Internet for the children - thanks to KPMG!

Feb 2017

Thanks to KPMG, our children have the luxury of the internet to learn!

This has brought in a whole new way of life for our school.

Children from grade 6 upwards are learning to research topics, before they start formal learning! They are learning to understand topics by themselves and discuss their learning with their fellow students. 

Children from the primary section are finding out that learning can be fun when connected to the internet! They will be using "Khan's Academy" to enrich themselves. 

This can only revolutionise learning @ Gurukulam - all thanks to KPMG!

Visit by Venkatrangan and Vandana

02.04.2017

Venkatrangan along with his wife Vandana visited school on the 2nd.

They have supported Gurukulam almost from inception! It was with joy that our school welcomed Venkat's visit. 

They met with Ilyas, whom they have sponsored for the last 10 years or so!

It was a unforgettable moment for both Ilyas and Venkatrangan along with Vandana. 

Graduation Day for the Kindergarten!

01st April 2017

It was the graduation day for the Kindergarten!

They stole our hearts!! :-)

The Kindergarten batch who joined us in June 2015, graduated from their 2 years of study and fun with us!

With their class teacher Shajida

With Teachers Shajida, Sathya, Principal Venkatesan, Chief Guest Mrs Sumathi Ramaswami, Trustee, Mrs Sabita Currimbhoy Trustee, Teachers Abdul and Shuba

Ed and Eli's workshops at school

28th to 30th March 2017

Edward Carlisle Hogshire and Elizabeth Hogshire spent 3 full days working with our teachers and children. 

Elizabeth is a graphic designer, children's yoga instructor and a nursery school teacher.

Edward is an English instructor at the United Arab Emirates University and a teacher trainer with the Abu Dhabi government schools. 

They live outside of Abu Dhabi. 

Impression of the school by Edward and Elizabeth:

 “We really enjoyed our experience at Gurukulam. The teachers and staff are amazing people who are collectively making a great impact on this community. We are looking forward to returning"

On the 28th  Ed worked with the 8 and 9 year olds, teaching them irregular past tense and with the 12th grade for a writing class. 

In addition, Edward worked with the English teachers and had a fruitful discussion about the need to activate background knowledge and how students should best record new vocabulary.

Elizabeth worked with the Kindergarten kids and teachers.

The 29th was a full day workshop by both Edward and Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth worked with half of the teachers while Edward worked with the other half. 

Elizabeth also discussed best practices and making organic playdough. 

While Elizabeth and the other half of the teachers were having a fun relaxing time making play dough Edward used a series of 3 videos, and Google Docs to introduce the idea of Content and and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). 

CLIL is a system used all over the world to help teachers teach language better.

 It is especially aimed at the content teachers and my main focus tomorrow will be on ways

 the non-English teachers can help the students with the new English vocabulary that their students encounter in their learning. 

The teachers finished the workshop by creating their own online vocabulary exercises that they can use with their current students.

On the 30th Ed continued his teaching of the 12th graders while Eli met again with the primary teachers and recorded a short video of the school in operation.

Click to see a video of the workshop by Elizabeth:
Workshop with the KG by Eli

Gurukulam gets it's own well water!

31st March 2017

Gurukulam got it's own well water, thanks to Yaseen and his family!

The well has been dedicated to his grandparents "Mahnoor".

After searching for our own water source with 3 bore wells earlier, we are thrilled to have our own well water!

Our loving thanks to Yaseen and family.