The document discusses the negative impacts of excessive tuitions on children's development and well-being. It provides examples of children as young as 10-11 years old who attend tuition for multiple hours every day on top of their regular schooling, leaving them with little time to play, explore, or be children. While parents feel tuition is needed to help children academically, it is often not effective and the children show no improvement in marks or may even decline. Excessive tuitions are destroying children's childhoods by leaving no time for independent thinking, creativity, dreams, or enjoyment of being a child.

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A GOOD WORD
This year we have introduced an exclusive
‘Activity’ period in the Middle section. The
main aim is that teachers should conduct
some activity in their class every week.
The activity may be related to the subject
that the teacher teaches in the class or
something general like a quiz.
I take this period in one section of class
6 where I teach English and it has been a
very rewarding experience. I am happy to
conduct some of the activities I used to do
in the old school. Till now, I have conducted
Debate, Dumb Charade, Mute Skit and
‘What’s the Good Word?’
and I plan to add Quiz,
‘Just a Minute’ and ‘Twenty
Questions’ and many more
to the list. All the students
are made to participate.
There is no selection for
these activities nor is
there any preparation.The
surprise element excites students
more. In fact, they look forward to this
period and ask me what we are going to
have next week.
It is very important to plan activities
well. Activities should be knowledge-
based or value-based. They should also
give a chance to students to show their
creativity. A teacher must take care that
every activity is educative. The teacher
must try, as far as possible, to link the
activity to the syllabus of her subject.
For instance, for
‘What’s the
Good Word?’
I took words
from the
English text
book and I
was glad that
students could get many of the answers.
They knew the meaning of the words.
Indirectly, it was a revision for their
unit test. Similarly, for ‘Dumb Charade’
I took proverbs, phrases, first line of
poems and names of countries. For
Mute Skit, I gave each group a situation
and the each one had to build a story
around it and enact it. This had to be
done without any paper work. As such,
the skit had no dialogues; it was mute
skit that depended totally on action
and gestures. I noticed how some
students could work in a group, while
others could not and also, how some
took leadership and directed the skit!
While conducting activities, the
teacher should avoid the use of
worksheet. If students are going to
write in an activity period, it seems
almost like another exercise! This
period should be a change from study
period but, at the same time, an informal
learning.
I am very pleased that the class teacher
sits in my class and observes the
students. These activities give a chance
to the teacher to observe the response
of students and also their behaviour in
groups. The teacher gets some material
for her ‘Anecdotal Record’.
Ms. RADHIKA IYER, Principal
R A I N Y D AY S A R E H E R E A G A I N ! ! !
UDGAM MATTERSVOLUME 2 ISSUE 2 JULY 2014
1
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2. 2
Qualities that make a person successful.
Desire
The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to
achieve a purpose.
“Whatever the judgment of human beings can conceive and
believe, the intellect can achieve.”
Commitment
Attempt not only to be successful in life but also
a person ofvalue.
“Integrity is keeping your commitment even if you
lose money and wisdom is not to make such foolish
commitments.”
Responsibility
A duty which becomes a desire will ultimately become a
delight. Responsible person accept and learn from their errors.
“You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what
they could end should cause for them.”
Hard work
The difficult work is both a commencement and an end in
itself. The harder a person plays, the safer he feels, and the
better he feels, the harder he makes.
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the opportunity
to play hard at something worth doing.”
Character
Character is a combination of integrity, unselfishness,
understanding, conviction, courage, loyalty and respect.
“Ability will get you success, Character will keep you
successful”.
Positive believing
Sustaining a positive attitude without realizing the effort is
nothing more than having wishful dreams.
“A person with a cocksure attitude is like a fruit of all season.”
Give more than you get
Give back more than you get
regardless of....
Paying more than you make it make yourself more valuable,
regardless of what you do and where you go.
“Ability without dependability, responsibility and flexibility.”
The power of persistence
Persistence is a decision & commitment to finish what you start.
“World is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent.”
Pride of performance
Pride of performance represents pleasure with humility.
“The quality of the work and the quality of the worker
are inseparable.”
Be willing to be a student – Get a Mentor.
A good mentor will guide and give right direction.
“Be an interested student and gets the best out of a teacher.”
Do you have what it takes to be successful?
These all qualities we all have as hidden treasures. All we need
to do is bring them to the surface and use them.
WHAT MAKES A PERSON SUCCESSFUL!!
Ms. SEJAL MEHTA
Assistant Administrator

3. 3
Mrs. DEEPA HEMNANI
Academic Coordinator
Hustle Bustle
Little cool droplets of rain brought lots of relief from scorching heat and
facesofkidsbloomedlikeflowersinthegarden.
Children were busy preparing for their tests and long with having fun,
playingandenjoyingintheschool.
Two Commerce Stream toppers of class 12 were conferred with Apurv
KharidiaAward.
Blood Donation Camp
SchoolheldBloodDonationCampatthetwopremises,ThaltejandJodhpur.
Schoolreceivedverygoodsupportandcooperationfromparents,teachers,
staffandvoluntarydonors.
Donating for a good cause takes a new dimension of ‘selfless giving’ when
onedonateshisorherownblood.
PREPRIMARY
Lime And Lemony Lemonade
The tiny tots of our PreprimarySection participated whole heartedly in the
teamactivityofpreparinglemonjuicewithexcitement.Withthehelpofthe
teachersandthehelpers,theymadethelemonydrinkforall. Theyenjoyed
theteambuildingactivitybesideslearningtomakesomethingontheirown
thatisnutritiousaswell.
Green And Brown Day
The pre-primary section celebratedGreen and Brown Day.Shades of these
earthy colours could be found all around. The children were involved in
many enjoyable activities like playing with pots of plants, tracing alphabets
in wheat gum, hand and foot printing. The entire event was related to a
projecttitled‘MyFamily’and‘SaveTrees’.
Field Trip As LearningTool
ThechildrenofSr.KGweretakentoD-Martbytheirteachers. Teachersacted
asshoppingguideswhiletakingthesmallteamof‘minishopaholics’around.
Germination As A Basis Of Life
Children of Sr. KG were involved by their teachers in a Plant germination
project wherein they were introduced to the texture of soil and seeds.They
were encouraged to water the seeds and small plants everyday. Soon the
freshlygerminatedseedssproutedandtheirgardenwasready.
Funnlearnobjectivewascompletelyfulfilled.
Learning Through Activities
Children of Class I had a unique team building experience in school. They
had to bring to forth their culinary skills in the team work pursuit. They
brought ingredients for Bhel Puri and Basket Chaat and mixed them to
makedeliciousandscrumptiousassortmentsofnutritiousIndiansnacks.
Thisyummywaytobuildtheteamspiritamongsmallerchildrenwasdesigned
enthusiasticallybytheirteacherswiththerighthelpfromtheparents.
The students ofClassVI learned the importance of Balanced diet through a
class activity, wherein they brought lunch comprising the various nutrients
thatthebodyrequires.Aftertheactivitychildrenwerewellawareaboutthe
inclusionoffruitsandvegetablesinmeals.
TointroducestudentsofClass3tothe“SolarSystem”,askitwasperformed
in the class wherein the students had placards around their neck in order
to represent different planets and the sun.The objective of performing this
skitwastomakestudentsawareaboutvariousfactsregardingplanets.This
interactivemethodwilllastlong.
Career Counselling
School arranged for a sessions for Class X and XI which was based on
counselling that encompasses all kinds of subjects and streams. The
students were made aware of the different types of courses and careers
alongwiththecollegeswheretheycanbepursued.
Studentsfoundthatthereisarrayofcareerchoicesif‘hardwork’isobserved
indailylife.
Learning Values
Students of secondary section were taken to a nearbyGovernmentSchool,
whereintheydistributedstationeryitemsamongthechildren.
They conducted interview of the Principal, a few teachers, students and
parentsoftheschool.
Also students were taken to Visamo Kids Foundation, wherein Udgam
students conducted games for the kids there.An interview was conducted
by UdgamStudentstoknowtherunningofsuchinstitutions.Ourstudents
camebackwiththefeelingoffulfilmentandupdatedinformation.
HUSTLE-BUSTLE

4. 4
GLIMPSES OF ACTIVITIES
Apurv Kharidia Prize
Class I Activity
Class VI Activity
Visit To Visamo Kids
Blood Donation Camp
Class I Activity
Municipal School Visit
Visit To Visamo Kids
Career Counselling
Class III Activity
Municipal School Visit

5. 5
MEDIA BUZZ

6. 6
Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity
Lemonade Actiivity Lemonade Actiivity
Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day
Green-Brown Day Green-Brown Day
PREPRIMARY IN ACTION

7. 7
Mrs. VIJAYALAKSHMI G
Teacher Secondary School
RADIANT REFLECTIONS
CARETO GO OFFLINE?
Recentlyafriendaskedhersonthehomeworkforthedayandwaspromptly
told by the eight year old to find it out on ‘Whats App’. As far as the child
was concerned the mobile application that his mother couldn’t do without,
could communicate home work details as well and perhaps absolve him of
allresponsibilityoflisteningattentivelyintheclass.
In another instance, a colleague confessed that the constant messaging
fromfriendswasdefinitelyhamperingherinteractionswithherchildwhose
exams were just around the corner.She felt the compulsions of responding
toherfriends’everymessageatadirritating!
Whilenetworking is undoubtedly a great way to
keepinconstanttouchwiththerestoftheworld
itisneverthelessintrudingintoourpersonallives
spreading its tentacles in the most surreptitious
way and perhaps robbing us of face to face
interaction with our loved ones at home.All too
often we hear of youngsters hooked to social
networking sites. But we conveniently overlook
the fact that the adult world is equally or more
involved in networking given the fact these
applicationsarenotpennypinchingatall.
‘Social Networking Addiction Disorder’ is
prevalent among youngsters and adults alike.
In fact reports indicate that adults addicted to
blogs, chat rooms, virtual worlds, electronic
instantmessagingservicesandspecificsocialnetworkingsiteslikeFacebook
arehookedinmuchthesamewaythatothersbecameaddictedtodrugsor
alcohol,whichresultinacademic,social,andoccupationalimpairment.
There’s this oft quoted saying that if we point a finger at others we are in
fact pointing three at ourselves. What I mean is if we expect our kids and
students to put away their pods, pads, apps, etc., then we better do the
same. It is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black when we keep
harpingthatexcessivesocialnetworkingisabaneandthenweareonlytoo
eager to get into the same world ourselves. The dangers that youngsters
are exposed to are traps for adults too. How often we read about adult
professionals using and sharing morphed , inappropriate photographs and
information about people they stalk. The recent report of an IT executive
intimidating his estranged wife on Facebook and that of an aspiring model
in her twenties being swindled of her money by an FB ‘friend’ are just tips
of an iceberg where adults are equally susceptible to falling victims just as
schoolstudentsare.
It seems to be contradictory that people would lose social skills because
of social networking sites. Yes, parents do complain of introvert
children more comfortable typing and chatting on applications
than have verbal conversations. We need to perceive this as another
disadvantage in parents’ lives as well. Gone
are the dinner conversations around the table.
Today if one parent is perhaps negotiating a
valuable contract over the mobile at dinner,
then there is another who is busy catching the
latest gossip on the App. And uploading or
downloading the recent party photographs.
In such a scenario many of today’s youngsters
are sorely losing out on family bonding. Face to
faceinteractionwithparentsbecomesaremote
possibilitywhenallinthefamilyarehappilybusy
inthevirtualworld.Andthenweblame‘Mychild
doesnotcommunicatewithmeanymore.’
If students are copying answers to even the
simplest of academic questions and problems
from friends over virtual chat groups, then it
is an extremely common phenomenon and
a disturbing one too. If they prefer machine over mankind and drift away
from healthy connections then it indeed is an alarming trend. One sure
way to reverse this orientation is to keep away to some extent from virtual
networking ourselves.As parents and teachers if we can curb our tendency
to lift the smart phone at every ‘ping’ and from consistent messaging then
perhaps we can categorically demand a similar change in our youngsters.
Let’s therefore ‘walk the talk’ and as the proverb goes ‘be the change that
we want to see in others’. Going offline can be undeniably refreshing and
gratifying.Dotryit!
Social networking sites can be completely anonymous, and it’s possible to
createafakeprofileaswell

8. 8
ARE TUITIONS DESTROYING
CHILDHOODS?
In all my years of teaching, I have never understood the reason behind extra
tuitions; especially in young children. There is something fundamentally
wrong with the Indian education system where parents believe that a child
willbetaughtbetterattuitionthanbytheirschoolteacher.Children,asyoung
as10or11yearsoldattendtuitionmultipletimesaweekforseveralhoursat
astretch.Theysometimesstudyupto9hoursaday–6hoursatschooland3
hoursattuition.That’smoretimethananaveragewhitecollarworkerhasto
spendittheirworkplace.
Let us take a few examples here for better comprehension.
DeeptiisachildinClass8.ShehasbeengoingtoacoachingcentrefromClass
7. Her everyday routine accounts for 6 hours of school, and then going to a
coaching centre wearing a different ID card, uniform and carrying a different
set of books. A typical coaching class has about 40 students. Most of them
havetheirowntextbooksalso.Deeptisitsthereforaboutthreehourslearning
all what the school has taught, or will be teaching. And she goes there five
daysaweek!Thenshecomeshomeonlytohavetodoherschoolhomework
andthentuitionhomework. Anddoesshescorehundredpercent?No!
Another example,Arjun, joined a new school inClass 5.To cope up with the
pressureofhisnewschool,hisparentshiredapersonaltutor.Thetutorcomes
home,6daysaweektoteachEnglish,Maths,ScienceandSocialScience.On
Sundays, he has English grammar tuition for two hours. On top of it, every
weekhegoesforanhourofhandwritingclasses.Evenafterallthiseffortthe
childstillstrugglestopasshissubjects.Isitreallyworthallthatextratimeand
effort?
I have seen many children who do their tuition homework in school. Poor
souls!Soveryconsciousoftheirresponsibility,evenatsuchayoungage.
What are we doing to our children? Aren’t we destroying their childhood?
Andwhyarewedoingthisinthefirstplace?
Childhood is a time to enjoy ourselves, explore the world around us, develop
new ideas and play games. Instead, these children have become robots-
jugglers, with no independent thinking and always bouncing their time from
school to tuition and back. They possess no imagination or creativity, and
seemtohavenodreamsorambitionsoftheirown;onlytheonestheirparents
forceontothem.
Being a parent myself, I can understand why a parent feels that their child
needs academic help outside school but more often than not, the child goes
totuitionbecauseeveryoneelseseemstobedoingittoo!
I’ve often parents had tell me that their child shows no improvement in
marks,eventhoughtheygofortuition. Sometimestheyevenfallbelowtheir
earlier level!This may be because tuition teachers use different methods of
teachingtoschooltherebyleavingthechildconfused. Unlessitpersonalised
tuition, which takes into account the learning style of the child, most of the
tuitionsaregeneric.Onesizeseemstofitall!Ifthechilddoesnotclarifydoubt
in the familiar school setting, then he would never ask his doubt in front of
other people. Every child is different and their academic requirement is also
different.Weshouldn’tsendourchildtotuitioncentresjustbecausetheyare
thenew“inthing”.
However, I can obviously understand tuitions are sometimes unavoidable. If
the child is from different board, or the parents have no time or if they are
illiteratethenthechildneedsallthehelptheycanget.Butwhycan’tparents
encourage the child to seek help in school?Teachers know the child better.
Theycanplugthegapsinacademicknowledgetotailorittothechild.
Furthermore, if the parent is educated to some level, they are usually the
child’sbetterteacher.Theyknowwhatpartsofthesyllabusisproblematicfor
thechildandcandevotetheirindividualattentiontothemunliketeachers.By
10yearsofagechildshouldbeabletoread,writeandspeakthelanguageand
understand the basic operations in Maths.Any literate parent can help them
do it. If the above things are in place then what is the need for extra help in
science or social studies? If their comprehension is decent, then the student
should be able understand all the reading material that passes through their
hands.
Ifwefollowthis,theextratimeleftcanbeutilizedbythechildtodosomething
meaningful. Children may pursue some leisure activity like painting; learn
classicaldanceoraninstrument. Evenreadingstorybookscanbetakenupas
ahobby–whichsoundssosimplebutinreality,israretofind.Byencouraging
readingforpleasure,childrencanescapetothemagicalworldofHarryPotter,
learn wizardry in the land ofOz, or dream about the beautiful secret garden
ofAlice.
Mrs. SHANTHI SHIVAN,
Special Educator

9. 9
‘STARSHIP’ The
big bold blue letters
on the front of the
massive ship
was all I could
recollect. The shout
‘man overboard’ the
words I was
hoping to hear were
replaced by an echo in
silence. My last sweet
memory was that
of the sun merging with the gold tinged waters of the sea,
the silhouette of the seagulls dominating the sky. Suddenly, I
blacked out. I had no light to guide me, it seemed like I was
falling into a deep hole of nothingness.
I couldn’t fathom how I would encounter Poseidon’s purgatory
reign. An expert could have known the directions through the
constellations. But my ignorance towards anything unearthly
did not serve me well. There was no twinge of hope, not even
a twig I could latch on to.There seemed as if the ocean was my
master, and I, its slave. There was only one support system I
could hold on to, it was hope. The hope of meeting my loved
ones again, the hope of returning back home. Ahh! How I
wished that I was back home, on dry land. The gigantic waves
carried my nearly lifeless body here and there. My limbs kept
me breathing into the salty air. Ironically I was thirsty. Hunger
and thirst were going to take my life, if not the freezing water
of the ocean.
The strength given to me by my petrified mind served me
well. Today was the second day. Imagine two days of no
human contact, two days in which each second your life was in
danger, two days when the idea of oblivion seemed extremely
near. Some people would say that this experience would be
inspirational.Those some people would have not even seen the
glimpse of danger let alone stare right into the eyes of death.
On this third day I geared on. There was still hope. The hope
provided to me by my befuddled yet working mind. I wanted
a miracle to take place but my brain knew that the only way I
could survive was not a miracle, but my hard work.
After 3 days of hellish survival I finally heard something. It was
not much but it was something.The distant sounds of seagulls
screaming made me realize that land was near. Now I know
that the lesson on animal habits in college wouldn’t go in vain.
As you see, seagulls only live near land. Its their nesting place
that is on land. I used my last ounce of strength and went
forward. Followed the sound till I couldn’t anymore. Land
Ahoy! I found it! I swum a mile and the water was only up to my
waist. I could walk.The feeling of sand rubbing on my bare legs
was the best thing I had ever felt. Believe me capital strength
is nothing compared to the triumph of survival. And take my
advice, climbing the rails of a ship may seem fun but it is really
not a good idea. Now came the horrific questions. Why can I
not hear the usual turmoil of mankind? Was this island known
to man? If yes then was it populated? I could not resist myself
from recollecting the scenes from Caste Away.
At this point of time I didn’t have the time to think about the
rough 3 days which proved to be the worst of my life. PTSD did
not have any space in my amygdale. All thoughts that sprinted
through my mind were those that would help me survive.
When I came back from my mind palace, my hunger and thirst
hit me like a wrecking ball. I heard the most beautiful voice. Not
of a maiden, but of gushing waters. I ran towards the sound. My
EMOTIVE EXPRESSIONS
If God makes a mistake, It is fate.
If a barber makes a mistake, it is a new style.
If a driver makes a mistake, it is an accident.
If a tailor makes a mistake, it is a new fashion.
If a doctor makes a mistake, it is an operation.
If an engineer makes a mistake, it is a new design.
If a politician makes a mistake, it is a new law.
If a teacher makes a mistake, it is a new theory.
But if I make a mistake, it is a ‘Mistake’! JAANYA PARIKH, CLASS III-B
SALONEE SHUKLA, IX E
ALL MAKE MISTAKES
THE CASTAWAY

10. 10
Higher education
professionals are
often confronted
with students who
are so afraid of
failing an exam or
assignment that, in
the end, it may be
the fear itself and
not the difficulty of
the task that prevents the student from achieving his or
her academic goals. This blog post aims to help all higher
education professionals who have regular contact with
students to conceptualise the fear of failure psychologically
and will provide some pointers on how best to advise
students who suffer from this fear.
FEAR OF FAILURE: A BLURRY CONCEPT
Unlike a specific phobia (eg fear of heights, fear of spiders),
the anxiety around anticipated failure is highly subjective
and often vague in nature. Strictly speaking, it is not failure
itself that students fear, but certain negative consequences
associatedwithunderachieving.Studentsspecifyingwhatthey
are actually scared of often refer to following consequences:
Personal: Feeling ashamed about one’s own inability and
incompetence, the hurt from having to acknowledge own
shortcomings and limitations, feeling guilty and worthless.
Interpersonal: Disappointing parents, receiving ridicule from
classmates, and loosing the professor’s trust and support.
Career-related: Having decreased chances on the job
market and decreased chances to have a decent income
and appropriate social status.
happiness had given me newfound strength. I cupped my hands
and let myself massacre the water. After my thirst was fulfilled, I
cametotherealizationthattherewerethemostbeautifultroutin
thestream.Catchingoneandroastingitwaseasierthananything
I had done I’d done in the past couple of days. My arrival created
a new ecosystem all together. I was part of the food chain. I was
one of them. But then the fact dawned upon me. I could become
the breakfast of any predator that reined the woods.
If this island was known to man, there would surely be a means of
communication. A mayday in a rusty old radio would do me a
whole lot of good. So in search of any of these means I thought
of going off to the highest point I could locate on the island. A
mountain far out in the woods. But before, as the twilight struck,
Ineededaplacetospendthenight.Butatthispointoftimeofthe
day, my only option was the beach. I collected some dry twigs, lit
up a fire and went off to sleep. My exhaustion was unexplainable
but obvious.
I was woken up by a sharp pain in my toe. No, it was not a
predator; it was a tiny lizardish animal. It looked to be an iguana.
And I being humane was immediately selfish and decided to
keep it with my self. My sheer lack of any kind of contact had
imbalanced my thoughts. I needed to talk. So Yoda (the iguana
was tiny and green.A star wars reference was humorous) was my
new psychiatrist as well as a friend. Its ability to listen was degree
enough for me.
A leaf on my toe wound, an iguana on my shoulder and the
remains of my clothes on my back was all I needed for my trip
up the great mountain. With the hope and that only, of finding a
cave unguarded by a bear to spend the next night. First I needed
to figure out how to reach the mountain. A steep side was
something I did not need at this point of time.
I started walking. Then I turned back. As usual I had forgotten
that my stomach had needs. I went back to the stream I had
found. I packed a trout in a big leaf but had no way of carrying
water. Looking up for inspiration, I found a tree full of fruits with
hard shells. But it was far up on the tree. Tree climbing was not
one of my many commendable talents. Now looking down in
desperation helped me.The same fruit had fallen on the ground.
Scrape out the pulp with a fishbone and here I had a 2 gallon cup.
I had kind of learnt survival skills but hoped I wouldn’t need to use
them for that long.
I started walking again.On the way there, I found some logs. Not
the kind that could have been broken in a bad storm.These were
neatly placed stacks of firewood that seemed to have been cut by
an electric saw. No offence toYoda, but a human who could reply
would be much better. I followed the logs and finally came up to
a mine. This looked like illegal caving. Returning to my home in
shackles would not be perfect but it wasn’t half bad.
Fromtheminecameashout.Thencamea7footmaninextremely
yellow clothes. Running up to him was something of pure delight.
Soon I was on a ship back home.This seemingly illegal mine was
actually a gold mine in the jungles of Africa. Completely legal.
This made me happier than ever. My trauma had ended and I was
back home with my loved ones.
PRATEEK PARWANI, X C
EXAMPHOBIA???GETOVERITNOW!

11. 11
UNDERSTANDINGTHEIR FEAR
You can support your students simply by helping them to better
understand what they are afraid of. As soon as they become
more aware of the ‘fear behind the fear’ and learn to specify their
concerns, they can start thinking of ways to cope and overcome
their fear.
If they, for instance, realise that they are too worried about
disappointing their parents, peers or professors, they can reflect on
solving the underlying issues pertaining to the relationship at stake.
If it became apparent that they are mainly concerned about
career opportunities, you could guide the students by taking a
closer look at recruitment criteria and perhaps help them to
understand that excellent grades are not the only way to impress
potential employers.
If they come to understand that it is actually more about the
unrelenting standards they apply, this could be a starting point
for developing a more accepting attitude towards themselves.
PREPARATION HELPS!
Let the student know, that a very simple way to reduce fear of
failure is to put in more effort to feel better prepared. Help the
student to find more effective study techniques, for instance by
exploring how useful different methods have been so far and
suggestingnewones.Helpthemtorememberpastsuccessesand
review various strategies in coping with negative performance
evaluations. By reframing potential failure as an opportunity to
learn and grow, this can help to bring the student’s fear levels
down. In fact, discussing the experience of failure as chance
to find alternative sources of self-esteem – not just through
performance and achievement – may be the best advice you
could give to students who struggle with performance anxiety
and self-worth issues! Here are some final thoughts to end on:
A perfectionist, for example someone who believes he or she
must get everything 100% right, will be more afraid of failing than
someone who grants him or herself the right to learn and improve.
Someone who, equates ‘failing a task’ with ‘failing as a person’ will
be more fearful than a person with a stable sense of self-worth.
A person who knows that s/he is okay and worthy as a human
being regardless of how much s/he accomplishes in life, will be
a more relaxed and less anxious performer in comparison to
someone who judges his/her worth by his/her achievements.
No matter how much I try, My thoughts are away from sums and fly
Out of the window sill, Goes the rain in rhythm - pitter patter
How I long to drench and gather, All the raindrops and go unfetter!
Glisten on Beautiful Rain, Its time for the sun to refrain
From shining harsh and bright, My lush school lawn is such a sight!
Splashing puddles are a joy, In this moment of buoy
‘Maths’ is counting raindrops in a row, ‘Science’ is watching the magical rainbow!
RHYTHM OF THE RAIN
MAHIMA PAREKH, VIII D

12. 12
DEVAK D SINHA IX D SHREYAS SHANKER IX D SAAHIL UPPAL IX D
A little boat slowly pulled away from the dock just as the
night sky erupted into colour as another barrage of fireworks
detonated in the heavens.Within this unimpressive vessel was
the equally unimpressive form of a man who pulled frantically
at the oars. It was not until his diminutive means of transport
was away from the pier that he slowed his motions, allowing
the current of the river to perform his task for him.
With a glance from side to side, he reached slowly into the
folds of his cloak and patted about his person, as if he expected
to feel something but did not. His lips moved in a silent curse
as he began to scan the tiny interior of his boat for something
elusive.
From the roof of a nearby building, I allowed my lips to curl
into a smile as I watched the lone mariner pull off his clothing
and shake it angrily. I closed my fist tighter upon a hard
object within my
right hand as I
looked at the charm
that had, moments
earlier, been within
the breast pocket of
another. Slipping it
into a small leather
pouch at my waist
I turned from the
river; as I was a good
enough thief to
know better than to
remain close by after
relieving a client, as I
called them, of their
belongings.
A second blast of light cast its multi coloured touch over the
roof tops and I turned towards that which interested me the
most that evening. I broke into a sprint and with practised
grace jumped from roof to roof in the direction of where I
would ply my trade that evening.
It was late March in the year 1492 in the city of Venice. People
from all walks of life had come to celebrate what would be
their final evening of excess before their forty days of denial,
slowing their steps as they danced to the tunes of the many
musicians that worked their way through the crowd fingering
flutes and lyres as they went. And all of this was done in
anonymity, for each of the happy masqueraders hid their
identity behind masks of as many shapes and colours as there
were stars in the sky.
I could see that this mass to indulgence took place in the
shadow of the
greatest Cathedral in
the city. Yet I cared
not, to me the edicts
and dictations of
the Church of Rome
meant as little as the
drunken ramblings
of a man staggering
home from a tavern.
Thou shall not steal,
I thought as I vaulted
down from over a low
wall.After my parents
had succumbed to
plague, I had been
A GLIMPSE IN THE LIFE OF A THIEF

13. 13
TEENAGE..... Who is a teen? A person falling in the category of
age 13 – 19 years is called a teenager. This is the age when most of
the tragedies of your life take place. One big turn comes in the life
of everyone. Some are disastrous while some are silly. Academic
pressure, peer pressure, parental pressure can sometimes make us
face very challenging situations. We may not be able to get through
all of them.We might have some situations where there is no way out
but, there is always a solution to a problem. A student of Class X has
to face a lot of academic pressure. It’s not that only that person has
to face it, the whole class has to face the same pressure. But as we
always say....
Winners don’t do different things...
They do things differently
The age of 14 – 15 yrs is the age when a lot of peer pressure has to be
faced.There is always a way to tackle them.The first thing we need to
learnistosay‘NO’.Weshoulddenythingswhichcanharmusorputusin
trouble.Secondlyweshouldchoosefriendsinawaythattheyhelpusin
ourdifficulttimesandteachustherightthingsthanteachinguswrong
things.Thelastbutnottheleastweshouldalwayslistentoourparents.
We often neglect our parents and their word of caution. We should
k n o w that
t h e y have
h a d m o r e
experience
than us in their life and they
know the world a lot better than we do.
Following these three things peer pressure could be easily handled.
Parents keep telling us day and night about studying and doing the
right thing. Lets first deal with the study matter.We should know that
we are not studying for our parents nor are we doing a favour to our
parents by studying.They spend a huge sum of money for our studies
because they want us to be successful in our life, they want us flourish
in our streams and fulfil our own desires. We should understand the
importanceofstudyinourownlifeandimplementit.Thenextisabout
doing the right things, parents say this as they want their children to
goontherightpathandnotfollowanythingwrong.Itisforourbenefit
that they tell this and there is nothing wrong to ever do something
right in our life, it is simply going to benefit us and not our parents.
So I suppose all of you must be very clear after reading this article and
know the way to handle various pressures.
RUTVIK SHAH 10D
PRESSUREFACEDBYATEENAGE
sent to an orphanage run by the village padre and I vaguely
recalled him citing those very words whilst switching me for
taking the first steps towards my later career by pilfering
bread from the pantry.
No, the faithful may live their lives in preparation for the next
but I did not. For a man alone on the streets of a city there
were but three choices; I could beg, or do nothing and starve.
Most choose the former of these options but for me, neither
of these were suited so Ihad chosen a forth option; to steal.
It had not always been easy for I had not always been the
artisan I now was. Many of my earliest attempts to take simple
things like food or clothing had ended sourly for me and many
faded bruises on my body reminded me of that.
God and his church be dammed, I had survived by my own
means and thought nothing of what was to be mine after I
passed by a cathedral; For me, the sight of hundreds of drunken
men and women with loose purse strings was heaven enough.
Quickly, I pulled my knapsack from my back and from it
produced a light cloak and a simple black mask. I had no
interest in dancing this evening but the best of thieves knew
that it was better not to stand out in a crowd; and I knew
myself to be one of the very best.
Arranging my mask over my handsome though hard face, I
tossed the cloak over my shoulders. I walked to the edge of the
roof and peered over it on the darkened ally a good two stories
below.Time to make some money, and I stepped over the ledge.
Yes! It is a good life.

14. 14
5 COMMON SCIENCE MISCONCEPTIONS
1. There Is a Dark Side of the
Moon
Misconception:The far side of the moon
is the dark side of the moon.
Science Fact: The moon rotates as it
orbits the Sun, much like the Earth.
While the same side of the moon always
faces the Earth,
the far side
could be either
dark or light.
When you see a
full moon, the
far side is dark. When you see (or rather,
don’t see) a new moon, the far side of
the moon is bathed in sunlight.
2. Venous Blood Is Blue
Misconception: Arterial (oxygenated)
blood is red, while venous
(deoxygenated) blood is blue.
Science Fact:
While some
animals have
blue blood,
humans are
not among
them. The
red colour of blood comes from
haemoglobin in red blood cells.
Although it is a brighter red when it
is oxygenated, it is still red when it is
deoxygenated. Veins sometimes look
blue or green because you view them
through a layer of skin, but the blood
inside is red, no matter where it is in
your body.
3. The North Star Is the
Brightest Star in the Sky
Misconception: The North Star or
Polaris is the brightest star in the sky.
Science Fact: So, certainly the North
Star (Polaris) is not the brightest
star in the Southern Hemisphere,
since it may not be visible. Even in
the Northern
Hemisphere,
the North
Star is not
exceptionally
bright. The
Sun is by far the brightest star in the
sky. The brightest star in the night sky
is Sirius.
The misconception likely arises
from the North Star’s use as a handy
outdoor compass. The star is easily
located and indicates north.
4. Lightning Never Strikes the
Same Place Twice
Misconception: Lightning never
strikes the same place twice.
Science Fact: If you have watched
a thunderstorm any length of time,
you know this is not true. Lightning
can strike one
place multiple
times. The
Empire State
B u i l d i n g
gets struck
around 25 times each year. Actually,
any tall object is at increased risk of
a lightning strike. Some people have
been struck by lightning more than
once.
So, if it’s not true that lightning never
strikes the same place twice, why do
people say it? It’s an idiom intended
to reassure people that unfortunate
events rarely befall the same person
the same way more than once.
5. Microwaves Make Food
Radioactive
Misconception: Microwaves make
food radioactive.
Science Fact: Microwaves do not
affect the radioactivity of food.
Technically, microwaves emitted by
your microwave oven are radiation, in
the same way visible light is radiation.
The key is that microwaves are not
i o n i z i n g
radiation. A
m i c r o w a v e
oven heats
food by
causing the
molecules to vibrate, but it does not
ionize the food and it certainly does
not affect the atomic nucleus, which
would make food truly radioactive. If
you shine a bright flashlight on your
skin, it won’t become radioactive. If
you microwave your food, you may
call it ‘nuking’ it, but really it’s slightly
more energetic light.
On a related note, microwaves do not
cook food “from the inside out”.
Even intelligent, educated people often get these science facts wrong. Here is a look at some of the
most widely held scientific beliefs that simply aren’t true. Don’t feel bad if you believe one of these
misconceptions -- you’re in good company.

15. 15
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ENGLISH VINGLISH
A
B
C
D E
G
F
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J
K
L
M
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ANAND S GANDHI VIII - C

16. 16
BOOKMARK THIS
WHODUNIT?
Mysteries have a unique way of
unlocking one’s inner detective and
getting the brainpower working to its
fullest. The innate human tendency to
get to the core of the matter and make
sure the pieces fall into place makes
sure that mystery novels and detective
stories will never go out of fashion. As
children, we want to know everything.
Why do earthquakes occur? Why does
a firefly glow? Why do I have to get up
early in the morning? As you grow older,
you start introspecting, thinking deeper
into the question and try to find viable
solutions. Secrets and mysteries get
your brain machinery working overtime
and you won’t sit until the truth is
revealed.
Fiction has had a long and successful
innings with this genre. Edgar Allan
Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue
and The Purloined Letter kick started
the whole whodunit era, and was ably
assisted by the Doctor Fu Manchu series
some time later. In 1887, Arthur Conan
Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes, and
detective fiction was never the same
again. The taciturn, aloof, brooding
detective, with his towering intelligence
and unmatched brilliance changed the
entire landscape of solving mysteries.
Another epic detective was the plump,
kind hearted Frenchman with a head
shaped like an egg. Hercule Poirot.
Created by Agatha Christie, this middle
aged rotund policeman instantly
captured hearts and minds with his
amazing ability to ferret out murderers
and thieves. Christie’s other novels, like
And Then There Were None, The Hollow,
The Body in the Library, Lord Edgware
Dies, Nemesis, The Man in the Brown
Suit etcetera only went on to prove
the immense popularity of the writer
and genre. And Then There Were None
deserves special mention as it quickly
became the world’s bestselling mystery
in a very short time. The Mousetrap and
Witness for the Prosecution are also
worth mentioning here, as they were
widely read and adapted into many
languages, despite not having Poirot as
the main detective.
Later on, towards the end of the
twentieth century, novels featuring the
immensely popular teenage detectives
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys came
into vogue. These teen sensations, with
their quick wit, charm and a motley
cast of characters to help them out,
further changed the course of detective
fiction, which now became fast paced
and trendy. Further changes occurred
with the Famous Five and Secret Seven
novels, which were primarily targeted
at children. Two Indian detectives
associated with whodunits include
Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda. The latter
series, written by Satyajit Ray, proved a
hit with adults and children alike.
Of course, mystery has evolved with the
times.Therearemanykindsofmysteries
to solve. Medical thrillers (Robin Cook,
Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs), forensic
mysteries (Jeffrey Deaver, Patricia
Cornwell), legal thrillers (JohnGrisham),
police procedural (James Patterson)
supernatural mysteries and many
more. This is truly a genre where newer
findings are constantly overshadowing
the older ones and fresher approaches
are needed to get to the bottom
of the matter.
So, coming back to the body in the
room. Whodunit?
A dead body lying in a room closed on all sides. No open window, no open door and no visible signs of violence. None of the
housemates have an apparent motive for the murder. So, who did it? Or, a daring daylight theft in a rich man’s home, the
valuable object whisked away right from under everybody’s noses. Who is the thief?
Ms. PALLAVI SRIDHAR
Librarian

17. 17
Ingredients
Serves: 4
1 big potato boiled and cut into small cubes
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoon spicy green chutney
2-3 tablespoon sweet chutney
4 tablespoon sev
4 tablespoon spicy groundnuts
black salt or kala namak as per taste
corriander leaves
1 tspn chiili powder
1 tspn chat masala powder
1 tomato cut into small pieces
1 big onion cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sprouts ( can be green gram, channa dal etc)
Directions
Boil the potatoes and cut into small cubes.
Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and serve with sev and a
few pomegranates seeds on top
CREATIVE IDEAS
BUDDING CHEFS
ALOO CHATPATA CHAAT
PERFECT FOR RAINY DAYS

18. 18
FUN ZONE Perfect For Rainy Days

19. 19
3. Sudoku
4. JUMBLED WORDS

20. A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Recently a small boy in my neighbourhood whom we fondly call Laddoo, came to my house and gave me
a list to fill in as a part of his school project. Usually these lists have some basic questions which take about
fiveminutestofill.IaskedLaddootowaitwhileIfilledintheresponses.Inthemiddleofthelisttherewasa
questionwhichlookedsimpleenoughbuthadmestumped!BeforeIknewit,IwasaskingLaddootocome
back the next day.
Do you know what the question was?
Q. Make a list of 10 things that you love about your life.
Yes, looks easy peasy but it is the hardest question to answer. If I had been asked to write 10 things I am miserable about, I would have compiled a
list of 25 in a jiffy. But 10 blessings are so difficult to think of at random.
We are so often lamenting about the things we do not have (which probably our friends have) that we forget to adore what we possess. And by
possessions I do not mean worldly goods. An answer to the above question cannot be I love my life because I have an iPad! Laddoo would never
forgive me if his teacher sneered at my responses.
Slowly but surely I made my list. It took me a while to actually compose an honest one but finally I was done. When I handed mine over to Laddoo
the next day, I was not surprised to know that mine was the first he had got back. Others were still troubling ‘deaf heaven with their bootless cries’.
So, why don’t you make a list of things that you love about your life? It will take at least half a day but only half a page...
Here is a small poem that I would like to share with you.
Editor:SagarikaSahana,ContentManager
Designedby:CreativeGrapesUdgam School For Children
Opp. Sardar Patel Institute,Thaltej, Ahmedabad- 380 054 Gujarat.
Phone No: 26850339 99251 53153 | Email Id : info@udgamschool.com
Pre-Primary Section
Near IOC Petrol Pomp, Jodhpur Cross Roads, Satellite, Ahmedabad - 380 015 Gujarat.
Phone No: 26769595, 90999 02221 | Email Id: jodhpur@udgamschool.com
Mrs. SAGARIKA SAHANA
Content Manager
I LOVE MY LIFE
20
Maybe my life isn’t always easy, But I love living it anyway.
I have a family who is always there for me, They love me no matter what I do or say.
I have friends to talk and make fun with, They pick me up when I am down
Make me see true friendship is not a myth, Cheer me up, make me smile through my frowns..
I have a house, safe and secure, A place to call my home.
A shelter for whatever I may have to endure, My own personal dome.
I have my strength and courage too, My pride, a loving heart and loyalty.
Whatever may happen, I will get through, And I will enjoy life royally.
I have so many things to be grateful for around me, So many things that make me smile and laugh.
My life doesn’t have to be perfect I am already happy, The things that I have are more than enough.