SCHOOL BUZZ
Let us begin from the beginning, this millennium
Smriti Kak

G.H.P.S. Vasant Vihar hosted three workshops on behalf of the Delhi Sikh Education Council. The workshop was conducted on the theme, “Let’s Begin From the Beginning, Educating Our Children in the New Millennium,” and inaugurated by the C.B.S.E chairman. Mr. Ashok Ganguly.

Mr. Ganguly laid emphasis on the use of the three Hs- head, hand and heart. He urged the teachers to discharge their duty and respond to all queries of the students.

The chairman of the school, Mr. Ravinder Singh Khurana, congratulated the participants of different schools and requested Principal S.S. Minhas to encourage such workshops.

The topics covered in the workshop were on normal and abnormal development patterns and laid special emphasis on learning disabilities. It was emphasised that more activities should be developed for the disabled children, especially for those in the age group of 0-6. The activities should help in language acquisition and enhance the linguistic approach and creativity for teachings relating to art and culture.

Among those who participated were Dr. A K Roy, Former Asst. Director, National Institute of Public Co-operation and Child Development, Mr. Lal from Bal Bhavan and Mrs. Savitri, NCERT, among others. Vice Principal Mrs. Ratna Chatterjee gave the valedictory speech.

Fitness bonanza

A drill by students of Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls.

500 students of Vishwa Bharti Public School’s pre-primary wing put up a spectacular show of mass drill and aerobics.

It included interesting and colourful display drills and races like sand race, bunny race, cycle race and hurdles.

It was fun to watch the youngest of them all making pyramids and performing difficult aerobics with ease. The fitness bonanza only goes on to affirm that a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.

Interactive session

The special education section of Sadhu Vaswani International School For Girls organised an interactive session between the parents and the students on March 19.

The aim was to initiate a dialogue between the parents of different students and start a support group where parents can meet and discuss the issues concerning their wards.

While the Principal, Mrs. Neeta Rastogi, and Dr. Vanita Dua addressed the parents Mrs. Laxmi V, Ms. Neeti and Ms. Geeta Narayanan shared their experiences and expectations with then students.

A support group was formed where it was discussed that children with special needs require more attention and care.

The special education section organised an orientation programme for the teachers on ‘Mental Retardation — Causes and Facts’. Mrs. Geeta Narayanan started the session by giving the definition and the classification of mental retardation. While Dr. Vanita discussed the misconceptions and strategies related to the handling of the children with special needs, Ms. Neeti stressed the need to bring these children into the mainstream.

An orientation was also held for the parents of the nursery kids who will join the school in the coming academic session. The academic adviser to the school, Prof. C.J. Daswani addressed the parents on the importance of girl education and the philosophy of Sadhu T L Vaswani.

The orientation was held to forge a partnership between the parents and the school.

Elves’ night

Children performing at the Elves n’ Nymphs Camp on the Vishwa Bharti campus.

Elves n’ Nymphs came visiting at the Vishwa Bharti Campus on a starry night.

Dressed in their shimmering best, these elves and nymphs are presently enrolled as students of Nursery. A camp titled the Elves n’ Nymphs Camp was organised to treat the young ones.

These youngsters had a trip to the land of magic as magician Col. Ronny Chibber exhilarated them with his performances.

Then to pep up the already charged atmosphere, there was glamour. There was the vegetable jewellery competition and the spring queen competition.

The pop singers and dancers were duly appreciated for their performance. A candle light dinner was probably the best part of the day as the little ones settled to sink their teeth into the yummiest grub. After which, Willy Winky came to lull them to sleep.

The camp culminated after breakfast the next day and each student was given a certificate of participation.

Perfect way to blend work and play. The youngsters could learn the essential lessons of life and had a first hand experience of sharing, caring and responsibility.

Needless to say the parents were more than happy.

Grandparents Day

What is a better way to win the hearts of your grandparents than to recite a poem? That is what these cute little ones did. Handing their grandparents a card that read..

Sometimes you get discouraged Because I am so small

And always leaving fingerprints

On furniture and walls

But everyday I am growing up

And soon I’ll be so tall

That all my fingerprints

Will be hard to recall

So, there is a final Handprint

You’ll remember with a smile

On grandparent party day

When I was a little child

Tiny tots at Kangaroo kids celebrated grandparent’s day, to tell the people who perhaps love them the most that how much they love and cherish them.

The party that had been celebrated in association with Helpage India had tiny ones were dressed in black and white as the theme of the party was Cartoon Network. Helpage India put up a colourful painting exhibition made by kids all over the country for their grandparents, to sensitise everybody about the need to love grandparents.

The grandparent’s party was a roaring success. The glee on the faces told us so.

Kathak demo

Kathak Exponent Uma Sharma hosted a lecture-cum-demonstration under the aegis of the Spic Macay in the Vishwa Bharti Public School premises.

The programme was dedicated to the father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. In an interactive session with the students, Ms. Sharma, who has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, spoke about the origin of the dance form and the different styles of Kathak. She performed the Vandana, explaining to the students the different mudras involved in it. Vocalist Jwala Prasad, Mubarak Ali on Tabla and Khalid Mustafa on Sitar accompanied her.

The purpose of the programme was not only aimed at spreading the message of peace and non-violence through music, but it was also an affirmation of solid, value based education that involves awareness to conserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the country.

(Input Parminder Singh)

COURTS

HC appoints committee to monitor traffic snarls
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24
The Delhi High Court has appointed a three-member committee to effectively address the urban menace, as it is dissatisfied with the Delhi Traffic Police measures to ease traffic congestion in the walled city’s busy Chandni Chowk area.

The step was in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by Charanjit Dedeja. A division bench comprising Chief Justice S. B. Sinha and Justice A. K. Sikri also directed the traffic police to strictly adhere to the measures to check the problem.

The court directed that the committee, comprising Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) of the area, Assistant Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi of the zone and the litigant’s advocate, Arvind Nayyar, should visit the area from time to time and on finding any such problem existing in the area would bring to the notice of the authorities concerned.

The authorities, in turn, shall take immediate redressal steps, the court ordered in response to the PIL filed by Charanjit Dedeja through his council Mr Nayya.

“If the committee felt that the problem pointed out by it was not attended by the authorities then it shall be entitled to approach this court by means of an appropriate application seeking necessary directions,” the court said.

The petitioner brought to the notice of the court the problems of illegal squatting as well as encroachments on footpaths and roads in the historic Chandni Chowk area resulting in traffic jams.

It said non-squatting zones and non-parking areas were being used by vegetable and fruit vendors and for illegal parking too.

As the mater of squatting zones in the national capital was under consideration of the Supreme Court, the High Court confined itself to the problems of encroachments on footpaths by shopkeepers who block the walk paths with their merchandise, and unauthorised parking of vehicles on the roadside leading to traffic jams.

Labour Lok Adalats in all Haryana districts soon
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 24
A special Lok Adalat was held here on Saturday to dispose of pending cases related to labour issues. While 207 cases were settled, a compensation of Rs 36.43 lakh was paid for the settlement of the cases. Mr Justice V. K. Bali of the Punjab and Haryana High Court inaugurated the adalat.

The Labour Commissioner of Haryana, Mr K. K. Khandelwal, announced that Labour Lok Adalats would be held in all the districts. Several of the cases pending in the Labour Court here were taken up in the Lok Adalat, which announced settlement of the cases after the compensation was paid by the defendants.

Majority of the cases was related to industrial disputes and most of them were on the basis of complaints by factory workers against the management or owners of factories or industrial units.

As many as 104 cases had been pending in the Labour Court headed by Mr Raminder Jain, 88 cases with the court of Mr A. K. Tyagi and 14 with the office of Deputy Labour Commissioner here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Khandelwal urged the people to take advantage of such adalats as they were a means to save time and money while getting speedy justice. He also exhorted the lawyers to do their bit of social service by helping litigants to take the help of Lok Adalats when needed instead of `misguiding’ the poor and ignorant complainants.

The founder president of the Haryana labour Law Practitioners Association, Mr Jagbir Bhadana, and its present chief, Mr K. L. Sharma, welcomed the chief guest.

The District and Sessions Judge, Ms Nirmal Yadav, the Secretary of Haryana Labour Cell, Mr R. S. Virk, and the ADC, Mr Mehtab Singh, were among others who were present on the occasion.

Insurance co asked to pay family Rs 9 lakh
Tribune News Service

Panipat, March 24
The Additional Session’s Judge, Justice N K Beriwal, has ordered an insurance company for payment of compensation of Rs 9.10 lakh to the family of a victim who lost his life in a road accident about five years back.

According to a case details, in a road accident between a Canter and Gypsy near Samalkha on GT road on July 16, 1997, one Om Prakash, working in a government department at Chandigarh died on the spot. A case against the Canter driver was registered by the police at that time.

After a few months of the incident, the family members of the deceased filed a case in the Court under section 160 and 140 of Motor Vehicles Act. The family members included Bimla Devi, wife of Om Prakash and his two sons - Ram Ratan and Anil.

After hearing the case, the Court ordered the Insurance Company for payment of compensation of Rs 9.10 lakh to Bimla Devi and her son Anil.

However, Ram Ratan was not awarded any compensation by the court, as he had already been inducted into Government service on compassionate grounds of his father’s death.