Page 16 - DAIS Insignia 2021-2022
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PRIMARY SCHOOL                                     Everything we do at the school resonates with students' well-   The  learning  and  development  of  language  in  an  immersive
                                                               being and their educational experiences. To this effect classroom
                                                                                                                               manner has always been a core strength at the school. To this
                                                               observations, students' reflections, journal entries, PSHE sessions,   effect, we celebrated Hindi Diwas to encourage and respect all
                                                               mindfulness  activities,  yoga  sessions,  and  other  purposeful   regional languages and to promote linguistic diversity. At all grade
                                                               engagements  were  conducted,  providing  students  with        levels, the students were exposed to Hindi literature, poems, and
                                                               opportunities to discuss and communicate their perspectives and   songs, that promoted a general awareness and inculcated values
                                                               concerns, while taking ownership of their own learning.         with relevant cultural context.
                                                               Our  co-teaching  model  in  the  classroom  continued,  with  two   The  Father  of  the  Nation  was  fondly  remembered  for  his
                                                               homeroom teachers working as a collaborative team; planning     contribution to our country and to the freedom that every citizen
                                                               lessons, teaching, monitoring student progress, and managing the   of  our  great  nation  enjoys.  At  every  class  level,  the  students
                                                               class. This approach enabled teaching students in smaller groups   enthusiastically  expressed  their  own  insights  on  the  Gandhian
                                                               or  one-on-one,  benefiting  from  the  opportunity  to  learn  from   philosophy and the values of honesty, non-violence, and peace.  Ms. Mahrookh Tangri   Ms. Vimi Lima Santos
                                                               teachers  who  may  have  different  teaching  styles,  ideas,   Class 4 presented a whole-school assembly online, to celebrate the
                                                               perspectives, and experiences. The classrooms reflected a positive   spirit of Christmas. The event was complete with upbeat carols,   Deputy Head, Primary  Deputy Head,
                                                               learning culture, with students feeling comfortable taking risks                                                                                   Learning and Research
                      Ms. Farida Taraporevala                                                                                  songs, dance, drama, art, craft, and oodles of good cheer. The
                                                               and  persisting  through  challenges.  The  activities  planned  and   event was entirely planned, scripted, performed, produced, and
                           Head, Primary                       implemented were engaging and generated excitement among        directed  by  the  students  of  Class  4,  with  their  teachers  and   in the field of education. During the course of the year, we organized
                                                               the  students.  To  supplement  the  activities;  visual  aids,  group   mentors  guiding  them  through  the  process.  The  students   several online workshops, conferences, and book studies for our
                “Education is our passport                     activities,  conversations,  and  discussions  were  conducted.   exhibited  creativity,  confidence,  and  collaboration  through  this   teachers, to become better instructors and develop into competent
                                                               Collaboration and teamwork were other skills developed in the   event.                                                 future school educators. Some of these sessions included Concept-
               to the future, for tomorrow                     process, giving each student a voice, choice, and accountability.                                                      Based Inquiry in Action, Fairy Dust, Play in Early Years, Materiality and
                                                                                                                               Our Annual Read Aloud Project focused on improving our learners'
               belongs to the people who                       While focusing on the intellectual development of our learners and   vocabulary, increasing their comprehension, and strengthening their   Expression, Sketchnoting, Assessment Mindset, Creating effective
                                                               preparing them for future careers and life, we also took care of their                                                 rubrics  among  others.  Regular  staff  meetings  are  conducted  to
                   prepare for it today.”                      emotional  and  behavioural  development,  by  inculcating  sound   listening  skills.  Our  parent  volunteers  planned  the  event  and   evaluate  our  performance  and  plan  for  the  future,  with  more
                                                                                                                               conducted  it  for  our  intrigued  young  minds,  over  an  exciting
                                                               moral values, responsibility, and social awareness. We continued   conversational buzz and collaborative learning engagements. The   innovative methods of teaching and learning.
                                                               doing  this  through  different  co-curricular  events  and  school
        Malcolm X has very vividly explained the relevance of education in                                                     theme this year was 'New Beginnings', and the activities planned   "It's the teacher that makes the change, not the mere classroom!"
        today's world and the need to prepare our students to fit in and   celebrations. Participating in co-curricular events facilitates the all-  by the parents were interactive, hands-on, and fun, ranging from   The last year has been one of transition for all of us, but the
                                                               round  personality  development  of  the  students.  Inter-house
        excel in the future. And that makes our roles, and that of the   competitions give them a sense of belonging and accomplishment.   creative crafts to oral responses; and cooking activities to sharing   positive attitude and the long hours of work put in by our teachers
        parents and the school, more significant.                                                                               stories.                                               have  helped  pull  us  through.  Our  teachers  have  made  such  a
                                                               They  grow  to  become  more  confident  in  themselves  and  their
        The school year 2021-22 continued online for the most part, and   abilities,  delve  into  the  extent  of  their  imagination,  and  express   This year the school underwent a joint Preparatory Evaluation Visit   positive impact on our students' lives, creating a fun and safe
        the students remained connected, excited, and ready to learn.   themselves without any reserves and fear.              by the accrediting associations CIS and NEASC in October. This visit   educational environment for our children and no words can thank
        Another year of virtual schooling did come as a setback; however,   The year began with the celebration of Earth Day, highlighting the   provided  us  with  the  opportunity  for  self-assessment  and   them enough.
        it did not dampen our spirit and we were successful at excelling in   need  to  respect  and  save  our  self-sustaining  planet  from   reflection, it validated our practices and served as a guide to map   Thank  you  dear  parents  for  your  continued  support  in  all  our
        all academic and non-academic areas, yet again. Gradually DAIS                                                         out our direction and plan for the future. The visit and the entire   endeavors. Your words of appreciation and encouragement keep
        moved  to  the  hybrid  model  of  teaching  with  both  online  and   exploitation. An array of creative activities and environmentally   process have charged us all to better ourselves, reaffirming our   us motivated to extend ourselves and make a difference in the lives
        offline classes on fixed days of the week. With the dawn of the   mindful practices were organized by the Round Square Team, to   commitment to all our stakeholders and to the community.  of your children.
        new academic year, we moved completely offline, energized to   sensitize our children about the conservation of natural resources   Besides  all  these  celebrations  and  events,  we  also  organized   Our sincere thanks to our Admin and Support Staff who work
        look ahead and face new challenges with renewed vigour. In a   and to motivate them to do their bit towards making our planet   several  Inter-House  competitions  for  our  learners.  These   alongside the teachers and ensure a seamless school day, with no
        nutshell, we present the highlights of the year gone by; the work,   sustainable and plentiful.                        opportunities inculcated the spirit of healthy competition among   glitches  or  hiccups,  while  creating  a  secure  environment  for
        the  learning,  the  events  and  the  achievements  of  our  Primary   As  summer  approached  and  the  mercury  started  rising,  the   students,  thus  providing  occasions  for  group  dynamics  and   children to learn. Thank you!
        School in 2021-22.                                     Primary School created and shared with all parents and students,   teamwork.
                                                               an e-booklet of fun and appealing activities for the kids to be                                                        We are grateful to Ms. Zarene Munshi, the Consultant and Advisor
        During the academic year, the school embarked on a journey to   engaged in during the long holidays, as travel was not an option,   Our Primary Art Competition is an annual event that aims at boosting   to the Chairperson, for her impact on our school over the years.
        put together a definition of High Quality Teaching and Learning   given the pandemic situation. The 'Summer Flipbook of Fun' was   greater  creativity  and  imagination  in  the  students.  The  theme   We feel very fortunate to have you as our guiding star.
        that would serve as a guide to our school's pedagogical approach.   an  outlet  for  our  young  learners  to  develop  and  express  their   identified this year was 'Global Citizenship', nurturing children's
        Keeping  in  mind  our  key  learning  priorities,  the  approach  to   individuality and stay busy productively while having loads of fun.  growing sense of self, and encouraging the value of understanding   Our sincere appreciation to our Vice Chairperson, Ms. Isha Ambani
        learning in Primary school shifted to a more Concept-Based Inquiry                                                     diverse perspectives, through the creative medium of visual art.   Piramal  for  her  strong  leadership  and  direction,  which  is  the
        approach, which encourages students to be actively engaged in   Our 75th Independence Day on August 15, and Republic Day on                                                   foundation of our school's success, and for her belief in the staff to
        their  own  learning  through  problem-solving  and  experiential   January 26 were both celebrated with an abundance of dance,   Other Inter-House competitions were conducted too, including   achieve our common goals. Thank you!
        learning, and be fully prepared for all that the future has to offer.   drama,  art,  craft,  music,  quizzes,  online  games,  and  oral   the  General  Knowledge  Quiz,  English  Elocution  Competition,   Our profound gratitude to our Founder and Chairperson Ms. Nita
        This  approach  fueled  the  curiosity  and  ignited  a  hunger  for   recitations, to channelize our students' patriotic fervour and pave   Hindi Elocution Competition, and Music Competition. The vibe at   Ambani, for her vision, wisdom, and passion for the school and for
        answers in students. The learners were involved in exploration,   the way for responsible citizenship. Our enthusiastic Cub-Captains   the competitions was one of passion, enthusiasm, and a positive   her commitment to the well-being of the entire school community.
        discussions, research, projects, self-reflection, and other authentic   reflected on the importance of the occasion through perceptive   competitive  spirit.  Most  of  these  events  were  hosted  by  our   Thank you, Ma'am!
        learning experiences that are student-driven and challenging.  talks, shared with the student body.                    zealous Cub Captains and Cub Co-ordinators.
                                                                                                                                                                                      The theme of this year's Insignia is 'Well-being'. At DAIS, student
        Technology continued to play a pivotal role in the learning journey,   The  Primary  School  Parent-Teacher  Meetings  were  conducted   Our young pupils never cease to amaze us! Watching our students   well-being has always been a key focus. We endeavour to equip
        as  digital  literacy  was  yet  another  area  identified  to  enhance   successfully online. The parents took this opportunity to discuss   grow and accomplish their goals is most satisfying. We recognize   students with the social and emotional skills to cope with the
        instruction and support personalized learning. Technology helped   their  child's  learning  and  progress,  sharing  their  thoughts  and   their  outstanding  accomplishments  and  we  celebrate  their   challenges of learning, feel positive about themselves, and make
        in building student capacity for research, making it more realistic,   becoming partners in their child's education.   individual unique strengths at several individual events outside the   them more effective and innovative in the classroom.
        inspiring creativity, and offering them access to learning resources   Teacher's Day was celebrated at the school to acknowledge the   school,  in  academics  and  sports.  Our  students  performed
        within and outside the classroom.                      special roles that teachers play in the lives of the students. The   increasingly  well  at  the  National  Science  Olympiad  (NSO),    Warm regards to all of you, as we transition towards building a
                                                                                                                                                                                      future-ready school, with multiple pathways to success in life.
        The school recognized the growing and imminent need to prepare   Student Council organised an online cultural event to honour and   International  Math  Olympiad  (IMO),  Mental  Math  Olympiad,
        our young learners to become global citizens, honouring the rights   enjoy the relationship between the teachers and students. The   Trinity College London Exams, and Robotics. Besides these, some   Farida Taraporevala
        and dignity of every human being and acknowledging that in an   students displayed their talents in singing and dancing, expressed   of our students participated at the inter-school, state, and national   Head, Primary  WELL-BEING
        ever-changing, inter-connected world, we all must learn to live   their  love  for  their  teachers,  and  shared  how  impactful  the   levels in sports like cricket, judo, tennis, and chess, fulfilling our   Mahrookh Tangri
        and work together peacefully. The teachers designed lessons to   teachings of their educators have been on their lives. This gesture   school's  objective  of  nurturing  sportsmanship,  fair  play,   Deputy Head, Primary
        help  students  make  connections,  empowering  them  with  the   made each one of us proud of the wonderful young adults we   teamwork, health, and welfare in all students.
        knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values needed to become global   have nurtured, since their entry into school in their formative years.   The school constantly encourages teachers to pursue professional   Vimi Lima Santos
        citizens.                                              We love you, dear students!                                     development and helps them keep up with trends and best practices   Deputy Head, Learning and Research
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