Hello dear readers,
We hope this weekly blog finds you well. It’s been an exciting and eventful week here at our beloved school, as our students delved into the heart of our second Project-Based Learning (PBL) project, “Face Your Face.” In this project, students have been on a journey of self-expression, creativity and emotional exploration through the art of mask-making.
Despite the relentless rain that seemed to dominate the period, it was as if the heavens themselves were waiting for our students to complete their masks. And then, like a blessing from above, a sunny day arrived, allowing our students’ creations to dry and come to life.
The heart of the project revolved around the creation of masks that showcase a wide range of emotions and feelings. Our students spent a lot of time researching mask-making and learning how to add emotions to their designs. Each mask tells a unique story, and our students poured their hearts into not only creating the masks but also crafting the story behind them.
What’s truly impressive is the adaptability and resourcefulness of our students. Many of them explored the Canva Graphic Design platform to create captivating presentations that highlight the essence of their masks. And here’s where innovation truly shines – for most of the students, Avinya has given them the opportunity to use a computer for the first time in life, yet they took their creativity a step further by using the computer as a tablet, wielding styluses to draw their beautiful masks directly onto Canva slides.
However, “Face Your Face” didn’t just unlock artistic talents; it also opened the doors to deeper emotional connections within our school community. Homeroom teachers took this opportunity to engage in heart-to-heart conversations with their students. In these moments, students shared their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, demonstrating an incredible amount of love, faith, and trust in their teachers. The support and understanding shown by our teachers were nothing short of remarkable, fostering stronger bonds between educators and students.
In the end, this week at Avinya Academy has been a testament to the power of education that goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. It’s about nurturing creativity, fostering emotional growth, and building a supportive community where students can thrive both academically and emotionally. “Face Your Face” has not only given our students a platform to express themselves but has also allowed teachers to connect with their students on a deeper level, creating an environment of trust and mutual respect.
As we wrap up this eventful week, we eagerly anticipate the unveiling of our students’ masks and presentations. We can’t wait to see the emotions and stories they’ve captured in their creations. Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the incredible journey of learning, self-expression, and connection here at Avinya Academy. Until next week, keep shining bright!
– Vidushi
In other news, this week we welcomed yet another guest speaker, Dr. Stephanie Rahaman, who kicked things off for our “Golden Rubbish” project with an awesome session on sustainability. It was an informative lead-in to get our students started on the importance of going green and not burning our planet to a crisp 😉
Stephanie’s talk covered the importance of the 7Rs including reduce, reuse and recycle. She also shed some light on upcycling as a means to reduce environmental waste. Our students left her session with a new found awareness on making greener choices and kicking those single-use plastics to the curb!
We also had our first ever girls’ and boys’ hour recently. We set aside this time to engage in discussions about personal and important subjects that each gender might naturally resonate with. We chatted about personal hygiene, all about keeping things fresh, clean and healthy. We want everyone to be confident in their own skin and know that self-care reigns supreme.
Our wonderful homeroom teachers tackled everything from setting boundaries to understanding the difference between infatuation and love. We had some serious and open conversations on being respectful and self-aware. We hope that everyone was left with some valuable insights on how to be their best selves.
Our conversations also extended to thinking twice about your actions and choices. Something we believe is really important for our students to understand is how their language and conduct in public has a profound impact on how they are perceived by others. All in all, it was a very productive hour of open and honest discussions.
As we wrap up this exciting week, our only hope is that our students will be ready to take on the world, one sustainable choice and one respectful interaction at a time!
– Sinalie
