Monthly Archives: July 2015

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON…JULY 31

There's a full moon to be seen on July 31 that is unlike anything we've seen since 2012 and won't see again until early 2018 - it's called a blue moon.

The color of the moon will not change. This full moon is special because it's the second one to occur this month - that's what a "blue moon" is. The first full moon happened on July 2.

The chances of seeing two full moons within the same month is a rare phenomenon that only takes place about once every 2 1/2 years. The next blue moon won't come until January 2, 2018.

The reason we have blue moons in the first place is because the length of a calendar month on Earth is not equal to a lunar month - the time elapsed between when we see one phase of the moon repeated (like the time between two full moons or two new moons).

A lunar month is about 29 days long whereas most of our months on Earth are 30 or 31 days long. That's why the full moon doesn't happen on the same date every month and why we sometimes see an overlap in the number of full moons within the span of a single month.

The term has changed over the years, so if you thought blue moon meant something other than the second full moon in a month, you're not imagining things. It used to refer to the fourth moon in a single season.

Either way you slice it, a blue moon is an uncommon anomaly in our night sky.

You don't have to do anything special to see Friday's blue moon. Just look up and enjoy the view.

STUDENTS SELECTED FOR KADAK BADSHAHI

6th July, 2015 can be described in two simple words – energy and enthusiasm. Dance legend Mrs.Mallika Sarabhai was in our school today to pick out the best dancers from senior classes to perform in a dance which will part of a film!
Darpana Academy’s famous play Kadak Badshahi by Mrs. Mallika Sarabhai is going to be made into a feature film soon. For this purpose the group is selecting students from local schools to be a part of song and dance sequences in the film. Students from classes 9 to 12 were taught dance movements choreographed by Mr. Revanta Sarabhai which they thoroughly enjoyed. Among the enthusiastic dancers some were selected by none other than Mrs. Sarabhai for the final registration. The students danced with full vigour and although a handful made it to the registration desk, the excitement in the air was palpable with no traces of disappointment. To interact with Mrs. Sarabhai and dance to the steps of the famous song ‘Aapno Amdavad’ made the day for the students, regardless of whether they made it to the final list. And those who did…well, we are looking forward to watch them pirouette on the silver screen! Now with so many avenues for career opening up this could be a promising foray into the world of showbiz.

Newsletter July 2015

SEMINAR ON EPILEPSY

On 4th July 2015, the educators of 'Udgam School for Children' attended a 'Seminar on Epilepsy', conducted by the renowned paediatric-neurologist of Ahmedabad Dr. Siddharth Shah. The session rolled out touching upon the common symptoms of fainting and it's remedial measures. Dr Shah went on to elaborate about the symptomatic causes,remedial and the myths surrounding epilepsy,how in a way it is different from fainting, the way we all have grown up understanding.

Doctor went on to differentiate how Epilepsy is different from Fainting. While fainting is caused due to lack of oxygen in the brain, epilepsy or epileptic seizures is a result of disturbance(s) in the electrical activity of the brain.

In a very lucid but easy to comprehend pedagogy, Doctor shared clips on the the two basic types of seizures the Petit Mal and the Grand Mal. He elaborated on what to do when a child faces a sudden attack of seizure. Belying all myths and pre-conceived notions, he categorically educated each one of us with the few basic first aid steps to be taken. He reiterated upon the fact that one should stay calm, move away objects like furniture, bottles, sharp objects etc away and take quick note of the time when the seizure starts. Next, the head of the victim should be cushioned in case he has collapsed on the ground. He pointed out categorically not to press/hold the child down nor to put anything in his/her mouth as it may prove fatal, chances are of choking and hence asphyxiation. But after having taken all these preventive measures if the seizure still continues beyond five minutes, call for ambulance/medical help.

Doctor highlighted the fact that epilepsy should not be considered a stigma and the parents ought to update the school authorities of the medical condition of the child, thus updating and enabling the teachers to take all measures, should there be an exigency. With proper measures,precautions, awareness and medication, an epileptic child can lead a normal and healthy life.

The session rounded off with a Q&A session, with Doctor fielding and graciously addressing all the queries of the respondents. The Post session informal vibes, which one could sense and pickup were sounding very very positive, with takeaways for each of us not just for our own immediate family, but for Udgam, society and ecosystem at large.

GUJARATI POETRY RECITATION

Interclass Gujarati Poetry recitation was conducted for Class VI. Students were selected on the basis of preliminary round in the class. Students recited poems on various topics. Entire programme was compered in Gujarati. Students performed their best keeping all inhibitions aside.

The winners:
1 Moksha Maheshwari of VI D
2 Bansari Desai of VI E
3 Ansh Patel of VI F

I AM SPECIAL! ARE YOU?

In an activity to instill self-esteem among the children, an activity was carried out in Class 2 aptly named ‘I am Special’. Children were given cut outs and asked to write a sentence on why they consider themselves to be special. There is an amazing collection of responses and the variety is over-whelming. On our part, as teachers and parents, we need to continue nurturing their special qualities and boost their ego from time to time. Only when they are self-confident can we expect them to sail through life holding their heads high all the while.