The Creatives-December Issue 2018

The

Creatives

December 2018 Issue 4 Vol.1

Snow Globe

DIY

Art Gallery YOUNG POET’S CORNER Mind over Body A column by Dr Momina Salman

The Creatives is a publication by Ray Academics for children and young adults.

Learn to Reimagine your Future

Calling Writers from all around the World!

Email your entries at info@rayacademics.com in the following categories:

Art & Poems

Puzzles

Contents 4

Student Editorial Team

6

Happy Mail

7

DIY Snow Globe

8

Travel Diaries

9

My Life as a Horse Rider

10

Word of the Month

11

Stories

your Furry Friends 13 Love Learn about the benefits of keeping pets

Stories

Articles

14 Harry Potter Poster 16 Harry Potter Trivia Quiz 16 Nominate Talent

Jokes

Recipes Subscription Countries

Issue Price

Annual Subscription (12 Issues)

Pakistan

Rs 200

Rs 2200

UAE AED 10 USA & Others $5

AED 110 $55

1 issue is free in a 1 year subscription

Orders fulfilled by

17

Book Review

18 JK Rowling Young Poet’s Corner 20 A collection of poems contributed by children and young adults

22 Art Gallery 23 Kiddies in the Kitchen Momi Talks!

23 Mind Over Body A column for parents and teensby a practising physician in the US,

24 Creative Writing Competition

EDITOR’S LETTER Dear Readers,

Patron-in-Chief

Winter is here! For some it’s the favorite time of year when are busy attending weddings and enjoying the festivities and extravagance of weddings.

For some, this is the best time to curl up on the couch with a book and sip away some hot chocolate.

Student Editorial Team

Whatever the case must be, all students would be relieved to get over with their exams and enjoy some down time before school starts in January again. This is our fourth issue and we are thrilled to see that so many children are contributing to this magazine.

We have contributors from USA, Saudi Arabia and all over Pakistan. We welcome the work of children from all over the world! If you want to send in your work all you have to do is send us an email at info@rayacademics. com Since its the wedding season, we would love to see you all dressed for these festive occasions. Send us your pictures since we would be working on a collage of wedding pictures in our next issue. We also have some more competitions for you in this issue. We will be holding our popular Creative Writing Competition as well which we have been doing for two years now.

There is also an Art competition with the theme of “Flowers” in this magazine. Shortlisted and winning entries will be published in our upcoming magazines.

Bushra Ehsan

Parveen Akhtar

Amn Zain Ryaan Mirza Damia Nauman Ali Hassnain Baloach Aaiza Zafar

Photography Zahrah Ehsan

Distributed by Ray Academics 21 Bank Square Market Model Town Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92-302-8556771

Email: info@rayacademics.com

Printer RN Digital Printers

Editor-in-Chief CEO of Ray Academics

Results of the Poetry Competition and Unicorn Art Competiton with the shortlisted and winning poems will be published in the next magazine.

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Student Editorial Team

H

i! My name is Aaiza Zafar. I am in eighth grade. I am one of the writing contributors to this magazine. The first book I ever made was two very short stories when I was about five years old: Max and Lu Part 1 and Part 2. It had pictures in it too.

When I was nine, I started a book series called Legendaries, which contained four short chapter books, each only forty to fifty pages. I finished it, and later on I edited it a lot, yet I still don’t think it’s perfect. That’s the thing about me: I never think it’s good enough! When I was in seventh grade, I joined a school club called Writer’s Workshop, and I wrote a bunch of short stories in a notebook that I also use to brainstorm, plan, storyboard, and make timelines for my books. Right now I am making a trilogy series called Flight, and I’m writing the last book right now! I think this one will be better than my other series, but, of course, after I finish the last book and edit all of them, I will still say it’s not good enough. But I like to think of that as a strength: it pushes you to persevere and go past any limitation. For all the others who are not just writing, but making anything creative of their own and are willing to share it to the world, keep on preserving! Keep on improving your past creations and making new ones as well! That is the mindset that will help you achieve anything.

Aaiza Zafar

Smith Middle School, Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA

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M

oshi Moshi! Here is Ali Hassnain Baloach at your service, or you can call me a chocoholic. To unleash my creativity I have joined the Student Editorial Team of the “Creatives”. Basically, at The City School, I have taken sciences as an O level student, so I hope to be a Doctor or an Engineer in the future; that’s funny but I love being all-rounder. I am fascinated by reading and I adore the art of writing too, that’s why currently I am working on my novel. Moreover, I’m also participating in an MUN or better known as a Model United Nations and representing my country in an amazing and frolicsome way.

I am going to have fun on the exciting rollercoaster ride of reading and writing for The Creatives. My role in the Student Editorial Team is also to represent “The Creatives” in Hyderabad. I want to tell others about this creative project so that they too can contribute to this magazine.

Ali Hassnain Baloach

The City School, Hyderabad, Pakistan

Contributors

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Link for the video: http://bit. ly/2OkFGM1 Follow their YouTube channel!

Happy Mail!

Zarwa Umar, 9 years old, Lahore Zarwa received “Happy Mail” from us on her birthday as a gift from “The Creatives” to encourage reading, writing and creativity. This is a small token from us to give children happiness during their endeavors of reading and writing. Children need to be encouraged for their efforts in creativity. This comes free with a 3 month subscription of “The Creatives” magazine. It is delivered free to your doorstep to surprise your child!

The offers are limited and are ending soon. If you would like to avail this offer contact Ray Academics at 0302-8556771 or visit https://www.rayacademics.com/thecreatives/ for various options. This offer is applicable nationwide.

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Featured

DIY Make a Snow Globe at Home!

Method:

You will need:

Glue your plastic toy/ornament to the lid of the jar Fill the jar with water and mix in the glitter Screw the lid on top of the jar, or glue for safety

-An old and used jar -Glue or hot glue gun -A plastic toy or ornament you want to put in -1 tablespoon of glitter

Turn your jar upside down and watch the ornament sparkle in the -glitter world!

Contributed by Amn Zain, 12. years old, Lahore

An open call to all children around the world!

Email us your stories, letters to the editor, jokes, riddles, recipes, artwork, pictures, articles etc.

Email us at info@rayacademics.com

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Travel Diaries

Unknown Steps

By Maham Zeeshan, Hyderabad, Pakistan

H

yderabad; a city with diverse cultures, finger licking food and hospitable people. Around five months back, it was a city about which I had only heard, but never visited. Little did I know, fate had some other plans for me when in July this year, my family moved to Hyderabad.

Coming from a Punjabi origin and spending all my life in Islamabad, I never imagined settling here someday! This city, known for its exotic glass bangles was a whole new world for me. I came here with shaky hands and trembling lips, unaware of the city’s customs nor did I know anyone here. During my initial days, the first thing to catch my eye and mesmerize me was the beauty of the city, how rich it is in culture and history. The slight breeze of the city didn’t fail to capture my heart either. It wasn’t long after which, I was enrolled into school and caring a blind leap of faith, I joined. I would’ve never thought that the students here would be so welcoming with warm smiles spread across their faces. Even though, “Sindhi” was once an alien language to me but now, it feels so familiar yet, I can’t understand it completely. Not to forget Sindhi biryani; that leaves you craving for more every time you have it.

Long story short, Hyderabad; a city, I fell in love with and has helped me learn, grow and have experiences, I never thought I would have.

Photo Credits: Tayyaba Memon, The City School, Jinnah Campus

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My Life as a Horse Rider

By Damia Nauman, Lahore, Pakistan

Express Yourself!

“To ride a horse is to ride the sky”.

Anonymous

T

his is exactly the quote that motivated me to start horse riding as a side hobby. After reading Harry Potter, in which characters ride on brooms and Percy Jackson, in which characters ride on chariots, horse riding was always on my mind. Of course, I had been on horses during my school trips to Polo Ground but never had I ever properly ridden a full sized horse by myself. If I’m given the choice between being on a horse for twenty-four hours and sitting in science class for fifteen minutes, I would choose horse riding. Although I have not been riding for a few months, I feel like it has become a part of me.

It all started in the summer break of 2017 when my mother (may God bless her for this act of kindness) found out about a horse riding school near my house. Consequently, my brother and I joined it and within a few months we were able to reach the second-last step which is called “Fast Trot”. After the summer break, most of my teachers and friends were impressed that I had done so much in such less time. They were even more surprised when I told them that I went for horse riding during my fast in the month of Ramadan as well.

If I were to recommend it to anyone, the first thing I would tell them would be, to never be afraid of falling off the horse, because if you are, you’re just afraid of being yourself. It also had a lot of benefits.

It helps is maintaining a good posture, and balances your muscles. It also helps you in letting go of all the troubles in your life as you only care about what is ahead of you, not what is behind you. I suggest that everyone should try riding at least once in their lives as it is an amazing sport to dwell on.

Use of “empathy” in a sentence: He loves children and has a certain empathy with them.

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Word of the Month: Validation

By Amn Zain, 12 years old, LGS 55-Main, Lahore Validation is recognition or affirmation that a person or their feelings or opinions are valid or worthwhile.

It means you need evidence to support your answers from people to make you feel that your actions or words are right. You derive confidence from others in order to feel better about yourself or your actions.

To be validated on something makes you feel confident about yourself based on the opinion of others.

But you should always remember that you do not need to feed your confidence based on the opinions of others. You require “validation” when you are unsure about something you did and need someone to give you confidence by positive affirmations that what you have done is the right thing to do.

Stay self-assured so that your confidence speaks for itself!

Definition of

Validation :

, or instance e An act, process especially : th of validating n of the degree of determinatio easuring device validity of a m

Usage of “Validation” in a sentence: “Big crowds and glowing reviews clearly provided the validation the band needed: The Eagles have loaded their 2018 schedule with nearly 50 dates so far, including several summer stadium shows.”

— Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, “Eagles lock in Little Caesars Arena return with October 2018 show,” 20 Feb. 2018 His work proves that streetwear can have the same respect and validation that a luxury fashion house has.

— Brooke Bobb, Vogue, “Three Aspiring Chicago Creatives on Why Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Debut Inspires Them,” 20 June 2018 Definition and sample sentences have been taken from Merriam-Webster.

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Safe Haven

By Muhammad Shuja, 13 years old, Aitchison College, Lahore

T

he only place of tranquility that I know is a special place in the graveyard where my grandfather is buried. There is no one there and it is extremely quiet there.This is the place I like going when I am in some sort of a trouble or when I am feeling depressed.This place has a very deep and important place inside my heart as I feel that I can share anything with him.He was the only one who always pumped me up when I was feeling down.

He has his very own place inside my heart. It is very special to me as he is my role model and I only like visiting him ever so often. He has always been a mountain of strength for me.

It is so quiet and peaceful at the graveyard. I can spend hours and hours sitting and talking to him in that serene place.I feel like he can listen to all my problems, even today. When no one listens to me I know that he is always there to listen to all my problems.

It lightens my burdens when I go over there. It is a safe haven for me from all the troubles of the world.

The Secret Diamond House

Stories

By Mahir Ali Khan, 8 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

O

ne day there were two kids named Max and John who were walking down the road. They saw a castle and they went in but they didn’t know that it was a secret diamond castle. In the beginning, they went to a room but then when they opened the door they were suddenly attacked by witches, skeletons and killer clowns!

This wasn’t an ordinary castle but it was actually the famous Secret Diamond Castle, they had heard about.

After that the monsters left them alone they saw that there were four doors. They needed to find the real exit now. They were about to choose the door when a strange thing happened, a monster flew and took John and rushed away, and so the friends were separated from each other.

The monster threw John on a train. Then John went on the train, he took out the skeleton who was driving the haunted train. John fell out of the train and landed on the skeleton. They heard a killer clown snicker, “you can run but you can’t hide.”They saw a portal and jumped right in.

Finally, they found each other. Fortunately, they also found a giant door! A killer clown smashed the giant and hurt John. When Max saw the diamond he ran to it and got the power to destroy the killer clown. He put his hand together and got the ultimate power to destroy the killer clown. John, suddenly got better but the castle started to shake and was about to fall. They quickly went down and jumped out of the window. John was safe and he walked back home. This was one of the scariest adventures he had. John was very brave and loves telling people about this story.

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The Girl in Summer

By Zaina Zafar, 6 years old, Connecticut, USA

O

nce upon a time, in summer time, there was a little girl. She doesn’t have a home; she is alone because her parents didn’t love her. She was trying to find a home, but couldn’t find a good one. She gives up: she can’t live with a family, she can’t eat, she can’t take a shower, she can’t do anything.

But then, a fairy came to her.

“I have never seen a real fairy before!” she said.

“Are you alone?” said the fairy. She had beautiful, white wings. She turned the little girl into a fairy and said, “You can stay in Fairy Land.”

And the day was over.

The Talking Cat

By Muhammad Bin Ejaz, 6 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

O

ne day I was sleeping and I heard a loud sound under my bed. My family was terrified because it felt as if it was a cyclone. When we looked under the bed it was a beautiful furry cat. I talked to the cat and it meowed back. It felt as if the cat talked back to me. Many years passed then it learned to talk like a human. Then it started to play Tablets, Nintendos and even the Playstation.

One day cat was not able to see few things. Then the cat called me. It said “ Help me, I can not see few things.” I came running towards the cat.I was afraid that why is my cat blind. It had tiny eyes. I asked my family to take the cat to the hospital. Everyone agreed to take the cat to the hospital. In a blink of a star we went to the hospital. The hospital name was “ Cat Eyes.” We went inside the hospital.

The man said, “The cat’s eyes are very weak.I’m going to tell my assistant to help the cat to see things.” The assistant said, ”It needs to wear glasses so don’t worry your cat would be fine.”

They gave us 3 medicines. After several weeks the cat’s eyes improved. Then we all lived happily ever after.

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Love your Furry Friends

By Ryaan Mirza, 13 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

B

elieve it or not but you might be doing yourself a huge favor by keeping a pet. Usually the most popular pets are cats and dogs.

The world sometimes seem to be divided in dog lovers and cat lovers but the truth is that both type of animals are adorable and reap nearly the same benefits for their owners and those around them.

lessen the chances of heart attacks. Some benefits that both cats and dogs also share are that they reduce stress, simply petting your pet would make you feel better after a hard day of work etc.

They also help tremendously when you are going through a rough patch in your life; even if its as painful as losing a loved one. Just talking to them helps you relieve yourself from the loss.

A cat’s unique ability to purr is known to have therapeutic benefits.Cats make this sound by twitching repetitively and if this vibrating sound is between 20-140 Hz it can begin to heal humans and cats. These vibrations can cause healing to the tendons and muscles. It can also alleviate pain and ease breathing.

Keeping a pet requires a lot of responsibility. If you have a pet, you have to make sure that you have enough time and resources to take care of the animal. This helps you to learn responsibility and also develop empathy towards animals.

Also keeping a cat has shown that it reduces risk of heart disease. When petting a cat, it reduces stress levels which has an effect of reducing the risk of heart disease, which is quite beneficial.

Some benefits of keeping a dog is that it keeps you fit and active, dogs require a walk daily for about 30 minutes, that’s 3 hours and 30 minutes a week. Dogs are also used for guarding your home and warding off people with the intent to steal or do harm towards your house. Dogs are known for their trainable nature. Dogs can be trained to even sniff out drugs! Dogs can play integral roles in police investigations. Some dogs also guide blind people and help them walk across roads and sidewalks. Dogs are higher maintenance than cats and require to be taken on walks regularly. This keeps the owner active as well and the dog

Another advantage of keep pets is that it makes you less lonely. Pets will always be waiting for you to come home and show extreme affection when you enter the house. They will do everything to communicate that you know that they love you. Pets are always there for us, always there to keep us company and to always be there through it all. It’s a lot of hard work to keep a pet but it’s definitely worth it!

Not only do cats help your heart but so do dogs!

They lower levels of blood pressure, also reduce cholesterol and also reduce triglyceride levels.

These all contribute to better heart health and

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Trivia Quiz Question: How many copies of Harry Potter series have been sold worldwide?

Answer: 500 million copies Question: What is the best-selling book of the seven books?

Answer: Philosopher’s Stone.

Question: What is the fastest selling book in the Harry Potter series?

Answer: Deathly Hallows Question: How many total words are there in Harry Potter books?

Answer: 1,100,086 words Question: Do you know which words have been invented in the Harry Potter series?

Answer: ‘Muggle’ and ‘Quidditch” Question: When was Harry Potter first published?

Answer: Harry Potter was first published by Bloomsbury in 1997 Question: How many languages have Harry Potter books been translated into?

Answer: Harry Potter books have been translated in 80 different languages

Nominate Talent We are always looking for talent at “The Creatives.” There are many ways that a child may be talented. They could be either be fantastic story writers or simply have a flair for making pcturesque paintings. Children may have extraordinary musical abilities or have simply devised a new invention. If your child possesses any quality that shows creativity and talent please do not shy away from approaching us.

You can nominate a “Creative” by sending in samples of their work, contact details and all other neccessary details at info@rayacademics.com You can be a teacher, parent or a friend to be able to identify talent and nominate that special person. The Ray Academics Team will then let you know if the child has been shortlisted. The individual is then featured in our magazine and given credit for their work. In our earlier issues we featured a young photographer and an outstanding nine year old creative girl who can write very well and also has her own Youtube channel!

It is important to recognize talent in young children and adults because not only does it give confidence to children but also encourages them to progress in different aspects of life. Recognition beyond school life allows children to feel truly successful! It also introduces them to a competitive world outside school and their current surrounding. It allows society to progress collectively and encourages innovators and talented individuals to progress further in their adult lives.

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Book Review

By Amn Zain, 12 yearsold, Lahore

Everyone has heard about these mystical series, read them, or seen the eight blockbuster films made on them. Harry Potter has long been considered some of the most magical and enthusiastic pieces in all of literature. Centaurs leap, statues talks, people turn into animals, and paintings have interesting conversations, these series are a must to read!!!

Harry Potter aka The Boy Who Lived, is enrolled in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he is sorted into Gryffindor house. Little does Harry know that the next seven years at this school will be the most adventurous and exciting of his life. He makes two good friends Ron, and Hermione, along with the Weasley family. Hogwarts itself has loads to offer. The philosophical Albus Dumbledore, the mysterious Professor Snape, and the good for nothing bully Draco Malfoy.

Harry’s story starts with a mystical Philosophers Stone, stolen by Lord Voldemort himself, he works with his two courageous friends to retrieve it. As Harry moves on to his second year, children are being petrified, he is warned by house elves, and blood is appearing on walls. Harry must defeat the evil Dark Lord who has risen to power once more! In his third year Harry helps his mistaken Godfather to escape from the clutches of the Ministry of Magic and the soul sucking dementors. But his fourth year takes the twist when Harry is selected to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, where he watches Lord Voldemort come to life once more and this time there is no stopping him. In the next

three years at this school Harry Potter will work with his fellow witches and wizards to stop at nothing to destroy, Voldemort who is taking over Britain with his evil Death Eaters.

These stories teach us gallons of morals about friendship, sacrifice and courage. If you are not already a Harry Potter fan, you should start reading these series right now. Just saying, but you have GOT to love them!!!! Harry Potter Series: Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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Book Review

JK Rowling

By Amn Zain, 12 years old, LGS 55 Main, Lahore, Pakistan

The profound author of history’s greatest series: Harry Potter When we look at Joanne Kathleen Rowling, we see a multibillionaire whose stardom brought her magnanimous success at the publication of her first book.

But Ms. Rowling has given her soul to writing the magical series we read today.

When young Joanne first started to write Harry Potter, she was pulled away from her work by the devastating death of her mother. Fallen into depression, she thought it better to move, and started teaching English in a school in Portugal. Things did not go as plan. Not only did Rowling fail to make progress in her book, but suffered through a divorce. Now the 30 year old women, had her entire life ahead of her, filled with nothing but hope of fending for herself and her newly born daughter.

She had hit rock bottom. However she managed to complete her manuscript, and sent it to numerous publishers, only to face rejection after rejection. Her mailbox was filled with rejection letters each month, but Rowling did not stop trying.

Finally in 1991, “Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone” was published by Bloomsbury books. Now, the series have been turned into blockbuster films and books which have to be reprinted a million times a year.

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Fun Activities Jokes!

Q: How did Jack Frost get to work?

A: By icicle.

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?

A: Frostbite Q: Why did the boy keep his trumpet out in the snow?

A. Because he liked cool music Q: What do you call ten rabbits hopping backwards through the snow together?

A: A receding hare line.

My friend thinks he is smart. He told me an onion is the only food that makes you cry, so I threw a coconut at his face.

Q: What happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?

A: It gets toad away Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?

A: Of course. The Empire State Building can’t jump.

Teacher: “If I gave you 2 cats and another 2 cats and another 2, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven.”

Teacher: “No, listen carefully... If I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven.”

Teacher: “Let me put it to you differently.

If I gave you two apples, and another two apples and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Six.” Teacher: “Good. Now if I gave you two cats, and another two cats and another two, how many would you have?”

Johnny: “Seven!”

Teacher: “Johnny, where in the heck do you get seven from?!”

Johnny: “Because I’ve already got a freaking cat!”

Teacher: “Which book has helped you the most in your life?”

Student: “My father’s check book!

Q: Why did the witches’ team lose the baseball game? A: Their bats flew away Q: Why did Adele cross the road? A: To sing, “Hello from the other side!”

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“Winning and losing is the part of game but if you win it’s the best part of the game, and if you lose so your game of determination has just begun.”

Ali Hassnain Baloach, 15 years old, Hyderabad, Pakistan

Young Poet’s

Corner The Creatives|20

Poem of Life Life is a miracle, Thou should know, To behold such life is a blessing though, When people grow up from their humble beginnings, And life shows them their joy and sorrow, When people wonder about life of substance, I have only one thing to tell them, That life is hope, an idea to others, For every person has to perform wonders, And find his place, Not caring about culture or race, Because all of us are one face, And the world binds our destinies with different fates, So consider life as an offer to yourself, And redeem yourself with Allah’s Grace.

For life is the meaning of following a virtue, And every person wakes in golden hue, And the stars shine like they do, Because their life is also an embodiment of the Creator’s rule.

By Muhammad Shahwaiz, 14 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

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Art Gallery

Art Gallery

Ayesha Usman Ghani, 16 years old, Karachi, Pakistan

Annaya Umar, 6 years old, Lahore, Pakistan

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Zaina Zafar, 6 years old, Connecticut, USA (Wood Work)

Kiddies in the Kitchen No Bake Cornflake Cookies Ingredients: Method: 4 cups cornflakes 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine cornflakes, coconut and pecans; set aside. In a small heavy saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage). Add syrup mixture to dry ingredients; stir well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. You are done!

1-1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup butter Dash salt

Art Competition Art Competition Theme: Flowers Guidelines: Age group: 6-16 years old

2 entries allowed per person

Drawing: 1. Medium: Any 2. Size of Art Work: Not smaller than 5”x7” and less than 11”x 17” 3. Submission is in digital form

Entry: Free for those who purchase the magazine

Code: flowersXX26 Online Registration link: You must fill out the following form fo us to accept your submission http://www.rayacademics.com/flowers

Prizes: Various Last date of Submission is January 30th, 2019

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Creative Writing Competiton A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”— Richard Bach This Creative Writing Contest is being held by Ray Academics to encourage creative thought and proficiency in writing skills. All children through out Pakistan are welcome to participate in this competition.

Rules & Guidelines Submissions are acceptable from all children and young adults from Pakistan Entry fee: Rs 500 per person.

Theme of the short story: This is your choice.

Only one entry is accepted per person.

Categories: a. Young Writer (6 years old) Word limit: As much as they can write a. Sub-junior (7-9 years) Word limit: 100-150 words b. Junior (10-12 years) Word limit: 200-300 words c. Senior (13-16 years) Word limit: 300-500 words Proof of age is required (scan or take a photo of your birth certificate/passport/B-form (Any entry that is not accompanied by proof of age will be automatically disqualified) Send your story and the proof of age as attachments to info@rayacademics.com Mention the following information below your story: a. Name b. Age c. Category entered d. Title of your story e. Word count (including the title) f. Email address parent's/teacher's email address can be used here if necessary)

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g. Phone number (for correspondence) h. School name i. City The story should be the original. All stories will be checked for plagiarism. Fully or partially copied content from any source will not be accepted and may disqualify the candidate from entering any other competition held by Ray Academics.

Judges’ decision will be final.

Stories will be judged on the basis of content, language and style of writing. By entering the contest you would be allowing Ray Academics to publish your story in print and electronically.

Format: Type your story using Microsoft Word, and use Times New Roman or Arial 12 point regular font.

Online entry form: http://www.rayacademics.com/writing2019 Prizes: Various There will be winner(s) in each category.All highly commended and outstanding short stories will be published in our monthly magazine, “The Creatives” All entrants will be given a participation certificate. Winning and shortlisted stories will be printed in “The Creatives” Winners will be announced within the first week of March on facebook and instagram (@rayacademics) and our website .

Winners will also be announced on our website: https://www.rayacademics.com/ Deadline for the competition: 20th of February 2019.

Contact us at info@rayacademics.com or call us at 0302-8556771 for any queries.

Last Day for Submissions February 20

An Informational Column for Parents & Teens

Momi Talks!

Dear Readers,

techniques that you can use in your everyday life.

I am excited to start a series of mind over body methods that will help you both in your physical and mental health. The information and techniques that you learn in this column is modeled after, but not affiliated with the clinical programs of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine established by Herbert Benson, MD and associates. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to complete my course at the Harvard Medical School on Mind Body Medicine and hope that this will help you in your daily life.

But why is all this important? That is because all these techniques help in resilience. And, so what is resilience?

Not only was the faculty at this conference world renowned, but we also had TED TALK speakers Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (over 10 million views) and Robert Waldinger, MD (over 24 million views) live at the conference with new information on habit changing and healthy aging.

UNDERSTANDING MIND BODY MEDICINE The first thing to understand is to treat the brain and body as one, and we will be discussing the following techniques: • Spirituality as positive emotion • Healthy habits • Relaxation exercises • Meditation • Guided imagery • Yoga • Positive psychology • Exercise • Diet • Sleep • Social support There are other methods available too, including biofeedback, hypnosis, etc. but they require professional monitoring. However, I will be teaching and helping you understand and incorporate easy

RESILIENCE is good adjustment in the face of significant difficulty, to increase capacity to face challenges and building reserve and conserving energy.

This is especially important for children, as childhood trauma has the most long-lasting effects.

Some traumas cannot be avoided, but the good news is that with the following tools and coping skills, they can handle adversity better and become adults of great character and resilience.

So, let us start with our first technique: SPIRITUALITY AS POSITIVE EMOTION: George Vaillant, MD, has very eloquently explained that “Spirituality is not about ideas, sacred texts and theology, rather, it is about emotion and social connection.”

As we know that the best predictor of physical health is mental health, and tapping into this technique is applicable to everyone, as it does not matter which religion you belong to or what your beliefs are. As long as you are aware of something bigger than yourself, bringing your life into perspective and believe a stronger force will help you get through your tough times, you are on the right track.

But our minds create negative stories, and then we get obsessed with them and we keep ruminating (thinking deeply about it), and we fall into the same hole again and again and again. Our minds become our prisons.

SO HOW TO QUIT RUMINATING AND GET PRESENT: Create a better story about your life and stick to it! Because we are what we believe.

Stories we tell ourselves that make sense of the world. True or not, they make a positive difference in how we live our lives.

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Your identity is not your biography. Inside everyone there is a place that has never been wounded, where there is confidence and peace. The intention of prayer and spirituality and love is to visit that space again.

By being spiritual we become more optimistic and change our story Reexample, instead of the sentence: “It’s my own fault, I mess up everything I do, and it’s the story of my life”, you change it to “Stressful events challenge me to change and grow” And if you were wronged, learn to forgive.

A study assigned two groups of women suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), half were assigned forgiveness training and the other half, anger validation. The results showed that the women in the forgiveness intervention had significantly greater improvement in depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, selfesteem, forgiveness and finding meaning in suffering. So, letting go and accepting it as a part of a higher plan is actually good for your health. And use your spirituality to heal yourself with positive emotions.

Rehearsing positive events and resources for 10 to 20 seconds throughout the day retrains your brain for happiness and resilience.

PRACTICAL EXERCISES: First of all, do not be discouraged • Take small yet persistent steps • Be consistent, so that you make daily habits • Use what works best for you (one size does not fit all); what may work best for you may not work for others.

Mini meditation using a mantra: Tasbeeh, rosary, or whatever your religious ritual and practices are. effective meditation techniques.

The key is to do it mindfully. That means being fully aware of what you are saying, understan-

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ding what you are saying, not doing it in a rush and being aware of a Higher Presence. Do not get upset if your mind wanders. Just gently bring it back to the present and finish your ritual. Do not be self judgmental. Just bringing your mind back to the present is a victory. As you do this regularly, you will get better at it.

Mindful prayers: Whether it be salah (Namaz), or saying Grace, or nightly prayers. Again, whatever is your routine. If it is not in your routine, you can start slow and build up very slowly. The concept behind this technique is to bring perspective to your life. Problems in life will start to look smaller once your mind starts to see the full picture. Our purpose in life becomes clearer. It also gives one a sense of belonging. You belong to a certain practice, certain rituals.

Gratitude: Remembering what the Higher Power has blessed you with. Even if it is a small thing, bring it to mind, whether it is during prayer or otherwise. If you cannot think of one single thing to be grateful for, then be grateful for breathing, and bring your focus to your breath.

You can do a mini breath meditation: inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds and exhale for four seconds. You can do as many times you like, and no one will even know that you are doing a mini meditation.

In your heart, be thankful for the blessing of breath. I personally use this meditation myself while my computer is powering on before starting work. Instead of staring and getting frustrated while waiting for the computer to wake up. It does not take long, no one notices it and it gets me ready for work.

You don’t have to do all. I would recommend doing the one that appeals to you the most.

It is more important that you do even as little as one minute everyday but continue to do so continuously, rather than doing too much and giving up.

Next month, we will talk about healthy habits.

Just remember: You are not your biography and you are not your genes. You are the story you decide to tell yourself, and there is something stronger than you and is looking after you.

Learn the Secret Tips of Sketching with Mrs Shamaila Shahryar in the winter break!

Ages 8-14 Mrs Shamaila Shahryar is a seasoned educator and artist who has been teaching visual arts and design at Lahore American School for several years.

Join us on December 29, 30 and 31st at Ray Academics from 2:00-4:00pm for an amazing time learning the tips and techniques of sketching Fee Rs 3000 (basic materials included) Early Registration Discount of Rs 500 applicable till Dec 11, 2018 Visit www.rayacademics.com/winter2019 fmore information or call us at 0302-8556771

Student Editorial Workshop Learn how to make your own Newspaper with Ms Bushra Ehsan Ages 8-14 Ms Bushra Ehsan is a post graduate educator from the US who is also the editor of “The Creatives�

This workshop has been designed to show how a newspaper can be created witha team of students.

This workshop is excellent for students who would like to cultivate journalism skills and even create a newspaper of their own! A wonderful winter project that will bring a sense of accomplishment.

Fee: Rs 2000 (materials included) Early Registration Discount of Rs 500 applicable till Dec 11, 2018 For more information regarding Join us on 4th & 5th of January 12:00-1:30pm for

Math Course Learn Maths with Concepts with Mrs Ayesha Zahid!

Grade 7 to O levels Mrs Ayesha Zahid is a highly qualified and dedicated instructor who is teaching Math courses at Ray Academics. Her individualized instruction helps students who are weak in mathematical concepts but she also teaches advanced Math students who would like to stay ahead of the class.

You can find out more about the instructor by visiting https://www.rayacademics.com/mathspecialist/ Early Registration Discount of Rs 500 applicable till Dec 11, 2018

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