Monthly Archives: September 2014

SCHOLARSHIPS GIVEN TO DESERVING CANDIDATES:

Udgam School for Children has a scholarship program for merit students based on certain criteria, such as Academic results of the child for the past year, Behaviour and discipline of the child during the past year, Financial position of the parents and family as such, Attendance record of the child, Punctuality and other habits of the child.
Scholarships were given to the selected students yesterday in a special ceremony which was attended by their parents too. Executive Director Mr. Manan Choksi and Principal Ms. Radhika Iyer handed over the scholarships to the students.
It is our firm belief that this kind of positive encouragement enables the child to pursue studies without hindrance while going the extra mile to achieve more because of the faith placed on them.
We wish the scholarship recipients a happy and bright future!

Story Telling Event in Hindi

Children have vivid imagination and can create beautiful worlds with their stories. They are influenced by so many things around them that we adults consider mundane. Therefore they can breathe life into even the simplest of stories and make us wonder…
A story telling event was conducted for Class 1 and the students entertained the class with their colourful stories. Although a few were well known ones from fables, some of them had a fair margin of originality in them. The little children were eloquent and spoke well while using props to go along with their stories and break the monotony.

MARS MISSION ORBITER TIMELINE

05-11-2013: PSLV-C25, in its twenty fifth flight, successfully launches Mars Orbiter Mission Spacecraft from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota

07-11-2013: The first orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 01:17 hrs(IST) on Nov 07, 2013 successfully completed

08-11-2013: The second orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 02:18:51 hrs(IST), with a burn time of 570.6 seconds successfully completed. The observed change in Apogee is from 28814 km to 40186 km

09-11-2013: The third orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 02:10:43 hrs(IST) on Nov 09, 2013, with a burn time of 707 seconds successfully completed. The observed change in Apogee is from 40186km to 71636km.

11-11-2013: In the fourth orbit-raising operation conducted on Nov 11, 2013 the apogee (farthest point to Earth) of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was raised from 71,623 km to 78,276 km by imparting an incremental velocity of 35 metres/second (as against 130 metres/second originally planned to raise apogee to about 100,000 [1 lakh] km). The spacecraft is in normal health.

12-11-2013: Fourth supplementary orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 05:03:50 hrs(IST) on Nov 12, 2013, with a burn Time of 303.8 seconds successfully completed. The observed change in Apogee is from 78276km to 118642km.

16-11-2013: The fifth orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, starting at 01:27 hrs(IST) on Nov 16, 2013, with a burn Time of 243.5 seconds successfully completed. The observed change in Apogee is from 118642km to 192874km.

01-12-2013: Medium Gain Antenna of the Mars Orbiter Spacecraft is powered for long distance communication, subsequent to successful Trans Mars Injection (TMI) manoeuvre. Trans Mars Injection (TMI) operations completed successfully. The liquid engine burn time was 1328.89 sec and the imparted incremental velocity was 647.96 m/sec.

02-12-2013: Spacecraft has travelled a distance of 5,36,000 km by 17:00 hrs (IST) of Dec 2, 2013. It has crossed the distance to Moon’s orbit around Earth (mean distance 3,85,000 km) this morning.

04-12-2013: Spacecraft has traversed beyond the Sphere of Influence (SOI) of Earth extending about 9,25,000 km at around 1:14 hrs (IST) on Dec 4, 2013.

11-12-2013: The first Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM) of Spacecraft was carried out successfully at 06:30 hrs (IST) by firing the 22 Newton Thrusters for a duration of 40.5 seconds. The spacecraft is travelling at a distance of about 29 lakh (2.9 million) km away from Earth.11-02-2014: 100 Days Of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft.

09-04-2014: Mars Orbiter Spacecraft Crosses Half Way Mark of its Journey.

12-06-2014: The second Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre (TCM-2) of India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was successfully performed on June 11, 2014 at 1630 hrs IST. TCM-2 was performed by firing the spacecraft’s 22 Newton thrusters for a duration of 16 seconds.
16-09-2014: Time-tagged commands to execute Mars Orbit Insertion (MOI) uploaded.

17-09-2014: Uploading of commands for Fourth Trajectory Correction Manoeuver and test-firing of Main Liquid Engine (scheduled for Sep 22, 2014) is in progress.

22-09-2014: Test Firing of Main Liquid Engine of Mars Orbiter Spacecraft is successful.

24-09-2014: Mangalyaan enters Mars orbit.

Municipal School children visit Udgam

Around 260 students of primary section of Thaltej Municipal School, a school adopted by Udgam School, visited Udgam premises today. This is the first of such visits to follow.
In wake of 2014-15 being the 50th year of the school, students of TMS along with their teachers visited our premises.
They were involved in indoor and outdoor activities like cricket, tennis, badminton, singing, dancing, ball games, watching motivational stories etc. arranged by the team Udgam .
In each activity children were given prizes too which kept their morale up for upcoming event.
Not a single minute of their visit to our premises was wasted and they enjoyed the facilities to the utmost.
At the end of their visit they were provide with snacks and sweets.

OUR COMMUNITY HELPERS- CLASS 1 ACTIVITY

Community Helpers are people in professions that directly impact the lives of others. They deliver a service that makes our lives easier. It is important for all of us to know the ways in which Community Helpers work. We can also help them do their jobs better if we understand the role they play. In many ways community helpers remind us of how inter-connected our lives are.
Many community helpers have easily identifiable work attire or clothes. This makes it easy to know their role in the community and is helpful if you need to approach them for help. A policeman or fire fighter’s uniform and a doctor’s coat thus become important clues of what they can do. Some community helpers also have identifiable means of transport e.g. the police car, the fire truck the mail van, the ambulance etc.
Children of Class 1 had an activity in which they dressed up as Community Helpers belonging to different professions. They enacted their roles with realistic props alongwith appropriate words.
This activity will help to instill in them respect for all professions and learn to value them better.

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: MYTH AND REALITY

Over the years, many myths have arisen about what Alzheimer’s disease is, who gets it and how it affects people who have it. These myths can add to the stigma or shame attached to the disease. They can also stand in the way of our ability to understand and help people with it. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disease. It is most often diagnosed in people over 65, but can affect adults at an earlier age.

Myth 1
Because someone in my family has Alzheimer’s disease, I’m going to get it.
Reality: Although genetics (family history) plays a role in the disease, only in five to seven per cent of the cases is the cause connected to genes. In these cases, the disease is the early onset Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD). Genes may also play a role in the more common, late onset, “sporadic Alzheimer’s disease” form. A person who has a parent or sibling with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease has a slightly higher risk of getting the disease.

Myth 2
Alzheimer’s disease is an old person’s disease.
Reality: Age is the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. But this does not mean that most people develop the disease as they age. Most do not. As well, some younger people, in their 40s or 50s, have been diagnosed with the late onset form of the disease. What’s most important to understand is that Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging.

Myth 3
There is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Reality: There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease yet. But, for some people, medications and treatments can help manage some of the symptoms and improve quality of life. The good news is that researchers have made great progress and a number of drugs now in clinical trials act directly against the disease process.

Myth 4
Memory loss means Alzheimer’s disease.
Reality: Many people have trouble with their memory. This by itself does not mean they have Alzheimer’s disease. When memory loss affects day-to-day function and is combined with lack of judgment and reasoning, or changes in the ability to communicate, it’s best to see a doctor to find out the cause of the symptoms.

Myth 5
You can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Reality: No treatment can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are learning, however, that lifestyle choices that keep mind and body fit may help lower the risk of developing the disease. These choices include being physically active; eating healthy foods including fresh fruits, vegetables and fish; keeping your brain challenged; reducing stress, keeping an eye on your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels; avoiding traumatic brain injury; and keeping socially active.
Some people believe that avoiding aluminum in cooking utensils (pots and pans) reduces your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Although there’s been a lot research into the connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease, there’s no definite evidence to show a link. The disease appears to develop when the different risk factors combine. This includes older age, genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. These factors overwhelm the natural capacity of the brain to deal with them.

Myth 6
Vitamins, supplements and memory boosters can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Reality: Many studies have been done to see how effective products such as vitamins E, B, and C, gingko biloba, folate, and selenium may be in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The findings are mixed and inconclusive. Research in this area is ongoing.

Myth 7
If I’m diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, my life is over.
Reality: Many people with the disease live meaningful, active lives. They have a sense of purpose and do not feel their lives are over. Alzheimer’s disease is often diagnosed earlier now than it used to be and we have medications that may help slow down the disease. It is also important for the person with Alzheimer’s disease to be in an appropriate setting, and to be provided with services, support and activities to help enrich their quality of life as the disease progresses.

Myth 8
All people with Alzheimer’s disease become violent and aggressive.
Reality: Alzheimer’s disease affects each person differently. Not everyone with the disease becomes aggressive. The memory loss and resulting confusion are often frustrating or even frightening. By learning about the disease, adapting the person’s surroundings and changing the way we communicate with the person, aggressive responses may be preventable.

Myth 9
People with Alzheimer’s disease cannot understand what is going on around them.
Reality: Some people with Alzheimer’s disease understand what is going on around them. Other people have difficulty. Although the disease affects each person differently, it does affect how people are able communicate and make sense of the world around them. When we assume someone does not understand, we can unintentionally hurt the person’s feelings. The person with Alzheimer’s disease is still the same person and needs to be treated with dignity and respect.

Myth 10
Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal.
Reality: Alzheimer’s disease is fatal. The disease not only robs people of their memory, it destroys brain cells, so the body forgets how to do what it needs to do to survive, such as talk, move, or eat.

Source: Alzheimer’s Society

A Purple and Orange Day at Preprimary

Orange and Purple are two extremes when it comes to colours. So the theme Purple-Orange Day was celebrated in Preprimary section to make the little kids aware about these two diverse colours and how they add beauty to things around us. Children were made aware of these colours by using different themes like ice-cream parlour, ring game, garden, fruits & other innovative ideas. They were involved in exciting activities like Palm Printing, Potato & Bitter gourd dabbing, Colouring objects, playing with toys. Tiny toddlers were beautifully dressed in Orange & Purple. It was a fun & frolic day for these tiny tots.”

HINDI DIWAS CELEBRATIONS

Udgam School for Children celebrated ‘Hindi Diwas’ with great enthusiasm and fervour. A variety of programmes stressed the significance of the national language. Students took part in a Song competition where they rendered Bhajans composed by renowned poets like Kabirdas, Soordas, Mirabai in a mellifluous manner to the accompaniment of musical instruments, captivating every heart in the gathering. A divine serenity pervaded the entire environment.
Students also spoke on the ability of the language to bind the nation. They threw light on the contribution of great litterateurs like Munshi Premchand, Mahadevi Verma, Bhartendu Harishchandra and others and dwelt on the impact and relevance of Hindi in today’s times.
Extracts from literary masterpieces in Hindi, famous quotes, poems adorned the soft boards along the school corridors.
The Principal Ms. Radhika Iyer commended the efforts of the students towards making the Hindi Diwas a success and distributed certificates to the winners in the Bhajan Competition.

Trophy for School

Rutvi Shah of class 7 A, Kavil Patel of class 4 C, Jainum Shah of class 5 D and Jaivat Shah of class 4 G participated in “Munshaw” Inter School Chess Tournament 2014 and brought laurels to school.

Because of their extremely good performance they were presented with a trophy for ‘School’ for it being on first position.

School appreciates their contribution.

Computer Class Activity

As a part of their Computer Class Activity students of Class 5 were taught the use of MS Word.
They made posters of Indian Leaders which included text and content. The computer teachers taught them the versatile use of MS Word including background, border, picture, special effects, Word Art, different fonts, headings and bullets. Now they can create excellent projects on paper while saving time while being more productive.