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.