Asteri

EDITION 3 Oct - Nov 2018-19

EDITION

STATION OF THE STARS

Letter from the

ACO’s Desk

Message from the Editorial

Team

EDITION - 3 02

EDITORIAL TEAM

1. Manab

2. Amog

3. Nilabha

4. Raaga

5. Syna

6. Prerana

7. Medha

8. Hrishikesh

9. Shreya

10. Avni

It always seems impossible till

it's done. -Nelson Mandela

In today’s life, to achieve all the things we want, it is very important to

stay disciplined. Actually today, discipline equals to success in this hectic

life of yours. It is very important to maintain discipline from an early age

to be able to sustain the will to maintain your goals in life.

Discipline is not only necessary but also vital for any civilized society, as a

matter of fact, discipline and Nature are synonymous with each other

and whenever anything happens, which defies or interrupts the usual in

Nature, it becomes a calamity, and similarly life without discipline can

become chaotic. The term ‘discipline’ means any training intended to

develop moral character or produce a particular pattern of behavior

accepted by afferent institutions and society. Discipline is a way of life. It

is vital in happing one’s personality. According to one school of thought,

there are here forms of discipline i.e. expressionistic, impressionistic and

self- discipline. Discipline is not a term which is limited to institutions like

schools and colleges only. Neither is it a weapon or tool in the hands of

adults to control the younger generation or in other words seeking

unquestionable compliance. Discipline is neither suppression nor a

means to assert one’s authority rather it is intrinsic motivation in a

person to control oneself, one’s emotion, and desires and live in a

uniform and orderly manner. That everything in this universe has to

follow certain rules, the Sun rises in the East’ and sets in the West, come

what may, the cycle of seasons also follows a pattern, Night follows, dusk

which follows day and dawn, thus, we humans are also governed by rules

and following the same is another term for discipline. An undisciplined

person is prone to temptations and can easily fall prey to a lifestyle which

could lead to his failure and doom. Discipline, thus! is inevitable as it

gives direction to live life in a harmonious, and orderly way. - Mini Sudheer

Festivals are an essential part of our lives as

they help us strike a balance in our otherwise

hectic lifestyles and more importantly, help us

carry forth the traditions our forefathers have

entrusted upon us. They keep us true to our

roots and are a constant reminder of the

responsibility we have to pass on these

traditions to the future generations. Every

festival usually has a story that talks about its

origin and explains the significance of its

celebration. Often, they talk of the victory of

good over evil, importance of values like

honesty etc. Thus they are an excellent

medium to propagate such shared values

among our kith and kin and illuminate our lives

with joy and love. Festivals are just not limited

to celebrations but are also extremely social

and theatrical events with artists hosting

dances, dramas and musical performances.

These performances help in bringing

awareness in the audience about our

traditional stories and epics and the values

associated with them. The delicacies made

during this season are also quite exquisite.

Festivals are a great way to break the vicious

cycle of negativity in us and facilitate the

introduction of positivity in us.

EDITION - 3

EVENTS@NCFE

03

CAREER FORWARD FOCUS 1.0 & 1.1

Life is not about finding yourself, it's

about creating yourself. Who do you want

to be? - George Bernard Shaw

OC

T 1

8 -

NO

V 1

8

CAREER

FORWARD FOCUS

1.0 & 1.1

22nd & 29th NOV

18

YOUNG CHEF

COMPETITION

13th NOV 18

CHILDREN’S DAY

14TH NOV 18

KANNADA

RAJYOTSAVA

1st NOV 18

ETHNIC DAY

5TH NOV 18

NCFE MUN 15th -

17th NOV 18

15TH – 17TH NOV

18

03

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t

settle.”

- Steve Jobs

Career Forward Focus 1.0 & 1.1 @ VKGI is in keeping with the vision of our organization. The vision states,

“To be an excellent forerunner in empowering students to be successful self learners, who will use their

acquired values, skills and knowledge to full potential and contribute to the larger community.”Hence, this

is an attempt to organize a platform not only for our teachers and students but to reach out to the wider

teaching community and in turn help nurture more students in the times to come and help build a better

future.

On day 1 we had three guest speakers who addressed the architects of the nation’s future.

Our first guest speaker Dr M S Talwar shared with us his insights on what schools should do to aid a student

to choose a career and based on career choices what are the colleges to look into.

Dr M S Talwar, a Professor in Education and Director UGC- Academic Staff College, Bangalore University.

Our next guest speaker Mr Jilani shared his thoughts on entrepreneurship and the constantly changing world

of work. Mr Jilani effortlessly essays multiple roles. He is a mentor, director, founder, chief consultant,

trustee, partner, advisory board member, convener, corporate coach of multiple organizations worldwide. He

has a host of achievements in academics and in the arena of professional Industry.

Our final speaker Ms Krutika Harish addressed the gathering on how jobs are categorized and the role the

schools will play to help our students be ready to step into the world of work.She is presently with the

VijayKiran Group of Institutions as Principal Accelerated Learning and is charged with bringing in new

academic programs and initiatives.

On day 2 the students got to interact via a panel discussion with 8 eminent Panelists who gave an insight into

their successful careers to help the future generation to choose a career keeping in mind their passion,

interest and abilities.

1) Ms. Anjali Ellis is currently posted as the Financial Advisor to DRDO in Bengaluru.

2) Aravind Aramugam has managed to combine his passion and Profession. He is not only the Assistant

Manager of Vijaya Bank but a Football champion who has represented the country at various events and

won laurels.

3) Mr. Deepak Justin has been in the field of soft skills training for the past 18 years and has trained more

than 50,000 people. He conducts programmes for Corporates and Educational Institutions.

4) Dr. Indrani Datta is an Associate Professor of Neuro Science at the Department of Bio Physics in

NIMHANS, Bengaluru.

5) Ms. Kavitha Lankesh started her Career as a corporate and Documentary film maker and went on to

make feature films. She has written, scripted and directed all her films. Ms.Kavitha also runs a one of a

kind resort a hit with school children called the Grameen Camp.

6) One of the protectors of our Nation, Col .Rajeev Gupta, Commanding Officer of 1 Karnataka Battalion

NCC was commissioned in the Army on 15 Dec 1990 after graduating from the National Defence

Academy, Pune and the Indian Military Academy Dehradoon.

7) Ms. Sheeja Veloor founded the “I Banking Solutions” in 2015 to facilitate smooth communications and

transactions between Banks and its clients and has been an active solution preacher for all her clients.

8) Mr. R Upendra Shetty founder of Universal Coaching Centre, Universal Charitable centre and Universal

school of Administration. Additionally in Affiliation to the Bangalore University Mr. Upendra’s Institute

offers BA, B.Com courses integrated with rigorous training for IAS to produce young and responsible Civil

Leaders of the society.

Uttara Menon

CAREE

CHILDREN’S DAY

04

KANNADA RAJYOTSAVA

Imagine with all your mind.

Believe with all your heart.

Achieve with all your might.

EDITION-3

Children's day is always a red letter day for NCFE. This year also it was

celebrated with great fervour by the teachers. The celebration began with

the special assembly by the teachers, which included an invocation song,

followed by a thought, news and speech. A cultural programme was put

up for the students. A vibrant dance, humorous skit with a message,

melodious song and mesmerizing fashion show were the highlight of the

programme. Students enjoyed their day to the fullest.

Kannada Rajyotsava is celebrated on 1 November every year. It is celebrated to mark the formation of the state ‘Karnataka’. On this day 1956 all kannada speaking regions united and became one state. Today it is celebrated by people of different backgrounds and cultures but calls Karnataka as their home. In NCFE too Kannada Rajyotsava was celebrated with great vigour and enthusiasm. The atmosphere at our school felt festive as the theme for the day was red and yellow. The day began with the flag hoisting. The red and yellow flag filled our hearts with glory and pride. The assembly was conducted beautifully in kannada. The choir sung beautiful kannada songs which left the audience mesmerized dance done by the primary girls left the audience enthralled and joyous.The attention of the audience was captured by the fancy show done by the students. The students had dressed up as notable and popular figures who belonged to the state of karnataka.This reminded us of the great people who were born to our land.The day ended with us leaving being proud of the state we call our home.

You can't start the next chapter of

your life if you keep re-reading the

last one.

EDITION-3

05

YOUNG CHEF COMPETITION ETHNIC DAY

“ Cooking with kids is about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity”. Junior Young Chef and Young Chef Competition was

conducted by the International Institute of hotel Management

in NCFE, CVR, Bangalore on 13th November 2018. Nearly 300

passionate, amateur chefs from VI to XII participated in the

event.

These chefs portrayed a feel of competitiveness which was

aroused by the aromatic scent of beautifully crafted dishes.

These dishes were self-prepared and artistically presented

before the judges. A wide array of dishes were fashioned

which included Red Velvet cake, chocolate cake, cheese rolls,

sandwich , desserts, biryani, muffins , and more such

succulent items.

It was an open platform for the young chefs to showcase their

talents and change their lives in the biggest pan India culinary

hunt event. An opportunity for the students to expose their

artistry in the field of putting together simple ingredients and

conjuring up magical platters

The dignitaries like Senior Admissions Councilor and

Marketing Heads of IIHM Mrs. Shetty Bhattacharjee and Mr.

Venkatesh graced the occasion. The Senior chef Ranveet

judged the students on the basis of their concept ,

presentation, taste, and knowledge. The top scoring

candidates from the first round will progress to the next level.

The determination and skills essayed by the young chefs

proved that a tablespoon of perseverance, a quart of

hardwork and a dash of talent is just the recipe for a grand,

successful event.

“Ethnicity is a beauty that never

fades and tradition is the illusion of

permanence”

Ethnicity is an expression of our

timeless tradition and culture, which

we often neglect in the haze of our

fast paced lives. India has a diverse

and wide variety of traditional ethnic

attire which has earned admirers

from people all over the globe.

Ethnic day, celebrated in our school

on 5th November, served as a

reminder of our ethnic roots and

spread the bliss of festivity all

around the campus. The students

were bursting with enthusiasm and

their gorgeous outfits were a joy to

behold. The students donned the

Indian ethnic attire very gracefully

and it was indeed a treat for the

eyes. Later in the day, homemade

sweets and tasty treats were

distributed among the children.

Everyone was in

high spirits and the day was truly

well spent.

NCFE MUN

“More than ever before in human

history, we share a common destiny. We

can master it only if we face it together.

And that is why we have the United

Nations.”

Model UN is a fast-growing competitive

activity for many students. Our school

organized its first inter-school Model

United Nations on November 15th -17th

providing a forum for seasoned and first

timers alike. This event was organized by

Director General Raghav Joshi and Head

of the Organizing Committee, Mayank

Majumdar. Exposing the delegates to the

world of diplomacy, it provided them

with knowledge about pressing national

and international issues. NCFEMUN 2018

had four committees, namely

Disarmament and international security

council (DISEC), the Research and

Analysis Wing(RAW), the Security

Council(UNSC) and the Office on Drugs

and Crime(UNODC). During the course of

three days the delegates heatedly

debated on issues ranging from Cyber

warfare to the condition of the Strait of

Hormuz. The event proved to be a

magnanimous success with an

appreciable turnout from many schools.

This Model UN truly helped the

delegates grow as leaders , improve their

public speaking skills and discover their

future.

CCA ACTIVITY

07

Achievements

The Anubhav Fest was held on 29th September 2018 at

the Air Force School. An array of competitions were held

fostering creativity of students in all its aspects in which

our students brought back accolades.

Prakul Pandita, Aarya Sharma and Uddeshya Pandey won

the First Prize in mad Ads, Winning a cash prize of Rs.

250. Aarya Gohad of IX standard won the second prize in

the speech competition, receiving a cash prize of Rs. 200

and our school also bagged the first prize in Mono acting.

EDITION-3

Annual Science Fest was held at

‘Amrita School of Engineering’ on

29th and 30th October 2018. It is an

initiative to foster a bond between

the University and schools as well as

provide a big platform for young

minds to exhibit their interests in

Science and Mathematics. 35 schools

from all over Bangalore participated

in the event. Many events were

conducted for both juniors and

seniors. Twenty students from NCFE

– CVR participated in the event and

brought laurels to NCFE.

Indus Eagle cup – 2018 was an inter school competition held at Indus International school, Bangalore from 27th Oct - 30th Oct in which many schools participated with great enthusiasm. Competitions were exclusively organized for boys and girls under different categories. It was indeed a proud moment for NCFE as the children got the opportunity to compete in a range of sports, including: Cricket, Badminton, Football and

Tennis. In Tennis (U-12 GRADE, girls) NCFE was the winner.

Miss Kavya Shankar, Miss Dhanushree and Miss Maithili bagged the first place in the tennis tournament. Miss Kavya got the best player award. They displayed the true spirit of sportsmanship and made the school proud.

Being Poirot - First prize Ajay Reddy - Grade X Avni Tonger – Grade XI Sruthi Suresh - Grade XI Espirit de corps -First prize Prakul Pandita - Grade XI Ajay Reddy - Grade XI Uddeshya Pandey - Grade – XI Each Team won a cash prize of Rs.8000/-

08 ART CORNER

From the Desk of Aspiring Artists

EDITION-3

Thaaswika Peddinti [VI A]

Pratiksha[XD] Amrutha Patari [VIII F]

Soumistha [VIII F]

Ardra [XB]

Vikash [VIII B]

Sukriti [IX B]

09

ART CORNER

Aria [IX A]

Meghana [IX D]

Abheeta [VIII B] Aditi [VIII A]

From the Desk of Aspiring Artists

EDITION-3

Pranav [VI C]

Disha Hegde [IX D]

Sanjana [VIII F]

10

EDITION-3

It has been almost a decade since I met you for the first time. We’ve been through the entire spectrum of emotions, and for all of that, and more to come, I think, there’s one thing I haven’t yet said to you: thank you - thank you for everything. Because if it weren’t for you, the two-seater I occupy on the rollercoaster of life would be missing one passenger.

- Anjali Vivek XII A

See her standing out there

Not noticing her is so rare

She’s out there ready to share

Her light and beauty so fair.

Her pretty face, no one can

You can’t help but notice her

A quite unique, golden star

Sparkling, shimmering, glimmering from afar

when she moves across the sky

You’ve got to shout “oh my!”

Her majestic movement makes you sigh

And ask why she doesn’t draw nigh.

Darkness tries but to no avail

In her kingdom, she must prevail

Darkness encompasses her like a veil

And then it’s sent out of her trail

She’s illuminated the whole night

You can’t blink with such a sight

You’ll be mesmerized by her beautiful light,

If you engage in fight.

Oh, lovely charming moon

I had thought you only shown in June

but now to long passing of noon,

then, I know I’ll see you soon.

Thaaswika Pebdinti VI A

It was the first day of school,

when I met you.

The two-seater I had occupied all alone,

now had a cheerful companion.

At first, I never spoke to you,

I just moved and made place for you to sit.

I suppose that indicated that somewhere

I was slowly beginning to accept you.

It took several weeks,

for either of us, eight-year-olds,

to even hold a conversation.

I liked you- you were so easy to understand.

I made you a part of my every day,

without even realising it.

From the beginning itself you could see

the things that differentiated you and me.

The friendship we shared at present,

sadly, isn’t one that would form now;

You and I are way too different

to even spare a glance at the other.

It’s funny how far we’ve come,

Through sunny days and rainy skies.

It’s funny how long we’ve lasted,

Through thick and thin, and

Through frowns and smiles.

From the years we’ve spent together,

I’d say that some of my happiest memories

have you written all over them.

You are like the colour yellow-

bright, energetic, passionate, and reasonable.

I wish that my boring shade of white

could somehow come closer to your hue.

A scary thought that plagues me- what if the things we share now just fade away, one fine day? I would hate to lose a sunflower, in a sea of green grass. I wonder now, is it too much? Is it too much for me to ask, if I asked for you to stay? Stay with me for years to come, because our friendship means the world to me and I’d love to spend the passing years, with someone like you as my friend.

TWO SEATER

SUCH BEAUTY

11

EDITION-3

The Beach and the Boy

Icy wind slashed at his face and the rain danced its evil dance upon his head as he tried to get his belongings off the isolated beach. It had

been one year since he had been orphaned. Though his friends and other family members tried to form his support system, no one could fill

the void his parents and sister had left behind. He thought of the last time he saw them. They had come to his boarding school to visit him and

to take him to a small picnic during the weekend. They had come to this beach which was a short drive from where he stayed. He thought of

how he ran after his sister because she refused to return the bracelet that he always wore. He remembered seeing the twinkle in his parents’

eyes every time his teachers told them that their son was academically progressing and was doing really well. He couldn’t help but crack a

smile when he thought of how much his family had cheered for him when he had scored the winning goal for his team. As he and his sister

were nearly nine years apart, he remembered her right from when she was a baby. He thought of the first time he had carried her and how

much she had cried when she had to take her vaccines. Every time he called out her name she would give a toothy grin. It broke his heart

every time she had to walk but would fall, but he also remembered how proud he was when she took baby steps towards him. Whenever he

was busy with his work she would stealthily take all his stuff and would hide it under her bed and would squeal every time he found it. The

thought that his little princess would never return was unbearable. He thought of all the memories he had made with his family as he folded

the blanket and kept it in the picnic basket. That car crash had shattered his world. Somehow, he found peace only at the beach, the place he

saw his family for the last time. That was the only place where he felt that they were with him. As he walked farther and farther away from

the shore, he thought of four pairs of feet making impressions in the sand had the car crash not happened. But the rain seemed to have

erased it all. -RaagaLaasya K, XI

C

ANXIETY

The mind is a funny thing. You could be sitting on Mount Fiji with a sense of achievement and joy and still not be okay. And I know you are not

supposed to worry about anything at this point. You’re not supposed to worry when your skin has been kissed by the sun and mist and you’re

looking at one of the most beautiful views with someone special. You aren’t supposed to have a care in the world.

But you can’t just hold your horses by taking an anti-anxiety pill. You can’t just always calm down or chill or relax.

I don’t know how to fully let go of anything. Of people. Of my past. I can’t let go of my endless thoughts that drop and flop and crash into

me. I don’t know how to be desolate and be free of this.

I have started to accept that I think differently, my point of view is way different from the rest. Even though I am very optimistic but at the

same time I tend to over analyze situations and think of every possibility good or bad and stop living in the moment.

Even when everything is picture perfect and beautiful, I always have something to worry about. Even if it is something trivial.

I am here on a mountain top with beautiful people and I still feel so occupied as if I cannot breathe. I am not supposed to feel like this. I am

supposed to feel free.

But that’s the thing about anxiety. You cannot just drink it away. You cannot disconnect. You just cannot stop.

I worry about anything and everything. I worry about my career and how I feel like I am behind. I worry I am not working hard enough. I worry

about how much I worry and hold it all inside me wondering if all these feelings and thoughts that I have accumulated will every leave me. Will I

ever be able to feel the feeling of complete emptiness?

I want to scream and shout out my feelings and have someone tell me I am okay.

I don’t know how to accept this state of mind that anxiety literally defines my entire life. Even in the sunshine my mind is full of thunder. So I

guess for now , I’ll take a moment to breathe and be alive and just be present in the moment. I need to keep myself going even when my mind

is a whirlpool of thoughts.

-AnishaGhosh, XII A

12

EDITION-3

It was the year 1919, and the month of April. The Indians were brutally tortured and terrorized by the ruling counterparts, the British. The masters of

the Indian subcontinent seemed to have drained the nation of its wealth and diversity. Leaders were being lost as the days of terror rolled on, with

very few citizens in favour of driving away the crazy Britishers. Not that they were in favour of the British rule, the reason was fear of the enemy.

The hatred against the British only intensified this year, with the end of World War I. The reason was, India played a pivotal role in the British army

through the war. In return, the Indians wanted a few grants from the British, which, of course, the latter failed to meet. Moreover, more leaders

were arrested throughout the nation. Each arrest was electrifying and the Indians could do nothing more than just seethe with rage and fear the

British.

This particular incident still makes the country quake on its feet. But the other incident behind it is known to very few.

On the day of Baisakhi, men, women and children gathered at a closed park in Amritsar to hold a protest against the arrest of 2 leaders, which had

happened that very week. Everyone went into the park, and everyone was ready to hold the big meeting. However, the introduction was interrupted

by a 12 year old lad, who had naturally come late. After a small scolding, the boy was made to sit in front of the gate with a stick and a pot of water.

“Stay here”, a man instructed him. “Tell no one about this gathering. Warn us if anyone gets to know. Guard the place”. He had only one gate to

mind anyway, so the boy undertook the job with lots of expectations.

His imagination was now working in full swing. People seeing the locked gate, getting inquisitive, and he would not utter a word. He felt it as a nice

tale of suspense, holding the big secret in him. But then his heart sunk back into reality- no one even LOOKED at the gate!! There was only the

regular hustle-bustle of the city, people talking, kids screaming etc. etc… an absolute WASTE of time. Nothing was happening, except probably the

sun scorching down on him and an occasional dog looking at him, its eyes trying to say “Its busy kid, yes, but you have to go with the flow”. All our

little friend could do was snort at this motivating message.

The meeting was droning on and on. Morning had passed, the afternoon had settled in. the little hero was technically starving to death now. He

didn’t have his lunch and was planning to buy some food from a stall. He still decided to hold himself together a while longer. At around 5:30 p.m.,

he gave up. He decided to leave the place, but only after informing the others. Just as he stood, he heard a clattering of hooves running in his

direction. He kind of expected to find the British General to stop by the gate on his gallant chestnut horse, but he hadn’t even half expected at least

80 to 90 more men on horses to follow him. The leader eyed the gate cautiously, and then got off his horse. “Men, take your positions by the other

gates!!”, he announced. Other gates? There were other gates and he didn’t know?! Our little hero, knowing English very well, felt something wasn’t

right. Take your positions? What was happening?? He felt a sudden urge to run over to the main gate and warn the people inside, but at the same

time he would be caught by the General, who now waited by the main gate. The entire army thundered off to the gates he never knew existed.

Bewildered, he climbed up a tree and picked a sturdy branch from where he could get the best view of the happenings.

A signal was passed, and suddenly, 5 gates flew open and each soldier, armed with rifles and guns, started firing spree at the crowd. There were

screams of help from all directions, and the people were starting to fall across the place. Some tried to climb the wall, but helplessly failed, only to

plunge to their certain death and get crushed by the wild stampede. The people desperately and helplessly tried to search for an outlet, but

miserably failed. The soldiers mercilessly continued to shower bullets over the place. Blood and gore only added to the misery of the scene. There

were despaired cries of help from the park. After 10 long minutes, the soldiers kept down their guns and retreated, leaving the dead sprawled where

they were, the injured moaning where they were and the walls covered in blood and bullet holes. People were blinded, maimed and afraid. The ones

who escaped miraculously unhurt were now seeing hell in front of their eyes. People now broke down and wept inconsolably.

And the boy meant to guard the place, hadn’t done anything at all to prevent it.

Guilt consumed him, gnawing his piece by piece. He was violently incensed by the whole affair. He felt his rage and hatred pulse against the British.

What had we Indians ever done to them? Why did they find it amusing to see us suffer?

12 years after this incident, now a dignified young man, was staring at the noose of the rope. Flashes of what we now call the Jallianwalla Bagh

massacre swarmed in his head. He knew he could have prevented it, and since he didn’t, he knew he was facing its punishment now. The massacre

was the last thing he thought, and his motherland was the last thing he remembered.

He saw Bhagat Singh.

Suniska Banerjee, IX E

A witness behind the witnesses