Srian - Author, Illustrator - your very first story by you

Title - Fighting War with Love By Shreeyansh Sarkar Once upon a time, there were soldiers in the mountains. This was Indian Army. The captain’s name was King Cobra. He was very brave, strong and was blind. They were there to protect our country. One soldier hoisted our Indian Flag. Then the war started. The enemies attacked India and had come from South America. There was a lot of fight with bombs, and guns, and fire all over. In Indian Army, some soldiers were very clever. Even though Captain was blind, he was very brave, could hear well and had a very sharp mind. Slowly, the clever Indian soldiers reduced the enemy soldiers from South America by putting up a tough fight. King Cobra then said – “Stop, Can we be friends? Let us use our mind power to solve this problem. Why are we fighting? If we become friends, we will be stronger” The Captain of South America was Captain MiscamCham. King Cobra from Indian Army invited him to shake hands. Two of the thieves enemies from South America did not want to be friends, so Captain Cobra thought, used his mind and came up with a brilliant idea. He did a funny dance to make them laugh, sang a funny song and made funny faces. The song he sang was – Hills and Mountains Says a Man, I am puck puck puck Finally, they all became friends and joined hands to become a team. Then one day enemies from Sri Lanka came to attack. They had 100 soldiers. But now South America and Indian Armies were friends and they together had 125 soldiers. They were now a team and fought together against Sri Lanka and won over them. Everyone was then happy and the sun came out behind the mountains and was shining…Sun God was very happy and had tears seeing the teamwork and the snow started melting with the beautiful weather for the soldiers. All the soldiers then together had fun. Lessons learnt from Story 1. Join together and become one to solve problems 2. Be Good and love all

Srian's first day at school - Mumma's anxiety

From: Anu Sarkar [mailto:anu.sarkar@db.com] Sent: 19 July 2011 05:52 To: srideep office; tanuvishwas@yahoo.com; Vishwas Sharma; chandan mukherji; Chandra, Kavita (Customer Segregation); Subir Chandra; suparna79@yahoo.com; suparna79@yahoo.co.in Subject: Shreeyansh @ The Thinking Box [I] Classification: For internal use only Dear All It is with great pleasure that I share with you Shreeyansh is slowly getting adjusted to his new school . As most of you know it was his first day yesterday and he did cry but I got a lovely message from his school that they are proud of him as he was not as bad as it could get. My heart breaks to leave him crying and I am hoping for the day when he says "bye" to me with a broad smile on his face and i am sure that day will come soon I am attaching 2 pictures of shreeyansh yesterday. His first day at school and he was so happy to carry his own bag. Today also he was very excited till the time I left and then he cried. But the report today is that he was not bad and did cry but managed well . So, I know some of you are very anxious, hopefully this will make you feel better Finally, I am delighted to share the blog that his school has created for our little angel and you can use these log in details to see how his day was like today. School will continue to update this blog so we know what all is he doing in his school. Enjoy ....I almost had tears in my eyes to see these pictures...... All of you are dads and mums and nothing is new for you but as you can imagine , this is a new chapter of our lives....A transition which is as big for us as it is for our srian.......So, I am so happy that his school captures these moments for us and this is a true treasure for us as he grows up.....Hope you have fun watching your little one. Thanks for your wishes and continue to give him your blessings Cheers Srideep and Anu Finally , Srideep - I miss you so much and I am sure how much you are missing these days not being witt your darling...But don't worry. I will try my best to capture all his special moments and look forward to seeing you soon. _______________________________ V cute pics luks like he is v tense on his first day n thnkn whr m I going?feels like hugging him tite!he is a swthrt n a smart kid m sure he will not take mch time to adjust in the new environment given the fact that sing schools hav best play schools!keep sending us more n we will access his blog often!Guess abhi they hav not uploaded mch on his blog!isn't it? - masi _________________ Hi Anu, First of all can't believe the little boy has grown so big. Oh the pictures were just amazing. It looked like he really enjoyed carrying his bag and wouldn't let anyone hold it for him. I must say he is an independent boy. I can understand your feelings. We were in the same boat when Niki joined her school. It is a very emotional experience for parents especially when it your first child. Lot of mums/dad end up crying seeing their children going to school. I was one of them. Give Sreeyansh a couple of days and soon he will settle down & will be excited to go to school. The days are not far when he wouldn't want to come back home. Will log the blog from home tonight... Regards, Kavita ________________________ Those pics are fab…. Made me live almost every moment . Spoke to so many people on that – also bored Chandan. Kavita, that was a really sweet note. Srideep

Why Mumma Works Srian?

Dear All - attached email fyi. Have received a few emails from people who attended my session in Bangalore but wanted to share this one However, while taking the award I mentioned about my family (parents, siblings, husband, inlaws), so pls dont take it to your hearts as you see "father " in the email. However, I did a long passionate conversation with a few students about how to follow your dreams when your parents are conservative esp in context of father not understanding and thats when i gave examples of my darling dad who has always given us 1 message - "Dream Big" . i am not sure I can ever make Srian think so big as much as Papa made us. Yes, the outcome of that gave him more stress at every stage of that life and making rahul dream big is an example of why his stress continues. But I am sure this will get over too and he will be a proud father once Rahul picks up a good job My conversation was overheard by a few people there and guess that's where this email. Papa, it is really you who showed us BIG dreams right from the start, without telling us daughters cannot do certain things, Mum always supported those dreams and was a friend to us when we were not sure we can meet your expectations and helped us sail through. I am lucky to have parents like you. My luck continued when I got married to someone so supportive like Srideep who derives his happiness by seeing me fulfilling my parents dream and who silently invests his energy on my career more than his. One friend in my condo mentioned that srideep puts your photos everywhere on facebook when you get an award/ speak at a conference and he almost sounds like a proud father to you...(because very rarely you come across such proud husband) and then cant end this without thanking srideep's parents who have played an equally supporting role in helping me take this forward and supporting srideep to support me....... So, yes my theme of the discussion at the conference was that I am lucky...and if their is any one motivator for me to take all the crap/ stress at work, it is not that am career oriented, but i feel delighted when i see that PRIDE in the eyes of everyone in my family I will share this with Srian as he grows up and I am sure he will thank me and understand why I dont spend 100% of my time with him Kind regards, Anu Sarkar In response to Kamal Kumar Chand 07/09/2011 11:54 AM Hi Anu, It was great hearing you during the Asia Pacific HRM congress at the Taj at Bangalore last week. “Diversity at DB” was interesting and your thought did make me think. Hearing your appreciations for your Father I am definitely keen to meet him too. Whenever you are in Bangalore please do give a call. I look forward to meet you again. Warm Regards, Kamal Kumar Chand HR Head – BPO India Xchanging XchangingTowers, SJR iPark, EPIP Area, Whitefield Bangalore - 560 066. India.

Shreeyansh @The Thinking box - My first school

Shreeyansh – July 26 2011 Update Shreeyansh has settled in very well this week – we are so proud of our newest addition to The Thinking Box community We’ve learned about jungle animals and their habitats and learned lots about how they make their homes. We practiced our numeracy skills with different kinds of manipulatives. We also learned about the Merlion and it’s place in Singapore’s history and created some beautiful artwork with it in preparation for National Day which is coming up on August 9th We’ve forged new friendships and established a good rapport with all the teaching staff. Wonderful work Shreeyansh! Shreeyansh – August 11 Update Shreeyansh has been making friends and working together with his classmates beautifully It’s great to see him integrate into the group so well! Here is enjoying shapes, storytime, playing together and making a Merlion for National Day! Shreeyansh has been having a fantastic time these past 2 weeks doing the following activities to promote active learning about our environment: • leaf art and how important leaves are to the earth • blowing and how air affects thing around us • exploring activities and chores in the house We also worked some activities to encourage the children to learn more about Singapore’s National Day which was celebrated last week. Hope you enjoy these photos Shreeyansh – End of Term Update Shreeyansh Sarkar – Term 3 2011 August 24 2011 Shreeyansh has settled in beautifully this term with our support, guidance and encouragement. He takes pride in helping to keep his environment neat and tidy especially during dismissal periods. E.g. he helps to push in the chairs, pack away puzzle pieces and clean the tables. He enjoys performing these activities which have enhanced his gross motor skills and independence and as a result boosted his self-esteem. He has certainly developed a good sense of will power and improved concentration skills. He demonstrates great interest in story time and music and movement in which we celebrate all time. Overall, he is a pleasant child well liked by all his friends and teachers. It has been a great delight accompanying Shreeyansh on his educational journey and we look forward to seeing him in Term 4! Teacher Sherrie Shreeyansh’s – First Day of Term 4 Sept 12 2011 Shreeyansh settled back in beautifully today after the short holiday break and remembered his friends! He has firmly established his rapport with Teacher Sherrie and enjoyed all the activities today Well done Shreeyansh! Do check the recent postings for information on the numeracy theme for the next three weeks of Term Shreeyansh – Sept 16 2011 Update It’s been a fantastic week for Shreeyansh who has really enjoyed learning about counting and learning about bubbles! We practiced lots of words including blow, high, pop, burst, wet, big, small, round and fly when playing with the bubbles Shreeyansh – Sept 27th Update Sept 27 2011 Shreeyansh has thoroughly enjoyed the counting and letters unit we’ve been working on and has learned many important facts about numbers and letter in our world. We developed Shreeyansh’s understanding of numbers by introducing him to the 3 forms numbers which are represented by: 1. Symbol – the actual number form 2. Language - the name and word for the number 3. Concrete/Object - a pictorial form Using this format, Shreeyansh has demonstrated an emerging ability to count the numbers zero through to five developing a sense of one to one correspondence – knowing each number independent of others. One to one correspondence means a child can point to the number 3, say three and show 3 counters. In early childhood, some children may count from 1-10 but randomly point to a number as they say the numbers (which may not be that number) or may even point to one number more than once – here they have not yet developed the one to one correspondence. We used many hands on materials and activities which were used to reinforce each number – its symbol, name and representation. Like the alphabet, children may be able to count by rote but it is more important that they can distinguish each number on its own. We also focused on learning to sequence numbers. The sequence to learning number follows a pattern to help Shreeyansh develop a good understanding of each number and its place. Shreeyansh learned the numbers 0 – 5 with lots of reinforcement with activities and games. Shreeyansh is now interested in numbers! Shreeyansh – Oct 4th 2011 October 4th 2011 We’ve had a great time with our numeracy and literacy focus and we hope you enjoy these photos of Shreeyansh in action exploring our materials! It’s been a fantastic week and we’ve explored many interesting activities such as • gardening together • cooperative play with friends • family trees • homes and houses • painting • shapes and colours Shreeyansh has had a fantastic time and we hope you enjoy this picture portfolio! Shreeyansh – End of Term 4 Update! Nov 15 2011 Teacher Sherrie says… Shreeyansh is a cheerful team player in class and interacts well with the Teachers and his classmates. He cherishes bonding time with all his friends and teachers and looks forward to it each day. His bubbly and easygoing nature is very often admired and appreciated. Shreeyansh exhibits sensitivity towards the feelings of those around him and displays tactfulness by providing moral support to ease situations. He is also an affectionate buddy who expresses love and concern generously. On many occasions, he has been supportive to his friends in need. Through diligent facilitation in the classroom, Shreeyansh has learned that biting/hitting are not acceptable and these behaviours have been largely eliminated. This has been an excellent way for him to learn impulse control and we are pleased to report that he has matured greatly in this respect Overall, he shines as a learner who respects the following attributes mastered through his work cycle - love for work, power of attention and independence. It’s been a great pleasure to have Shreeyansh with us at The Thinking Box and we look forward to nurturing his potential in the coming term! Season’s Greetings from all of us at The Thinking Box! Shreeyansh – Jan 26 2012 Update! Jan 26 2012 It’s been fantastic to have Shreeyansh back in class – he has settled right back into the swing of things in Teacher Sherrie’s class. He greeted his friends enthusiastically and instantly remembered the classroom environment. He liked seeing familiar faces and also helped to welcome some of the new faces in his class by smiling and playing with them. Great to have you back Shreeyansh Hope you like this photos of Shreeyansh back in action at The Thinking Box! Photo Update! Feb 3 2012 Hope you enjoy these photos of Shreeyansh in action this week Feb 10 2012 Update Feb 10 2012 Exploring countries and cultures has been fun in class. We have: 1. Talked with the children about how different music sounds: loud, soft, fast, or slow. 2. Listened to the different types of instrument from around the world. 3. Looked at lots of photos and illustrations of children, families, animals and houses from all parts of the world. 4. Learned about different cultural outfits & accessories worn by the children from all around the world. 5. Observed differences among people. 6. Learned to classify and sort based on color and size. E,g, hair texture, eye shape, and other physical characteristics. Some of us even came to class in our national dress which was fun to see! Feb 24 2012 Theme Update Feb 24 2012 Forging Friendships Theme [Weeks 7-9] We’ve been exploring the concept of Friendships with our class this week and will be focusing on this till the end of term. Here is an outline of our learning objectives, books we’ll be reading and songs we’ll be singing! Scroll right down for photos:-) Learning Objectives: • Celebrate the joys of making friends and embracing one another´s differences that makes each one of us so special. • Enhance social contact with friends in multiple settings to promote social, emotional and intellectual development of all participants. • Aid children to feel good about themselves, adapt more easily to changes and build on their self-confidence. • Promote the idea that society members work with one another to make life better for all and to reinforce on the importance of team work. Mar 2 Photo & Theme Update! March 2 2012 We’ve had a great week at The Thinking Box in Teacher Sherrie’s class continuing with our Forging Friendships Theme! Please scroll down for photos of Shreeyansh in action during the week He’s had a fantastic time! Our Learning Objectives: • Establish a family-like classroom where learning takes place naturally in an atmosphere of co-operation rather than a competitive environment. • Older children share their knowledge with the younger ones while reinforcing their own learning. • Provide children with the opportunity to experience positive leadership and develop a strong sense of responsibility and self worth. • Social growth abounds as the children interact with each other on a daily basis through learning and playing. • Learning to respect one another’s pace and recognize affections as friendship develops. Activities we engaged in • Friends matching card • Birthday chart • Voices of friends • Rainbow fish activities (e.g. sharing, caring, forgiving ? social skills) • Model kind and generous behaviours to help gain confidence and trust in their abilities to explore and learn from their environment. • Shreeyansh – End of Term 1 2012 Update! • Shreeyansh has evolved into an active learner and curious little boy over this past term. He learns readily now and participates enthusiastically in all form of activities. He has a sound foundation in pre-literacy due to his great interest in listening to stories and looking at books in the classroom now. His pronunciation is good and he has a wide vocabulary which he uses fluently. Shreeyansh’s reasoning and thinking skills are very good for his age. Being an active and interested child, Shreeyansh likes to try new techniques and materials and is always curious about things around him. He really enjoys his Mandarin lessons and has been picking up vocabulary easily. • Being a keen learner, Shreeyansh picks up concepts and ideas related to our themes readily. He especially enjoys literacy and numeracy based activities. He takes a lot of pride in his work and undertakes activities quite seriously. Shreeyansh enjoys playing in the playground, completing puzzles, doing his artwork and exploring storybooks. He is always interested in learning how to playing new games to explore the alphabet and numbers. Shreeyansh understands instructions very well and even helps his friends to understand what is required from them. • Shreeyansh has made great strides with regards to his social emotional development this term and is a more mature and secure little boy. It’s certainly been a joyful experience watching Shreeyansh mature so much during his time with us from a shy little boy to a confident, helpful and sociable boy. We will continue to nurture and support Shreeyansh’s development by providing opportunities for him to acquire the knowledge and skills he needs to be a successful learner. Well done Shreeyansh! March 30 2012 Update! We are so proud of Shreeyansh for settling in so seamlessly into Term 2! We will continue to support his development socially-emotionally to ensure his happiness and well-being during his time with us. He has done a good job of mingling and playing with his classmates. He has certainly enjoyed his first week with us learning about sharing and caring as part of our theme on Manners for Term 2. He has also had a fantastic time in our beautiful new playground! Well done Shreeyansh April 19 2012 Update! Teacher Sherrie’s class has had a busy and fruitful week. Shreeyansh particularly enjoyed the songs this week and participated enthusiastically which was lovely to see Learning Objectives this week were to: • Develop skills such as practicing good manners, sharing, taking turns, following rules and showing respect for other people and their property. • Promote sense of self-confidence, independence, participation in group activities. • Enhance expression of feelings and the ability to focus on basic emotional and social competencies. • Show a sense of self-respect, information, demonstrating self-control and a developing a sense of personal responsibility. • Teaching Children Greetings and Good-byes • At The Thinking Box, we understand that conversational skills are the foundation for making friends and interacting with adults. Greetings and good-byes are very important aspects of a conversation since greetings set the tone for the conversation and good-byes leave a final impression. We also believe you can never start these good social habits too early and start working on this skill with our little conversationalists by 18 months. Shreeyansh – April 27 2012 Update! Teaching Children Greetings and Good-byes At The Thinking Box, we understand that conversational skills are the foundation for making friends and interacting with adults. Greetings and good-byes are very important aspects of a conversation since greetings set the tone for the conversation and good-byes leave a final impression. We also believe you can never start these good social habits too early and start working on this skill with our little conversationalists by 18 months. This week we have been focusing on the critical components of greetings and good-byes and provides ways to practice these skills on a daily basis. We hope that you will take some of these ideas on board and practice with your child on a regular basis to reinforce the home-school connection which is so vital to daily development Tricky Components of Greetings and Good-byes 1. Wording – Many different words and phrases are used in introductions and greetings. The variations can be confusing for children who have a hard time generalizing skills. For example, “Hello” and “How are you?” for greetings or “Good-bye” and “Bye” for endings. Additionally, less common phrases or more subtle cues can be very difficult to recognize. For example, “I heard the bell,” or “It is getting late.” 2. Context – Children need to understand greetings and good-byes with regards to context. Two main determinates of context are the person being addressed and the setting of the encounter. For example, “Good morning.” and “Hey there!” are both greetings, but they are appropriate for different people. The same can be said for “Have a nice day.” and “See you later!” In addition to judging context with regards to the individual, children must also understand context with regards to settings. For example, a classroom friend or familiar aunt may be greeted in a less formal manner than a Teacher or someone you are meeting for the first time. 3. Body Language – A glance from a familiar person, an outstretched hand to shake, and an approaching person are ways people engage conversations. These ‘pre-greeting’ behaviors may be understood naturally by some children but other children may need direct instruction in this area. Thinking Box Strategies for Teaching Components of Greetings and Good-byes Include variety- Activities at The Thinking Box addressing greetings and good-byes include a variety of wording as well as people and situations. Variety helps children generalize the skills to new settings and people. This is one of the great advantages of our setting – there are many people to practice with Discussions – We prepare children for an upcoming greeting by letting them know what will occur and reminding them how to respond. For example, “I am going to introduce you to our new Japanese Teacher. Please remember to say, ‘Hello, nice to meet you.” If a conversation has occurred that a child had difficulty with, review the situation. For example, “Charlotte, I think when Auguste picked up his bag he was starting to end the conversation. Next time, ask him if he has to leave.” Additionally, we always praise children to encourage the correct behaviour and we are sure to be specific about what they did correctly. For example, “Jane, you did a nice job of saying ‘Good morning’ to Teacher Chin Chin.” [ even if she's not your class teacher ] Role plays – This is a favourite activity at The Thinking Box! We have children role play situations with a variety of wording and body language. We role play with peers and adults and use different words and settings for the role play. Role play is a fun way to teach new phrases, body language cues, and appropriate responses in a comfortable environment. We hope you found these ideas useful and helpful! Enjoy the photos! May 11 Photo Update! Hope you enjoy these photos of Shreeyansh in action during Teacher Sherrie’s class this week! May 17 2012 Update! It’s been another fun-filled week in Teacher Sherrie’s classroom developing great classroom habits for good learning and good hygiene Shreeyansh has been enjoying himself! We’ve done the following activities in class this week! Role play activities: • Putting on shoes independently. • Arranging the book shelves neatly. • Disinfecting the materials after use. • Folding small blankets and packing away pillows after nap. • Learning to wash our hands correctly. • Learning to listen actively • Learning to participate actively in story-time We explored the following books in class this week…. • How to Speak Politely & Why - Munro Leaf • Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s – Peggy Post • Let’s Have a Tea Party!: Special Celebrations for – Emilie Barnes We’ve been learning the following songs in class this week…. Germ Attack! Caroline and Danny Every time I cough or sneeze There are germs that come out of me There is something I have found So I don´t spread those germs around Germ attack (germ attack) I must fight back (repeat) Germ, germ, germ, germ, germ attack. When I sneeze or cough in my hand Where I touch germs will land I put my arm across my face So those germs don’t fly out in space Germ attack (germ attack) I must fight back (repeat) Germ, germ, germ, germ, germ attack. The Hand Washing Song Oh it´s time to wash your hands, Time to wash your hands Time to wash, oh wash your hands So turn on the water, turn on the water and Wet, wet, wet, wet your hands Soap, soap, soap, get some soap Soap, soap, soap, get some soap And rub rub rub rub rub, oh rub rub rub rub rub Rub your hands, oh rub your hands Rub rub rub rub rub, rub rub rub rub rub Rub rub rub rub rub your hands Now rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse off the soap, and Turn off the water, turn off the water Now get a towel, towel towel towel, and Dry, dry, dry, dry your hands And throw the towel away. Here´s What You Do Do and You Don´t Do When You Go to Use the Bathroom Here´s what you do do and you don´t do when you go to use the bathroom Here´s what you do do and you don´t do when you go to use the bathroom You do get permission from your teacher to go You don´t walk fast or go too slow You do use the bathroom so you feel better You don´t play by yourself or with others You do use your manners and wait your turn You don´t push or pull you could get hurt You do use the bathroom to go one or two You don´t stay there when you are through (Chorus) You do knock on the door to be polite You don´t just walk in, that´s not right You do close the lid after you´re done You don´t leave it up that could hurt someone You do flush and cleanup before you leave You don´t make a mess for germs to breed Boys do lift the toilet seat when you go one You don´t leave it up when you are done (Chorus) You do wash your hands when you´re done You don´t need a lot of towels you just need one Do do do do do do do do do do do do Yeah! Home follow-up ideas: Wash your hands! Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of illness. Germs from coughing, rubbing the eyes, nose and mouth can be spread to other people by the hands. Hand washing helps decrease the number of germs that can be spread. Clean hands on the go. While washing hands with soap and water is best, hand sanitizers are very useful when there is no access to running water, such as in the car, on the playground and in the classroom. They’re safe to use for all ages; however younger children may need to be closely supervised so they don’t put their hands in their mouths or rub their eyes before the sanitizer evaporates. June 29 2012 Update! Friday, June 29 2012 It’s been a fantastic first week back at The Thinking Box and we are so glad to have Shreeyansh still on board with us! Everyone has settled in beautifully and all our little Thinking Box veterans have been helpful and patient and very good at making their new friends comfortable. The theme for Term 3 2012 prenursery is “All About Me” and we will be spending the next two weeks of term exploring Body Parts. The children have had a very interesting time getting to know each other and Shreeyansh has been especially interested in his new friends Heads, shoulders, knees and toes… knees and toes! We played fun games aimed at teaching the parts of the body all week. The whole class gave these games a big thumbs up! We learned about different parts of the body and their functions. Skin and bones and internal organs were never so much fun! Shreeyansh really liked “The Body Parts Song” which we sang during the week – the words are under his photos below. Hope you enjoy these photos of Shreeyansh in action :-) Parts of the Body Song Lyrics These are the parts of my body From my head to my toes I’m gonna move each body part And say it, here we go I move my head I move my eyes I move my nose I move my ears I move my mouth I move my neck I move my shoulders I move my stomach I move my arms I move my elbows I move my hands I move my fingers I move my legs I move my knees I move my feet I move my toes July 6 2012 Update! Teacher Sherrie’s Newton Class THEME: All About Me! – Body Parts Learning Objectives: • Ÿ Develop a natural curiosity and an understanding of the surrounding environment. • Ÿ Identify the major body parts and their five senses. • Ÿ Observe and recognize differences in the environment using all of the five senses. • Ÿ Promote understanding about the world around them and how they are connected. • Ÿ Children will recognize that each person is special and learn to appreciate their differences. The children explored body parts via a variety of art, craft and social activities which involved helping each other trace around everyone’s hands and feet, comparing sizes, learning about how tall we are and doing lots of body part recognition games like “Simon Says, touch your neck!”, “Simon Says, put a band-aid on your thumb!” We’ve had fun and learned a lot this week We are very proud of Shreeyansh’s achievements in class Have a great weekend ahead! July 13 2012 Update! Friday July 13 2012 Fun with Body Parts! Shreeyansh has done beautifully this week again. He is helpful and participative and eager to learn and regulates well with his classmates. He has especially enjoyed the sensory exercises we did to learn about the 5 senses. Well done Shreeyansh! Learning objectives this week included: Gaining a basic understanding of the names and locations of body parts. Children learned about the various senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and hearing while additionally learning which parts of the body work in accordance with each senses. Ÿ Promoting understanding of taking care of our body, through simple exercises and eating healthy food. Ÿ Appreciating one another’s uniqueness and learning that we all come in different sizes and shapes! Role play activities that we did this week to explore our senses included: Sense of Touch: Ÿ Sock search – We set out a pile of socks of different colours and invited each child to sort the socks by colour into pairs. Loud & Soft: ŸWe set out a variety of items that make different noises such as a bell, a drum, two pan lids, a radio. Each child was encouraged to make their own loud and soft sounds on the various items – this was a favourite activity! Flower Smell Test ŸWe set out 3 or 4 fragrant flowers in four glasses of water. Children may smell each flower and tell you which flower aroma they like the best. Everyone enjoyed this activity and had lots of fun taking turns to smell the flowers Taste Test ŸWe encouraged each child to name which snacks of theirs are sweet, sour or salty which was an interesting learning game to play at snack time! July 20 2012 Photo Update! Shreeyansh is doing very well in class and really enjoying the current theme of Body Parts. He is confident and well behaved and is a great role model – good boy Shreeyansh! July 26 2012 Update! We’ve had a great time in Teacher Sherrie’s class this week Here is summary of some the activities we all enjoyed and some of the books and songs we explored! Shreeyansh has really enjoyed himself and has been an active participant. He is so much more confident and increasingly helpful in class which is great to see! He has certainly matured a lot over the past year Learning Objectives: • Development of aesthetic sense and building up of voluntary movements. • Exercise sense of discrimination and judgement. • Aid children in classifying the things around them. • Promote clear, conscious, information and to be able to then make classifications in his environment. Activities: • Texture Collages (Sight, Touch) • Wet or Dry (Touch) Have the children touch a variety of different fabrics that are wet (with water) and dry. Have the children guess whether they are wet or dry. • Magnifying Fun Provide the children with a magnifying glass and a variety of objects such as coins, leaves, bugs, etc. Children can look at the fingerprints with the magnifying glass. Books we explored: • You Smell? Mary Murphy • My Five Senses – Margaret Miller • The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses – Joanna Cole Songs we sang: Five Senses (Tune: B-I-N-G-O) There are five senses that we all know, Can you help us name them? See, hear, taste, touch, smell See, hear, taste, touch, smell See, hear, taste, touch, smell These are our five senses! Discovering My World (sung to the tune of ?You Are My Sunshine?) I have five senses. Five helpful senses, Teaching me all things I want to know. I use my eyes, ears, Mouth, nose, and fingers To discover the world as I grow! Happy Senses (fingerplay) (stand and point to the body parts as they are mentioned) Eyes, eyes-they can see. Nose, nose-it can smell. Fingers, fingers-they cantouch. Hip, hip, hooray! I?m happy! (dancing and spinning) Teeth, teeth-they can chew. Tongue, tongue-it can taste. Finger, fingers-they can touch. Hip, hip, hooray! I?m happy! (dancing and spinning) Splendid Senses (sung to the tune of “The Bear Went Over the Mountain”) My (eyes) are made for (seeing). My (eyes) are made for (seeing). My (eyes) are made for (seeing). So I can (see) my world. August 3rd 2012 Update! Shreeyansh has completed another great week at The Thinking Box! August 16 2012 Update! Teacher Sherrie’s class has continued with our theme of All About Me and we have been focusing on “My Family & Friends”. Shreeyansh’s verbal confidence and attention in class has been great to see – good boy Shreeyansh Learning Objectives: • Understanding differences between living and non-living objects. • Verbalize or point to the similarities or differences among family members. • Enhance observational and discrimination skills. • Develop a scientific connection between themselves and their families. Our Thinking Box classroom has been busy having discussions about all of our: • Favourite places • Favourite activities • Favourite books • Favourite games/sports • Favourite animals Some of the books we’ve explored include: The Relatives Came – Cynthia Rylant Who’s In A Family – Robert Skutch Houses and Homes (Around the World Series) – Ann Morris The Happy Hocky Family – Lane Smith You are My I Love You – Maryann Remember Me – Margaret Wild Songs that we’ve been singing in class include: A Family Fingerplay This is a family hold up one hand, fingers spread Let’s count them and see, How many there are, And who they can be count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 This is the mother touch pointer finger Who loves everyone And this is the father touch big finger Who is lots of fun. This is my sister touch ring finger She helps and she plays, And this is the baby touch little finger He’s growing each day. But who is this one? touch thumb He’s out there alone, Why it’s Jackie, the dog, And he’s chewing a bone. wiggle thumb Grandmother’s Glasses These are Grandmother’s glasses make circles around each eye with fingers This is Grandmother’s cap hold fingers interlocked over head This is the way she folds her hands fold hands And lays them in her lap lay hands in lap. Family Items These are Mother’s knives and forks interlock as in praying fingers and lift them slightly And this is our dining table lower fingers keeping them interlocked, straighten wrist to form a flat surface This is Sister’s looking glass form a circle by touching thumbs and index finger And this is the baby’s cradle cup hands together to form cradle Family Finger This is the father short and stout This is the mother with children all about This is the brother, tall as you can see This is the sister, with a dolly on her knee This is the baby still to grow This is the family all in a row Just Me Eight pink fingers standing up tall, Two little ears to head mummy call; One little nose that I can blow, Ten pink toes all in a row. Two little thumbs that wiggle up and down; Two little feet to stamp on the ground; Hands to clap and eyes to see, What fun it is to be just me! Daddies Are Special People Daddies are special people They really love to play They like to hug and cuddle At the end of a long day Daddies are special people Its something all kids know And everyday I tell my dad Daddy, I love you so! End of Term 3 2012 – Final Blog Update Shreeyansh August 24 2012 It was great to have Shreeyansh stay with us for one final term Shreeyansh possesses great leadership skills and seeks to enhance himself. He takes pride in lending a helping hand to his friends. His friends look up to him as a motivational role model. Shreeyansh´s ability to initiate activities and engage in conversations for a long period of time is remarkable. Through, repetition of activities, perseverance and patience he has mastered various skills and concepts. His obliging and approaching outlook is admired by his teachers and friends. Shreeyansh enjoys practicing social turn taking skills and exploring new challenges. Overall, he is cheerful and enthusiastic learner well-liked by his friends and teachers. We have had a fantastic term with Shreeyansh and would like to wish him all the very best on his next learning journey Teacher Sherrie

Srian and his first Valentine

Every day being with you is such a gift! Pooja, a good friend of ours in our condominium was telling that she sees Srian growing every day – I could not agree with her more. Every day you are picking up new things, trying to say new things, walk new ways, dancing in new ways – we see of you a new colour every day.
These days , you are obsessed with balls – we have got balls of different sizes , different colours and you , being you, have started holding balls in your hands before going off to sleep . And the first thing, you look for, after you get up in the morning is those balls again. And you seem to be ready to pick up a fight with anyone for balls; it can be any colour, any size, as long as it looks like a ball. In front of me, you almost pulled somebody’s hair because the little kid took the ball away from you. When you grow up, I will let you know – you owe a sorry to someone!
And we have also started playing with you with those balls. One day I remember, I had asked you to hold one ball, you quickly picked it up, then I asked you to take a cup with the other hand - you din’t waste any time to grab that one as well, and then I gave you another big ball to pick up… you first looked at me almost saying- I want to hold the big ball also, but how do I manage now? In a second’s time, you put the first ball in the plastic cup and grabbed the big ball!!!!!!!
The other game which we play with you is throw two balls together at you,to see how do you respond ? I also mean to say, whether you respond at all or not ? Sometimes, you smile to that, sometimes you catch hold of both the balls and sometimes you just walk away, ignoring me.
We went off to Gymboree for a Play n Learn class- the lady teacher showed you a box of toys of different colours, sizes …. By that time you already got a ball from somewhere, extremely tentatively , you went up to the box, took a good look at what’s there in side---- came back , without picking up anything !!!! That day onwards we understood that we need to play differently with you. Next day, morning – nobody could see any ball in the flat !

"Story behind the name - Shreeyansh"

This is an interesting place and time to write this for you. Today is 7th January, 2011. And I am going to Mumbai from KL. When you grow up, and see this blog, don’t forget to ask me the reason for this travel. However, this post is to bring back the memories of what went on while naming you. I am sure , you will be keen to know.
I was clear early-on that the parents should have all rights to name their kids . I don’t know what made me believe this but must be because no one stays with the kid more than the parents…..so very often I used to restrict myself from offering my suggestions to other s . And the story started right from there. And I had enough confidence in me to come out with a name which is classy. I thought I will do an extensive research and even if the research does not yield any result, then , my mind is always there to help me in bringing out the best.
So right from the third month , the research started – the fourth month came and went, the name was not ready, time went on - even the eight month came and went … still there was no name ready, however, by then , I would have got hang of a good 70 thousand names and I discarded those summarily. And the rare ones which I shortlisted, mumma vetoed. There was nothing available which was suiting our taste. Did we want a classy name for you? But, what does classy mean ? Did we want a name which sounded nice ? Did we want a name which meant unique ? Or perhaps all of that. The search went on,,…… finally discovered a list of very graceful names for girls…… and we were sure that that if a daughter joins us in, the name will be picked up from that list – but if a son joins in, then WHAT ? Right at the beginning of the ninth month, I got really upset with myself ---- I started the search like never before, as if Interpol is has announced a Red Alert for an international criminal. I used to search till late night, after coming back from office on Weekdays. Sometimes a good part of weekends used to get consumed . Where is that name which will have a Signature of your father ?Your mumma, also had some confidence in my ability but made it very clear that it has pass through her and is only by consensus that the name will be given. I was also okay with it--- at the end of the day, you are our’s.
The search went on…… there were only few days left – but stil there was no name in sight. Was not sure about what to do from there ! 10th October came and it passed by amidst happiness and celebrations- still there was no convergence. And then it was decision time ….. we had shortlisted a name “Arz” for you – mumma did not take any time to shoot it down. Then we picked up the final shortlist ….. Rayirth, Shreeyansh and Ahian. But the shortlist did not come up so easily. In the meantime , we agreed that Srian will be your call name and there was complete agreement on that, but don’t think that’s where the story ended. There was a last minute googly, there as well. Grandpa and Grandma were there that time – there were certain options from them ,,, but I was too confident of myself and I was very sure that I will come up with a better name , somehow. After a lot of search, I was thrilled when I got to see the name Ahian – the meaning was “ Gift of God”. I liked the name because somehow I thought it carried my signature , the name sounded nice, means nice and I had never heard of this name before . However, granda, grandma had a view around it , mumma was okay as she knew that any other suggestion from anybody else about your name will be seen as a sheer interference and also at the same time , she knew how much I worked on to get a name for our little Man. I almost vetoed Granda pa’s view and we were ready with Ahian, but just about the last minute there was a reason for which I decided that let us take a vote of these three name-options from a neutral audience. Well before that let me tell you, that Shreeyansh was the option generated by Masi (Sona ma) ----- and she was extremely convinced that your name should be Shreeyansh - Chandan uncle also provided his inputs – he chose Aron------ mumma was silently watching the episode. Now, there was a reason for which I agreed to put it up for voting - remind me to bring it upto you when you read this. And then we asked Masi to take a quick poll in her office to understand preferences of common people around the name. And the name which you have today , is the outcome of that poll. Though, in hindsight I think that I had made an error by asking masi to undertake the poll and let us know the results--- my option lost out because of poor visioning…!!!!!
Well, with the first name sealed up finally , I was clear that your call name will be Ahi – the short version of Ahian . I found that name , incredibly sweet , short and unique. But God had some other plans. We HAD to keep your name Srian as the call name… please do ask me the reason for it.
But actually the challenge was when we came to Singapore because making people understand your name was difficult…… and my suspicion is Merilyn aunty also played a role in it. There were several versions of your names floating around in Tanglin View Compound – Shawn, Shaan , Cheeran, Chevaun and what not…..!!! Mumma might remember a few more versions. But I think by now, most of the people got the name correct but remember , it took three months to get your name correct ! So for for your name ……..