Mount Carmel School

Children celebrated ‘Yellow Day’ on 5^th May ’10 with fun-filled activities swinging around the colour- yellow from dressing to decoration and food too. Finger printing and hand printing activities were also done.

The first stage performance of Nursery started with recitation on 6^th May’10. Children recited rhymes with beautiful props; they were enthusiastic and quite confident.

An Ode to the Mother

The students of Preschool made beautiful cards, appreciation scrolls and even jewelry for their beloved mothers out of waste material on ‘Mothers’ Day’ as a meaningful expression of affection t and appreciate to the tireless efforts of their mothers.

22^nd of April has a special connotation for every person on earth, for this is the day when we stop and reflect upon our actions and take some corrective measures for the mistakes that we commit by misusing our resources. The students of Preschool put up a colourful show to mark the Earth Day. Nursery children began the programme by thanking and praising the Lord for the beautiful gift of nature, through the song, “My God Is So Big”. Students of Preparatory recited meaningful, thought-provoking poems. Skit “ Save Trees, Save Yourself” brought the message of protecting our environment by planting trees. Students of class 1 presented a dramatization “ Major Matters, Simple Solutions”, which showed how some easy steps can tackle the problem of our fast depleting resources. In the end, children pledged to keep their surroundings clean and green for a brighter tomorrow. They also did some hand and finger painting activities, along with flower making as a gesture of goodwill and harmony.

The Pre School organizes an impressive, explicable orientation, a verbal and visual tour to the parents of the new students in Nursery and preparatory classes. Headmistress, Mrs. Dickson welcomed the parents with the exhortation to groom their kids as per their talents and skills with a respectful trust on teachers. Co coordinator, Mrs. Bennett encouraged the parents to participate whole heartedly in forging a strong bond with the school. Teachers outlined the working and regulations of the school. The informal interaction between the teachers and the parents opened the lines of communication.

As yet another session came to an end with its share of fun, laughter, activities, outings and competitions, the Pre-School celebrated Graduation Day on 18^th March to mark the occasion. It was a day of reminiscences as the students of Preparatory class got ready to leave the cocoon of Pre-School and transform into beautiful butterflies. Dr. Michael Williams, Provost, Mount Carmel Business School graced the occasion along with his wife, Mrs. Ann Williams. After the welcome address by the Principal, Dr. (Mrs.) N.M. Williams, the Headmistress, Mrs. Dickson appealed to the parents to refrain from making comparisons and to begin the coming session on the right note. Thereafter, the programme began which was a heady blend of riveting performances, soulful singing, heart-warming speeches and exuberant dances. It was blissful to see the students brimming with confidence and enjoying their moment of glory. The young ‘graduates’ received their certificates from the dignitaries, dressed in elegant gowns.

The students of Preschool went to Adventure Eco Club on 27^thand 28^th January. The physical endurance and stamina of the children were put to test in a variety of activities like wall climbing, commando net, river crossing, balancing beam, camel cart ride, tractor ride etc.

The ambience, the fresh, delectable food and the array of games, were to the taste of kids. They were ecstatic to join their teachers in dancing. They enjoyed every moment and express that they look forward to such a picnic next year too.

Christmas season brings with it the spirit of benevolence and joviality. Students of Preschool went to Prem Dham at Najafgarh on 14^th and 15^th December to enliven the lives of children of the orphanage with their bright smiles and lovely gifts. They understood the true reason for celebrating the festival as they sang carols for their friends in the orphanage and praised the Lord for the gift of love.

18^th December was held the promise of lots of fun and frolic. They received gifts from Santa Claus, shared lots of goodies with their friends, sang and danced with gay. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves on this much awaited day.

Childhood – the name itself evokes nostalgia and brings back fond memories of the carefree days when you had all the time in the world to run after butterflies, jump over fences and start dancing at the slightest pretext. The teachers of Preschool made an attempt to relive that golden period through the children’s day programme on 13^th of November.

The special day dawned bright for the little ones as they were welcomed on the gate by the helpers dressed as flowers and cartoon characters. The young ones sat in rapt attention during assembly, full of anticipation. The programme began with an action song “Love Your Friends” which saw teachers dressed in the costume of different countries spreading message of universal brotherhood. The musical skit “The Little Red Hen” had teachers demonstrating their superb acting skills to bring forth the message of sharing and helping each other. The foot-tapping music of ‘Brazil’ became the highlight of the show with teachers dancing animatedly as the students watched, completely mesmerized. The day did not end before presenting yet another treat in the form of a “Puppet Show”. It was a day worth remembering and recalling.

The children of Preschool demonstrated their love and gratitude to their grandparents by dedicating a special event for them on 16^th October’09. After the opening prayer the zealots of Nursery sang “I’ve got joy”. Preparatory children presented a medley, describing the joy of going for a picnic with the grandparents. This was followed by an endearing skit showcasing the bond between a child and his grandfather. It showed how children mirror the emotions and reciprocate the selfless love of the grandparents.

The song “ Grandparents are the most loving gifts” by the junior choir heightened the love bond. The children of class 1 danced to the tune of the song “Shake, Shake Hallelujah” and won the hearts of the audience with their exuberance and vivacity. Mrs. Dickson joined in the festive mood and motivated the kids to sing “I Love You Grandma, Grandpa” and had the audience completely entranced. The Grandparents received certificates and flowers as token of appreciation from the students and were served refreshments. They felt proud to see their grand kids and their schoolmates sing, dance, speak and act with a natural simplicity and ease. They were also touched by the love, respect and honour given to them through this special event.

“The destiny of the child is carved out in the classrooms of the school”. This maxim holds true when the children enjoy the right atmosphere to enhance their confidence and boost their oratorical skills. Fancy Dress Competition for the Nursery students was held on 26^th August ’09. All the children took an active part and were very excited to showcase their talents. The theme of the competition was Cartoon Characters. Children came dressed as Noddy, Donald, Mickey, Tweety, Minnie Mouse and Bob, the Builder. The icing on the cake was Popeye, the Sailor, whose painted face, a pipe and the can of spinach completed the picture. The Props. that they carried added to the impact of the presentation. All the participants were highly appreciated for their efforts.

Preschool celebrated Independence Day on 12^th August. Col. Sharad Chandra Verma the Chief Guest, hoisted the national flag. After the prayer and message by the Principal Dr. (Mrs) N.M. Williams, the tiny tots of Nursery kick started the programme with the song “Kandhon Se Milte Hain Kandhe”.

The little feet marched to the vibrant beats of the inspiring song. The students of Preparatory class enunciated the significance of each band of the tri-colour through a tableau. It gave a glimpse of the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, the message of peace and non-violence by Mahatma Gandhi and the motto of the green revolution “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”. The students of class 1 showcased different events in the history of our country through a dance narrative. The audience was entranced by the exuberant, zealous and colourful dance performances. Col. Verma praised the tremendous effort and hard work put in by both the students and the teachers, calling them ‘little dynamites’. The programme concluded with a prize distribution ceremony where awards for ‘Academic Excellence’ were given away by the Chief guest and the Principal to the young achievers.

10^th July 1972 was the day when Dr. and Mrs. Williams took it upon themselves to nurture and guide the little children, and thus came Mount Carmel School, Anand Niketan into existence. The values that they instilled in the students hold water even today. A colourful programme was put up to commemorate 37 years of the functioning of the school. Nursery children sought the blessing of the Lord through the song “The mercies are falling”. An animated skit presented by the Preparatory Class students focused on sharing our gifts and being compassionate towards our fellow beings. Students of Standard 1 presented a dance and set the stage ablaze by their sheer energy and exuberance. The memorable programme on the memorable event ended with some reminiscences by the Coordinator Mrs. Bennett as she reflected on her experiences over 2 decades in the school.

“Every Day is Earth Day if we are aware of the problems confronting us and we work consistently to alleviate those problems” - This was the message that was conveyed on earth day celebration on 22^nd April. The Solution to the problem of Pollution was enunciated through poems, messages, songs and even through an advertisement. Issues like Global Warming, shortage of essential commodities like water, electricity, petrol, etc were brought to the fore, followed by simple steps that each one of us can take to join hands to protect our precious environment.

The tiny tots, dressed in all finery and carrying artistically made props made a huge impact on the students. An apt end to the programme was the adoption of a plant by each class. The children took pride in sowing the seeds in a pot and making a vow to look after it everyday. The future of our planet is indeed secure in the hands of these committed and conscientious tiny tots.