Happy Valentine’s Day from the happy children of Happy Children’s Library! And with our love come some updates for the month.

Math and English classes

2019 began in earnest as a sunny new year with sessions in the sun — tuitions in Maths and English on a regular basis. Over the school winter break, 50-52 children from Classes 3 to 9 attended regularly

• 

• 

• 

• 

Navodaya coaching

This year, 8 children (5 from Seem and 3 from Siltona and Bichnai) are planning to take the entrance examination for admissions to Navodaya Vidhyalaya in Suyalbari, Nainital. The exam is scheduled on 06 April 2019, and coaching for these kids in two batches has also started.

Workshop on the Human Skeleton

Ashutosh Upadhyaya and Ashish Kandpal of Alliance For Science, New Delhi conducted a two day workshop titled ‘Anubhav Aadharit Bal Vigyan Karyashala’ on 9th and 10th Jan at the Seem library. Their aim is to make science education fun by making working models mainly out of waste and easily available materials and explaining the principles of science based on experiential learning.

In addition to teaching children about the human skeleton or ‘Kankal Tantra’ on the first day, the workshop also included wall magazine making or ‘Deewar Patrika’ on the second day. About 54 children from Seem, Dhon, Bamaton, Jogyari, Byasi, Bichnai and Siltona participated with full josh on both days!

Day 1: Kankal Tantra or Human Skeleton

(10 AM – 4 PM with a midday snack break)

The participants were divided into 10 groups and each was provided with materials for making a model of the human skeleton out of cardboard. They were first told about the skeleton and its parts, and then were made to cut out various shapes like bones after tracing them on waste cardboard.

These parts were then assembled using screws, thus generating lifelike models. Finally, each group had to present their model and explain its working.

This was a very good learning experience for the kids and they are free to take their skeletal models to show and explain them in their schools once they reopen. Two teachers from Greenfield School, Siltona and one trainee from Seem also participated as potential resource persons for future workshops.

Day 2: Deewar Patrika or Wall Magazine

(10 AM – 4 PM with a midday snack break)

On the 2^nd day, the children were explained how a newspaper or magazine is developed and published, what the main parts of a newspaper are and what the editorial board is. They were then divided into three groups and asked to choose the name of their Deewar Patrika, and then write articles, poems and drawings etc. to be compiled and published by their editorial team.

It was really heartening to see the enthusiasm that the kids showed in compiling their magazine – in fact, many an artist or poet has been discovered! The workshop concluded with the children assuring the trainers that they would publish such a patrika regularly and the trainers in turn promising to return for another session during the summer vacations.

We look forward to organizing many such workshops and interactions on a regular basis!

• 

• 

• 

• 

•