VOL: 012 OCT - NOV 2015
learning today to build a better tomorrow thefreethinkingschool.com
the month that was – september classroom highlights:the excitement that permiated the air, all month long was owing to the interesting discovery into “houses”. student's inquired into the different types of homes in their immediate environment. they can now differentiate between a kutcha house and a pucca house, by exporing the materials used to build these houses. they also gathered information pertaining to the parts of a house and more importantly that a house satisfies one of man’s most basic need for shelter, against the forces of nature. busy hands make for happy minds hence our little freethinkers worked at different group projects such as the making of a kuccha house and the building of their own apartment block. there were many occasions when geometry met architecture and both of them helped the children construct 3d homes, tents and stained glass windows. they have also been busy learning how to keep their houses clean by dusting, sweeping and swiping up messes as and when they occur. in order to reinforce classroom learning, we took them for a drive around the block .we stopped for an instant to view a contruction site where they were able to identify for themselves the materials used in the making of a pucca house. this visit helped them visualise and vocalise facts that led to enduring knowledge and memory consolidation.
flashback on the 4th of september we celebrated teacher’s day along with our children by watching the movie “frozen”. and since a movie experience is incomplete without snacks, we munched on popcorn and cookies which made for perfect accompaniments. hygiene awareness week was observed from 7th to 12th september. dr. sanjay kaul, a surgical orthodontist interacted with the kids to divulge the nitty gritties involed in oral hygiene, using the most simplest of terms. during the week meenal aunty also demonstrated activities involving personal hygiene. dad’s night: we believe that it's twice as good for the child when both parents are involved. hence, just like the mom’s night that was organized just a while ago, we also have an exclusive dad’s night too. it was wonderful to watch the dad’s beaming down in adoration and amazement, as their little ones showed them the ropes for a change. the children were so excited to have their dad’s undivided attention and capitalized on this opportunity to share with them all that they have learnt in school thus far. eid celebration: a special thanks goes out to the mother of zayan sheik (mrs. syeda) for sharing information with our children on how eid is celebrated; she so generously prepared and served sweet sevyian and even handed out “eidi” (chocolate lolipops) to all our kids on this special occasion. fast forward: in keeping with our enduring theme of the year, “needs of man”; our little freethinkers will be learning all about “food”- all this along with an educational field trip in the short month of october. above all else they will learn that their bodies need healthy and nurishing food to stay fit.
birthdays in october
s nithi
zayan sheik
s a adnan
kanishk agarwal
1st oct.
1st oct.
17th oct.
19th oct.
mark your calendars for october and november 2015: 2nd oct
gandhi jayanti (holiday)
10th oct
parent teacher meeting
12th oct
mahalaya amavasya (holiday)
15th - 27th oct
dussehra vacation
28th oct
school reopens
30th oct
field trip to vivanta by taj – m g road
(calling for parent volunteers to both transport our children to and from the venue as well as escort them as they explore the store room, kitchen and dining area of this 5 star facility) parent volunteers may kindly enter their names in the sign up sheet available at the front office. 2nd – 6th nov
reading awareness week
(we invite parents and grandparents of our freethinking kids to kindly volunteer to read our children a short story during the circle time. kindly enter your name in the sign up sheet available at the front office for the 2nd and 3rd of nov) 9th nov
deepavali celebration (working day)
10th – 12th nov
deepavali vacation
13th nov
children’s day celebration (working day)
27th nov
family day
parent resource 9 tips for teaching kids responsibility expert advice for raising responsible children. alonna friedman, contributor your cousin has a one-year-old that puts her bottle in the sink when she finishes the milk, no reminders needed. where did all of these wonder children come from? "ingraining responsibility in children is not a trick, but is simply teaching them life skills," says karen ruskin, psy.d., author of "the 9 key techniques for raising respectful children who make responsible choices." "kids who do not have responsibilities feel entitled and think the world will always do for them." and responsibility isn't just completing a task. "it's also about an attitude, the idea of taking action and being proud of doing it, not just always having your mom and dad do it for you," says alex barzvi, ph.d., co-host of the talk show "about our kids" on sirius doctor radio. we asked our experts for easy ways to incorporate responsibility into your child's life. 1. start young you can't suddenly spring responsibility on a teenager and expect he will know how to follow through. imagine your high school daughter calling you at work with the complaint: "mom i'm hungry. when are you coming home?" you say: make a sandwich! she replies: "i'll just wait for you." handing out responsibility to kids needs to start early. think: toddler. 2. let them help you don't grumble and mope when it's time to do housework. smile and invite your son to help (even if he makes the job take longer). it's team work, precious time with your child and a lesson that will one day send him off into the world with the ability to sort lights and darks! "when your child is invited to participate, he feels valued," says dr. ruskin. "he will take these good feelings and learn to take ownership of his home and feel pride in maintaining it."
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3. show kids the way play to a child's skill level, suggest both experts. first, you can demonstrate how to complete small tasks. if your son wants a snack, show him where the apples are. does your daughter always throw her dirty clothes on the floor? place a hamper in her room and show her where the day-old jeans belong. make responsibilities age-appropriate and even use the word "responsibility," says dr. barzvi, when informing your son about the tasks you expect him to complete on his own. it sounds grown-up and important! 4. model responsibility and talk about it. banish a tableful of dirty breakfast dishes with the line: "now we put our plate in the sink," as the meal ends. use the same inclusive "we" phrases over and over to show how you can easily solve problems. ask other family members and your nanny to follow suit. you'll be surprised how quickly these actions become a habit for kids. 5. praise them kids love to help. they want to help. to them, chores don't feel like work. keep up positive vibes by offering specific praises for actions. children will develop a sense of ownership for any repeated action. and this constant communication helps them take initiative in other situations, says dr. barzvi, such as at school or on a play date. 6. manage your expectations when you ask a five-year-old to make her bed, it may still be lopsided. don't criticize. recognize a job well done. the next time you make your own bed, show her how you do it. 7. avoid rewards at least at first. there's a time and place for rewards and allowances, but both experts agree that being responsible isn't it. don't assume a reward system has to be in place for your child to learn responsibility. while a reward chart can be effective for some kids, others respond just as well to praise, spending time with you and feeling the boost in their self-confidence. save rewards for tasks that go above and beyond what you expect to be your child's normal household responsibilities.
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8. provide structure and routine kids thrive on order. instead of offering rewards to get them to meet responsibilities, set up a morning routine with a positive end result. your son must brush his teeth, eat breakfast and get dressed before watching tv. (notice tv is not being offered as a reward - it's just the result of finishing the routine.) and he should be able to complete the routine in any order that works for him. a younger child may not fully realize these tasks are his responsibilities, but allowing him to create a healthy structure will give him the tools to one day develop strategies for getting homework done without you nagging (too much!), suggests ruskin. 9. teach consequences learning to take care of his things also helps a child develop a sense of responsibility for his actions. the more you enforce the rules, the more likely he is to clean up without being asked -- or at least without whining about it too much. "it is ultimately your child's choice to not put a toy away," says dr. barzvi. "parents are afraid to let kids suffer, be sad or angry, but if we always solve children's problems, they will not learn to be responsible as they grow up." if your daughter has to pack her bag for school each day and forgets her basketball sneakers, then she won't get to practice that afternoon. as much as you want to bring her sneakers to her, don't! hopefully she'll be more cognizant of remembering her responsibilities next time. teaching kids about responsibility isn't easy -- but what part of parenting is? it can take years and lots of practice. but if you follow these tips, you stand a better chance of raising a responsible child who then grows into a responsible adult. alonna friedman is a freelance writer and mother of two. she lives in the new york city suburbs and writes for national magazines.
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