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The Taktse Times

Page 1

NOTE FROM THE OUTREACH TEAM

A short ntroduction

Page 2-5

SIKKIM ART AND LITERATURE FESTIVAL

A 3 day event at Yuksam

Page 06

EDUCATIONAL EXPO

A workshop by some top col ege counselors

Page 07

WORKSHOP ON JOURNALISM

A workshop by Mr Pema Wangchuk

Page 08

THE GREAT HIMALAYAN BOOK FEST

A book fest val in col aborat on w th Woodpecker

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SOFT BOARD COMPETITION (BEHIND THE SCENES)

Making of the Soft Board

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WE SPY

Appreciat on

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NEWS IN SHORT

Taktse news

Note From The Outreach Team

As summer graces this part of the world, we can feel the change in temperature. Flowering plants and wild orchids are blooming around Taktse, and we feel blessed to witness this artistry of nature. In this edition of Taktse Times, we cover some exciting events both within and outside the school. The Literature Festival in Yoksom, the Himalayan book fair at Taktse, and the workshop on Journalism are among the highlights of this newsletter.

We are also pleased to share news of new infrastructure developments. One of them is the completion of the Chorten (Stupa) construction, a remarkable achievement. Additionally, there are ongoing development projects that will be completed soon. We will provide updates on these developments in our upcoming newsletters.

Let us rejoice in the symphony of summer, as nature paints its canvas with vibrant hues and life flourishes in abundance.

Sikkim Arts and Literature

Festival 2023

Reflections by students

DAY 1

The trip there was quite an experience The bumpy roads were nothing new, however the scenery was a whole new level. The beautiful skies and the forests filled with towering trees, and the pretty flowers around, painted with different shades of green and a deep ocean blue We stopped to eat momos at a local restaurant, which tasted delicious, and the smell of the sauces and achar we spicy but worked perfectly with the momo. We continued on our wa and reached Yuksam We could see the people of Yuksam, wh looked mostly Tibetan/Bhutanese, along with Indians spawning fro time to time. We saw a basketball court, which was well-kept f such a rural area, and a football field similar to Taktse’s.

-We finally reached Yuksam Pala’s Homestay, which was surprising very clean and very modern for the area. We got two rooms, one f the girls, and one for the guys, to stay in. There were 3 single bed and 2 double beds, and we quickly unpacked and settled into o rooms for the day We played cards ,read books for 20 mins ,an wrote our reflection and shared it with the larger group ,until was dinner time where we enjoyed a filling meal of; Rice, Dah Meat, Egg Curry, Cabbage, and special achar, made by the homesta -Lastly,We returned to our rooms until it was time to sleep, whe we all enjoyed a good rest for the next day ahead, and the first da of the YUKSOM program.

Aayan Pradhan

Grade 8 Cambridge

Sikkim Arts and Literature

Festival 2023

Reflections by students

DAY 2

At daybreak, I woke up, to the chattering of my fellow roommates who were talking, and checked the time to find out it was 3 AM!? I decided to get up and freshen up. We were set to visit the Dubdi Monastery, the oldest monastery in all of Sikkim, built in 1701 It was recommended by some parents, we did three rounds of the temple and the holy statues. It was calm, peaceful and holy with unique scenery and was well kept. Best day to start our day. Arriving back at the Homestay, we had to get ready for the Sikkim Literature and Art Festival at 9 AM. We all freshened up and changed into our formal wear. We then entered our vehicles at 8:30 AM and made our way to the venue.

We reached the Sikkim Literature and arts festival venue and were greeted by an incredible, melodic performance by Har Preet, an incredible songwriter and guitarist, who graced us with his majestic and soul-shaking voice, and his incredible skill with his guitar. We managed to even hear an extra song, due to the audience’s insistence and love for his work, showing that he truly does have die-hard’ fans even in Sikkim His incredible performance was followed by an auspicious ‘Realization Song’ performed by Buddhist monks, that sounded like an alien language, or a soundtrack you d hear in a sci-fi game, and I mean no disrespect since sci-fi games are awesome The host from the group also enlightened us a little on what a Realization song is, and the one they were to sing.

Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival 2023

Reflections by students

DAY 2 contd

Then, we had a small break, and famous novelist, Anand Neelakantan, writes books on Hindu Mythology and even writes scripts for films and series. He was accompanied by Nisha Gautham, a prestigious senior editor of Quint, who writes on many topics like gender, politics and culture. Their conversation was quite a dynamic one, as Anand s comedic tone and Nishtha’s formality and kindness helped make the session quite interesting. Anand talked about many topics like how he became a writer, how it is being a writer, and also his personal thoughts, along with some industry secrets Nishtha and Anand also discussed topics regarding the controversy and started to talk about his big hit, Bahubali. They also started a Q&A session with the audience, where even our own Kunchok of Grade 6 ICSE and Nyssha of Grade 10 asked Anand some questions. It was a great learning movement for all of us as a writer. We are inspired more to be a writer. We proceeded downwards to start the Writing and Art competition near Karthok Lake. We sat down at a local inn and enjoyed Maggi with Egg while writing. We all managed to write our minds out and finished our work, and then made our way to Karthok Lake, where Akashna (Grade 9 ICSE), Barun (Grade 9 Cambridge), Khenrab (Grade 7 Cambridge) and Devansh (Grade 6 Cambridge) participated. Akashna’s painting was amazing. The neighbouring mountains with her impeccable use of color theory, turning yellow into the blue with just a stroke! After submitting our works, we made our way back to the Sikkim Art and Literature venue just in time for the section on Journalism, hosted by Nishtha Gautham, Ankush Saikia, Teresa Rehman, and Hoihnu Hauzel. They opened up with Ankush’s thoughts on his works and his thoughts on how the digital age is changing journalism as a whole

However, our time was cut short as we had to make our way back to our Homestay, but the first day of the festival was quite an experience in itself. After returning to Hostel I enjoyed some fresh egg fried rice, which smelled delicious and had a slight char, just like my mom ’ s homemade food. I got ready for the special after-venue concert with many local singers, and famous singers known over India like Bipul Chettri and Shaala Kaala The concert was full of hype, with an incredible audience supporting the incredible lineup of singers as well. With each new singer, the noise rose, and I bet people from the other side could also hear our singing and cheering. The pre-concert singers who had arrived were incredible, with one guy beatboxing like a god, and another breakdancing to a remixed Hindi song. A duo of guitarists also came on stage and sang their songs, and we met many people actually from Taktse, like Myra and Rigyal of Grade 5. After the concert started, we opened up with Dechen Phinasa, who was like a K-pop star, singing her soul out with style, while her fan base sang along with her, and her wide range of songs, some soft, some rough. Shaala Kaala was personally my favourite band, as our old music teacher Mr Pemba, was now a part of them. Their music was also very rock-hard, which is something I enjoyed as a Phonk listener. They performed a few rock songs, and everyone sang. Everyone vibed with the music, until their exit, and an entrance into one of the greatest singers of India.

In the final performance, Bipul Chettri's iconic music played as heavy rain poured down. Despite the rain, we stayed and enjoyed two soul-shaking songs from Bipul, who played a unique guitar that was both acoustic and electric. The entire concert was a truly enjoyable experience, with music that stirred our souls and performances that moved the crowd. The energy of jumping and singing along in the rain rejuvenated our tired bodies. All the singers were lively and gave their all, and each performer had passionate fans cheering them on After the concert, we returned to the hotel and shared our reflections on the first day of the Sikkim Art and Literature Festival, realizing that learning can happen beyond the classroom and that great personalities can influence our lives. We had a delicious organic meal prepared by the homestay people who treated us like family. We rested and prepared for the second day of the festival, our last day in Yuksam.

Aayan & Akashna,

Sikkim Arts and Literature

Festival 2023

Reflections by students

DAY 3

As we entered the venue we were astonished by the "Vande Mataram" performance by the choir of Eklavya Senior Secondary school and dancers of Yuksom High Secondary School to celebrate the anniversary of the agreement between the goverment of Sikkim and the government of India. Each person right from the bass player to the electric guitar, to the 1choir singers and dancers all together composed a beautiful song. The dance was specially choreographed to depict and portray the beauty and diversity of Sikkim As we waited for the arrival of the Cheif Minister, everyone was getting ready in their positions for the grand welcome. The most peculiar thing I saw was two huge figures; one of a man and the other of a woman, that was controlled by one person inside The way they moved without any difficulty showcased their experience and skills on how well they can control it. We waited for quite a while, but the Cheif Minister had still not shown up so we had to take our leave as we had to travel back to Gangtok the same day. The way the traditional and tribal elements were explicitly portrayed through the way the festival was designed to be. I had never been to any fest like this which highlighted the beautiful community and traditions found locally instead of trying to be more like the Americans. Due to this fact, the whole program was a mind-blowing experience which provided us with exposure to different things and helped us learn more about local artists that highly influenced us to take interest in things that we had never thought of I really hope that other students also get an opportunity to go for festivals like this, as it really changes one ' s perspective of the world and opens our minds to many new things

Educational Expo

by Mr Gyan

An educational expo was organized in partnership with a student outreach team from Noida and Kolkata. The event featured representatives from various universities in India and abroad who visited Taktse and shared their knowledge and insights on topics such as liberal education, data science, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and the skills needed for academic success.

The presence of multiple representatives from different academic institutions allowed students to gain diverse perspectives and explore various programs and courses. Liberal education provides students with a broad understanding of different disciplines, while data science equips them with the skills and knowledge required to work with data and make data-driven decisions. Entrepreneurship education helps students develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and leadership skills that are applicable in many contexts.

Overall, the educational expo proved to be a valuable and rewarding experience for our students. Through these types of events, students can connect with representatives from different universities and institutions to learn more about contemporary courses and make informed decisions about their career paths.

Workshop on Journalism

We extend a big thank you to Mr Pema Wangchuk, Consulting Editor of Summit Times, for conducting an engaging workshop on Journalism for our 6th and 7th graders. Mr. Wangchuk covered important topics such as ethics, newspaper layout, technology's influence, and mobile journalism. The workshop ended with an interactive question and answer session, where students actively participated. Thank you once again, Mr Wangchuk, for a thought-provoking session

The Great Himalayan Book Fest

Today, the Great Himalayan Book Fest unfolded at Taktse, captivating the hearts of book enthusiasts. This grand event was both a book fair and a celebration of knowledge and literature. The venue was adorned with shelves showcasing an array of books spanning various genres. The air was filled with anticipation as attendees eagerly explored the literary treasures on display, discovering new authors and rediscovering old favourites. The Great Himalayan Book Fest owes its success to Ms Rinzing, our librarian extraordinaire, the dedicated organizers and the numerous students and their supportive parents who graced the event with their presence. Their enthusiasm for reading and learning was evident in the way they engaged with the books. The day was a reminder that books possess the power to transcend boundaries, ignite imaginations, and shape minds. As the attendees left the event, they carried with them not only books but also a renewed passion for knowledge and a sense of community that will continue to inspire them on their literary journeys.

Behind the scenes)

The Taktse Soft Board Competition is an exciting event that takes place every month While we have been regularly updating you on the winners, it's time to unveil the behind-the-scenes work and the extensive preparations that go into creating the soft board

PREPARATION: Once the theme is disclosed, the students begin researching, brainstorming, and planning. They explore different perspectives, uncover fascinating facts, and analyze the significance of the theme in various contexts. The preparation phase involves a myriad of activities like sketching, painting, designing, and crafting to bring their concepts to life. They utilize various materials such as papers, charts, fabric, ribbons, and decorative items (while being as environment-friendly as possible)to create visually appealing soft boards. The meticulous arrangement of information, illustrations, and images is carefully executed to ensure clarity and coherence

JUDGING: The elected judges take into account various factors, including adherence to the theme, creativity, visual appeal, and the ability to convey the intended message effectively The winners are announced, and their soft boards are celebrated for their outstanding qualities.

LEARNING OUTCOME: The Taktse Soft Board Competition not only nurtures artistic talents but also instils essential life skills in the students. Through the process of research, collaboration, and presentation, they develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and the confidence to express themselves creatively

We Spy

We, the Outreach Team, extend our heartfelt thanks to three exceptional parents who generously provided transportation/ drove our students to the Art and Literature Fest in Yuksam. Their selflessness and dedication ensured our students travelled safely and participated in this enriching event. Their contribution made a significant impact on the success of the outing, and we are immensely grateful for their support and commitment.

Mrs Rebina, mother of Khenrab, Grade 7

Mrs Nisha, mother of Devensh, Grade 6

Mrs Yousa, mother of Kunchok, Grade 6

The admin lobby wall has been exquisitely adorned with a captivating collection of photographs, blending the old and the new. Next time you find yourself at Taktse, make it a point to check it out.

Congratulations Nyssha, Heshal and Aarnesh on competing and securing 3rd position in the Inter School Debate Competition held at Paljor Namgyal Girls School recently

The new Chorten (stupa) at our school is a symbol of serenity, bringing in positivity and spiritual growth. Let's embrace this transformative addition and look forward to a harmonious and successful journey ahead!

Booktalk Contest Winners Announcement!

LOWER SCHOOL WINNER: Nima Galmo Sherpa, our young prodigy from Grade 5, left the viewers spellbound! Congratulations on your well-deserved victory!

MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNER: Devansh Thapa, a true wordsmith from Grade 6 with a knack for storytelling! Congrats on your fantastic win!

UPPER SCHOOL WINNER: Nyssha Ladha from Grade 10, who captured the essence of the story with sheer brilliance Congrats on your well-earned triumph!

A huge round of applause for these talented winners!

MAKE TAKTSE A SECOND HOME FOR YOUR CHILD

Taktse International School offers a caring community to our hostel and day boarding learners, and high academic rigor linked with cultural awareness from Pre-K to Graduation.

If you are looking for admissions, please contact Ms. Rekha Jain, our admissions manager at admission@taktse.org or click HERE to fill in the inquiry form or contact her at 7063741123/ 8348118499