The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HAMARA SCHOOL
SMT SATYAWATI OSWAL VMSS SCHOOL MILLERGANJ
Giant strides after small beginning
Deepkamal Kaur

Satvinder Singh, Class VIII

Ramandeep, Class VIII

Charandeep Singh, ClassVIII

Manpreet Singh, Class VIII

Poonam, Class VIII

Established in 1965, Smt Satyawati Oswal Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Millerganj, aims to provide quality education to children to make them ideal citizens of the country. The school was founded by the late Lachhman Dass Oswal, who was a renowned industrialist and a visionary.

From a small beginning, the school made rapid strides and at present it consists of a spacious, airy and well-planned three-storeyed building. It is recognised and affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board for classes up to plus two level in humanities and commerce groups. The approximate strength of the school is 1,500 students and it has 55 trained teachers and 15 non-teaching employees.

The school has a well-equipped science laboratory and a well-stocked library with a reading room. Computer education is compulsory for all students and, for this purpose, it has a well-furnished computer section. The school also has water coolers on all the three floors to help the students quench their thirst on hot, sunny days.

The school authorities make it a point to hold extra-curricular activities alongside the routine classes. To achieve this, inter and intra-school functions are held to bring out the competitive skills of the students. To keep the students abreast with the everyday happenings and to increase their IQ, quizzes, debates and declamation contests are held from time to time. Such contests also help them improve upon their communication and oratorical skills.

To make the whole session colourful, the school also organises exhibitions, fetes, annual function and religious discourses. During the summer vacation this year, hobby classes were held in home science, computers, beauty treatment, folk dances and bhangra. Daily physical training exercises are also held to keep the students fit.

In sports, cricket is the favourite sport among schoolchildren and inter-class contests are organised every year. Students are also given coaching in badminton, kho-kho and table tennis. An athletic meet is also held every year in which the students take part in races, shot put and rope-skipping. Students are also given training in swimming and judo karate.

To broaden the vision of the students, they are taken on tours and excursions to historical and holy places. Regular medical check-up of students is conducted and the school has first-aid facilities with a doctor on call.

Academically, students of the school are showing improvement in their results year after year. Constant monitoring of students’ performance, its analysis and evaluation and consistent student counselling have gone a long way in improving their performance.

During the board examination held this year, students achieved meritorious positions. Sonia Tandon stood first among Class X students with 86 per cent marks. Manpreet Kaur was second with 79 per cent marks and Pardeep Aggarwal followed with 78 per cent marks.

Among Class VIII students, Nancy stood first with 85 per cent marks. Ashish Ghai and Sahil Pathak shared the second position with 84 per cent marks. The third position was jointly shared by Amandeep Kaur and Sonia Puri, both with 81 per cent marks.

Among plus two arts group students, Kawaldeep Kaur was declared first with 78 per cent marks and Lata Sharma stood second with 77 per cent marks. Among the commerce group students, Rishi Kant stood first with 70 per cent marks, Kamal Makkar was declared second with 69 per cent marks and Vikas Sharma was third with 68 per cent marks.

Orientation programme for teachers must

Updating of knowledge is most essential. For this purpose, various orientation programmes are held for the teachers to help them upgrade their knowledge and learn the latest techniques and teaching methods, said Ms Rakesh Kumari, Principal of Smt Satyawati Oswal Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School.

The Principal said the teachers were also encouraged to improve upon their educational, professional and technical qualifications and various incentives were given for this. The teachers were also encouraged to participate in various projects and discussions, she said. She believes that teachers are the real strength of the school on whom the results and overall impression of the school depends.

Ms Rakesh Kumari said varied activities for the students were the hallmark of the school. She said drawing, fancy dress, cursive writing, story telling and poetry recitation contests were held for the primary sections while senior sections held quiz contests, declamation, dance, essay-writing, science model making and chart-making contests.

The Principal said it was not just the intra-school contests, in which the students participated, many of them were also taken to inter-school functions. She said every year the students were made to participate in district-level science fairs, quawwali contests in Vallabh darbars, solo dance, song and group dance contests organised by the Asian Club as well as the Punjabi Study Circle International and drawing competitions organised by Camelin.

The Principal also said that even though at present plus two classes were held only for the arts and the commerce groups, science groups would also start soon. She said with the changing scenario, many students were interested in choosing medical and non-medical streams and on their persistent demand, this addition would be made in a year or two.

‘Fusion’ leaves them spell-bound
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 20
‘Fusion music’ by Sitar Funk, a group of young extremely talented musicians, captivated the hearts of the audience at Guru Nanak Bhavan the last evening. The music was simply divine.

Niladari Kumar, one of the most talented and sought-after musicians in India, led the group. Niladari told the audience that ‘fusion’ was the harmonious blending of music of the East and the West.

He introduced members of his group, Anand Sharma, Sri Sirdhar Parthasarathi, Harmeet. Mukul Dogray and Satyajit Talwalkar.

Sitar Funk opened the programme with a lively melody. The intensity and the energy with which they played their instruments reached out to the audience. The presentation was based on a classical raga.

Niladari said often the ring of a mobile phone would disturb the artists. This propelled him to make a composition based on the musical notes of his mobile. “My aim is to make people feel guilty of disturbing artists.”

He dedicated the piece to Mr Sunil Munjal, president of the Ludhiana Sanskritik Samagam, a cultural organisation, that had brought this group to the city.

Mukul Dogrey presented a wonderful piece on drums entitled ‘Fire’. The beat of the drums was mesmerising. His solo performance was followed by Satayjit’s expertise on the tabla.