Visit to the World Book Fair
Applause and appreciation for JMC student’s cultural presentations – song, play and story-telling – at the World Book Fair
The students and teachers were mighty excited at the prospect of their outing to a book fair, as they all bustled into their bus. They were going to the Book Fair at Pragati Maidan. It seemed like their collective energy could move the bus!
The World Book Fair organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), under Ministry of Education, was held between 10th and 18th February 2024 with the theme that celebrated the mosaic of Indian languages. The added icing to the excitement of visiting the massive book fair was the special cultural programme for children organized by the NBT and Bachpan Society. JMC gets invited every year to this programme and this year was no exception. In keeping with the theme of India’s linguistic diversity, JMC students were dressed in their local customary dress – representing the various states they come from – UP, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala and so on. This really added to their excitement and the teachers could not but be infected by their enthusiasm.
Once the bus reached Pragati Maidan, a pick-up van from NBT met them at the gate and took them to the appointed place within the huge canvas of the Book Fair. Children from various organizations were gathered there as more came streaming in. The scene was a visual delight.
Soon the cultural programme began and JMC’s students presented several items including a song, a play and a story. The children’s presentations were greeted with thunderous applause from the huge crowd gathered there. They really appreciated the presentations.
It was a fulfilling outing for our students – an affirmation of their self-confidence and potential.
Teachers’ Day – a celebration of our gurus to whom we owe so much
Teachers’ Day is a very special day in every institution of learning in India, from primary to middle to high school to college. It is a day of fun and play-acting when students and teachers exchange places in the classroom. It is also a day of reverential acknowledgement of the debt we owe our teachers.
This day has always held special relevance in JMC. Students who come to our library and remedial education classes look up to the teachers for not just academic support but as a source of all-round support. In these teachers, they find a guide for math and science, but much beyond that as well. The teachers provide them emotional support in enabling them to realize their potential and become confident adolescents. Many of the students aspire to become teachers themselves.
So Teachers’ Day gives the students an opportunity to say a big “Thank You” and celebrate their gurus. Several wonderful offerings by the alumni and the current 10th class students were presented on the day. They organized the programme themselves, and presented very moving skits, poems and songs of tribute to their teachers. The decoration of the classrooms and the carefully considered programme were evidence of their respect and love for the teachers.
Does climate change impact our health?
Beginning February, JMC collaborated with New Concept Information Systems, to participate in an engaging session with parents of students enrolled in RE classes at the Centre. These parents hail from Madanpur Khader village, where the Centre has been working with the community for over two decades. Among the attendees were five men and nine women, predominantly homemakers, with a few engaged in domestic worker roles in Sarita Vihar. The men represented various occupations. They included daily wage labourers, rickshaw pullers, and cab drivers.
The session started with the facilitators introducing themselves and encouraging the participants to do the same. Subsequently, the focus shifted to exploring the participants’ comprehension of ‘climate change’. Following a brief discussion, the facilitators delved into specific focus areas, prompting the participants to identify perceived risks and areas perceived as non-risks. While the participants demonstrated a general awareness of the causes and repercussions of climate change, there appeared to be a lack of clarity regarding the intricate interconnections among various factors contributing to climate change. There was a general understanding of how climate change leads to changes in weather patterns which lead to other changes (unseasonal rain leading to increase in mosquitoes and related diseases), that ultimately impact human health.
As the session progressed, the participants engaged in discussions covering a wide array of topics related to environmental and health concerns. These included deliberations on the adverse effects of air pollution and rising temperatures on health, strategies for enhancing energy efficiency, effective water and waste management practices, preparation and response mechanisms for extreme weather events, the prevalence of vector-borne diseases, and the nutritional challenges stemming from climate change.
Nearly all participants felt that the government holds primary responsibility in addressing climate change and its associated health issues. However, there was also an acceptance of the need for proactive involvement from ordinary citizens to work together in tackling these challenges.
Holi in JMC -
frolic with colours
The students of JMC celebrated the festival of colours with full gusto on 22nd March. The day was doubly fun because the students had finished their exams and were totally free of worries. Nothing could hold them back on that day – they were dancing in a riot of colours.
They gave full expression to this celebration through the creation of expressive visuals. The pictures they made were pinned on the notice board for all to enjoy. The children praised the art of their classmates and friends and one could hear their shrill chatter as they pointed to a picture exclaiming, “look at those colours, how beautiful the picture is!” or pointing out to their own creation with the comment, “I did that one”!
A word of warning was sounded before the children started their celebration of colours. Teachers gathered the students of their class and advised them to play with consideration and caution. And then it began!
They danced merrily, sang many songs, coloured each other’s cheeks and hands gently but with great enthusiasm. They did not spare any of their teachers or the JMC staff – no one could escape the sprays and smearing of colours by the excited children. Without exception, like it happens every year, the staff of JMC emerged colourful and joyous, as much as their students.