged together to form groups to participate in different interesting activities. In one activity, they were told to write a story narrating an incident when they had become more aggressive, what they did in that situation, in another they were told to write an apology letter to someone whom they were most angry with. The person who is a victim of aggression - feels lonely, sad, has feeling of guilt, and possesses low self-esteem which leads to emotional consequences. The physical consequences are injury, frequent illness and the social consequences are isolation & inability to make friends. Academic consequences - inability to concentrate & drop outs and behavioural consequences- smoking, drinking, eating too much or too little & school refusal. In one activity, the students were made to understand who are classified as Aggressive, Passive, Passive Aggressive & Assertive. Groups of four were made & each group was made to respond differently in different situations. Through this mind blowing activity, they learnt how to be Assertive by following the different cues - Be aware of your emotions and triggers, Look for mutually acceptable alternatives, Be specific and clear, Express your reasons and feelings, Listen to the other, Use “I” statements, Give feedback about behaviour, Accept and Apologize when you make a mistake, Include positive messages, Talk on a one to one basis. The last activity was on to show their talent through various performances enacted in form of Music, Art, Drama, Dance, and Story Narration in which the Shalomites participated with full enthusiasm.

The school's Peer Moderators- Aarushi, Devishi, Avdesh- class IX & Raj Abbas, Samridhi- XI graders are now all set to sensitize their school mates about what constitutes socially desirable and acceptable behaviour through the morning assemblies.

Robotics Workshop conducted for Grade II to V students on 9th April 2015

An interactive and enthusiastic Robotics session was conducted for Class II-V students on 9th April 2015. Robotics has been one of the exciting technological interests amongst children promoted through media, television and kinaesthetic games. In this workshop, the Primary Wing students were introduced to the concept of 'robots' and the different uses and functions of a robot. The students were thrilled to learn about the different skills and activities a robot could possibly perform in today's high tech generation.The students were introduced to different types of robots according to different functions it performs. The children could relate their knowledge with the new age movie 'Transformers'. The workshop was indeed fulfilling and enriching for the children and helped them gain 'hands on' knowledge about robotics as one of the essential skills and learning tools.

Career Counselling sessions conducted for Grade X from 16th Feb till 21st Feb

Career counselling Sessions were taken place in the school premises with the parents of existing class Xth students. One to one interaction to each parent was given by the team of senior teachers – Ms Maya, Ms Vimala, Mr Pankaj, Ms Meenu Chopra (Head-Mistress of Senior Grades VI-XII) & the Senior Wing Counsellor- Ms Bhupinder Kaur. The aim of the counselling sessions was to allocate the streams- Medical, Non-Medical, Commerce & Humanities to the student's provisionally in Class XI & to counsel the parents as well as the students in making them understand the child's present performance and work collaboratively to enhance it.

Ms Maya & the Head Mistress explained how the allocation of streams had been done. It's based on Cumulative Result till FA-III, Subject Options forms filled by the students, Admission Policy as per CBSE rules, SGAI report which indicates the aptitude & skill in certain areas of the child like Mathematical skills/ Aptitude in Science, Creativity, Behavioural Sciences & Humanities and the overall opinion of the teachers. The parents were informed that 60% evaluation of each child has already been done & the marks of PSA which is counted as FA-IV -10% + SA-II-30% result is still awaited. It was advised that if the students put more efforts towards scoring expected targets then they can get the streams of their choice. They were guided with the desired CGPA which is 9.0 for outside students to get admission in Science whereas it could be reduced till 8.5 CGPA for the in-house students.

Most of all the parents were satisfied with the allotted streams. The parents were also told that it is mandatory for every child to appear in entrance for math those who want to choose math as a main or additional subject in class XIth to evaluate their mathematical concepts & aptitude.

One-week long sessions of career counselling were a great success wherein the students & parents were given guidance & counselling and helped in deciding their various career streams according to their interests and aptitudes.

Workshop on Advanced Rocketry held on 21st Feb'15

In this Astronomy Workshop session, the children were explained about the principle behind the launching of rockets & given an insight as to how Newton's Third Law is the basis of rocket launch. They were also informed about the different forces involved during a rocket's flight. At the end of the briefing session, the students constructed a hydro-rocket on their own and attached a parachute to it to ensure that that the rocket could have a safe landing and its important parts also remained intact. The three important parts of a rocket are:

• Fins
• Rocket Body
• Nose cone

The young scholars constructed all these components on their own and attached them to their rocket. Finally, the rocket was launched by means of air and water pressure with the help of a propelling system.

Shalom students attend Google Web Rangers Event at Gurgaon on 12th Feb 2015

Vatsal Patel (X) and Robin Singh (IX) of Shalom Hills International School participated in the "Web Rangers" program held at Google India Office in Gurgaon on 12th Feb'15. Google India has launched this programme to spread the importance and imperative need of being safe on the internet and be a model netizen. Web rangers have the opportunity to change the internet ecosystem and make it safe and friendly. The selected students as web rangers can influence friends, school mates, siblings and even other family members. They can teach them about the importance of being safe online and ask them to spread the word among other net-surfers and users.

More than 20 schools had participated in this programme. All students were divided into 7 teams. The entire workshop was spread over 4 sessions with different themes like how to manage digital footprints, avoid scams etc. Each session involved group discussion, sharing of personal experiences followed by a Quiz. Since for every correct response cool prizes were given out, the quiz had an informative and exciting quotient for the participants. The occasion was truly a fruitful one since the young students entered as participant but came out as web rangers.

A Workshop on Digital Arts conducted for Grade IV on 9th February 2015

An interesting and instructive session was organized by Afterskool Training and Education programme for the young graders of Class IV on 9th February 2015. Relevant information was given to the students about Digital Arts and how is it helpful in web designing, short film making, E-Cards, T-shirt designing and presentation. The students were facilitated and guided about how pictures are edited, modified and used with a help of software for various purposes such as animations, cartoons, films and advertisements. The students were further shown a short film based on animation and were explained as to how the film was made incorporating different pictures and images. The session was very interactive and fun filled.

Joey's Lab session held on 9th Feb'15 for students of Grades III-V

The children of class III, IV and V were briefed about Earth sciences as the concept, in yet another electrifying session of Joey's Lab. In this session, the children were informed about the natural phenomenon of volcanoes and tornados. The children were explained about the causes, types of volcanoes and tornados with the help of PPT's. All the children participated actively in the discussion; one student even related the choc lava pudding as an example of volcano. In the end, the children indulged in making an erupting volcano with the help of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate. The children were wonder-struck as they absorbed these amazing facts about Science.All together it was an interesting session and was thoroughly enjoyed by the children.

SUBJECT: Orientation session for World Scholar's Cup

SUBJECT: Orientation session for World Scholar's Cup
TOPIC: World Scholar's Cup
DATE: 3 February, 2015
CLASS: GRADE V - IX
CONDUCTED BY: Mr. Salil Singh

'Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success'.
An Orientation session was conducted for the students of Grades V-IX by Mr. Salil Singh, an educator at Indirapuram Public School, Ghaziabad and the Event Co-ordinator for World Scholar's Cup. The purpose behind the specially organized session was to enlighten the school scholars about the international dimensions of the event, the global platform and exposure to multi-cultural exchanges it affords to the students and also to motivate them to participate in this coveted event. He explained them the significance of this program which aims at global enrichment learning and brings together scholars from across the globe on a common platform to increase their understanding and tolerance of other cultures, as well as broadening their educational and social horizons. He emphasized the fact that WSC broadly helps to give the young generation impetus in their future endeavours at the time of admissions and placements to colleges and other institutions.

Through anecdotes and illustrative examples, he further explained to the students about their association with the World Scholar's Cup program for the past three years whose core strength is to inspire, engage and bring the best out of the students from all over the world and celebrate the joy of learning. The young students of VI-IX showed keen curiosity to know a lot more about this event and asked a host of pertinent and exploratory queries. They were furthermore briefed about the pattern of this prestigious event which comprised of four competitions namely Team Debate, Collaborative Writing, Scholar's Challenge and Scholar's Bowl based on the theme 'World Unbound'. He further discussed the detailed syllabus pertaining to the special area being Heroes and Superheroes wherein students are expected to study about Spiderman, Superman etc. It was also explained how an analytical approach would be gauged through the Science syllabus( 'Liberating Technologies').

The tournament would take off with the Regional round to be held at Indirapuram School, Ghaziabad. Students would be divided into two divisions- Junior and Senior Division. They would be working together collaboratively in a team of three participants and build points for their school collectively to qualify for the global round to be held in Malaysia and finally be a part ,if at all it happens, to the Tournament of Champions at Yale University.

Mr. Salil further shared an inspirational story of one such student who has now graduated from Indirapuram and successfully made it through WSC till the Tournament of Champions. He was later shortlisted by various universities at U.S.A and today serves as a debate coach. As quoted by him,' it's not important to be an academic achiever, but it's the zeal to be creative enough to analyse situations.' The medium to achieve it could be in the form of a debate or writing on any given topic.

Towards the end, there was an interactive session wherein the students discussed their queries and were determined enough to be a part of this Global Enrichment Program. Mr. Salil Singh left on the Alpaca note.....our very own Jerry found in South America going the Pwaaaaa way –the lucky mascot of the World Scholar's Cup.

Parent Student Interactive Session conducted with Grade IV students on 29th January, 2015

An interactive parent - student session was conducted in all the sections of Class IV by Mrs. Seema Srinivasa, mother of Sahaana Srinivasa who is a student of Class IV E. Mrs. Seema provided valuable inputs to the children related to the concept of Money. It was made clear to the junior scholars that money is a wonderful invention of man. In the primitive-society human needs were simple and limited. In course of time 'Barter system' prevailed and commodity to commodity exchange came into existence. Money, profit and loss is a system of our society now.

Ms. Seema took up the topic money, profit and loss. She emphasized the different ways to spend money like making of budget, planning the things to buy so as to avoid impulse purchases, paying in full and in cash etc before going for shopping. It was a wonderful platform of interaction between parent and students and the children greatly benefited from it.

Power Point Presentation activity conducted in Grade VIII C on 23rd Jan'15

There are frequent Power Point Presentation Competitions and presentation activities conducted in Shalom Hills International School with a view to enhance the soft skills amongst students, to develop the essential skill of public speaking, to encourage self-learning, and to stimulate their thinking process. One such activity was organized by Ms. Jyotin Prinja, the English teacher of Grade VIII C with the dual objective of not only improving the communicative competencies of the students but also to sensitize them towards some highly inspirational stories which have a profound message for the children. As a prelude, Ms. Jyotin regaled the class with the story of the tiny frogs and three trees bearing the message how self-belief and determination fuel one's success story. The exercise was connected to the Unit on the 'Power of Determination' that was being covered in the English class that week.

Thereafter, the entire class grouped themselves and prepared lovely PPTs on some astonishing stories like the 'The fern and the bamboo shoot', 'The Life-Story of Malala Yousafazi' and other themes. What came out loud and clear from the presentation activity was the sensitivity with which each group had researched the stories, the thoroughness with which they had prepared the PPTs, and the confidence with which they read out the stories and the underlying message behind them before the class. Other than sharpening their soft skills and communicative acumen, the students also re-discovered the eternal importance of values like Faith in God, inner strength, courage to face and surmount difficulties and 'never say die' attitude while taking part in the class activity and they promised to practice all these values in these school and personal lives.

Astronomy Workshop on 'Astrometrica' conducted in senior grades on 17th Jan'15

In this session, the students learn about the asteroid-hunting software, Astrometrica. Astrometrica is an interactive software tool for astrometric data reduction of CCD images. It can be installed on windows operating system.

During the course of the workshop, the students first understood about the software followed by practical class of astrometrica, a set of practice set CCD images were given to kids where they look for asteroids. Next, they were guided how to use another online software SIMBAD for identifying other stars in the field.

After the students confirm the sighting of another object, the position of the object is sent to Minor Planet Center, Usually within a day an e-mail reply acknowledges the observations if the object is indeed now, it is then given a designation.

Senior graders go on an adventure trip to Eco Adventure Camp on 24th Dec'14

Shalom Hills International School management leaves no stone in arranging educational trips and as well as 'fun out' excursions for its students throughout the calendar year. It takes utmost care of the safety and security as aspect while mapping out these outings. Wanting to provide its senior graders a sanctum and escape from the urban life and crowded city life, the school arranged for a day trip to Eco Adventure Camp in Najafgarh on 24th Dec'14 for its senior graders from Grades VI-XI. The joyous laughter and excited chatter filled the corridors and classrooms from the wee hours of the morning as the snugly clad youngsters entered the school that morning. Nothing could dampen their spirits which were so infectious that even the reluctant sun was lured out of its hiding place. The fleet of school buses ferried the students and their escort teachers in utmost comfort and safety to the camp. After a head-count and class and bus wise attendance, the students and teachers entered the premises. Ms. Ritu Mehta, the school principal and Ms. Meenu Chopra, the Head-Mistress of Senior Grades joined in the trip and added to the fun quotient with their upbeat presence and spirits.

'Fun unlimited' took over as the enthusiastic students were divided into groups with a special code name and professional instructor in charge. After savouring the hot and appetizing breakfast, the students enjoyed the adventure ambience and manifold activities planned for their enjoyment. They enjoyed river crossing, rappelling, rope bridge, commando crawl, commando net and went on to having fun with bullock, camel and tractor rides. There were special arrangements like magic show, candy floss, tug-of-war, bouncy and dance in the amphitheatre for their entertainment.

The children gained exposure to the rustic ambience and rural activities like potters wheel, chakra and other similar activities during the time they spent there. They were taken good care of and ate the sumptuous meal with gusto. They had to be practically nudged back to the buses for their return journey to the school and their homes.Najafgarh Camp is one of the famous and biggest camping site in Delhi. We encourage to the people to go our camp and enjoy all the activities with your family and friend. Delhi which we called metro city is very crowdness city, You can go in our camp for sanctum. The camps offers You the best and finest adventure activities, that you have not seen before.

Hindi Hand Writing Workshop conducted with Grades VI-X students on 4th Dec '14

A workshop was conducted for the students of Grades VI-X on 4th Dec to highlight the importance of beautiful handwriting. The session was conducted by Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh. In this work shop, the students of Grades VI-X came to know about many interesting and lesser known things about hand Writing. The knowledge gained by the students from and during the course of this work shop will definitely help them to have a deeper understanding of Hindi Hand Writing.

Also the children learnt how to become more proficient in their writing skills and how to improve their penmanship abilities. The students enjoyed the session and interacted freely with the resource person.

Workshop on Child Abuse was organized for Class VI-XI on 17th& 18th December'2014.

Dr. Radha Rajpal, Consultant Paediatrics & Child Development from Paras Hospital sensitized the senior graders about the thought-provoking and burning topic of Child Abuse. She took two sessions on alternate days with Class VI-VIII & IX-XI respectively. She explained thoroughly to the teenagers What Child Abuse is, what is good touch & bad touch, who are the violators or perpetuators in the society, what the warning signs are and how it can be stopped. Child Abuse is - when an adult hurts a child & it is not by an accident & it is done intentionally. She stressed upon four abuses in total that most unfortunately a child can go through are:

1. Physical Abuse, 19% - is when an adult hurts you by hitting or beating you.
2. Emotional Abuse, 8% - is when an adult says things that make you feel like a bad person.
3. Neglect, 63% - is when an adult hurts you by keeping food, care, & shelter away from you.
4. Sexual Abuse,10% - is when an adult touches the private parts of your body or has you touch the private parts of his or her body. It can also happen if an adult tries to get you to take off your clothes or touches or kisses you in a way that scares you..
5. person who abuses might have faced difficult phase in his/her life like coming from broken marriage & families, financial crisis or he himself was a victim of abuse.

Through Power Point Presentation, she covered the topic & explained what is good touch & bad touch, which body parts can be touch by others as a show of affection. Everyone likes to be hugged or touched by someone he or she cares for but some kind of touching are not good for you. If you aren't sure if touch is good or bad, talk to an adult or a counsellor you trust about it. An adult who abuses children has a problem & needs SOS help to stop hurting kids. Even nice people can do bad things. Sometimes, it is hard to believe that someone we love or someone who is nice can hurt kids. Some kids blame themselves, but it is the adult who must be blamed. Adults might tell you that you are bad and you yourself are responsible for the abuse. But no matter what, if you are abused, it is never your fault.

The way to stop is abuse to talk about it. Child Abuse is against the law and is punishable by law. Even if the abuse only happens once or seems like it is over, it is important to tell someone you trust. Child abusers may tell kids that something bad will happen if they ever tell anyone. If the abuser is a family member, kids may be afraid the family will break apart if they tell the secret. Remember you should not keep it a secret.

At last, the warning signs that teachers should keep in mind in identifying the abuse are :

1. Educators should be alert to children who are hostile and angry, those that effectively alienate all who come in contact with them, or children who may be passive, withdrawn, and uncommunicative. These represent extreme ranges in the expected behaviors and attitudes of abused and neglected children.
2. Academic performance may be a clue to the presence of child abuse and neglect. This is particularly true when there are sudden or extreme changes in performance. Previously good students who suddenly seem disinterested in school or who are no longer prepared for class may be maltreated.
3. It is important to remember that these also can be signs of other problems such as substance abuse, a reaction to divorce, or the witnessing of domestic violence, so it is crucial to follow each school's protocol in reporting suspected abuse.

Workshop by jamboree organized for Grades XI-XII students on 18th Dec'14

A Workshop by Jamboore was organized for the students of classes X-XI on 18th Dec'14. Jamboore was established in 1993 and since then they are offering specialized training and counseling to the students, guiding them to take up various exams like GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFEL, IELTS. The staff apprised the students with the eligibility criterion necessary to appear for SAT examination and how to proceed for higher education abroad.

The specific highlights of the workshop were:

1. SAT is conducted six times in a year from October to January and May- June
2. They offered free mock tests for the students to identify and assess themselves.
3. There were different procedures for the university intakes for Class XII students. For instance they have to fill in the application procedure, standardized tests like SAT1 and SAT (subject tests), TOEFL, IELTS can be taken.
4. Students were imparted information about the roadmap to global education like defining the objective, profile of the student, shortlist the course, prepare for taking test, develop the funding plan, organize the visa, pre-departure preparation and last to reach the destination.
5. For class XI, test could be opted for in 2014 and the entire process could be completed by June- Aug 2016
6. Students were apprised of SAT examination paper pattern which included 3 tests on critical writing, 3 critical reading and 3 in Maths sections.
7. At last students were also shown various sample papers to test their understanding in various sections.
8. The session ended with the feedback round .
9. 9. It was a highly informative and interesting session giving insight to students and help them decide their future course.

ASTRONOMY CLUB-MODULE-II held on 13th Dec'14

SESSION: III
TOPIC: EXOPLANETS

In this session, the students were informed about the exo-planets which are a part of the undiscovered world. Exoplanets are planets found orbiting a star outside our solar system. In some cases, more than one exoplanet is discovered orbiting the same star, making it part of a multiple planetary system.

Since the universe is so large (infinite), the exoplanets are at a great distance and thus we need precise units of distance and time to detect one. Generally we measure such great distances in light-years.

Astronomers believe that exoplanets are formed in a similar way as planets in our own solar system. Observing other planetary systems in a variety of stages of evolution has given us some valuable insight into the past and future of our own system.

How to detect an exoplanet?
There are various ways of detecting an exoplanets. Some of them are:-

1. Direct Imaging - Observing visible or infrared light produced by or reflected from the exoplanet.
2. Astrometry - Measuring a star's change in position.The gravitational pull of an orbiting planet will cause the star to “wobble” in its orbit.
3. Radial Velocity - Measuring a star's changes in radial velocity using the Doppler Effect.
4. Planetary Transit - The planet eclipses some of the star's light as it passes in front of it.
5. Gravitational Micro-lensing - The gravitational field of one star bends the light coming from a more distant star. Orbiting planets can cause variations in the curvature of the light.

After learning about these techniques, the students calculated from the provided data and looked for the exoplanets.

A Workshop conducted as part of 'Ezee Hugs' by the Hindustan Times for Grades III-V students on 10th December 2014

December is aptly hailed as the month of sharing, giving and thanksgiving. It is associated with the “Joy of Sharing and Giving”. The students of Shalom Hills International School celebrated the essence of generosity, partaking and sharing, under the “Ezee Hugs Campaign”, an initiative by The Hindustan Times, along with the brand sponsor Ezee detergents, wherein the students of Classes III-V donated their woollen clothes and blankets to the needy and showed their belongingness, compassion and care towards the less privileged.

A Science Workshop organized by Yakult Company held for Grades III-IV students on 5th December 2014

An interesting and instructive session was organized by Yakult Company for the young graders of III- IV on 5th December 2014. Relevant information related to the product was provided as it is a pro-biotic drink that could reach the intestines alive to impart health benefits. Yakult drink improves digestion, builds immunity & prevents infection. The drink was first introduced in Japan in 1935, and later launched in the overseas markets.

The students were imparted facts about Probiotics, which are live microorganism and when administrated in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Each bottle of Yakult contains more than 6.5 billion beneficial bacteria. The session concluded with the interesting video based on the digestion system and probiotic drinks. It was an informative session for both teachers and students.

Report of Intel Robotic workshop held on 21st Nov'14

A Robotics Workshop was held in Senior Wing Computer Lab which was organized by Robotech Lab in association with Learning Links Foundation. 52 students from classes VI to IX participated in the workshop. The children were encouraged to come up with their own innovative ideas of making robots. They enjoyed watching a video on the different type of robots currently in use in different fields. They were made aware of the various scientific components use in the making of robots.

The main highlights of the Workshop:-

1. Introduction of Robot.
2. Types of Robot.
3. Relation with daily life.
4. Need of Robot.
5. Senses of Robot.
6. Programming of Robot.

During the workshop, the trainer Mr. Ritesh Sharma from Robotech Lab gave demonstration by making a Robot in front of Students. The children enjoyed thoroughly gaining hands-on experience in assembling the Robot. This workshop served as the curtain raiser for competition slated to be held 24th – 30th December 2014 in Noida.

Students of Shalom Hills International School visit G.D.GOENKA WORLD INSTITUTE on 21st Nov'14

Classes XI and XII students of Shalom Hills International School along with Ms. Anika Mehta, Ms. Mitu Singh and Mr. Pankaj Kumar visited G.D.Goenka World Institute on 21st November'14. The initiative allowed the senior class students to experience a day at the college campus and get a true flavour of college life and campus experience.The Director and Professors had a session with the students through which they were made aware about courses available, the curriculum , eligibility criteria, fee structure , campus life etc. They all were taken for the University tour where all the amenities were shown. The whole session broadened the horizon of the students and their independent thinking. The programme made the students realise about the hard work they need to do before and after admission in the colleges.

Joey's Lab session held for students of Grades III-V on 19th Nov'14

Another enthusiastic session of Joey's lab was attended by the students of Classes III-V. In this session, the children were briefed about the properties and molecular structure of the soap and how it functions as a cleanser. The youthful children participated actively in the discussion and experiment that followed and the resource person explained the shape of a bubble. They learnt the term 'Surface tension 'and its significance in the shape of the bubble in a fun way. All the children engaged themselves in the activity of making shapes with the help of different frames made by them only. Altogether it was a fun activity and the young schoalrs effectively learnt about the soap bubbles and its properties. A sample of soap solution was also handed over to the children.

Shalom students attend National Symposium on Higher Education held in D.P.S, Gurgaon on 11th November'14.

A workshop on Career Counseling National Symposium on Higher Education was held in D.P.S Sector 5, Gurgaon. This workshop was a joint initiative of Institute of Counsellor Training Research and Consultancy and Delhi Public School, Gurgaon. The workshop was attended by Psychology teacher; Ms Mitu Singh along with all the students of classes XI & XII. The aim of the symposium was to guide the senior school students in making informed decisions about their higher education.

The overall agenda of the program was to guide the students how to choose their careers when they step out of school. There were many speakers like DPS Principal, Aditi Mishra, Dr Ravindran, an eminent psychologist and Mr. Keshav S, Project Co-ordinator of ICTRC. They all counseled the students and guided them in taking the right decision regarding their career selection.

Later on, Dr Ravindran addressed all the students separately about their career choices and also answered the queries that the students had. Dr. Ravindran also had a special briefing session with all the teachers in which he spoke on the topic “What is counseling?”. He discussed many points related to counseling like-

School functions involves following things

• Instructional Function
• Service Function
• Guidance Function
• Counseling function
• Occupational Information and Career Information
• Placement Service

The five hours long session proved beneficial for the students and teachers alike.

Grade X students go on a visit to Rajiv Gandhi Energy Park on 8th Nov'14

The students of class X went to Rajiv Gandhi Energy Park to learn about renewable sources of energy as a part of their Formative Assessment activity. They learnt about the working of various models which work on solar energy like different forms of solar cooker, solar water heater, solar panels, solar powered car, solar powered radio, and solar lantern. Working model of wind turbine generator, Geo-thermal plant, Cut model of bio gas, petton wheel turbines, micro hydel plant, cross flow turbine was also seen. Following are the description of few models:

• Wind Turbine Generator- The device derives energy from the force of wind on oblique blades or sail that radiate from a shaft. When the shaft is connected to a load, such a pump, the device is typically called wind mill. When it is used to generate electricity, it is known as a wind turbine generator.
• Bio diesel- Green fuel from energy plantations.
• Energy/ Money saving chart.

Overall the visit proved to be beneficial and informative for the senior graders. They enjoyed seeing all the exhibits and were impressed by all the innovative uses of technology they saw in the park.

Students of Grades IX taken on a field trip to Tau Devi Lal Bio-diversity Park held on 8th Nov'14

The students of Classes IX enjoyed themselves thoroughly on the Field Trip to Tau Devi Lal Bio-Diversity Park held on 08.11.14, which was undertaken by the Science Department as part of their graded Formative Assessment activity. The students were overjoyed to take a walk down the sprawling arena of the Bio-Diversity Park. They observed the various sections there such as the nursery, medicinal section, shrub section, etc. Later on, the students discussed about the different plants they observed which fall under the category of gymnosperms and pteridophytes.

Interestingly, the students were able to observe and comprehend the use of the bio diesel plant. The students could understand the importance of these plants and relate it to the daily life.

Guest lecture on 'E-Judiciary has helped in making court proceedings more transparent' held for Grades IX-XI on 1st Nov'14

As part of the school's endeavour to lend its whole-hearted support to the Public Vigilance Week Celebrations, the school has engaged its students in a wide spectrum of activities on the theme of 'Combating Corruption – Technology as an enabler'. The students were sensitized through these activities about how corruption is an epidemic malaise and is corroding our public and social life.

Since corruption, punishment of the corrupt is closely aligned to the judicial system, the school had organized a lecture cum interactive session with a well-known practising criminal lawyer, Ms. Kavita Sharma. Ms. Sharma began the session with a few ice-breaking questions like how many senior graders aspired to become lawyers to what does a court proceeding entail. She explained how E-Judiciary is a creation of recent times and this technology created judicial system has revamped the judicial system and can make litigation process more transparent and open for the litigants and the public. The lecture was attended by Ms. Ritu Mehta, the principal, Ms. Meenu Chopra, Head Mistress of Senior Grades VI-XII and faculty members of senior grades. Apart from the avid interest shown by the students, even the teachers had interesting insights to share.

Although humorously called lawyers the greatest liars, Ms. Kavita demolished certain myths and misconceptions that the children had about lawyers and judiciary. She reminded the children that aspiring lawyers have to take an oath of office to be true to the ethics and tenets of their profession when they receive their degrees. On a serious note, she explained to the students that the lawyers have an ethical obligation to defend their client to the best of their ability. Every culprit and offender, under the laws of the land and Constitution of India, has the right to be represented by a lawyer and to ask for a fair hearing. After answering all students' queries, Ms. Kavita requested Ms. Ritu Mehta, the principal to arrange for a visit of the students to the courts so that they get 'hands on' experience of court proceedings and the legal system.

Ms. Ritu Mehta agreed immediately and promised the students that such a visit would be arranged soon. The principal, in the vote of thanks, praised Ms. Kavita, who is the mother of two promising students, Divya Sharma of Grade XII and Shakti of Grade VI for answering the students' queries so satisfactorily and patiently. She thanked Ms. Sharma for taking out time from her busy schedule to interact and guide the students.

Workshop: Trading on Stock Exchange conducted on 29th Oct'14 for the students of Grades XI & XII (Commerce)

Central Board of Secondary Education has given a wonderful opportunity to the students of Commerce by adding a Project to the curriculum, i.e. to make investment portfolios and study its performance analysis in Stock Exchange. The Project Report on Stock Exchange contains the technical assessment method that is completely statistical and requires a lot of comprehensive analysis of companies' performances.

In order to provide a better understanding of the trading on Stock Exchange, a workshop was organised for Commerce Students in Shalom Hills International School. The students were trained about each and every step involved in buying decisions in Stock Market. The basics of Stock Exchange were also elaborated by the resource person, Mr. Varun Agarwal who is an experienced and certified financial analyst. Five Companies were taken up for case study and a portfolio was made. Thus, the students learnt about the principles to be followed at the time of selection of companies. They also learnt how to the study the price fluctuation of shares and ascertain its possible causes. The session was very informative and interesting.

Seminar on 'Effectiveness of E-Taxation in making the system more transparent and efficient' held for the students of Grades XI-XII on 29th Oct'14

The Income Tax Department of India has modernised the current system of paying direct taxes using latest tools of information technology. In order to get an in depth idea of the same, a seminar was organised in Shalom Hills International School for Class XI and XII students. The objective was to create awareness among the senior graders about the initiative taken by IT Department of India. The Resource Person for the workshop was Mr. Varun Agarwal, a certified Financial Analyst who provided a lot of knowledge to the students about the benefits of E-Taxation.

The session was very interactive as many students had several questions to ask. The curiosity among the students and the knowledge of the resource person made the session very interesting. The whole discussion revolved around the key points of how to file tax online and what are its benefits. Also, a comparison was made with the tax payment process of other countries. All the students were benefitted a lot from the whole discussion.

Students of Grades X-XII attend a Career Counseling Workshop in IILM, Gurgaon on 18th Oct'14

The senior graders of Classes X-XII attended a Career Counseling Workshop at IILM, Gurgaon on 18th October 2014. They were accompanied by their teachers, Elizabeth Bijo Thomas, Preeti Agrawal, and Sanjay Arya. The aim of the workshop was to make the students aware of “Why Planning is important before choosing any Career”.

At the outset of the interactive and invigorating session, the students were divided into groups and the session started with a leadership game conducted by Ms Palashar, in which a student was blindfolded and he/she had to put the ball in the basket with the help of instructions given by his / her team members. It was a fun-filled activity and its aim was to highlight the importance of leadership and team spirit. Discussions were made on different strategies adopted by the teams to reach the goal.

Following the ice-breaker session, Professor Rakhi Singh, HOD Undergraduate program, spoke about the different courses provided by the IILM. A video was shown by Miss Anisha wherein the students of IILM shared their college life experience at IILM. The session ended with an activity on critical thinking and problem solving in which each team were given some newspapers and they had to make a bridge strong enough to withstand a small notebook. It was a timed activity and had to be completed within 15 minutes.

Post activity discussion gave an insight to the students on how they make a mistake while choosing a career. It was an interactive, fun filled and informative session for all the students.

Students of Grade IV take part in the Story Telling Workshop conducted by the HT Pace.

On 16th of October 2014, a story telling workshop was conducted by HT Pace in the school premises. It was conducted as part of the school's ongoing Student Enhancement Programme which was facilitated by Ms Anuradha Mazumdar. It started with a PPT presentation on the story- The Boy and the apple tree. The story was based on a moral and the students of Grade IV were asked various questions related to it. The students listened and participated with a becoming keenness and were duly impressed, enlightened and motivated by the story.

A workshop on 'First Aid & Safety' organized for the students of Classes VI-X on 7th Oct'14.

A workshop on First Aid & Safety was conducted by a team of doctors from Paras Hospital, Gurgaon. Ms Preeti, Senior Nurse Educator presented the various aspects of what is First Aid & what measures one should take for better safety. First Aid is the immediate assistance given to a casualty & to save the life of a patient. Immediate steps in case of bleeding & to relieve pain, to promote quick recovery are the basics aims one should consider before providing help to anyone. She explained clearly the rules of giving First Aid to the students and elaborated upon the DR ABC Hypotheses in which D- stands to recognize danger, R is the Response, A is Airway, and B is Breathing & C is Circulation. By identifying & recognizing DR ABC we can save someone's life.

Ms. Preeti imparted beneficial information about the contents of First-Aid Box which should contain Bandages, Gauze, Plasters, Scissors, Tweezers, Cotton Wool, Pain Killers, notebook & pen, Disinfectants, Gloves, Surgical Blades, Glucose, Burn Cream, Safety Pins, ORS- Oral Rehydration Salts, Medicated Soap & Splint.. She also highlighted the functions of bandage that it should not be placed very tightly on patient's injured area otherwise it will stop the blood circulation & can cause further complications. In case of nose bleeding, the gentle part of nose should be pinched & cold sponge or wet cloth should be kept on forehead. Resting his back on a chair will stop the nose from bleeding.

he stressed upon the basic Life Support System- Chain of Survival, one should not panic in case of emergency & should follow the steps for basic life support system which are given as under:

• Check the responsiveness of the client
• Call for Help
• Check the Carotid Pulse
• Start with 30 Chest Compressions (if no pulse/ doubtful pulse); continued with 2 rescue breaths

In case of an emergency, the chain of survival shown above reflects how one should be vigilant about calling the doctor, reassuring the patient that everything would be alright, calling the ambulance & lastly, the final treatment of reaching the hospital in time.

Shalom students attend a International Virtual Exchange with students from Czech Republic on 12th September'14

As many as 16 students from Grades V-VIII accompanied by their teachers, Ms. Deepika Dalal and Ms. Neetu Dhiman visited the Google Office to be a part of hangout in Google Office, Gurgaon with the students from Czech Republic. The hangout session started at 12:30 PM on Friday- Sept 12' 2014, and was of almost 1 hour duration.

This was a cultural exchange event that they did over a hangout. The idea for organizing the hangout was to enhance the usage of technology to show interaction between 2 countries. The students from Shalom Hills spoke to the students from Bangalore as well as with the students from Czech Republic.

This event was sponsored from Jičín - a town of fairy tales and where they organize a Czech cultural festival for children. The idea of the hangout was to connect students between Czech Republic & India.

The other school which participated from Delhi was GD Goenka. The schools which participated from Bangalore were Harvest International and Gopalan International.

The students from Czech Republic showed a quick snapshot of their city with the help of a tablet. A tablet was placed in the elfs stomach and the children there looked inside only to get connected and see the children here in India. This was an opportunity wherein the students got an exposure of how technology is being used to bridge geographical gaps and introduce children to diverse cultures.

Astronomy Club Workshop and activity (Module-2, Session-1) conducted on 6th September'14

TOPIC: Phases of moon and eclipses.
ACTIVITY: To study the different phases of moon and types of eclipses.
CLASS: VII - X

The students of Astronomy Club were part of an edifying and enlightening session conducted by Ms Prerna Karmakar which taught them about the lunar world – the different phases of moon, how different phases of moon takes place, the moon's far side and near side using power point presentation. They were also taught about the geometry of eclipses and types of eclipses i.e. Solar Eclipse (Total, Partial and Annular) and Lunar Eclipse (Penumbral, total and partial).

Close of the heels of the presentation was an activity which the students performed in respective groups to get a better understanding of the topic. They had to visualise and show the different phases of moon assuming themselves to be the sun, moon and the earth.

The students of Grades VI-X were able to comprehend clearly and grasp fully the different phases of moon through this activity.

A JOEY's Lab workshop held for grades III-V on 6th September'14

CONDUCTED BY: CREW FROM ZLIFE

The children of Classes III-V participated enthusiastically in an impressive workshop by Joey's Laboratory. The children were shown a Power Point Presentation explaining the concept of Polymers. The young children participated actively in the experiment which explained to them the difference between a Polymer and a Monomer. Also the juniors learnt how to make “Gooey Slime and Worm Slime” at home. The experiments conducted were using PVA (Poly vinyl alcohol) and food colour. The above mentioned experiment stated that a polymer is neither liquid, solid or in a gas form - it's between solid and liquid. The children performed the experiment and enjoyed doing so. A handout explaining the whole experiment with a sample of polymer was also given to the children.

Shalom students – a part of the 'Meet the Author' session organized by Times Of India NIE at Manav Rachna University, Faridabad on 29th August'14

Tara Yadav and Oindrilla Dutta Gupta, the Student Reporters of Shalom Hills International School received a special invite to be a part of the coveted and most sought after 'Meet the Author' session arranged by Times of India, which is a part of their on-going 'School Reporter' and 'News Makers' Meet 2014-15' programme. The two prolific writers and aspiring journalists from Grade XI, accompanied by Ms. Jyotin Prinja, H.O.D – English were part of an interaction with the debutante and highly talented epigrammatic author, Ms. Radhika Dhariwal.

Prior to this, the two students had written amazing book reviews of the racy thriller by Radhika Dhariwal with the taut title 'The Petpost Secret' which is replete with metaphorical allusions and parallelisms between the human and animal world. The book reviews by our students have been appreciated by the TOI functionaries and may be in the offing for publication in the TOI shortly.

Almost 100 schools of Delhi NCR were a part of the well-arranged meet and the students were given an ideal opportunity to have a tete with Mr. Vikas Singh, Associate and Special Resident Editor - TOI and Ms. Radhika Dhariwal. The programme started with the welcome of the chief guests – Mr. Vikas Singh and Ms. Radhika, Vice-Chancellor of Manav Rachna University, Ms. Poonam Editor – NEI Group and other distinguished special guests and the lighting of the lamp. Thereafter, the debut book 'The PetPost Secret' was officially launched and released amidst loud cheering. Mr. Puneet Jain gave the opening address. Mr. Vikas impressed the youthful aspirants to the world of journalism when in his speech, he stressed upon 'objectivity, impartiality and tolerance to accept alternate opinion as a legitimate one' as the quintessential attributes of a good media person.

Chuckles and cheering greeted Tara's question put to Mr. Vikas Singh in the 'Special question answer round' when she asked 'How far is a book review responsible for the success of a novel? What credit would the student reporters get for their contribution through student reviews in making The PetPost Secret a bestseller? Her quick wit and 'tongue in the cheek' question got her a special prize from the chief guests.

Oindrilla's reflexive question, to the author, “What prompted her to weave a story on freedom and slavery through the animal kingdom' won her praise from Ms. Radhika and a special prize as well. The two students learnt valuable guideposts as to how to flesh out characters while writing character sketches, improve their language skills and possess an unquenchable curiosity for seeking answers.

Shalom students attend a Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program in Fortis Hospital Gurgaon on 20th Aug'14.

A workshop on Pro-Social Peer-Moderator was organized by Fortis Group of Hospital Gurgaon. The workshop was attended by the Health & Wellness Guidance & Counselor Ms Bhupinder Kaur along with group of students from class IX & X. The program covers five modules. This program covered the second module on 'Gender Sensitivity' on 20th August'14. In this module, the children learnt about gender stereotypes, its onset from an early age and the manner in which these stereotypes then form the lens through which they perceive and act within their social milieu. The module on Gender Sensitivity was designed to empower students with the ability to think critically in order to challenge widely held stereotypes and to foster positive attitudes and empathy towards others.

It started with fun filled yet learning based activities and later on videos were also shown to make the students understand the meaning of What are Stereotypes- which is an over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people, makes us ignore individual differences leading us to make false assumptions & these beliefs DO NOT reflect reality.

The difference between Sex & Gender under Gender Ideology was depicted very professionally. It was almost a 4 hours long session that helped in building the self esteem of the participating children, guided the youngsters on how to change self beliefs and perceptions & urged the children as young trainers to look forward to bringing about winds of change in the society. To begin with,they must promote “Stop Gender Discrimination” right from the school in special assemblies, and also by way of Debates & Quizzes.

Robotics Training held from 4th August - 5th August'14

A two-day training programme aimed at guiding the senior graders towards achieving success in Robofiesta 2014 was held in the Physics Lab in the school by Times Globacon Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi under the aegis of IIT Gandhinagar. The children of Grades VI-X were encouraged to come up with their own innovative ideas of making robots. They enjoyed constructing their own RF Robots.

They were made aware of the various scientific components used in the making of the robots. The students were trained on how to design their own Robots and thus prepared to participate in robotic competition to be held at IIT Gandhi Nagar in the month of October 2014. This fourteen hour training culminated with the preliminary round of competition for Robo Fiesta in which the children designed, constructed and implemented their own RF ROBOTS.

The resource person from IIT Gandhi Nagar Mr. Ashutosh Mishra conducted the training which spanned two days. The participating students were provided with certificates of participation whereas the winners of the preliminary round were awarded certificates of merit. The children, co-coordinator and resource person were provided refreshments by the school. The children enjoyed this gala competition thoroughly.

Regards
Jai Prakash
Lajeeli Sinha

Joey's Lab Workshop conducted for the students of Grades III-V on 2nd August'14

The students of Classes III- V were party and participants of an impressive workshop on Joey's Laboratory on 2nd August'14. The workshop was conducted by the crew from Zlife in the Middle Wing Auditorium. The children were shown many distinctive experiments on the employment of 'Pressure' in our daily life and what impact it has on the common things that we use in our day to day life. The experiments were conducted using Coke Bottle- 500 ml.

Manifold wonders were awaiting the awe-struck juniors. Various astonishing experiments that were exhibited to the children included 'An Egg in a bottle experiment'; 'Blower Activity' and others varied experiments. The children enjoyed watching them thoroughly and spent productive time learning from these amazing experiments.

Interactive Training Workshop conducted by Discovery Club professionals on 31st July'14

“If you know it; you can do or rather you can ace it”
In order to create winners out of the school contestants who are being prepared for the upcoming prestigious English Wizard Quiz, Super Speaker, Debate and Parliamentary Debate Competitions, the school collaborated with Discovery Club professionals. The team comprising of Mr. Shantanu and Ms. Anupama provided professional tips and training modules which gave a clearer and more well-defined direction to the contestants and their mentor teachers on how to groom them for the forthcoming competitions.

Ms. Anupama had an interactive session with the senior graders preparing for the 'Conventional Debate' and the 'Parliamentary Debate'. She briefed them about the differences between the two forms of debate. She guided the students on how to face the Interjection Round and prepare their rebuttal questions. The children were enlightened about POI (point of Interjection) and POC (Point of Clarification) and the rubrics of judgement i.e Matter, Manner and Method. The students gleaned interesting facts like the subtle distinction between British and Asian format of Parliamentary debate and why Asian form is easier and more comprehensible.

Certain topics were floated among the students like 'Single sex schools are better for education”, 'Ban home work' and “Ban School Work' and the students divided themselves among two teams, one favouring the motion and other opposing. The resource person was all praise for the quick grasping power, presence of mind and convincing delivery style of the senior graders.

Mr. Shantanu primed the students who are participating in the Super Speaker and English Wizard. He imparted handy tips to the students recommending ways on how they could make their PPTs more eye-catching, lucid and organized. He also suggested certain presentation techniques and styles by which the children could impress the jury and audience. The students from Grades VI-VIII were coached how to thrash all competition by preparing thoroughly and giving out giving answers promptly.

Pro-Social Peer Moderator Program attended by Shalom students in Fortis Hospital Gurgaon on 18th July'14.

A workshop on Pro-Social Peer-Moderator was organized by Fortis Group of Hospital Gurgaon. The workshop was attended by the Health & Wellness Guidance Counselor Ms Bhupinder Kaur & Psychology teacher Ms Mitu Singh along with a group of students from Grades IX & XI.

Under the aegis of an eminent psychiatrist, Dr. Samir Parikh (Director), an expert working with school aged children, the Pro Social Peer Moderator Program has been successfully running in the Delhi-NCR region. It has been seen that children and adolescent respond best to their peers, and thereby the rationale behind developing a pro-social peer program where students can learn from their own peers.

A three hours long interactive session on Media Literacy was conducted by the team of Mental Health professionals, through Power Point Presentations, posters, role plays, modeling, interactive discussions and Q & A. The children and teachers present there learnt that Media Literacy is the ability to access, evaluate, analyze & produce communication in a variety of forms. It is produced for an audience mediated by a form of technology and includes

• Radio
• Television
• Video-Games
• Newspaper
• Blogs
• Magazines
• Social Network
• Internet

The Impact of Media on the new generation is

• Aggression – It shows violence that is often rewarded or unpunished, aggressors are portrayed as attractive, conveys violence as justified & clear boundaries between bad boy/good boy is not defined.
• Stereotypes – Due to media, we form a notion about a particular group or class of people, ignore individual differences & end up making false assumptions.
• Risk Behaviours – Young people get to see the world through media but there are media landmines which lead to ultra-materialism, cyber addiction, trash words, loss of privacy, false information, and internet predators.
• Health – Health suffers due to excessive exposure of media. It leads to lack of exercise, effect on sensory organs such as eyes & hands, posture, stress, disturbed sleep & unhealthy eating habits.

A deeply meaningful message was portrayed through activities such as “World without Media Week”, “Target Audience Activity”, “and Vote for Particular Media” & last was an interactive Quiz for the attendees. Shalom students participated with great enthusiasm and took keen part in all activities during the course of the workshop.

Cyber Safety Workshop by Mr Rakshit Tandon for the students of Grades VIII-XII on 16th July'14

Shalom Hills International School has established itself as a school which is seized equally of the dangers present, potential and possible lurking in the cyber world. It is the school's constant endeavour to sensitize the teachers, students and the parents about the fast rising menace of Cyber Crime. Through various safeguards and campaigns, Shalom Hills International School strives to make its students aware of not only the menace of fast escalating cyber threats but also inform them about the preventive measures necessary to pre-empt such threats.

Keeping this in mind, a workshop on “Cyber Security” was organized for the students of classes VIII-XII on 16th July, 2014 in the school auditorium. The workshop was a part of the “Cyber Safety Initiative Campaign 2014” launched by the Cyber Security Cell of Haryana Police. The speaker on the occasion was Mr Rakshit Tandon, Advisor Cyber Crime Cell Gurgaon Police. He shared simple and easy to follow safety tips with the students and spoke of the DOs and DON'Ts of Cyber Security.

During the very edifying session, he elaborated upon how network outages, data compromised by hackers, computer viruses and other incidents affect our lives in ways that range from inconvenient to life-threatening. As the number of mobile users, digital applications and data networks are increasing day by day, so are the opportunities for exploitation. The students use the internet every day for gaining information or for accessing social media sites, it is the most pressing need of the hour to make them aware of these threats and to equip them with safely measures to counter the demons of the virtual world.

The focus of the talk centered on Smart Surfing, E-mail Security, Social Networks/Chat, preventing E-Frauds and Mobile Safety Tips. This exposure has given the students an opportunity to gain awareness of the dangers in Cyber Space and has given them an opportunity to learn various ways to navigate their way securely as they make the most of this modern age technology.

Language workshop conducted with Grades VI-VIII on 16th July'14

A workshop was conducted for the students of Grades VI-VIII on 16th July'14 to highlight the importance of Hindi & Sanskrit language. The session was conducted by Mr. Upender Kumar Shastri. In this work shop, the students of Grades VI-VIII came to know about many interesting and lesser known things about Hindi language. The knowledge gained by the students from and during the course of this work shop will definitely help them to have a deeper understanding of languages. Also the children learnt how to become better versed and more proficient in these languages.

The students enjoyed the session and interacted freely with the resource person. The workshop concluded with the vote of thanks and presentation of a memento to Mr. Shastri by the school principal, Ms. Ritu Mehta.

WORKSHOP BY ZLIFE EDUCATION (CLASS V):

Workshop conducted by Ms. Sayeema and Mr. Subodh on Science experiments

A Science workshop was conducted by Ms. Sayeema and Mr. Subodh on 9th July, 2014 in the Middle Wing Auditorium which was attended by all the students and teachers of Class V. The workshop was to demonstrate some important facts of Science through live experiments. The major event highlights were as following:

• Practical knowledge was effectively imparted through different examples in an easy way to enhance the scientific skills.
• Children were made aware of the facts about some gases like Nitrogen, with special emphasis on the fact how in liquid state, it freezes substances.
• The teachers present there were called to experience the change in the state of matter and observe the result.
• Ms. Sayeema and Subodh presented the experiments in a very enthusiastic manner by showcasing and co - relating the articles which children enjoy the most for ex: Oreo biscuits were turned to frozen state, blown balloons changed the state in contact of liquid nitrogen etc.
• The second experiment was an effective approach to think logically - Why a flattened ball falls when blown by the air coming out of hair dryer whereas a spherical ball doesn't fall down instead, it follows the air flow?
• The children had an amazing exposure to interesting experiments and learnt to have a practical approach in Joey's Laboratory.

Robotic workshop held on 15th July 2014

Topics/Event:- Robotics, Ethical hacking and Android Technology

A workshop on Robotics was held in the Middle Wing Auditorium in our school by Times Globacon Pvt. Ltd. based in Okhla in New Delhi to achieve success in Robofiesta – 2014 in association with IIT Gandhinagar for the children of classes VI to XI.

• The children were encouraged to come up with their own innovative ideas of making robots.
• They enjoyed watching a video on the different type of robots currently in use in different fields.
• They were made aware of the various scientific components used in the making of robots.
• The students were encouraged to participate in Robotic Competition to be held in our school in the month of August.
• This competition is a good platform for students to showcase their creativity in the field of Robotics.

It was a wonderful opportunity for the young minds to learn and explore to the various aspects of future technology.

Joey's Lab Workshop by Zlife on 9th July'14

The children of Classes 3 and 4 were part of an impressive workshop on Joey's Laboratory. The children were shown various distinctive experiments on the importance of nitrogen gas in our daily life and what impact does it have on the common things that we use in our day to day life. Many experiments were conducted in the presence of the studies using liquid nitrogen. Various astonishing experiments that were exhibited to the children included a Balloon experiment, a Bubble experiment, and an Oreo Cookie experiment to name a few. The above mentioned experiments proved that liquid nitrogen freezes everything. It also described that liquid nitrogen is safe for the human beings. The children enjoyed the session thoroughly and spent a merry time witnessing these experiments and learning from them.

Workshop and guest lecture organized in MUN Skill Club on 5th July'14

The students of Grades VI-X attended the first session of Model United Nation Skill Club on 5th July, 2014. It was an opening session for MUN students wherein they were introduced to the concept of having simulated and model United Nations. They were motivated through Power Point Presentation and an organized lecture prepared by the MUN Club Incharges.

The students were informed about the utility of such exchange programmes which would enhance their interactive, debating, friendship, bargaining skills and also their understanding of the world affairs. This would help them to imbibe leadership qualities and make them better citizens and decision makers in the challenging world. It would be their foray at student level into world diplomacy.

As part of the MUN Skill Club activity, a one and a half hour workshop was conducted by Mr. Sumedh Kapoor, a guest lecturer from Amity School to impart training to the students. He guided the students about the meaning of MUN, its code of conduct, the presentation skills, the research areas and their understanding of day to day world events. He also guided the students about utility in university admissions.

Health and Nutrition Workshop conducted by Dr. Roopali on 5th July'14

A workshop on Health & Nutrition was conducted by Dr. Roopali, a dietician from Paras Hospital, on 5th July 2014 at the Health & Wellness Centre in the school. The students who are obese were called aside individually & a well defined diet plan was discussed with them. Ms Roopali started by taking the weight of each child & enquired into their eating habits and asked if they indulged in physical exercise of any type. Most of the students were identified with wrong eating habits i.e. excessive consumption of junk food & sweets and lack of physical activity.

Most of the girls who are health conscious yet overweight have taken recourse to dieting, and it was found that they to come to school, on an empty stomach. These young girls have the erroneous impression that skipping breakfast or regular meals is a fireproof and sure shot way of losing weight. The dietician counseled these girls and stressed on the importance of having breakfast before coming to school, highlighting the proven fact that forgoing breakfast will not help them to reduce weight but instead will make them to eat more and that too at an inappropriate time.

She urged the students to have more fruits, salads & to increase their water intake. Each child was advised to follow a specific diet chart and daily physical activity chart best suited to their requirements. Ms Roopali counseled every child to start a day with one full glass of milk. The milk should be toned or double toned milk instead of whole milk. Breakfast should include oat meal, vegetable poha or sandwiches made with whole or multi grain bread. She emphasized that the growing children need a high protein and carbohydrates diet. She reiterated time and again that children should reduce their intake of rice and opt more for a diet of chapattis with vegetables and dals (which are rich in proteins). They must say a Big No to potatoes, mangoes & bananas. These fruits have high sugar content and will not help in reducing weight. Those who want to shed their weight were advised to substitute fried snacks with roasted ones. Those who don't like the taste of milk were told to consume homemade flavored milks with roohafza or substitute milk with lassi.

Overall it was a good experience for the students, it was useful as it also removed their misconceptions about certain foods which they like to eat but are bad for health and increased their awareness about the importance of regular physical acitivity.

Youth Awareness Drive organized by Gurgaon police for the senior students on 4th July'14

The senior students of Grades X-XII attended a Youth Awareness Drive conducted by the Road Safety Department of Gurgaon Police. A young engineering student from I.I.T Patna, Chaitanya gave a presentation before the students and teachers covering a detailed rundown of the important information that the students need to know about the Gurgaon police and its hierarchy, traffic rules, and documents required while driving a vehicle.

In a most interesting manner, Chaitanya gave out the posts of first point contact police personnel i.e the police constables that the students are likely to meet on the roads and the fine distinction among the rank/post and designation followed in the Indian Police Service.

Other important and relevant points referred to were:

• Gurgaon Police's Visiting Card with all the important helpline numbers including Child Helpline, Women Helpline etc and how important it is for the students to know these numbers and to keep the card handy in their wallets or bags.
• Gurgaon Police Mobile Apps and how the tech-savvy students can use them for their updation.
• Mandatory documents to be carried while driving – driver's license, registration certificate, insurance certificate and Pollution under control card.
• The procedure to be followed to obtain a learner's license and permanent license.
• Cost calculations inherent in the above process.
• Challans for traffic offences.
• Court challans.
• Online checks and balances to find out regular offenders followed by Gurgaon Police.

The students asked pertinent questions in the Question Answer Round which were satisfactorily answered by Mr. Abhinav, Mr. Deepak (Road Safety Officers) and Chaitanya.

Workshop on Kidproof Safety and Security held on 4th July'14

A very informative workshop was conducted by Kidproof India, in the Middle Wing Auditorium for the students of Grade V on 4th July, 2014. The esteemed guests were Mr. Nikhil Khandelwal, Business Head of Child Safety Education and Ms. Deepika, mentor of Kidproof India. Kidproof Safety is a Canada based organisation operating in 32 countries worldwide. Kidproof takes the “whole” approach to safety education and believes that a truly safe child has safe parents, safe teachers, and safe role models.

The workshop commenced with a short film “The World has Changed” which highlighted the major issues of Bullying, Cyber Crime, Drug Abuse and dealt with the ways to create a safe and secure environment for our children through awareness and correct information. To make the workshop more interactive and enjoyable for the students, many activities like Stereotyping, Balloon Bursting were conducted which made the workshop unique as it helped the students to “learn with fun”.

Astronomy Club Session conducted on 3rd July'14

The opening module of the Astronomy Club was conducted today in the Middle Wing Auditorium where the pupils of Classes VI-VIII participated with great zeal in a session on their favourite topic, the cosmos.

The resource person from ZLIFE enthralled the pupils about how this program works and culminates in a sky-watching session at a camp. He also informed the children about the ways of the universe and how this program helps the children in better understanding of the universe. He emphasized that enrolling in this program will truly enhance the knowledge of the kids as it incorporates the learning by doing methodology.

The children enjoyed watching the presentation based on the opening module based on the recent expedition to the planet Mars and knowledge about the space.

It promises to be a great platform for the pupils to hone their interest in the intriguing world of space and enjoy activity based learning.

Inspirational address by Founder - Managing Director, Dr. Lilly George to the staff and students of Senior Grades on 2nd July'14

The special and self-written prayer prepared by M.D ma'am especially for the students breathed fresh life into the Inspirational workshop conducted by M.D ma'am in the Middle Wing Auditorium on 2nd July'14. Ms. Karishma George, Director of Shalom Group of Schools along with Ms. Sara Noorana, Group Head and Ms. Ritu Mehta, principal were also present there. In her inspirational talk, M.D ma'am addressed the faculty and senior grade students of Grades VI-XII.

When the presentation showing M.D ma'am vision for the students and heartfelt prayer was read aloud to the students, an immediate spark 'to live life the right way' was lit in the hearts of the entire student fraternity and faculty. They were immeasurably moved by the depth and breadth of ma'am dream for them and the poignant words that followed:

"Be like the sun, Arise early and never go to bed late;
Be like the moon, shine in the darkness but submit to a greater light;
Be like the flower, always seeking the sun but grounded to the earth;
Be like the river, always moving ahead;
Be like the birds
Eat, drink, sing and fly;
Be like the day that arrives and leaves without any noise"

The high point of the workshop was when M.D ma'am said that the occasion was a special one for all the students since it was actually a celebration of the growth of the school as a whole. Ma'am touched upon all the school and students awards and achievements which have made the school 'a force to reckon with'. M.D ma'am congratulated all the students who have won accolades for the school be it in Skating tournaments, sports events, Olympiads, street plays, debates or dance-dramas or the Cyber Fair International event. Holding aloft the Cambridge University's Guide to Excellence SU 2013, ma'am shared that it had been her dream as a child to study in Cambridge University and how life has come full circle that in the present time, it is Cambridge University which has personally sought her out and studied the education system of her school, calling it as a school offering 'Top Class Education'.

TOEFL Workshop conducted for Grades IX-XII students on 19th May'14

In order to provide exposure to its students on how to ace the world wide acclaimed TOEFL (Test of English as First Language), the school had arranged for a workshop by a professional trainer, Ms. Shweta for its senior graders.

Through a succinct and concise Power Point Presentation, and interactive session, Ms. Shweta outlined basic facts relating to TOEFL:

• It is a written test covering Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing skills.
• It is a U.S based and academic oriented test, recognized by more than 9000 universities all across the globe.
• TOEFL is for 4 & 1/2 hours
• One can select one's test center from the list on the website.
• Scoring scale is between 0-120 and generally one needs to score more than 100 to enrol into the coveted universities
• There is no negative marking in the test

Most importantly, Ms. Shweta shared all the websites which will prove handy to the students in preparing and clearing TOEFL. During the course of presentation, Ms. Shweta exploded some typical mindset regarding TOEFL like

• Only a valid passport is accepted as an admit card at the test centers
• There are test centers and locations in as many as 15 countries
• One can cancel out one's score and sign out after taking the test.
• TOEFL is available on Facebook and other social networking sites as well as on YouTube

A workshop organized for the girls of Class V on 16th May'2014

A very informative workshop on the common "Puberty" problems faced by adolescent girls was conducted by Ms. Elizabeth. B. Thomas, the Health and Wellness Trainer in the Middle Wing Auditorium on 16th May, 2014.

The major areas discussed in the workshop were the various physical problems that the girls face during their adolescent age as their body undergoes numerous hormonal changes. The students were made aware about the "menstrual" onset and the basic precautions that need to be adopted during this crucial period. She made the girls understand that the onset of menstrual cycle is a sign of a healthy reproductive system and puberty is just a hormonal change in the body which involves changes in various physical parts. Ms. Elizabeth also advised the students not to rely solely on the internet regarding information on menstrual cycle but to consult their mothers, teachers or the school counselor who are the best confidant to give the correct information and resolve any issues regarding the same. At the end of the session, a doubt clarification round helped the students to get answers to certain significant questions.

Shalom students attend the prestigious Global Leaders Program in American center on 15th & 16th May'14

Two Shalom students of Class XI, Karan Nigam and Tara Yadav attended the two days Global Leaders Program conducted in American Center by Ms. Karen on 15th and 16th May'14. The students who represented our school have acquired exposure and experience over the last two years of taking part in MUN conduced in various forums and being worthy representatives of their school at such coveted programmes.

On the first day, Ms. Karen briefed the students about the rudiments of delivering an impressive speech. She gave an impromptu topic "Fruits are better than vegetables or vegetables are better than fruits.' for the participants to speak on unrehearsed.

The students chose their topics and became the delegates of fruits and vegetables like delegate of banana or delegate of brinjal. The delegates gave different speeches and attracted the crowd with their impressive speeches.

On the second day, the first part of the session was taken by Ms. Karen and the topic was given on the spot on "Bully and drugs in Nigeria". The second day workshop entailed research on the specific country and it was taken by Mr. Jonathan who then conducted a small session on "Kidnapping in Nigeria". During the interactive session, he tried to improvise on the language and speaking skills of the delegates in order to make them more powerful and convincing.

On the whole, the workshop was very interesting and involving. The students gained a lot exposure which will help them for future interactive sessions.

Workshop on Health & Nutrition conducted for the students on 13th May'14

The Health & Wellness teacher of Senior Wing, Ms. Bhupinder Kaur conducted the workshop on Health & Nutrition with the students of Class VI. The objective was very loud and clear that healthy eating habits are of vital importance since they lead to longer life. It was explained to the children why nutrition is important for the children & teens. The children understood the following facts:

Healthy eating can stabilize the children's energy, sharpen their minds, and even out their moods.

Peer pressure and TV commercials for junk food can make getting kids to eat well seem impossible.

It was suggested that by encouraging healthy eating habits now, can make a huge impact on children's lifelong relationship with food and give them the best opportunity to grow into healthy, confident adults.

Importance of eating together, family time and consuming wholesome and home-cooked food was underscored:
Have regular family meals. Knowing dinner is served at approximately the same time every night and that the entire family will be sitting down together is comforting and enhances appetite. Breakfast is another great time for a family meal, especially since THE kids who eat breakfast tend to do better in school.

Cook more meals at home. Eating home cooked meals is healthier for the whole family and sets a great example for the kids about the importance of food. Restaurant meals tend to have more fat, sugar, and salt. Save dining out for special occasions.

Limiting sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that sugar intake for the children is limited to 3 teaspoons (12 grams) a day. Cutting back on candy and cookies is only part of the solution.

Yet another "weighty" problem was addressed by Ms. Bhupinder i.e. of children, weight and self esteem. The children who are obese have low self-esteem & they find difficulty in maintaining good interpersonal bond with their peers. It was suggested to all the students present to say 'NO to Junk Food' & instead to opt for healthy life style with healthy & nutritious food.

Workshop by Canadian Centre of Education for the students and parents of Grades IX-XII held on 3rd May'14

'A Bright Future in Canada' was the name of the aptly titled workshop conducted for the outgoing batch of Grade XII and the students of incumbent batches of Grades IX-XII by Mr. Dan Shekhar, the Founder of Canadian Centre for Education and Career Development and Mr. T.V Thomas, the M.D of Cambrian University who were accompanied by Ms. Tapti Shekhar, the Operations Manager of CCECD.

Mr. Dan Shekhar dwelt on the benefits of education in Canada, namely an ideal place to live in, a large multicultural community, cheaper tuition fees in comparison to U.K, U.S.A and Australia, bright work benefits and career opportunities. He made a mention of the top 8 colleges and how they are running almost 600 job-oriented programmes. A unique feature of education in Canada as Mr. Shekhar particularly mentioned, is that it allows the students to part time work off the campus and also that the cost of living is much less compared to the salary packages one can earn in Canada.

Mr. T.V Thomas, in his address to the students pointed out to the irony of the education system in India in which one studies for one thing and ends up working in some other area or doing something else. In comparison to this paradox, education system in Canada equips the students to follow their heart's desire, pursue what they want to study and do in life. He stressed how the courses in Cambrian University as compared to those in Indian colleges and universities offers 80% employment guarantee within 6 months of course completion. Unlike the conventional classrooms in most Indian schools, the classrooms in Cambrian University and other Canadian colleges are live learning laboratories.

Mr. Thomas called the Shalom students very fortunate to be studying in a progressive school like Shalom Hills International School which offers them work education opportunities in addition to a well-mapped out curriculum. Mr. Thomas made an instant connect with the parents, students and teachers when he called today's world a 'world of multi-skills and multiple dexterity'.

Among the parents present, Mr. Iyer, parent of Surya Iyer Grade XI voiced a concern that is often echoed by many other parents - what are the scholarships available for Indian students for studying in Canada and if there is any possibility of a tie-up between Indian and Canadian institutions.

Replying to the parental query, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Dan Shekhar threw light on how scholarships of almost 50,000 dollars are given to the international scholars in the first 6 months followed by scholarships of 3,75,000 dollars afterwards to synergize and integrate into working and living in Canada.

Ms. Ritu Mehta, the principal gave the vote of thanks on the behalf of the Shalom management and faculty and called the session a truly informative as it empowered the students about the concept of how to 'earn while they learn'.

Registration forms were distributed to the students who were instructed to discuss today's session with their parents and bring back the duly filled forms next week so that the next round of interaction between parents and the CCECD team in the coming months.

A workshop on Creative Writing by Hindustan Times on 2nd May'14

A workshop on 'Creative Writing' was conducted on 2nd May'14 by Hindustan Times by Ms. Anuradha Majnumdar for Grade - IV students. It offered the juniors an opportunity to develop writing skills in an intensive and innovative manner. It was designed to help the young writers concentrate on fiction, nonfiction, poetry and magazine writing. The children were enlightened about what is creative writing and also about the problems faced by them for the same. The representative also resolved their queries about creative write ups. The workshop facilitated the students' thought processes and also helped them to understand the significance of the same. Over all it was an interactive session and provided a platform for the students to share their problems and queries for creative writing skills and helped them to understand the same in a broader frame work. The students enjoyed it very much.

Learning outcome-
The children learn how to sharpen their writing skills.
They also learnt how to overcome the blocks/hurdles they have while learning.

ASTRONOMY CLUB

Topic: In-depth study of Sun and Rocketry -Date 26.04.14

The last two sessions of Astronomy took place in the school premises on 26th April'14. In the day's session, the students learnt about the formation of the Sun, its layers and the formation of the sun's spot.

In rocketry they learnt that a rocket is a vehicle used to go in space. They also learnt about gravity, velocity, satellites which are revolving around the space. The students made rockets using Pepsi bottle, chart paper etc. The session ended with a quiz and the winners were awarded with medals. Even the participants got their certificates for participation.

The students were engaged in an absorbing activity. The students were taken outside the stage area to observe the Sun and the dark spots. A telescope was fixed to view and locate the dark spots in the Sun. The students were spread out in splinter groups and each group was given the opportunity to launch their rockets which they did using water pressure. The students enjoyed the activities and the rocket launch was witnessed by all the senior wing teachers and Principal ma'am.

Workshop on Time Management

Students of Grade VIII attended a workshop on Time Management

An activity was conducted in which pebbles (big or small) sand etc. were filled in a jar.

The activity was correlated to life and pebbles, sand, jar referred to the big or small targets and small goals of our life.

Then it was explained how to prioritise our goals

The students were given mental exercise for two minutes during which they had to think of one point if the work is done with time management and one without time management.

Importance/ benefits of time management were explained- one learns to prioritise, helps to achieve our goals, efficiency increases, reduces stress, time saving.

Process of time management was explained- Set long term goals, subdivide your goals, urgent and important things to be taken first, In academics- identify strongest and weakest subjects

The students asked various ways in which they can plan/divide their time, throughout the day Finally, the teacher showed them a presentation on time management.

Students of Grades VI-X attend the Green School Programme Interactive session on 17th April'14

As part of our school's ongoing Green School Programme - an interactive session was organised in the Middle Wing Auditorium for the students of Grades VI-X who are a part of the programme. The session started with a brief introduction of GSP (Green School Programme), the objective of the programme and how successfully it has been implemented in various schools across the country.

Following topics were discussed in details:

1. Audit of air, water, land, energy & waste.
2. Stress on need for integrated efforts to improve and initiatives to save environment.
3. Necessity to serve as a role model for society and to bring about a change.
4. Special mention of Sunderlal Bahuguna & Mr Pathak, who is popularly known for Sulabh toilets.

The session was very interactive as the students freely and unhesitatingly put forward their views about the GSP (Green School Programme), their experiences & how this programme has changed and impacted their lives. The session concluded with a display of some videos related to air, water & energy. Ms Anjali Drolia, from Science Department represented the school faculty and delivered the vote of thanks to the esteemed guest.

Health Talk carried out in Grade VI-VIII on 15 April'14

'Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit which comes with the belief that the greatest wealth is health.' Considering the health and wellness of its students to be of foremost importance, a health talk was organized for the students of Grade VI - VIII in Shalom Hills International School in collaboration with Paras Hospital with the purpose of spreading awareness among the girls about the onset of adolescence. Under the guidance of our respected Principal, Headmistress and responsible staff, the health talk was organized for our dear students presided by Dr. Pooja Mehta, a Gynecologist and Obstetrician at Paras Hospital.

The students were more than inquisitive to know about the meaning of adolescence. They eagerly waited for the interactive session to begin during the course of which Dr. Pooja Mehta spoke about the various developments that take place in the human body over a period of time from childhood to adulthood. She spoke about the relevance of exercise and a balanced diet in our day to day lives. Moreover, she made the students aware of the various hormonal changes that occur over a period of time. She guided the girls on how to take good care of themselves and spoke of hygiene during their menstrual cycle. The facts revealed during the health talk were an eye-opener for the students. Towards the end, there was a round of recapitulation of what had been discussed during the session. It was indeed a pleasure to see Dr. Pooja Mehta handle all the doubts of our students with utmost patience.

It was indeed, not the end of this health talk but a beginning to see our young Shalomites.

Shalom senior graders attend Annual Career Fair'13 in The Shri Ram School on 23rd November'13

An Annual Career Fair affords an excellent one point platform for the high school students to explore the study options and career prospects available to them in the country as well those across the globe once they exit from the school portals. The students of Grades X-XII of Shalom Hills International School along with their Senior Grade teachers attended the Annual Career Fair'13 in The Shri Ram School.

As many as 32 prestigious colleges, schools of vocational studies and eminent universities from all parts of the world had occupied a vantage point in the huge hall and experienced faculty members of these colleges and universities answered the questions put to them by the interested parents and students. The Fair gave an excellent opportunity to the Shalom students and those from other schools to explore the study courses open in institutions like the 560-years old University in Glasgow to one of the top 10 ranking University of Bristol to the undergraduate courses available in the University of Essex. The recently opened Ashoka University and Shiv Nadar University gave out information about the courses and the admission process in their institutions to all the walk-ins.

The senior graders of our school who are more inclined towards vocational studies or seem interested in pursuing careers in Art or Fashion or Design made a beeline for the stalls put up by the renowned Pearl Academy of Art, Design and Fashion, Srishti School of Art Design and Technology and others of the same ilk.

Other than sending its students for Career Workshops and Career Fairs, the school arranges for presentations, seminars and workshops by most renowned institutions around the country in the school itself for the senior grades students throughout the year to acquaint them with the best study options and the ever expanding galaxy of career prospects.

Cyber Awareness Workshop: Dav Sector ,14 May 10, 2023

“Protect yourself from Cyber Crimes. Stay Informed, stay safe. Security is a shared responsibility”.
The world of Internet is a boon to students, lawyers, businessmen, teachers, doctors, researchers and also, of course, to the criminals at the same time. Criminals simply devise different ways to undertake standard criminal activities such as fraud, theft, blackmail, forgery, and embezzlement using the new medium, often involving the Internet.
In order to sensitize students about cybercrime and cyberfraud Mr. Priyanshu Diwan HPS,ACP Cybercrime along with Mr. Amit Kumar, SHO Cyber station and his team of SCO conducted an informative session on Cyber Awareness, at DAV sector 14 ,Gurugram. Around 31 Schools participated in this awareness programme that was a part of CYBER CHAMP INITIAVE including a group of senior students of Shalom Hills International School.
The resource persons acquainted the students with different types of frauds happening now- a-days like hacking of different kinds- Email Id, Web Site etc. Cyber Stalking (Social Networks and Emails ),Cyber Defamation (Social Networks and Emails),Cyber Bullying ( Social Networks and Emails), Phishing, Vishing, Online Banking Frauds, Job Scams/ Frauds, Debit Cards/Credit Cards Cloning, Data Theft, voip calls for threatening/ransom/frauds, ecommerce frauds with Identity theft, Photo Morphing, SPAMS, Malicious Emails etc. Information was given with the help of videos and lectures about the way how these scammers and fraudsters work. The session was collaborative and enlightening one.

Grade XII Career Counselling Workshop May 25, 2022

A workshop with grade XII students was organized by outsources agency-Pratham. It was conducted by Ms. Hema Choudhary, a motivational speaker and a Career Counsellor. She trains and coaches thousands of students and teaches General Awareness, Current Affairs, Business Awareness and Scientific Aptitude to Test prep aspirants.
Ms. Hema talked about newly introduced concept of CUET-Common University Entrance Test which is a national-level exam for admission to undergraduate courses in 45 Central Universities. She discussed the key highlights of NEP and gave the detailed & comprehensive information to the students of Science, Commerce & Humanities streams in different slots. Giving details of the Entrance exams-IIT-JEE, NEET and CLAT, she made them aware about the dates, syllabus and study pattern. She also provided information about the neutral careers that a child from any field can pursue, for e.g Law, Management & Mass Communication courses, Journalism, Public relations, Advertising, Film Making, radio Jockeying, Media Planner and so on.
Although agreeing on the expectations of parents, School teachers, Tuition teachers, Siblings and relatives, she stressed that they must choose the careers depending upon their interests, values, intelligence, aptitude and personality. She encouraged the students to simultaneously prepare for entrance exams and not procrastinate. The passionate students will definitely achieve success and will be able to target their goals.