PRINCIPAL’S NEWSLETTER

September 2017

Dear Parents,

Greetings from IIS Pune

IB Diploma Programme (IBDP):

CREATIVITY, ACTIVITY AND SERVICE REPORT (CAS)

“Work hard for what you want because it won't come to you without a fight. You have to be

strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something positive’.

Leah LaBelle

SERVICE COMPONENT: Literacy drive for our Bus Attendants

Most of our Grade 11 students come from a CBSE-i background, and then adjusting and

coping with IB is not an easy task, but not impossible. IB has great things to offer which

none of the other programs have. One of these outstanding opportunities is the CAS. This

program gives them the opportunity to do something good for others.

Helping others makes them more thankful for what we have. It also works as a stress

releaser in many cases. When we see someone helping a person in need, we feel like doing

the same or maybe even better for someone else. We also believe in the theory of karma,

i.e. “What goes around comes around! “. If we help someone in their hard times, someone

else might also help in our hard times. But, we should never help others for our own selfish

motive.

The first service project is to teach the bus Didis English speaking. As they often find it

hard to communicate with students who do not know Marathi and in some cases also

Hindi.

This project has worked very well so far, and the didis are enjoying the classes a lot. The

students are trying their level best to teach as much English as they can within the

allotted classes. The didis are being able to grasp and understand whatever we are

teaching. They can apply the concepts taught in class, in real life scenarios. This is a great

achievement for everyone.

BEHTAR INDIA CAMPAIGN IN IBDP:

We, at Indus International School Pune, have always upheld the community flag and

provided our students with avenues to be agents of positive change. Yet again, we have

associated with a national campaign called BEHTAR INDIA which has been launched by

NDTV and DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Company Limited. Grades 11 attended a session

in school conducted by Ms Megha Mutha who provided a detailed insight into the

programme.

This campaign aims at creating nationwide movement, focusing on its three platforms –

HEALTH, CLEANLINESS & ENVIRONMENT. Developed as a path breaking 360 degree

campaign, it allows citizens, school children and corporates, to supplement the local

administration’s efforts to drive awareness and tangible progressive actions towards

building a better India.

Through an innovative and engaging technique, the campaign has designed a contest for schools (and students) which will transform the core campaign beliefs into action. Students will be given the opportunity to make tangible difference in society, in the next 6 months - through 3 tasks - all leading up to 1 amazing goal –"BEHTAR INDIA".

FURTADOS SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Sessions were taken on DRUMS

Introduction to Rock History

Understanding parts of the drum set

Stick holding techniques and exercises

Sessions were taken on GUITAR

Parts of the Guitar

Intro to all open strings

Intro to Note Values

Clapping and Composing Rhythms

Piece: Open House (4 bars)

VOCAL MUSIC CLASS:

DANCE CLASS:

CRAFT (GROUP ACTIVITY):

Students completed their decoupage bottles, clocks, keychain boards and from next class

they will start creative and beautiful Mural keychain holders.

Career Cell:

WHY DO INTERNSHIPS DURING AN UNDERGRADUATE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM

As Year 12 students gear up for their university applications some careful thought and

discussion in the family is imperative in order to make it a successful decision and move to

the next step in your student’s preparation for a successful career. One discussion of

importance is that of internships/co-ops/work terms during the course of study.

Some parents seriously ask about the opportunities for internships or co-op programs,

realizing the importance of them on different levels, but most students seem not to be

concerned or aware about them. Be sure that the main benefits are not economic ones,

even though this is a big factor, but rather what position a student is in when s/he graduates

from university with a Bachelor’s degree.

As a Placements advisory, we highly recommend considering a university and a program

that offers internships/co-ops/work terms. The following notes below come from this

website for further reading:

https://careers.uiowa.edu/students/benefits-internship

Benefits of an Internship

One of the recurring themes in any entry level job search is the lack of experience factor. "Where do I get experience if no one is willing to hire me?" The answer is simple: Get an internship!

Students planning to enter the permanent work force should complement their academic preparation with a range of other experiences, such as study abroad, community service, undergraduate research experiences, participation in sports and other student organizations, membership in pre-professional organizations, and internships.

An internship offers you the chance to learn by doing in a setting where you are supervised by a work-place professional, and have the opportunity to achieve your own learning goals, without the responsibilities of being a permanent employee.

An internship also offers you the opportunity to work with someone who can become a mentor for you - not only in the internship, but throughout your career.

Career Exploration

Learn about a career field from the inside and decide if this is the right career field for you

Work alongside a professional in your chosen career area Observe the work place and see if it matches expectations

Leadership and Skill Development

Learn new skills and add to your knowledge base while gaining confidence in your abilities

Opportunity to practice communication and teamwork skills Gain industry knowledge first hand from an organization and professionals Provide evidence that you have initiative, are reliable, and have a sense of

responsibility Apply some of the ideas learned in school and provide a bridge between school

and the professional world Achieve a sense of accomplishment by contributing to an organization

Networking and Establishing Mentors and References

Meet new people and practice networking skills while establishing a network of professional contacts, mentors, and references

Open to door to advice for the next steps to take on your career path

Resume Enhancements

Gain valuable experience and accomplishments to add to your resume and/or enhance your application to Graduate School

Create an advantage over other job or graduate school applicants Potential for a full time job offer at the end of the internship based on your

performance

PLACEMENTS COUNSELORS ACTIVITIES THROUGH SEPTEMBER

Even though most of our work is pure joy, there is a lot of stress associated with doing our

best for your son or daughter, given their academic achievement and their university profile

of experiences and activities that has also helped prepare them for this next big step to

university. Here is a list of some of the things we have been heavily involved in this month

for Year 12 students: Preparing transcripts for end-of-year 11 to be uploaded for university applications

Preparing Year 9 and 10 end-of-year reports for uploading for university

applications

Prompting students to fill out their Teacher Letter of Recommendation

Information Forms

Requesting students to ask two teachers for letters of recommendation

Reviewing and giving teachers feedback on the letters they write for students

Meeting with students individually for counselor letter of recommendation

Attending presentations from universities on campus that might open up new

ideas about where to apply

Meeting with parents and students to look at the short-list of universities where

they will apply

Giving feedback to students on their rough draft of their essays for application

Helping students open their Common App accounts (for US) and their UCAS

accounts (for UK) applications

Helping families understand the importance of their Naviance software account

that is used for ALL applications world-wide

Communicating with students and parents about scholarship opportunities and

universities with outstanding programs outside the usual choice of universities

Counseling students and parents to be realistic about what universities to apply to

that improve their chances of gaining admissions and where there will be a best-fit

Managing the 1,000 plus applications and the requirements for the uploading of

school documents for all students

On-going counseling sessions with students and parents regarding their

application process and meeting of deadlines

UNIVERSITIES THAT HAVE VISITED OUR CAMPUS DURING AUGUST AND

SEPTEMBER, 2017

University of Bristol, UK

Nottingham University, UK

University of Exeter, UK

Leeds University, UK

University of Essex, UK

Portsmouth University, UK

University of Westminster, UK

University of British Columbia, Canada

University of Alberta, Canada

Temple University, US

California State University, US

Kings Education Pathway Programs, US and UK

Rider University, US

Marymount California University, US

Concordia College, US

Pine Minor College, US

Laureate Design University, Italy

Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Italy

Domus Academy, Italy

Hult International Business School, London/US/Singapore/Dubai/China

SP Jain School of Global Management, Singapore/Dubai/Australia

St. George’s Medical University, Caribbean Islands

Boston University

Savannah School of Arts and Design

Memorial University, Canada

*Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Presentation to art students from Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia, USA. An

exciting and informative informational session on careers in the arts as well as information

about SCAD and its programs. Several Indus Pune students study there now.

US university fair of 31 universities from across the country. Many students and parents

joined us to meet the admissions officers from these universities.

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada admissions director gave an insightful

presentation to parents and students about all the programs UBC offers. Several Indus Pune

students are now studying at UBC.

Middle Years Programme (MYP & IGCSE):

MYP ELOCUTION AND DEBATE COMPETITION: The first debate and elocution competition hosted by the MYP, was conducted on Thursday, the 28th of September, 2017 from 1:15 pm to 3:15 pm at the sports complex. The debate competition followed the parliamentary format wherein 12 students of Grade 8 were selected through qualifications held earlier in the week and were given the topic 2 days prior to the event. Participants were divided into groups of 6 to speak for and against the motion and conducted extensive research for the same. They also received training from the Vice Principal and their English teacher to ensure they were well prepared for the same. ‘Social Networking: A boon or a bane’ was the topic decided upon. The speakers excelled in their performances, delivering persuasive and insightful arguments while Ms. Pallavi moderated the event. The variety of arguments put forth with made the judges’ decision quite hard.

The Elocution Competition for grades 6 and 7 saw the younger MYP students deliver stellar performances. Students were auditioned earlier in the week and the theme decided upon for all their recitals was humour. Students selected poems or pieces of prose of their choice and were trained by the Vice Principal and MYP Coordinator. Participants spoke eloquently and blended voice modulations with facial expressions to hold their audience captive. The poetry recitals tickled the funny bone and left everyone merry. Our wonderful judges, Mr. Saurabh Tiwari and Ms. Girija Kele were faced with the challenge of deciding our winners. To conclude the event, our Vice Principal handed out the medals and certificates to our ecstatic and deserving winners. The Debate Competition was won by the team that spoke against the motion. The best speaker award from their team went to Krish Desai. The best speaker from the opposing team, speaking for the motion, was awarded to Adya Shrivastava. The Elocution Competition was won by Haaziq Kazi, Shreya Gautam and Asher Arul in the first, second and third places respectively, in the Grade 6 category. Rayna Arora won the Grade 7 category. Coming in tied at second place were Puraav Ghuwalewala and Sumitanuch Srichu followed by Abhay Gupta in third place. The event was a success and all participants were greatly motivated when they saw the principal and parents attending the event. We hope to host more events like this to encourage our students to explore a range of their talents and skills.

MYP Reading Challenge Orientation:

Ms Varsha Seshan a popular children’s writer from the British Council visited our school on the 8th of September, 2017 to introduce the MYP to the Reading Challenge. Students responded to the session with interest that was gradually built as Ms Varsha interacted with them. She then introduced them to two interesting strategies that would help them pick books to read, whether they already shared a passion for reading or not.

The first strategy was called I-PICK. The aim was to help students introspect and reflect on what the Purpose of reading a book is, whether they have an actual Interest in reading it, if they can Comprehend the book and finally if the Know what it is saying on a deeper level. The next strategy was to help readers of all ages identify if they would be able to follow the language used in a book, using a simple 5-Finger Rule. This rule advises readers to simply open to any page and browse it to locate vocabulary that may be new or difficult.

Finally, Ms Varsha introduced students to the Reading Challenge, with several details and encouraged them to participate. The children were then invited to an open Q&A session to help clear any doubts they may have. Overall, the session was intriguing and based on the feedback, several students seemed interested in registering for the challenge. We do hope that this venture sparks an interest among many of our students to explore the magical world of books!

Butterfly Garden

As part of their Environment related Community Service initiative, the grade 7 students are

in the process of creating a Butterfly garden on the school campus. To give you a glimpse

of what’s going on, we have some pictures for you.

IGCSE:

Dental Camp – a leadership cum Community Service initiative by our IGCSE

students

Our student - volunteers of Grade 9 and Grade 10 organised a Dental Camp for our support

staff (house-keeping, gardeners, drivers, bus attendants) on Saturday, 23rd September 2017

in the Administration Block.

A lot of planning and preparation went into making this camp a success. Students painted

posters that carried strong messages of the consequences of habitual use of tobacco and

other addictive substances such as ‘ghutka’.

The Camp was attended by close to 35 members of the support staff. The presentation by

Dr. Prachi Solanki (MDS- Orthodontist and Dentofacial Orthopedics) and Dr. Ahmed Patel

(MDS – Prosthodontic and Implantologist) was very effective. During the second half of

the Camp, free consultation was provided to each person. Almost all who attended the

presentation were extremely grateful. They have requested for similar camps in future.

Primary Years Programme (PYP):

Teacher’s Day Celebrations

Teachers play an important role in making children aware of being a responsible citizens and a good human beings. It is impossible to imagine our schools without teachers. We can never thank teachers enough for their immense contribution in a student’s life. Teacher's Day at IISP was celebrated to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work put in by all our staff.The Grade 5 students presented a special assembly for their teachers and the staff was felicitated with a beautiful personal journal.

Roald Dahl Day September is Roald Dahl's birth month and, the PYP celebrated the authors’ birthday with a wonderful array of events across all classes. The students of Early Years to Grade 1 were introduced to the story of the Enormous crocodile they presented their understanding through illustrations while the teachers scribed for them. The students of year two and three, illustrated their favourite character from the stories written by Roald Dahl. Year 4 read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and shared their creativity in the form of a role play. The learners from year 5, displayed the attribute of being courageous as they went on to add a twist to the stories written by Roald Dahl. The students’ work was displayed and showcased through a special assembly which provided a reason to showcase Creativity and Innovation through a variety of media.

Field Trips

The Fourth Graders at IISP visited the Tribal Museum to deepen their understanding of

the current unit if inquiry on - How we express ourselves, wherein they experienced how

artefacts are reflective of the culture, to the various tribes in India. They explored different

traditions, beliefs and lifestyle of tribal people and made connections with their classroom

learning.

A visit to the Agakhan Palace was a remarkable experience for the Third Graders during

their unit of inquiry on – Who we are. The inquest led our learners to wonder about our

national leader, Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders who were put under house arrest

during the war of Independence. At the palace our little explorers were guided through the

historic halls to hear stories of battles won and lost. The paintings and the sculptures were

an evidence of the struggle and so was the palaces’ structure. These stories truly, did inspire

our learners to ask many questions and inquire even further into the lives of our national

heroes.

Guest Speaker Sessions

Mr. Ravi Vora supported the Grade 4 learners to culminate their understanding on culture

and, introduced our enthusiastic inquirers to the "Tlingit Tribe culture”. This session

infused curiosity and excitement to the unit of inquiry. The session ended with a cultural

activity on Wolf and Raven Tribes’ gift giving tradition. The session was followed up by

children writing a reflection on their understanding.

The students of Grade 3 are inquiring into the central idea- 'Choices of role model reflect

the beliefs and values of individual and societies'. Dr. Mahesh Sulakshane, conducted a

session to share his experiences with our young learners, the challenges he faced and

overcame to become a doctor. Dr. Mahesh also emphasized on how he influences

individuals and society as a whole. He enriched the learners understanding about how a

doctor serves the community by treating people, and becomes a role model to many.

Inter House Challenge

The Inter house PYP Declamation Challenge was held on 22nd September, 2017. Students

from all the four houses participated with fervour to present their oratory skills. They

delivered excerpts from speeches of famous leaders. The participants drove the competition

through their language fluency, confidence, modulation and voice tone. The best speakers

from each house was awarded a certificates and the winner of the Declamation Challenge

was the ORION house.

Building Creativity through the Rocketry Workshop at IISP

The Rocketry workshop was conducted on September 6, 2017 for Grade 5 students. The

workshop gave the students firsthand experience of various aspects of Space Technology.

Students viewed a documentary to understand the complexities of an astronaut’s life in a

space station. Further, they were introduced to the concept of gas rocketry where they

launched their own rockets using technology similar to the one used to launch space crafts.

Students were engaged in activities that helped them attain an understanding about the

working of an astronaut, while also learning how to make a telescope with basic lenses. The

workshop concluded with children enthusiastically creating paper rockets and launching

them in the sky up to a height of 120 ft. The main objective of the workshop was to provide

our budding explorers a deep understanding of the space.

Sports Arena:

LAWN TENNIS

On 29th August to 1st Sept. 2017, the District Level Lawn Tennis Tournament was organized

by the Zila Parishad at Pune Division Sports Complex, Yerwada. Following students made

IISP proud by winning the competition & reaching the next level. They will be playing for

Pune Division now.

Bhavin Dedakiyar Sanjana Jadhav Shambhavi Adkar

CHESS Chess is a sport where the intellect, speed and patience are all that matters to establish oneself as a talented player. On 2nd Sept. Chess Competition was organized by South Mumbai Chess Association at IISP campus where Mihir Shah of Gr 9 got first position by beating Hrishi Shah of Gr 9 & Dev Patel of Gr 11 in final. We are proud of all three of them.

SOCCER

On 4th Sept. 2017 the District Level Football Tournament was organized by the Zila Parishad

at Daund Police Ground, Daund. . Following students made IISP proud by winning the

competition & reaching the next level. They will be playing for Pune Division now. Siya Kasat Greeshma Katre Khushi Jain

Shreyaba Mahida Aki Sanfranscisco Shrushti Domadia Janhvi Solanki Anshulika Deshmukh Tanya Ryan Jayantika Sachar Hariti Shah Ishika Yadav Alisha Dhanani Bhakti Madanal Tracy Sebastian

TABLE TENNIS

On 9th Sept. 2017, the District Level U 14 Table Tennis Tournament was organized by the

Zila Parishad at Balewadi stadium. Following students made IISP proud by winning the

competition & reaching the next level. Adityavardhan Trimal Mihir Shah Krish Desai Bhagesh Ahuja Akshat Shingala

They also played for Pune Division Tennis Tournament which was held at District Sports Office, Solapur. The young tennis players of IISP participated enthusiastically in the tournament & secured second runner up position.

ROLLER SKATING

On 9th Sept. the District Level Roller Skating Competition was organized by the Zila

Parishad at DSO, Pune. Mahek Longani made IISP proud by securing 1st Position & reaching

the next level.

SWIMMING

On 13th Sept. the District Level Swimming Competition was organized by the Zila Parishad

at DSO, Yerawada, Pune.HARITI SHAH & SHARON SHAJU GEORGE made IISP proud by

winning the competition & reaching the next level. They will be going for Pune Division

now.

Sharon bagged 3 GOLD MEDALS

Hariti bagged 2 Silver Medals, 1 Bronze Medal

BOXING On 14th Sept. Aki Sanfrancisco of IISP represented the school in U 19 Female Boxing

Competition organized by the Zila Parishad at DSO,Yerwada. She bagged gold for the

school by winning both the bouts by Knock Out first minute of the first round. We are

proud of you Aki!!

CRICKET

On 17th & 18TH Sept. 2017 the U 14 & U 17 District Level Cricket Tournament was organized

by the Zila Parishad at Daund Police Ground, Daund. This was the 1st time Indus cricket

team was formed and players showed good skills but unfortunately couldn't make it to the

next round. Good Luck to the Cricket Team for next time.

SWIMMING

Fastest Breaststroker (Women) of Maharashtra! Sharon wins 50 meter Breaststroke in the

71st Maharashtra SENIOR State Championship in 35.53 Seconds! Broke the record by

5/100th of a second, established in 2012 by Monique Gandhi!

We are proud of you SHARON.

Boarding at INDUS:

Visit to Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park:

On 9th Sept., 2017 a group of 38 boarders from Grade II to VIII along with houseparent’s

visited The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, commonly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Zoo,

located in Katraj, Pune. It is managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation. The 130-acre zoo

is divided into three parts: an animal orphanage, a snake park, and a zoo, and includes the

42-acre Katraj Lake. Boarders were delighted to see different species of snakes. They also

saw different kinds of mammals at the zoo which included leopard, sloth bears, sambhars,

barking deer, blackbucks, monkeys, and elephants. All students enjoyed the visit to the zoo

along with lunch at Mcdonald’s on the way back to school.

Treasure Hunt:

On the 2nd of September 2017, a treasure hunt activity for the students below grade 8 was

organized by the 10th grader girls with the help of the houseparent’s. Four groups were

made and they were all given clues leading to the same area. The activity was played with

much enthusiasm and interest. Everyone was involved and teamwork played a major role

in this. The winners of the Treasure hunt received a special prize from the houseparent’s.

Visit to The Thai House Restaurant:

Thai House is an authentic Thai food restaurant in Pune. It is a small, cozy place where all

the Thai boarders enjoyed their lunch on Saturday 23rd of Sept. Everything right from the

service to starters & deserts were of top quality at Thai House Pune.

Trekking:

Trekking is an adventure hobby that is pursued by most children who love nature. It can

be considered as both a hobby and a sport. It offers both mental and health benefits to the

children. All the boarders enjoyed trekking on 5th Sept. 17 along with Head of Boarding,

Mr Ajit Singh & the hostel parents. They all enjoyed the beauty of nature while climbing

up the small hills near IISP.

Weekend Outing:

Health and Wellness Drive 'SAJAG SWASTHYA' at IISP:

The Health and Wellness drive is a new initiative undertaken at Indus International School

Pune with the aim of assisting, guiding and help improve health and wellness among the

school staff and the under-privileged community in the vicinity of the school. The first

instance of this drive was targeted at all of the transport staff. We started the session on

schedule and were met with an eager and an enthusiastic group of 62 men and women that

staff the 31 school buses that ferry children and staff to and from school every day. Is it any

wonder that their well-being and health is sound?

The staff seemed overawed initially as everyone began occupying the seats in the

conference room. As drivers of the initiative, we introduced ourselves and started the

session by talking about basic questions and ideas like the the meaning of good health. To

assess and emphasize our point, we did a snap poll to check on how many attendees

considered themselves healthy, and were we surprised by the responses! When we

emphasized why good health did not imply simply the absence of disease, the self

assessments changed dramatically!

We took the discussion further to categorize physical, mental and social health. Hygiene,

sanitation and usage of simple techniques like sanitizers was explained. Simple

considerations toward daily needs like drinking water was explained - including

suggestions like boiling, appropriate quantity of consumption etc. We further delved into

nutrition and sleep/recuperation which again drew strong involvement and ideation.

We ended the session by discussing another fundamental aspect of all of us - breathing!

We discussed the importance of proper breathing, its benefits, demonstrated deep

breathing techniques and hand postures and enumerated various benefits, like the

reduction of anxiety and stress.

By the end of the 45 minute session, we could sense that the attendees felt happy and

excited and left the premise with a distinct gleam. Almost everyone expressed hope for

more such sessions.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT IISP:

PYP Inter House GK Quiz – 6th October 2017

Parent Teacher Meeting (Grades 11 & 12) – 7th October 2017

TOK Camp for Grade 12 begins – 10th October 2017

TOK Camp for Grade 12 ends – 12th October 2017

Parent Teacher Meeting (IGCSE)

MYP-End of Unit Celebrations – 13th October 2017

PYP Diwali Celebrations/Mufti Day

Autumn Break commences – 14th October 2017

School reopens after Autumn Break – 23rd October 2017

PYP - International Library Week

Creative Writing Challenge (PYP) – 27th October 2017

Internal PAC Meeting

SANDEEP CHHABRA

PRINCIPAL

September 2017