Christmas

The year has almost come to an end when everyone is waiting the long overdue holiday, after a period of hard work. This holiday period means different things to different people, for some it is a time of festivities while for others just a break to spend with family or just to relax.

We have all heard of Christmas, either because of our religion or because our friends celebrate it or because it is celebrated all over the world. What comes to one’s mind when one thinks of ‘Christmas’? Good food, time with family, presents, Christmas tree, snow, Santa Claus, nativity and so  much more.

Good food, time spent with family/friends we understand, but where do the other things come from? Do they have some meaning or some history? Does it come from some culture? Some superstition or some tradition handed down through generations?

We in this little piece want to find roots or origin of a few symbols related to this globally celebrated festival – Christmas.

Let’s start with the basics:

1.      Christmas – we do not need to be Christians to know that this word comes from Christ, who is the Son of God - Jesus. It commemorates his day of birth. As we all know it is celebrated on the 25^th of December, though the Bible does not mention the exact date, Pope Julius I, set this date in an attempt to Christianize the Pagans in the 4^th century.

Ancient pagans were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives and because of this they worshipped, the sun. These people saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word yule (another name for Christmas) is thought to have come. At Winter Solstice they lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale.

2.      Crib – the dictionary describes this word as a child’s bed or a cot. For the Christians the Crib is the most important symbol of Christmas celebration. It symbolizes the events that occurred on the actual day of Jesus’ birth.

This story begins with a young God-fearing girl, Mary who is engaged to be married to a carpenter, Joseph. Now Mary was expecting a child, and the males of that town were expected to go to Jerusalem for Census. On the way Mary goes into labor and they stop in a little town called Bethlehem where she gives birth to Jesus in a stable. Jesus’ birth draws different people, be it angels or wise men, shepherds or cattle.

3.      Christmas tree – not any tree is used as a Christmas tree, it is the Fir tree that adorns the homes of many. Fir tree symbolizes the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The evergreen fir tree is a sign of hope throughout the winter season--hope in the promise that the rest of nature too will awaken to new life in the coming spring. For the Christians it represents hope for everlasting life through Jesus Christ.

4.      Ornaments – the Christmas tree is decked up with different adornments. Each figurine has a meaning.

·       Star: represents the bright star that shone the night Jesus was born and aided the three wise men to find him.

·       Gifts: represent the offerings of the three wise men- gold, frankincense and myrrh.

·       Holly Berries: represent the blood of Christ.

·       Wreath: represents the crown of thorns that was worn by Jesus.

·       Bells: represents the call for mankind to worship the Lord.

·       Lights or Candles: represent the light Jesus brought in the world.

5.      Carols – the word carol originally meant to dance to something. They were sung by the Pagans thousands of years ago, during the winter solstice (shortest day of the year). They were not Christmas carols but the Christians adapted this tradition to their faith.

6.      Carolers - represent the multitude of angels that sang on the night of Jesus’ birth.

7.      Santa Claus - Santa brings us all together! Kids all over the world know who Santa is... A merry old man with red and white clothes, eight flying reindeer, later joined by Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. A home located near the North Pole. Who has a habit of filling socks or stockings with presents on the night of December 24^th, bringing in the idea of giving that reminds us; we are all on this planet together, for the long run.

We hope that this piece helped you understand the meaning and spirit of this celebration better. Regardless of the faith we profess, we all gear up to take part in this festivity.

Wishing everybody a joyous, prosperous

and peaceful Christmas and New Year!!

-Indu and Inma

How is Technology Affecting our Family?

As a parent, sometimes it's hard to know how to handle technology in our own lives, yet alone the lives of our children. What are the benefits? What are the costs? When is it too much? There are no easy answers. And no one answer is right for everyone.

Some things to consider: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and others who helped create major technological advances did not grow up in an electronics age. Colleges and corporations are reporting that many of the young people who have grown up in a tech-savvy world do not have the same level of emotional skills of those 10 or more years ago. Inappropriate use of electronics (sexting, cyber-bullying, posting of photos/videos that a child might later regret, etc.) is on the rise even at the elementary age level and developmentally, children are unable to comprehend long-term effects of digital footprints lasting forever. Research is being done on the addictive aspects of checking our electronics incessantly and obsessions with video games.

According to a study on media influence done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-18-year-olds spend over seven hours a day using entertainment media. That's over 50 hours per week! And when they're involved with screen time they're not exercising, meeting with friends, talking with family or negotiating in-person relationships. Many are gaining weight, easily distracted and finding it hard to read the subtle signs in developing and maintaining relationships. In fact, they're often mentally absent when sitting with a group of friends or family.

And it's not only our kids. How many times have we pulled out our cell phones when having dinner to check that important email or text that just chimed in? And how many of us have sat in a restaurant with a companion who has "checked out" to tend to his electronic device? How much time is spent capturing a moment digitally versus experiencing what is taking place? Or investing energy documenting children's lives on social media versus investing in the relationship?

Often, parents tell us they feel technology is taking over their family and/or children's lives, but they don't know when enough is enough, or what they can do to control it. Since there is no perfect answer or specific line to draw, we suggest parents engage in one of the core principles our organization was founded on: be intentional.

  If you decide that it's time to limit your child's screen time, here are some options to consider:

·        Have a basket at the front door in which your kids can deposit their phones until homework is done and dinner is over.

·        Require that all electronics be turned in at bedtime so that there isn't the temptation to chat or play games instead of getting a good night's rest.

·        Keep TV's and computers in the public areas of your home.

·        Become computer literate in order to monitor usage and block inappropriate sites.

·        Bookmark your child's favorite sites to avoid "surfing".

·        Teach Internet safety, especially about never revealing personal information.

·        Talk about the pro's and con's of electronic interaction and how choices (impulsive or without considering long-term effects) can impact our lives.

·        Use this as a teaching opportunity to help your child learn to set limits, understand wants versus needs and develop self-control.

·        Make television or movie viewing a family event and talk about what you've watched and how it intersects with your family values.

·        Limit your own screen time and take every opportunity to engage your child in conversation.

- Sonia Kayastha

Natural Learning

                                                        

           Recently I came across a blog by famous and eminent actor turned social activist Nana Patekar which I thought everyone must read. Even make your child read as it is too good and realistic.

          The earlier generation/baby boomers worked like donkeys to get higher education and now the next generation has fallen to wits of the rat race.

          The expectations of today’s parents have mounted off to the height of Everest. They want their children to score 100% in all the exams, should be black belt holders, must be the experts in music or dance forms at the same time be rooted and be able to chant Shlokas in Sanskrit, they are quite fine even if their child is not able to understand the meaning of verses chanted by them.

         Of late, many schools have mushroomed who are giving false promises as a marketing gimmick that they can turn their child in to ALBERT EINSTEIN in making. When in reality Albert was a school dropout and never attended any school later.

          The schools have been launched by the investors and not by the educationist. The simple logic behind the same works on the simple economics demand and supply rule. Such schools have aptly recognised the deep desire of the parent community along with the fancy dreams which they have fostered for their children. They have increased the syllabus more than required. Children are not only carrying the burden of heavy bags but they are overburdened by the expectations of the parents and teachers, leading their life to real hell.

          Our honourable Prime Minister Mr.Modi addressed the students on the eve of Teacher’s day and he raised a question to them that how many of you sweat yourself out in play ground every day? Not single hand was raised. The reason is simple and obvious. These millennium babies are born and brought up in AC rooms. Their standard diet consists of chips and aerated drinks. The only games that they are aware of are the mobile games, video games, X box. They do not come in contact with the major five elements of the earth. They are oblivious of the things like playing with their friends getting hurt in  the process, the fun in loosing or winning the game, the lessons learnt in process.

            Before they cross the milestone of early five, most of them have the vision issues, either they become malnourished   or they start walking on the path of obesity. Who is to be blamed for? As the household kitchens started shrinking, the fast food era began. Instead of adding the vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates in the food the things like modified food starch, maltodextrin , hydrolysed corn gluten , disodium iodinate/ guanylate, yeast extract and hydrolyzed soy protein etc  got added.

             The specialty of such ingredients is that they stay in the stomach for longer time and absorb all the nutrients from the body . They literally stop the hormonal and biological growth of the child which has lead highest number of diabetic patients along with many other  diseases in early childhood in India.

Further, today’s generation is facing a stiff competition, education is not a means to attain knowledge, it is to perform better than the rest. Rabindranath Tagore put emphasis on naturalism, freedom from books and freedom to learner.

Once Tagore was sitting under the tree with few of his disciples in Shantiniketan .Three- four students were engrossed in reading  and rest were busy climbing the trees, trying to catch the butterflies , enjoying the fragrance of flowers while nature walk...

Suddenly a gentleman dropped there to meet Gurudev and raised a question,”Aren’t you worried about the children’s future who are playing instead of reading?”

Gurudev replied politely with a smile,”Of course I do, but not for the children who are playing,

For the children who are reading the books! They have matured way before their age acting like adults.

It was Tagore’s passion to teach the children ,not the business, as he used to enjoy being with them. But today’s scenario is totally changed and our life is revolving around the education , children run after gaining more and more knowledge, learning as many as art forms ,parents bet on them and then starts a race .In the process we forget to live our lives to the  fullest.

What is the learning for us as a Sanctamarian parents and teachers? We have started this process at Sanctamaria .Each of us cannot be Tagore but definitely started walking on the path that has laid for us  by Rabindranath Tagore.

What more can we contribute to make our children’s lives enjoyable and at the same time focus on their overall growth ? This is the thought we all should ponder upon..

- Ms. Pragati and Ms.Pradeepa

Optimism-An Emotional Sunshine

Optimism-An Emotional Sunshine

In the words of G K Chesterton, “Optimism is the noble temptation to see too much in everything. The cultivation of optimism must be acquired because life is worth living and you get it only once.” There is no other habit which brings so much value to life as that of always expecting that the best will happen. What is the difference between an optimist and a  

 pessimist? The former thinks that the thorn  has a rose; the latter laments that a  rose has a thorn .The difference between the two is in their attitude. The choice is yours - you can look at the tree which gives cool shade or  blame the shade because it is a mere shadow. In life the optimist faces failure, criticism  and frustration but he does not go under or wilts.

  The pessimist is a misery-manufacturer who looks inward and gets deeper into shady thinking. The world inside is crowded, dark and dingy where sunshine cannot penetrate. He is in love with his own misery. Self-centred, he is seldom happy. Nor can he make anyone else happy. His world is congested and cluttered in which there is practically nothing joyful. No wonder such a gloomy person is cut off from the world of enjoyment and pleasant activities. The fact is that to live is to have a vast and wider variety of experiences than is afforded by one’s own crippling experiences. This is where the optimist thrives. He is so happily occupied with rich and various happenings around him that the dark thoughts seldom intrude into his inner world.

You may brush aside the saying, “Count your blessings.’ But counting your blessings contributes in ample measure in achieving a positive attitude. ‘See’ the beauty in a newly sprouted green leaf in spring. Hindsight too helps. You have to discriminate and be judicious. Shakespeare’s words serve as a guideline. He says, “Let’s not burden our remembrance with a heaviness that’s gone.” Some invite gloom in their life by harping on unhappy incidents, failures and blunted aspirations in life. These things add to mental and emotional load. They do not lighten the burden. Be prudent. Be practical. Shed this extra luggage. The past 

is dead. Bury it. Past memory can be a source of inspiration too. It can inspire one to optimistic actions. Multipliedactions combine into a syndrome and that is the attitude.

Whenever you face failure or fumbling, sit down, write a list of small successes you have achieved in the past and

tell yourself, ‘I have done it in the past. I can do it now and in future, too.’

Look into the future. You have buried the past. Now build the future. The ‘mantra’ is be better than yesterday. Just as the pessimist manufactures his own misery, you, the optimist manufacture your own happiness. There will be nodisappointment because you are acting in the way which helps you achieve. And achievement raises the spirit. Hope is a powerful force which brings things you want, just as despair and pessimism push them off.

Make ‘success’ your guide for life. 

You do not know what the future will bring forth. But why only think of disaster? POSITIVITY takes one forward. This sets in motion a chain effort, a hold on some ideal, some fundamental value which ups the spirit and makes one see the pink in life. It is then that life itself looks up.

 Positive thoughts generate light and hope, whereas negative thoughts will bring darkness and despair. If you deliberately think about pleasant thoughts of smiles and laughter, good humour, music and song and little happy things – your mind will be filled with sunshine, dispelling all brooding ones, hidden in the recesses of your mind. The situation does not make the man, the man makes the situation.

- Ms. Shalini Hamilton & Ms. Jincy Mathew

EDUCATION IN INDIA

One issue that has not received the attention it deserves from observers of the Modi Government has been its treatment of education. We have all heard for some time about the demographic dividend that awaits our nation from its youthful population, but we can only reap that dividend if we train and educate our young people to be able to take advantage of what the world has to offer them in the 21st century. Otherwise, the Naxalite menace shows us how easily the demographic dividend can become a disaster: there is nothing more dangerous to the nation than legions of under-educated, unemployed and unemployable young men with no stake in our society. This is why I have often argued that education in India is not just a socio-economic issue, but a national security issue as well.

But the Modi Government's performance in education so far does not inspire confidence. Its budgetary allocations tell the tale. The overall education budget is down from Rs. 82,771 cr to Rs. 69,074 cr. Whereas under the UPA, the Plan allocation went up by 18 per cent in 2012-13 and by 8.03 per cent in 2013-14, the BJP Govt has reduced the Plan allocation for 2015-16 by 24.68 per cent. The savage cuts go across the board: the flagship Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been reduced by 22.14 per cent, funding for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by 16.41 per cent, the Rashtriya Madhyama Shiksha Abhiyan for secondary education by 28.7 per cent and the Rashtriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan, to support state colleges, by 48 per cent. To take just one example, the SSA, which funds schools across the country: MHRD had asked for Rs. 50,000 cr in 2015-16; it received Rs. 22,000 cr from the Modi Government's current Budget.

In higher education, we have long lamented that not a single Indian university is in the top 200 of any of the global rankings. But look at the non-seriousness of the BJP's approach to our flagship IIT system. They have announced the creation of five new IITs with a grand total investment of Rs. 1000 crore - but the Government's own Detailed Project Report specifies that the cost of establishing an IIT is Rs. 2200 cr over a period of 7 years: in other words, each new IIT needs an annual expenditure of around Rs. 310 crore a year. Mr Jaitley's allocations fall dramatically short of that - and this excludes any amount which may be needed for completing the construction of previously announced IITs. Inadequate funding has compromised the quality of education in all newly established IITs and IIMs, with the government rolling out more such institutions without strengthening the existing infrastructure.

This is just one example. The reduced allocations across the board do not match the 12th Plan objectives regarding expansion, growth, access, or quality of Higher Education. The 12th Plan approach paper had proposed that 18 per cent of all Government education spending or 1.12 per cent of GDP should be on Higher Education, and Parliament's Standing Committee on HRD recommended raising it to 25 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively. Instead, this government is going in the opposite direction.


An educated country needs good teachers, and enough of them. But only 63 per cent of government schools have a Pupil-Teacher ratio as per RTE norms (30:1 primary, 35:1 upper primary). According to the RTE Act, the prescribed norm had to be reached by March 2015: what is government doing about it?

We have a shortage of trained teachers as well as training institutes. There are 6 Lakh posts of teachers vacant under the SSA. Even in the KVs, 7698 out of 44,529 sanctioned teaching posts are vacant; so are 50 per cent of positions in teacher-training institutions. Most teacher training colleges, as the Verma Committee observed, are so bad they should be closed down. If we train teachers badly, they will teach children badly. A serious initiative by MHRD is needed: urgent recruitment, more Teacher Eligibility Tests, remedial training. Instead we have a level of governmental inattention to the crisis that matches our notorious culture of teacher absenteeism. The picture is even worse in higher education: Central Universities, IITs, NITs, IIMs, are all suffering crippling shortages of teachers.

Our educational system is over-regulated and under-governed. I hope this government will rethink the disastrous course upon which it has embarked, and revive the proposal to abolish UGC and AICTE and create an overarching Council of Higher Education to facilitate, rather than restrict, educational autonomy. Excellence can only thrive amid freedom.

-     - Mr. Manuel R  &  Mr. Krishna Mohan 

A GRANDPARENT IS SOMEONE WITH SILVER IN THEIR HAIR AND GOLD IN THEIR HEART

 “Young people need something stable to hang on to – a culture connection, a sense of their past, a hope for their future. Most of all, they need what grandparents can give them” – Jay Kesler

If you are one of the lucky ones to be blessed with a granddad and a grandma, you probably know how comforting it is to be put up with someone with a wealth of experience behind them, someone who loves you unconditionally and spoils you rotten with their affection. Grandparents cement the bonds between generations and infuse family values, religious beliefs and principles in the young ones. However, that is not all to being grandparents. They can be your companion in times of solitude, and may be even act as a mediator, adviser and your patient audience in times of need. Grandparents are truly God's most cherished gifts and there is little reason why you shouldn't have a day to commemorate their presence in your lives. Grandparents Day, a day dedicated to all the grand dads and grand moms in the world, to acknowledge their humongous contributions in our lives and celebrate their worth is truly one occasion to let the senior most member of your household know how much they are loved and cherished.

@ Sancta Maria, we celebrated this grandparent's day with lots of cheer and beautiful lines of appreciation from students making grandparents feel truly priceless. The pre-primary teachers greeted all the grandparents and parents with crafts made by students from the foyer to the amphitheater.

A sweet little welcome speech by Aripra started the celebrations, followed by dance performance by PP2 students on “Grandpa and grandma we love you” set the tempo of the celebrations.  Where students from PP2, Tanya and Pallavi expressed gratitude by speeches, Dhanya recited a poem.

Ramp walk: A huge sportive participation by the grandparents to walk the ramp was a pleasant surprise making everyone in the audience clap-clap-clap, cheering them all the way.

Pricking the eggplant: All the grandmothers enjoyed thoroughly while they did not they maintained the competitive spirit to prick as many toothpicks as they can in the eggplant in bucket of water.

     Couples Hair-deco: We had a joyful experience watching the couples play this game.  They had to plug-in straws in the hair of their partner. Be it mother- daughter duo, mother-son duo or daughter-in law clubbing with her mother-in-law or father-in-law, loved the spirit they showed up.

The tiny tots from Nursery performed on "I am so happy" for grandparents and PP1 students took the celebrations to next another level by dance performance on "we are going to grandmas' house". PP2 students then performed "love you grandparents" and marking a beautiful end to the celebrations, Debadrita of PP1 gave vote of thanks to all.

To see three generations together was delightful view adding a surprising positive energy to the celebrations, leaving a thought in mind to do things all year round to not let the celebrations shrink down to a day but to spread in life…

Can us-children, youth and younger adults, commit to do something grand…

-     Connect and serve with your grandparents or older adults in your community.

-     Recognize, honor, and thank grand families, who provide a safe and loving home to your grandchildren or other relatives.

-     Bring younger and older people together. Together, adults and youth can reach out to decision makers and begin one of the most important dialogues in our history: discussing how, as a country, we can address the many challenges facing future generations—from literacy to health and wellness to financial stability.

        - UmaTenneti

Education Gives You Wings

Education is igniting minds of the learners, so that a light is kindled and it spreads its brightness across the world. On account of teacher’s day we would like to remember a stalwart, who understood the importance of education so well. He is none other than former president and our beloved late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

He always made sure he didn’t miss the opportunity to teach, whenever and wherever he got, even when he became the President of India in 2002. That’s how he always wanted the people to remember him. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam – former President of India and a renowned scientist ignited a thousand minds, inspired a million to dream big.

Born to a very humble family, the stalwart never allowed his hardships pose a threat to his education and later went on to study aeronautics. Starting his career as a newspaper delivery boy he went on to becoming the first citizen of our country.  And the rest is history. His dream of a self-reliant and strong India has always been a strong motivation for the country and the citizens.

Some of his famous quotes that give us a peek into his thoughts and vision on education are quoted below:

“One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. Let the students ask questions.”

“Creativity is a key to success in the future, and primary education is where teachers can bring creativity in children at that level.”

“Black colour is sentimentally bad. But every blackboard makes the students’ life bright.”

“Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model.”

“Creativity in education leads to evolution of self reliant youth with knowledge and action.”

- Ms. Raksha & Mr. Venkatesh