The British School Alumni Magazine | Issue 13 Summer 2019

Artwork by Aaliya Luthra, class of 2019

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What ’s Inside

Dear Alumni

Alumni reunions

Director's Note

15 Year Challenge

The Ripple Effect

International School Award

Peepul for People

Alumni News

Alumni Basketball Match

From Chickpeas to Gene Expression

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@bs is the magazine for friends and alumni of The British School. It is published twice a year by the Alumni Office. The opinions expressed in @bs are those of individual contributors and may not necessarily reflect the views of The British School.Photographs: Staff, students and alumni of the school, and Sahil Fotos (sahilfotosv10@gmail.com)Editor: Navneet Kaur (n.kaur@british-school.org)Design: www.crocusdesign.inPrint: Solar Print Process Pvt Ltd, New Delhi (solar@spppl.in)The magazine is available in a downloadable format at www.british-school.org.The Alumni Office can be contacted at alumni@british-school.org and +91 11 40664168.

Dear AlumniIt gives us great pleasure to inform you that TBS has instituted a Learning Solutions Centre. The ground-breaking initiative aims to provide comprehensive solutions for students with special needs, including early intervention and a wide range of therapeutic services and occupational therapy. The centre will serve as an extension of the existing provision and its services will be subsequently scaled up to support external students from the wider community and build on TBS’s reputation of being a trusted special education needs support centre.

This year the school will go through the process of reaccreditation by the Council of International Schools. During their preparatory visit, the evaluators found compelling evidence that the spirit and substance of the guiding statements are pervasive throughout TBS and implicit in the curriculum, planning and decision-making process at every level of school operation. As we move on to the next phase of the evaluation – self study – we will continue to build on the deep synergy between our strategic priorities and our programmes.

In a remarkable reflection of TBS’s commitment to promote environmental sustainability, the school recently introduced a Green Policy. Recognising the difference each of us can bring about in the immediate and larger community, the policy emphasises on collective and individual responsibility for positive impact on the environment. It aims to create an ecosystem that is conducive to learning and based on sustainable use of resources. This is indeed the first step towards ensuring that school infrastructural, operational and educational activities demonstrate respect for the environment. We welcome inputs from alumni that can help facilitate the development of values, skills and awareness that promote sustainability.

We hope you have had a chance to go through our website launched in May, complete with a fresh, new look and a range of content offerings that reflect our aspirations and history. A key highlight is the Thought Leadership journal that is host to a rich library of thought provoking content and reflections of our academic community, relevant for everyone from educators to parents, students, educational institutions and stakeholders. The website is designed to create an experience that affords users the opportunity of understanding life at TBS, no matter which part of the world they are in. Just like the previous one, the new website features a section dedicated exclusively to our dynamic and diverse alumni community. Do have a look to read up on updates and share your thoughts with us.

Enjoy your summer.

Navneet Kaur Corporate Communications and Brand Manager

On a wonderful, sunny Saturday afternoon last year, a great number of alumni gathered to catch up and relive cherished memories and everyone was 17-year-old again. Friends from Australia, Canada, USA, UK, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Nepal and various European countries attended. It is wonderful managing to keep in touch after 35 years, and in some cases even more.

The event was fabulously organised by Noreen Puri and Mirella Quattrocchi, both from the class of 1985, and their families.

The years at TBS meant for all of us a happy and carefree time where we were more than just friends – we were all a part of The British School family.

Tatjana Rajh Class of 1982

A reunion in

The next Annual Alumni Reunion will be held on 19 December 2019 at the school. Please save the date for now – more details will follow closer to the date of the event.

19 December

The Annual Alumni Reunion took place on 21 December on a cold, wintry evening at the school. The warmth, however, was palpable as alumni met one another over a hearty dinner and drinks. The event was preceded by an exciting alumni vs students basketball match – photos on page 12.

Reunion 2018

Save the Date

Director's NoteA time to energise, a time to reflect, a time to celebrate, a time to look ahead and dream

with passion and grit; not to forget, a time to put your feet up and smile – it is the end of another

remarkable academic year.

At times such as these, when physical exhaustion acquires a whole new meaning and two hours with a

newspaper and pots of hot tea are, at best, figments of your imagination or dreams of a bygone era, I try to focus

on what we have achieved so I can feel what I call a ‘good tired'!

2018-19 was not only a year where the school hit some fantastic milestones but also one which saw hidden talent shine, students take on service projects with passion, colleagues move into elevated roles and a few return to what they call home. Colleagues and students new to the school have settled in with ease, are soaking up the warm welcome they have received and are rapidly becoming the school’s ambassadors and staunch advocates. Students have shown resilience, camaraderie, compassion and leadership, be it in dealing with disappointments, supporting friends in need or in leading with conviction and commitment – some things have remained constant over the years.

The propensity to identify and nurture talent, to inspire students to dream big and with determination and to be proud of their uniqueness continue to be the bedrock of our ethos. In an increasingly polarised world, it is fantastic to come to work daily to a place which is buzzing with collective energy and passion, driven by a shared ambition to be better than our best in all that we do.

One of my special ‘aha’ moments this year was when evaluators from the Council of International Schools observed during their accreditation visit that the school was a happy and authentic learning space, driven by its vision and living its mission.

Our students remain my constant inspiration and often while watching them perform or make a presentation, I am awestruck by their sheer confidence and talent; what a privilege it is to be in a position of being a partner in their remarkable journeys. Speaking of journeys, what does our future trajectory look like? For one, we are definitely not

sitting still – we are strongly establishing our presence in the global arena especially as thought leaders, expanding our enrichment and sports programmes, enhancing student leadership and setting up a Learning Solutions

Centre – in effect bringing the world to TBS and taking TBS to the world in our very own indomitable style.

Stay blessed, stay happy and stay connected.

Vanita Uppal OBE Director

The class of 2004 graduated from school 15 years ago and came up with a unique way of celebrating the milestone. Sonali Saigal Kapur (Noni) reached out to her classmates to participate in the 15 Year Challenge.‘I joined school in Reception and graduated in Year 13 so I absolutely loved using this project as an excuse to catch up with super old friends, from those who left school when I was very young to some more recent classmates. Though we are all scattered around the world, many of us have stayed in touch over the years – whether it is meeting up in new home cities, flying down for weddings, attending informal and formal school reunions, or being a part of various WhatsApp groups – and that is what I love the most about being a product of The British School’, says Sonali.By sharing this collage, the class of 2004 hopes that their teachers and other alumni enjoy seeing how much they have grown.

Inshika Bedi Chopra Ricardo Forrester

ChallengeYear

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Sonali Saigal Kapur (Noni) Robin Carmen Deborah Lee Raajtanay Zaveri Kanishk Sharma Kadambari Bose

Arjun Shah Sukhamrit Kanwar Majdood Khalili Divya Puri Vishal Kakkar Michael Jain

Asad Shah Savio Kironde Siddharth Nigam Madhav Verma Beau Ranawake Roshen Carmen

Gazi Hafiz Raman Sharma Mark Medom Alisha Shourie Raunaq Singh Ravi Varski Chopra

Reema Chopra Saini Nitin Mayor Shivam Sood Abhi Thakran-Coco

Sanam Bakshi Tania Khosla Taneja Ania Rosloniec Wierzbicka Radhika BansalMarina Staykovaa

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‘We are making small ripples wherever we can’, says Devika Anand, class of 1999.

Together with Parul Kathuria Walia, class of 1999, and Mahima Shastri, class of 1998, Devika founded a not-for-profit venture called the Japji Foundation.

It started as an initiative to bridge the gap between beneficiaries and benefactors led by young people who could help make a change. Today, the group works with children with disabilities as well as those who are terminally ill. In addition to providing clothes and ration to home shelters, they also sponsor wheelchairs and shelter rooms for those in need.

The group works closely with slums across Delhi providing food to people living under flyovers. ‘We sponsor education for 800 slum children and look after two shelters where children are taught in the afternoon’, Devika explains, ‘Our next step is raising funds for children affected by HIV, and for the education and nutrition of the girl child.’

Presently, the Japji Foundation touches the lives of over 3,000 people annually.

‘We would like to thank the class of 1999, especially the ones in Delhi, for continually supporting us and sending us dry ration, blankets and clothes for the work we are doing. This is just the beginning; we have a long way to go’, she concludes.

Dr Rhea Datta, Assistant Professor of Biology at Hamilton College, New York, delivered an inspiring talk to our students in December 2018 about her latest research in gene programming. Rhea, class of 2001, is a developmental geneticist and molecular biologist whose research focuses on how proteins distinguish between specific DNA-binding sequences to regulate gene expression.

In addition to her research work, Rhea stressed the importance of believing in yourself and chasing your dreams. She also reflected back on her time in school and the effect it had on her choices later in life, ‘TBS laid the foundation for my career in research when, as an extension of my A level course, I worked on tissue culture using chickpeas.’

From Chickpeas to Gene Expression

The Ripple Effect

We were delighted to have alumni contribute to the first ever TBS Cookbook, lovingly put together by the Parent School Association. The cookbook features family favourites and kitchen classics by our alumni, parents and staff members making for an eclectic and international choice of recipes. It was launched at a picnic on a bright sunny day where scrumptious recipes were unveiled for everyone to sample.

The cookbook is available for purchase at the school.

TBS won the award for Use of Digital Technology – Gamification of Learning at the 2019 International School Awards (ISA) in London. ISA highlights exceptional global practices in international schools and the award recognises our stellar work in enhancing the student learning experience.

Congratulations on being awarded the Woman Entrepreneur of 2019 by Business World! Thank you. The Business World Disrupt Women Entrepreneur Awards recognise and honour exceptional women achievers and innovators who are changing the face of entrepreneurship in India. The jurors considered nine parameters including the entrepreneurial journey of the individual, strategic direction and financial performance of the company, disruption factor and market growth. Aspects such as leadership grooming, CSR, achievements and the overall entrepreneurial quotient were also gauged.

The award is truly special and strengthens my belief that anything is possible.

You were at the prime of your career when you changed paths to be involved with the education sector. What prompted the shift? I remember being asked at the age of ten what I wanted to be when I grew up. Being a child of two economists, the expected answer was likely a PhD in Economics. To everyone’s surprise, I promptly answered with ‘I want to remove inequality from the world.’

PEEPULPEEPUL PEOPLE PEOPLE

Quitting a leadership role in the corporate world to move into the non-profit sector is not for the faint hearted. Meet Kruti Bharucha, CEO of Peepul India, a not-for-profit education organisation.

Kruti, class of 1995, held leadership positions in premier institutions such as McKinsey, CEB, IMF and the World Bank before she decided to answer her calling of reducing inequality in India.

She founded Peepul to collaborate with government schools and transform children’s lives through world class education. Peepul brings in intervention by developing pedagogy that is best suited to keep young children engaged in class. From conducting teacher training programmes, increasing student enrolment and attendance, helping families benefit from government schemes to educating the girl child, Kruti has her hands full. Her aim is to not just bring students to school but also arm them with high quality education, at par with the best private schools.

Kruti won the Business World Social Entrepreneur of 2019 and featured in the Economic Times 25 Women Leaders in 2018. She has an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in Economics from the University of Maryland.

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As time passed by, my focus shifted to building my career and I joined the management consulting and advisory sector after completing my education. However, I always felt a strong pull towards the development sector.

2013 was a decision point for me. I had spent nine years climbing the corporate ladder and was in the running to become a Managing Director at CEB when I paused to ask myself if that is what I wanted. I realised that if I really wanted to make a difference, I had to take the plunge while in the prime of my career. I credit TBS with helping me go against the tide as my ability to question and think critically was developed in school.

Armed with the vision of providing high quality education to every child, regardless of their background or circumstance, I founded Peepul India. Today we run three exemplar schools in Delhi that directly impact 1,000 children and work on systemic capacity building with 450 government teachers indirectly impacting 16,000 pupils.

Tell us about the journey of Peepul so far. When I set out to follow my childhood dream, the most challenging part was to maintain a balance between being fiercely ambitious while also being practical.

In India, government schools suffer from poor attendance, retention and learning outcomes. While enrolment has been on the rise, the system is plagued by lack of quality. Peepul’s model of partnership schools is disruptive in nature and challenges the prevalent model. We partner with district and state governments to support school education reforms and raise education standards in disadvantaged communities through innovative models and ideas.

As the organisation grew, we articulated the mission, vision and philosophy as well as set an ambitious and forward-looking strategy. This will accelerate Peepul’s growth path and help the organisation scale

to 4 states, impacting more than 3,400,000 children and 13,600 teachers by 2024. We are currently in the process of implementing state wide intervention

in Madhya Pradesh in partnership with the state government and The World Bank.

How do you ensure the practitioners you hire have synergy with Peepul’s vision? Training is an integral part of our rigorous approach and central to effective delivery of pedagogy. We create systemic influence through large-scale interventions such as teacher training and capacity building of school leaders appointed by the government.

Before they teach their first ever class in our schools, we ensure that our teachers are skilled practitioners, equipped with the most effective methods of

teaching young children using best international practices.

Our flagship school is now established as a designated resource centre for conducting in-service training programmes for government teachers. By the end of the year, we will have impacted 16,000 students through the programme.

Where do you think the current education system in India is lacking? India has made great progress in recent years towards reaching universal primary education, however, learning outcomes have been poor and on the decline.

According to a recent survey done in Delhi government schools, 52% of students leaving grade 5 could not read a grade 2 level English story, and 13% could not even identify the alphabet. Additionally, shortage of teachers and low motivation levels amongst educators also need to be addressed. All these factors directly impact the quality of education being provided and disproportionately affect students.

Your approach is quite holistic in that you work not only with students and schools but also families, communities, municipal corporations and governments to impact the entire ecosystem. Tell us more about it.We create transformative impact through whole-school intervention by focusing on five key areas: a) innovative curriculum b) rigorous, practical and continuous teacher training c) regular tracking of child-level assessments and school data d) strong school routines and e) regular and intensive engagement with parents and the community.

Many of our students are malnourished or have ailments that affect attendance and dropout rates. To overcome this challenge, we conduct regular health check-ups for students along with workshops for families about good hygiene and smart spending on food. In addition, we educate parents about new government schemes and help them open bank accounts for their children so that they can directly receive the money allotted to them under the various schemes.

Another major area of focus is the emphasis on safe transport system for children and appropriate hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools to improve retention

of female students. During our enrolment drives in the communities, we ensure that no girl of school going age is left at home without education.

You have been associated with TBS in different capacities.

I may have graduated a long time ago, but my association with the school has continued all this while. After I finished schooling, I took a gap year where I came back as a tutor to help A level students with Economics and Accounting. I remember feeling all grown up and responsible, having recently finished school but being back as a teacher.

Two decades on, I am a TBS parent. My son, Siddharth, studies here and so do children of many of my school friends. It is lovely to see everyone in school on a regular basis and meet their children.

What is more, Peepul is one of the CSR partners for the school and it is wonderful to have peer exchange across TBS and Peepul students through workshops, projects, and joint events and celebrations.

Do you see a marked difference in the school from when you were a student here?We never thought the swimming pool would actually come about. It was one of those ‘Winter is coming’ sort of things but now it is finally open!

The new school is stunning and spacious and yet retains a sense of familiarity for me as many of my teachers are

still here. Some of the security guards and support staff, and even the tuck shop owner, still remember me – it is that sense of community that gives me confidence for my son.

My fondest memories remain those of teachers such as Ms Acharya and Ms Uppal

who helped me approach Economics and History with a critical eye.

I will always be thankful to TBS for building my critical thinking skills and making me question conventional wisdom.

Alisha Mehra, class of 2008, and Kula Naidu, class of 2001, tied the knot in December 2018. Both Alisha and Kula are TBS alumni.

Raman Jha married Ksenia in December 2018. Raman is from the class of 2006.

Mallika Kamran had a baby girl, Zahra, in November 2018. Mallika is from the class of 2006.

Akshay Radia, class of 2000, married Sakshi Bhasin.

Nabila Mustaque married Mahruf Ahmed in December 2018. Nabila is

from the class of 2010.

Daniel George married Mrudulika in November 2018. Daniel is from the

class of 2006.

Shalin Ahuja married Shraddha Bhateja in November 2018. Shalin is from the class of 2000.

Devika Anand married Shashank in October 2018. Devika is from the class of 1999.

Sonali Saigal Kapur (Noni) and her husband, Pranav, had a baby girl, Joya, in November 2018. Sonali is from the class of 2004.

Ramy Abdullah Al-Ghamdi married Fajer Saeed in

February. Ramy is from the class of 2006.

Alisha Arora had a baby girl, Sairah, in April. Alisha is from

the class of 2006.

Kunal Aggarwal and his wife, Hitani, had a baby boy, Jai.

Kunal is from the class of 2000.

Ayesha Singh, class of 2009, received a special mention for 30 Under 30 in Forbes India. Through her work in drawing, installation, video and photography, Ayesha questions how architecture defines our identities in a delightful and analytical manner.

Alumni News

Alumni Basketball Match

Alumni at the BS Alumni Lunch organised by Pia Desai Pasricha, class of 1999, and Sonali Saigal Kapur (Noni), class of 2004.

Embassy Football TournamentWe hosted the final of the Diplomatic Football Tournament organised by TBS parent and ambassador of the Republic of Iraq, HE Falah Abdulhasan. A total of 12 embassies participated in the tournament and France beat Russia in the final to take home the trophy.

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Caring

Thinkers

Principled

Knowledgeable

Inquirers

Balanced

Com

mun

icat

ors

Risk-takers

Open-m

inded

Enjoy,engage and

achieveas webecome

We respect, reflect and inspire to achieve excellence.

THRIVE BELIEVE SUCCEED

At The British School, New Delhi, we as a community:• live the TBS Learner Profile; • respect ourselves and each other and embrace our diverse local, national and international community; • foster a culture of high expectations, and strive for excellence in ourselves and others; • nourish social, intellectual, physical and creative skills; and • take individual and collective responsibility to achieve our common goals.

MISSION

VALUES

VISION

Adapted from the IB Learner Profile

Dr Jose P Rizal Marg , Chanakyapuri New Delhi - 110021 INDIA

T: +91 11 40664166 E: thebritishschool@british-school.org

W: www.british-school.org

CLASS OF 2019