The Neev Lake Initiative – Big Day for Neev at Bellandur

The Teachers and students at the MYP level at Neev Academy – Encore have been working in visioning and conceptualizing on how we could come up with a community-based, socially relevant Initiative which could make a genuine impact in the lives of people of Bangalore and the possibility of real-world experiences and the rich learning.

After long deliberations amongst the students and teachers at Neev – MYP, the Neev Lake Initiative (NLI, for short!) was conceived. The Initiative was born in response to the sad state of affairs of almost all the major lakes of Bangalore. During the Units dealing with Eutrophication of water and the impact of Urbanization on common resources of Bangalore, the students spoke passionately about the pain they experienced whenever they crossed the extremely polluted Varthur Lake and the humongous amounts of chemical froth it generates. The students narrated horror stories of how the lake surface once caught fire and burnt for hours, spewing noxious fumes. The students (and teachers!) spoke of the general apathy amongst the Government bodies and how “Nothing happens”...”They are not doing anything to save the Lakes” “Nobody cares anymore”.

This scepticism and helplessness was something the students may have, unwittingly, picked from the general atmosphere. Some of the teachers started asking “Who is ‘they’?”... “Who should care?”The teachers persisted till the kids came to this realization that they, as the citizens of tomorrow, have a huge stake in the issue. Very gingerly, the students started asking what could ‘we kids’ do about it. That was the moment ‘The Neev Lake Initiative’ was truly born!

Soon, things started to stir and move with a group of teachers going on a Recce to the Bellandur lake and engaging with the community. The less-privileged families around the Lake were the hardest-hit by the deteriorating state of the Bellandur lake. Some parts of the community reaped the benefits of the growing economy and have prospered. The lake was really dirty. But the question was...how dirty? Could we measure the levels of pollution? How are the Communities affected? When did these problems start? How did the Lake originate?

• The teachers evolved strategies to understand the problems:
• Exploring the historical origins and cultural myth-making of Bellandur lake.
• Engaging with local communities through field visits and understand them through ‘participant observation’.
• Field trips and scientific investigations on the Water quality, lake ecology and causes of degradation of Bellandur Lake.
• Engaging with communities using Art and Theatre as medium of expression and communication.
• Community outreach programmes in collaboration with local communities.

As they say “Many men talk a good game...few deliver”. We at MYP wanted to walk the talk and soon organized an exploratory visit along with the entire MYP cohort, including students and teachers to The Bellandur Lake site. 

The students first visited the up-coming Yemalur Campus of Neev and saw how the locals were siphoning off the ground-water from the aquifers for commercial purposes. They also witnessed how the raja kaluves (storm drains) were connected with pipes carrying sewage and the consequent pollution of the lake. 

The students then visited a local government primary school in order to have a first-hand understanding of the children there. The teachers helped break the ice and before we knew it...the kids started actively engaging with each other and our kids picked up the basic rudiments of the Kannada language. Soon, a wonderful game was organized by Pradeep, our enterprising Arts Teacher, simply called  “IN...OUT” and the effect was electric. Soon everybody was participating in the game and our kids forgot their new surroundings, giggling and jostling with their  new-found friends.

The Neev students gave away apples to their new-found friends as a gesture of goodwill.

The students then visited the historical Bellandur Lake temple and spend some ‘quality time’ appreciating the architecture.

The only disappointment was that the Bellandur Lake was completely fenced off by The BBMP and there was no safe access to the Lake...essentially out-of-bounds. Concerned staff are working with the local officials on creating a safe access route to the lake for carrying out scientific/ecological investigations

This exploratory visit was a hugely satisfying and fulfilling experience for the students and teachers and we intend to follow it up on though deeper reflections and dialogues with the students.

This is still a ‘work in progress’ and miles to go before we sleep.

Closing Assembly

Here is a sneak peek into our Special Assembly held on April 2^nd, 2015 to reach a successful completion of the academic session, 2014-15. The whole assembly was conducted by the students themselves .

Members of the Public Speaking Club displayed their newly acquired skills of public address through their compering for this event. 

Grade 3 students presented a highly engaging Hindi play showcasing their acting potential to inform others on the importance of sun being the sole provider of energy for our planet. 

Our Foundation Batch students on the other hand transmuted the scientific facts on the cycle of seasons into a beautiful dramatic rendition, “Demeter and Persephone” wherein we saw mythological characters pronouncing how the Earth landed up having the various seasons. 



Our budding dancers of the Dance Club shook a leg to entertain us. Members of all the other clubs also shared their experiences of learning in their respective clubs. Grade 5 and 8 worked in unison to constitute Neev’s first Preamble which was displayed at the Assembly. Soulful music by our students marked the grand finale for our assembly. Students then celebrated their last of this academic session through games and a picnic party.  Hope you enjoy looking at the photos and the videos that are meant to capture their joy!











More Photos:

Time travel back to 500 years !!

Blog post written by our very own Grade 5 students on their trip to Delhi and Agra.

We flew on wings to see the forts of kings…

With kachoris, kebabs and scrumptious naan

We got to know Jahanpanah Akbar and Shahjahan!!

We, the adventurous grade 5 students have just returned from an expedition, time travelling through the history of Delhi and Agra! But it wasn't just the history that amazed us, it was the fact that we had just set foot in a place that had once been ruled over by great emperors.

As soon as we reached Delhi, we were bundled in a bus and sped off to Mehrauli.. Ms. Raseel and Mr. Ramit- our humble guides, enthralled us with rich stories throughout our entire trip. They made us play games, giving us titles of  Emperors and Sultans to help us build and understand how the seven cities of Delhi evolved. We saw, ‘Rajon ki Baoli’-the stepwell for kings, close to Balban’s tomb.

Next, we went to the Humayun’s tomb which we learned symbolized ‘Paradise’, hence they were many palm trees planted around. We saw Ferozabad, the fifth city of Delhi.  Here, we could see the Ashoka pillar erected in the fort that was carried by Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

We were very fortunate to meet Leila Seth, the author of ‘We, The Children of India’. Leila Seth was the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court and the first woman to become Chief Justice of a state High Court. She spoke to us about the laws and rules of our nation and narrated some very interesting stories to us about her life in the high court.  She spoke about the importance of values to be inculcated in oneself to lead a happy and a successful life.  This visit will remain etched in our memory.

Chandni Chowk took us back in the time of  Nur Jahan and her design and planning of a market place which till today is one of the best place of great attraction to all and sundry . One end of Chandni Chowk has the famous Jama Masjd and  it had the real relics of ‘The Prophet Muhammed’ – one strand of his hair and his footprint.








Rashtrapati Bhavan was our next stop. . We saw our dignified minister’s work place which resides on the either side of Rashtrapati Bhawan and is called the North block and the south block.

The mammoth size of India gate was made in honor of all the soldiers who fought in World War 1. Their names are inscribed and an eternal fire burns twenty four hours a day.
AGRA

A small hamlet tucked away in UP famous for its spectacular architecture –the famousTaj Mahal! Some of the famous places that we visited were Sikandra, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort. We felt that Sikandra was not a tomb but a place that ought to be worshiped. The approach to the main tomb was carefully done with fine work and strong colors. The actual burial place looked nothing like a king’s burial place, least of all Akbar’s tomb. It was a simple white enclosure but had something special about it. It showed Akbar’s true personality: a simple and peaceful man. Now we feel that we actually know Akbar, something we didn't feel in any other monument. The massive Taj Mahal is truly a wonder of the world. It was built entirely out of marble from the outside.  The Taj took 20,000 workers working 20 years nonstop around the clock.

Well, it was not only a great learning experience for the whole class (thanks to the teachers and guides), but it was a chance to step into a whole new place from our life back in Bangalore! We were privileged to witness the times of history with glimpses of democracy practiced by Akbar. Along with the historic part of it we learnt about the colorful culture of North India and were given a great opportunity to indulge in the scrumptious Mughlai food (along with Subways and McDonalds)!! Throughout this whole expedition, we had our adventurous mode switched on and we had a blast exploring Delhi and Agra’s mind-blowing history!!

We conclude with a poem to remember the chronology of the Mughal emperors:

Babur came with a barber, who meant to cut his hair,

But then Babur’s son Humayun, ended up dying on the stairs!

Then Humayun’s son – Akbar, became king at 13 years,

He made the kingdom prosperous, and fought with no fear!

Then came Shah Jahan, who loved marble a lot,

He built the Taj Mahal, which was a successful plot!

Lastly came Aurangzeb, who was so cruel that he could whip,

He followed by the phrase: Kingship knows no Kinship!

Radio Plays created by students of Grade 3 and Grade 4

We are glad to share the recordings of the Radio Plays created by the students of Grade 3 and Grade 4 in their theatre studies class. This is an out-come of the Vocal Theatre skills (Loudness, Clarity, Modulation) training workshop spread across over 4 weeks.

Do listen and share your feedback keeping in mind the following understanding:

1. All scripts are by teams of 4 students and these are 50mins long

2. Each telecast contains the following items: Name of the channel, slogan, Ad breaks, News telecast, Radio play series, Interviews, Contest (optional) and Prank call (optional)

3. Grade 3 had freedom to select  script theme based or no-theme for the content, But Grade 4 had to create content aligning to the  class unit of civilisation (i.e. Chinese, Egypt, Greek or Roman)

4. One full class was used in training for the vocal workout for this project focusing on Vocal clarity, loudness and modulation exercises

5. Very basic voice recording equipment with no editing and one take recoding was used to keep the process simple and to make sure the focus is on the over-all vocal training and vocal scripting & exploration

6. No Script editing is provided by the facilitators, only feedback based on clarity, hearing experience, entertainment, team utilization, Time and quality of content were shared post first dummy recording

Hope you enjoy listening to these recordings as much as the students have enjoyed creating them.

Grade 3A                           Grade 3B                                Grade 4

1. Anushka & Team          1. Devanshi & Team               1. Disha & Team

2. Khushi & Team             2. Riya & Team                       2. Gauri & Team

3. Shreya & Team             3. Shaunak & Team                 3. Khwahish & Team (Chinese)

4. Sunav & Team              4. Siya & Team                        4. Tarun & Team (Greek)

Grade 3 explore through their trek to Banathimari Betta!!

February 9, Monday

Students of Grade 3 went on a trek to Banathimari Betta which is located between the villages of Konanadoddi and Kuthnahalli, 3 kilometers from Kanakapura town and just off the highway to Mysore.

The students were excited for days about going on a trek. The trek threw up a myriad challenges with the rocky path, thorny bushes and glowing sun. Students pushed out of their comfort zone, tested their limits and discovered their hidden potential. There was fun and frolic interlaced with the learning that made the trek up Banathimari Betta a truly memorable experience.

To further understand the many goals of exploration, the students had the opportunity to speak with an explorer – Ms. Kavitha Reddy, who shared with us her experience of summiting many Himalayan and other peaks, and brought out the many goals and challenges of exploring. After all our in-class work, students set their own goals for an exploration, and we were pleased to see a developing understanding of the core values of Perseverance and Respect for themselves, their goals, and their peers during our trek to Bananthimari Betta. Going on the trek and successfully reaching the summit was an accomplishment in itself, but it was great to see the students helping and supporting each other and complementing and celebrating each other’s success. Their reflection on the trek was highly commendable when the core take away was team spirit. 

The arduous climb up to the flat peak of Banathimari with the most glorious winds and breathtaking views was indeed a remarkable and rewarding trip.

Star Gazing….a remarkable experience for the young ones!

Friday, January 30, 2015 

The air was filled with excitement....the kids had come to school in their pyjamas and their sleeping bags; the telescopes had been set-up on the terrace of our campus for our young star gazers of Grade 1 and Grade 2 and there was going to be some astronomical discussions over a hot cup of coco and cookies.

Though there was a little haze in the sky in the early evening, the constellations – like Ursa Major and Ursa Minor were clearly visible after midnight. Children first saw the waxing moon with the craters and then Jupiter and its 4 visible satellites - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto known as the Galilean moons. Students were also informed about the Zodiac path which the planets take in the solar system through the day and night. The night sky got interesting, well into midnight when Saturn and other constellations including 'Scorpio' could be seen in a celestial show before sunrise. It was amazing to see the children imagine and wonder infinitely as they gazed at the night sky.

It was a delight to witness some of the children’s reactions, like - is that actually Jupiter, with its Moons??? A child of Grade 1 asking the facilitator on completion of her observation and drawing of the Jupiter “I have not completed my observation of the moon; can you turn the telescope for me to see the moon again”?

Children of Grade 2 made sure that teachers wake them up early morning to watch Saturn and learn more about the constellations.  Children talking about sleeping patterns with each other, planning how to wake up with alarm clocks so they do not miss early morning  observation time established their intrinsic motivation to learn.

Exploring different religions

January 29 & 30, 2015

The foundation batch of Neev Academy went for a ‘Religion Walk’ in the city of Bengaluru.  This was a relevant part of their Unit 3 in Humanities. Students explored various faiths practiced in the city and investigated upon the ideals after meeting with the spokesperson of each faith.  

The journey began by visiting the Mahabodhi Society where they learned about the main point of Buddha’s preaching.  Their next stop was Dharmaraya Temple in the old city of Bengaluru, in a quaint place called Nagarthepete.  Interestingly they discovered that Dharmaraya is none other than Yuddhistira of the great epic Mahabharata! From the old city the Innovas moved towards the other old-world charm of a town in Bangalore called the Fraser Town and finally stopped in front of a Sunni Mosque on Mosque Road.  The sheer simplicity of the mosque and the story of this particular sect of Islam along with a visit to a school aided by Haji Sir Ismail Sait stimulated them to seek the purpose of religion.  This was followed by a sumptuous lunch at Alibaba which served Bhatkal cuisine and the story of their dwindling community.  After a happy tummy the cars sped towards VV Puram to experience a Jain temple and learn about Jainism as a faith.

Day 2 began with visiting a Shia mosque near Johnson Market.  Armed with their dossier children scribbled down the difference between the Shia and the Sunnis. After this they visited a Gurudwara at Ulsoor and acquired knowledge about Sikkhism.  Children experienced one of the most distinct features in Sikhism when they had their lunch in the common kitchen called Langar, they learnt the main emphasis of this particular religion – that all are equal.   After lunch the cars sped to St Mark’s Cathedral and here they saw a unique pipe organ being played!! The final destination was a Roman Catholic Church in Fraser town – the Francis Xavier Church. With this the religious walk came to an end.

At the end of the journey children sat together to reflect upon man’s innate drive to seek the deeper meaning, significance and purpose of religion.  They learnt the essence of religion that unites people to love and spread humanity.  They discovered how conflict is created by Man and is given a different perspective.  They learnt how religions codify beliefs into sacred texts and by means of rituals and moral practices seek to facilitate the deepest possible connection with the beliefs the particular community holds.  Thus they unearthed the meaning of identity through this particular unit.

Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru… The Journey of a soul!

January 19 - 24, 2015

Sitting in front of the television and watching the advertisement of Vibrant Gujarat often made me wonder what was so vibrant about the state. Every state in India is representa

tive of its own diverse culture and tradition.

But a study tour with our Foundation batch students changed my perspective of the state forever. Seldom have I come across a state so rooted in its tradition yet so modern in its outlook. 

A visit to the iconic National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, conceptualised by two great American Designers of the time, Charles and Ray Eames, set the pace of our trip. As we navigated the numerous alleys of the institute, we got a glimpse of young Indian designers at work. Needless to say, the flow of creativity oozing out from the corridors and classrooms of the NID mesmerised our own group of enthusiastic middle school students. If NID was an epitome of modern India, the pols of old Ahmedabad bore testimony to a rich cultural heritage moulded by a constant influx of people who settled in the city through the ages.

Our tryst with modernisation continued as we traversed through the roads of Ahmedabad. It was a treat for all of us to see the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transport System) so effectively being used in an Indian city. Technological advancement was also reflected in Asia’s largest Solar Power Park ‘Charanka’, which is expected to generate 600 KW of power in the near future.

Dholavira….a settlement from the ancient Harrapan civilization gave us a glimpse of the glorious past of Gujarat. The students were given a guided tour of the complex system of water storage, roads in grid patterns and a unique system of drainage so quintessential of the great civilization. If Dholavira satiated our thirst for History, lo and behold, the Great White Rann was a geologic masterpiece! Miles and miles of crystalline salt crunching under the feet was an experience our students will not forget in the years to come.

A truly vibrant moment for us came when we got an opportunity to discover the varied forms of traditional art and handicrafts of Gujarat. From the making of the Patola to the dyeing and printing of Ajrak, from the oil dipped Rogan art to the metallurgical spectacle of the copper bells, our students explored them all with much zeal and appreciation. The students were also exposed to the technique of salt cultivation and much enjoyed the company of the migratory pink pelicans and the Wild Asses in the Little Rann.

On the banks of river Sabarmati, in Ahmedabad, is the abode of India’s most loved citizen, the father of our Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The walls of the Sabarmati Ashram reverated with the Ghandhiji’s eternal quest for truth and his ideology of non- violence which gave India its independence.

Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru………translated from Japanese as see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil resonated in our hearts as we left the portals of Gandhi Ashram.

Harsh climatic conditions and natural disasters have not dampened the spirits of the people of Guajart many of whom have migrated from far and wide and have craved out their own identity in state. Gujarat owes its vibrancy to its people who are proud of their rich heritage and are rooted in their culture even in this age of mechanization.