Basant Panchami Celebration
The festival of Basant Panchami was celebrated with great enthusiasm and devotion at ] on 31st January 2025, Friday. The day was marked with various activities, performances, and a special assembly dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the deity of wisdom, knowledge, and arts. The school premises were adorned with yellow decorations, symbolizing energy, prosperity, and the arrival of spring.
Special Assembly
The celebration commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, signifying the removal of darkness and the welcoming of enlightenment. The assembly was thoughtfully planned to invoke divine blessings and highlight the cultural significance of the festival. The program included:
- Skit: A short and insightful skit was performed, depicting the importance of Goddess Saraswati and the essence of knowledge in one’s life.
- Shloka Recitation: A group of students (Tanish, Vivaan, Vihaan, and Suryansh) melodiously chanted the sacred shloka Ya Kundendu Tushar Haar Dhavala with karaoke, filling the atmosphere with devotion and serenity.
- Bhajan Performance: The soulful bhajan was presented with instrumental accompaniment:
- Anhad on the harmonium
- Nushka on the manjeera
- Suhaan with hand taal (on mat)
- Poem Recitation: Students captivated the audience with a beautiful poem highlighting the festival’s cultural and spiritual significance.
- Saraswati Vandana: A mesmerizing performance of Saraswati Vandana was rendered by Ayesha, Kavya, and Aanya with karaoke.
- Choir Performance: The school choir performed the Sanskrit hymn Jaye Jaye Hey Bhagwati Sur Bharti, paying homage to the goddess of wisdom.
- School Song: The entire school joined in singing Hey Sharde Maa, adding to the spiritual fervor of the event.
Craft Activities
To engage students in the festive spirit, a series of craft activities were organized across different grades:
- Class IV & V: Students participated in a Paper Kite Making activity. Using yellow sheets, strings, kulfi sticks, glue, and glitter, they created vibrant kites, decorating them with messages and wishes.
- Class II & III: The young artists crafted beautiful bookmarks featuring Saraswati symbols such as the veena, swan, and Saraswati mantra, using yellow sheets and markers.
- Class I: A special Veena Decoration activity was conducted where students coloured and adorned veena outlines using various decorative materials.
- Class KG: Children enjoyed a cotton dabbing activity, creating lovely floral designs.
- Class Nursery: The tiny tots enthusiastically participated in a Yellow Flower Making activity using balloons and paints, resulting in delightful artwork.
Prasad Distribution
As a traditional offering, students were served yellow sweet rice as prasad, symbolizing prosperity and the blessings of Goddess Saraswati. The joy and excitement on their faces reflected their deep-rooted connection to the festival.
The Basant Panchami celebration was a beautiful blend of devotion, creativity, and cultural learning. It provided students with an opportunity to appreciate the significance of the festival while engaging in activities that enriched their artistic and spiritual expression. The day concluded on a joyful note, leaving everyone with a sense of enlightenment and festive cheer.
Participation in BETT UK 2025: A Transformative Educational Experience
Salwan Education Trust organised an educational trip to London, UK, from 20th to 26th January 2025, for IT educators to participate in BETT UK 2025, a leading global educational technology event. Representing the Trust were Smt. Sonia Wadhwa, Head of Salwan Junior School and Technology Integration Specialist, and Smt. Neelima Goyal, TGT Computer Science from SPS, Mayur Vihar. The event, held at ExCeL London showcased the latest advancements in EdTech, fostering collaboration among educators, industry leaders, and technology innovators.
The three-day conference provided a platform to explore ground-breaking EdTech solutions, including AI-driven tools, AR/VR technologies, and adaptive learning platforms. Sessions also emphasized sustainable education practices and digital inclusivity, perfectly aligning with the Trust’s vision of empowering students through technology.
As part of special contributions by delegates, Smt. Sonia Wadhwa, an MIEE Specialist, showcased her school’s accomplishments and presented as a keynote speaker during a TableTalk session in ‘Microsoft Booth Presentation’, titled ‘Fit for Purpose? Rethinking Exams and Feedback for Today’s Learne’. Smt. Neelima Goyal contributed as a speaker in a session in the TableTalk Discussion titled ‘How Effective are our DIEA Policies?’ Both the sessions highlighted Salwan Education Trust’s innovative educational practices.
The delegates also got an opportunity to visit various expo zones, such as Hardware and Equipment, Teaching and Learning Tech, Robotics and Physical Computing, Management Solutions, Startup Zone and Innovation Theatre. These zones provided valuable insights into cutting-edge tools such as interactive classroom systems, coding kits, and innovative assessment platforms.
The trip also included a visit to The Royal Docks Academy, a middle school in the UK, offering insights into the country’s education system. Delegates further explored iconic landmarks such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, and the Thames River, gaining a deeper understanding of British culture and history.
It was an enriching experience for the delegates. The insights and learnings from BETT UK 2025 will inspire the integration of innovative teaching strategies and the creation of a tech-driven learning environment across all Trust schools. Participation in BETT UK 2025 reaffirmed the Trust’s commitment to leveraging technology for holistic education, ensuring students are prepared for future challenges with confidence and creativity.
Inter-Class English Debate Competition
The final round of the Inter-Class English Debate Competition for Classes III to V was held on 24th January 2025, in the school foyer. Students were selected after a competitive preliminary round which was conducted virtually. The participants showcased their debating skills with enthusiasm and confidence. Each class debated on a thought-provoking topic:
Class III: Uniforms should be compulsory in school
Class IV: Technology has made our lives better
Class V: Physical Books are better than E-books
Participants impressed the audience with their eloquence, logical reasoning, and well-researched arguments, both in favour of and against the motions. Their preparation and public speaking skills were evident as they articulated their views with clarity and confidence.
Winners:
Class III
I Position : Paviksha Bhatia (III B)
II Position : Divyansh Sonawat (III A)
III Position : Niharika Remisetty (III A), Shivansh Kawatra (III A)
Consolation : Ayansh Pratap Singh (III B)
Class IV
I Position : Ridhaan Khurana (IV A)
II Position : Suhaan Anand (IV B)
III Position : Aarav Johar (IV B)
Consolation : Ikmann Singh Bhatia (IV A)
Class V
I Position : Team V B – Karik Sachdeva, Priyansh Chopra, Ritkriti Shresth, Seejal Sharma, and Vivaan Sethi
II Position : Team V A – Aanya Suryavanshi, Ayesha Afroz, Kartikeya Khudania, Praneet Singh, and Rudr Kakkar
The event was a testament to the participants’ dedication and the invaluable skills they developed in research, critical thinking, and effective communication. The competition was an overwhelming success, highlighting the students’ intellectual growth and fostering a spirit of healthy competition.
Lohri Celebrations: Celebrating Our Heritage, Embracing Our Culture
Salwan Junior School joyfully celebrated the vibrant festival of Lohri on January 13, 2025, with great enthusiasm. Students from Classes 1 to 5 actively participated in an engaging online event that featured interactive sessions, exciting activities, and traditional performances.
During the celebration, students delved into the rich history and cultural significance of Lohri while also learning about other festivals such as Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Bihu, which are observed on the same date across various regions of India.
The event concluded with a virtual bonfire, where students joined in singing traditional Lohri songs, creating a truly festive and joyful ambiance. The celebration not only left students with cherished memories but also deepened their appreciation for India’s diverse cultural heritage.
Report on Online Workshop
Session Conducted by Ms. Sona Gombar, Head of SMS Gurugram, on 10th January 2025
Topic: Re-inventing Early Years Through New Perspectives
The session highlighted the importance of the foundational stage in a child’s life, emphasizing that it is the most crucial period for growth and development.
Key Focus Areas:
- Digital Literacy and Future Skills:
- The workshop underscored the need to prepare children for future skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
- Role of Teachers:
- A video showcasing the impact of teachers on children’s lives was shared, emphasizing that a teacher acts as a second mother and a co-learner.
- Teachers were described as the “scriptwriters” of a child’s life, guiding their intuition and responses.
- Understanding children’s absorbent minds was emphasized, as they learn rapidly through play, like sponges soaking in knowledge.
Brain Intelligence and Learning:
- Various steps of brain intelligence were discussed, including:
- Capturing attention
- Pre-processing
- Memory retention
- Application in real life
- It was noted that knowledge leads to better memory and retention.
Montessori Learning Approach:
- The five steps of learning in the Montessori method were highlighted:
- Observation and demonstration
- Participation
- Practice through hands-on activities
- Eureka moments – when a child experiences joy in learning
- Performance – demonstrating mastery
- Teachers were encouraged to design learning experiences that help children feel the “eureka moment.”
Learning Process:
- The process of learning was broken into three parts: brain, senses, and muscles, all of which must work in harmony.
- The principle “Help me do it myself” was discussed, emphasizing independence in learning.
Activities and Discussions:
- Ice-breaking Activity on Curiosity:
- Activities on curiosity included interactive sessions using Mentimeter responses.
- The importance of fostering a culture of curiosity was highlighted, where children feel empowered to explore and ask questions.
- Teachers were encouraged to model curiosity by asking thought-provoking questions.
- Encouraging Convergent and Divergent Thinking:
- Convergent Thinking:
- Focused on finding a single correct solution, such as solving mathematical problems or making decisions based on criteria.
- Teachers can encourage this by posing questions that require logical reasoning and clear outcomes.
- Divergent Thinking:
- Promoted creativity and flexibility by generating multiple possible solutions, such as brainstorming or writing creative stories.
- Teachers can foster this by asking open-ended questions allowing for various responses.
- Convergent Thinking:
Flexible Thinking:
▪ Involved the ability to adapt one’s thinking in response to changing information or new perspectives.
▪ Teachers can encourage students to try different approaches to problems and to see the mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth.
Collaborative Problem Solving:
▪ It involved working together as a team to address complex problems by sharing ideas, asking questions and using collective knowledge.
▪Teachers can assign roles within groups to ensure everyone participates actively.
Benefits of a Curious Classroom:
SCAMPER – A tool for Creative Thinking was shared.
S – Substitute what can be replaced or substitute to improve or change the outcome.
C- Combine what can be combined to create something new or more effective.
A – Adapt how can an existing idea or solution be adapted to fit a new purpose.
M- Magnify what can be magnified or exaggerated for effect or improvement.
P – Put another use an idea or item differently than originally intended.
E- Eliminate what can be eliminated to simplify or improve a solution.
R- Rearrange elements to create a new outcome.
Growth Mindset in the classroom: This believed in the abilities and intelligence that can be developed through effort, learning and perseverance.
The teacher should encourage students to self-assess their work and identify areas for improvement.
Following Common Obstacles and how to overcome them were also discussed
- Fear of failure
- Time Constraints
- Limited Resources
- Solutions
The teachers can measure the Curiosity and engagement of the children through:
- Observation
- Formative Assessment
- Student Feedback
Importance of Cultivating Curiosity for Lifelong learning:
- Fostering curiosity in the classroom helps students develop critical thinking skills, creativity and resilience.
- Curiosity empowers students to take ownership of their learning and encourages them to be lifelong learners.
Student engagement Curriculum for Igniting Curiosity which involves:
- Discovery approach of learning
- Learning of doing
- Experiential learning
- Integrated approach
- Exploration of environment
- Multiple Intelligences
Integrating Traditional Wisdom like Storytelling, Nature- based learning, Value Education, Modern Strategies like Play-Based Learning, Experiential Learning and Integration of AI were discussed.
Parent’s and Teacher’s Role in Child’s Education and Development:
Parents are now more involved than ever in their child’s educational journey. Collaboration with schools, teachers and the community enhance the child’s learning experience. Active participation in school activities and regular communication with educators fosters a strong support system. It also leads to Academic Support, Emotional Support, Behavioural Guidance, Communication Skills, Healthy Habits and Cultural Awareness.
Parents Involvement in Educational Journey can be done through the following activities:
- Parent Academy
- Parent Teacher Meetings
- Events and Celebration
- Parent day
- Volunteering in School
- Workshops
- Making members in managing Committees
- Special Interest Group
Different Needs of children:
- Individualised Learning Needs like: Diverse learners, Differentiated Instruction, Support and Collaboration and Personalized Learning.
- Basic Needs of Children like: Emotional Need, Social Need, Safety and Security Need and Physical Need.
And at last foundation of a safe and happy school was shared where the focus to be on learning rather than education, building a positive environment and culture and promoting values of diversity, equity and inclusion
Conclusion:
The session concluded with discussions on cultivating curiosity in the classroom, sharing activities to ignite curiosity, and the importance of integrating analytical and creative thinking in the learning process. The insights provided practical strategies for enhancing teaching effectiveness and ensuring holistic development in children.
Celebrating the 76th Republic Day
On the occasion of the 76th Republic Day, Class 3 organized a special assembly aimed at instilling patriotism and enhancing students’ awareness. The entire event was led by the students, showcasing their enthusiasm, talent, and commitment.
The program began with a warm welcome from a student anchor, who confidently steered the proceedings. The first segment featured a concise yet impactful video highlighting the significance of Republic Day, offering valuable insights into its historical and cultural relevance.
Next, a group of students staged a play that creatively illustrated the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Their performance effectively underscored the importance of being conscientious and well-informed members of society.
The assembly then moved on to a lively dance performance. Dressed in traditional attire representing different states of India, the students captivated the audience with graceful moves that celebrated the nation’s rich cultural heritage and unity in diversity.
The event concluded with everyone coming together to sing the National Anthem, embodying the ideals of freedom, equality, and fraternity.
This special assembly served as a meaningful tribute to the 76th Republic Day, with students wholeheartedly participating, making the celebration both inspiring and unforgettable.
Spell Bee Competition
The Spell Bee competition was conducted for students of Classes I to V on 31st January 2025. This engaging and intellectually stimulating event aimed to enhance students’ spelling skills, enrich their vocabulary, and boost their confidence in English language proficiency.
The competition was structured in such a way which helped in testing the students’ ability to listen carefully and identify the correct spelling of words. Participants actively engaged in the event, demonstrating enthusiasm and a keen interest in learning new words. The activity helped strengthen their linguistic abilities while making the process of learning spellings enjoyable.
Students displayed excellent performance, with some emerging as top scorers. The event was a great platform to encourage healthy competition and reinforce the importance of correct spelling in communication. The event concluded with words of encouragement from the teachers, motivating students to continue developing their vocabulary and language skills.
Overall, the Spell Bee competition was a great success, fostering a love for words and learning among young learners.
Report on the Workshop on "Storytelling as a Teaching Pedagogy"
A workshop on “Storytelling as a Teaching Pedagogy” was conducted in virtual mode, on Thursday, 9th January’ 25 with Sonia Wadhwa Ma’am, Headmistress, Salwan Junior School, Naraina as the resource person. The SET CPD session was aimed at introducing teachers to the significance of storytelling in the classroom and equipping them with the skills to use this approach effectively for young learners.
Introduction and Icebreaker Activity
The workshop began with the resource person engaging the participants in an interactive discussion. A question was posed: “What do you understand by the word pedagogy, and why is storytelling used as a pedagogy?” This initial discussion sparked curiosity among the participants, prompting them to reflect on the pedagogical value of storytelling.
To further illustrate her point, Ma’am showcased a video of a story, demonstrating how a message can be effectively conveyed through a visual narrative. This provided participants with a tangible example of how stories can communicate deeper meanings, which is often the core objective of using storytelling in education.
Ma’am’s Personal Introduction through Storytelling
In a creative and engaging manner, Ma’am introduced herself by narrating a story. This personal touch not only set the tone for the session but also emphasized the power of storytelling as a tool for building connections and fostering engagement. Following this, the participants were asked to share their own life stories using Padlet, an online platform for collaborative sharing. This activity allowed participants to reflect on their own experiences and understand how storytelling can be a vehicle for personal expression.
Key Concepts: Importance of Storytelling in Pedagogy
The multifaceted role of storytelling as a pedagogy was highlighted. Several benefits of using storytelling with young learners were outlined, including:
- Engaging Young Minds: Stories captivate the attention of young children, making learning enjoyable and interactive.
- Building Language Skills: Through storytelling, students are exposed to new vocabulary, sentence structures, and narratives.
- Encouraging Socio-Emotional Development: Stories allow children to connect with characters, emotions, and situations, fostering empathy and emotional intelligence.
- Fostering Creativity: By creating stories, children can use their imagination, think critically, and develop innovative ideas.
- Integrating Learning Domains: Storytelling naturally integrates different subjects such as language, art, social studies, and even science, making learning holistic.
Skill Development through Storytelling
The workshop also focused on the various skills that storytelling enhances in children. These include:
- Sequencing: Helping children understand the logical order of events in a story.
- Analyzing: Encouraging students to evaluate the story and its components critically.
- Recalling: Strengthening memory through the retelling of stories.
- Creativity and Imagination: Enabling students to think creatively and explore various possibilities.
In addition, storytelling helps in enhancing socio-emotional skills, fostering cognitive thinking, developing a love for language, improving verbal skills, building self-confidence, and strengthening imagination.
Inclusivity in Storytelling
An important point raised by the resource person was the need for inclusivity in storytelling. Ma’am emphasized that when creating prompts or narrating stories, teachers should ensure that all children, regardless of their background or abilities, feel included. This promotes a sense of belonging and ensures that no child feels left out.
Storytelling as a Tool for Societal Reform and Moral Education
Ma’am also discussed the significant role of storytelling in imparting moral values, fostering societal reforms, and conveying strong messages. Stories have the power to influence young minds, encourage reflection, and inspire change.
Creative Storytelling Activities for Librarians
It was suggested that librarians can play an essential role in promoting storytelling by organizing activities such as:
- Story Writing
- Doodle-a-story
- Recite-a-story
- Storytelling through Performing Arts
These activities can help children explore different forms of storytelling, from the written word to performance.
Types of Storytelling
Various forms of storytelling were discussed in the session:
- Oral Storytelling: Traditional, spoken narratives shared face-to-face.
- Written Storytelling: Stories in written form, including books and short stories.
- Visual Storytelling: Stories told through images, illustrations, and videos.
- Storytelling through Performing Arts: Stories expressed through drama, dance, or other performance mediums.
- Digital Storytelling: Combining technology, multimedia, and storytelling to create interactive narratives.
- Trans – media Storytelling: Stories that unfold across multiple platforms, such as books, films, games, and websites.
Particular emphasis was given to Digital Storytelling and Trans – media Storytelling, encouraging collaboration, originality, and contribution from everyone in the process.
Seven Elements of a Story
The resource person concluded by explaining the seven essential elements of storytelling that contribute to creating an engaging and meaningful story:
- Plot: The storyline or sequence of events.
- Character: The individuals or entities that drive the story.
- Dialogue: The conversations that occur between characters.
- Melody: The tone or rhythm of the story, influencing its mood.
- Theme: The central idea or message of the story.
- Decor: The setting and environment in which the story takes place.
- Spectacle: The visual elements that enhance the story.
These elements were explained in relation to how they contribute to crafting a compelling narrative and making it more impactful.
Implementation of Storytelling in the Classroom
Practical tips were provided for teachers on how to incorporate storytelling into their teaching:
- Choose age-appropriate stories.
- Use props to make the story more vivid and engaging.
- Encourage student interaction during the story.
- Connect the story to learning objectives.
- Use bilingual stories or adapt content to suit diverse learners.
- Weave stories around the theme or concept being taught.
Breakout Room Activity
At the end of the workshop, participants were divided into breakout rooms to demonstrate how children can create stories with the help of an activity. This collaborative exercise encouraged the teachers to boost students’ creativity while providing a structured framework for storytelling.
Conclusion
The workshop concluded with positive feedback from the participants, who expressed excitement about incorporating storytelling as a pedagogy into their classrooms. The session was enriching, offering a wealth of ideas and strategies for using storytelling to engage primary students in meaningful learning experiences.
In summary, this workshop on storytelling as a pedagogy provided teachers with a thorough understanding of how to use stories as powerful tools for teaching young learners, fostering creativity, language development, and emotional growth.
Report on Online Workshop on Coding
“Our children should become creators and not consumers of Computer Science- “Maria Kalawe.
On Saturday, January 4, 2025, an informative online workshop titled “FLN-Coding Skills for Young Children and Its Connection to Foundational Literacy and Numeracy” was conducted by the renowned educationist Dr. Swati Popat Vats. The session was attended by a group of 10 teachers from Salwan Junior School.
The workshop commenced by highlighting the significance of coding in Early Childhood Education and NIPUN, a program emphasizing a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy during early years.
Dr. Vats then elaborated on the role of various parts of the brain in learning—”Know the Brain to Practice Whole Brain Learning.” She explained that concepts introduced through play are processed by the right hemisphere and retained in a child’s long-term memory. The left hemisphere, responsible for short-term memory, is more analytical and raises questions.
Furthermore, she discussed how coding fosters resilience, enhances problem-solving abilities, and encourages perseverance. It also supports socio-emotional development by engaging children in hands-on, non-screen activities, enabling them to focus on how to learn rather than just what to learn.She shared few steps to be followed in Coding like:
Decompose – It means to break a big problem into smaller parts. Then it becomes easy to solve any problem. Few activities and worksheets were shared related to decomposing.
Sequence – It means literacy numeracy, stories rhymes, songs all have a sequence and children need to understand it.
Understanding instructions to give instructions– It means that when children are able to understand instructions then they go to the next level of giving instructions. Then they can also device games and give instructions.
Algorithm – It means a list of steps a child needs to follow to complete a task. She explained through an activity of getting ready for school, in which if any step is missed what could happen.
Debugging – It means looking for a mistake and rectifying it. This helps children see the differences in letters and quantity differences in numbers.
Loops – It is a special bit of code that repeats again and again. It is used in rhymes, stories where children learn by repetition of words and stanzas. It is an important FLNS skill.
Pattern-In coding patterns help in understanding the concept of What come before and after.
Pixel – In coding it means small pieces through which children see images and learn through them.
Key Takeaways include
- Coding can be started at pre school level and it is already being done through giving instructions and activities which provide hands-on experience.
- Why set of instructions should be different for different age groups for e.g. a teacher should start only with giving two instructions. For the age group of 4 she can give 4 instructions together
Acknowledgment and Gratitude
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Salwan Junior School for providing us with this invaluable opportunity to participate in such an enriching session. By facilitating our registration, the school reaffirmed its commitment to continuous professional development and its vision of delivering child-centered education aligned with NEP 2020.
Conclusion
Dr. Vats concluded by explaining how to indulge children and create their interest and most important that they don’t lose interest is by starting with a small activity before a bigger task and move step by step to retain their interest.
