NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2025
Dear Readers, Every year, school plans a comprehensive list of curricular and co-curricular activities to provide best opportunities to our young learners to fostering curiosity, innovation and critical thinking. "The Junior Journal" aims to showcase and celebrate the exceptional events and achievements of the students at SJS, Naraina. The publication is released on a monthly basis, providing a comprehensive overview of the notable accomplishments, events and projects undertaken by the learners in a month, within our educational community. This monthly journal will serve as a platform to recognize and applaud the outstanding efforts of the students. We invite you to stay engaged each month as we highlight the exceptional talents and achievements of the learners at SJS. These deep and meaningful learning experiences are thoughtfully curated to align with the developmental stages, skills, attitudes, and beliefs of the children.
Celebrating Abilities, Embracing Differences
“Inclusion is not about charity, it is about dignity and equal opportunity.”
A special assembly was conducted on December 3, 2025, to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Students watched an informative video and presentation highlighting various disabilities and the importance of inclusivity. Teachers introduced basic sign language, promoting inclusive communication. A theme-based podcast and quiz further reinforced learning, fostering empathy, respect, and awareness among students towards creating an inclusive school environment for all.
Breathing Hope for a Cleaner Tomorrow
“The air we breathe today shapes the health we live tomorrow.”
A special assembly on air pollution was conducted on November 28, 2025, under the theme “Clean Air, Healthy Living.” Students presented a thought-provoking role play highlighting causes and solutions of air pollution, followed by a pledge ceremony. An AQI chart explanation and a science experiment on smog and cloud seeding helped students understand air quality, inspiring them to adopt eco-friendly habits for a healthier environment.
Sounding Success: A Journey into Literacy
“Strong foundations in literacy lead to confident communication.”
A Jolly Phonics workshop was conducted on November 12, 2025, at The Prometheus School, Noida. Led by Mr. Christopher Jolly and Ms. Shefali Juneja, the session highlighted phonics and grammar as core stages of literacy. The workshop explained the five key phonics skills and multisensory teaching methods, reinforcing effective practices already followed in Montessori classrooms and enriching teachers’ instructional approaches.
Little Learners in Action
“Learning becomes joyful when little minds explore with confidence.”
The Classroom Demo Function for Nursery A and B was conducted on December 11, 2025, and December 12, 2025, at Salwan Junior School with the theme Animals. Children confidently participated in letter recognition, number games, and action-based activities. Animal-themed rhymes added colour and joy to the presentation. The event beautifully reflected joyful learning, creativity, and strong foundational skills, earning appreciation from parents and teachers alike.
Honouring a Legacy of Service
“Great souls live on through the values they leave behind.”
A Remembrance Assembly was conducted on December 4, 2025, at Salwan Junior School to honour the Founder Father, late Sh. Shiv Dutt Salwan. The programme highlighted his teachings and the guiding principle of Service Before Self. School prayer, song, a tribute video, and a heartfelt poem reflected his inspiring legacy, reminding students and teachers of the values that continue to shape the Salwan ethos.
Echoes of Tradition, Voices of Excellence
“A nation’s culture lives on when its traditions are carried forward by its children.”
The Global Sloka Competition was conducted on November 15, 2025, in online mode by the Heartfulness Education Trust. Students from various schools participated enthusiastically. Our school brought great pride as Paviksha Bhatia emerged Winner in the Delhi Region, while Ridhaan Luthra received the Special Jury Award. The competition encouraged cultural awareness, confidence, and spiritual learning through meaningful digital participation.
Reimagining Teaching, Renewing Perspectives
“Professional growth begins when educators choose to learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Two of our faculty members, Ms. Sarita Dhaiya and Ms. Japsifat Kaur, attended TeachCamp 2025 at Daly College, Indore, from December 20, 2025, to December 22, 2025, to update and strengthen their understanding of contemporary educational practices. The intensive masterclass offered rich insights across twelve thoughtfully designed sessions. Discussions on assessment for growth highlighted using small instructional tweaks and feedback cycles for continuous improvement, while competency-based education focused on translating skills into everyday classroom practice. Sessions on integrating life skills and building teacher confidence emphasised holistic development and effective communication. Educators reflected deeply through Shift Your Lens, Shift Your Life, understanding how mindset shapes teaching and learning. The session on student–school relationships addressed real challenges and practical ways to build trust and connection. Cultivating an inquiry mindset and creating curiosity in classrooms highlighted the power of questioning and wonder to deepen learning. Neuroscience-based insights on rewiring the brain helped teachers understand cognition and attention, while experiential learning showcased hands-on strategies for meaningful assessment. The importance of socio-emotional learning in boosting performance and the concept of the 40-minute teacher reinforced focused, sustainable, and impactful teaching practices. Overall, the camp proved to be an enriching and transformative learning experience.
Christmas Cheer in a Virtual Wonderland
“The true spirit of Christmas shines brightest when hearts come together.”
An online Christmas assembly was joyfully conducted on December 24, 2025, bringing festive warmth to virtual classrooms. Through an engaging PowerPoint presentation, students revisited the beautiful story and message of Christmas. Creative follow-up activities such as drawing, thoughtful discussions, and digital poster making on Adobe encouraged artistic expression. Students proudly shared their creations with class teachers on Teams, celebrating the festival with enthusiasm, creativity, and shared cheer.
Insights from the Teacher's Desk
Connecting with Nature and Outdoor Exploration
As a primary school educator, I am convinced that some of the most meaningful and long-lasting learning experiences take place outside of the four walls of the classroom. Learning takes on a transforming quality when kids go outside—it becomes immersive, experiential, and incredibly captivating. Although it begins as early as they are born, at home, learning how to walk, talk, sit, stand and so on, but it takes on a new dimension when children move outdoors. The opportunities become endless, and does not confine to silos.
When a child steps in the school, he/ she observes the school surroundings, meet so many people, come across new building, new spaces, new faces and many rooms before stepping into an actual classroom- to even begin their learning process. On the way to that classroom, he/ she has observed, seen, heard so much that all that can be tapped into his/ her learning avenues in the school. For example: when a child is handed over by the parent, he/ she says morning greetings or a hi-five or a hug to welcome them, then they see the teachers, greets everyone, goes to the classroom, is greeted by all the children and finally by the teacher. It is needless to mention that firsthand experience and exploration in outdoors becomes an extended classroom that stimulates curiosity, stimulates inquiry, and improves understanding. "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself," as educational philosopher John Dewey efficiently put it. When learning takes place in wide spaces, green areas, and real-world situations, this belief is experienced by the child. When the children in our school, are taken outdoors to experience different terrains by the social studies teacher or experience the leaves by a science teacher or closely observe the real life objects to reproduce the same in their art files, learning crosses all barriers, and increases manifold. We do remember the times we faced 3-4 years back, when we all faced lockdown together and had our learning processes in virtual classrooms. We had used multiple sources outside that virtual space too, to learn- say our kitchens, terrace gardens, bedrooms, and our toys too! Everything was explored and brought into the classrooms. The mundane virtual classroom was turned into exciting, giggly room of learners where learning was not only read or written but was experienced by the children. Hence, we can say that learning is not just confined to the classrooms- but goes way beyond it. Students can make important and long-lasting connections between theory and practice through outdoor learning experiences. Children may acquire scientific concepts through practical application through simple projects like studying insects, noting weather changes, analyzing soil textures, and observing plant life cycles. By providing real-life relatability, educational trips to farms, natural reserves, museums, and historical places enhance this educational experience. For example: when children were shown how rain helps in declining the pollution levels by doing an experiment with activated charcoal and matchsticks, they were blown by the results, in front of their eyes, which further led to the discussion about artificial rain and so on so forth. . When we take kids out for excursions, or nature walk, or just to the school garden, the twinkle in their eyes is worth watching! Hence, their quest to learn better, absorb better and to own it, doubles up with hands on approaches and From a student's point of view, studying outside of the classroom is full of excitement, joy, and independence. As they explore, research, and pose questions motivated by earnest interest, children take charge of their education. This idea is aptly expressed in a frequently used educational quotation: "Tell me and I forget." Teach me, and I'll remember. Engage me, and I'll learn.” When we express any idea, say of mental wellbeing or inner happiness, we at school, connect it with our morning routine, where children in the class start the day with meditation, and positive affirmation. Every child speaks his/ her affirmation to begin the day on a positive start. This further relates to the gymnastics and yoga coaching which the kids experience with the coaches. It also helps in stimulating the brain to enhance absorption of information better. When we relate our daily chores with what we learn in school, or learn outdoors, learning becomes a pleasurable and meaningful experience.
by Sabinder Kaur, English Faculty
Insights from Parent's Desk
Sustainable Practices for a Healthy Planet
“The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed”
Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quotes exemplifies the sustainability challenge faced by us today.
Sustainability can be seen from various prisms- the classical environment perspective implying increasing use of renewable energy and reducing consumption of scarce fossil fuels; or the economic perspective of creating sustainable and resilient economic models leading to equitable and widespread prosperity, instead of growth which comes with enormous ecological and social costs. Another less focused perspective is making our daily lives and lifestyles more sustainable, focusing on balance between work, environment, health and mental well-being. Children learn by instruction and observation. As parents and teachers, our role is to make subtle interventions into their lives to make them aware of sustainability and balance. Simple hands-on activities such as making a habit of conserving water, making science models from waste products at school, and involving children in keeping our surroundings clean can teach them the significance of sustainability. Instances from our daily lives, for instance, preferring public transport over personal vehicles; preferring balanced healthy diet over junk food; and a balanced approach to daily work routine can deeply influence children to inculcate similar practices. At the same time, we can also present opportunities to children to self-reflect and learn mental awareness through Yoga or other such techniques to help them improve focus and manage emotions for leading a balanced, sustainable life. Once the seeds of sustainability and resilience in all its forms are planted at an early stage, children can build on them as adults through higher levels of learning in environment, economics, and life sciences. In Salwan Junior school, these ideas are actively translated into meaningful practices to help students understand sustainability in action. Students are explained concepts such as water conservation through discussions on how artificial rain works and why it is essential in today’s context. Students are encouraged to plant saplings in used plastic bottles, reinforcing the importance of reuse and care for nature. Regular awareness sessions on Solid Waste Management help students understand waste segregation and responsible disposal. The school also consciously discourages the use of plastic bottles and promotes eco-friendly alternatives such as handbags and jute bags, nurturing environmentally responsible habits and a sustainable mindset among students.
Recommendations :
🎬 Educational Movies
1. Inside Out - Helps children understand emotions, empathy and emotional intelligence 2. Finding Dory- Teaches perseverance, memory awareness, friendship and Self Belief
🌐 Educational / Vocabulary Learning Websites
- www.starfall.com – Fun phonics, reading, and vocabulary activities for young learners.
- www.vocabulary.com – Engaging games and quizzes to build strong word knowledge.
📚 Recommended Tulika Publications Books
For Class I and II
1. Balloons for Me (CBT) – a colourful and engaging early reader book perfect for young learners. 2. Sheebu (CBT)– The Sheep – a simple, illustrated storybook suitable for beginner readers.
For Class III-V
- “The Why-Why Girl” by Mahasweta Devi (Tulika) – Inspires curiosity and questioning.
- “Thambi’s Elephant” by Subhadra Sen Gupta (Tulika) – A gentle story promoting empathy and awareness.
Guiding Change, Inspiring Futures
“True leadership empowers young minds to create ethical solutions for a better tomorrow.”
Ms. Sonia Wadhwa, Head of School, was invited as a Judge at IIT Delhi to evaluate the pitches of young changemakers during the Youth Changemakers Camp organised by Tale of Humankind in collaboration with IIT Delhi and Ashoka Young Changemakers. She judged the school students’ category on 22nd December on the theme “Ethical Use of AI for a Sustainable World” and the college students’ category on 28th December on the theme “AI for Rural India.” She continues to mentor students both within and beyond the school, leveraging her expertise to guide them in using AI to solve real-world problems and drive meaningful social impact.
Credits:
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