LILT: Crafted Confusion

small things that make a difference

confusion 2014 - 15

2014 - 15

www.ishahomeschool.org

conscious chaos

Isha Home School, by my mandate, was intended to be a conscious Chaos. But due to practical difficulties and parental pressures has become far less Chaos than I would like. Over-systemization will render you less conscious and in turn less competent. It is far more healthy in all respects to be in consciously controlled Chaos than to be in a coffin-like ironclad system.

The struggle that one has to go through in Chaos enables one to survive and flourish. A philosopher who was breeding butterflies saw the struggle that a fledging butterfly had to go through to break out of the cocoon. Out of his sense of compassion, he used his fingernail to cut the cocoons for a batch of butterflies. They never could fly.

Hope these years of reasonable Chaos at school have made you strong and resilient.

May you find flight in your lives.

With Love & Blessings Sadhguru

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

I have always had a resistance for organizational structures that work towards efficiency as these so called perfect structures give no conscious room for evolution, which is the very essence of cosmos and the life upon this planet. It is like a gardener who creates a garden that he thinks is perfect and chides the Chaos of the forest. A garden will need continuous tending, not so for the forest. All that is a product of nature will not fit into one’s logic and hence gets labeled as Chaos.

SA D H G U R U ' S MESSA G E

What simple logic perceives as Chaos is a perfect arrangement of existence. Perfect not for having arrived at a finality of existence, but perfect as it can evolve endlessly.

LILT 2014-2015 //

The struggle that one has to go through in Chaos enables one to survive and flourish.

A philosopher who was breeding butterflies saw the struggle that a fledging butterfly had to go through to break out of the cocoon. Out of his sense of compassion, he used his fingernail to cut the cocoons for a batch of butterflies. They never could fly.

Human mind, enslaved to the logical dimension within itself, goes about trying to decipher every aspect and dimension of life as we know it and beyond through logical dissection. The matrix of logic goes to the extent of describing the cosmic composition that lasts for an eternity. Feeds and breeds upon itself to sustain a complexity that human minds have struggled with but in vain. As Chaos.

crafted confusion Crafted confusion. What an unlikely oxymoron. Yet, like Yin and Yang, they exist with extraordinary harmony in our school. At a glance, all you would see is a school with chaotic schedules that are as malleable as wet clay, but this confusion is neither accidental nor random.

Our routines are filled with activities back to back- classes, electives, games, dining, unprecedented meetings, surprise late-wakeups, spot tests, visits to the clinic, unannounced renowned guests, celebrations, farewells, dances, concerts, open mics…. If we were to put it all down on paper, it would seem like a recipe for disaster and/or over-exhaustion!

Intense, yet elegant, albeit the mostly improvised choreography. The confusion in school is well-planned, much like the way a flash mob in a crowded place, which seems to appear out of the blue when in reality, quite a lot of planning and practice is involved.

Life today seems to be all about spontaneity and having the right kind of readiness when life hits you so unexpectedly with things you would have never anticipated! Yes, the element of surprise – or more appropriately ambush - at school, in relation to what life brings up, is small, but it surely teaches us how not to lose “it” when “it” is of utmost need.

With this aspect in mind, we have tried to paint, using words and pictures, a reflection of the confusion and chaos that seem to prevail over the school throughout the year.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys, we present to you 10 Years of Crafted Confusion.

8.

10 Year Timeline/ Sharing

16.

Q & A with Sadhguru

30. 74.

I Am

I Explore

18.

Crafted Confusion 19

Hi-tech, Low-Tech

20

TBD!

21

Unpredictable Weather

22

We Do

24

TED

26

Constant Contact

27

Fashion Statement

28

New Dining/Secret Snacks

29

Compulsory...

88.

I Express

30

Senior School (SS)

72

JS Units

88

Fine Arts

60

Middle School (MS)

75

MS Units

90

Dance

64

Junior School (JS)

78

SS Units

93

Music

66

Staff - 24/7

80

Periscope

96

Drama

70

HP Survival Guide

82

Workshops

98

Reviews

86

QCW

100 Books & Movies

102. 106. 110.

I Meet

I Play

I Celebrate

108 Guests

106 Sports Fest

110 Festivals

108 Sports Competitions

118 National Holidays

109 Tennis Court Inauguration

122. 138.

I Travel

Gallery

122 Camp Mistea

138 A Note from the Editors

124 SS Trips 128 MS Trips 132 JS Trips

t

here are many tales as to how Isha Home School came to be.

My favorite one goes like this...

In 2004, a few children whose parents were residing in the Ashram had gone to Sadhguru requesting him to start a school, so that they did not have to leave the wonderful environment they had come to love so much. And the rest is history. Sadhguru turned a simple request from the children into a vision and a manifestation.

THE BEGINNING And thus Isha Home School was born on February 2005, when a group of volunteers headed by Mrs Bharati Varadaraj were tasked with drawing up the framework for a school. At a meeting with a group of meditators and would be parents of the future Isha Home School students, Sadhguru spoke of a school that, in its approach and nature, would be like their grandparents home and a place where education would be a joyous process. This brought forth an overwhelming response and nearly 80 students from as far as Atlanta and New Delhi were soon enrolled without even the first brick of a classroom being laid. The Opening date for the school was set for June 14th, 2005.

Within the next few weeks, all watched in astonishment as 2 buildings and an assembly hall rose from the ground. In a frenzy, the construction team – who had probably slept an hour a day for those 3 months – managed to complete the buildings comprising classrooms, offices and dorms just a couple of nights before the school’s first opening day.

Come June 14th, students started strolling in with their backpacks and baggage. The rooms and their beds were in place, and the paint on the walls was as fresh as a hot dosa right off the tava!

Few of the teachers who were there on that day recollect with pride how most of the students came into the campus and waved goodbye to their parents without an iota of separation pangs.

The initial two years were truly the wonder years, as teachers and students alike explored this new paradigm of learning. A group of experienced teachers provided the anchor in terms of structured learning of English and Math, while the budding trainees discovered and explored science, humanities, drama, et al. Our gratitude to India for having so many auspicious festivals and memorial days, all of which were celebrated diligently in those first two years!

nearly

80

students from as far as Atlanta and New Delhi without even the first brick of a classroom being laid

THE SECOND STAGE Having set the foundation for a safe environment for a child to grow and explore, the next stage of our journey was to now ensure that the older students who had reached the 13-14 years age bracket were sufficiently prepared for University requirements; and thus came the need for an appropriate Examination Board. After some deliberation, it was decided to align IHS to CISCE (ICSE and ISC Examinations) as it met the school’s larger objectives quite well.

The first batch of students graduated in 2012 – it was a small motley batch of 12 students; 7 boys and 5 girls. Anxious parents heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that the students were able to score well “despite all the other activities”. It was not necessary to stop the child from participating in “extra-curricular activities” for them to score high marks. The students dared to dream and work towards what they felt mattered to them most – above the compulsions and the glamour of what their peers from other schools were going after. Students who have graduated from here have not hesitated to step back for a little while – some of them even taking a year off from their education – to explore their passions.

Stepping into the Next Decade The school is now entering the next stage of its evolution and the goal is to make it a signature school. The aim is to enable students coming out of this program to create a more significant impact on the new environs they go into. Await a few exciting announcements in this regard.

LILT 2014-2015 //

Thus went the first decade of the school, solidly built on the vision of the founder, manned by a group of committed volunteers and supported by the complete trust of parents who gave their dear ones to a concept that they cherish – an education that puts the child first.

1 0 YEA R T I MEL I N E

Side by side, the infrastructure was being added in anticipation of the growing learning needs of the students. In 2008, students started to migrate to larger and more conducive stay places in a phased manner. The first set of new houses went to Junior School, Jajji and Gulab, followed

by Arali and Kadamba. The Seniors moved into their first homes Mahilam and Radha Manohar in 2009-10 and the rest followed suit, adding up to 19 houses that can now accommodate close to 400 students in all.

THIRD STAGE

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

In 2010, Gnana Shala was inaugurated, with classrooms, state of the art labs, a Library and various activity centres for senior school students. By this time, the shaping of the school as a unique institution had reached definite contours.

11

July

2008

OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE FIRST JUNIOR SCHOOL HOUSE On the auspicious occasion of Guru Pournami, two junior houses – Jajji and Gulab - moved into the newly constructed houses in the adjacent coconut grove. The entrances were decorated with traditional kolam, thoranam and small diyas. Dressed in their special occasion attire, abuzz with excitement and anticipation, the children assembled promptly at 6:15pm. Our school director, Mrs Bharathi Varadaraj, lit the oil lamps. This was followed by house coordinator, Ms. Geetanjali Deshpande performing the guru pooja. Sweets were distributed to all.

Music teacher, Mr. Ananda, continued the festivities by playing the violin and house parent-cum-teacher, Mr. Sekar V played the flute.

14 June

2005

2008

IHS OPENS The first day of school. The function began with Sadhguru lighting a lamp and welcoming the students and parents. This was followed by an entertaining skit performed by the teachers around the theme ‘You’ll Have to Wait and See!” and a performance by Edgar Ortiz, a storyteller, acroasana expert, musician and juggler from Costa Rica who mesmerised the crowd with his brand of acroasanas. The day ended with a storytelling session by Edgar, who strummed his 'chirango', a musical instrument from South America, as he relayed the tale of the moon that fell down from the sky.

2009

July

OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE FIRST SENIOR SCHOOL BLOCK All gathered for the official opening of the first of the new Senior School blocks in the presence of Sadhguru.

Mrs. Ami Dalal Somayaji did the Guru Pooja, which was followed by a katcheri by our Carnatic teacher, Mr. Ramachandran. Sadhguru planted a mahilam tree in the open courtyard. The oldest girls of the school were given the first priority to shift.

2010

28 June

Feb/ Mar

STUDENTS MOVE INTO THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL HOUSES

FIRST BATCH OF STUDENTS SIT FOR THEIR ICSE (10TH STANDARD) EXAMS

A few weeks into the first term, the Middleschoolers had to pack up again to shift into their new houses.

The day was spent unpacking and setting up their new homes. In the evening, all dressed up in their formals, and welcomed the director, Mrs Bharathi Varadaraj, principal, Mrs. E. Maheswari and guests to their new abodes. The evening function comprised of guru pooja and distribution of sweets, which was followed by individual house photos.

2010

1 0 YEA R T I MEL I N E

SPORTS DAY LANDMARK

LILT 2014-2015 //

22 September

2010

22 September

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

The 6th Annual Sports day was held on the school’s newly renovated sports ground, featuring a 400 meter track encompassing a football ground and cricket pitch, and separate courts for volleyball, throw ball, kho kho and kabaddi. There were several highlights of the day, one of which was a unique martial march past conceptualized by Sadhguru called the ‘Chaatra Sanchala Vinyasa’, wherein all the students wore the panchakacham, adorned their foreheads with a tilak representing their empire colour and marched to the beat of tribal drums, tutaris and other traditional instruments. This was followed by the unveiling of the school song, penned by Sadhguru.

2010

GNANA SHALA INAUGURATION On the auspicious occasion of its Founder’s Day, IHS opened its new senior school complex, Gnana Shala. The function began with Sadhguru lighting a welcome lamp and garlanding the exquisite granite statue of a reclining Ganesha situated in the main courtyard. Mr Shekhar Kapur - Oscar Award winning film director and producer, Padma Shri D.R.Karthikeyan - former special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Deepak Satwalekar – former Chairman of HDFC Bank, Capital Insurance, Mr. Brij Bakshi, the Director of Delhi Doordarshan went on to inaugurate the various facilities within the 55,000 sq. ft complex.

13

7 March

2011

KALARI INAUGURATION

2011

Sadhguru inaugurated the Veerabhadra Akhada, a large enclosure with a dimension of 100 feet by 100 feet which incorporates the pit concept of Kalari. The opening ceremony consisted of Guru Pooja followed

by Kalaripayattu demonstrations by Isha Samskriti and Isha Home School students. Sadhguru spoke about the essence of the ancient art of Kalaripayattu, its apparent and unseen dimensions, how it spread to the other parts of the world and the need to preserve this ancient art form.

1 March TARANA INAUGURATION On 1st March, Isha Home School opened its new auditorium, Tarana. The hall was inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj in the presence of Sadhguru.

Befitting its name, the inaugural function featured tarana and tillana compositions. The junior students began with a fast-paced Ganapati Vandanam and the Music Club students, accompanied by their tabla and mridangam teachers, presented a tarana jugalbandhi of Hindustani and Carnatic styles. The function ended with Panditji and two of his disciples singing a medley of tarana compositions, which left the audience spellbound.

November

2011

IHS RECEIVES ITS PERMANENT AFFILIATION TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE INDIAN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS (CISCE)

1 August

2011

SWIMMING POOL INAUGURATION A special assembly in an unlikely venue, this morning was one of its kind. All gathered in front of the new 35 metre pool located on a rooftop. Sadhguru talked about the importance of water as an element. At the end of his brief talk, he invited the audience to jump into the pool. Before those who had worn their swimsuits could get inside, our office administrator Mr. Sampath, joyfully jumped in the water in his freshly ironed office clothes.

Students sang a medley of lively songs as all enjoyed a grand splash.

3 September

2012

CAFÉ MAATU MANE INAUGURATION On the occasion of Sadhguru’s birthday, the school opened Café Maatu Mane, which was once the school’s cowshed, now transformed into a trendy eatery, decorated in a vintage-chic style, for Class XI & XII. Senior students prepared handmade menu cards, acted as hosts and put on a comical theatrical performance for guests who were invited for the function. As guests enjoyed a delectable lunch, students suddenly brought out a cake for Sadhguru and sang “Happy Birthday.”

LILT 2014-2015 //

2012 Feb/ Mar

1 0 YEA R T I MEL I N E

FIRST BATCH OF STUDENTS SIT FOR THEIR ISC (12TH STANDARD) EXAMS

2013

2014 19 September

CRICKET NETS INAUGURATION

TENNIS COURT INAUGURATION

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

02 September Mr. Virendra Sehwag, Indian Cricketer, formally inaugurated the school’s cricket nets. He bowled at the nets to the school’s budding cricketers and gave them some tips on how to train to become good batsmen. This was followed by a special assembly where he shared about his life, from how he entered cricket to his batting style and his world records

15

Change is the only constant.

Isha Home School is a living experience of that saying. The school has grown so much and so have I.

Years of IHS

LILT 2014-2015 //

When I walked into Home School I was barely a teenager, quite clueless about life, and no idea as to what the future held for me. Little did I know that the decision I made ten years ago would change my life.

10 When I was nine, I walked into a jungle. I walked out seventeen, and by god I was rich. The school has altered so much since I first arrived on campus on a hot summer day eight eventful

1 0 YEA R T I MEL I N E

Starting off as a young teacher in a brand new school was not the easiest of things. Many days were just a blur of activity, running from one place to another. We were the class teachers, the house parents, the P.E teachers, the art teachers, the music teachers, the administrators and what not. In those first couple of years, I don’t think there was any role that we did not play. Going through all of it at that time was sometimes quite exhausting, but I would not change a single moment as it has made me the person I am today.

years ago, and I’ve altered and grown with it. There were four buildings, one with classes, two to live in, and one for offices.

Now, there are five houses just for high school students, not to mention our high school building

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

With the arrival of new students and new teachers came new infrastructure.

Change was not easy but inevitable. Whatever the situation, we pulled through, with a lot of help from the students, who were our pillars.

Since then, there has been no looking back!

which looks like something from an architecture catalogue. As

The concept of home and school, the construction of Gnanashala, the departure of our first batch of students, the interactions with people from varied backgrounds, the countless festivals and fieldtrips, meetings and more meetings, all this interspersed with academics of course! Home School at its best!

We have come a long way but we also have a long way to go. Has it been easy? No, but I know I am speaking for all teachers when I say that every moment has been worth it!

Looking back fills me with a sense of pride and looking forward fills me with a sense of hope and excitement. I look forward to all the adventures and changes to come!

the school grew, I grew with it.

Though it underwent so many changes that school now bears almost no resemblance to the one I first went to, the whole campus still radiates the same energy, that same vibrancy that kind of hits you in the face. In ten years, the school’s become such an amazing place, a place that helped me learn so much more than I thought I

Change IS the only constant.

Maa Chitagni

could.

Sanjana C, Class XII

17

with

SADHGURU Shekhar Kapur Interviews Sadhguru about Isha Home School The following is an excerpt from “My Conversations with the Mystic”, an interview of Sadhguru by acclaimed Indian film director Shekhar Kapur about education at Isha Home School. As we complete our tenth year, this piece is a reminder for what we’re striving for – the blossoming of every child.

Shekhar Kapur: Let’s talk about childhood. When my daughter was four or five, she asked me, “Is the world that I live in my dream or is it my imagination or is it reality?”

So, I said to her, “You tell me.”

She said, “It’s both. It’s both my imagination and reality.”

But this question persists, “Am I living a dream, or is this reality?” And it’s such a subtle question, that I’m afraid as she grows, they’ll take that question away from her, with the way they educate her. So, let’s talk about childhood and education and the Isha Home School. What are you trying to do here?

Sadhguru: Essentially, education is about enlarging the horizons of human perception.

But unfortunately today, education has slowly shifted into a mode where people believe it is about enforcing heaps of information. Information is useful in a certain way, but it’s not going to make your life. It will just earn you a living. So, here at Isha Home School, education is about enlarging your horizons. This is not about giving students ready-made answers as information. This is to have an active intelligence which constantly searches, seeks and looks at everything in every possible way. Above all, it is to know the joy of wondering about life.

Shekhar Kapur: In this highly competitive world, will they come out noncompetitive, or will they have such awareness that they will become even more competitive? That their ability to deal with this world will be more precise?

Sadhguru: Suppose you and I are walking, and you are in competition with me. If you walk a little faster than me, you will think you have reached the peak of your life; if you fall behind me, you will feel depressed that you cannot walk as fast as me. But if you are not in competition with me, you would explore the possibilities of what you could do. Maybe you could fly.

But you will miss out the possibility of flying because you are in competition with me. All you want to do is take a few steps more than me. So, the very human potential is distorted because people are in competition.

So, here at Home School, the most important part of education is not taught. It is a constant demonstration. All the teachers are dedicated people. They are hugely educated, but they are here to volunteer their lives to make this happen for the children. The key element of the school is in the way everybody moves, sits, stands, eats and does everything.

We have to follow some system so we are following ICSE, but the most important thing is the way the atmosphere, the ambience is.

One thing you will see is the mental strength of the children here is phenomenal. Today, that is one thing that is missing in urban schools.

Children are becoming flaky. Competition will make them determined and focused in one way, at the same time make them fearful of failure, of being less than somebody else. Here, you will see they do not have that fear at all in them. Every one of them is a king by himself.

I must tell you this. When I was just in my 6th standard, the President of India died. We went to school and then we came to know he is dead.

They announced that it was a holiday that day and the following day. My friends and I met together. ‘Wow! If the President dies, it means we get two days.’ We did not know this until then. ‘Suppose the Prime Minister dies, how many days? Chief Minister dies, how many days? If they all die this year, how many days off will we get?’ In our minds, we were just killing the whole cabinet one by one!

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Once you make one thing small, one thing big, high and low, divine and filthy, then you miss the whole point of existence. The essence of education is to enhance your perception in such a way that you are able to perceive a blade of grass being as important as the coconut tree. It is not less important. It is different, that’s all. Every difference that you find in the world – between races, nations, languages, cultures and even gender – if you make them into a discriminatory process, you will suffer a prejudiced world. And that has also been our mode of education unfortunately.

Sadhguru: Getting to know something, for any human being, moving into a new area of life, learning, is always a joyful process. But unfortunately, schooling is not a joyful process for most children.

Q & A WI T H SA D H G U R U

The basis of competition is trying to put one above the other. Once you put one above the other, you are not going to know anything in this world.

Your whole perspective is distorted. So, in this school, the gardener is as important for us as the headmistress. The one who cleans the place or the one who cooks for us, is as important as the teacher who teaches you science or literature or runs the school, or me who visits once in a while to give them a different perspective. That is the atmosphere that is set.

Shekhar Kapur: I noticed that. I have seen these children, but I have also seen other children. When I go back to urban areas anywhere in the world, I see children walking to school, and there is that sense of lack of purpose.

But whenever I have seen kids from the Isha Home School, what surprises me most is that there is a certain sense of alertness in them. They seem to be going from one place to the other with a sense of identity and sense of doing something. And with a lot of happiness.

LILT 2014-2015 //

People believe that you will not propel yourself to your fullest if you are not in competition, which is a very false idea. Actually, only when a human being is in very extended periods of joyfulness and blissfulness, will he stretch himself to the limits and do what he could do to the fullest. When he’s in competition, in fear of failure, he will only do a little better than somebody else. You are destroying human genius through the process of education, by teaching competition. It is all about getting two marks more than the one sitting next to you. And in this mode of competition, only one can win. All others are losers. It is a horrible way to create a society.

Why is school such a horrible place? Learning is always a joyful experience for any human being. When you get to know something new, there is a certain invigoration of energy within you. But that is not happening in the school simply because of the way it is delivered. That is the reason I started this school, and I wanted it to be different – that people must be excited about learning. To keep that enthusiasm up, to keep that inquisitiveness up, is the job of the teacher. Knowing is the child’s job.

Here, the teacher is just working to keep up that longing to know.

At Isha Home School, education is about enlarging your horizons 19

on the first day, when I first saw bulls pulling a bullock-cart loaded school premises, I was horrified. Then, I saw how everyone sat on the floors to eat and to study, and the feeling of dread increased.

–‰–

As we walked further, I saw students carrying mud and grass barrows (later, I found out that it was the land-care activity). I was also told about the extremely health oriented meals that we were to eat in Biksha Hall (it turned out to be a joke by one of the old students). The final blow came when we were told that we were not allowed internet with the exception of e-mailing thrice a week and that too through the school’s network; I panicked, “Where would I look up news? How would I study?”

(Yes, newspapers and textbooks were something I had conveniently and completely forgotten)

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

with laundry in the

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N

During the school tour

LILT 2014-2015 //

HI- TECH , low-tech In my head, I formed a picture of a school that ran completely on the ancient gurukul system and to say that my imagination went a bit overdrive would be an understatement. In fact, I saw myself in the forest as a tribal, living on fruits and roots, looking at a smartphone with wonder.

Eventually the picture in my head changed. Along with the extremely healthy food, German chocolate cake, pasta, pizzas, burgers, paneer and Hasselback potato became a part of the menu at school. Every class is a smart class (I mean, technologically smart) despite the fact that our laundry went to the Laundromat via bullock-carts. And yes, we were not actually very technology deprived. Only Facebook-deprived.

The school is a mixture of both hi-tech and lo-tech aspects, integrated into our lives according to our needs and not wants.

21

A typical Sunday night in a house is usually characterized by desperate shouts of ‘can you find out tomorrow’s schedule?’ and tensed students softly and fervently sending prayers to heaven as the houseparent recites the schedule for yet another unpredictable week.

In other schools, there is that one day of adrenaline rush as your schedule for the rest of the year is delivered. By the third week, you have your timetable memorized and you know exactly which class to whine about and when.

It is humanely impossible to predict what meal you will be having. The ridiculously confused weather adds to

the irregularity of the schedule: nothing is sweeter than the message that announces that games has been cancelled due to rain.

You have surprises thrown at you week after week. Right when you are convinced that your week is finally going to be stable, the carpet is violently yanked from under your feet. The tightly packed, erratic schedule keeps things fresh and interesting, and you never smell the stale stench of boredom.

Cycle marathon to the nearby village, career counseling sessions from professors in prestigious universities, an early morning movie instead of games on April fool’s day, class cookout days, trips to the Coimbatore theatre festival, insightful workshops on finance, fiery poetry slams, achingly delicious maatu manne dinners amongst other things.

9

The thing about isha home school: you never know what’s going to happen the next day. You are suddenly whisked off to a trek in the velliangiri forests when you had prepared for a literature unit test the night before. There are shocking and inspiring guest visits from all kinds of influential people, ranging from Kiran Bedi to Virender Sehwag to Donna Karan. They give you three late night movies, dance party and an extensive range of snacks for new year when you were expecting nothing.

9

TBD !

9

9

The volatile weather has become a vital feature of the school. It has memorably ruined many of our sports events, mutilated the games ground before races, made us doze off during life-threatening examinations, led to unplanned water/ puddle fights.

It has an incredible impact on our moods and attitudes. It adds to the unpredictability of the place and forever keeps us on the edge of our seats.

9 23

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

This is how the day goes. You are close to dying of frostbite in the morning- it’s that cold. You wear t wo jackets, ear mufflers and shawls and step out into an earth blanketed by mist and fog.

Nobody tries to predict the rain. It sometimes stays for the night, and other times scurries away hastily while we all wait with umbrellas.

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N

1

By 12:30, the sun randomly decides to come out and shine in its full glory.

You are mildly confused as you shed the layers of your clothing. By 3, everybody’s jackets are lying around on the ground and the fans are at full speed and everybody’s muttering about global warming. Then as you are leaving school, you feel slight drizzle and you look at the grey sky, and all of a sudden, everybody’s running to the nearest shelter.

LILT 2014-2015 //

9

The Velliangiri hills are essentially supposed to be a chilly place, and I was prepared to confront the cold with my variety of jackets and socks. I carefully packed cotton clothes for the excruciatingly hot summer. Being excessively gifted with intelligence, I even stuffed a few colorful raincoats and umbrellas in my suitcase.

I thought I was equipped for all seasons.

Until I came here and realized that every day was a mixture of all the seasons. I wasn’t prepared for that, in any way or form.

9

9

9 unpredictable weather

doesn’t STOP at just academics & occasional festivities Life at Isha Home School doesn’t stop at just academics and the occasional festivities. It is an experience filled with joyous moments that are created by the splendid workshops, field trips, guest interactions and explorative activities organized for the students.

TED (Talent Exploration Day) is 4 hours of the week dedicated only to allow students to be themselves without being burdened by the expectations of someone else.

Here at IHS, we as students are given a plethora of options to choose from. From Football, Cooking, to Jewelry Designing TED, everyone’s needs are fulfilled. The Automobile TED allows students to take down the engine of a scooter and strip it to the bare bone without being severally dealt with! However, TEDs aren’t just for fun and frolic. They help students understand what they truly love and pursue it. Such was my experience when I was in Cooking TED. Cooking has been my greatest friend since I was very young, and this TED has not only given me several inputs on my career (I wish to be a chef someday) but has also helped me realize the options that are open for me in the world of food.

*3

Workshops are not the only thing that gives us a view of the “Big Picture”. Field

trips, meeting extremely talented guest speakers, there is always more to add up to our exposure here at IHS. Educational trips provide with knowledge without compromising on fun. Our guest speakers here are not just the ordinary. They come from all walks of life but each one of them is HUGE in whatever they do. And the school doesn’t tend to only one type of student.

Our guest speakers come from different industries ranging from the fashion industry to automobile industry to the industry of performing arts and every student’s passion and desire is taken into consideration.

The list can just extend and go on and on. Isha Home School is one where students do not need to just wake up every day and like robots do what the syllabus has prescribed to them. It is a school that is not only providing all sorts of enjoyment for us but is creating memories that will remain with us forever.

hours Talent Exploration

LILT 2014-2015 //

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

25

TED

LILT 2014-2015 //

I EXP L O R E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

27

constant contact There is no such thing as avoiding someone in Isha Home School. Believe me, I’ve tried. Teachers and other st udents are always around me every day. Most of the t ime it’s enjoyable, but this constant presence of - well, everyone, can make sit uat ions a little complicated.

Skirmishes with teachers are generally unavoidable, as our notions and sentiments seem to permanently contradict each other. However, we (try to) compromise, and most of the time reach solutions that work for both of us. It works the same way with my friends as well. We’ve had spats with one another and consciously forgotten them the next day, simply because it’s easier to work with people when you don’t want to whack them with planks. Though sometimes circumstances can become alarmingly frustrating, by the end of it I reach a new level of appreciation for and comprehension of the people around me.

Even though this constant contact with everyone around me can make situations tense, I believe this is actually the reason that bonds formed in IHS, whether with teachers or other students, are ones that last for a lifetime.

fashion statement __________________________

We have a few guidelines that we need to remember before we leave the house to avoid confrontation with the fashion police of our school. These are none too hard to abide by but we still try to unobtrusively break these rules, and mostly fail. Like wearing kurtas that come till your knees, or wearing T-shirts that are devoid of too much writing. (once in a while, you come across a dude wearing a shirt that says, ‘if found, please return to sofa’)

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

You wake up at the frosty and hostile hour of 5:00, put on your track pants, T-shirt and maybe a jacket and go around the games ground multiple times in a state of stupor. You wear your formals through the day (a comfortable kurta that aligns with the culture of the school.) In the evening, you hesitantly get into your mildly smelly T-shirt and track pants for another pleasant session of games. Night is the time to settle into the comfort and familiarity of your dirty, faded

Something has to be said about the versatility of the whole system. It indirectly teaches you to physically adapt to every situation and battle the circumstance with the appropriate attire.

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N

I thought I could wear whatever I wanted and casually disregard the requirements, unt il my new houseparent sternly told my mother to take back a dozen of extra casuals as I sat lament ing in a solitary corner. This is how I came in terms with the apparel arrangement of the school. __________________________

jeans. After dinner, you wear anything that you feel comfortable in-which can be horrendously loose, potato-sack-like shirts or a long, cascading skirt. We also occasionally unleash the colours of our ethnic wear during the much-awaited festivals and events and efficiently utilize the opportunity to dress up.

LILT 2014-2015 //

When I first looked at the clothes requirement through the excited eyes of a new student, I had to take a deep breath.

Choosing only some of my clothes and deliberately leaving behind others was an emotionally excruciating process any girl can relate to me on a very deep level.

IHS taught me impeccable planning and management when it comes to clothes-an essential life skill that every being must necessarily possess.

29

New Dining

Secret Snacks

I don’t remember the last time I was able to get out of Biksha hall five minutes before a class. All thanks to the new dining system at IHS, it’s now up to us seniors to make sure our juniors eat well. The whole school was divided into large tables of ten people each, with a mix of students from all grades.

After a particularly unappetising dinner of brown dosa and chutney, I come home to the welcoming arms of secret snacks.

In the beginning, this seemed like too much work - we had to serve them, make sure they ate properly and cleaned around their plates… It was a little frustrating at times, given all the studying a 12th grader has to do, but eventually, we not only got used to it, but actually started appreciating certain aspects of this new dining arrangement. As months went by, the tables kept changing, as did the challenges and experiences we shared.

Occasionally, we even started striking a deal or t wo, “You drink my Kanji today, I’ll eat your veggies tomorrow ;)”

All that is illegal in Isha home school is nothing dramatic - things like tang and milk powder... Well, they are not banned, but given our astonishing standards of cleanliness, such items are always stored in the House Parent’s foyer, and not in our rooms.

If used diplomatically and with restraint, secret snacks can be the stepping stones to efficiency and success. If you feel like slipping into never ending slumber while studying for the next day’s economics exam, chocolate is the best remedy. If you’re feeling down and blue after an incredibly challenging day, cup noodles make for an unrivalled remedy. If you are generally bored with the concept of life, six packets of Lays chips always come in handy. Just kidding!

Though it is a violent digression from our nutritious and wholesome diet, I profess the doctrine of secret snacks, as it keeps us connected with the beautifully unhealthy world we revisit at the end of each term.

Compulsory...

There’s also the compulsory aspect of studies. It can be argued that the purpose behind the school is studies - but this point

has something inherently depressing about it, which automat ically makes you look at things with a wary eye.

The word ‘compulsory’ has something inherently depressing about it, which automatically makes you look at things with a wary eye. Even Yoga, which has experientially brought in so many benefits, is occasionally met with a certain resistance if and when associated with the word compulsory. Does that word have so much power only over teenagers? I wonder…

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

In our school, there are a bunch of compulsory things. Kanji, kadalai, soggy yellow vegetables, and papaya, all of which you need to have between huge gulps of water and fresh air. There’s appropriate kurtas, uncontroversial T-shirts and jeans that aren’t ‘fashionably’ torn. There’s games time, which some of us start complaining about exactly 5 hours in advance.

The word ‘compulsory’

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N

Before I joined the school, I used to see my mother drinking kanji everyday and I used to look at the bowl of swirling brown liquid with a kind of aloofness, knowing that I will never have to subject my digestive system to it. Little did I know then that on my first day of high school, the word compulsory would be ringing in my ears as I picked up the kanji bowl with shaky fingers and a churning feeling in my stomach.

can be countered by the fact that studying is a dreary, drab and dry concept. Prep after dinner is a compulsory activity. It is during this time that you find students curled up in a fetal position under their study tables; sitting in groups and talking endlessly, staring at blank walls with unnerving intensity and avoiding the textbooks under their noses or accidentally landing up horizontally on the bed before the allocated time for “prep” ends. Then there are those rare specimens amongst us who actually study!

LILT 2014-2015 //

The first time I heard the word compulsory in the school was during my first breakfast, when I sat down and faced the bowl of kanji sitting resolutely in front of me. Kanji can be compared to those people that you see on a regular basis, but aren’t really friends with.

Even though, deep down, we do know that all things compulsory at Home School are actually things that are vital to your wholesome development, the word just never ceases to stir unrest. I am sure the day will come when we ourselves will inevitably have to use this word! Till then…

31

CLASS XII

Class Teachers: Sekar Venkatraman, Prakash Somayaji, Maa Pradhi

1

2 3

MISSION CUSHION: THE DAY

PROTEINS &

THE TIGER THAT LEARNED

THE DONUT WENT UP

THE CLASS GYM

MICROECONOMICS

A perfectly regular study hour turned into an adventure when Sanjana’s seating cushion landed on the roof.

The Gnana Shala roofs often receive visitors in the form of books and erasers, and they are easily retrieved by various sticks and poles. However, this cushion could not be retrieved in the same manner. Arianth Tejas attempted to throw the cushion to Sanjana. He threw it with such enormous strength and incredible lack of aim that it landed on the one slab of roof that was absolutely out of everyone’s reach. The rest of the period was spent climbing walls and trying to push the cushion off the roof from various places and positions, and when the students realized they were bound to fail, they turned to the school’s master maintenance team who finally rescued the yellow donut-shaped cushion from a lonely night on the roof.

It isn’t in every school that you can open up a study cupboard and find a huge carton of protein shake powder. It also isn’t normal to walk into class ten minutes early to find a group of boys doing intensive work-out routines on the floor and using the doors to do pull-ups and such. However, that’s kind of a daily occurrence in XII grade, aside from all the studying of course.

Everyone knows that sometimes Microeconomics classes can get a little dry.

We wanted to spice them up a little, and our idea came to us in a small little package from Ana’s mom. She had bought Ana a toy tiger that gave out a roar loud enough to make our teacher jump. When he asked us if we had heard the sound, we all gave a resounding no. Of course, he did figure out our little game and classes soon returned to normal, but it was fun while it lasted!

4 5

6

VEDANT AND THE RAT

The pond next to the XII grade classrooms has entertained a number of accidental swimmers, but not one who was unwilling to get out. Aparna, a budding biology student, refused to exit the murky water unless she found her bright red glasses, which had fallen off during her unintentional, yet fabulous dive. A good fifteen minutes of biology class was spent in search of those glasses, as every time Aparna was requested to please get out of the pond she would exclaim, “First find my glasses!”

It isn’t every day that you are served fried ice cream in the middle of a forest, so you can begin to imagine the crowd of hungry XII graders that had accumulated around Café Maatu Mane when they announced they’d be serving some. Makeswari, who had decided to put away her Physics textbook for the night was also present, chatting animatedly with her friend Soundarya. At that moment, one of the boys handed her a bowl of ice cream. She decided to finish her conversation before indulging in the delight of fried ice cream, and at that second Mahima came running into the Café and rushed up to Makeshwari to try a bite of the ice cream. No sooner had she bit into it than she felt something hard between her teeth, and the boys all erupted into a fit of laughter. The fried ice cream that the boy had given Makeswari had turned out to be a golf ball smeared with peanut butter; a delicacy indeed.

Accused of having murdered a poor little rat with his own bare feet earlier in life, Vedant vowed that he should never interfere with rats again. But that was not meant to be. It was a few minutes before the end of English Language class when Vedant happened to notice that the curtain next to Kshitej was moving. He lifted it to find a small creature peering up at him. It was a rat!

Vedant screamed, jumped onto the nearest desk, and then continued to scream. It got worse when the rat decided to run around the classroom for no particular reason.

While Aparna, who wanted to study the creature, chased the rat down, Vedant screamed and yelped. This continued until the rat finally got bored and jumped out the window and into the wild, leaving Vedant relieved and Aparna a little upset.

C R A FTED C O N FU SI O N

A SPECIAL MAATU MANE TREAT

LILT 2014-2015 //

FIRST, FIND MY GLASSES!

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

33

CHETNA ANAND

CLASS XII

Most Likely to Become …

the Harry Potter Part 32 score composer Aspiration

To fulfill my bucket list, act in Broadway, make people laugh and be conk =D OVIYA T

Quote

Most Likely to Become …

" I open at the close."

a rapper hippie mom

- The Golden Snitch

Aspiration

Travel Writer Quote

"Listen, smile, agree. Then do whatever the hell you wanted to do anyway."

-Gerard Way

SRI SAI AMULYA CHINTALURI

SANJANA CHANDRASEKHARAN

Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

A soup drinking

the Nutella

street-artist

Brand Ambassador

Aspiration

Aspiration

Author/Designer

Journalist

Quote

Quote

"Remember who you are." (in a deep philosophical manner)

"Morality isn't black and white."

- Mufasa

- Cruella De Vil

S SRILA Most Likely to Become …

a dozing VINISHA MOHANCHANDRAN Most Likely to Become …

a mirror

Siddha doctor Aspiration

Ayurvedic Doctor Quote

Designer at Steve Madden

LILT 2014-2015 //

Aspiration

"Life is a sine wave, not a flat line."

- D Parimal Kumar

Quote

"If you can't convince them, confuse them."

- Harry S Truman I AM

UMESH J DHURVAS Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

a peanut butter motivated terrorist Aspiration

SAI AKSHAYA V

To be crazy enough to make a dent in the universe

Most Likely to Become …

an arm-wrestling champion Aspiration

Stock-trader for Fortune 500 companies Quote

"The golden rule is that there are no golden rules."

Quote

"Life is like lifting. When something pushes (or pulls) you down, you get back up.

And you do it again and again. It gets heavier and heavier each time, but it ain't no excuse!"

- Umesh Dhurvas

-George Bernard Shaw.

35

VEDANT SHANKAR

CLASS XII

Most Likely to Become …

a tank top model Aspiration

NARENDRA NATH GARAPATI

To be a test driver for Lamborghini

Most Likely to Become …

Quote

an English Teacher in Peru,

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito."

where the oldest specimens of peanuts were found

-Dalai Lama

Aspiration

To record an album with Dave Grohl & Courtney Love before the age of 24 Quote

"To be yourself is all that you can do, cause what you see you might not get."

- Audiosalve/Beastie Boys Mash Up

GUHAN SHANMUGAM

ARIANTH TEJAS BELLIRAJ

Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

an East meets West

an elegant

fashion designer

Salsa dancer

Aspiration

Aspiration

To invade the moon before Ana Saran gets there & defeat the Vatican City cricket team

To explore art and design

Quote

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see." - John Lennon

Quote

" Elegance is an attitude."

- Longines

POOJA UMAYAL M Most Likely to Become …

MAKESWARI K Most Likely to Become …

the Founder of Chhota Bheem Manga Inc. Aspiration

Aspiration

Bike Racer Quote

"Life is a game, this is your clue, play the game it's up to you. Show the world what you can do, now and how." - Loyd

LILT 2014-2015 //

To become a best selling author who also tutors suffering twelfth grade science students

a Ghost Buster

Quote

"If you can't convince them, confuse them."

- Harry S Truman I AM

APARNA VELMURUGAN Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

the winner oF Tour de France Aspiration

KSHITEJ PUJARI Most Likely to Become …

Bruno Mars body double Aspiration

To become rich and famous

To be the first teenager to travel the world on a four wheeler with a DSLR as my co-passenger Quote

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."

- Mark Twain

Quote

"People would be a lot more fun, if they were a little more gullible." (no author)

37

CLASS XII

ASHMITA KUMAR Most Likely to Become …

a professional college-essay writer Aspiration

Freelance Writer Quote

SOUNDARYA KALYANARAMAN

"Courage is not a man with a gun. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."

Most Likely to Become …

a painter

- Atticus Finch

in slow-mo (perpetually) Aspiration

To fly Quote

"If you face the sunshine, the shadows will fall behind you."

- Maori Proverb

SAUJANYA T

MAHIMA BHARDWAJ

Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

Frog Princess

Sleeping Beauty

Aspiration

To do something in life that involves lots of climbing, jumping and cycling

Aspiration

Quote

"I pray for the strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't and the incapacity to tell the difference." - Calvin and Hobbes

"My train of thoughts is still boarding the station."

- Calvin and Hobbes

I'll take a rain check Quote

ANVITHA H Most Likely to Become …

Bhojan Rani LILT 2014-2015 //

Aspiration

Interior Designer Quote

"Life is a farce."

- Sergius Saranoff

I AM

ANA SARAN Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

fatter Aspiration

To reach the moon and dance on it.

SHRADDHA JAIN Most Likely to Become …

SRK's old age nurse

Quote

"There are really only two plays: Romeo and Juliet, and put the darn ball in the basket." - Abe Lemons

Aspiration

To learn from everything that I experience Quote

" Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up." - Stephen Hawking

39

CLASS XI

Class Teachers: Sekar Venkatraman, Prakash Somayaji, Maa Pradhi

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

41

Open MIC one of the many privileges that the super seniors enjoy are the open mics in Maatu Manne, which is coupled with sumptuous dinners.

LILT 2014-2015 //

After eating a opulent dinner, we all turn our chairs and face the far corner of Maatu Manne, which serves as the glamorous dais onto which our classmates go and embarrass themselves in a sundry of ways.

The performances are given by both teachers and students, who for one night share the same status: entertainers. These performances range from songs to dances to a simple sharing of experience. Open mics are a perfect showcase of all our talents and versatility: it is usually characterized by an unforeseen breakout into Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" by the teachers, who were all adorned with wigs of radical colors, an attempted flash mob where the glamorous girls forgot most of the steps but covered up for it spectacularly, a ‘poetry slam’ by four teachers that centered around a mysterious papaya tree (which was probably too profound for us to comprehend), vocal solos by several gifted singers from both the teacher and student community, a breathtaking magic show (where the teacher violently flicked the coin to the back of the room and declared that it disappeared), a narration of writings in English class, and spontaneous eruptions into the cup song amongst other things.

I AM

After eating an opulent dinner, we all turn our chairs and face the far corner of Maatu Manne, which serves as the glamorous dais onto which our classmates go and embarrass themselves in a sundry of ways.

They are a positive equivalent of spot tests- no one can predict when they are going to magically appear in our schedules. However unlike spot tests, when we hear about open mics, we don’t dissolve into a puddle of tears and refuse to get up in the morning.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

The ending is usually delivered by our school band, Fizzy Sole, who very magnanimously update us with their new songs and provide us pleasant alt rock to the ears for a good 15 minutes.

43

1/2 hours

Class teacher periods are the time-slots that precede the academic schedule of the day, where we rendezvous with our class teachers for a pleasant half hour.

Class Teacher Period As we wash our plates after breakfast, we steal a glance at the board that announced the day’s assembly venue. Once in a while, we see the words ‘class teacher period’ scrawled across the green board in caps lock, and we involuntarily sigh. Class teacher periods are the time-slots that precede the academic schedule of the day, where we rendezvous with our class teachers for a pleasant half hour.

We do a surprising variety of things in this allocated time. From random games to videos of our Prime Minister addressing the nation, to strict lectures about assembly etiquette… the class teachers always have colourful ideas to share and implement.

But nothing is as exciting as the class teacher periods where we are sombrely sat down and given reality checks that include ominous phrases like ‘boards in half a month’ and ‘time to get serious’ and ‘future and career choices.’

preparing for

5

boards

You know that feeling when you are dreading getting back the math paper you know you had written so badly, and ten days later, it is in your hands and you are staring at the encircled red numbers? [And no, I am not going to tell you what those numbers are!] Now, multiply that feeling by a hundred and that is what you experience within yourself as the board exams make their presence felt.

When I first entered the 12th grade classroom, I felt happy as we were now on the first floor in Gnana Shala, with an amazing view to enjoy during classes. That feeling lasted for exactly 5…4…3…2…1….

Seconds. Enter our class teachers, with a placid look on their faces

Our first Prelims felt like Mojo Jojo would have come to Townsville with his latest evil invention

1

“Guys, this is t welfth grade and you simply cannot afford to fool around any more,” said Sekar Anna, t ugging at his beard.

Prakash Anna and Maa Pradhi nodded with all the solemnity they could muster.

“And you need to take this year very, very seriously,” added Prakash Anna.

And that was that. All of us fell silent and listened to them talk about the significance of the last year of school. After our class teachers left, a blanket of sombre silence filled the air, lasting a little over two seconds, till someone guffawed and voila, we were back to our familiar “exuberant” nature!

Our first Prelims felt like Mojo Jojo would have come to Townsville with his latest evil invention. Towards the end of those 10 gruesome days, all of us resolved to study harder; most of us must have kept our word because Prelims II merely felt like Doofenshmirtz attacking Danville (in the presence of Agent P).

On the first day of boards, that aforementioned Math-Paper-Feeling came back. It was like a not-so-pleasant dream… we were writing our board exams. We had been preparing for this moment the whole year, and here we were… writing our last exams in Isha Home School.

Another feeling is starting to set in now… am I ready to leave?

CLASS XI - XII HOUSE

ANAAR HOUSE

House Parents: Raj Modhvadia & Arpita Shah

KRISHNAKAMALAM HOUSE

House Parent: Geetanjali Deshpande & Anitha Y

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

PARIJATA HOUSE

House Parents: Sanjana Soman & Nandana Puri

47

CLASS X

Class Teachers: Dr. Anand Gandhi & Anusha S

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

49

VANESHA MALLI SURESH

CLASS X

Most Likely to Become …

PA to Benedict Cumberbatch Aspiration

Pilot Quote

"Enjoy the journey of life and not just the end game."

KIRTHEEKAA E.D. Most Likely to Become …

- Benedict Cumberbatch

the CEO of a crude oil company Aspiration

A learner for life Quote

"If you want to feel rich, count all the things you have that money can't buy." Anonymous

SASHWATHA SRIRAM

RASHMITHA R.

Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

the first person to sleep through a sonic grenade Aspiration

Playback Singer, Pianist, Scientist, Architect, Artist, Astronaut, or Aeronautical Engineer Quote

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.

Do you understand?" - Capt. Jack Sparrow

Miss Tamil Nadu Aspiration

Athlete / Travel Journalist Quote

"Walk, jog, run, 'BOLT'" - Usain Bolt.

Class X - Individual

UTHARA VISWANATHAN Most Likely to Become …

Amma' of Thailand Aspiration

Indian Foreign Officer/ Ambassador to the UN JANANI SAMPATH Most Likely to Become …

the mother of soup-pop

A better human being

"Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do things no one can imagine."

LILT 2014-2015 //

Aspiration

Quote

- The Imitation Game

Quote

"What is written in your books does not matter, what beats in your heart matters."

I AM

- Sadhguru

RAMKUMAR J. Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

the first and the only human tank in the army Aspiration

To live the best I can GOBICA MURALI Most Likely to Become …

CSI Officer Aspiration

creator of Gob's Trends

Quote

"Don't worry about the people who talk behind your back, they are behind you for a reason."

- Anonymous

Quote

"Your story may not have such a happy beginning but that doesn't make you who you are. It's the rest of your story, who you choose to be." - Kung Fu Panda 2

51

YAGNESHWAR

CLASS X

Most Likely to Become …

a failed playback singer / emotional ekambaram Aspiration

Chartered Accountant SRI HARSHA SINGAM

Quote

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."

Most Likely to Become …

a coke float

- Vince Lombardi Aspiration

Rocket Engineer, Actor, Multimillionaire, Philanthropist Quote

"If you resist change, you resist life." - Sadhguru

V ADARSH VISHNU

KUSH MANOJ PATEL

Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

a dull Homer Simpson

the next Tom Brady

Aspiration

Aspiration

Photographer

To become a millionaire

Quote

Quote

"A dream is not what you get when you are asleep. A dream is what does not let you sleep."- APJ Abdul Kalam

"If you believe that you can achieve something, you're already half way there."

- Anonymous

RAJARAJAN NAGARAJAN Most Likely to Become …

the next Gabrielle Iglesias Aspiration

Most Likely to Become …

a zone out Aspiration

To be happy while living Quote LILT 2014-2015 //

Mathematician, Architect, Artist, Space Researcher and a proud Indian

ANEESH KUMAR SRINIVASAN

"Don’t follow your dreams, chase them." Anonymous

Quote

"To be the best, you have to beat the best."

- Showtek I AM

MEENAAKSHI PALANIAPPAN Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

the inventor of size sub-zero pants Aspiration

ANMOAL RAUNAQH KHAN Most Likely to Become …

Tony Stark Aspiration

Rockstar/ Architect

A successful athlete and marathon runner

Quote

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure." - Bill Cosby

Quote

"The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules." - Joker

53

CLASS X RUTUJA SHINDE Most Likely to Become …

author of "Rutz Diaries" - a rip-off of Dork Diaries Aspiration

Psychologist SHREYA M

Quote

Most Likely to Become …

"You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you." - Augustus Waters

Sushma Swaraj's replacement Aspiration

Patent Lawyer Quote

"To fault Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."

- Casseus

PRIYAMVADHA K SUVATHI S Most Likely to Become …

Most Likely to Become …

the don of Erode

a star in the next

Aspiration

Athlete Quote

"It's a slow process, but quitting won't speed it up."

- Anonymous

Dora movie Aspiration

A person supporting the audio and lighting in theatre productions Quote

The 3C's of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a Choice, to take a Chance or your life will Change" - Anonymous

Class X - Individual

SWARNA MANJARI C Most Likely to Become …

a proponent of noise pollution LILT 2014-2015 //

Aspiration

Scientist Quote

I AM

"There are two ways to spread light - be the candle itself or be the mirror that reflects it." - Anonymous

G.DHANUSH Most Likely to Become … // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

a soldier who takes a nerf gun to war Aspiration

MIRNALINI A

To always have a maximum adrenaline rush

Most Likely to Become …

the first doctor to have stopped the heart of a patient before surgery Aspiration

Cardiologist

Quote

"Do not go where the path may lead. Instead, go where there is no path and make your own trail."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Quote

"The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have." - Anonymous

55

CLASS X RISHI DHARSHAN Most Likely to Become …

the last (and only) fan of Vijay Aspiration

Hotel Manager Quote

" I open at the close."

- The Golden Snitch

KODURU SRI SANKEERTH Most Likely to Become …

public enemy no 1.

Aspiration

A great businessman like Martin Winterhorn Quote

"We stop looking for the monster under the bed when we realise they are inside of us." - Joker

RAJBARATH BALAMURALI Most Likely to Become …

the next power star Aspiration

Actor Quote

"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villian."

- Batman

YASH RATNOO Most Likely to Become …

the next Stephen Hawking Aspiration

ANANTH SHANKAR Most Likely to Become …

the highest paid bathroom singer

Rockstar, Footballer or Engineer

Quote

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

LILT 2014-2015 //

Aspiration

Scientist who solves the issues of global warming

- Thomas A.Edison

Quote

"It's not who I am underneath. It's what I do that defines me."

I AM

- Christian Bale

RISHI SRINIVASAN // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Most Likely to Become …

a (w)rapper Aspiration

VARUN SIDDHARTH

Ambassador of the country or Politician

Most Likely to Become …

the next model for "Solo" Aspiration

To be the best I can be

Quote

"I think we all do heroic things, but hero is a not a noun, it's a verb."

- Robert Downey Jr.

Quote

"Don’t pray for a good life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one."

- Bruce Lee

57

CLASS IX IX A

IX A | Class Teacher: Gayathri R Shrigowri Sundararaman, S R Mahashree, Aparna Gurusamy, Dhruv Mathur, Harshitha Sundar Ganga, J S Srehari, Subashini P, Arunima Biswas, Thirupugazh R, Pravara J, Rounak Ramesh Kamat, Mudra Srinivasan, Ramanujan Murali, Senthil Nathan R, Sai Shekhar, K V Lalith Vivek, N Navya Varma

IX B

IX B | Class Teacher: Narayanasami A Gowtham Rajarathinam, A Gokul Narayan, Iniyayaazhini S, Radhani J, Suneet Samanvaya Joshi, Karthik Chandran, Ajitesh Sriram, N M Monnishaa, Natasha John, Dakshanya Kannan, Dhamini B, Janani Lakshmi S, Harsshavardhan S, B MahaPrathanya, Sanjana S.K, Joshua Ghattora, Karunya, Muralidharan, Vikram Ojasvi

CLASS VIII VIII A

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM

VIII A | Class Teacher: Ayman Abou Hamra R Kiritik, M Samvarthana, S Aravind, Chethana V Ramalingam, Mrinalini Ganesh, Nithish Vicraman M, P Supraja, S K Kiruthika, N Pragatheeswar, Shreya Kalachaveedu, Sri Vaibhavi Thillaikumar, Kailash Gautam, Jagadeep D, Sussmitha Shanmugam, Anirudh Das, V Ashwanthi, Akash Iyer, Anahita Belliraj, Sidharth Menon, Maitreya Cherukupalli, Sudeshna Adhikary, Abinaya Damodaran

VIII B

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

VIII B | Class Teacher: Maa Pratapi Gowtham Rajarathinam, A Gokul Narayan, Iniyayaazhini S, Radhani J, Suneet Samanvaya Joshi, Karthik Chandran, Ajitesh Sriram, N M Monnishaa, Natasha John, Dakshanya Kannan, Dhamini B, Janani Lakshmi S, Harsshavardhan S, B MahaPrathanya, Sanjana S.K, Joshua Ghattora, Karunya, Muralidharan, Vikram Ojasvi

59

Houses VIII/ IX/ X MAHILAM

House Parents: Swami Ekapada & Swami Bhavaboothi

GOVARDHANA

House Parents: Ayman Abou Hamra & Rammy Voberek

CHAMPA

House Parents: Narayanasami A & Ramya C

House Parents: Ramasamy P & Shakthi R

RADHAMANOHAR

CHAMANTHI

House Parents: T1 - Samanvaya Joshi & Shoma Joshi T2 - Sarada Dash & Devansh JainVarshneya

House Parents: Narakesari Sethuraman & Anuroopa Rangaraj

LILT 2014-2015 //

SAMPANGI

I AM // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

61

Middle Class MANORANJITHA

Class Teacher: Sanjana Soman Sivanand Narayanan, Pankaj Kumar S,Srivanth Doddala, K V Kapil Vivek, Aditi S, Deeksha Vinod, Gayathri Tripuraneni, Jaishree M Devi, Kaavya Muthuganesan, Lochana, S V Jayavarshaa, Shreya Patel, Sruthilaya R, Anbu Damodaran, Arvind Mohanraj, Pavan Shakthivel V, Sanjeev Lakshmanan, Abhinav Dinesh Srivatsa, Amartya Ilinani, Ram Satvat J

AKASHMALLI

Class Teacher: Arpita Shah Mira Patel, Shravya S Iyer, Sonia Colagiuri, Vrisha Vekaria, Advaith V, Athish Pranav M, B Pragadeesh Jashveer M, Ruhan Anjan Kartik, Sahasrik Ragani, Sai Vishnu Chitra, Yadhunandan Balasubramanian, Abirami C, Dakshina, Dharshini Sripriya, Karishma Luthra, Aditya Ilinani, Karn Varshneya, Nithil Kumaran

KANAKAMBARA

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM

Class Teacher: Shakthi Ramasamy Cibikumar K, Natarajan PL, Garvit Khiwal, Pranav Turlapati, Jyothermay Jain, Manoo Sirivelu, Siddharth Yada, Yuva Yashvin S, Aditi Viswanathan, Anushaa Ramesh, Aparna, Divya Shree, Kushi Runwal, Vaishali Agrawal, Varshika Muthukumar, Vindya Atmakur, Kabilan S, Siddharth Narayan V, Sujith S

MANDARA

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Class Teacher: Ramya C G M Kaushic Kishan, S Yuvan Bharathi, Gnana Muthes M, Adhavan J R, Ashwin R, Tanush D Srivatsa, Anish Joshi, Devansh Kalluhole, Aakanksha Patil, Sahasra S, Sai Sahana, Swetha S, Vidhata Ghattaora, Heeya Chawda, Mhansiya Sekar, Mythri V, Swarna Srinivasan, Arjun, Nischal Gopinath Nair, Suganth, Vishnu Ganesh

63

Middle Houses MANORANJITA

House Parents: Sakthivel B & Prabha K

MANDARA

SURYAKANTI

House Parents: Sundar R & Ganga B

House Parents: Sandeep Varshneya & Manisha Varshneya

KANAKAMBARA

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM

House Parents: Sunil Patel & Chandrika Patel

AKASHMALLI

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

House Parents: Sivakumar S & Shyamala G

65

Junior Houses ARALI

House Parents: Dr. Anand Gandhi & Mili Gandhi | Class Teacher: Amishi Doshi | Student Teacher: Shruthi S Divya Ashok, Niyanthri Vijayshankar, Aariyamaan Rajinikanth, Aashiqah Farvin, Dharane B. K, Vibhu Aravindan, Oviyah Karuppanathan, Aksita S, Ilakkian Sivakumar, Rakshith Shantha Kumar, Aswath S, Tejasvi Krishvenkat, Aditi Srinivas Iyer, Mervin Mahendran, Sanjay Raghav R, Krishna Chaitanya, Mugilan Thirumavalavan

GULAB

House Parents: Maa Chndasa & Maa Kunsi | Class Teachers: Ami Dalal & Pavitra Ryaga Akshara Turlapati, Rohit Richerd, Anuraag Kaliswaran, Nithin Shanmugam, Tejeshwar M, Shreyashri V, Yash Avinash Patil, Archana Ponnambalam, Sathya Santhanam, Taejashwini S, Jiya Madiraju, Navanthikha M, Maya Sirivelu, Parun Sethupathy, Malhhar Vaibhav Saawant, Anju Srinivasan, Praajita Manas Ranade

KADAMBA

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM

House Parents: Sathyamoorthy S & Ranganayaki (Sudha) S | Class Teacher: Rajalakshmi A S Srishti Ganesh, Akshith Kaliswaran, Srinayan, Tara Ram, Manassa S.K, Sharath Vishnu, Deeksha, Vivekanandan, Shreyasi R, Shiv Karthik Sakthivel, Arya Sridhar, Bharathi S, Shrithic G, Ayan Shivam Patel, DeepakRaam K R, Anahita Biswas, Milan Gandhi, Shrilekha M, Shivam Anant Patel

JAJJI

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

House Parents: Sekar Venkatraman & Shanti Sekar | Class Teacher: Maa Chitagni Arshad Ahmed, Aadhi Vignesh, Oviyashree C, Maithreyi Narakesari, Mithran M.K, Shakthi B, Vigneshwar M, Ruby Kumar, Ajith Krishna Reddy, Azara Singh, Shatvica G, Adith S, Sandhya R, Vivegha R, Hari R.L, Nitya Sidharth Iyer, Anirudh Subramaniam, Harini Ramesh

67

Staff 24/7

LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

69

teacher's day LILT 2014-2015 //

I AM

The morning began with a light-hearted assembly, where teachers were called up on stage for a game of Shipwreck, where each teacher was assigned a different role and a team number. Only one team could be saved from impending doom. Each team, while staying in character, had to convince audience members to save it.

Students then took classes for teachers, as well as their juniors.

Classes for teachers included effective time management, hairstyling 101, culinary arts, contemporary dance, abstract art, spoken word poetry, marketing/ advertising and drama. Teachers dressed and acted like students – with a tinge of exaggeration – so that their student-turnedteachers could experience some of the challenges of being a teacher.

After lunch, all gathered for a round of the IHS version of the improvisational comedy show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ The students then gathered together for a live screening of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Teacher’s Day speech. English translation was provided for those who were unable to follow Hindi.

Students organized a beautiful candlelight dinner for teachers. The night concluded with a cultural program, featuring student and teacher dances, IHS breaking news, video presentations, comedy skits and a mini-rock concert.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Class X, XI & XII standard students planned and executed a very memorable Teacher’s Day celebration.

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE: ‘The students did a wonderful job in organizing the event.

They put in a tremendous amount of effort and kept even the minutest details in mind. With Murphy’s law on their side, the schedule kept evolving over the course of the day, with a number of last minute changes and unexpected twists. Still, they were able to quickly adapt to the situation, think on their feet and maintain a certain grace and sense of humour amidst all the chaos.’

Prakash Somayaji, Vice Principal Senior School Coordinator ‘Teachers are teachers everyday, but what happens when students become teachers? OMG! It’s a mess! We were given a week for Teachers’ Day preparation. A tremendous amount of time and effort went into brainstorming and coming up with something different. I think we put up a pretty good show, and the hectic, tiring days were worth the fun. All in all, I had a wonderful experience.’

Nidhi William, Class XI Teachers’ Day Organiser

71

HP Survival GUIDE Though we all may init ially think otherwise, St udents and HPs want the same things in the end…

10 Qualit ies an HP Should Acquire During the Course of Their House-Parent-Ship: 1.

The wisdom* to acknowledge that each child has a unique sleep pattern, and thus come up with a customized wake-up schedule.

2.

The ability to whip up countless innovative notes to the PE team between 5:25 and 5:30am every morning, whenever their wisdom* is at a low.

3.

Giving you endearing looks as you squint to look at the clock during Shambhavi.

4.

The ability to turn a blind eye as and when needed, and as often as possible – e.g. as you leave the house one fine morning in your favorite T, as you forget to drink Kanji, as you lose your way back to the house from CMM...

5.

Catching up on IHS Urban Idioms, like “Today I Qikly came off.”

6.

Providing unlimited email access to you enthusiastically on a daily basis, occasionally dropping a few videos here and there in the student group folder.

7.

The ability to gracefully run behind the snacks cart to obtain ingredients for a house kitchen experiment.

8.

An ability to abolish your miseries with spontaneous breakouts into “Chandelier”.

9.

Replenishing your secret snack stash based on the amount of candy wrappers found in your bedroom.

10. Cradling you lovingly in their arms as you fall asleep three minutes before prep time.

Akka! I got canned in class today, so I Qikly came off...

LILT 2014-2015 //

counter to

HP Survival GUIDE

I AM

10 Qualit ies a St udent Should Acquire During the Course of their Tenure at IHS: The ability to wake him/herself and others up on time, thus allowing the HP to sleep till 7am.

2.

The ability to forge the HP handwriting and signature on days he/she fails to do so.

3.

The ability to tolerate the “strict” looks your HP gives you when you finish yoga in 12 minutes. After all, they’re just doing what “THE SCHOOL” asks them to.

4.

5.

The ability to sneak out of the house at the right moment, dodge Kanji and Kadalai when no one’s looking and sending a message with a friend that you might be late due to the ankle you twisted while going down the steps at CMM; thus allowing your HP to have enough excuses to dodge “THE SCHOOL’s” heavy criticism Leave notes, accidentally, containing insightful info into the lives of your housemates.

6.

Keeping quiet when the computers are accidentally left on and unattended, and changing the names of “illegal” files into things like historyimportantfinalexam. doc.doc.doc.mp4 (no one will read past the word History)

7.

A deep sense of culinary acceptance and the ability to gracefully eat whatever the HP whips up in the house kitchen.

8.

Knowing when to leave the HP alone when he/she is not in the mood.

9.

Hiding your secret snack stash well so that the HP doesn’t look too foolish when “THE SCHOOL” drops in for a surprise house inspection

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

1.

10. Learning to sleep in an upright position during prep so that the HP can comfortably ignore you.

73

Junior Explorers CONTINENT STUDY “Yeah! We are t ravelling all the way across the world!”

This te rm, the Junior Sch o ol st udents st udied diffe rent cont inents in e ach of the four houses, by going on vir t ual field tours. Each one be came a world t ravelle r, given faux p asspor ts (which some thought were real) and granted visas to their country of st udy. They ident ified the land area, capital, lang uages, currenc y, and pop ulat ion for e ach plac e visited.

Travellers to North America in Arali started their journey in the United States, creating their own projects on areas of their interest.

Some created models of famous sites, while others created board games using information from a given state. They took a virtual flight to Canada and made their way from Quebec to Vancouver in the month that followed, periodically learning about what the major cities along the way. Final stops were in Mexico and Central America.

European tourists in Gulab travelled by sea from India, through to the Suez Canal, safely reaching Greece. They were given boarding passes according to their mode of travel - air, train or sea, as they travelled from one destination to the next. They visited places of interest and maintained a travelogue, capturing information and drawings of famous landmarks.

In Jajji, the students explored South America. As they travelled from one country to another, they chose what they wanted to learn, be it the customs, food, flora and fauna, etc. Before moving from one country to another, they shared what they had learned with their peers and got an immigration stamp on their passports.

Kadamba studied Africa, first comparing it to the size of other continents, and then doing a landmark project, where each student studied and created a poster around a famous place in Africa. Due to the large number of countries in this continent, they divided Africa into five different regions and explored a few countries from each.

Each house prepared dishes that are typical of each continent and all four houses came together for a potluck lunch to share the food.

EXTENDED FAMILY When we mention the term “extended family”, we think of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, but in Junior School our extended family comprises of fish, caterpillars, butterflies, birds, turtles and so much more!

Living at the foothills of the Velliangiri mountains, we have the privilege of being encompassed in nature. Most times we enjoy its beauty from a distance, while sometimes we have the opportunity of nature visiting us.

Whether it’s a caterpillar that found a home in Gulab to transition into a vibrant butterfly, or a turtle that needed shelter while its original home (the pond near the Junior houses) was being cleaned, the Juniors have whole heartedly decided to share their spaces with any visitor.

The children looked after them and used these wonderful opportunities to study about the flora and fauna around school.

Learning about an animal’s life cycle, its habitat, the food it eats, its characteristics and its defence mechanisms have all become a part and parcel of academics in Junior School.

Not only that, but these fascinating creatures are the inspiration behind many stories and poems written in class.

BOOKWORMS As much as the Juniors love going out to play, they love a good story. It actually does not matter how these stories unfold, be it a storytelling assembly, read aloud, or something that they read on their own.

This year, the Juniors have taken to reading with a whole new passion. Just about any time of the day, you can find them snuggled in a cozy corner of the class with their noses deep into a book. So enamoured they are that we decided to explore reading in many forms.

Introductions to authors happened through assemblies. Harry Potter enthusiasts introduced the magical world of witchcraft and wizardry on J.K Rowling’s birthday, Alice in Wonderland stories were shared on Lewis Carol’s birthday and the adventures of Mowgli and his friends were enacted on Rudyard Kipling’s birthday.

Assemblies have also been a wonderful platform for book reviews, where students and teachers have shared about their favourite authors and books.

The students have also created many wonderful projects based on the books they have read. Character sketches, Cereal box sets and board games, to name a few!

Read Aloud has also become an integral part of class. From picture books about a boy with a really long name (Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo), to books about a magical worm that can erase anything by just eating up the word, reading has opened up a new dimension for our young ones.

LILT 2014-2015 //

I EXP L O R E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

75

JS & MS Write Steps ‘The Fabuloso Homework Machine’, ‘The Painful Moment’ ‘The Mini Copter’, ‘The Missing Tooth” and ‘The Handwriter’ are a few examples of the zany invent ions the inspired minds created in their WriteSteps class. In Junior and Middle School, WriteSteps was introduced at the start of the year. It is a comprehensive writ ing program that provides st udents the skills to develop their craft.

The use of student samples, graphic organizers and self-evaluation rubrics give students of all learning styles an opportunity to foster clear written expression focusing on the various writing traits and types.

Students explored the cities they lived in in their narrative pieces and made figments of their imagination come to life in the informative essays on their inventions. While the younger students debated and opined, displaying impressive reasoning skills about whether parents should choose their clothes, the older students did the same based on whether an online school is better than a regular one. They glimpsed into, and recreated scenes from the past in their historical fiction; tried their hand at realistic fiction; explored moral stories through fables; created evil villains and brave heroes in legends; and even worked on a research paper!

The younger students debated and opined, displaying impressive reasoning skills about whether parents should choose their clothes

LILT 2014-2015 //

MS Units Literature Circle

I EXP L O R E

Ever been on the receiving end of one of those horrified looks at the ment ion of the word ‘literat ure’? For all the “right” misconcept ions, most st udents equated literat ure with something boring and tedious. The Literat ure Circle was our attempt to use collaborat ive learning and st udent-centered inquiry to remedy this.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Walk into Literature class now and prepare to be shocked at the sound of silence as students complete their self-assigned reading, or the excited chatter of the various literary tasks being discussed. The students chose books based on two themes - Friendship and Animals. They worked in small groups and assigned various roles to each member - the Clever Connectors racking their brains to make connections between ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ and personal experiences; Imaginative Illustrators letting their creativity lose on the paper; Purposeful Passage Pickers identifying important passages in the novels; Discussion Directors of ‘Charlotte’s Web’ and ‘Frindle’ formulating questions that the group would later discuss; the Vocabulary Enrichers reading ‘The Call of the Wild’ running to refer to various dictionaries to figure out ‘what primordial really means’.

Newspaper Unit Don’t be alarmed if you find children with pens and little booklets in their hands, snooping around with their invest igat ive hats on, hurriedly jott ing things dow n.

These are the middle school journalists covering Isha Home School events as a part of this term’s English technical writing class. Over the course of this unit, the children have learned how to write articles for a newspaper or a magazine. This newspaper contains articles on the various aspects of their life in school, such as festivals they have been a part of, inter-class kho-kho and volleyball tournaments, workshops, co-curricular activities and other interesting events from their class and house environments. The newspaper has been written, designed and edited by the students; a product that is truly their own.

77

MATH FRENZY Children seated opposite each other, a t winkle in their eyes, poised with a card in their hands, wait ing…..

The air in the classroom is electrified with anticipation and excitement – almost tangible. All is quiet. Suddenly, a voice says, “Start!” and the class explodes with screams and shouts of numbers. The students are no longer sitting down; they are on their toes with faces contorted in concentration. Here, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are done in lightning speed. What a fun way to learn Math! This is Math Frenzy.

SOCIAL STUDIES As part of their cont inent st udy, the children explored South America. As a culminat ion project, each child chose a South American country and worked on a ‘Cool Country Project’.

The project illustrated their understanding of the indigenous, colonial and independent history of the country they chose. The project also consisted of a presentation of the country’s important geographic and cultural features.

OPEN NIGHT Open Night was an opport unit y for children to explore a variet y of act ivit ies offered in the evening.

Activities like read aloud, traditional games, bird sketching, language games, poetry writing, kathak dance, card making, crochet, doll making, brain teasers, paper boomerangs, documentary screenings, and the art of applying mehendi were some of the activities offered to students three nights a week.

A few children chose to go for choir practice once a week.

This culminated in a wonderful performance at the end of the term. Children also opted for training sessions for Academic Games and MUN. Enthusiastic students also had the opportunity to conduct some of the sessions and share their knowledge and skills with their friends, namely in quilling, origami, Rubik’s Cube’s tips and strategies... Some chose to teach their mother tongue or other languages they knew, featuring Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and even Finnish!

CLUBS Thespians, Chefs, Footballers, Scient ists, Potters, Woodworkers, Graphic Designers...all in the making! These are some of the clubs that were offered to the Middle Schools st udents this year. Each term, st udents select one club they are interested in.

LILT 2014-2015 //

Some demonstrated commendable skill in making wooden race cars and bird houses, embroidered letter pouches and clay coiled pots, while others found their niche in artistic expression through scrapbooking and graphic designing. Members of the Cooking Club tried their hands at making white chocolate, gulab jamun and paneer tikka. Sports fans stuck to football, volleyball and tennis, and science lovers worked on projects like Rube Goldberg. Potential actors and actresses put on a short theatre performance for their peers and those who have a green thumb had a chance to spend time embellishing our gardens.

I EXP L O R E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

79

Oral History Narrative

Memory Project

The Social Science Department experimented with a new format in history class, which aimed at providing an experiential learning of history for the students. Humanities students in class XI and Class VIII students participated in a month-long Oral History Project.

The objective of this project was for students to understand a historical event from various perspectives, particularly from that of people who lived through an event and were touched by it. The historical event that was selected for study for Class VIII was the 2008 Mumbai Attacks. The XI Humanities Students decided to explore the end of the communist era in Eastern Europe in 1989.

Class VIII The project comprised three stages. In the first stage, students read and learned about the event using various media sources which provided Indian, Pakistani and other foreign perspectives. Students were asked to evaluate the evidence and come to their own understanding of what had transpired.

The next and perhaps most critical part of the project saw students interviewing people who had been affected or touched by the event, in order to put together a “people's history” of the event. The entire class was divided into 8 groups of 5 members each, with every group interviewing a different faculty member.

Students learned how to formulate questions, observe verbal and non-verbal aspects of an individual, conduct a formal interview and process information.

Thereafter, students reflected and consolidated their findings, identifying new learning from the interviews that they had not come across in their research.

Each group presented their findings and created a project report based on these interactions.

Class XI XI Humanities students followed a very similar process developing an

understanding of the context and the events leading to the fall of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe through various academic readings. This groundwork was followed with developing interview questions with an emphasis on identifying the aspects the students really wanted to know about.

The project was spearheaded and conceptualized by Dr. Cristina Dragomir, Professor of Political Science, State University of New York - Oswego and supported by the members of the IHS Humanities Department.

“One of the most challenging aspects of teaching history is to make the events palatable and relatable to the students.

More often than not, when I mention that I teach history, the revelation is met with a fleeting painful facial expression along with the comment, ‘Oh, I used to hate history in school’.”

Obviously, this is not a reaction we want to elicit in our classroom, and our primary concern is always to find the best avenues to share our passion for history with the students. At Isha Home School, the question is always how to engage the

students to be participants in history making within the constraints of the syllabus. The idea of developing an oral history module had been on our mind for some time and thanks to the guidance of Dr Dragomir, we were able to implement it.

What was most striking to me was that, through creating oral history, the students were involved in a process of self-reflection and hence, first and foremost, learned about themselves. They learned about their own reactions in unfamiliar situations such as interviewing people they didn’t know and extracting meaning out of what they heard. One usually outspoken student unexpectedly found that she had a difficult time guiding the interview the way she wanted. Students found at times that their assumptions had to be reevaluated, which prompted them to revisit some of their ideas. The project enabled students to capture unique and original voices we would have otherwise never heard, thereby making an original contribution to the historical narrative. Finally, as students observed, it made history come alive for them.

Suzanne Boeters, History teacher

POST-DINNER ACTIVITIES

NEWS IN REVIEW

At home school

WE ARE NEVER LEFT LILT 2014-2015 //

idle

On a weekly basis, st udents from class 8 to 12 are offered an array of evening act ivit ies,

I EXP L O R E

namely MUN, Fundamentals of Invest ing, Science Sy mposium, Graphic Design, Movie Club, Free-Writ ing… The aim is to incorporate academic learning outside of the restrict ions of a

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

syllabus, allowing an 8th grader to understand concepts usually imparted in 10th grade, or giving a 12th grader the opport unit y to explore subjects they may had dropped out of in 9th grade, when they have to choose their stream of st udies.

Another characterist ic of these ‘post dinner act ivit ies’ is that each session is stand-alone. A st udent who intends to go for one, needs no prior knowledge in the subject.

Sukanya J & Tosha B, Class XI

81

PERISCOPE The Junior and Middle School students participated in their annual Periscope celebration. Periscope is a platform for students to express their academic skills and to “see” and expand their own potential. It is a culmination of everything they have learned over the year. Different events across various subjects kept them excited and on their toes!

JS EVENTS

MS EVENTS

Scattegories

Extempore

Around the World

Rubik’s Speed Cubing

Word Hunt

IKEN, building models

Five Sensation Senses

Math – Jeopardy

Spelling Bee

Math – Around the World

Poetry Recitation

Math – Crime Scene Investigation

Tangrams

Poetry Writing

Math Treasure Hunt

Poetry Recitation

Collage Prompt Writing

News Games

General Knowledge Quiz Spelling Bee Chess

Chess

Second Language Quiz

Art Expression

Music Appreciation

Pottery

Reader’s Theatre

Second Language Events Music Appreciation Oral Storytelling Dramatics Model MUN

FIVE SENSATIONAL SENSES

IKEN

A new addition to this year’s Junior School Periscope, was the Five Sensational Senses event. These events tested skills in observation, auditory, tactile, olfactory and taste.

The Middle School students' curiosity was piqued when "Iken" was announced as one of the new Periscope events for the year. They had heard about it. They had seen it. But To understand their level of observation, students played a memory game. most of them hadn't done it before. Everyone They were asked to look at a tray filled with ten items. Once the tray was (students and teachers) was excited to explore! covered again, the students were then asked to list out the items. How hard could it be right? Well, believe me, it’s not that simple!

To exercise their auditory skills, the students had to listen to and identify sounds they hear on a regular basis. This included running water, a peacock’s call and even someone snoring!

Now, for their tactile skills. Various items were placed in a cloth bag and students had to feel and decide what the items were. Coconut became a rock and tamarind was labelled as a squishy thing!

Their olfactory skills were then put to the test! Students were given various ingredients to smell, including ginger, capsicum, curry leaves, lemons and oranges. One child smelled the capsicum and very confidently and excitedly yelled out “I know what this is!! It’s a banana leaf!”

These events were definitely not as easy as they seemed and it has motivated the students to continue enhancing their Five Sensational Senses.

All of the students had the opportunity to design and create a push and pull-back car. Each subsequent round became more challenging. Some of the students then designed a castle drawbridge using pulleys and a hydraulic draw bridge. In the final round, they had to create a hydraulic scissor lift.

I EXP L O R E

Finally, the tasting part! (This was their favourite.) Students sampled mouth-watering butter, bitter fenugreek, turmeric, spicy podi and sweet honey. The expression on their faces as they tasted each ingredient was priceless.

The word "IKEN" stands for "individual" horizon of knowledge. The idea is to inspire and address student's questions and prepare them in an "understand and practice" approach. The tools the students used facilitate not only collaborative and independent learning but an ability to analyse the why and how of things.

The students had a gala of a time, working in one of their Middle School classrooms transformed into an Iken laboratory!

They learned a lot. They became thinkers, designers, constructors, problem solvers, experimenters and communicators all in a fun and hands on way.

83

WORKSHOPS

Aero modelling Workshop with Mr. P Eswar, Aeromodelling Professional & proprietor of ENR Model Aircraft

Voiceover Workshop with Mrs. Prachi Sathi, Voice Dubbing Artist

Math Workshop with Mr. Steve Mills, Math Expert from Manchester, UK

I EXP L O R E

Chess Workshop with Mr. Azikre Gur, Professional Chess Player & International Master

85

WORKSHOPS

Photography Workshop with Mr Babak Salari, Acclaimed Photo Journalist

Volleyball Workshop with Ms. Claudia Laciga, former Brazil Women's National Beach Volleyball Team player

I EXP L O R E

Football Session with Mr. Eric Benny, former footballer and manager of the Indian National team

Drum Workshop with Alumnus Jeyavignesh (Vick) R. S.

87

Quill Club Writers LILT 2014-2015 //

We were told we were being given an opport unit y to become published authors and well, WE WEN T FOR I T! After t wo rounds of select ions, 30 st udents were finally chosen for the project, and thus began the writers’ journey.

Soon, we were at a stage known as ‘brainstorming’.

It seemed silly at first; we sit and simply think of an idea for our stories? But it so happened that when we went up to Hemant Anna, our facilitator, with the first idea, it got rejected. So did the second and the third and the fourth… and the twenty-first, in some cases. We had to let them fly like dandelion seeds in the wind.

Draft after draft after draft, we finally had something we were satisfied with. The first draft was, in most cases, as different from the final draft as Indian Pizza is from an Italian one.

____________________________________

It may seem insignificant and simple, but coming up with a title that was just right for our stories was possibly the most difficult step in this whole process. People would come up with a very good title, but one that was not so relevant to their stories, or in some cases, not good enough for the stories they had.

After probably squeezing our brains dry of the last grey cells, 99% of us had ideas for our stories (the 1% finally had a sat isfactory story while everyone else was almost done with their first or second drafts), and then began the phase of developing our tales. ____________________________________

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Mind is faster than lightning, they say. They are right.

The ideas that we had come up with seemed almost like literary masterpieces in our heads, but with pen and paper in hand, the white sheet in front of us was as pristine and blank as the answer sheet of an unprepared student. How to start the story? How to finish it? What about everything in between? What should I name the characters? What about this loophole here? Now what? What direction to take now? So much confusion!

I EXP L O R E

The first week, we were actually quite excited about missing a week’s worth of classes. SIX HOURS of just sitting and writing in the AV Room seemed to be a delightful prospect. However, from Day One, the process of getting published was nowhere close to what we had imagined.

No, it did not begin with gazing at the mist engulfed hills, getting inspired and writing with utmost focus and intensity; it began with sitting in a circle, writing an author’s profile and discussing story structures.

Is that it? Not at all...

All said and done, when the project reached fruition and was ready to get published, the amount of fulfilment and gratification was more than worth any hardship we would have experienced along the way.

89

FINE ARTS For me the art department has been a dynamic, vital part of the school.

As we look back at the last 10 years, we see considerable growth, from the choices we offer to the spaces we work in. Much has happened over the years to create a vibrant art program and many creative hands have contributed along the way. We g ratefully acknowledge the generous support of so many talented people in the last decade, who helped to enrich the art program at IHS.

WORKSHOPS & GUEST ARTISTS:

ART OFFERINGS: drawing, painting, pottery, carpentry, sculpture, weaving, batik, workshops in silk screen, graphic design, our first ever Artists in Residence, and more.

Pam Haile, Elizabeth Siefried, Deanie French, Christopher Jones, Surabhi Yaduvanshi, Rachel Scott, Arij Abou Resaln, Bhuvana Kadirvelu, Ujjwala Mohan, John De Frietas, Venera Gattanini, Virangna Kainthla, Vidhya Sivakumar

Deepa Sarup, Watercolour painting

Arularason, Painting and Maskmaking Alex Filipovs, Painting techniques

Lola Schnabel, Portrait demonstration Elaiyabarathy, Watercolour

Deeply satisfying and rewarding in its own quiet way, art is something that I love, and making art here at IHS has been an influential, ever-changing journey for me. It was here that art took its current direction and expression thanks to the wonderful exposure and learning we get from the regular classes and many visiting artists. I think this is what is awesome about art in IHS. It nurtures creativity and shapes our art in various ways through exposure to artists of different schools, mediums and techniques.

Arianth Tejas, Class XII

Anjana Mehra and Sheetal Gattani, Artists in Residence and workshop: Adding a Dimension, contemporary painting Pradeep Saran Mehra and Anjana Mehra, Silk screen printing Rupinder Kaur, Daalcheeni Design Studio, Graphic Design

LILT 2014-2015 //

I EXP L RO ESS RE // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

91

dance kaleidoscope LILT 2014-2015 //

To touch. To move. To inspire. That’s dance. Going by this, there’s no dearth of inspirat ion in school. The school wit nessed dance performances ranging from Hip hop to Rajasthani Folk dance to Bharat nat yam. We had several art ists who visited school and conducted workshops, right from junior school to 12th grade.

I EXP R ESS

Mrs. Archita Mehta, an alumnus of Kalakshetra and a registered member of International Dance Council CID - UNESCO and with ISTD - The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London, UK, gave us a lecture on the classical dance forms of India.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Mrs. Parinda Singh conducted a workshop for the Junior School, middle school and senior school students. The juniors gave a lively performance demonstrating different folk dances of India. It was also a delight to watch them dance to Marathi tunes on Ganesh Chaturthi, choreographies Mrs Singh had taught them in just two days. The seniors girls, after gruelling practise sessions that spanned 4 long nights, put up an eclectic performance that left everyone inspired.

The school was also honoured to host eminent artists, Sujata Nair, Prachi Sathi and Sanjukta Wagh, who performed Mohiniyattam, Bharatatyam and Kathak pieces respectively during the Navaratri festival. Ms Sanjukta Wagh conducted workshops for the middle school and senior school students, culminating in a middle school dance performance, boys included. For senior student, Ms Wagh held a creative movement workshop, helping some of the girls come up with their own choreographies.

We also got an opportunity to interact with renowned artists who had come for the Yaksha and Mahashivaratri festivals, like Padma Vibhushan Geeta Chandran, for whom bharatnatyam isn’t just a dance form, but the very core of her life. Dr. Prerna Shrimali, a well-known Kathak dancer from the Jaipur gharana, shared with us her journey into dance as a career and the hardship involved. Her dance performance however seemed effortless; graceful and rousing.

Indeed, there’s no dearth of inspirat ion at Isha Home School.

93

rajasthani DANCE WORKSHOP From 23rd to 26th August, students had the privilege of working with Mrs.Parinda Singh, one of the founding members of ‘Tribe of Taal’ - a contemporary dance company from Mumbai.

Parinda’s passion for dance was palpable – in fact, she contends that she began dancing “when she was in [her] mother’s womb.”

She has been trained in both classical and folk dance forms, and continues to explore and learn new styles – all of which find expression in her choreography.

Interested Senior School students participated in a Rajasthani Folk Dance workshop, where they learned the quintessential elements of a Rajasthani dance – basic footwork, body and wrist movements. They focused on the following authentic Rajasthani folk forms – Ghumar, Kalbelia and Tera Taali. Sessions began with a few stretches and slower movements, and quickly moved into an energetic fury. Students were introduced to the use of props, namely manjiras (small metal hand cymbals), which they learnt to hold and use in a rhythmic manner. The workshop culminated with an evening performance.

EXPERIENCES & EXPRESSIONS: It is difficult to describe my experience in words. For any teacher, the concept of teaching takes a tangible shape in the form of what the students imbibe. It has been a privilege to be able to share and give the students of Isha Home School a glimpse of Indian dances. They leave me feeling optimistic and reassured about safeguarding our culture and art.

Parinda Singh, Workshop Facilitator

piano recital It was eventful, the way I prepared to play the piano for the recital. Till that point, I had taken part in a purely classical recitals (where we mostly played pieces from times no one could identify with), which seemed superior to playing contemporary music then.

I EXP R ESS

Overall, my experience of the recital was remarkable: I discovered how the creations of Bach and Beethoven have influenced other kinds of music that most people listen to today, and noticed the musical essence of a lot of the compositions in the recital was similar, though each piece had its own distinct sound. The recital showed me that rather than being superior to contemporary music, classical piano is actually the foundation from which all other kinds of music have developed. I have acquired a new appreciation for both genres of music, and that is the most valuable thing I derived from this experience.

I discovered how the creations of Bach and Beethoven have influenced other kinds of music that most people listen to today

LILT 2014-2015 //

However, the event of a contempo-classical piano recital was spiced up by its choreography, in the sense that the way Bach and Beethoven were carefully interspersed between contemporary pieces that most students adored made it pleasurable for all of us. I was not let in on what the other students were going to play, so when I saw the arrangement of pieces the night before the actual recital, I began to appreciate how the whole presentation was designed.

Pranava Pasumarty, Class XI // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

95

FIZZY SOLE Having been in Isha Home School for over 6 years now, music has become an important part of my life – if not a vital one. I joined school when I was about 11 years old, a chubby boy who’d grown up in America for most of his childhood.

There was very little I could relate to at the t ime, and too many things that I missed. Add to that the fact that I was quite shy; it took a while for me to start making friends. So nat urally, I dove into a hobby. It was music for me.

I was initially very keen on learning the Mridangam – I thought it was a really cool instrument, but my mom insisted that I take up guitar. She had read somewhere that playing a string instrument enhances certain functions of the brain or something… and yes, I gave in.

The first few classes where a bit too chaotic for my taste; about a dozen of us sitting around a room, a corridor, the lawn, or whatever venue was available on a particular day, making attempts at striking the right chords and progressions. I am sure it must have sounded as torturous to anyone passing by as it did for me, who was still thinking about Mridangam.

My brains must have gotten rewired quite fast, because soon enough, I was told that I could join the advanced class. And that is where my journey as a musician truly began. Advanced students got to listen to all sorts of cool music and were given one on one lessons. I just fell in love with the guitar after that.

During 8th grade, when my house parents took away my guitar in an attempt to make me give equal attention to other aspects of my life, I started sneaking out of the room late at night, grabbed my guitar and hid in the wash area, strumming away for hours on end.

Eventually, my taste in music shifted and I was more interested in songs that had appealing guitar patterns in them - I developed an ability to filter out all other sounds.

In 9th grade, Garghi, sort of a friend at the time, had decided to shit from Mridangam to guitar. He invested so much time in the instrument and his near-obsession ignited a connection so strong that we soon became inseparable – from our instruments and one another. We made it a point to jam every day and try to nail whatever songs seemed the toughest to play at the time. Soon we developed an urge to perform and we just grabbed any opportunity that came our way. Assemblies, recitals, cheeky pop songs played during festivals… Anything was fine as long as we could play our instruments on stage.

We started getting better and better.

We made many attempts at starting a band, but no one seemed involved enough to meet our rigor, except Pradyoth – but he was pulled into so many other things and we couldn’t take off as a group.

A few of our teachers finally noticed us, realizing that we weren’t just typical teenagers trying to be cool. One night, while Garghi and I were figuring out a new instrumental piece, one of our teachers started singing along. It was amazing. We had loads of instrumentals but no one to turn them into songs.

It was a big deal for us. We kept hounding that teacher every day to get together and sing. We just wanted to make music, with anyone! So he started recording the pieces we had, adding drum loops to them and singing over the tracks. After hearing these songs, Dhruva, who had joined the school a year earlier, revealed to us that he played drums. I could not contain my excitement and within weeks, his drum kit was shipped over (thank you Dhruva’s Parents!). To seal the deal, we made Garghi turn into a bassist and boy did he love it!

__________________________________

By the time Dhruva left the school, Siddharth, another drummer, had joined. Luck? Coincidence?

The Universe rewarding our efforts? I cannot thank the school enough for the platform it has offered us.

We are ready to record and perform with so much confidence now and look forward to taking our love for music to the next level.

If I have learned anything in Isha Home School, it’s that nothing is impossible. When you are willing to do something and put in your best, there is no reason for it not to happen. Our efforts and talent got recognized and our teachers put together a small digital set up that allowed us to record decent demos of our songs. They liked what they heard and asked us to come up with a name for our band, so that they could post these on Soundcloud.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

On September 3rd, 2013, we were asked to perform for Sadhguru’s birthday. We got to play one of our own songs live in front of thousands. I guess they liked what they heard because a week later, we were asked to perform again for a program.

The experience was too thrilling to let go of and we started meeting every other day, composing new songs and practicing them to the point where we felt ready to record.

I EXP R ESS

So many names were thrown around – some weird and others even weirder, most too philosophical or symbolic for our taste. Finally, we just grabbed one word from here and another from there and put together the name Fizzy Sole.

We were up on Soundcloud within days and in less than a couple of months, we had about 2000 listens on our page. We started getting gigs during the holidays, which gave us more experience, and then made new songs during the term. We now have 18 original songs as Fizzy Sole (and a bunch of works in progress).

LILT 2014-2015 //

We init ially started jamming in our house, but that annoyed everyone (the Yoga Center included), so much that the school quickly decided to give us a room where we could play to our hearts’ content. By 2013, Kshitej joined the school and was somehow pulled into singing, even though he had never told anyone that he could. We couldn’t believe that we finally had a full band! __________________________________

Looking back at my first day in Isha Home School, now that it’s time for me to go, it is almost ironic how strongly I feel like staying on. I am going to miss the “band room”, Open Mic nights at CMM, playing for programs at Isha Yoga Center, and mostly my teachers and friends who have made all this possible for me. Thanks!

Naren G, Class XII [Lead Guitarist, Fizzy Sole]

97

DRAMA WORKSHOPS with

Mr Daniel Kelin II Mr Daniel A. Kelin, II, a drama Hawaii, offered a month long students from junior, middle combined, during the month of

teaching artist from drama residency to and senior school July 2014.

____________________________________ The workshops were intense skill building platforms for the children, providing tools they can use in their daily lives. Not only did they explore new ways to express themselves using their voice, body and imaginat ion, but also enhanced their creat ivit y, honed their group skills and learned to exercise aesthet ic choices. They were often encouraged to think out of the box, as they went deeper into drama as an art form, a world in its ow n rite, a powerful learning environment. ____________________________________ The wide range of content across the three workshops was astounding. Linking up to their “Parts of India� studies in the classes, the juniors explored two stories related to the river Ganga; one dealing with the origin of this revered river, the other a more contemporary tale called Putul and the Dolphins.

The middle school students learned about the life of Chico Mendes, and his work as a Brazilian rubber tapper who helped save huge swathes of the Amazon rain forest, linking directly to what the students’ had learned in class about the South American revolutions. Students were able to

understand the reasons behind such revolutions, the choices involved and the alternatives people were fighting for at the time. Taking on the roles of some of the characters from that period was as intense and thought provoking experience for the children.

As for the 8th std students, they explored poetic expression in under a new light. They learned how to use vocal traits and choral speaking methods to enhance the meaning of the text they dealt with.

Negotiation and collaboration were central features in this workshop, but the main focus was on taking creative risks and making bold choices. Students came out more creative and confident.

Kelin shares, "During my first week here, I have encouraged the students to take full ownership of their learning. I introduce them to stories, characters and ideas and then challenge them to creatively interpret those elements in their own way. I ask them to take the simple knowledge and information and pull it inward to visualize it, make sense of it through their experience and to creatively express those ideas through their collective voices, bodies and imaginations. Visiting Isha is a blessing.

I had the opportunity to work with students and teachers to both learn from and get challenged by.

I continue to be both amazed and pleased by how the students readily dive into their imaginations and shape their thoughts into unique and meaningful dramatic expression."

DRAMA

ROBIN HOOD Being a part of theatre product ions in Isha Home School is unparalleled. So when the Drama Department decided to take on an adaptation of Richard Gremel’s comedy, ‘Robin Hood and his Merry Men’, we expected no less than a fabulous experience. Irrespective of whether you were par t of the crew or cast, we all came together with the aim of making this performance our best yet! Sound, props, cost umes, sets, lights, AC TION… nothing compares to the world of theater!

LILT 2014-2015 //

I’m sure you all know the story of Robin Hood and his adventures in Sherwood Forest.

Our play centered on the abduction of Maid Marian by the ‘evil’ Prince John. And of course, as all comedies should, the play ends on a happy note with Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men (most of whom were actually women) coming to Maid Marian’s rescue.

I EXP R ESS

We performed the play over three nights, for three different audiences. On the first night, we performed for our Junior and Middle School friends, followed by the most awaited (but our most dreaded) performance for Senior School, which eventually turned out to be the best! Our third performance was for visiting parents and guests, presented on the eve of Independence Day. So much chaos reigned throughout the production, with inevitable last minute changes in venues, cast and sets. Yet our biggest challenges was to collect over 50 umbrellas, our only props with the exception of a couple of wooden boxes.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

All this made for a truly enthralling adventure that I will forever cherish!

99

TIMELINE

MAJOR EVENTS 2014 -2015

Throughout the year, there have been a number of events that have shaped the world that we live in. These events inevitably found their way into our assemblies and classroom discussions. Here is a small pictorial representat ion of some of the most important events of the year, which have been etched in our memories.

MANGALYAAN SET SET IN MAR’S ORBIT Mission Successful. India’s maiden attempt at putting a satellite in Mars’ Orbit widely acclaimed by the scientific community more so because of the homegrown technology and its low cost.

INDIA’S 16 LOK SABHA CONSTITUTED Mr Narendra Modi becomes PM, BJP is the largest party. India’s electoral politics showing a significant change over the last two decades.

AMERICAN OPEN CHAMPION WIMBLEDON CHAMPS Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova

may

july

june

august

ANDHRA PRADESH BIFURCATED

JAN DHAN JOJNA

Telangana becomes the 29th state on June 2, 2014. A reminder that states can stay together only as long as everyone feels included.

FIFA WORLD CUP Germany beat Argentina 1-0.

Triumph of precision over artistry.

Marin Cilic, Serena Williams

Jan Dhan Yojna to open bank accounts for the poor started. This is seen as the first step in what the PM calls as “Financial Inclusion” of the poor whereby all intended benefits and subsidies will be directly credited to their bank accounts cutting out middle men. A very radical step in Indian context.

september october SWACCHH BHARAT ABHIYAN Launched by Prime Minister to commemorate 175 years of Gandhi’s birth anniversary – Clean India by 2019. This is the official acceptance by the Government of India that hygiene is a fundamental right of people.

EXTREMIST GROUP ISIS A new extremist group called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) comes to limelight later renames itself IS. Too early to make any decisive prognosis on how this will develop.

FRENCH OPEN WINNERS Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova. Veterans holding on to one of the grand slam events as younger people continue to slowly take over.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE Kailash Satyarthi wins Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Malala Yousafzai. Symbolically a great acknowledgement of their untiring work for children and their rights.

NEWS IN REVIEW

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL Mixed feelings on whether the expectations of people who led this have been achieved.

Rosetta Mission lands on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Human technology crosses one more frontier.

AT REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS LILT 2014-2015 //

ROSETTA MISSION LANDS

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CHIEF GUEST

Unprecedented second visit by the same US President and first time a US President has witnessed India’s military parade.

Bi-lateral relations are strengthening.

december

february

AIR ASIA QZ8501

AAM ADMI PARTY WINS ELECTIONS

CRASHES INTO THE OCEAN

Aam Admi Party wins elections in New Delhi bringing back Mr Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister. Opposition reduced to just 3 seats.

march ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP FINALS. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men continue to please their fans as they enter the quarter finals stage. Ireland and Bangladesh emerge much stronger.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

january

I EXP R ESS

november

BUDGET 2015 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents his 1st full budget takes forward the Financial Inclusion mission of his PM.

101

REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEW

MOVIE REVIEW

Into The Wild

The King’s Speech

Aug ust 1992, a part y of moose hunters st umble upon the decomposed body of a young man inside an abandoned Datsun with a few of his belongings - a g uitar, books of Tolstoy and Thoreau, boots.

When one is a blue-blood, there are a few things one should keep in mind; quite a few act ually. Never slouch, nose in the air, walk with grace, wear this or don’t wear that for such and such an occasion, know the people and their ways, know the history of your nat ion (also its geography and polit ics), “appropriate” use of cutlery, speak carefully crafted words and with confidence and never stammer in front of your subjects.

This is the story of Chris Mccandles, a man armed with glorious idealism and self-destructive wanderlust, who steps out of society and meanders into the savage heart of the Alaskan wild at the shocking age of 22. Jon Kraukauer follows Mccandles’ reckless quest for truth, meaning and happiness in the barren landscapes of the wilderness and anatomizes the person that Mccandles was: his impatience with societal dogmas of career and education, his renouncement of wealth, his liking for Jack London and Tolstoy, his affinity towards music, his rift with his father, his obstinacy.

Including the accounts of all the people whose lives Mccandles touched on his tragic path, this is a poignant story of internal wars and the unforgiving nature of the wild.

JON KRAKAUER

The King’s Speech is a movie that revolves around King George VI of the Orange Dynasty, a king that had all the qualities a king needed to possess, with the exception of confident speech. He stammered.

The movie recounts how George VI (Colin Firth) gets his speech rectified by Dr. Lionel Logue (Geofferey Rush) in time for the speech he had to deliver on his coronation day [1937]. He is supported by his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) as he struggles to overcome his fear. His fear of stammering is so strong that when his brother abdicates, he is reluctant to take up kingship, for with kingship came the duty of connecting with and reaching out to people, which entailed delivering innumerable speeches.

Besides the brilliant acting delivered by the excellent cast, the movie is interspersed with very coarse humour (Yes, very un-kingly indeed). What I liked about the movie is how it provided an insight into the very coveted royal life and the burden of the responsibilities that come with it- my illusion of a well-fed fat king, adorned with medals and a luxuriously dressed queen amidst silk curtains and gossamer with hundreds of maids-in-waiting, has vanished. We complain about the burden of expectations from our families and whine about it consistently- “She expects too much from me!” “He overestimates me!” “This is too much for me to handle” – while behind the palatial facades of those castles, kings and queens bear the anticipations of a nation and its people, and bear this they must, with poise and elegance.

MOVIE MARATHON It was a perfectly normal day; no special occasion or anything of that kind.

I came back from school, a little later than usual, and saw my housemates gathered on the porch, chattering excitedly. There was nothing unusual about this, but as I climbed the stone staircase, I could sense the buildup. Ten minutes later, I found out that we’d be having a movie marathon; from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Each house was to pick a list of 7-8 movies, of which 3 to 4 would be approved!

Add to that the copious amounts of snacks supplied – jam, peanut butter, bread, Chocos (!), hot chocolate and savouries. Each house was equipped with their own projector and set of speakers for an enhanced viewing experience!

LILT 2014-2015 //

The slight drawback though, was that halfway through the second movie, most of us were either half-asleep or dead as logs. That aside, it was an extremely memorable event for everybody.

I EXP R ESS

IHS has a certain way of throwing surprises right in your face; surprises both pleasant and unpleasant, from spot tests and mid-year exams to unannounced field trips and, wait for it…

A Movie Marathon?

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

103

Sadhguru with Padma Vibhushan Ratan Tata, Indian Businessman and Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons

Mr. Luis Miranda, Veteran Banker, Former Chief Executive Mr. Jeby Cherian, VP & Managing Partner, Global Business Services, IBM India/South Asia

of IDFC Private Equity & Founding Member of HDFC Bank

Mr. G. V. Prasad, Co-Chairman & CEO, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.

AN

INSIGHT-ful Experience

A few students had the opportunity to interact with Mr GV Prasad and his wife, Anuradha, when they had come to visit the school. Mr GV Prasad leads the core team which drives growth and performance at Dr. Reddy’sLaboratories Ltd. His efforts have led the company to a leadership position in the Indian pharmaceutical sector and helped create a significant presence globally, while being recognized for scientific innovation, people practices, and corporate governance.

Mrs Anuradha Prasad is the managing trustee of Dr Reddy’s Foundation as well as the founder-director of Saptaparni, an organisation promoting the traditions and culture of India.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Students also had an informal session in Café Maatu Mane with Mr. Luis Miranda, one of the resource leaders for the INSIGHT Program. Mr. Miranda, a veteran banker who started on the trading floor of a multinational bank, went on to set up one of the most successful Private Equity funds in India. Mr Miranda came to the school on the invitation of Mr Jeby Cherian, another Resource Leader at INSIGHT and

the Vice President and Managing Partner for IBM’s Business Consulting (GBS) business in India and South Asia, who also participated in the discussion. The dialogue centered around taking life as it comes and redefining the goals of corporate life as not being solely about amassing as much wealth possible but being responsible to the various constituents of society.

I MEET

Students attended the INSIGHT session featuring Mr. Ratan Tata, Sadhguru and Mr. Ravi Venkatesan. Mr. Ratan Tata is considered to be one of the legendary Managers of India and has the distinction of heading a group that stands both for economic prosperity and a set of uncompromising values. He took over the Tata group in 1991 and put the group on the global scale. Mr. Tata was faced with multiple questions regarding globalization, how to react to situations, work ethics and leadership qualities. He answered giving snippets from his life as examples, adding humour, while at the same time conveying very clearly the fact that they stuck to the basic principles of concern for everyone around them.

What impressed every one about Mr Tata was his willingness to say that he did not have a solution when some of the participants asked him some specific questions.

LILT 2014-2015 //

11th and 12th graders had the opportunity to listen to and interact with a number of eminent personalities who had come to the Isha Yoga Centre as key resource leaders for the “INSIGHT: The DNA of Success”, a four-day business leadership intensive offered by Isha Foundation’s Isha Education initiative.

On 29th November, the INSIGHT dinner was held in the Gnana Shala lawns. Students acted as hosts and provided the entertainment for the evening.

105

GUESTS

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh

Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, Former Chief Controller, R&D, DRDO, Founder CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace

Dr. Shanmugam Aravazhi, Senior Manager at Crystal Growth Research & Technology, Belgium

Professor David S Gibbons, Chairman of Cashpor Micro Credit

Mr. Ashish S Kulkarni, CEO of Reliance Animation & Reliance AIMS

Mr. Ravi Shankar Aisola, Consulate General of India in Vancouver

Dr. Pawan Agarwal, CEO of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association

Mr Samir Shah, MD & CEO, NCDEX

LILT 2014-2015 //

Mr. Ian La Frenais, OBE, Acclaimed English Screen Writer

I MEET // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Mr. Colin Mark le Duc, Co-Founder, Partner, and Head of Research of Generation Investment Management LLP

Mr. T R Gopalakrishnan, Senior Editor, The Week Magazine

Mr. Josey Puliyenthuruthel, Business Journalist

Mr. Phaldut Sharma, Actor, Dancer, Producer

107

Sports isn’t taken as a hobby here. It’s a necessity. The whole of the first term saw the children, from junior school to the super seniors enthusiastically working for their sports teams, taking every opportunity to somehow contribute towards their victory.

They’ve battled it all out on the sports field, giving their houses all their commitment and energy.

This year’s sports events kicked off with the middle school and junior school football matches, followed by the very first middle school volleyball match. That same day, the senior girls too entered into sports-mode with a fierce game of Fulca ball.

The scoreboard took a turn when Kakatiya rose up to the first position, after having been fourth, owing to their record breaking victory in the middle school kho-kho match and the senior school football match, typically garnering points at the last minute, when no one had any expectations of them winning.

itself, with all of us anxiously wondering when the grey sky would cave in. Fortunately, the rains were as patient as ever. We kicked off with our ever so exuberant March Past, performed our cheers and dance, raced and even got to enjoy “friendly” volleyball matches between parents and alumni.

The culmination event was no different, except of course for the glamour, decoration, homemade cheers and dances and the ever so encouraging presence of our faculty, parents and guests amidst the huge crowd of spectators.

Just as we hurriedly scurried to take our positions for the silent march past, a beautiful ceremony where the 11th graders are handed down the torch by their seniors, torrential showers hit the grounds so hard that we soon found ourselves standing in the middle of a massive lake! The trophy was awarded to the Kakathiya captain... Yes, Kakathiya had won yet again, this being their fourth victory. But at this point, the spirit of abandon and gratification had taken over, and all that mattered was that we had an amazing run, giving each event the best we had to offer.

We woke up to the tunes of the rain lords, who never seem to disappoint us! Last year’s scenario was repeating

Another great Sport Day, one we’re sure to remember for years to come.

LILT 2014-2015 //

I P L AY // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

109

ASISC AND OTHER TOURNAMENTS This year, st udents part icipated in a number of sports tournaments, including those coordinated by the Associat ion of Schools for Indian School Cert ificate (ASISC). We were not accustomed to going for outside tournaments and matches, as our school is generally not inclined toward compet it ion, so we did not know what to expect or where we stood.

All the hard work, the sweat, and the effort came out hard on the field as we geared up for our events for Being physically fit is the most important thing for an athlete, that’s the common notion. But how many people talk about mental strength? Well my mom did, so did my coaches, but it wasn’t until we attended the State Athletic meet in Erode that we got to experience it first-hand.

Held over two days, on August 8th and 9th, the event featured schools from Tamil Nadu, who had come to showcase their skills and talents in the field of Athletics. The scorching sun, the adrenalin, the shouts, the cheers, the proud moments of victory and the not so satisfying losses sure gave us unforgettable moments.

Some of the teams seemed to have undergone extensive and rigorous trainings.

For me, the ASISC Athlet ics Meet Though we felt miles away from their abilities, our forte was the way we pushed was a memorable experience. ourselves beyond what we thought was our best, owing not only to the gruelling training our PE teachers had put us through weeks before the event, but to the uplifting and inspiring faith they have in us. Though seeing the proud smiles on our teachers’ faces after each event was rewarding enough, we were equally thrilled to win quite a few prizes for our school!

Most rewarding of all must have been the enviable tans we took back to school and we sure did show off for them.

TENNIS COURT INAUGURATION After much ant icipat ion, t wo newly-laid synthet ic tennis courts were formally inaug urated on XXX by the school’s founder.

LILT 2014-2015 //

It was a bright clear morning and students and teachers gathered on the court. Sadhguru arrived, enthusiastically picked up a racket, found his grip, and rallied a few balls across the court with a couple of students and teachers. After a few rounds, he shared a few words on the origin of the game and polled the audience by a show of hands to see how many would be interested in learning the game. After the courts were officially declared open, with just a short gap before breakfast, many of those, whose eager hands had shot up in the air, stayed back to try their hand at the game.

I P L AY // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

111

CELEBRATIONS AT IHS

Ganesh Chaturthi In honour of Ganesh Chat urthi, Junior School st udents decided to stage their version of one of the classic tales on Ganesha.

Tradit ionally, Ganesha wins a special delectable mango from Sage Narada by complet ing three circumambulat ions around his parents, Shiva and Parvat i. In place of the mango, was a prized box of Chocos, which many of them admit they would gladly fight over on any day of the week. “I would too!” remarked Senior School teacher, Anand Gandhi, who played Lord Shiva and shares their passion for cereal and milk.

With less than a week to memorize lines, incorporate songs, and learn a short dance, the team working on the assembly was a bit nervous about the outcome. After the performance Vivegha, who played Muruga, revealed, “Azara woke me up in the middle of the night saying she was praying for it not to rain!” The setting was the Indian Courtyard in Gnana Shala which is open to the elements, and it had been raining for two days prior.

In the end, after a bit of early morning drizzles, the bright blue sky cleared up and all were sporting wide grins and relieved sighs.

The spoof was a hit and kept the audience laughing for the entire duration of the assembly. It began with a brief acknowledgement that it also happened to be Michael Jackson’s birthday and he also found ways to link himself to Ganesha through the story.

Students were happy that their hard work paid off and enjoyed yummy bowls of Chocos to celebrate!

The spoof was a hit and kept the audience laughing for the entire duration of the assembly

LILT 2014-2015 //

I EXP I P LLAY ORE

Home School Celebrates in Blue!

The evening was filled with a vibrant Middle School performance, ‘Krishna Leela’. Through two unique storytelling forms – ‘Hari Katha’ in Hindi and ‘Kathakalakshepam’ in Tamil, the students presented a selection of Krishna stories through music, dance and prose, all with a dash of humour. The audience laughed until their stomach hurt for each of the pranks and gags of the witty story-tellers.

The music numbers, ‘Vishamakkara kannan’ and ‘Devaki maindhanai vandhu’ stole the show.

Everyone enjoyed a traditional Janmashtami meal in the transformed dining hall. Blue was everywhere – in the lights, decorations, even the people were wearing blue with a blue bindi! It was a wonderful way to remember the blue-bodied mischief-maker!

Sadhguru Jayanthi Celebration On the occasion of Sadhguru Jayanthi, our founder’s birthday, we put together a small cultural program. Among the many endeavours of Sadhguru is to revive tradition and to celebrate India’s rich cultural legacy.

Therefore, we felt it was only apt to put together a taste of tradition.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Excitement was in the air, as everyone in Isha Home School celebrated Lord Krishna’s birthday! Janmashtami began early in the morning, when everyone assembled at the ground to find matkis [earthen pots] hung slightly above their reach. The children made mini human pyramids to reach and break the pots to gobble up the butter inside.

In most parts of India, folk and tribal dances are performed during every festive occasion. They are an expression of joy and an outpour of verve and vitality. Middle School and Senior School dance students presented three folk dances – one from the Thakur tribe of Maharasthra, the Bagurumba – a beautiful traditional dance of the Bodo people of Assam, and lastly the ever-popular Garba-Raas from Gujarat.

The program opened with a Carnatic song, Govardhana Giridhara, composed by Shri Narayana Theertha in Ragam Darbari Kanada and set to Aadi Taalam. Students also prepared and presented a few of Sadhguru’s favourite songs. The Middle School Choir Club presented Bob Dylan’s iconic song Blowin’ in the Wind. The program concluded with students singing Maati Kahe Kumhar Ko written by the celebrated Saint Kabir, which was followed by the distribution of sweets.

113

Christmas Time Is Here Christ mas was on its way, and the whole school was bustling with excitement. We sang Christ mas Carols in the halls bet ween classes, and even played a slightly modified version of Secret Santa. Usually, you give gifts to your Secret Santa. However gifts aren’t so easily accessible here, so we gave each other some prett y ridiculous dares that ranged from doing yoga in front of the administrat ive office to IHS brought in the New Year…well … IHS st yle. drinking water from the fish pond (for which the dare-ee was severely dealt with).

Middle and Senior st udents were keen to stay up and partake in the midnight countdow n. A The Christmas spirit in Gnana Shala was so enormous that movie marathon was organized beginning just it threatened to engulf us all, so when it was announced after dinner. St udents watched back-to-back that we were having a special Christmas surprise that movies with an intermission at midnight, night after which Christmas would officially come to an where they enjoyed cake and wished one end, most teachers heaved sighs of relief. However, we another.

I C EL EB R AT E

In between movies, there were a variety of activities. Class X students opted to play a friendly match of volleyball and brought in the New Year on the court along with their class teachers and house parents. Class XI and XII students had a small get-together at Café Maatu Mane, where they had an Open Mic session and a bit of dancing. Interested students attended a special midnight Nadha Aradhana at the Dhyanalinga Temple, and brought in the New Year in a more contemplative style.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

were literally jumping out of our feet (we don’t wear shoes in Gnana Shala) thinking about what kinds of happenings the night held for us. The whole day went by slower than usual, and by the time of the event, our anticipation had built up to the point that when we entered the hall we were screaming and yelling so loud that every living soul in the ashram probably heard and got annoyed with us.

The surprise was a stunning Christmas performance by all of our teachers, who decided to join in on the Christmas spirit as well. Our Principal, along with the senior Physics teacher performed a stunning rendition of Jingle Bells.

Another couple of teachers assumed the identities of two famous rap artists, leaving the whole crowd erupting into peals of laughter every second sentence. The night ended with gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate, and our thirst for Christmas fun was finally quenched.

LILT 2014-2015 //

New Year Celebrations at IHS

On the morning of the 1st, as their seniors were snoozing after their late night, the Juniors, who slept early the night before, assembled at the gazebo for a breakfast picnic, which was followed by a stream walk and an afternoon movie.

115

Pongal-O Pongal!

The whole school woke up on the day of Pongal, looking forward to cooking, playing, pett ing the cows, but most of all, eat ing delicious chakkarai pongal.

The previous day, the Middle Schoolers had been busy making flower garlands, spreading cow dung, creat ing kolams, decorat ing the cow shed, bathing the cows and acquiring the ingredients to make pongal the next morning. At 8:00 am, after breakfast, all the st udents and teachers came together on the grounds next to the Senior girls’ houses.

A fire was started using firewood, leaves and dry sticks to heat the milk and water-filled earthen pots. Soon, the pots started to puff up as joyful cheers echoed in the air along with singing and dancing. When the chakkarai pongal was ready, an offering was made to the sun god. Then a milky white cow and her calf were brought to the venue. The students were thrilled and started to pet the animals. They were fed with grass, and, of course, pongal! All that was left now was to eat juicy sugarcane to their heart’s content!

Some of the students share their experiences: “The ground was brushed with fresh cow dung and marble white rice flour was used to create magnificent kolams. Three long sugarcane stems were placed like a tripod around the beautifully decorated pots. The whole ground was filled with shades of all colours. Tasting the long awaited tantalizing sugarcane was the best part of the festival. Pongal was an overwhelming day for all at Isha Home School.”

Ashwin R, MS Student

_____________________________________________

____________________________________

The Middle School and Class VIII Tamil students put on a spectacular evening show for the school, ashram residents, and public in the Adi Yogi Alayam. They performed songs and a hilarious skit that included many different types of folk dances. At one point, almost the entire audience was dancing or swaying. All hearts, old and young, were overflowing with happiness and laughter! Is this why this day is called ‘pongal’?

“When the pongal started overflowing from the pot, the look of it puffing up made my tummy grumble, and I got tempted. Soon, when the pongal was ready, I was the first person in the queue to be served. Yummm! I just can’t describe the divine taste!”

Lochana Arumugam, MS Student _____________________________________________

Khushi Runwal, MS Student ____________________________________

Pongal-O Pongal!

LILT 2014-2015 //

I C EL EB R AT E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

117

NAVRATHRI IHS students celebrated the vibrant nine-day festival of Navaratri with much fervour.

Junior School, Middle School and interested Senior School students attended the daily cultural performances held at the Isha Yoga Center, which included classical and folk music and dance. The line-up for this year was as follows:

25-Sep: Sanjukta Wagh, Kathak 26-Sep: Prachi Saathi, Bharatnatyam 27-Sep: Sujatha Nair, Mohiniattam 28-Sep: Sukraa Folk Group, Tribal Folk Dances of Tamil Nadu 29-Sep: Prof Thiagarajan, Samskrit Scholar speaking on ‘Devi Navavarna’ 30-Sep: Jyotsna Sivakumar, Carnatic Vocal 1-Oct: Sukraa Folk Group, Graamiya Paadam (Village Folk Songs of Tamil Nadu) 2-Oct: Jayashree Aravind (Veena) with V V Ravi (Violin), Instrumental Jugalbandi 3-Oct: Sukraa Folk Group, Thol Paavaikoothu (Shadow Puppet Theatre)

Several of the artists visited school and interacted with the students. In addition, each school had an evening of Raas-Garba, where students came dressed up in their ethnic wear, were given an initial tutorial of these traditional folk dance forms of Gujarat, and proceeded to dance the night away. Junior Students also participated in the Isha Yoga Center’s Vijaya Dasami celebrations.

LILT 2014-2015 //

I C EL EB R AT E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

YAKSHA Yaksha is one of those rare times I ardently listen to classical music or watch classical dance, because I know I won’t in any other circumstance. Where else am I going to get the opportunity to watch some of the most renowned names in Indian Classical Arts perform live?

This year’s Yaksha festival kept up with the exquisite standards that had been set in the 4 years since its inception. The week kicked off with the flawless Bharatanatyam artist, Geeta Chandran, a captivating performance that set the tone for the days to follow.

This year’s platform was graced by Tejendra Narayan Majudar (Sarod), TVS Sankaranarayanan (Vocal Carnatic), Rajan &Sajan Mishra (Hindustani Vocal), Sayeeduddin Dagar (Dhrupad vocal) and Ganesh-Kumaresh (Violin Duo). The week ended with Academy nominee Bombay Jayashri’s entrancing performance.

Mahashivatri (the 17th of February) was as unique as ever. The whole venue had an electrifying feel about it! Some of the artists who kept us up and dancing till dawn were Zila Khan, Parthiv Gohil and his band and of course, Sounds of Isha.

119

Independence Day 2014 All gathered on the sports ground for the flag hoist ing ceremony to commemorate 68 years of India’s independence. The sky was clear and the weather was ideal for unveiling the tricolor flag and paying respect to the nat ion. The observance ended with a few teachers singing Par ukulle Nalla Nadu by renow ned independence act ivist and iconoclast ic reformer Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi.

Gandhi Jayanthi Honoring ‘Swacch Bharat’ at Isha Home School As a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swacch Bharat’ campaign, schools across the country were urged to bring awareness to the importance of personal and environmental cleanliness, sanitat ion and hygiene. Isha Home School st udents and teachers part icipated in their ow n way to commemorate Gandhi’s contribut ion to nat ion building.

The morning began with a special joint assembly that included dances choreographed and conceptualized by visiting Kathak and contemporary dance artist Sanjukta Wagh. Sanjukta is the founder of ‘Beej’, an interdisciplinary initiative for performance and movement research. This interdisciplinary approach was refreshingly evident in the morning program. The first item was a kathak piece dedicated to the Goddess of Knowledge – Saraswati – as this day happens to fall during the Navaratri festival.

The second piece was an expressionistic piece by Senior dance students, set to ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ – one of Gandhiji’s favourite bhajans. Students created their movements based on their readings and interpretations of Gandhiji’s principles of ahimsa and satyagraha and the Swadeshi Movement. Following the performances, students were informed about the nationwide ‘Swacch Bharat’ campaign and their partaking.

Post-lunch, all members of the school participated in a school-wide super-clean up. One of Isha Home School’s main objectives has always been to inculcate a sense of responsibility and ownership within every student towards his/her surroundings. For this special day, teachers and students decided to go into every nook and corner of the school, cleaning their classrooms, labs, work-spaces and houses. The students even went into the worksheds and store-rooms, which are usually maintained primarily by the Sevadhars. They went through all the material, sorted things out and gave the rooms a thorough clean up and reorganized all spaces. Towards the evening, all gathered at the Gnana Shala gardens and were treated to a special snack of freshly made hot sabudana vadas and jaljira, before retiring to their spruced up spaces.

LILT 2014-2015 //

I C EL EB R AT E // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

121

Citizen Café –

Invigorating Interaction Just as we were trying to draw up the plan for an engaging assembly for this year’s Republic Day, my classmates and I asked ourselves the quest ion – “We celebrate the Republic Day more as a tradit ion. How many of us are tr uly aware of what the circumstances of this day were and what the Const it ut ion contains?” None seemed to know much about either aspect. In fact, we act ually found ourselves completely oblivious to the spirit and history of this great Document.

In order to address this issue and attempt to alleviate this unacceptable level of ignorance, a group of ten enterprising students of Class XI celebrate the 66th Republic Day by conducting a set of “Citizenship Cafés” across the school’s campus.

Citizenship Café was originally conceptualized by an NGO “We the People”, an establishment that conducts ‘Constitution Connect’ programmes all over India between 26th November and 26th January; the same dates when the Indian Constitution was adopted and enforced respectively.

Preparations began a week prior to the R – Day. Rigorous practice sessions were held to inform ourselves about interesting facets and features of this voluminous book. Within no time, the day where we would share the knowledge that we’d gained in the matter of a week, arrived.

January 26th, 2015.

As soon as the early morning flag hoisting ceremony

was over, we ran to two areas in the school where Citizenship Café sessions would be held, arranging last minute logistics. Soon, we ushered the participants, including visiting parents, a few teachers and alumni into the 2 assigned venues: Café Maatu Mane and the Physics Lab. The next two hours went by like a breeze. Aspects of the Constitution and with specific emphasis, the Preamble, were shared and discussed. The focus was to see how each person in the room felt a connection to the wisdom and vision enshrined in the Preamble. The session ended, we had managed to create enough awareness (to give ourselves some credit), whereas all participants pledged to consciously practice proactive citizenship, henceforth.

Mr Sanjay Dutt, a member of “We the People” came as a special guest, and below is some of what he had to say about the event, “First and foremost, I came back so optimistic about the future of our world. The 11th standard students were a shining example of responsibility, commitment and passion. Isha [Home] School is indeed preparing citizens that our country and this world needs now.”

LILT 2014-2015 //

I C EL EB R AT E

Republic Day Celebrations

We then headed to Tarana for a special assembly. The anticipation rose as parents and children alike trickled into the giant hall waiting for the programme to start. The 8th standard Hindi students presented the story of our independence. The program started with a tribute to Jhansi Ki Rani, the first known revolutionary and went on, moving forward in time, to recall the heroic tales of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Pandit Ramprasad Bismil, Pandit Madanmohan Malviya, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and finally the face of the Indian revolution, Gandhiji.

The program was punctuated by songs and videos that brought to life the pain and suffering that the revolutionaries endured to bring us the freedom that we enjoy today.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

A sea of children gathered on the sports ground in crisp whites and formed the neat rows we had practiced the evening before. Silence reigned over the field as we waited for our chief guest, Mr.Sanjay Dutt, a volunteer from the organization We the People , to hoist the flag. Flowers fell like raindrops as the flag was unveiled in commemoration of Republic Day, the day on which our constitution was signed, the day which marked the beginning of a new era for our country. The flag hoisting ceremony ended with a patriotic song Janani Janma Bhoomi sung by the Juniors

We proceeded to breakfast. Thereafter, the 11th Humanities students conducted Citizen Cafes for interested parents, grandparents, alumni and guests, based on the resources and training provided by We the People. Citizen cafes are short, facilitated conversations around the Preamble to the constitution and the role of citizens. The conversations left much food for thought as to what we, as citizens of this country, need to look at so that we become more active, responsible and contributing members of society.

Niyutsa Rajesh, Class VIII

123

Camp Mistea Halfway through our first preliminary exams, we found out that the school had planned a trip to Camp Mistea (near Kotagiri). Everyone was excited at the prospect of a 4-day getaway!

The fun began from the moment we boarded the bus. About 4 hours later, we reached the camp, where we were warmly greeted by a friendly team of young advent urers, who gave us a little insight into what the next 4 days would look, and feel, like.

Quite a few of us were absolutely petrified at the prospect of jumping off of rocks and hanging in mid-air for extended periods of time, but I guess that’s what we were there for, to keep our inhibitions aside and let go.

LILT 2014-2015 //

Quite a few of us were absolutely petrified at the prospect of jumping off of rocks and hanging in mid-air for extended periods of time

The weather was much colder than what we were used to, but the scenery was so captivating that we soon got over the urge to stay inside the surprisingly comfortable tents.

I TR AV EL

The next few days were packed with team building activities, games, and a variety of stunts that had us working body muscles we did not know existed – from walking on ropes suspended 12 feet above the ground, to rappelling, trekking, climbing, free falling, zip-lining,… With each process, we could clearly see our fears getting replaced by a new found hunger for adventure and challenges!

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

Needless to say, the amazing food and snacks we were served contributed in a big way to our ever increasing levels of openness and willingness. We were shocked when we realised that only a couple of people were preparing these sumptuous, copious, four course meals for us, in a cosy make shift kitchen!

The best part for most of us was the typical way our evenings at the camp ended – bonding over a warm vibrant bonfire, around which we spent the rest of the night singing, dancing, and occasionally trying to spot the herds of Indian Gaur that roamed the area!

Huge thanks to the Camp Mistea team, for being such awesome hosts, environmentalists and adventurers, and to our teachers for having offered us such a wonderful opportunity!

125

SS TRIPS - VIII, IX, XI

How Things Are Made: Senior Students Visit Various Factories Class XI and XII students had the opportunity to visit two factories – the Sakthi Sugar Ltd Sugar Factory in Sakthinagar and Diesel Machinery Works (DMW) Ltd Factory in Perundurai. Sakthi Sugars Ltd is one of the largest producers of white crystal sugar in India.

Established in 1964, the Sakthinagar Unit currently has the capacity of 9000 tons of cane crush per day (TCD).

Students were taken on a tour of the factory during which time they saw the various equipment and machinery that are used to make high quality sugar, and to their delight, at the end of the tour, they were able to sample the product. After lunch, they proceeded to the DMW factory where they saw the latest CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines create high precision machined components.

Class VIII and X students visited the TNPL (Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Paper Ltd.) Paper Mill in Kagithapuram in Karur district. TNPL is the largest producer of bagasse based paper in the world and the 2nd largest paper producer in Asia. The bagasse (a by-product of the cane sugar industry) comes from various surrounding sugar mills, including those run by Sakthi Sugars Ltd. The paper making process, though simple, was awe-inspiring due to the sheer scale of production – the mill produces nearly 1200 tons of paper a day! Students also learned about the various corporate social responsibility initiatives undertaken by TNPL. In both locations, parents, volunteers and those associated with the respective factories went out of their way to make the trip memorable for the students.

LILT 2014-2015 //

I TR AV EL

Class IX Farm Stay // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

After a rejuvenating holiday, we came back to school only to find out that we were leaving again the next day! We, the Class IX students, were taken for an overnight stay to the Isha Farm in Narasipuram, comprising nearly 13 acres of organic crops.

Situated amidst streams and wildlife, the farm is a wild maze of papaya, drumstick and coconut trees. In between, there are smaller plots of curry leaves, lemon, musambi (sweet lime), and amla (gooseberry). The farm uses only natural repellents and green covers (rather than dry ones) by planting multi-grain vegetation.

We stayed in a small house adjacent to the papaya fields, comprising empty cemented square rooms. We cooked our own food and much to our surprise, it didn’t turn out to be the disaster we expected it to be – actually, it turned out to be pretty good! Our daily baths in the clear and sweet stream water were so rejuvenating that we felt fresh and energetic throughout the day.

Though city life might seem more appealing, living on a farm has its own unique splendour to it.

Radhani J & Natasha John, Class IX

127

SS TRIPS

CLASS IX TRIP: DELHI-AGRA-JAIPUR-JAISALMER

CLASS VIII TRIP: HYDERABAD - AURANGABAD

LILT 2014-2015 //

CLASS XI TRIP: MALAYSIA I TR AV EL // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

129

MS TRIP

TRAVELLING THROUGH

Tamil Nadu Yes! It's here! The day had finally arrived. The middle school st udents had been looking forward to their week long advent ure through Tamil Nadu.

FIRST STOP - CHIDAMBARAM. Starting with a relaxing, beautiful boat ride through the Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, the students saw the trees up close and looked for crabs, shell fish and different types of birds. The day ended with a visit to the Natarajah Temple.

The students were flabbergasted by the Krishna Butterball because no one has been able to move this huge boulder!

SECOND STOP - AUROVILLE AND PONDICHERRY. Some students visited the Pebble Garden, but were surprised when they found out that it was not a garden made of pebbles! They learned that people had spent decades nurturing and turning the barren land into the lush greenery that it was now. Others went for a walk in the 'Green Belt' where they were taught about the different trees and the ecosystem. The students had lunch at the Solar Kitchen, feasting on a delicious lunch while in awe at how the whole kitchen is run on solar power. They enjoyed a session where they learned about bamboo trees and got to make bamboo artifacts to take back with them.

In Pondicherry, the students visited a paper factory where they were shown how paper was handmade out of scraps of cotton cloth. The students and teachers were really excited when they found a shop that sold different types of paper! The excursion in Pondicherry ended with a stroll on the Promenade beach and a scrumptious French dinner.

THIRD STOP - MAHABALIPURAM. Our day in Mahabalipuram was filled with a visit to the Shore Temple, Arjuna's Penance and Krishna Mandapam, where they inspected and interpreted the carvings. The students were flabbergasted by the Krishna Butterball because no one has been able to move this huge boulder! They also enjoyed hanging out on the Pancha Rathas. The day ended with a trip to the sea shell museum where they scanned through 40,000 different types of shells.

FINAL STOP - CHENNAI. The students experienced Kalakshetra by attending the morning assembly and some of the dance and music classes. They took a tour of Dakshinachitra where they learned about the different types of art, architecture and lifestyles of South India. The students also went on a night turtle walk where one group saw hatchlings released into the ocean and another group saw a turtle nest with 141 eggs!

LILT 2014-2015 //

I TR AV EL // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

131

MS TRIP

LILT 2014-2015 //

I TR AV EL

Middle School Field Trip to

Vadambacheri Village

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

On the 15th of December, Middle School students went to Vadambacheri, a small village not far from Coimbatore.

They experienced the lives of the villagers first hand and saw that every family in the village was dedicated to weaving sarees. The students learnt and even participated in the process of making a hand-made saree!

"This was an unforgettable visit. The villagers not only allowed us to experience their lives, but also showed us their hidden talent, which has been passed down through the generations. We hope that the culture they are preserving never dies."

Jaishree M. Devi, MS Student

133

Junior Explorers Field trips are an integral part of Junior School learning.

Here is a look at some of the many excursions we have been on this year!

We started off the year with a trip to the Maharaja Water Theme Park. It couldn't have been a more perfect day for the students to enjoy the park. The weather alternated between sunny and overcast while the students enjoyed the rides and splashed around. Featuring attractions for both “grown-ups” and “children” alike, there was something for everyone. When asked, students couldn't decide which part of the day they liked best. Whether it was the hurricane wave pool or the thrilling water slides, all agree this was a wonderful way to spend the second day of school!

The second term was no different. We took a trip to the Malampuzha Dam in Kerala. There, the students became familiar with the structure, the importance and the uses of the dam. The dam is surrounded by beautiful gardens that the children enjoyed strolling through. They even went for a short, refreshing boat ride on the lake, followed by a visit to the Ropeway, where the students were able to get a bird’s eye view of the dam. At the snake park, the children were enthralled by the variety of species, including the king cobra and a python. They even got to see a crocodile! The Rock Garden featured a beautifully crafted maze, the walls of which were decorated with stones of different colours, mosaic tiles, glass bangles and numerous patterns. There

was even a wall that was made of plug points!

Like every year, we made a trip to the Post Office and Railway Station. At the post office students explored the journey of a letter. They looked at how the letters were received, separated and the importance of the address and pin code. They also got a chance to see the philately section where they feasted their eyes on stamps of various sizes and shapes. At the railway station, we started out with a train ride! Once we reached Coimbatore station, we were whisked away to the control rooms where we were shown how the train tracks and signals were operated.

On their visit to the Science Park in Coimbatore, the children were exposed to numerous science concepts. The Science center houses an impressive range of experiments, displays and models. The children pushed buttons, pressed levers, scrunched springs, threw balls, and so much more. The outdoor section featured games and interactive models that brought to life abstract concepts like resonance, simple harmonic motion, magnetism, and gravity. In the pre-historic section, the children had the chance to befriend many dinosaurs, climbing the backs of the colossal replicas. The highlight for many of the students was a 3-D show about how the human body gets rid of germs and viruses.

JS TRIPS

LILT 2014-2015 //

I TR AV EL // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

135

JS TRIPS

Junior School students visited the Isha Ruchi production unit. Isha Ruchi, an Isha Business venture, is a manufacturer of wholesome snacks, nutritious porridges (kanjis), tiffin mixes and pickles. Students saw and participated in the processing and packaging of its signature Sanjeevini kanji, which is a unique combination of five cereals and three grams - a regular feature in IHS dining.Students were also told about the importance of healthy eating and introduced to traditional grains, spices and condiments that have long been part of the Indian cuisine. Through this experience, students were able to get a bigger picture of the story of where their food comes from, and gain a deeper appreciation for indigenous food and traditional recipes.

To continue their learning they also visited Century Apparels, a t-shirt factory, where they saw what happens to the cloth once it has been weaved. Here they explored the process of raw cloth being transformed into the t-shirts they wear every day! They also got a glimpse of how various designs are either screen printed or embroidered onto the t-shirts. It was fascinating for the students as they could not believe the process involved in creating the comfortable clothes they wear!

LILT 2014-2015 //

The much awaited trip of the year needs no introduction! It is the 4-day trip that the oldest students of Junior School take to the breath-taking Nilgiri District. Students visited Sims Park and trekked to Lambs Rock and Dolphins Nose in Coonoor. They took a motor ride on Pykara Lake, halted at the Chocolate Museum, and visited the Bee Museum in Ooty, where they learned Kurumba painting, alongside exploring bees and bee-keeping. They stopped in at a small Thoda hamlet and went on a scenic train ride. On the last day, they visited a tea factory and participated in a Baduga festival called “Jatasomi habba” which happens once a year.

I TR AV EL

On yet another field trip, the Juniors visited Murugan Mills, a unit of the National Textile Corporation Ltd. (NTC). This visit allowed the children to actually observe how cotton collected from a cotton plant is made into cloth. They learned about the various processes involved – carding, drawing, simplex and spinning. They also learned about the making of a bobbin, winding, warping and sizing. The final step was weaving where the children were able to physically see the cloth being weaved from multiple bobbins. The kids were fascinated and asked many questions throughout the process.

The students learned to appreciate the rich variety of Indian Textiles, and were exposed to the techniques applied in creating them. They were particularly thrilled to know that Tamil Nadu was among the states that produced the highest amount of cotton.

// ISHA HOME SCHOOL

137

Juniors Visit the Local Farmers Market On the 10th of January, around 6:00 am, the oldest of Junior School st udents donned their jackets to protect themselves from the morning chill and enthusiast ically headed for the Sandhai, or in English, the “Farmer’s Market”.

A few days preceding this day trip, their teachers told them they would be cooking for the rest of Junior School, so they discussed recipes and what they could buy with a given budget of 500 rupees. After making a list of the necessary ingredients, they were ready to head to the Sandhai, the next morning. The group reached Vadavalli by 7:00 a.m. They descended the steps of the bus with smiles on their faces eager to collect their items.

They were prepared for the noise and the crowd and stayed focused on their goal: to get the best vegetables in the market. They inspected several stalls with the same vegetables and looked for those of superior quality. They looked for vegetables that were fresh and vibrant, ladyfingers that were tender, and rosy apples. They found what they were looking for, and the best part was the reasonable prices. The farmers were so excited by their visit, they automatically reduced the price of the produce and selected the best ones for the children.

They got back on the bus with several heavy bags containing twenty-four different items including uncommon vegetables like banana blossom, palm root, and cherry tomatoes.

They came back to school and created their own market for their classmates. Finally, the entire house began cooking. The next time they go to the Sandhai, they plan to interview the farmers to find out more about how they plant, grow, and harvest the vegetables.

They can’t wait for their next visit!

The farmers were so excited by their visit, they automatically reduced the price of the produce and selected the best ones for the children.

JS TRIPS

LILT 2014-2015 //

I TR AV EL // ISHA HOME SCHOOL

139

EDITOR'S NOTE

OVIYA T

SANJANA CHANDRASEKHARAN

SRI SAI AMULYA CHINTALURI

ANA SARAN

CHETNA ANAND

NEED WE SAY MORE?

GALLERY

Isha Home School Velliangiri Foothills, Semmedu Post, Coimbatore - 641114, Tamil Nadu, India office@ishahomeschool.org (0422) 2515444 www.ishahomeschool.org