Cultural programs around the theme “It’s Time, Act. – Youth for Global Impact”

Hyderabad, December 8, 2019: School Annual days are common. Mostly considered as matters of routine practice. But, some schools think other way round. St.Peters High School from Bowenpally turned its annual day held this weekend at its school premises at Bowenpally, as an International Youth Leadership Program. And informed, educated and entertained 2000 plus audience through cultural programs around the theme” It’s Time, Act. – Youth for Global Impact". In the course projected students as Change Makers. The school used it as an opportunity to teach students and their parents some useful lessons showcasing best practices followed by some school across the world. When school functions are becoming routine and mundane, something unique must happen to make them interesting and useful. We took it as an opportunity to teach useful lessons of Conflict, Stress, failure management, fitness, leadership skills etc and others. We don’t want our annual day to be a mere entertainment evening, shared Dr. K Suvarna, Principal, St. Peter’s High School. We have identified 22 best practices adopted by few schools from across the world such as Pakistan, Kenya,Australia, Japan, Mexico, Tibet, Israel, Thailand, Netherland, Indonesia, Philippines, Tanzania, Sweden, Ukraine and Slovenia, and demonstrated them using sound, song, storytelling, action, drama, dance and other tools to inform, educate and entertain through our annual day from stage. And we have involved 1500 students, almost 60 to 70 per cent of the school's strength from grade 4 to 10th informed Dr. K. Suvarna “Great changes in the destiny of mankind can be effected only in the minds of children”. They are the agents of the change, said Dr. K. Suvarna. The show was curated over a period of time. The research and practice began three months before the Annual Day shared Mr. T. Alphonse Reddy of the School. The program began after customary prize distribution and other formalities. I now invite, Mr. Bill Clinton, Founder of, Clinton Foundation and a 42nd President of the United States, to deliver a Keynote address, the student anchor made the announcement. Prateek played the role of Bill Clinton and delivered Key Note address. "It's Time to Take Action in Four Core Areas for Global Impact"---Youth For Human Development; Environment, Peace and Technology, the former President of America told them. Then followed presentations of best practices. All together 22 best practices shared. The practices included Forest Bathing as practised in some Japanese Schools; Curb Climate Change as practiced in Indonesia; Singing Bowl Therapy as practiced in a Tibet; Laughing Yoga from India; Scholastic and co-scholastic practices of Ukraine and Slovenia; Nutritional Food Choice of Thailand; Novel Culinary Adventures of Mexico; Drastic Plastic--Say No to Plastics as implemented in China and Phillippines; Lebanese way of teaching Technology into Teaching; Creation of Zero Hunger Zones as seen in Tanzania and Sweden; and Cycling, the Netherlands way of physical fitness for heartful living and Happy Schooling Pakistan way etc and others. Aftab and Milka played the roles of two Japanese Sayaka Fujiki and Ryotaro Fujimura and presented how Murasakino High School implements Japanese health and wellness practice of Shinrin-Yoku or forest bathing. It is a simple and therapeutic act of spending time in a forest, which ven Japanese doctors promote it as an antidote to hectic urban life. It serves as a digital detox, does wonders for physical and mental well-being. It has become a vital part of Murasakino High School’s Wellness Practice. Each student takes forest bathes for an hour every weekend. The results are amazing. The team which presented the concept suggested all school to take it up. They concluded their presentation with Japanese customary greetings Arigatougozaimasu (Thankyou), arigatougozaimashita. (Thankyou). By 2050, 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities. The average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors. Forest Bathing is a simple act of staying in the company of nature. Rinchen & Jungney from Taktse International School located in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, Tibet, presented how the School, teaches its student to balance complex outer world with a rich inner life. Our curriculum empowers students to connect with their environment, to appreciate their heritage, and to transform themselves, and ultimately, the world. To achieve this SINGING BOWLS are made a part of our daily routine. It is considered as an ancient brain entrainment methodology for healing and meditation. The children in that school maintain silence and meditate with the sound from singing bowls. Tibetan singing bowls are a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich, deep tone when played. Tibetan singing bowls are said to promote relaxation and offer powerful healing properties. Buddhist monks have long used Tibetan singing bowls in meditation practice. The kids who presented this concept urge all school communities to take up this practice. And then said Thu-je-che-(Thank you). A dance number was performed immediately after the presentation to the music generated out of Singing Bowls for the audience to experience the warmth of the music. Vatsal and Harshavardhan shared about their practice of “Laughter Yoga”. Our school curriculum’s activity-basedd avenues inter-woven into the academic curriculum brings joy to each school day. We celebrate education with eduration, they announced. The aim was to have an emotional connect with all and in the process maintain individual EQ (emotional Quotient). As a part of CBSE’s initiative- SEWA (social empowerment and action), we take up community service students visit Government schools, Senior Citizens Homes to entertain the inmates with laughter yoga. The students urge all to practise Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga as a part of daily routine would bring down aggression in students, they added. Omer Zigdon and Shacharye, two Israelites from ATID-The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions took the audience to Jerusalem in Israel. Hepcyba and Akshara both tenth class students explained how their school in Jerusalem insist on students engaging in Shabbat(the Jewish day of rest) each week. Shabbat allows us to have quality family time, away from the hustle and bustle of busy, everyday life. It allows us to have regular breaks from work and technology. They thanked the audience, Todah (toh-dah) for listening to them. A performance highlighting family time with a closely-knit religious service was performed. The students took the audience to Beacon house Valley School, Karachi, Pakistan to present the current happy schooling scenario in Pakistan. Thanks to youth activists like MalalaYousafzai and MunibaMazari, the schooling scenario is transforming progressively in Pakistan, they told. With formal greetings, Shaambakhair (Good evening ) Veronic and Virat who donned the roles of Ali Raza and Roshanth, two Pakistanis took the audience to Karachi The Beaconhouse curriculum is designed with Reggio Emilia, Enhanced Learning Environment (ELE), Personal, Social Health Education (PSHE), Foreign Languages. With all these and more students experience happy schooling, they concluded with Shukriya which was then followed by a dance number portraying students yelling happy schooling. Indah Hidayat and Toufik Noor from Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School, Jakarta, Indonesia embarked on curbing climate change. Members of Inventors and Science Club educate the public, especially youth on the impact of climate change. Highlighting how severe climate change, kids played a skit, a dance dram, wearing oxygen masking, taking oxygen straight from plants to sensitise people on the importance of green cover. Lynn Van den Berg and Lucas Van Dijk, the International School of The Hague implement Global Physical Fitness Network (GPFN) aims to raise awareness about physical activity among students to become healthy by Cycling? With 17 million residents and 23 million bicycles, the Netherlands already has more bikes than people. Today the Netherlands is known for its cycling culture. Cycling is mainly an aerobic activity. By cycling the heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. The Netherlands is now "one of the few countries that take cycling seriously as a mode of transportation contributing to an individual’s health and community’s climatic wellness ". Impose a Physical Fitness Routine in your own families. Cut down usage of automobiles, practise cycling, Cycling can help to protect you from serious diseases such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis. Cycling is healthy, fun and a low-impact form of exercise for all ages. The Global Physical Fitness Network (GPFN) at the International School of The Hague is with you to support, motivate you to adopt cycling. Bedankt ("buh DAHNKT"), thanks they sadi. At the end, they threw a Youth challenge for Global Impact. Aftab who donned the role of Japanese man Sayaka Fujiki nominated Lynn Van den Berg (Hari Priya) to accept his challenge. Can you promise to forest bathe once a month, he asked her? Yes, Sayaka I will said Lynn Van den Berg(Hari Priya). Then Lynn (Hari Priya) nominated Omer Zigdon (Hepcyba) from Israel to accept her challenge. Omer, are you ready to adopt cycling for 1 day in a week? For which Omer (Hepcyba) said Yes, Lynn I shall. And the chain continued. In all the above and many more case studies school they showcased children got into the robes of their native lands, used their native language mixed with English, used dance, drama, music to make audience easily understand, follow and learn a new practice for better living. Nearly 2000 guests graced the four hour-long presentation. Parents were happy to learn so many things from their kids. There were so many take-aways. I am happy that the school has conceived such a very useful program instead of routine just routine cultural programs. It was informative, educative as well as entertaining observed, Krishna Sagar, a parent. Sharing best practices of the school from across the world is a good practice. Forest Bathing, Singing bowl are few touched me so much shared Anitha Ravindran, a mother. Mr Ramakrishna Mallimadugula, President, Franklin Templeton International Services (India) Pvt; Shri. T. Bala Reddy, Secretary; Shri. T. V. Reddy, Correspondent; Shri. T. A. Reddy and Director Smt. T. Aruna Reddy graced the function.