NEWSLETTER
February, 2009

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THE NOTICE BOARD

TUESDAY, 27TH Jan
VI to XII – Prof Arthur Flowa from University of Syracuse, USA spoke to children about the impact of Jazz music and poetry appreciation

FRIDAY, 30TH Jan
: XII – visited Old Delhi Railway Station Shelter
: ‘Shell’ organized competitions about the global warming and our children won the following awards.
Model Making - Raghav Anand (IX C), Ayush Sharma (VII A)
Poster Making - Rhea Singh (IX B)
Essay Comp.- Megha Mehdiratta (X B), Indraneel Roy (VII A), Arushi Sawhney (VIII C), Shiksha Kamra (X B)

Inter School Mini Soccer (boys & girls) Tournaments (Finals) - the results are :

Girls : Vasant Valley School won the trophy with a score of 2 :1 against The Shri Ram School Aravali

Boys : Vasant Valley School -A was runner up 1:3 against Modern School Humayun Rd.
: After School Camps were held

MONDAY 9TH Feb : In the Interhouse Sub-Junior Cricket Finals, Yellow House won by 67 runs against Blue House.

The Prubcess interacts with our students

Princess Maha Visits VVS

A few times in their lives, people get to witness something truly extraordinary. On the 5th of February, 2009, the students of Vasant Valley were privileged to interact with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
We were all extremely honoured and humbled by the fact that Her Royal Highness, who is on a trip to India to observe its cultures and traditions, visited our school. HRH arrived in the morning along with her group of delegates and a throng of media reporters. The Head Boy, Kunal Datta, and Head Girl, Sara Chatterjee, along with the rest of the Prefect Council, welcomed her. Soon after, she was escorted to the conference room for a presentation on the school systems.
In the Performing Arts Rooms she witnessed a mesmerizing Indian classical dance to music played by the students and in the Western Music Room, students put up a breathtaking violin recital. She was then led to the creative centre of the school, the Art Room, where she observed the children at work, taking notes and pictures as she went along. HRH spoke to Mrs, Charu Rekha about English education in Thailand and her goal to use it not only as a way to communicate, but also to research and interact with the global community.
To show that concern for the environment is an integral part of life at VVS, HRH visited the Paper Recycling Room where she appreciated that tonnes of waste paper is almost magically converted into beautiful environmentally friendly paper every hour. HRH was pleased to note that the special children, active participants in the environmental activities at VVS, played such an important role in the Vasant Valley Community. She noted that they seemed very happy in their environment, and was curious about their future plans.
Her next stop was the Science Corner where the students of Class 12 presented their Future Cities project. In the Physics and Chemistry Labs, the younger scientists put up various experiments. Following this, HRH was given a tour of the Biotechnology and Biology laboratories where the Class 8 students were extracting DNA using upcoming technology. Finally, she made her way to the Computer Lab, where she was greeted with flash animations. She was pleasantly surprised to see her visit thoroughly documented on the website. HRH was amazed at how it had all been done so fast.
On her way out, HRH stopped at the Blue Room, where she got another chance to see the Special Section. To conclude her visit, she addressed the school, thanking Mr. Kapur and the students for their effort, and expressing her initiative to encourage exchange programmes of students and teachers between Thailand and India.
Though the meet was brief, it was an enriching experience for all the students who were involved. All in all, the experience can be best summed up by Pongsakorn Sukjunnimit (or Kung, as he is affectionately known), a visiting student from Thailand who said, “I am really happy today; I have seen the Princess only twice in my life, but today I got a chance to walk beside her.”
Bhavik Singh and Meghna Mann, 12
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Another Good Loving Blues

When you think of the Blues, you immediately think of its primary instrument, the harmonica. And thus, you think of Bob Dylan. At the same time, however, when you think of the Blues, you think of its origin –Memphis. Hence, you think of Justin Timberlake.
Then again, the blues is the genre of hardship and melancholy, which is quite like Kanye West’s latest album.
Above are among several of my attempts to deduce the attributes of Blues music. However, the only deduction I am able to make, is that I am highly ignorant. Cue Mr. Arthur Flowers- enlightener, writer, Blues musician, and subject of six million hits on Google.
First on his agenda was to loosen up the crowd. We went from an awkward silence to being backup singers, in zero to sixty seconds. He played a clip of one of Hendrix’s riffs- which half of us didn’t recognize, and the rest mistook for Marley’s. But Mr. Flowers didn’t care. He just grinned comfortingly and went on, unfazed. As long as he connected with us, none of that mattered. He struck me as someone who didn’t care what you were, only who you were. Which is what really gripped me about him. And his accent. I really liked his accent.
He was enthusiastic, refreshing, and even picked out a willing
homeboy from the audience to be part of his spontaneous band He also expressed the universal sensation of hope when he literally gave a shout out to ‘Barackkk!', and clarified that the Blues, contrary to popular belief, is a not a genre devoted to songs about adversity, but one about story-telling and sharing real life experiences.
On the music front, he sang a couple of acoustic songs with sharp, witty lyrics, accompanied by instruments that I’m sure I’ve heard, but never seen. There was something so classically raw about his voice; singing in minor, hitting the low notes, with a tinge of jazzy lightness- a perfect balance of Ray Charles and Nat King Cole. A bit of bass, and he’d be ready to record.
There’s no other way to describe his talk, but really, really good. And he was even better.
Mallika Pal X A

Mr. Flowa showing VVS some love

NIGHT WALK IN OLD DELHI

It was with a mix of apprehension and interest that the students of class XII greeted the news of a walk in Old Delhi Railway Station, the Night Shelter and the bylanes of Chandni Chowk, scheduled for Friday night.. For most of us it was a Delhi of the parallel universe, which we had all heard about but had never really experienced. Especially in the way we were going to.
The students, who by now seemed at home in school at odd hours (having attended the farewell dinner the previous night) reached school late. The walk was coordinated by Mr. Jha, who explained that the idea of the walk was to get a first-hand experience of the poverty and hardship that the common residents of this region face, as well as the kind of economic system that their survival instinct has created. The bottomline was to be impartial observers, and of course, to leave the English behind.
While we snaked our way right through the city (and picked up late students on the way!), Delhi itself seemed to be transforming slowly—from widely spaced expensive homes to small, cramped shops encroaching the footpaths. Our first stop was the Old Delhi Railway Station to observe the platform dwellers. Unfortunately, we could not get platform tickets because of security concerns. So we set out for the famous “Delhi-6”, the bylanes of Chandni Chowk. On the way, we passed the Kodiya Bridge, which supported a mini-town of shacks and hutments.
It was past bed time when we barged into one ‘Rayn Basera” or Night Shelter. The residents, though, were welcoming and curious. We found that the principle on which the shelter is built is simple—poor labourers and other homeless workers rent a mattress and blanket every night for ten rupees and if they have been ‘lucky’, they get a cot for the night at thirty rupees. The interesting thing we noticed was that there were no women in these areas and we learnt that they usually slept with the children in the gurudwara nearby. The air seemed thick with stories of hard lives—people who left their indifferent, suffering families behind in the villages to work in the city, and almost doomed to a life of perpetual poverty, falling prey to drugs that only ravaged them further. It was painful to see a large group of young children, the youngest perhaps not older than 7 years, having lost their innocence and youth to the harsh reality of the lives they were forced to lead. Forget education, they could barely scrape a living to keep themselves together. The most shocking was the handkerchief in their little hands—filled with smack and other dangerous drugs that constantly hovered near their noses.
But, even through the misery, the squalor of poverty, the one thing that positively shone through was their indomitable spirit, in the wide grins on the faces of the children, and in the smiles of the amused crowds of workers, puzzled by the sudden interest of the elite kids in their unimportant lives.
We wound up way past midnight, having tucked into various varieties of enticing kebabs and rolls. And having taken a unique experience back in our sleepy and tired heads.
Soumya Gupta (12)
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Culture Shock

At Vasant Valley School, girls and boys have come to accept each other as part of their day-to-day life. Both are evenly matched in almost every sphere (I’d even add that girls are a step or two ahead!)and each complements the other’s growth and development.
The Editorial Board has taken some time to research views on the relationship between boys, girls and their acceptable behaviour in different societies of the world, and at different times. Given below are the fruits of our research.
1. The Peuls Bororo
The men of this nomadic tribe from Niger pay particular attention to their appearance – in fact, their beauty regime includes waxing off all their body hair and wearing make-up! Once a year, to find themselves suitable wives, these men participate in a beauty contest before a jury of young women, donning pearl necklaces and amulets, and a white ostrich’s feather on their foreheads.
2. The Iroquois Indians
These Native Americans were one of the most feminist societies of all times. Girls took their mothers’ last name and women lived together in clans, often to be consulted by men on matters such as the kind of sentence that should be given to a prisoner. This tribe has, unfortunately, been completely wiped out from North America.
3. The Inuits
Up to the age of 13, an Inuit girl can have a boy’s name, parade around the Arctic in boys’ clothes and learn the art of hunting. At the same time, it is perfectly acceptable for an Inuit boy to dress like a girl and stay home to cook or babysit for the family. It is only at puberty that boys and girls are obligated to take on the role determined by their sex. This custom stems from the Inuit belief that a spirit can slip into the body of either a boy or a girl without any prejudice!
4. The Banwas of Cameroon
This tribe allows its men and women to have ONE friend of the opposite sex. This relationship lasts them a lifetime and is well distinct from that of marriage. For instance, a woman can joke, speak freely and eat in front of her friend – which she may not do before her husband.
5. The Karaja Indians of Brazil
From birth, Karaja girls and Karaja boys are taught to pronounce the words of their language differently. Men do not pronounce the consonants “k” or “n” for instance. The kiwano fruit, which is indigenous to this region, is thus called “kiwano” by the ladies but “iwao” by the men! This is a consequence of a vast difference in social status between men and women.
Sara Chatterjee (XII)

 Hindi Corner

Farewell Dinner ‘09

On the 29th of January 2009, after witnessing a laudable and highly amusing Farewell Class Act, students of Class 11 and Class 12 gathered in an assortment of salwaar kameezes, sarees, bandhgalaas, kurtas, sherwaanis and tuxedos. The girls looked stunning, the boys looked dashing, and it was a treat to see all the bumbling Vasant Valley kids looking so well groomed and elegant. Everyone was in high spirits, which were further lifted when the dancing began. Dancing to the tunes of Rise up, Pump up the jam, Desi Girl and of course, Singh Is Kinng, our batch of 2009 let their hair down, and forgot all inhibitions about exams and responsibilities for at the least a few hours. The dance floor sizzled and rocked even more when Mr. Kapur and Ms. Bakshi joined everyone on stage. It was a pleasure to see that their dancing skills were quite commendable! Another highlight of the evening was the Class of 2009 movie, which beautifully captured moments of cleverness, gossip, idiocy, joy, laughter, belongingness and friendship of their last year in school. There were also a few glimpses of cute and embarrassing childhood pictures which brought a smile to every face. The cutting of Mrs. Jerath’s scrumptious Farewell Cake completed the evening, and made everyone aware that this was an inauguration of the new life, that the passing out batch was about to venture into.
At last, the evening came to an end- it lasted from 7:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m.! Students and teachers went home tired, but wearing content smiles.
Nikita Sayam XII-B
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There, there baby,
it’s just Textbook Stuff

‘Light up, light up, as if you have a choice; Even if you cannot hear my voice, I’ll be right beside you dear’.
These words marked the end of just another year for some, the end of life as they’ve known it for the others, and the end of a grueling week for the newly instated class 12s. Life took the ordinary turn once again when the farewell class activity was a hit, and we were back to being everyone’s favorite batch (despite the recent skepticism).
But all the while, brewing beneath the unperturbed exterior, the glossy surface, and the smoothly run series of events- was organized chaos. A mess that was so big, it required the whole class to come together and transform it into something glorious.
We started off ambitious, and maybe overly so. There were of course, expectations to be met and a tradition to be carried forward. At the same time we had to make the show bigger, brighter, bolder than it had been ever before. All of us knew that this mountain of a task would not be easy. We expected the challenges, we fit in buffer-time, and we had a back up. But none of this was any consolation when just five days remained for the final day- interrupted by national holidays, car troubles and rebellions. Nothing turned out as we expected. Our meticulous plans quickly fell apart. Every effort to script a play morphed into another nostalgic reiteration of the ‘good tiiimes’. When it was time to make a decision, our class would be distinctly split into two uncompromising sides. Some arguments bordered on being futile, the others completely inane. There was the ‘red vs. gold glitter’ battle; and of course the epic ‘karaoke vs. instrumentals’ one. We all fought passionately about the most minute of details, threw infantile tantrums and even threatened to boycott the farewell.
But despite all the drama, somewhere along the way we found it within ourselves to put an end to all the bickering. It wasn’t easy, but somehow we managed to remind each other that it wasn’t about us; it was about them. The turn of events after this epiphany was almost magical. Our entire class- every single individual worked tirelessly for five long days; sacrificing their time, sleep and their fiery egos. It was heartening to see everyone take responsibility- not only for themselves, but for one another as well. Each individual shone as a leader in their own way- doing their bit to contribute to this massive whole.
And then it all just fell together. Never had these 90 people been more unified during their 13 years of school together.
All it took was one look into their teary eyes as we sang our group song “one last time for them”, to know that the effort was completely worth it. Not only had we evolved as a class, we solidified the bonds that we had so impetuously built with our seniors. Here was the day we hoped would never come. But as we said goodbye to some of our best friends, mentors, and seniors- we realised this wasn’t the end; it was just the end of one leg of the journey. We knew that with them, no farewell could be the last one. '
Meghna Mann (XII)

 

A Parting Word

Dear Bhavik,
As I write this letter, I occasionally glance at a file which lies on my desk- one that has been my companion for a year of my life. One which represents the ‘crown of thorns’ with which I was adorned on the 11th of February 2008. It contains a copy of every single edition of the Vasant Valley Today published during my term as Editor, along with numerous artefacts from the publishing process- proof editions, lists of work to be designated, graphics to be scanned. I trust that by the end of your term, you will have a file almost identical to my precious “Newsletter File”.
In the first few months, my file went almost everywhere with me. In and out of classrooms, in and out of school, and (believe it or not) in and out of Delhi. Despite the prolonged efforts of my friends, it was in my arms at all times as I walked around, lost in my own thoughts. I probably looked like the type who’d make a good editor, but what the unknowing eye was unaware of, was the fact that I was scared out of my mind. I crept around the place, my mind in an absolute panic about the next edition; and at this point, my file was the only reassurance I had. It was my security blanket, and it made me the editor you knew so very well.
Gradually, as I became well-versed in the editorial process, I began to use my file less and less. Mr Trivedi had once predicted that after three or four editions the constant look of worry on my face would ebb away- and so it did. My file then occupied the front part of my locker, and I deposited the fruits of my efforts in it once or twice a month, besides carrying it for the occasional Ed board meeting. By the end of the year, after trial and error, I had finally attained the perfect balance between my file and my life. Gone were the days where I had the printer’s number on speed dial, and I clung on to my file for dear life. I moved past the weekends that I spent working, the frantic phone calls from MUN summits at Dehradun and Missourie to check on the edition’s progress, and the days when I broke down and wanted to give it all up.
A friend of mine quoted from Spiderman to me on an afternoon that I had lost hope, saying, “with great power comes great responsibility”- and he couldn’t have been more correct. For this is all a part of the process of being an Editor, or being a Prefect, or of growing up. Though you’ll have a thousand challenges to face, you will learn to overcome them. So even if you fail the first couple of times, in the end you will confront them with ease. I hope you have a fulfilling and exciting term, and I know you will live up to my expectations of you (even though, if I may say so myself, you have some pretty big shoes to fill).
Good luck, kid.
Diva Gujral
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THE TIRANGA
FOOD FESTIVAL

26th January is celebrated as the Republic Day of India. It is one of the most important days in Indian History as it was on this day that the Constitution of India came into force and India became a sovereign state.

India is a diverse and secular country. It is the largest democracy in the world. We have many religions and cultures and celebrate various festivals. I believe that we as Indians have respect and acceptance for each other.
R-RESPECT
E-ENTERPRISING
P-PURITY
U-UNITY
B-BRAVERY
L-LOVE
I-INDIA
C-COMPASSION
I celebrated my Republic Day in school with the Tiranga Food Festival. All the food we made was inspired by the Tiranga-our national flag. The students with the help of the teachers made a variety of food. I really liked the tricolour sandwiches and ladoos. Everyone made the sandwiches in different shapes and arranged them on trays. We also made coconut ladoos and decorated the ladoos with orange and green food colouring. The experience was very interesting and my friends and I ate up all the food. I had a fantastic time.
I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN. JAI HIND!!!!
Yashashvani Jindal V- B


My Camping Holiday
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The Budding Authors

Once there was a boy called Ransher. He was six years old. One day he went camping with his friends Shiv, Allen, Didar, Raghav and Yuvrat. They reached the camp and put up a tent. They went to sleep. It was a very dark night. They woke up in the middle of the night because they heard sounds. They saw a ghost outside their tent. The ghost had come to kill them. The boys had an idea. They put their sheets over their heads. They jumped out of the tent and screamed loudly. The ghost got scared and ran away. The boys were safe. They had lots of fun and played soccer at camp.
Ransher Manhas II- C
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Bio Poems

My friend’s name is Daivik
Who was born on 26th of March
Who is scared of snakes
Who loves to read
Who fears playing football
Sia Dawar III- C

My friend’s name is Sia Dawar
Who was born on 22nd March
Who is smart and kind
Who is scared of lizards
Who loves travelling
Daivik Alva III- C

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Math Magic

Last night I had a dream,
It was about a ghost.
She was carrying my maths notebook,
I care for it the most.
She said that everything written was wrong,
You correct it now.
Or else I will slap you a hundred times,
She said without a bow.
I quickly corrected all my work,
Changing it from wrong to right.
The she checked my work,
So I could rest peacefully all night.
Then she woke me up and said,
“Nice work you did today.”
She gave me a huge trophy,
And then she went away.
So I liked that dream,
And then I began to snore.
But the next time when you will come,
I will tell you some more.
Sanjari Kalantri V- B

Senior School

Finally, I’ve come to Senior School,
And I’ve found it pretty cool.
My class teacher, Mrs. Mala Singh,
Is gentle, sweet and fascinating!
Second of all is Mr. Trivedi,
To mark him out of a hundred, I’d give him sixty.
The third turn is Mrs. Johri’s,
Who’s teaching us decimals like 0.3!
Fourth is ‘Sushri’ Bhardwaj,
And the amount of revision is not at all large.
Mrs. Ghoshal is at number five,
Everyone’s happy when she arrives!
Mrs. Shukla is number six,
Social science for her is fixed.
Now I know everything’s going to be alright,
And have learnt to respect every teacher with pride.
Nainika Mukherjee VI C
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The January Transfer Window 2009

It has been said, that because of the short window in the middle of the season, some clubs tend to make rash signings during the January transfer window; and the deals seem to end up doing more harm than good. With the billions of pounds that are being spent every year, most owners demand results. But it is this, and the fact that managers are now so readily expendable, that lead to managers trying to buy any player that may help their cause.
This year three Tottenham sons went prodigal. And though Pascal Chimbonda, Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane- all wore spurs jerseys only last year, Harry Redknapp saw it fit to bring them back to White Heart Lane. Following Keane’s 12 million pound move from Liverpool, Rafa Benítez is left with just one striker who fans can really count on – Torres. Though Benitez says that Ngog and Benayoun can play the role of second striker with Torres, neither have the skill to do so. Playing as a lone striker is not something that Torres is unfamiliar with. Although with all Rafa’s rotations, there aren’t many formations left that a Liverpool player can be unfamiliar with.
Failing to conclude a deal that would have been the biggest in the history of football, Manchester City missed out on Kaka. It hasn’t stopped this world’s richest club from bringing in Nigel de Jong, Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy and Shay Given. Bridge will definitely help City’s problems with defence. He was once the most expensive defender in the world- following his move to Chelsea from Southampton- but of course, we live in different times now. His 7 million pound move doesn’t sound that impressive anymore. Bringing in Shay Given too was a mistake, as it is an insult to Joe Hart, who showed as much potential, talent and determination in the past few months. Manchester City is neglecting the talent they already have at their disposal –a problem probably brought on by having too much money. But the biggest mistake a team can make with that much money, is trying to buy success with it.
Chelsea have a new number 18- Ricardo Quaresma. However, many doubt he can do anything for the London club as his career so far can be most politely described as unsuccessful. His ex-mangaer Jose Mourinho has said, that though he lacks confidence, he has a good pace.
James Beatie returns to Premier League action, following his move to Stoke City. Though Beatie is definitely not as fast as he once was, the striker’s skill is still very good and his finish, amazing. He was also once brilliant with headers, which makes him a good target for one of Delap’s missile like throw-ins. In fact, Beattie scored the winner for Stoke against Manchester City on his debut.
Emile Heskey has already scored on his own Aston Villa debut, showing that he is as enthusiastic as ever; even though he may not be as fast, young or adequate enough for the Premier League. Hull City signed Jimmy Bullard- a player who’s love for the game and hunger to perform, are almost infectious. The Tigers started the season extremely well, but have not been getting results as of late. Hopefully Bullard’s passion would be able to steer them in the right direction once more.
Lastly, and perhaps the most interesting signing of this Transfer Window, was that of Russian Andrey striker- Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg to an Arsenal side- who have been suffering since Cesc Fabregas got injured, if not much before that too. Arshavin has got promising talent and has impressed almost everyone at the Euro 2008: which is good because Arsenal definitely needs a striker who can see the goal, because Bendtner and Adebayor don’t seem to be able to. Furthermore, Arshavin will be the first experienced player Wenger has brought in, in a very long time. The ‘teenagers’ at Arsenal would do well to try to learn a few things from the 27 year old.
But yes, it is over. The agents are off to spend some of the money they made from all these deals, the fans cannot wait for Premier League action to get underway, and most of us are probably hoping that this year, Manchester United does not win a title.
Pradyut Kashyap 12-B

“If it’s ‘tonight’, shouldn’t it be ‘tomorning’”? - Rishika Dhawan
We better not tell her that a day ago is called yesterday
“Do cock-eyed people see once or twice?”- Rishika Dhawan
No clue, but you should think twice before speaking.
“That guy looks like Daniel Craig, when he covers his face”- Abhishek Dhawan
Thats probably where he gets his charm from.
“We have thanks for you”- Kunal Dutta
And we thank our new head boy for his eloquence
“What is Yassir Arafat?”- Divyanshu Bhandari
Ignorance is bliss they say.
I thought from my own heart - Raghav Mehta
We think you should pay more attention in Biology class
This lesson is getting over in 40 marks - Ramya Ahuja
We thought you were better than this Ramya!
Im disturbed do not busy me - Arushi Sakhuja
And we are distressed by your terrible english.
Isn't Al-Qaeda a country - Viraj Nanda
A bushism perhaps?

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The Newsletter is now open to articles from anyone. If you want to be a part of the newslettter, help by sending your articles, poems or stories to newsletter@vasantvalley.org

_________________________________________________________

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mallika Pal, Ramya Ahuja, Suvira Chadha, Tejasvita Singh, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry, Ayesha Malik, Devika Agrawal, Nikhil Pandhi, Sanjana Malhotra, Tara Sen, Arushi Kumar, Kunal Datta, Meghna Mann, Rhea Sadh, Sara Chatterjee, Vanshika Wadhwa

Editor : Bhavik Singh