My Good School Dil Se, Episode 2: Billabong Thane

Listen to the wonderful story of the Billabong High International School Thane

My Good School Season 1, Episode 2 - 'Dil Se' means from the heart! "My Good School Podcast - Dil Se" is about the stories that explain how schools can achieve significantly better teaching standards, foster a sense of community, and help students reach their fullest potential. My Good School Community shares how they connect, communicate, collaborate and create an environment where the joy of learning is brought to life. 

Dr Ashok Pandey, the show host and Director Ahlcon Group of Schools, speaks with the stakeholders at Billabong High International School Thane: Mr Sudhir Goenka, Trustee/Management; Ms Kalyani Chaudhuri, Principal; Ms Sanika Joshi, Teacher; Rehan Singh, school student; Ayonnya Bhattacharya. ex-student; and Ms. Prajakta Patil, parent. All the stakeholders share their personal experiences and what goes into the making of a good school.

Established in 2006, Billabong Thane celebrates 15 glorious years of responsibly creating 21st-century learners and empathetic future citizens by imparting knowledge that ensures young minds' holistic growth and development. A school where children feel at home; Where EQ precedes IQ; Teachers are facilitators, life-long mentors, and their students often remain their "kids";  and Where we unite to ideate, innovate and improvise. The school works to create a bond of trust and belonging.

Billabong is a vertical school, where the Principal sits on the second floor, and the school ten storeys, wherein the show host quips that 'the sky's the limit!'. Kalyani walks up and down the building all day long to ensure that she connects with the children and stands tall as a school leader who works to empower every teacher at school. She considers herself the luckiest person every morning and is always excited to touch the lives of all the people - the children, staff and stakeholders. She refers to the school as a temple of learning and shares why she feels on top of the world. 

Rehan, a school student, shares his ten plus years at school; he gives all credit to his teachers for their pure love and making every child happy without any expectations. His one-minute speech '...limelight makes me nervous, he would like to thank the people he values most in his life...no matter when he fell they did not let him down.

Sanika again shares her transformation in 11 years; she has grown professional and spiritually. The teacher-taught relationship is full of happiness, and she shares how the thank you book records the joy of learning on the campus.

Ayonnya recalls her relationship with teachers and how they prepared her as a person of high percentile to contribute to society. She shares the bond of friendship, activities, drama, and being the first batch at the school who had an entire decade of school experience, offered her the opportunity to grow up to be a kind and compassionate person. When she was unwell for an extended period, the teachers went beyond the call of duty to help her. The parents of the school are active learning partners and appreciate how the students lead; collaboration between stakeholders.

They have a well-knit parent and teacher body who collaborate to make Billabong a good school.

A passionate Billabong fan thus writes:

"Amidst the din and bustle of a busy street
We have a school where minds and hearts meet.
Uncles, aunties, teachers and friends
Make BHIS a happy place to attend.
Austere but gentle, strict but kind-
This is where rules and liberty lie intertwined.
Oh, Billabong is where we love to go!
Because it helps us explore as we grow.
Here we learn the core values of life,
To continue serving as we strive.
Here we learn to wipe away tears
For ours is a school that genuinely cares."

Website: billabongthane.com

Streaming on Vurbl.Com

Students to create Mumbai's noise map

Students to create Mumbai's noise map - The Times of India: "MUMBAI: Students from two south Mumbai schools will record decibel levels during the upcoming festive season and post the figures on a social networking site to create a noise map of Mumbai.

The students of J B Petit and Navy school, on Friday, got lessons on noise pollution. Noise levels are expected to hit a high during the season.

The kids, who study in classes IV, V and VI, learned how to measure noise levels using an application on their or their parents' smartphones. "Phones and gadgets excite kids. What better than creating awareness among them about noise pollution by using phones," said Sumaira Abdulali, convenor, Awaaz Foundation, which conducted the session at the schools. The students learned to download the app and use it to record noise levels.
'via Blog this'

Drop out challenge at schools

MUMBAI: From 2008 t0 2010, enrolment in primary classes schools across India has dropped by over 2.6 million, with Uttar Pradesh recording the biggest setback.

Experts are at a loss to accurately explain the drop in enrolment in northern states, where birth rates have essentially remained the same. In some southern states, where population planners had predicted a slowdown in birth rate, primary school enrolments have unsurprisingly declined. In Delhi, Tamil Nadu and in the northeast of the country, the figures have begun to plateau. In Bihar, Rajasthan, Assam, the struggle stems from ground-level problems like data keeping, children moving out, introduction of new schools and rationalization of data, said Madhav Chavan, the founder of educational non-profit group Pratham.

Reported in TOI Mumbai

Maybe The Award Programme can add fun in learning and equip for life, this will surely help control the drop out challenge.

The Award this week (TATW)

1. The first meeting of the Delhi AV Team (Award Volunteers Team) was great. Fresh faces at the Delhi University campus are surely going to make a difference to us. Three College Award Leaders appointed Mehaak at Hans Raj, Krithika at LSR and Saachi at St. Stephens. We meet again next week, and the first orientation will be at the Open Award Centre (OAC)  in August 2009. OAC Delhi will be the epicentre for the college award units, and will even assist individual participants. Thanks Devyani for the initiative and am sure with you as the Award Leader, the Open Centre will be in good hands. Malini our key resource is the mentor to many of our volunteers.

2. The South Zone will host the IS supported National Workshop at Coimbatore 9-11 October 2009. The venue is Chinmaya International School. 30 participants will attend from India alone, with an observer nominated by the NAA, to monitor quality and asses impact. The Workshop is being designed by the NAA and hosted by the SZAA. One session of this workshop will be hosted by the NZAA and will be held at New Delhi.

3. As a part of capacity building and training, NAA will also do an add-on session to the Coimbatore Workshop in Delhi and focus on "Role of Volunteers". The workshop will help draft the Volunteer Management Policy. This initiative is being chaired by Mrs. Lata Vaidyanathan and Malini will help in execution please.

4. Nominations called for RTW 2009 in November, last date is 1st Sept 2009. Only two experienced participants from each Zone. For details contact the Zonal Chairperson please.

5. Proposed AHA (Award Holders Association) Summit in December 2009, send in your suggestions to Rohit Saxena please. He is our moderator on Facebook.

6. Stage set for the APF Trustees Meeting on the 22nd of July 2009 at Mumbai.

7. Facebook and the website very active, and we now have near 275 fans and friends on Facebook.

8. South Zone to host the Annual National Workshop in Ooty in January 2009.

9. in last week of July 2009, Sandeep Dutt to attend the IC Brand Task Force meeting in London. A group of 8, meeting will be chaired by The Earl himself.

Cheers, more until next week at TATW

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