7th std English assesment

The idea is to do a crash course on English for the 7th. The focus will hopefully remain on their textbook. So, Madhu, Chethna & me went around assessing them last saturday. Asked them to read out a paragraph from their English book first chapter also asked them to copy & writedown a paragraph. And, based on these, we have catagorised them to Good, Average, and bad.

The idea is to handle the kids based on these groupings, and we would need atleast 3 volunteers for that!!!

The list more for records, is as follows, I seem to have misplaced the list prepared by Madhu. Need to extrapolate that data!

Good

Rajesh, Prabhudev, Nagaraj, Manjula

Average/Medium

Yellappa, Annapoorna, Kamala, Narayana, Chandrika, Geeta, Priyadarshini

Bad

Vinodraj, Umarani, Arun kumar, Sunil, Jyothi, Prabhavathi, Manjula


Yellapa is the restless kid around, looks quite sharp, need to channelise him.

An extraordinary experience...

I've been contemplating this idea of joining an NGO since long...am glad that I could finally move one step ahead & get associated with the Dream School Foundation...

There goes a saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side"...My experience at the school has only reinforced my realisation that I am one of those lucky ones to have my foot on the greener side...
I have read quite a few articles about the under-privileged sector of our society, but it's nothing close to experiencing the veracity in person...Come face to face with the kids & you sure will be left rapt !! It's amazing that even though they are deprived of the very essentials, that every child has a right to, they radiate so much of exuberance & are so eager to learn...These kids so convincingly portray all the rare qualities that maybe even I, as a child, might have been nervous about; then why must they be deprived of their right to chilhood ? Just a thought to ponder...

Am sure it's only the beginning...I hope to make a positive difference...

Ganarajyothsava

India's Republic day means & doesn't mean a lot of things to people. But to school children, itz fun time again. Marchpasts, community processions, speeches, flag hoisting, songs, skit, dramas & chocolates!!! It was 9ish in the morning, when I reached the Chalghatta school. For a change, all the kids were neatly seated, and awaited the proceeding to start. The chief guest was to arrive, and there was no sign of him. And soon, there was these colorful distant objects in the sky that got the kids excited. Parachutes, balloons ? None of us cud make them out.




The 6th std kids rehearsing

Shivaji & a look-alike!
Awaiting the chief guest.

Finally, we decided to go ahead.
The culturals started, but we guyz had to move to the Bellur school.


Initial photshot with Chetna & Hena.

' Bharath Matha ki Jai'

The Anganwaadi kids.

The Vande matharam song. Chetna & Hena had trained these kids for it. One complicated version, with tounge twistors galore.......I regarded it as pain & torture to my kids.......but to my surprise they pulled it of with aplomb.

Loose control... One more time!

Man...now for THE skit. The 'Punyakoti' song. Chethan, who sang was running away with the song. I barely managed to click a few snaps.

We had wonderful masks for the cows & tiger, but the one for the calf wasn't available, and we had to make do with a rabbit mask!!! Here Punyakoti is talking with her calf....'bout her impending surrender to Mr. Tiger.

After sentimental scenes, Punyakoti goes to Mr. Tiger, who for reasons I haven't fathomed all my life, feels sorry for wanting to kill her and instead of sending her back & going home, jumps from a cliff, and ends life!!!!

Teaching with my 5th std kids goes like this....45 minutes of English...restlessness.....and suddenly they jump and say 'Uncle, we will dance'......and thats it...they have their 'n' dances...that includes Dhoom machale!!! Here, we have them as Gopika's cribbing 'bout Krishna!!!

Speech in English. Chetna came with a simple written speech, and thrust it in my hands. None of the 4th & 5th were ready to speak it out, for they can't read it in the first place. Shocked. Well, thats the way it is. And, as I loudly contemplated writing the English in Kannada, and getting it read. Manjunath, a 3rd std kid, jumped, and forcefully said, he wud do it, and did a wonderful job of it. Long way to go for us.

3rd std kids singing the poem 'Bannadha thagadina thuthuri'

Man...this song has climbed up to the top of my charts. Something like 'Jannadha pannadha mangagallee'......Monkeys... please don't see, speak & hear evil! A dance, that evokes lot of laughter amongst kids.

End of celebrations. Lots of volunteers missed. Sunand, Dharin & Ami joined. And, the best part was the culturals at the Bellur school. Last Independence day, the kids just watched as Pooja & speeches took the centre stage. But this time it was the otherway.

After we left the school, came across this injured Brahminy kite. It may have done well with some attention & care, we left it to nature & moved away. And, so are these govt. schools ?