MY JOURNEY
Ubuntu Humanities Festival
UBUNTU, A collaborative effort which was true to the spirit of UBUNTU…. I am what I am, because of who we all are....
The participation, sheer level of performances and the enduring understanding of UBUNTU 2014 have been truly superlative!
We take this opportunity to thank the teams and leaders of Groups 1, 2 and 3 who took UBUNTU in their stride and have only raised the bar, in the process!
A maiden venture of Senior School to bring together the forces of Groups 1, 2 and 3 have resulted in the creation of an ambience which Senior School will remember for years to come. It was truly a celebration of diversity with an intensity which brought goose-bumps during power-packed performances on raging issues of gender and violence. UBUNTU took us to a higher level of intellect in stimulating discussions with experts on ‘What’s in it for me?’ to “ What can I do for the nation?” or showcased the best of talent through the powerful medium of Films which only mirror our realities.
It gave us an opportunity to dress to the hilt in costumes which are not ours, hence, we were risk takers who dared to ‘go beyond the obvious’ and were ready to step into someone else’s shoes. We put our best foot forward to raise funds for a noble cause, which has humbled us furthermore. We got more curious and asked for more with each passing round of UMOJA, the Inter House Quiz which was a roaring success. The Language and Pop Psychology stalls were extensions of our souls and hearts as we proudly presented our work to the younger kids. The creative juices flowed while the banners, certificates and various sessions were being designed.
One of the biggest highlights of the fest was UTSAV. UTSAV brought out the true flavour of UBUNTU. It was a great platform for Departments to come together and showcase their talents to the entire Senior School. It would be an understatement to say that it was a resounding success as some of the performances were so riveting that it left behind indelible impressions in the hearts and minds of the audience.
The Department of Modern Foreign Languages came up with a plethora of events that not just included poetry recitation but also some rib tickling skits – ones that left all and sundry in splits. The Department of Literature and Performance came up with a thought provoking play that touched upon one of the most heart wrenching issues of the people in Kashmir and their everyday battle to survive. Group 2 Languages and Humanities decided to pay their obeisance to the spirit of women.
This included a dance drama on Draupadi and her humiliation in the hands of the Kauravas. Pathwaysians decided to give it a modern perspective where Draupadi isn’t a silent victim but stands up to the injustice and invokes Goddess Durga who decides to question the existing norms of the society and encourages women to stand up for their own rights as this is THEIR battle. The performance was highly appreciated.
The act was followed by a beautifully choreographed dance which was again a dedication to the girl child. The performance brought smiles to the otherwise sweaty faces that started swaying to the beats of the music. The performance was way too beautiful to be forgotten.
The last event for the day was a tribute to the young girl who was violated in a heinous crime two years ago on the streets of Delhi. The act was titled, “Nirbhaya’. Students came up with a performance that left everyone stunned in the audience. It was a befitting tribute to her departed soul. The play was followed by a grade 11 student crooning the cult song ‘I will survive’.
It was the most apt ending for UTSAV as it reverberated a strong message that no matter how hard your circumstances might be and how miserable your past has been, you’ve got to pick the pieces and start again.
KUDOS! TO THE CHILDREN AND FACULTY OF PATHWAYS ARAVALI for a stellar show of talent and commitment to larger causes which only make our journey, meaningful and flavourful. We hope that we have set a precedent, which will be tough to replicate in the years to come.
India Presention To Middle School
Ubuntu Quiz
PWS Chairman's Meet
Senior School Cas Activity
Path Ways Chairmn's Meet 2012
Interhouse Secience Quiz 2011
SENIOR SCHOOL INTER-HOUSE SCIENCE QUIZ
It was with great excitement and eagerness that the students of the senior school filed into the Confluence Room, for the Inter-House Science Quiz. After a short video on the various aspects of life and physical sciences and a brief on the general rules of the quiz, Mr. Gurucharan, the eclectic quiz master, began the quiz with the Headlines round. The participants were quizzed on Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Maths.
Throughout the quiz, the atmosphere was charged with high energy. The best part of the quiz was that there were questions for the audience too and whoever answered the question was rewarded with a chocolate! At times the audience became so excited that they had to be calmed down before the quiz could be resumed.
Between rounds three and four, we were treated to a video created by Mr Gurucharan on the scientific heritage of India. This was an eye-opener for most of us as, usually, India is seen more as a country with a rich cultural heritage than one of science. After a total of six rounds and lots of questions, the quiz ended with Fire House emerging as the victors, Water House as the first runner-up and Air and Earth House tying at the third place.
The Science Department did a great job of organizing such an interesting and fun-filled quiz. Kudos to them and also the participants for making it a success. And last, but definitely the foremost, to the quizmaster, whose decision was not always final, goes the credit of charging the atmosphere with intense excitement.
Text: Chitrangi Kakoti, Grade 11
Science Exhibition 2012
World Humanitarian Day 2015
World Humanitarian Day 2015
“In a world that is ever more digitally connected, each of us has the power and responsibility to inspire our fellow human beings to act to help others and create a more humane world.”
– Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary General.
World Humanitarian Day was proposed by the UN to celebrate the spirit that inspires humanitarian work across the globe. This spirit represents the virtues that connect humanity – kindness, selflessness and coalescence.
However, in a thirsty world such as ours, humaneness is often too rare. People tend to forget that it’s not a goal to strive towards, but rather an emotion that should envelop every undertaking we take. Takshshila, the Senior School at Pathways, Aravali, therefore, took to celebrating this fine spirit in our own, unique way. The guiding idea behind the celebration was, Our Only Religion – Humanity.
All Departments came together with a passion that was profoundly touching. The Senior School Form groups decorated their classroom display boards and doors with artwork and posters about messages on humanity.
Walking down the hallways, one would be pleasantly surprised by the class and quality of these exhibits. Among many, the common displays included definitions of humanity and the importance of care. Taking into consideration also the large banners and wonderful photographs hanging in the atrium, Takshshila today was a proud lady adorned with all the finery of humanity.
Since World Photography Day was also celebrated on the same day, the photographs captured by our several aspiring students were displayed in the atrium. In line with some of our favourite aspects of humaneness – love and laughter – they had chosen to exhibit photographs of our teachers in their growing years. Who knew that baby Sanjeev Ojha Sir’s eyeliner game was stronger than 94.9% of the female population of Takshshila?
In a happy mood therefore, we gathered in the atrium during our first break to listen to a rendition of Ban Ki-Moon’s speech re-counted by Armaan Beri and a recitation of our very own Cathy ma’am’s poem, Facsimile.
Students were eager to be photographed holding up placards with slogans ‘we are family’ scripted in multiple languages, including Spanish, Finnish, Gujarati, Russian and many more. Their enthusiasm was unprecedented. We look forward to experiencing more examples of the Pathways humanitarian spirit, both in and out of the School.
Text by Kairavi Sarup, Grade 12A
Teachers Day 2014
SS Granduation Day 2015
The Senior School Awards Ceremony 2014
Every year, Pathways World School proudly honours the best and the brightest with awards to recognize their merit. This year was no different. Various students received awards for academic, athletic, and creative prowess. The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the lamp and an enthralling performance of Guru Vandana.
The first set of awards was the IBDP academic topper awards. These were presented to the top students of the batch of 2014, by Dr Naidu, Mr Chalasani, and Dr Kiran Datar. The Chairman’s award for IB and IGCSE was given to Suveda Dhoot, Malvika Agarwal, Pancham Yadav and Ronit Basu. Further awards of merit were given to the new entrants into senior school for commendable performances in Grade 8.
Providing a break in the accolades, the audience was treated to a fabulous rendition of “Royals” by Lorde by the school orchestra, which was received with tumultuous applause.
Without further ado, the IGCSE students who achieved a distinction with all A and A* of the previous year received their awards, presented by Dr Naidu, Mr Chalasani, Dr Kiran Datar and Mr Santanu Bhowmick. This was followed by a thought-provoking speech by Dr Kiran Datar, and an exciting dance performance on the song, “Don’t Tell Me” by Madonna, by the IB Dance students.
Furthermore, special achievement awards were given to Pancham Yadav for scoring the highest mark for Design and Technology in India, and Kabir Sethi for scoring the highest mark in IGCSE French. Didn’t someone get it for the highest mark in Japanese as well? Please check with either Kaanan or Jaya who helped with the MC script.
The distinction holders of the 2014 IGCSE exam were then accorded distinction, followed by a speech by our special guest, Ms Runacres. Afterwards, the Principal’s Award was given as special recognition in various fields, after which senior school principal, Mr Arvind Chalasani inspired the audience with a few wise words.
Students who excelled in creativity and community service were also recognized, which was followed by an excellent mash-up dance. Students in the field of athletics were also acknowledged in their respective fortes. The awards for best overall sportsperson went to Phung Wan Subba and Sharvani Shakambari.
Shyam Sriram then enthralled the audience with his haunting rendition of the “Game of Thrones” theme song, which was met by loud applause.
The International Global Citizen’s Award Gold and the International Award for Young People was presented to those who have worked persistently over the years to reach this point. The Director’s Awards comprised the last set, which was followed by a speech by Dr Naidu to express his joy on the occasion.
The singing of the national anthem marked the end of the event. It was a marvellous end to a marvellous ceremony.
Text: Nupur Balain (Grade 12)
SS Science Quiz 2016
Chairman's Meet 2016
Teachers Day 2015
Dancing and Drama: Teachers’ Day, 2015
Off to an early start, Pathways Aravali, celebrated Teachers’ Day on the 4th of September, Friday. The corridors filled with bright colors of vibrant saris and peals of excited laughter, as the seniors greeted each other in their fancy clothing. The line between a teacher and a 12th grader blurred, and students and teachers alike eagerly anticipated what the senior students had in store for all of them.
The event commenced at 11 am, after the short break. The first performance was a rap to the tune of a famous Honey Singh song, but the lyrics were modified by the 12th graders to communicate, with a dash of humor, how they felt about the IBDP system and that how much they depended on the blessings of their teachers. The rendition was immediately followed by a chant which included hilarious phrases like “Kaisa hai yeh IB course”.
All the while, the performers paid obeisance to an IB poster that had 45 points printed on it. Next up was the question and answer session- a light hearted moment with our serious teachers- where the question of the day was to guess what the alphabet “K” in the name of Mr. K. Guru Charan Kumar stood for. The mystery of this initial in our beloved Guru Sir’s name has baffled senior school students and teachers for many years, so the delight in finally resolving this mystery knew no bounds.
Then it was the 11th graders’ turn, to show their appreciation for the teachers, and they left the audience smiling with their rigorous, spell-binding mash-up of Bollywood numbers perfect for the occasion. Next, Shivangi Sikri (grade 12) performed a nostalgic rendition of “Somewhere Only We Know” that thoroughly entranced the teachers. Then, the 12th graders performed their groovy mash-up with a mix of English and Hindi songs.
This routine stayed in the hearts of all the teachers as all their students came together to perform with all their hearts. This was followed by a melodious performance by Grace Laldini (grade 12), who sang the highly inspirational song “You raise me up”, commemorating the role of teachers in our lives.
Next up, there was a series of dance performances by 12th graders, all of them very energetic and fit for the upbeat occasion that was: The Teachers’ Day.
The playful rivalry between boarders and day boarders was seen in the performances as the boarders had their own repertoire of dances, while the day boarders had prepared another set altogether. However, they all came together in the final performance, where everyone jammed free-style to the popular song, “Lean On”.
After this, we broke for lunch, and then resumed our programme in the Atrium of Takshshila for the distribution of teacher awards. Some awards were tinged with sentimentality, while others were downright hilarious. In between awards, the 12th graders put teachers in the “Hot Seat”, where they asked them some tricky questions which flummoxed them, but had the crowd gleefully anticipating their responses.
This was followed by a hilarious academic review conducted by a few seniors, where they gave their peers awards for their difficult role as students, which had even the teachers in fits of laughter. The 11th grade band then performed a few hits by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, encouraging a surge of enthusiastic head bobbing. After a few more musical performances, the day ended with a bang! What better way to express ourselves and connect with our teachers than dance and music!!
A few thoughtful lines from our teacher Ms. Bhagirathy Jhingran, “A teacher is perhaps the bridge between your protected life in your community and one’s initiation into the real world. A teacher takes on the role of a shock absorber, is a reservoir of advice, a story-teller of a wide range of experiences, a never-say-die supporter, the expert of the subject area and the always-by-your-side cheerleader”
Text: Tannavi Kumar (grade 11), Sasha Gopalakrishnan (grade 12)
Round Square Quiz 2015
Graduuatio N 2016
The 12th Graduation Day Ceremony of Pathways World School, Aravali, held on the 9th April 2016, with 149 students graduating, was a solemn event.
As the Class of 2016 went through this modern-day ritual in the presence of the guest of honour Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, (PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM Bar), Mr Pramod Jain, the Chairman, Mr Prabhat Jain, Founder-Director, Mr Prashant Jain, Founder-Director, Mr Prasan Jain, Director, alumnus, Pathways School, We w Mrs. Paramjit Narang, retired school Director, Pathways School Gurgaon and Ms. Neeti Bhalla ex- IB, PYP coordinator Pathways World School.
The ceremonial lighting of the lamp, with the middle and senior school students chanting verses from the Taittiriya Upanishad, signalled both the audience and the graduates, to brace themselves for the event to commence.
As the grand procession of students, in their graduation gowns and heads proudly held high, with the school community watching them, took their place on the stage, a surge of pride filled the hearts of every single member of their family and school, who have been a part of their journey. It was a moment that can only be described as magical.
The senior school faculty, led by the School Executive Director, Dr. Sarvesh Naidu, and the Senior School Principal, Mr. Arvind Chalasani, joined the students on the stage, to a thunderous applause by the audience, who clicked the moment away into a timeless piece of memory.
A round of special awards was announced for students who had displayed the true Pathwaysian spirit and those who had completed 12 years at Pathways World School, Aravali. The announcement, through a lucky draw, of the 1000th graduating student, caught Ishika Hastu –the lucky winner- by surprise. Kashvi’s song titled “ Memory’ from the musical ‘Cats’ captured the emotions of the graduating students, who were on the threshold of beginning new chapter in their lives, yet not quite completely willing to let go of the old one.
The Valedictorian of the batch of 2016, Sasha Gopalakrishnan, made a nostalgic speech sprinkled with humour as she touched an emotional chord in the audience, recounting the moments spent with her peers - the team spirit, the relentless effort to dodge deadlines set by the teachers, the determination to create new pathways, and carve an identity for oneself – “rounding off with a loud “ We did it”; which suddenly broke the spell bringing back the gathering to reality and to the distribution of the IB Diplomas and Certificates.
Amidst the special awards, Diploma certificates, to some highly inspiring speeches, and to the much-awaited announcement of the presentation of the graduates of 2016, with the flipping of the tassels, the august gathering witnessed some memorable performances, which made the entire faculty proud of its students.
The exquisite piano performance by Shyam, to the breathless elegance of the IB Dance students, to Kairavi’s humorous monologue on surviving the International Baccalaureate, to Khoobi and Ridhima’s duet, and Grace’s powerful voice in the skit on a social issue, “Till it happens to us” , made everyone in the audience realize just how fast these students had grown, from those little, whining, nervous infants who clutched the hands of their parents and teachers, to individuals who had learnt not only to walk independently but to also shoulder responsibilities and start a dialogue on issues far more complex than just the classroom analysis of a literary work.
The Student Union Presidents, Kairavi Sarup and Archie Singh, shared their experiences, and the various roles and responsibilities that they successfully carried out with the help of their friends, while Diyansh, Tanushree, Sachit and Pancham, went down memory lane, sharing their experiences, from their being a part of the Vaibhav gang, to playing kabaddi to a more serious interest in activities such as the MUN and Ted Ex.
The grand ceremony finally came to an end with the Passing on of the Light of Wisdom and Good Fortune, by the faculty members to the students. This lit up the entire stage with candles illuminating the face of each graduate; we could see the sense of accomplishment and pride on their faces.
It was evident that this event would stay with them long after the culmination of the ceremony.
Text: Astha Kumar (Grade 11)
Editing: Jaya Sharma and Cathy Anubha Banerji.
Photographs: Aseem Jain
