Importance of Art Integration in the Elementary Classroom

The term integration means combining one thing with another to create a new whole. Art integration is an approach to education in which lessons are taught and assessed through naturally-aligned art concepts. Students are given the opportunity to construct and demonstrate understanding through various art forms that readily align themselves to the given objectives.The integration of art does not replace valuable lessons but edifies them by offering an alternate perspective from which to view and grasp key concepts. Not only has art integration been shown to have a positive effect on standardized test scores but has made a dramatic difference in student attendance where it has been implemented.

The creative work gives students an additional connection to the material in their minds, helping them to remember and apply the information to understand complex concepts.

Shalini Agnihotri // Facilitator // Samsara School

Stress Management Techniques

Stress if not handled properly can lead to many health hazards such as headaches, heartburn, rapid breathing, pounding heart, fertility problem, risk of heart attack, weekend immune system, high blood sugar, stomach ache, tense muscles, insomnia to name a few.

Techniques to deal with stress:

1. Change your thinking.
2. Change your behaviour.
3. Add humour to your life.
4. Develop a support network through friends and colleagues to talk to.
5. Take proper rest and ample amount of sleep as it is good stress reducer.
6. Adopt a hobby and engage yourself productively. Praise yourself for little achievements.
7. Acquire healthy diet and include some sort of exercise as part of your daily routine.

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another- William James

Jyoti Jha // Facilitator // Samsara School

 

 

 

How to stay Happy and Healthy during Lockdown

Lockdown due to COVID-19 has affected our day to day life immensely. At home during the lockdown, we have encountered many new challenges like managing food supplies, children’s education , work from home, etc.
Among all of these, it’s important we look after our mental health as well as our physical health during this time. Let’s look at some of the activities that will help us to keep a balance-

• Keep some structure and routine to your daily life.
• Practice Yoga and Meditation everyday .
• Try and focus on the positive things.
• Learn something new like an instrument or how to paint.
• Read books or watch your favourite movies.
• Eat nutritional and immune-boosting food.

Keeping hydrated during the summer months and eating whole grains, protein packed fibre and green leafy vegetables are the need of the hour.So take each day at a time and don’t worry about the future.

Stay Home Stay Safe!

Seema Singh // Facilitator

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

All over the world people are now infected with a new type of illness called coronavirus disease 19 — COVID-19 for short. The virus spreads easily and has affected millions of lives. Protect yourself and others around you by taking appropriate precautions as only prevention is cure now.
Precautions to be taken:
• Wash your hands at regular intervals with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Maintain a safe distance at public places. Avoid visits if not so urgent.
• Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or     sneeze.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.
• Avoid unnecessary visits to medical facilities and allow healthcare systems to operate more effectively, therefore protecting you and others.

Sujata Thakur // Facilitator

Exam Fever

Examination is a very common assessment and evaluation tool in schools and educational institutions. Some students have difficulties while preparing effectively for exams. The common problems they face are lack of preparation, lack of concentration and focus on the course material.These issues can be worked out with strategies to enhance their efforts.  Such as:

• Make a schedule and work out how much time is needed for each subject.
• Study a little each day.
• Ask your teachers for help, they will be glad to assist.
• By adopting these little steps students can overcome the fear of exams forever.

Garima Mishra // Facilitator

Festival

Festival means to meet our dear ones and to spend time with our family. This is the beauty of our country that we celebrate each day with new hope. Our festivals teach our new generation about peace, love, and togetherness. Each festival is related to some positive thoughts and hope. Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Gurpurb and New year etc. are few names which are related to different religions but celebrated by all. It shows “Unity in diversity”.

Suman Silwal // Fecilitator // Samsara School

Value Education

“Life without value education is like a ship without a rudder”

Education does not just mean teaching the students how to read, write and get a job. It also includes developing the personality of the students by imbibing in them a good set of values which enables a person to raise his or her self-esteem. The values taught in schools like discipline, punctuality, honesty, perseverance and patriotism help them realise the importance of love and peace and non-violence. Life is short and precious and so, it should be spent wisely, truthfully and happily.

Priya Singh // Facilitator // Samsara School

Importance of workout

The human body is the most precious gift and the most important creation of the God. We must keep it healthy and fit by taking good care of it. For good health, workout is very important. Exercise has many benefits. It not only makes our body strong and fit but also nourishes our mind. There are so many exercises one can do without spending much money on gym. These exercises need little supervision and enhances our lung capacity and our flexibility. Such as morning walk,Yoga, jogging, skipping, aerobics, cycling and swimming etc.

Apart from exercise outdoor games like cricket, badminton, hockey, football, basketball etc. are very good for health. Exercise has been proven to decrease the risk of both anxiety and depression in children and adults.

In conclusion exercising is the key to making your life healthier, longer and happier.

Kalyani Verma // Facilitator // Samsara School

Eat Healthy, Live Healthy.

Junk food can be a treat to the taste buds, but the ill effects of these foods are widely known. Its regular consumption can have adverse effects on our health and may cause irreparable damage to the body. Several scientific researchers have proved that Junk food can leave us prone to heart diseases.

Any food that has no or negligible value can be considered as junk food. Most of the fast food  including candy , bakery products, burgers, sausages, salty and oily snacks or soft drinks can be categorized as junk food .They have a high calorie content, salt and fats. The more we consume these, the less is the intake of essential nutrients and vitamins in the body.

Consumption of junk food can lead to a lot of health problems, some of them can be……….

• Increased Obesity
• Loss of memory and learning problems
• Depression
• Inadequate growth and development

We can’t control everything in our life, but we can control what we put in our body. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body, so think twice when you eat.

Pinky Yadav // Facilitator // Samsara School

SAY “NO” TO PLASTIC

 

Why should we say “No” to plastics?

Say No to Plastic because it takes 1000 years to decompose into smaller pieces, which seep down into the soil and release chemicals, which eventually reach the water supply. Manufacturing of plastic bags is harmful to the environment because non-renewable resources are used (petroleum and natural gas).

Here are some simple slogans to say (NO TO  PLASTIC) in any way:-

1) Plastics give a helpful hand, but they are polluting our land!

2) If you are ‘Fantastic’ then do something ‘Drastic’ to cut the ‘Plastic’

3) Go Green, Plastic is Obscene!

4) Handle with care, plastic is everywhere

5) Don’t be drastic; Say “NO” to plastic.

6) Stop bagging the planet – say NO to plastic bags.

7) No plastic is fantastic.

8) 4R’s:- REDUCE, REFUSE, REUSE, RECYCLE PLASTIC BAGS

9) Do not laminate our mother earth!

10) Do something drastic, cut the plastic!

Ms. Neelima  //  French Faculty // Samsara School