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AKS - MODEL UNITED NATIONS The first, Aga Khan Schools Model United Nations (AKSMUN), was hosted by the Diamond Jubilee High School, Mumbai, on the 22nd and 23rd of October, 2021. The AKSMUN saw 74 delegates research and write Position Papers. Then, they - discussed, debated, lobbied, and passed resolutions on important international issues in the AKSMUN’s UNSC, WHO, UNESCO and UNEP. Themes like, the Afghan Crisis (the status and freedom of women in Afghanistan); Vaccine availability in the context of IPR; Bridging the education gap during the pandemic; and combating Climate Change with a focus on Global warming, kept delegates engaged for two days. Mr. Julian Drinkall, (General Manager – Aga Khan Schools) was the Guest of Honour at the Inauguration. Stressing the importance of the event, he said, “I am so proud that this will be Aga Khan Schools’ first MUN. Not only does it introduce our students to the world of diplomacy, international relations, the UN, and discussions around current, relevant topics, but it also expands on the curriculum and provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills of research, critical thinking, writing, debate and dialogue, and above all, leadership.” At the Closing Ceremony, the Guest of Honour, Ms Kanta Singh, who spent 9 years in the UNDP and has over 25 years of experience in the management of pro-women development programmes said “The AKS Model United Nations (AKSMUN), is a great platform for students to understand and take up issues of concern right from a young age. This is an important experience for the students, since during the MUN students will learn leadership skills, which, as future leaders at the UN, will be invaluable to not just them, but to the world at large.” To read more, click here.
CHARACTERS! PLOT! ACTION! - WHEN GRAMMAR CAME OUT TO PLAY! With characters like - common folk loving ‘Inspector A’, ‘Irksome Inspector An’ who disliked consonants, ‘Definitive The’, to introduce articles, sisters - Dependent, Independent, and the sibling in between - ‘Super Connector’ to introduce coordinating conjunctions; uncles and aunts named ‘Mr. Indigenous Idiom’ and ‘Ms. Prudent Proverb’, to explain the difference and application of idioms and proverbs . . . the ‘Grammarverse’ was in full bloom. Participants engaged with ‘stories as anchors’ to deep dive into the mechanics of the English Language, during the professional development session. In their creative pursuits, they came a step closer to understanding the nuances of - different concepts, immersive storytelling through applications like ThingLink and applying the oft-repeated story structure to create interesting grammar tales. All this to help students learn and retain their learning in a joyful manner.
MAKING MAGIC: WHEN VOICES BREATHED LIFE INTO FOLKLORE AND THE INANIMATE . . . The second edition of the Storytelling & Monologue Competition was held across the AKESI network schools in October 2021. The students of Grade 2 and 3, echoed the voices of seminal characters from Indian folklore and fairy tales like - the wise tortoise, the hardworking donkey, Vikram & Betal, to name a few, for the storytelling competition. The Grade 4 and 5 students prepared monologues in the voice of a problem, solution, chocolate, and even their favourite cartoon character. These memorable performances were not just restricted to the students, even teachers got an opportunity to showcase their multifaceted avatars during the culminating event of this competition. To know more, click here.
OUTREACH: ACADEMIC INTERVENTIONS The Academic Team has been closely working with the teachers of outreach partner schools, in English, Math and Science, to further improve the quality of student learning outcomes across Grades 1 to 8. The academic interventions have continued with teacher orientations to the Common Lesson Plans, jointly created by the AKESI teachers & subject-matter experts and continuous trainings have been done in the areas of pedagogy and use of technology for teaching.
TEACHER QUOTIENT TEST FOR MATH TEACHERS BY CENTA “All students are empowered to achieve a high-level mastery of Mathematics, that will equip them with the necessary numerical knowledge, skills, and dispositions for lifelong learning.” To achieve this vision, teacher competency needs to be on par with global standards. So, the Head Office along with the India team are pioneering this effort across the Aga Khan Schools (AKS) worldwide, to improve student mastery through enhancing teacher competencies. As a first step, all the mathematics teachers at AKESI underwent a Teacher Quotient Test, conducted by Centre for Teachers’ Accreditation (CENTA) to identify their strengths, and help them develop a deeper understanding about their competencies.
