As we welcome the rising sun in the NEW YEAR, we extend our good wishes to all parents and children for a healthy, happy, prosperous and safe 2009.
‘God’s gifts put man’s best gifts to shame’-- and the gift of life is the greatest. The growing years are the most impressionable periods in the life of a child. In the process of instilling values of kindness, compassion, charity, respect, responsibility and courage, we mould our students to become good human beings and responsible citizens, which is the essence of true education.
Our New Year Resolution -- is to reinforce our commitment towards nurturing good morals, expanding knowledge and stimulating creativity in young minds.
R.N. Podar is always simmering with activity. Renaissance Rewind, Mum-baiscope, Special Assemblies, Sports Day … the list goes on. Here’s a peek into all the events that kept us on our toes, during the past few months.

YOUREKA – AN ADVENTURE TRIP

October 24, 2008 was the day when students of Classes VI & VII embarked on an exciting journey of fun, thrill and adventure to the picturesque Nilsi village near Lonavala. The animated bunch of 60 students found a new side of their personality opening up, as they indulged in a host of outdoor activities like rock climbing and repelling, river rafting and valley crossing. To quote a student, “Rock climbing was tough but fun. Jumping in cold water was better than making our own rafts”. The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by the teachers too.

RENAISSANCE REWIND

A musical journey along the Konkan coast specifically meandering through the rich historical heritage of the ancient city of ’PURI’ (now called THANE), punctuated with specially selected pieces of vocal and instrumental music from early European and American traditions, provided an invigorating learning experience for R. N. Podar students on November 15,  2008 at St. Andrew’s auditorium,  Bandra.
The presentation was a brainchild of noted jazz artiste Mr. Joe Alvares, whose several years of intense research on THANE’s heritage prompted him to provide a novel approach to teaching history that would also inculcate a sense of pride and belonging to this wonderfully ancient land – INDIA.
With picture slides (of historical places in Thane and similar places in the West), personal experiences peppered with snippets from his childhood and foot-tapping songs thrown in to capture the mood of the era, Mr. Alvares had his audience rapt. To quote noted ad-guru Mr. Prahlad Kakkar who was one of the special guests on the occasion, “As a student I used to fall asleep in my history classes. I wish the teachers had made things as interesting as this. During my next trip to Thane I shall make it a point to visit all the important landmarks of historical significance that Mr. Alvares spoke about”.
That was Children’s Day made special or should we say musical?

December 23, 2008

The sprawling lawns of Podar Ground burst alive with the ‘tale of Mumbai’, in a touching tribute to the city, which was presented by the primary and secondary students of R N Podar School. Like every ordinary Mumbaikar, the students of R. N. Podar take pride in their city of dreams. Their heartfelt tribute to the enterprise and vision of every citizen of this cosmopolitan city was portrayed through the technicolour lenses of ‘MUM-BAISCOPE’.

 The programme unfolded pages from Mumbai’s history in a kaleidoscope of vibrant dances, coupled with song and light sequences. The well prepared presentation about the story of Mumbai dating back to 150 B.C. unfolded little known facts about the city which are responsible for it being christened the unchallenged ‘Financial capital of India’. This marvel of a well researched presentation interspersed with exquisite performances, was appreciated and applauded by every member of the audience.

The spirit of Mumbai is incomplete without its frenetic pace. From the vada-pav munching Mumbaikar, rushing to catch the eight-thirty local, to the hip & happening college going crowd, the Govindas on Gokul Ashtami, the now world famous dabbawalas, every detail was portrayed with panache and professional expertise in R N Podar’s MUM-BAISCOPE .

Audience Enraptured

The Chief Guest, Dr. Indu Sahni’s (Hon’ble Sheriff, Mumbai and Principal H. R. College), spoke eloquently about the beautiful presentation and ended her speech with a patriotic couplet in Urdu.. Guest of Honour Colonel Bedi (ex Head of Security, Jet Airways) in his message dwelt on the never say die spirit of the resilient Mumbaikar. His words were thought provoking and touched the hearts of everybody present. Dr. Pawan Podar presided over the function. The presence of such distinguished guests bore ample testimony of their love & attachment to their ‘Aamchi Mumbai’.

MESSAGE FROM OUR CAREER COUNSELLORS

►With the onset of notifications from various entrance exam cells there was an increase in the    number of parents and students seeking information and guidance on different career choices.
 
►A seminar on the All India Engineering Exams – the eligibility criteria and the cut-offs of the top    colleges in India was held for the parents and students of Std. XII Science, both integrated and    non-integrated on the 20th December, 2008. Parents have responded with a very positive    feedback. They appear to be reassured by the initiatives taken by the school.
 
►Alerts regarding entrance exams for various professional courses are continuously being sent. If    any student has missed out on any alert, the same can be accessed on the website –          www.rnpsmentor.org .

FEELINGS COME ALIVE

Post Mumbai 26/11 attacks, students of the school were interviewed on 4th of December by the news channel ‘Times Now’ for the program ‘No Full Stops’ which was aired on 6th December at 7:30 pm. Students vocalized their feelings towards the recent terror attacks. The atmosphere of deep seated hatred and despair among citizens of the nation could be seen reverberating from them too. However the spirit to participate in the war against terror and make a difference, has reassured us that India’s future leaders are treading the right path.

OUR HUMBLE TRIBUTE

Marathi Patrakar Sangh observed ‘Patrakar Divas’on January 6, 2009 by saluting the victims of the   ill-fated terrorist attacks in Mumbai on 26/11/08.  Podar group of schools joined the cause under the initiative of Dr.Wad. The representatives of R.N. Podar School, Head Girl Ankiti Bose and Head Boy Paarth Singh presented a cheque of Rs.I lakh to each of the eight families of the victims. Money not being the ultimate solace, however, this was our way of extending support.

ONCE UPON A TIGER

A treat for budding theatre buffs, 'Once upon a tiger' was a visual delight for Secondary Students who got a break from classes and proceeded to Prithvi Theatre to witness the play which was staged in the second week of January. The play brought forth the barbaric nature of man, undisputedly the best creation of God, whose beastly actions are more heinous than the accepted beast of the jungle, 'the tiger'. Man's greed has driven the big cat to near extinction. Natural jungles are being replaced by concrete ones and in the process destroying the tiger's natural habitat. Mahatma Gandhi's words reverberated true, "The earth has enough for everybody's need, but not enough for anybody's greed." Kids have the power to 'Save the Tiger'-- this was the promise made by every child who returned after having watched the play.

ORIENTATION PROGRAMME – X & XII

R. N. Podar’s ‘Security Commandos’, that’s what we are. A group of alert, responsible, dedicated youth who have taken a pledge ‘to be vigilant in times of crisis and in peace and to respect the ideals enshrined in our Constitution’. As a part of our training programme we were taken to Chatrapati Shivaji Airport on 16th December 2008 in order to understand the security system at the airport.
 On entering the airport terminal we met our instructor a CISF officer who apprised us about the various types of security checks that domestic and international passengers have to undergo. We were also shown the different types of metal detectors viz. HHMD that is a Hand-Held Metal Detector and DFMD which is a Door Framed Metal Detector. He enlightened us about the functioning of metal detectors, their mechanism for detecting metals and the kind of signal emitted when a heavy metal is detected. We were told that the weight of the metal has to exceed 10 grams for it to be detected by metal detectors. Subsequently we were shown x-ray machines which are used to check the hand luggage of passengers. We learnt that as per rules, passengers cannot carry sharp metallic objects like nail cutters, knives etc, or dense fluid items.
The hour long training session proved to be an unforgettable learning experience.

BROWNIES INC.
                       By Nitisha Pande & Tejashree Panth (XI C)       

As commerce students we are always eager to take any opportunity that exposes us to the reality of the corporate sector today. When we heard about the JA Company Programme, we were completely thrilled and jumped at the chance of starting our own company. After many sessions of brain-storming, we finally hit upon the idea of selling gooey chocolate brownies to our fellow students. Six months into the programme, our organization Brownie Inc is going from strength to strength and making profits. As for our business model, some of the students baked brownies as prototypes to check the demand and market appeal. Trays full of brownies are sold during recess and they sell quite literally like ‘hot cakes’. After general consensus in the Board Meeting, we have decided to diversify and have recently launched our carrot cakes – by the brand name ‘Goldie Blocks’.
We thank Mr. Ramesh Murthy from the JA team who guided us in forming ‘Brownies Inc.’ His invaluable assistance has helped us transform a tiny venture into such a huge success. Our initial amateur steps have become giant strides and we have turned from mere students to quintessential student entrepreneurs.  The Career Programme has greatly helped us in understanding the importance of financial literacy, work readiness and ethics.
None of this could have happened without the constant support of our Principal and teachers.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS

“If you have the desire, determination and work hard, you can achieve anything in life.” Chris Evert
There are several examples of grit, courage and fortitude on the R. N. Podar campus. They believe in the age-old saying ‘success comes before work only in the dictionary’. So we have a successful cyber wiz and a budding writer whose novel has been published and is widely appreciated.

Techno geek from Class XI B, Shaswat Kishore has bagged a gold medal in the National Cyber Olympiad.

‘A STRANGE INSPIRATION’, this is the title of a collection of short stories and poems written and published by our very young and extremely talented writer and student editor, Apratim Mukherjee.  Congratulations! Keep up the good work.

ACTIVITIES GALORE

Friday Activity Days are weekly occasions for students to unleash their creative potential, be it in the form of ‘nutritious salad decorating/dressing, tattoo making, hair-raising hairdos, face painting, graffiti display,  mehendi designing…. our enthusiastic students do it all.
‘Best out of waste’ was an activity when creativity became channelized through reason and applied itself on ice-cream sticks, coke-cans and lids. The end products were fantastic pieces of design and innovation.

Axiom Workshop

‘Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember, involve me and I understand’, was confirmed by the workshop on ‘water rocket and hydraulic brake’ conducted by Axiom from 12th January to 19th January for 5th and 6th standard students.
Complicated mechanism melted down into simple and practical ways in the three day engineering workshop for kids.
Children were taught to make a water rocket and hydraulic bridge. A water rocket is a miniature rocket which runs on water because of water pressure. This was made out of simple substances like a bottle, a cork, etc. The rocket could actually fly for a short distance!
Students worked enthusiastically on the hydraulic bridge, a miniature model of the London Bridge which worked on the principle of water and air pressure.
The three day engineering workshop was followed by a short movie on reversible and irreversible change. Entertainment paved way for an electrifying session of quizzing. Needless to say, all the activities provided wholesome infotainment.

SPECIAL ASSEMBLIES

“Change lies in the hands of the youth”, this message echoed with renewed gusto, vivacity and enthusiasm in a carefully planned and well coordinated assembly conducted by students of VIII A. Young leaders gave a clarion call for change, be it in the field of sports, governance or career opportunities. The assembly ended with an ad clip ‘Jago Re’ exhorting every citizen to exercise his/her right to vote.
 
‘I can’ attitude was oozing out of every human soul present at Podar Hall after witnessing the inspiring special assembly presented by Class VI B students on 19th January. Their topic ‘Accepting Challenges’ was a motivation for everyone to realize his/her potential and forge ahead with confidence and determination.

SOCIAL EVENT

‘Life is more than a song; it is a concert.’ These words aptly describe the beautiful Saturday evening on January 24, 2009 when Podar lawns turned a riotous red and dashing black with beautiful girls and handsome boys of the tenth and twelfth standards. It was a social meet to recall the wondrous years spent in school and to celebrate the joy of being at the threshold of some of the most precious years of life. The hosts were eleventhers and of course the R.N.Podar fraternity. There was entertainment in abundance with attractive awards, a humorous skit, dance and song. The school extends its heartfelt prayers for its students that they go out into the world with the strength not only to survive but to remain beautiful human beings. ‘So dear students play all the sharps and flats in this concert of life with the strength, beauty, and confidence of the masters and it will be a masterpiece’.

ANNUAL ATHLETIC MEET 2008 – 09

Early morning 26th January 2009, Podar Ground bore a festive look as excited students of R. N.Podar gathered to celebrate Republic Day and also to participate in the annual sports meet. The school Principal Mrs. Avnita Bir hoisted the national tricolour as the Vice Principal, teachers and students stood in full patriotic fervour, truly committed citizens of the Republic of India.

The sports meet was declared open by Mrs. Bir who also administered the pledge of responsibility to students by reiterating the Fundamental Duties enshrined in the Indian Constitution.  As the school’s sprightly sprinters ran with the torch, they were cheered by lively onlookers. Physical Education is necessary for a healthy, happy and active life. This was the message conveyed by a perfectly synchronized aerobics display and tricoloured flower drill. Yoga for the mind, body and soul and Surya Namaskar, the complete exercise for a perfectly fit body, all this was evident in the lithe, agile postures of our little yogis. A lesson or two in self defence was given by karate enthusiasts of the school.
Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, and a vision.
These words of Muhammad Ali, the famous American Boxer rang true as the outstanding sports achievers of R. N. Podar were felicitated on the occasion. They are:

• Raghav Kumar (VII A) – Champion skater, gold medalist at the State level
• Bharat Negi (XI) – Brilliant opening batsman , who has played in the prestigious Satkar tournament and has been selected in  Mumbai’s under- 19 cricket  team.
• The five stars of the school football team, Anupam Agarwal (IX A), Karan Khanna (IX D), and Avijeet & Adarsh (VIII A) were honoured for having done their alma mater proud at the Nasik State Level Tournament.
• Amulya Nanda’s (I A) skating excellence received due honours as she is the proud recipient of two gold medals in the Samvedna Roller Skating Championship.

SCIENCE EXHIBITION

Regional level science exhibition held on 16th January, 2009 at Children Welfare Centre High School & Junior College was attended by students from 7th and 8th grades. Exhibits ranged from diverse topics such as energy, disaster management, food and technology, adult education, population education and aids awareness.

To quote Mark Twain, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them”.  At R.N. Podar School, we feel that it is never too early to expose children to a variety of literature and consequently, the pleasure of reading. ‘Moving Beyond Books’ was the theme of a well- researched presentation of supplementary readings prescribed to students of the eleventh standard. The literary bonanza held on January 31st, 2009 at St. Andrews auditorium focused on three novels ‘Brave New World’ by Aldous Huxley, ‘A Certain Ambiguity’ by Gaurav Suri and Hartosh Singh Bal and ‘Gently Falls the Bakula’ by Sudha Murthy.

Revealing creativity and maturity beyond their age the eleventhers showcased excerpts from the books in diverse ways ranging from acting, dancing, video presentations and animated discussions with the audience. ‘Brave New World’ depicted Aldous Huxley’s vision of a future world that mass produces and then socially conditions test tube babies. The well crafted sets constructed by young artists themselves lent an element of surreal reality to the stage. Links between Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ and developments in our recent past were discussed with the audience to understand the future path of our society.  ‘A Certain Ambiguity’ unearthed and questioned the age old established theories of Mathematics. The presentation revealed the connection of Mathematics with philosophical issues like Belief and Faith and Infinity and God. ‘Formation of numbers with dance’, exposed the graceful side of math. The intriguing discussion and debates that ensued in which parents, teachers and students participated with immense enthusiasm were proof of how mature our young adults have become.

‘Gently falls the Bakula' which is a poignant saga of a man and woman who decide to embark on the journey of life together, was portrayed with a deft interplay of shadow play and mime dance. The discussion and interviews with citizens revealed the extent to which topics such as feminism generate interest even in the twenty first century.

The evening ended with some eloquent words in praise of the school’s efforts and its teachers by the Chief Guest Ms. Neelam Kumar.