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Parihara- Live Sustainable Be Sustainable
The HIXS Annual Summit 2024 ‘Parihara- Live Sustainable Be Sustainable’ was celebrated between 26th- 28th September 2024. The theme of this year’s Summit was Sustainability, a word most used of the past decade and hopefully second nature to all of us in the coming years.
Parihara (derived from Sanskrit) signifies correction or rectification of a flaw, or the removal of the difficulty- the perfect title for the 3-day venture that students from several schools embarked upon. Over 250 participants from over 7 schools across the country explored the theme of sustainability through every lens possible spanning across Visual and Performing Arts, STEM, Individual and Societies (History, Geography, Psychology, Business Studies, Economics, Global Perspectives) as well as Languages.
From creating musical instruments out of everyday objects such as buckets and displaying extraordinary installations with sculptures made only from plastic packaging to creating advertisements for sustainable versions of everyday products, each team exhibited the kind of ingenuity and originality that the world needs for a greener future. Students also linked their fields of interest, be it literature or policymaking, with sustainability, presenting riveting research papers.
An entirely collaborative event, the Summit encouraged participants from different schools to work together in their area of interest and create a finished product at the end of three days. All in all, the spirit and values of HIXS certainly showed through Parihara’s unique approach to the theme of sustainability. It was a resounding success with students collaborating with one another to arrive at simple and sustainable solutions.
Explore Parihara 2024
The Grade 7 students recently visited Sariska (Alwar, Rajasthan) as part of their outward bound learning expedition. The trip had everyone bond over physical, interpersonal and reflective activities. This outdoor learning expedition was an extension of the school’s endeavor to provide wholesome development of a child’s personality and to bring the students closer to the real and tangible context of their surroundings. The expedition provided an immersive and captivating experience through adventure and activities that trigger self- awareness, followed by powerful reflection sessions that helped them gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and areas to work upon, forming a clearer picture of who they are.
‘Lafz’- the annual Literature Festival this year witnessed the sheer creativity of our middle and senior school students. Students and teachers came together for three days of literature quizzes, cosplay, panel discussions, drama, debates, and poetry hours. The panel discussions sparked critical thinking, with topics like Shakespeare’s relevance today and the agreeability of literature as an escape. Readers shared insights and recommendations, while the Cosplay event added to the lively atmosphere. Students of Grade 7 participated in a Character Debate involving some interesting & trending topics. The 10th graders delivered a powerful rendition of a scene from “Othello”, leaving the audience spellbound. Self-composed poems received a standing ovation, and a rendezvous with published student authors celebrated the limitless power of words. The festival was a dazzling tribute to creativity and imagination.
Congratulations to Avira Bhatt from Grade 9 and Shivansh Gupta from Grade 10 for their remarkable achievement in qualifying the regional round of the esteemed Oxford Schools’ debate competition in India. Run by the Oxford Union, Oxford Schools’ is the largest British Parliamentary school-level debate competition in the world, aimed at students aged 14-18. Throughout the competition, our students showcased their adeptness in articulating thoughts and structured reasoning across various topics, mirroring the format of the British Parliament. While they didn’t clinch the top spot, reaching the finals amidst stiff competition from 113 teams is indeed commendable. Their involvement in this renowned competition not only highlights their individual talent but also underscores the invaluable benefits of engaging in debating, such as honing critical thinking, and communication as well as self-expression skills. We applaud the dedication and contribution of our educators and students in upholding the rich tradition of fostering intellectual discourse and challenging thought.
The Middle and Senior program students celebrated the HIXS Science Fiesta, an immersive event showcasing scientific exploration’s possibilities. The two-day affair included insightful talks, project exhibitions, symposium games, and quizzes, highlighting academic knowledge and enthusiasm. Middle School students presented an array of captivating projects, engaging games, and intricate models, while Senior Program students showcased notable exhibits like protein models, a water purification system, and a space model. The flameless cooking culinary experience brought a thrilling element to the Science Fiesta, elevating the overall excitement. The event successfully reinforced the importance of scientific inquiry, innovation, and conservation in shaping a sustainable future. Distinguished guests- Ms. Akanksha Sood, natural history filmmaker and career consultant , Mr. Vivek Menon, esteemed Indian Wildlife Conservationist and the founder of the Wildlife Trust of India and Dr. Tiwari, Director and Chief of Conservation for the Wildlife Trust of India & a prominent Wildlife Biologist emphasized the power of rational and scientific thinking. The Science Fiesta was more than an academic event; it celebrated curiosity, innovation, and teamwork. Students gained insights from their peers’ collective creativity in this collaborative endeavor.
Our Grade 9 students visited the National Museum in Delhi in April this year experiencing history come to life through the many artifacts on display. From paintings and murals to jewelry and weaponry, the museum showcased a diverse range of antiquities that highlighted India’s rich and complex past.
The students were enlightened with stories of different eras and rulers. Modern technology added to the immersive experience for children, especially in the North India exhibition. The British exhibition was the highlight for history enthusiasts, which provided a fascinating insight into India’s more recent history broadening their knowledge of our country’s recent past.
It was also intriguing to see the galleries of Thai and Danish culture, which highlighted the role of culture in diplomacy and the importance of cultural exchange between nations. Overall, the National Museum was a captivating and educational experience that left students with a deeper appreciation for India’s rich history and cultural heritage.
The Heritage International Xperiential School, Gurgaon held ‘Lafz – The Annual HIXS Literary Festival’ from 31st January to 4th February 2023, which included various sessions like author visits, panel discussions, drama, debates, literary reviews, and poetry hours for both middle and senior school students. Students participated in events like Cosplay, Declamation, Character Debate, and Spelling Bee. Panel discussions initiated engaging conversations on topics such as separating art from the artist, movie adaptations of literary texts, and Shakespeare’s relevance today. Dr. Gurcharan Das and Ms. Nandita Basu graced the festival with their presence and shared their literary insights with the students, providing a renewed appreciation for the power of the written word.
Making it to the Top 50 rank pan India, Kavish Garg from Grade 11 was recently awarded the prestigious Atlas Scholarship of Rs 10 Lacs towards his education.
The Atlas Fellowship is one of the world’s largest scholarships for students interested in science, philosophy, and the future. It seeks to assist intelligent, thoughtful students in becoming aware of major global changes, thinking clearly about them, and acting on their convictions.
Kavish’s achievement comprises a visit to Oxford University for an 11-day program on innovative leadership to lead his project/ideas.
The entire process included two rounds each of written tests and interviews.
Other students who got shortlisted in the final 200 list are Tvarita Khandelwal (Grade 11), Vrinda Sehgal (Grade 11), Ayaan Dhanuka (Grade 10), and Vedika Pillai (Grade 10). They have been awarded a scholarship grant of 1000 USD towards their education.
The World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) 2022 recently concluded in Bangkok. In the Global Round, HIXS Senior Program students participated with great exhilaration and zeal.
The World Scholar’s Cup is an international team-based academic program that comprises a global celebration of learning, and leadership. Every year, over 15,000 students from over 65 countries participate in WSC.
Our students were encouraged to work in teams while dealing with global issues. There were numerous events, ranging from debates, quizzes, and creative writing to scavenger hunts, social balls, and country fairs, among others. The event provided an enriching opportunity to students that motivated them to not only demonstrate their existing strengths but also to discover new ones.
Shunya- The Beginning or the End
The HIXS Annual Summit 2022 ‘Shunya- The Beginning or the End’ was celebrated from 28th September to 30th September 2022. The theme of this year’s Summit was Climate Change, a very prevalent issue in today’s time.
With over 500 students participating from over 15 international schools across the country, the students came together as a community to address the crisis through Art, Drama, STEM, Slam poetry, and many more areas.
Conceived from the essence of ‘shunya’ (zero) depicting a space where the old no longer exists but the new has not yet emerged, the event provided a platform for the students to address the needs of society and how they, as a community, can be solution focused.
The summit was a resounding success with students collaborating with one another to arrive at simple and sustainable solutions. Led by the Grade 11 students, the summit has shown what young people can achieve if given the opportunity to think, organize and create.
The students led their teams from the front and emerged as critical thinkers, problem solvers, and risk takers. The culmination saw each group’s plans to address the core issue at both micro and macro levels. Indeed Shunya is not an event but a movement that will continue with each member of the community contributing their bit to address this climate crisis.
Khoj is one of the key components of the experiential learning pedagogy at HIXS. It is based on the principles and pedagogy of Outward Bound, a philosophy of education and learning initiated by educator Kurt Hahn who employed outdoor adventure as a method of inculcating leadership, perseverance, craftsmanship and survival skills, teamwork, compassion and responsibility for the common good.
Khoj is aimed at: developing character in children through challenge, adventure and service; motivating them to achieve more than they ever thought possible and to show compassion for others; and helping them engage actively with the world around them.
Khoj 2022 Grade 8 Khoj 2022 Grade 5
The objective of this expedition was to nudge our Grade 7 students to acknowledge the diversity that surrounds them by exploring the backgrounds and lives of people in their own community. They captured digital portraits of respondents and learnt how to create a photo journalistic magazine documenting the life-stories of the respondents. In the classroom, curriculum themes across disciplines like Science, Math, Languages and Global Perspectives were integrated into the expedition. The culmination product was an eBook created by students that build a mosaic of portraits that depicts Gurgaon’s transition and how it sits at the intersection of rural and urban and the local and global, by looking at the true diverse cross section of individual stories as “case studies”. Students were deeply impacted and started taking note of and uncovering the layers and segments that form our community.
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The guiding questions for this expedition were -What is health and what all do I need to know about my body, to understand health? What is a disease and how is it caused (Poverty, hygiene, inequality)? What is its prevention/mitigation? Are health services available to all in India? What is the urban vs rural scenario? How do I determine if someone is healthy- physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, socially? The end-product was an Adolescence Health Guide.
The big ideas for this 6th Grade expedition were that the geography of a place (rocks, minerals, soil, water bodies, plant and animal life) has a deep influence on the way of life, culture, beliefs and identity of its inhabitants. The guiding questions were – How are traditions/ rituals, beliefs, stories, language connected to the geography and natural resources of a place? How can I use my own cultural context to appreciate other cultures? The end product was a virtual museum with an array of ancient artefacts from around the world, researched by students.
This initiative aimed at bringing out the hidden artists in the under privileged students. 150 children from 8 charity schools participated with enthusiasm to display their artistic skills. A 3-month long training programme was conducted by the IBDP students in the 8 schools over weekends.
A sports awareness programme, ‘Run Together Grow Together’ was dedicated to marathon running. Students of IBDP trained children from under privileged schools in athletic running. The 2 month long programme included training session during week ends and concluded with a 5 km marathon race.
The project aimed at familiarizing the learners with the concept of judicious use of the available resources and working towards sustainable development.
The program to teach students of under privileged schools tackling the limitations of resources and infrastructure. Above all the aim remained to generate empathy in the learners.
The VFC project connects parents with students eager to learn who do not have any steady medium to do so. We connect these students from various schools (government schools etc) and facilitate learning through calls by explaining concepts and creating worksheets for deeper understanding. Lesson plans are made by student volunteers and parents and classes are taken over the phone.
Students of grade 11 IBDP have initiated an Ecology Sustenance Project to spread awareness about the importance of saving our planet and to put all our ideas to action. To spread the awareness, they have created a project website where they have started initiating discussions and updating blogs. Their most recent initiative includes a forum discussion where they encourage everyone to help spread the word by adding pictures, videos etc. of their green spaces using the hashtag- #GreenSpace.
This is an initiative by Abhay Anand and Krish Aggarwal of 11th grade IBDP, to teach students from grades 9 – 11th about the Graphic Display Calculator, which from their experience has been a challenge for many students. They make weekly videos on the various applications of mathematics using technology and also run a website named ‘KrAb GDC’ where they can post resources like practise sheets, and allow a more interactive and engaging experience for students.
Spread the rainbows is an initiative by Sargun Saluja, Arnav Vaidyanathan and Myra Alawadhi. This project has been initiated to ensure that the LGBTQIA+ community can express itself freely and feel proud of their identity. It also debunks myths related to the community and gives sole importance to rebuking homophobia.
The Healing Touch Project is being led by Aryan Arora along with Aryan Rana, Dhun Nishchal, Satvik Narang and Ananya Saxena. The goal for the Healing Touch Project was to provide food and medical supplies to the Earth Saviours Foundation, located in the Bandhwari Village.
Grade 12 History students of the Class of 2022 (Tisya Bharti, Tiesta Dangwal, Tanishqa Bedi, Manan Deo Singh, Avanti Sethi, and Aadya Mitra) present the first podcast of Heritage International Xperiential School – Uncloaking History. This podcast is a casual dialogue between the past and present, aiming to ‘uncloak’ the world of history, covering time periods from ancient to modern in episodes of not more than 40 minutes. 5 episodes of this podcast have been released so far. Each episode includes a thorough background about the topic and immersive discussions about different perspectives, timelines and opinions.
‘Uncloaking History’ allows students to share their passion for history and the many components of it while attempting their best to educate listeners about these important events which have played a part in shaping the world in a thought provoking and interactive way. The Podcast will also create an opportunity for younger students to express themselves and participate in this initiative while also aiding them with CAS experiences.
To hear the first episode of this Podcast click below-
What Is History?
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