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2 YAGNA | Sep 2020

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4 YAGNA | Sep 2020

Editor In Chief HARITHA SARANGAN

Sub Editors AYSHA SIDDIKA FEROZE

ROHINI NETHAJI

Student EditorSHRUTHIKAA.V

Student Sub EditorKRITHIKA.M / SIVA BHAGYA.S.E

Following COVID-19 lockdown, all food groups witnessed spurt in

prices compared to 2019.

Food habits during coronavirus (Covid-19) may have shifted from diverse and nutritive

diets to staple foods such as wheat and rice as the prices of vegetables, pulses

and eggs rose sharply after the lockdown while those of cereals remained relatively

stable, according to a new study by the Tata-Cornell Institute for agriculture and

Nutrition in New York.

Successful endeavour: Space X lands in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola,

Florida after 64 days in space.2 Astronauts splash down off Florida, Elon

Musk rushes to Houston to greet them

NOSTRADAMUS TIMES

SEPTEMBER • Term 1 break

OCTOBER

• Cumulative Assessment

• Virtual PTC

• STEAM Session

• Student Driven Class

GOVT. FUND WILL CATALYSE INVESTMENT IN

INFRASTRUCTURE, SAYS EXPENDITURE SECY

SOMANATHAN

HIGH PRICES OF PULSES MAY AFFECT NUTRITION SECURITY SAYS STUDY

SPACEX CAPSULE WITH NASA CREW SAFELY HOME

GLOBAL CONNECT

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CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-ACADEMICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Q’S PARLIAMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

COUNSELLOR’S INSTINCT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

HARAPPAN SCRIPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

CONNOISSEUR’S EXHORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

QUASAR KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

TRAILBLAZER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

SIXTH SENSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

AMAZING FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

BFIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

PATH THE NAVIGATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

FRESH THOUGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

TRAVELOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

GAITIES & CELEBRITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

LEARNER’S COLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

AGARAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CONNEXIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

CAREER CHOICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

JUNIOR JOURNALIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

6 YAGNA | Sep 2020

THE EDITOR

Haritha.S Editor in Chief

Dear Readers,

“Every experience makes you strong.” Yes, I am speaking about the Covid 19 pandemic which has and continues providing us with new learning every day. There is a concept called VUCA (Volatile Uncertain Complex and Ambiguous) used in Corporates and at B-Schools. If we were to view Covid 19 through this prism, we will realize that it was a perfect descriptor for VUCA.

Initially, during the outbreak we were in the mode of disbelief, shock and denial. Nobody was sure of what to do next. China, the country of origin was not forthcoming with any scientific history on how to handle this pandemic. Eventually it was the Italians who came up with credible and scientific evidence of how to handle the pandemic and treat patients. There were confusing and contradictory reports/advises coming from medical experts (many of them self-acclaimed) and more importantly, from the curse of our times, Whatsapp University. Ultimately, we started grappling with it and as understanding levels improved, we started to manage and have started toying with ideas of co-habitation and reconciling to live with COVID. Yes co-habitation, is a reality we may have to concede to.

The government has started unlock exercise in a phased manner to provide leverage to facilitate economic recovery and mobility which is an integral part of that. Let us, however, exercise care and restraint through self-discipline and

by being responsible in every act. Let’s progress through planning and adjusting ourselves to this new mode of living with a positive thinking and outlook. Let us remember the cardinal rules of wearing a mask, maintaining Social Distance and Personal Hygiene in terms of washing hands frequently and properly.

Let us act smart, schedule our time wisely to ensure our physical and mental well-being. Let us have fun, creatively and connect socially and bust stress! This pandemic has thrust many changes upon us. Many first times in aspects like shifting from physical classrooms to completely online mode. Technology is here to be, technology-based learning is the future landscape. This may look like pulling a page out of the script, right out of the classic movie Star Wars, shot in 1977, 43 years ago and a sci-fi movie where they had imagined the future of technology from video conferencing to being tele-ported from one place to another. What we felt as impossible is now impossible. IT companies are re-imagining virtual offices without having the need to gather people. If this was the outcome of a pandemic, it has had a positive impact too I should say. Yes, obviously we have learnt to live in full lock down, lock down with less relaxations and lock down with more relaxations and finally started our survival with COVID.

So my dear strong readers! I take this opportunity to thank my Student Editors, Sub Editors, Column in-charges who have given their support to make this edition possible. My sincere thanks to Odd Dimension Advertising, our designing partner who had made this Yagna possible despite during this pandemic

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Greetings!

We’re the student editors here. We believe that Yagna is a salient element of QMIS that helps strengthening the affinity between teachers, students, non-faculties with QMIS. Reading few pages of this magazine has the power to build a realm of confidence and will power and plasters a mirthful smile on the readers. We, The Editorial Board, would like to augment this magazine by sprinkling ingenious ideas to keep you more engrossed and help break the ice.

Presently, the heated topic of the globe is the pandemic that has resulted in an exceptionally large lockdown that has created intense effects that were improbable and unimaginable until a year ago. This had heavily impacted our lives but we’ve pulled ourselves together. We’re all hoping for the silver lining to appear soon on the clouds! In the beginning we thought of this as a happy conclusion, but later realized the dire straits.

COVID 19 struck us without warning and dropped us to uncertainity.This vicious cycle of problems had added up the difficulty of functioning of educational institutions. This has made us discern the significance and magnitude of education. We got introduced to the New Normal Mode of online learning. This is a lot different and arduous than what we’ve been used to. Moreover, the students

require a respite or break frequently to keep up the earnestness. Almost all the activities within and beyond our limits of imagination have made their way into this virtual world. Subject-oriented classes ,Physical education, MUNs ,Webinars, Training programs ,Tuitions, ECA, CCA and what more! This COVID pandemic has triggered the young techies of the Generation-Z. Doing away with negativity and inhaling positivity is the mantra of the hour.

QMIS has trained its students with the traits to act right in such situations and make their day productive. Students can start catching up with a lot of engaging activities like playing a board game, trying a fitness challenge, learning a new language. Some new hobbies can make their day fruitful. It can be in different extents such as cooking or reading a book or even washing the car. But this helps the students look out of their screens and get to know how this pandemic has a better side of itself.

Albeit the hindrances we’d faced, we’ve learnt to adapt to the circumstances. Hence, we’ve learnt to bite the bullet and practice carpe diem in this storm. After each heavy storm comes a beautiful rainbow. Let’s all pray for the world to heal soon!

Happy reading!

THE STUDENT EDITORS

Siva Bhagya.S.EGrade XI

Shruthikaa.V Grade XI

Krithika. MGrade XI

8 YAGNA | Sep 2020

MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR ACADEMICS

bjh£lid¤ öW« kz‰nf khªj®¡F

f‰wid¤ öW« m¿î. (FwŸ: 396)

Dear Readers,

Anything that doesn’t adapt to change certainly would rust, be it iron or a brain.

True to the words of Great Thiruvalluvar, the greatness of the mind is proportionate to that of the learning and this learning is an endless process i.e., lifelong processes. The doors for learning are never to be closed and one should have the passion to learn throughout a lifetime. The spirit of learning was reemphasized now more than ever during this pandemic. Everyone had to learn something new for their survival, learning the way to fight the disease, learning the way to live during this lockdown, learning the way to work.

QMIS which has one of its missions as “Anywhere anytime learning environment”, has rightly pitched that the process of learning is not bound by time or space. School has learnt its new way to reach its learners during this lockdown and devised the new normal way of learning. Every teacher, student and parent had to learn to adapt to this new normal learning. New tools been learnt and new technology was in place to make the transition as smooth as it could be. The ultimate learning for our children that we can take now is how to survive this pandemic. How to handle emotional, psychological and financial challenges during this pandemic will be a huge lesson for our children that even great universities can’t teach.

The virtual learning platform of QMIS has become a huge success only because of the swift learning and adaptation of all its stake holders especially our teachers, who had put themselves into a constant learning phase, introducing newer tools to make learning more interesting. Despite their challenges in managing personal and family situations at this moment, their commitment and fierce determination are critical to get our school prepared to cope with this situation.

Health and well-being, financial stability, and job security are top concerns for all employees around the globe right now. QMIS, strongly believes that, in these uncertain times, how we treat our employees will be remembered for years to come and will have a lasting impact on employee behaviour including, engagement, productivity and loyalty which is expressed as a continued compassion towards our students well-being.

We had formulated a crisis team to act swiftly during this period . It includes the members of the Senior Leadership Team and the heads of various departments to be in 24X 7 action mode and respond to any emergency to fight the pandemic and to lead a safe and healthy life.

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With warm wishes

Sujatha Guptan

Crisis Team and SLT works together to generate a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the entire school and to ensure the safety to every stake holder. Along with SOP, responsible behaviour is what is expected from every individual. We have to rise up to the situation in terms of practicing intensive self care by being aware of safety procedures and adhering to it even if no one supervises them and taking care of their health by resorting to healthy life style practices. As promised, QMIS has started effective execution of its everyday fitness program -BFIT to bring in sports and fitness as a culture of the school.

Emotional well being of children are given due importance and accordingly, a circle time with the tag as Jolly time / No Teaching day is planned. This session acts as an exclusive virtual water cooler for the children to have healthy talks other than academics. To beat the pandemic and to de-stress all its stake holders various sessions are in progress. The regular execution of Talent night, BFIT challenge Seasons 1 & 2, Path sessions, Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences for Grades 9 to 12, Einstein+ sessions, CCA activities (Performance arts and Martial arts), STEAM sessions and Student Driven classes, Intra grade competitions guaranteess one that QMIS always looks for ways to deliver Holistic education to its children.

I am proud and grateful to share that QMIS being a CIS member school has already aligned with all available global precautionary standards with appropriate teams. Thus it is only a little bit of extra effort for us to work en route for modified operations during this global challenge.

Hope and pray the Almighty that the grandeur, joy and the happiness of QMIS recent 10 years celebration will linger in the years to come. Let the dawn to the entire world be set soon Marching towards a sustainable world.

MESSAGE FROM Q’S PARLIAMENT VICE PRESIDENT

“Believing in yourself is the first secret to success. This is Alvina Philomin here and it’s a great honour for me to express my notions as the Vice President. The trust attributed upon me by the President and the officials raised me and today I concur in as the Vice President. When we don’t get what we desire, we fall and we let go our aspirations. But friends,Trust! I failed to embark as the Prime Minister which bothered me But I believed in the rhythm of life and the trust I had never faded. That moment is bliss when success knocks your door. To be a true leader, one must forge more leaders rather than followers. I commit to create more leaders by guiding under the doctrine of great leaders. It would be my greatest pleasure to march forward for the fortune and prosperity of our school. I plan on being sensible to all my fellow friends who come with concerns, questions and issues. I will do my best to voice your concerns and needs. I will truly dedicate myself to be your voice but to do that I need you to liaise.I will leave no stone unturned to bring glory and laurels to the school. I would propitiously join hands with the management for the silver linings to appear on the clouds. No captain has succeeded without great team work. So I appeal to all of you my friends that we will achieve goals through united effort, working hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder and not one of you will be left behind.The habit of persistence is the custom of victory. Let’s fly high together.”

S. Alvina PhilominVice PresidentQ’s Parliament

10 YAGNA | Sep 2020

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12 YAGNA | Sep 2020

QMIS takes utmost care in the well being of the children. Having the present scenario in mind we from the student side had interviewed the psychologist Dr.Aparna. In this column we are sharing the valuable advices and information that we heard from her to you readers to benefit all of us

Arshiya: What measures can be taken, so that the children can attend classes regularly and more enthusiastically?

Dr. Aparna: It depends from child to child. It depends on the gender or the mood of the child. But one main thing is to never force a child to attend classes. Ask the child why he/she is not taking part in the class. Talk to the child. Do things which he/she likes and boost them. Keep them energetic. We can’t possibly change their mindset with ease. Parents should also understand that it is not a normal situation for the kids . So they would definitely miss the little things at school. This might be a reason why a few students don’t attend classes. All these scenarios are very common in children. So never force the child. Surely within a short period of time these kids would adapt to the new normal mode of learning.

Arshiya: What about the teenagers’ ma’am? We are already distracted by social media and gadgets. How can we manage our studies at the same time? Can you suggest some ways to overcome our distractions?

Dr. Aparna: It’s very common and it’s definitely not surprising as we all are at home due to the lockdown. We should always understand that the children are not at school, although the online classes are going on, home is always home. And distraction is very common to begin with. The only way to overcome distraction is that the children themselves should learn to have self control. For instance, the child can lock himself or herself inside a room which is gadget-free and can concentrate fully on his/her studies. And then after half an hour or 45 minutes later they can come out, have a check on his/her gadgets, have a little chat with their parents or their grandparents, and can even have a walk inside their home.

The parents shouldn’t pester their children and the students themselves can’t have a mindset like “ OMG! This is a very good time. I should be with my books 24*7 and fully concentrate on my studies.” This is impossible! Try to understand the situation and be realistic. I can totally understand the students’ situation. Just tell them to maintain a Proper Schedule for the day. This would surely workout.

Arshiya: Is our school timing for online classes appropriate ma’am? Or should they be altered?

Dr. Aparna: Your school timings are just perfect. And it is the most apt timing.The schools have been instructed by the government and the UN to follow a proper timing and your school is definitely following that. The students should have proper screen timing during the day. You all are already spending 4 hours in front of the screen for the class and you would surely use your gadgets for another 2 hours for your personal recreation. So a total of

6 hours in front of the screen is definitely

not advisable. You would

feel that it is not a big m at t e r, b u t w h e n y o u s t a r e at the

s c r e e n

COUNSELLOR’S INSTINCT

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completely for a longer period you will lose the moisture in the eye and soon you would find difficulty in blinking your eyes. This would also lead to various other health issues (Migraine and Stress Migraine).It is always advisable to close and rest your eyes for 20minutes after completing your sessions and your classes, because it gives some moisture to the eye. You shouldn’t think about the productivity of this time. Health comes first!

Arshiya: When the lockdown gets over and when schools reopen, do you think that our parents would allow us to attend the school ma’am? How can our safety be assured?

Dr. Aparna: The parents become overprotective and it is not that they are not allowing their kids! We could convince the parents and inform them about the safety measures taken by the schools. Before the schools reopen check the sanitation, ensure having hand sanitizers and hand wash everywhere, encourage the children to maintain social distancing and make them understand the situation. So when everything is perfect at school the parents would be convinced. If the parents seem to be emotional, try talking to them emotionally and give them an assurance that their children are extremely safe at schools. Invite the parents to have a tour in the school and they themselves would be convinced.

Arshiya: When the schools reopen do you think that the students would follow and maintain social distancing? If they don’t follow what can be done?

Dr. Aparna: Social Distancing is the most important thing and it should be followed very

effectively. There is no other go! We should try to make the students understand the seriousness of this pandemic. Rather than the teachers, coordinators or the management telling the students, you can have student monitors. As you very well know the students get along with their peers more easily compared to others. So assigning student monitors would serve the purpose. And the main measure is Self Discipline. So when everyone disciplines themselves and understands the situation, the better it is!

Arshiya: During this lockdown, the teenagers are around only the four walls and due to this they tend to become more violent and aggressive. What measures could be taken for this ma’am?!

Dr. Aparna: First we should find the source which tempts them to get angry and violent. It can be either from the movies or the games they are engaged with. So once after you find the root cause from where it originates try your best to keep your kids away from it. Make them do things that are productive. For instance, tell them to explore gardening, or listen to songs they like, or insist them to talk to their parents and

their friends. This would surely help them calm down. One thing I personally follow when I’m angry is that I take a piece of paper, scribble on it and then throw it away myself. So I feel as if the anger has been thrown away and it’s time for me to calm down!

Arshiya: What can be done in order to get a complete attendance in the BFIT sessions?

Dr. Aparna: It starts from home. It starts from the parents. The parents should talk to the child and make him/her feel that it is a normal class. They should emphasize on the fact that this is the regular class for the next 3 months. They can wake their child on time and insist them to attend the classes, have a regular check on them, give them some recreation period and check if they do their homework regularly. So when the parents do all this, the students would definitely get the feel of a regular classroom scenario and they would be prompt in attending the BFIT sessions.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Anita Rajesh

Student Incharge: Arshiya Haramain.F

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Teacher Incharge: Ms.Anita Thiliban & Ms.Gomathi

Student Incharge: Keerthna.MP

16 YAGNA | Sep 2020

Everyone has pride to say that we are Indians. However, only few get the privileged opportunity to serve the Nation. This time myself, Sivabagya and Ms.Praveena had the privilege to interview an army officer Lt.Col. M.Alaguraju. It gave us a different perspective about our real heroes who fight for the nation leaving behind their families. Through this column I would like to share the experience we gained while interacting with this army officer.

Siva Bhagya: Good Afternoon sir! This is Siva Bhagya of Grade XI. It is indeed a pleasure talking to you today.

Mr.Azhaguraju: Hello Siva Bhagya. It is nice talking to you too.

Siva Bhagya: Sir, why did you choose to become an army officer? Is there a particular incident or a specific person who inspired you to become whom you are today?

Mr.Azhaguraju: During my childhood when I was like you, I craved to become an army officer. I always had an urge to serve the nation and hence I chose to be a part of the Indian Army.

Siva Bhagya: Can u share one of your proudest moment in your life?

Mr.Azhaguraju: The day I was commissioned as an Army Officer was the proudest moment and it was also the happiest day in my life. It is indeed the finest day in the lives of all army officers. Each and every day is a good day in the army…I am proud to be an army man!

Siva Bhagya: Truly inspiring! Sir, which was the most risky situation that you had faced?

Mr.Azhaguraju: The life of an army man is always filled with a lot of risks. We are prepared to face all kinds of situations. Our only aim is to guard our nation!

Siva Bhagya: Can you tell us about your strength and weakness sir?

Mr.Azhaguraju: I consider my

CONNOISSEUR’S EXHORTATION

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short temper as my weakness. I lose my temper when my boys do not complete their work on time. Co-operation with the team and sharing my thoughts about strategies of wars is my strength.

Siva Bhagya: Sir, have you ever regretted to be a part of the army?

Mr.Azhaguraju: No! I have never regretted to be a part of the army. It’s my profession and I am also proud of it. But I do miss being away from my family sometimes. Having come from an army family, my wife and kids always co-operate with me. We are supposed to save the nation. Serving the nation is my first and foremost priority and serving my family is my second duty.

Siva Bhagya: Staying away from your family, how do you balance your emotions sir? And what do you do during your spare time at boot camp?

Mr.Azhaguraju: (laughs) It’s one of the trickiest question indeed. Being an army man I have always learnt to balance my family and service. During our spare time in the boot camp we talk to our family members, read books on Wars and Military services. That’s how we spend our free time and time passes very quickly.

Siva Bhagya: Sir, have you ever felt that the sacrifices of the freedom fighters and army men are not valued by the younger generation?

Mr.Azhaguraju: Yes! I have felt that many times. The younger generation fails to realize the sacrifices of the army. They just have an overview about it but they never take efforts understand our noble profession completely. They blindly think that only cricketers and film stars are heroes. They don’t understand the difference between the REEL and REAL life. They are widely influenced by social media. Parents are also responsible for the opinion prevailing among kids. During my childhood, my parents encouraged and guided me to serve the nation. In the same way if all parents motivate their children to join the Defense Service, definitely students would change their mentalities.

Siva Bhagya: Last but not the least, what is your advice to the younger generation of the contemporary world? What kind of attitude should they have about serving the nation?

Mr.Azhaguraju: I would request the younger generation to work hard and stay focused. I would also advise them to have an ambitious life. Only if you

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Praveena Rajan

Student Incharge: Siva Bhagya.S.E

aim big you can achieve big. There is absolutely no point of working hard when you don’t have a goal. WORK HARD! WORK HARD! That is my mantra and I suggest everyone to follow it.

Siva Bhagya: And that brings us to the end of our session. Once again thank you so much for spending your valuable time with us sir. Our students will surely be inspired by your words.

Mr.Azhaguraju: You’re welcome.

18 YAGNA | Sep 2020

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED“The Best Part of Learning is Sharing What You Know”

STUDENT DRIVEN CLASSROOMA student-centered classroom, or student-centered learning environment, is where the focus of instruction is shifted from the teacher to the student, with the ultimate goal of developing students who are autonomous and independent, by placing the responsibility of learning in the hands of the students themselves. Many proponents of student-centered learning would argue that it’s one of the most effective ways to help students develop the skills required for independent problem-solving and lifelong learning.

In the more traditional “teacher-centered learning” environment, the teacher is the center of the learning experience and takes the “Active” role of teaching, while the students assume a more “Passive” or receptive role. In contrast, in the student-centered learning environment, the interests of the students grab the focus of the stage and the teacher gives students choice and voice, finding ways to provide learning experiences that focus on what the student values are. In the student-centered classroom, students take active roles in experiencing the joy of learning.

QMIS has brought the “Student Driven Classroom” into practice, virtually for Graders VI to VIII. In a student-centered classroom, the students speak, the teacher listens, interjects and facilitates conversation when needed, and then thanks the students for their participation. By involving students directly in the education process, and by enabling them to interact with one another, students begin to feel a sense of community. More importantly they are shown that what they feel, what they value, and what they think are the ones which matter the most. In the student-centered classroom, the teacher acts not only as an educator, but also a facilitator and activator.

STEAM EDUCATIONThe STEAM-based program takes an integrated approach to learning and teaching, which requires an intentional connection between curriculum learning objectives, standards, assessments and lesson design/implementation. STEAM learning applies meaningful Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths content to solve the real-world problems through hands-on learning activities and creating prototypes. Schools are starting STEAM-based learning programs to equip students with the skills and knowledge which are required to survive in the 21st century. STEAM learning not only produces tomorrow’s designers and engineers; it develops innovative minds and their ability to solve complex problems.

Benefits of STEAM learningStudents who participate in STEAM learning: • Think out of the box• Feel safe to express innovative and creative ideas• Take ownership over their learning• Work collaboratively with others• Understand how Science, Math, Arts and

Technology work together• Become more curious about the world around

them and feel empowered to change it for betterment.

QMIS has successfully incorporated STEAM learning into our virtual platform for Graders III to VI. Children enjoyed preparing their own prototype creatively. Specific timings are allocated for working on projects, so that as new concepts are learned they can be applied and built upon. Students began using their knowledge and skills from various subjects to back up their work and have deeper understanding and to recall concepts when it reminds them about the related activities to it.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Archana Satish Student Incharge: Harish Narasimhan.K

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QUASAR KIDSThe COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on the order and routine of a child’s life, as they are no longer allowed to touch and explore things, run around, talk and play with their friends. This unfortunate situation has threatened the sensory and social skills development in children. What can be as soothing as art and play to a child? The activities planned by the Department of Kindergarten aim to use art and play in safe premises both as an educational tool and a psychological therapy to engage, entertain and educate our children.

E RAMP WITH HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Dress up is an incredibly fun activity for little kids; it’s also a very important one, helping them build up their vocabulary skills as well as their confidence. When children play dress up, they root their imaginative stories in reality for a short while, giving them a chance to explore it more deeply. The children of PKG and KG1 were given an opportunity to do an E-ramp walk on 24.7.2020 with household items. The children were also attuned to the idea of recycling and upcycling simple products available at home.

CRUSH AND COLLAGE Collages fuel creativity and imagination. The students of KG2 were engaged in a Crush and Collage Art on 24.7.2020.When creating a collage, children develop their Fine Motor Skills, as the effective working of the tiny muscles in their fingers and hands that are needed for important tasks like learning the art writing. Picking up small objects such as sequins/pom poms/pipe cleaner, squeezing the glue and organizing the materials on the paper - all develop fine motor skills. Making collages (and playing with

collage materials) can be a wonderful sensory experience for a lot of children, with the bright colours, sparkles and different textures.

SOAP MAKING WORKSHOPWhen we say learning to be a continuous process, lockdown can never be a barrier for our brain feeds. The KG department arranged an activity for the children through WebEx to learn the process of making natural handmade soaps. Children, parents and teachers joined together and enjoyed the activity in the New Normal Mode. Ms Uma (parent of Harsith-KG2) explained the process of preparing a homemade herbal soap and the benefits of using homemade soaps. At the end of this activity, children and parents made their own soaps of various shapes, colours and scents. From this activity, children received a healthy dose of Science, Math and Fine Motor Learning by means of measuring, mixing, pouring and creating their own soap recipes. Children were educated on the need to wash their hands with soap to protect themselves from germs.

Teacher Incharges: Ms.Sahaya Lizerence / Ms.Lakshmi Isvarya

Student Incharge: Adhav .S - Gr IX

20 YAGNA | Sep 2020

TRAILBLAZER

CRUNCHY BRUNCH & SLURPY SQUASH

“Your diet is a bank account Good food choices are good investments” - Bethanny FrankelHealth requires healthy food, good nutrition and a balanced diet. A balanced diet help kids to grow up and stay healthy. Keeping this thought in mind during this pandemic situation the Grades I and II wing of QMIS organized a “Jolly time activity” for the kiddiwinks through the new normal learning class rooms.Children were awaiting with all the ingredients enthusiastically to start the cooking class.As the teacher shared the recipe the young chef followed the same seeking the support of their parents and finally the crunchy brunch was ready. The teacher then shared recipe to make slurpy squash using lemon, salt, sugar and mint leaves. In a minute the lemonade was ready.Finally the most anticipated moment of devouring the scrumptious dishes arrived. The kiddiwinks shared their dishes with their parents and siblings and relished the same. Teachers also shared the benefits of the ingredients used by them.

BRUSH AND BLUSH ACTIVITY “Children learn from anything and everything they see. They learn wherever they are, not just in special learning places.” QMIS organized for a Brush and Blush tooth care activity for the students of Grades I and II. Dr. Sujatha Arasu, B.D.M.S., MA, PGDFC.,(PhD), graciously accepted the request to conduct a virtual session on tooth care, for kids. The doctor explained the tooth structure with a model, and how the teeth are embedded in the gums, and about the necessity of gum care. She explained about ailments that may arise, namely tooth cavity, where and how it occurs. The guest speaker listed the food items that would help us guard our teeth. She insisted that the parents should advise the kids not to chew on the bristles of the brush for long. It was a very successful and much needed session for the kids and their parents.

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BITE AND BURP FACTORY VISIT

“Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production.” - Adam SmithLearning outside the confines of classrooms has its own charm. Keeping this thought in mind and to instill the value of responsible consumption and production, Grade 1 cherubs were taken on a virtual tour to a food production industry.The session commenced virtually by entering in to the factory. The students were able to witness the production of pastries, sweets and also the ingredients used and processes like kneading, mixing, shaping the dough, baking were clearly explained by Mr.Ebenezer to the children. The children also learnt the value of food products and learnt about the hardships of labours behind the production of each and every food product. The trip helped the students to develop their logical, linguistic as well as inter and intra-personal skills.Field trips help students to broaden their educational experience, expose them to outer world and help them to gain deeper knowledge, ability to observe and also make them more tolerant.

FARM FRENZY

Even though everyone was confined to their home during this COVID-19 pandemic, QMIS organized a “Virtual Tour to a Farm”, so that children are engaged in an interesting virtual outing. The trip was organized for the students of Grade 2. They were very happy and excited about the virtual tour and made their virtual presence on-time. The session started with a thirukkural that states the importance of farmers and their place in the society. The students were eagerly waiting for Ms. Fatima & Ms. Aruna to get connected and show the vast expanse of the

fields and the environment around. The students viewed the scenes with awe and commented on the scenery. They were shown a lot of paddy fields, where the crops were planted in a proper manner. They came to know that the crops had to grow for three more months to be fully grown and harvested. They were also shown bean crops which were in the process of their growth. The children were intrigued and asked many questions, which energized the kids to be interactive in the session, leading to a great success of the activity.

JOLLY TIME (NO TEACHING HOUR)

Due to the COVID-19 situation all our lives have turned topsy-turvy. In order to engage the kiddiewinks, QMIS organised the NNL Classrooms and the kids got beautifully adapted to it. Only academics will not serve the purpose of holistic development. So Jolly Time activities are conducted in which kids get to learn and also enjoy by performing the activities. Flameless Cooking, Creating Natural Scenery using shapes and Guess the Word were some of the successfully executed activities. Through all these activities, teachers were able to mould the body, soul and mind of the little kiddos.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Aruna Rajkumar Student Incharge: Chandrini .C.K

22 YAGNA | Sep 2020

SIXTH SENSE

My Selfie, My Self

Caring about your self-image isn’t always a bad thing. It becomes a problem only when we take it too seriously. Self-image is important to us. We care a lot about what other people think about us. That’s why we dress and act in certain ways. We feel self-conscious when we think people perceive us differently from how we want to be seen.

Affirmation, Please

If a Facebook or Instagram post doesn’t receive enough likes within a few minutes, we feel worried. Too much as more time passes, and finally we decide to delete it. Why? Because the number of likes and comments we get plays into how we feel about ourselves. It also demonstrates how we naturally seek affirmation from others. We want people to notice us, appreciate us, and to think that our post is meaningful. It feels good when people recognize us by commenting on our

posts. When we don’t get a response, we assume something must be wrong with the post—which means something is “wrong” with us. So we selectively choose what we post in order to maintain our self-image and also to receive the maximum amount of affirmation.

A Bad Case of FOMO

Life isn’t as simple as we present it on social media. There’s a lot that goes on between one awesome photo of you with your friends. People only post the “coolest” or the most exciting parts of their lives, and this leads to FOMO: the Fear Of Missing Out. We see how much fun other people are having, so we have to post a better picture to demonstrate that we are doing exciting things, too. What we’re really doing is comparing our entire lives to someone else’s “best of ” reel, and it’s making us dissatisfied. The likes on our posts make us feel like what we are doing is worth our time, and that we’re not missing out on something better happening elsewhere.

What Does Your Selfie Say About You?Social media is fun. It’s a great way to keep in touch with our friends and family, and it has become an integral part of our culture. We keep checking our Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram as a part of our daily (or hourly) routine. These aren’t bad things, but it’s always good to step back sometimes and ask “Why?” The answer might reveal a lot about who we are

and help us understand ourselves better.

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Teacher Incharge: Ms.Christinal Shanthi

Student Incharge: Rehma.MA

Finding the Source of Your Selfie

Social media is all about sharing ourselves with our friends and followers. The problem is that our social media accounts can never contain the full picture of who we are. We edit ourselves in our offline lives.

We will never find contentment and peace if we are constantly searching for human affirmation alone. Our culture calls us to act and present ourselves in certain ways. But selfies and social media are things that will just pass by.

Don’t let your post on social media define what you are. Don’t worry about the number of likes and comments you receive. It’s okay to share the status of your life, but share it thoughtfully and wisely.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Selvi BalasubramanianStudent Incharge: Saumiya Varalakshmi

AMAZING FACTS

Plasma Therapy:

Convalescent plasma therapy involves transfusing certain components from the blood of people who have recovered from a virus attack into people who are very sick with the virus or people who are at high risk of getting the virus.

How does it works:

• Blood is taken from a previously infected but completely recovered patient, the plasma component of that blood is separated and that contains the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 virus. This plasma is injected into an infected person’s body that will fight the virus and neutralise it from spreading.

• Once the patient has recovered, he/she will be asked to donate their blood so that their antibodies will be used to treat other infected patients.

• The blood sample will be checked for any existing harmful diseases such as Hepatitis B & C including HIV.

The recovered blood will be taken into study and a researcher will extract plasma from the blood that can be injected into an infected person.

COVID-19 PROMISING TREATMENT

24 YAGNA | Sep 2020 25www.queenmira.com

26 YAGNA | Sep 2020

PATH - THE NAVIGATOR

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The Path Session on Goal Setting was conducted on 22.08.2020 Saturday, between 10:30am and 12:00pm through WebEx, (virtual platform) for the students, parents and teachers of Graders IX to XII. The resource person of the session was Mr. K. Samidurai B.A.B.L., Secretary – Indian Association of Lawyers. The guest speaker who spoke about Goal Setting shared the definition, advantages, and answers to the questions ‘Why should we have goals?’, ‘How should goals be?’ and the expansion of SMART - Specific Measurable Attainable

Realistic and Tangible actions required for setting a goal. He spoke about the three types of personalities –Winners, Losers and Quitters.

The quote ‘Change the words that you speak about yourself, you can change your life’ said by Mr. Samidurai instigated the aspirants. The

guest emphasized to the participants that winners should work hard and be determined to achieve success citing the living example of an Paralympic Athlete from Madurai Mr. Ranjith Kumar, who won the most prestigious ‘Dhyan Chand Award’ for his Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games presented by the Republic of India for his continuous efforts and perseverance. Finally, the presentation was closed with the explanation of SWOT analysis. This analysis would definitely help the students to understand the strengths and weaknesses, explore the opportunities and Threats. The guest introduced the concept of ‘Magic 21’ as the best practice to change an action into a habit. He congratulated the living examples

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Teacher Incharge: Ms.Archana Karthikeyan

Student Incharge: Pooja Ramesh

Reimagining Life after Lockdown

Covid has brought in a drastic change in the life of the people. During the past 5 months, lifestyle of people has changed drastically, which has ushered a transition in our Educational system. Children are accustomed with New Normal Learning mode.

Parallely we pose a lot many questions to ourselves for which QMIS provided a platform, a coffee morning with Dr. Dodd, Medical Superintendent of Grace Kennet Foundation and Executive of Malalai Illam, Madurai on 08.08.2020, Saturday.

Dr. Dodd started the session with an interesting 3S - Source, Surface and Safety through which he gave a clear picture about the current scenario in detail about the behavioral

aspects and the psychological changes as far as people are concerned. He educated the audience on the importance of wearing a mask. He counseled against wearing gloves, as the real purpose will not be logically solved.

He highlighted his special mention upon QMIS’s well researched safety measures that the school is ready with, when the children resume school after the lock down time. He mentioned the Air conditioners can be used from 24 to 28 degrees and pedestal fans can be avoided in public places and instead ceiling fans are advisable. He connoted the usage of flowing water and soap as the best sources than the sanitizers. So he elaborated the precautionary steps and the daily routines to be followed by children at school and at any place where they socialize. The session was very interactive, children and parents were bubbling up with loads of questions. All queries were very thoughtfully addressed by the resource person.

Mr. Abinath Chandran, the Managing Director and Ms. Sujatha Gupthan, Director - Academics for their planning, execution and achievements and for putting their tireless efforts since the last ten years into shaping QMIS which is now setting great records in Academics, Character-building and Skills. Followed by the guest speech, was the questionnaire posed by the students. Ms Sujatha Guptan was stunned by the guest speaker’s motivation & Tamil oratorical skills. Mr Abinath Chandran, the Managing Director thanked the guest for his motivational deliverance through which, not only the students but all the 163 Virtual participants who made their presence got that instant fervour. The most memorable takeaway from the session was the guest’s staunch belief in getting parents’ blessings for a successful and focused life. On the whole it was completely a motivational session that instigated the goal setting fervour in every student.

28 YAGNA | Sep 2020

CIS ACTIVITIES:

“Technology has become the wings to fly farther and faster in the world of education”.

It has taken a leap in each of our lives where we can achieve our needs. Virtual learning plays a vital role in education particularly, during this pandemic situation. Students of Grade IV and V were taken on a virtual tour to Keezhadi through the online Webex platform on 18th July 2020 which was conducted by The Global Citizenship Committee of QMIS. Ms. Anitha created an inquiring curiosity among kids by conducting an interesting activity of asking them to visualize their favourite spot and drawing it, which motivated the children to get more involved in the trip. She also presented an attractive powerpoint presentation about Keezhadi and explained the importance of ancient Indian Civilization which was demolished over the course of time. Ms.Anitha screened a video on the comparison of Indus valley civilization and Vaigai Valley Civilization and clearly depicted the five phases of excavation in which the artefacts like pottery, precious stones, furnaces, coins were found. So this piece of information made the students connect with the Sustainable Development Goals like “Life on Land” and “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”.

An interactive session on Virtual Reality was conducted by Ms.Sathya Priya and Ms.Archana Karthikeyan for Grades VIII and IX by the

INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION

Digital Citizenship Committee of QMIS. The session explained about the definition, types, input/output devices, technologies and its applications in the real time world. The students were taken to Virtual Reality Tour of ‘Cool VR walk on the Moon with NASA’, ‘Jungle Book with King Louie Lair’, ‘Face your fears VR | Fear of Heights / Falling | UFO Alien Robot |Oculus’ and ‘Roller Coaster’. The students were also trained to use ‘DIY Google Cardboard VR Headset’ to create an output VR device. The children were overwhelmed on seeing VR videos, which gave them an awesome feel of adventurous trip.

ISA ACTIVITIES:

Students of Grades XI and XII were involved in the British council project titled “A Comparative Study on Economic Development of India with its Neighbouring Countries.” They benchmarked economic policies adopted by India and its neighbours. Students analyzed economic policies adopted by these countries during COVID Crisis and ways to overcome the economic downfall triggered by this pandemic. A comprehensive study revealed the predominant role of Government and private firms in enhancing their country’s economy. The students were able to collect information regarding statistical development of India’s neighbouring countries too. Students organized a mock United Nations session virtually by analysing various factors affecting the economy of a country and how to ease accessibility of medicine around the

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Teacher Incharge: Ms. Jainool Fatima Student Incharge: Shruthikaa.V

HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEECOVID has brought drastic changes in the lives of many people. During the past 5 months, the life style of people has changed tremendously which has brought transition to our Education system. Children have got accustomed to the new normal mode. We took utmost care for safety of the children. An initiative in this context from the ‘Health and safety committee’ who shared ‘New Normal Learning Mode Tips’, taking inputs from on Opthamologist and Pediatrician Dr. Subathra, MS Ophthal, Consultant, Aravind Eye Institute, (parent of Bhavini from Grade VI) & Dr. Chitra Ayyappan, MBBS, MD, DCH, FRCP, FRCPCH, Apollo Hospitals, spent their valuable time and shared some tips and suggestions on Healthy E - Learning for younger generation. Few of them are:

How to Protect your Eyes form Computer & Mobile Screens

PARENTAL TIPS• Limit the time of using gadgets.• Parental guidance and supervision of kids

while using gadgets.• Engage the child in household work or

any physical activity.• Blink around 10 times very quickly • Close your eyes and relax for 20 seconds

and observe the breath. • Yearly eye check up.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Parasakthi

Student Incharge: Aashiga .G.N

world during this pandemic situation. Through this MUN session, children were able to exhibit leadership qualities, public speaking skills and problem solving skills which are aligned to the school’s vision.

Students of Grade VIII and IX were involved in British Council-International School Award (ISA) activities on the topic “Reverberating Revolutions”. Through these activities children learnt various revolutions around the world, their causes and effects and people involved in these revolutions. Students prepared timeline charts for various events that happened during the revolutions through which they were able to know the chronological order and sequence of events This was followed by an slogan writing and quiz competition on the same topic. Students depicted a play virtually about Indian freedom fight, Russian, French Industrial revolutions These activities provided understanding about consequences of revolutions and the changes it brought in society and political power. Overall students were able to understand history and context of Nation’s culture, and gained a Global outlook through the ISA activities.

30 YAGNA | Sep 2020

Jason Ryan Prakash.J - Gr3A

Dhatrisri - Gr 8AReh

ma - G

r 11

THE NEW NORMAL MODE OF LEARNING

Ever since the start of online classes, I have thoroughly enjoyed the company of the family while I was still involved in the regular schooling activities. Though it seemed hard in the start, I managed myself to get adapted to this new normal mode of learning. It gives me a feeling of my family staying next to me in the classroom, but it’s been the other way around. It is now the classroom entering my home every day.

The other activities such as BFIT also help me to focus on my physical and mental health. I have started to pay more attention to my diet to be nutritious. I am also incorporating many more physical activities into my daily routine.

Although I see a lot of good things in this new normal mode of learning, I still miss being with my friends and spending time with them like I used to do in school.

POEM OF POLLUITIONGreenhouse gasses are in masses,Earth, oh dear !I say we should fear,of what’s about to come.We might have to overcome,Which I fear is very near to doom.planters should plant,cyclers should cycle,And we should learn to recycle.

FRESH THOUGHTS

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Rakshan - Gr 3B

Dharshini - Gr 9A

Niv

edita

.U -

Gr 8

A

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Shivani Gurusamy

Student Incharge: Divina Gabriel S

MY MOM... MY WORLD !Mother Mother Sweet Mother,

Always we will be together.You tell me what is right and wrong,

I promise to follow it all way long.You always care for us,

But we never pay for that.You take all the hardships,

And give us always the best.Thank You Mom!!

ENVIRONMENT• The nature around us consisting of the flora,

fauna, air, atmosphere and human beings is called the Environment.

• World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5th of every year.

Clean Environment:

• Clean environment is essential to lead a healthy and peaceful life.

Natural Remedies:

• Sometimes nature refreshes itself by heavy downpours.

• During the lockdown period, the usage of vehicles has come down around the globe, resulting in reduced air and water pollution.

Human Responsibility:

• It is the prime responsibility of every human to pass on the precious assett known as “Environment” to the forthcoming generations.

• Afforestation has to be done in larger scales, eco-friendly products should be used and plastics should be avoided to preserve the divinity of our planet

32 YAGNA | Sep 2020

Ah, SWITZERLAND! Please take me back right now! What an amazing country! I am saying so beacuse over expedition to Swiss was that awsome a memory

Okay, on a real note, I am going to tell you about our Switzerland trip from Italy by car. Italy which is known for its powerful culture and cuisine, is also famous for its long Mediterranean coastline.

In November, Italians celebrate All Saints Day and it would be a long weekend. We were not aware until Karthik [our little one] informed us about his school holidays. With one week away from the holiday, flight tickets at sky were high, we decided, on spur of the moment, for a road trip to Swiss. We just checked for the availability of rooms for the next five days and everything was in favor, and we were ready in a day.

Our trip was from Ancona to Swiss was a journey of 783km at a single stretch. We took 9.5 hrs to reach Lucerne (city in Switzerland). On our way, we took a break in Lake Como, situated in the border between Italy and Switzerland. Lake Como is known for its billion dollar castles, which has become a favourite wedding spot for billionaires, including Deepika and Ranveer.

We visited all the cities in Switzerland right from Lucerne, Zurich, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken. The best part of our trip was our visit to Mt. Titlis, the highest summit of Uri Alps [10623 ft].

It is famous for the world’s first rotating cable car which gives us a 360 degree view of the breath-taking landscapes.

The best part of the cable car is that, it lifts as up above the glacier. At Titlis it is possible to visit an illuminated glacier cave. Titlis Cliff walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe gives a clear view of the Alps. It was an amazing experience and we fell in love with the entire country.

Looking beyond the chocolates, cuckoo clocks, and Swiss knifes, Contemporary Switzerland is all about once-in-a lifetime journey…

Teacher Incharge: Ms.SathyapriyaStudent Incharge: Pranavaram.G

P/O Nithin Karthick - Gr 1A

TRAVELOGUE

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GAITIES & CELEBRITIES

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Joy Sheebha Student Incharge: Sheeja.VVG

INDEPENDENCE DAY QMIS celebrated the 74th Independence Day event with pride and the people of the nation. Amidst the nation-wide pandemic and in view of the precautionary measures advocated, the celebrations were muted unlike previous years and yet in our characteristic manner and Team QMIS celebrated without any dip in enthusiasm and happiness. The day started with a prayer song at 8 am. The National Flag was hoisted by the Chief Guest, our Chairman, Dr.C.Chandran who paid gratitude to the sacrifices of heroic freedom fighters who stood up against the colonizers, slaving away for more than 200 years and then claiming back our country through fearless struggles. The flag song was rendered by Divina of Grade IX and Krithika of Grade XI and the latter delivered the Pledge too. Followed by this, Director Academics, Ms.Sujatha Guptan rendered her the welcome address ingrained with significant thought making us realize that the freedom which we are relishing especially during this lockdown needs to experienced go with responsibility. It was very interesting to note that mellifluous anchoring made the event successful provided many tiny but amazing facts instilling a sense of national pride.

Ms.Mangalajothi, Faculty from Tamil department rendered an inspiring speech about Dr.APJ.Abdul Kalam’s dreams, on making India as a superpower and a developed nation. She also reiterated that “Zero Procrastination” in at work and tireless efforts would invite success in our life Our respected chairman, Dr.C.Chandran addressed the gathering on the importance of adapting to changes and to adjust ourselves to an ever-changing life. He urged us to remain firm and grounded even after we attain greater heights.

We could feel the presence of students and parents through the live broadcast in School’s official YouTube channel which gave us a feel of self

satisfaction. The celebration came to close with vote of thanks from our Principal - Junior School, Ms.Kalpana Karthik and the National Anthem which kindled patriotic feelings in the hearts of everyone.

TEACHER’S DAYTeachers Day was celebrated with great gusto on the campus on September 5, 2020. The objective of celebrating the Teacher’s Day in a way was to act as a thanks giving to the teachers who have made a great impact in making us what we are today. Due to pandemic, the Senior Leadership Team decided to celebrate with teachers in the campus with appropriate safety norms. The celebrations began at 9.30 am in the courtyard. The program kick started with a prayer song by Ms.Haritha. Ms.Sujatha Guptan, Director Academics and Dr.C.Chandran, Chairman presented remarkable Teacher’s Day messages to the teachers and students and a peek into the life of Helen Keller. The afternoon session had cultural programs which included a classical dance, fusion dance, group song, solo dance, Yoga, Parai (Folk Instrument), orchestra and comedy skit presented by a team of teachers. The highlight of the day was ‘Talk Show’ which opened its floor to teachers and students connected through live streaming. Parents and students enjoyed the show which was evident from the good quality of feedback through live chat. The highlight of the day was the video containing student wishes to their respective teachers which almost provided a personal touch. After the cultural program, a ‘Pot Luck’ Lunch was organized for the teaching and non-teaching staff. The celebration culminated with the Principals’ wishing the team a Happy Teacher’s Day.

34 YAGNA | Sep 2020

LEARNER’S COLUMN

LIVING & WORKING IN THIS PANDEMIC

“Real transformation requires real honesty. If you want to move forward - get real with yourself.” - Bryant McGill

Over the past few months, we’ve experienced an unprecedented shift in our way of life due to COVID-19. It’s a drastic shift for both normal living and working. We have said goodbye for now to attending concerts, plays, movies, festivals, museums, etc., we fervently wish we will enjoy all these soon. Many of the events in our life are between four walls and many are having a designated space at home to do work which has its own positive & negative aspects. Most importantly, this can help to maintain boundaries at home between work and play.

During the pre-pandemic, for those who would’ve thought that parasailing and gliding are more adventurous and precious, they would have now realized that a trip to do a weekly grocery shop seems extraordinarily amazing. Everyone has been scared to touch and buy the

things, getting the change from the shopkeeper would have been comparable to a nightmare, daily essentials entering our house like strangers, anarchy ruling the house, and lastly the lockdown - staying indoors by being a couch potato and scrolling gadgets all day long. The wonderful part is the cordial relationship among the family members who used this as an opportunity to strengthen their bond. At the same time in some cases, we can find that stress, anxiety & sadness has flooded a few houses. This situation provides an opportunity for introspection and to analyse change in behavioural pattern. We can learn more about our people only at the end than at the beginning. We shouldn’t shout at our family members when only little bread was served,

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Teacher Incharges: Ms. Aysha Siddika Feroze & Ms.Pandiselvi

Student Incharge: Dharshini.V- Gr IX

rather, we have to be thankful to the Almighty because many people around the world are still starving. Every happenings of the world has its own purpose, so the most important learning for the whole world is to be prepared and proactive. Precautionary measures introduced are being slowly imbibed as individuals habits. At this juncture we understand significance of good personal hygiene which are as follows- sharing, adjustment and cleanliness. Aptly quoted that Cleanliness is next to godliness, so washing our hands often and keeping ourselves clean are desirable outcomes / benefits of this pandemic. Fitness and diet are recommended measures to keep any virus at bay.

As our lifestyle has taken a new mode, so does the working style too. It needs a great effort and skills to use the technology & rely on digitally advanced apps. Especially working women deserve a special mention as they are engaged on both sides of the coin. Of course work life balance is their cup of tea as always, but a sudden transformation of own house to workplace requires certain skills like tech savviness and juggling between multiple priorities to adapt to the new ways of working. When the whole world was busy watching movies and ordering & munching food items, the teaching community

acquainted themselves with the words which they use frequently on virtual platforms like - “Am I audible?”, “Am I clear?” and “Am I visible on screen?”. Preparation and planning are like the pillars for online classes of 40 minutes duration. Apart from exploring cookery shows, they have googled new apps, created powerpoint presentations, downloaded age appropriate videos and have conducted online tests & evaluations. This has ensured that the children are able to explore, engage and continue learning in a stressful environment like being locked inside homes for 100+ days. This generation has tremendous zeal and bubbling energy which needs guidance to keep them on the righteous path given that their maturity and exposure are high from a very young age. Therefore, Teachers should also be categorized as Corona Warriors because they are tuning the future generation even in the middle of chaos. Before we know it, we’ve reluctantly let go of our old normal and now settling into what seems to be our new normal. Things don’t go on forever, and the quicker we accept that change is inevitable, the happier we are going to be.

We cannot change anything until we accept it. We should try to change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove ourselves from the unacceptable.

36 YAGNA | Sep 2020

AGARAM

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Teacher Incharges: Ms.Murugeshwari & Ms.Mangalajothi

Student Incharge: DivyaShreeTeacher Incharge: Ms.Revathi Rajini

Student Incharge: Pranitha Ra. S

37www.queenmira.com

JAPANESE

Getting used to life at home? For many around the world, staying at home 24x7 has become the new normal way of living. For Japan, a country known for its corporate warriors who demonstrate dedication by spending most of the time at their workplace, the coronavirus pandemic transformed the nation’s corporate world. “Even before the virus struck, some companies tried to promote telework [working from home] and encouraged flexible working pattern, but it was never done on such a large scale like now.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced everyone to work from home for a long period of time and the whole nation is conducting a large-scale [telework] experiment,” “This may change Japan’s long-standing conventional work style”. Although many were initially perplexed by the social distancing and stay-home policies when the pandemic hit Japan earlier this year, but now they seem to have adapted/discovered a whole new lifestyle.

The country gained global attention about its comeback after the first wave of COVID-19 and was widely referred to as the ‘Japan Model’ among the nations of the world. While every other country was in a fret, this little island had limited its testing and did not impose any lockdown. The nation’s strategy was aimed at bringing the economy back to track. By the month of June, all restaurants and shops were opened. There were harsh criticisms regarding this response but today, Japan is referred as one of the successful virus defenders, in a short span.

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Seetha Lakshmi Student Incharge: Riya Jasmine.T

In Tokyo, where almost 14 million people live, new cases remained below 40 for more than 15 days. Achieving such low figures barely seemed possible in early April. At the same time numbers began to rise sharply in other major Japanese cities. Masks are a common sight during the winter flu and spring season among people with hay fever. The custom of bowing rather than shaking hands or hugging, generally high standards of personal hygiene and the removal of shoes before entering the homes have all been held up as the possible explanations for Japan’s low infection rate.

Tazawa, who has also been making policy proposals for the government and municipalities to promote telework, is convinced that telework can be a problem-solving tool for the Japanese society. “ People might think we are encouraging teleworking because of the coronavirus outbreak, but it can also help in promoting diversity in workplaces and work-life balance, revitalization of rural communities and crisis management,” she said.

38 YAGNA | Sep 2020

normalcy much slower. In Lyon, the traffic is not at its highest level, but it is gradually approaching the already-existed scenario. In the cities of Lille, Bordeaux, Nice and even Montpellier, traffic took longer to resume but is getting closer to what it was like before the crisis. Traffic is therefore returning to normal in France.

Travel certificates are no longer required for travel. People are allowed to travel a distance of up to 100 km from their homes. But for a long trip, government permission is required. It is also mandatory for passengers on public transport to wear masks. But people who ride two-wheelers are exempted from wearing masks. So a lot of people started to use bikes.

Lastly, we will see about the opening of schools, cafes and restaurants in France. In the red zones, because of the rigid restrictions, cafes, schools and theatres do not operate. Since there are no restrictions in the green areas, thousands of workers and school children have started to make their way out. Thousands of nursery and primary schools are reopening with strict health protocols in action to avoid any further outbreak of the pandemic. But the majority of parents do not want to send their children to school. So schools are operating with only limited strength of students.

Cafes, cinema, theatres and restaurants are also open at green zones. Cafes and restaurants have created an open space for customers outside shops to minimize the risk of spread. Traditional methods of greeting people are strictly prohibited in these public places.

To conclude, the life of the French is gradually returning to normalcy, but it is still necessary for them to strictly adhere to the barrier gestures and social distancing norms advised by the government, to avoid a major comeback of the pandemic.

After 55 days of strict lockdown period, France enters into the era of deconfinement. As a result of the precautionary measures taken by government, there is a slowdown in the rate of transmission of Coronavirus. Although, even after lockdown, there are certain precautionary steps taken by the government to avoid a mass retransmission of the disease.

What are the precautionary steps taken by the government post lockdown?

Firstly, we shall discuss the precautionary steps taken. The government adheres strictly to the strategy “Le Triptyque: Protect, Test, Isolate” to have a control over the epidemic.

Protect: It’s made mandatory to wear masks in public place. It is recommended to maintain a social distance of atleast 1 metre between each other to prevent the spread of virus.

Test: To trace out the patients & their contacts and to conduct increased number of tests and Isolate: To isolate the COVID 19 patients until complete recovery. And also, an app called “Stop COVID” is a software tool introduced by the Government, to alert the French people to stay away from infected persons.

As in India, France is also divided into 2 zones: red and green. There are strict protocols followed in red zones as the presence of virus is intense is those areas. Whereas there is less restrictions in green zone. With this scenario in France, we must accept that lives of the French are really affected and there is a noticeable change in their daily life after confinement. Though Paris is yet to return to normalcy, road traffic has begun to increase day by day. Strasbourg and Toulouse returned to

FRENCH

Teacher Incharge: Ms. Sountharya HariStudent Incharge: Iniyan .C.K

39www.queenmira.com

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Uma Devi Kannan Student Incharge: Sakthivel

CONNEXIONS

40 YAGNA | Sep 2020

CAREER CHOICES

QUICK CHANGE IS NOT A TOTAL CHANGE …With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the world of professionals is drastically changing. There are growing uncertainties among students and parents communities regarding the choice of career options that would be available in the new world as it emerges. Moreover present scenario has highlighted the importance of a drastic digital transformation which forced us to realize the necessity of skill development and the inevitable need for competencies such as tech savvy’ness, critical thinking, adaptability, emotional intelligence, innovation and creativity as top priorities for the future.

What seems like a good option for one may not be true for the other. “One size never fits

all”. As a career development professional, one needs to think creatively and flexibly and work with parents and teachers to develop an individualized and viable plan.

Which of our offerings can only be manifested in person? Universities now have the data to ascertain the optimal percentage of face-to-face, real time/virtual and asynchronous /virtual components required for each course. This can provide insights to decide how to complete a degree in less than four years. While many university leaders are currently planning for a return to normalcy, the fact is simple: there is no going back. Already frayed at the seams after decades of inaction, higher education is now forced to dine at this banquet of consequences.

In many ways, this pandemic has helped showcase the power of technology such as cloud and big data and exposed

cyber security risks. It has helped businesses to visualize new ways about effective data usage. While the pandemic will certainly spur a digital transformation, here are a few areas where we can expect greater job opportunities to open up in the next few months/years.

Data: The life during pandemic has forced a large chunk of people to work from home, we’ve witnessed a huge spike in data usage across the globe. Statistics indicate that global data usage has increased as much as 38 percent year-on-year in the wake of the

41www.queenmira.com

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Kalpana Karthick

Student Incharge: Alvina Philomin.S

COVID-19 pandemic. Already, job opportunities for data engineers, data analysts, data scientists, and ML/AI engineers are growing steadily. With the surge in data usage, we can expect this demand to go up more quickly.

Cloud: The Public Cloud has emerged as the backbone of all IT infrastructures. Even back in November 2019, Gartner had predicted that the worldwide public cloud services market would grow 17% in 2020. According to a study by Instinet in March 2020, 68 percent of CIOs (Chief Information Officers) say that migrating to Cloud is a top priority. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to accelerate Cloud migration even more. We can foresee a greater demand for Cloud Architects and Cloud IT Admins.

Cyber security: A recent study reveals that 86 percent of CIOs consider security to be their #1 priority. With ‘remote working’ becoming the norm post-COVID, company data are is even more vulnerable due to threats and attacks. With people relying more on personal and less secure Wi-fi networks, the threat levels have increased. As cyber security becomes more

critical, we will see a much greater demand for Security Architects and Ethical Hackers.

Digital Marketing: With more people consuming information online, digital marketing has become a lifeline for CMOs as they seek to reduce marketing spends, drive greater ROI from their marketing dollars, and follow their customers online. In turn, this will result in greater demand for PPC practitioners, Digital Brand Managers, Content & SEO experts, CRM, and Email Marketing Specialists.

Business Analysts: As businesses accelerate the shift to digital platforms, digital channels will increasingly become the mainstream across sectors such as retail, education, healthcare, and others. As the demand for digital goes up, it will result in a greater demand for Business Analysts. Estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that demand for Management Analysts, including Business Analysts, is likely to grow 14 percent, between 2018 to 2028.

The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating change towards a new normal mode of living, and it is best for all of us to adapt to it as soon as possible. Some of the changes in our lives are

becoming clear - significantly higher importance to aspects of health and hygiene which many of us were least concerned about, major changes in social habits, a complete brainstorming on the leisure time activities are a few adjustments all of us are grappling with.

On the work front the shake-up is equally disruptive. As our lifestyles change in the Post-Covid era, the shift towards digital platforms has to be complete and immediate. And while a wide range of jobs are at significant risk due to the economic downturn the world is facing, digital and tech jobs will continue to see an accelerated growth than what they have seen in the past two decades. Getting mastered in these tech skills is one of the many ways to ensure that during this adaptation period of life, at least your Career is on a growth track and it is future-proof.

42 YAGNA | Sep 2020

Dr.Sujatha Arasu has received her Bachelor’s degree in Dentistry and her Ph.D. in Sociology. Today, she is an Executive Committee Member -CDE in Indian Dental Association, Madurai.

Dr.Sujatha Arasu has served as Women cell convener in IDA. In her path- breaking early work, Dr Sujatha Arasu collaborated with Colleges like Fatima & LDC, as Assistant Professor. In more recent years, she has been involved in development and child psychology. She has published several articles & journals’.

Krithika: CORONA PHOBIA, How to combat it?

Dr.Sujatha: The coronavirus, or COVID-19, is inciting panic for a number of reasons. It’s a new virus which means that no one has immunity and there is no vaccine too. Measures are being taken that are unprecedented in recent history: schools are closing, sports teams aren’t playing, vacations are canceled, family gatherings rescheduled. It’s very common to be anxious. At the same time, there are lots of reasons not to be scared. Be reasonable and be cautious, but don’t

be frightened. for keeping ourselves calm amid a wave of panic, we must

1. Stay away from social media and up-to-the-minute news2. Know the facts3. Don’t over feed your mind4. Occupy your mind with relaxing hobbies

Krithika: What are the psychological effects on children and parents who work from home during the COVID 19 pandemic?

Dr.Sujatha: Fear and anxiety about a new disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. However, these actions are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Coping with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. Create a new routine. Don’t be afraid to do things that prevent physical contact which can keep you happy and healthy. Stay Connected. Call a friend. Luckily, we live in the era of Tech that allows us to connect with friends, even while stuck at home. Whether on the phone or via Skype, talking to people has been proven, to reduce depression and feelings of anxiety. But try not to talk all about the coronavirus!

JUNIOR JOURNALIST Dr.Sujatha Arasu, Child Psychologist

43www.queenmira.com

Teacher Incharge: Ms.Rohini Nethaji

Student Incharge: Kirthika .M

If you have severe anxiety, seek help from a specialist. If you have a history of anxiety, you might need additional help. Talking to a professional can further help you to deal with your fears easily.

Krithika: How is the Virus that causes COVID-19 most commonly transmitted among people?

Dr.Sujatha: Be Aware, but Don’t Panic! COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted among people through respiratory droplet, through direct, indirect contacts, contaminated objects or surfaces, or close contact with infected people via mouth and nose secretions.

Krithika: Do you think it’s safe to send the children to school post lock down?

Dr.Sujatha: The reopening of schools around the world following the coronavirus crisis has been the subject of much debate. Nearly 3 - 4 months of online schooling has left both students and parents overwhelmed. We have to accept that things which can be done while schools are substantially closed is a very poor substitute for full normal education...It lies in the child’s interest to be back in school as early as possible. It would be the same scenario when the parents admit children in kindergarten, the first ever mother – child separation happens at an early stage. Although entering infant/toddler care means saying goodbye to the family, it also means saying hello to the new teachers. After a secure connection is established with one primary teacher, other teachers may form secondary relationships. This ensures that the child will be comfortable. This is going to be the New Normal Life we will be facing even after the Lockdown!

Krithika: What would you suggest for schools’ preparation after lockdown?

Dr.Sujatha: Health and safety should be each and everyone’s top most priority. Firstly, it is essential that the management should stay up to date with all the recent information that the government is putting out. Social distancing floor stickers are a great way of helping people to adhere to the two-meter rule. Instead of big assemblies messages

can be passed via mikes so that there will not be too many people gathered in one space. Consider staggering opening times by grades, so that there’s as little contact between students of different ages as there needs to be. School building needs to be deep cleaned, disinfected and sterilized periodically, there should be thermal screening for everyone who are present at the entry gates of the School; wearing masks at all times should be made a compulsory, hand-washing during breaks should be made as a mandatory rule. Make sure you’ve done the deep cleaning and ensure your school to be sparkling with positivity.

To make the future education model accessible, all stakeholders need to come together, collaborate and offer different but yet the best practices across learning communities.

A hybrid model will emerge, which will have a substantial portion of the teaching delivered through online and a new system of student-driven education will emerge providing real-life learning through flipped classrooms and will also make subjective and objective assessments both in offline when we come back to school and online mode via virtual platforms and apps.

Krithika: Can you suggest some tips for the parents to support children during NNL, Ma’am

Dr.Sujatha: The involvement of parents has always been inversely proportional to the age of the child but in today’s time, parents should be more involved in the education of their child. Training of parents is paramount as they must be a parent as well as a teacher at home and must be empowered with tech knowledge so that they can guide the students and track their progress. Parents must play a much greater role in coming days with a perfect sync with schools without which learning process for children will be severely impacted. Parents must support the school system for the holistic development of the children.

44 YAGNA | Sep 2020

SPORTS

INTEGRATION OF SPORT WITH ACADEMICSA student should physically and emotionally be healthy and focused to perform well in academics. Including sports activities in the curriculum can help them to achieve to a greater extent. The importance of regular physical activity in a person’s life not only helps them to stay healthy but also improves their emotional wellbeing.

Several researches about the schooling students reveals that students who are active in sports have greater self esteem, confidence level, improved leadership qualities, and have good mental and physical fitness.

Queen Mira International School is one of the pioneers which focuses on holistic education for the student

community in Madurai. The school showcased a number of times that students active in sports and co-curricular activities also set great academic records. In support this statement, we have our top three scorers of Grade 10 in the CBSE Board Exam 2019-2020 having a sports background. The school topper - Krithika, State Level Yoga student, scored a total of 485 out of 500 along with a centum in social science. The second topper Iniyan, MSSC Sahodaya Football Runner, secured a total of 484 with a centum in social science. And the third topper Harish Narasimhan, District level MSSC Sahodaya Basketball Winner, secured a total of 483. In order to involve students into physical activities our school has launched BFIT classes even during the lockdown period. BFIT classes have successfully turned couch potatoes into fitness enthusiasts.

To create an awareness on physical fitness among the students, our Managing DirectorMr. Abinath Chandran, Director Academics Ms. Sujatha Guptan and the staff of QMIS did a BFIT circuit challenge on a virtual platform. The school challenges the students to do 1 minute BFIT challenge according to their age category. The challenge was accepted by nearly 78 students of QMIS and they completed the challenge and uploaded their videos through Whatsapp.

Teacher Incharge: Mr.Karthick Student Incharge:

Darshini.V - Gr XI

45www.queenmira.com

TOP 3 FITTEST SPORTSMEN - MALE

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS

In his first year in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo was 6’9” and 196 pounds- no doubt a towering figure

in any sport. Since then, the Milwaukee Bucks star

has added a few inches and bulked up his already-

intimidating frame to a menacing 6’11” and

242 pounds, with a 7’3” wingspan, a testament to

his commitment to overall fitness and conditioning for the rigors of the NBA. This

season, Antetokounmpo has improved in nearly every aspect of the game, from

three-point shooting to usage rate, assists and more. He can score in the paint, he can sink

shots from the outside and he’s a dynamic playmaker,

which is why the 25-year-old is in the running to win a

second-straight MVP award at the end of the year. When

you have the courage to challenge the Rock in the weight room, it becomes

clear why Antetokounmpo is known as the “Greek Freak.”

MAT FRASER, CROSSFIT

For the fourth year in a row, 30-year-old

Mat Fraser was named “Fittest Man on Earth” after winning the 2019

CrossFit Games, joining Rich Froning as the only man to top the event for four consecutive years.

The 5’7”, 195-pound Fraser earned his ’19 title by mastering a variety of

fitness challenges, ranging from Olympic lifts to

sprint courses, swimming races, burpees, handstand

walks and more. Now, Fraser is training to make

history once again in 2020.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC, ATP TENNIS

After capturing two majors and three ATP titles during the 2019 season, Serbia’s Novak

Djokovic continued his winning ways in ’20, adding Grand

Slam trophy No. 17 to his already impressive résumé with a victory over Dominic Thiem at the 2020 Australian Open. The 32-year-old

is strategic about his training and nutrition so that his 6’2”, 176-pound frame can generate the speed needed to chase down a ball, the power required to slap a serve across the net, and the flexibility to stretch for a backhand return—all over the course of the grueling, 11-month

tennis calendar.

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46 YAGNA | Sep 2020