GDSMS Alumni Reunion
" The BIG Reunion 3 "
“LIFE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING…” by By Kumkum Somani
Dear friends,
It’s wonderful to see that friendships forged so many years ago are still going strong.
It is my hope and prayer that these bonds remain forever…
The 20 years I spent at GDSMS were the best years of my life and I will always cherish them. It was my dream to make this so called “zero” school into a “hero” school someday... and this happened (with the help of a supportive team of Principals, teachers and fabulous kids (led by the evergreen Ms. Deboo!) (Everybody, clap for yourselves!)
When we were young most school kids in India learnt by mugging up their lessons, then vomiting out the rote learning for the final exam. Exam over, press the DELETE button and erase it forever from memory….
Luckily for me, I changed 7 schools, one of which was an American boarding school in Mussoorie. Here, learning was by observing, analyzing and a lot of “doing”. Another of the 7 schools (in Mumbai) also believed in “learning through projects.”
I applied this at GDS.
My 5 year olds students, learning about HOUSES, turned the tables and chairs in our classroom into tiny ‘dwellings’ (using sheets, towels and pillows)!
We walked down to Jolly Maker 1, then under construction and, with their own tiny hands they built a wall with bricks and cement.
When studying “farm animals” we invited a cow to school, and since, no self-respecting cow would have agreed to climb up the stairs to our first floor classroom, the kids sat on the school steps to interview her and the cowherd.
Teaching Creative Writing to Std. IV was a lot of fun.
It was an amazing class!
A child found Rs. 1000 in a packet fallen on the ground and handed it to the Police Station. When no one claimed it, they gave him the money. With this he and the other students of Std. IV organized a beautiful birthday party for their class teacher with snacks, chilled cold drinks and a cake as well! They also managed to squeeze in a GIFT for her with the money and this was a maxi. “How do you know it will fit her?” I asked (naively).
Pat came the answer.
“Of course it will, Miss! It’s waist is elastic!!!”
The topic for one creative writing class was “Fire! Fire!”
To make the experience as real as possible, I asked the kids to close their eyes. Then we switched off the lights, closed all classroom windows and set a few crumpled newspapers on fire.
”Something burning!” sniffed a child.
When the children opened their eyes, it was pitch black and the smell of smoke was overpowering. All doors and windows were closed so there was no escape route.
Obviously, their essays about being trapped in a burning building turned out brilliant!!
I had done my training in Journalism with ‘The Times of India’, so I taught Journalism to Std. IX and Std. X.
We did radio plays with the brilliant students adding uncanny sound effects.
They even brought out a news bulletin called ‘The Bugle’!
Let me share a secret with you!
At one time, the school decided to divide each standard into A / B/ C / D and E divisions according to the child’s aptitude. Which means Std 5 (A), for example, would accommodate the most brilliant, the near geniuses. And Std. 5 (E)? The dullards, the slow learners because, they said “many schools were doing this”….
Well, children, just think, what if YOU were in Group E? Wouldn’t you not have felt hopeless, hopeless, hopeless? Luckily, with Ms. Deboo at the helm and Pubali Basu, School Counsellor to support her, we bonded against this and did not let it happen!
All children are special in their own way. .
Each one of us has a special talent within. We just need to search it out and develop it.
This was the primary reason why we introduced so many extra curricular activities in GDS! Like Drama, Home Science, Photography, Puppetry, Gardening, Music, Dance and so on - to help students discover their special skill (And then develop it with focus, determination, clarity) .
Moving fast forward…
I left school and it’s garden with the tall coconut trees that I had picked as tiny saplings from a Pune nursery and brought back, cradled in my lap, to the school.
I missed our school children.
I also felt an overpowering need for doing my bit for creating awareness of valuing and preserving our environment.
A GARDEN IS A LOVELY PLACE
So when my husband, Susheel asked me to put a few plants on a deserted terrace above our office (to shame the residents of the tall buildings around the terrace into not treating it as a garbage dump). I leaped at the opportunity. Landscapist, Ratna Dharia created a beautiful garden on the terrace and I nurtured it for 20 years.
“How about maintaining the garden?” said my husband.
And that is how I started the “Little Gardener” classes on ring form the environment
Above left: TIME OUT Above Right Top: MARWAR Above Right Below: DNA
Twenty years later, the garden sprung a leak and had to be demolished. Yet another phase of my life was over.
“GANDHIJI’S GEMS”
The next phase, was writing and illustrating ‘Gandhiji’s Gems’ which is made up of 9 imaginary stories based on Gandhiji’s immortal values. Luckily, the book got fantastic reviews.
The next step was creating Audio Visuals (with Voice Over) of the stories to help that tumultuous period in Indian history (and the stories) spring to life.
Now we show the Audio Visuals at “Workshops on Values” we do for schools (along with other activities involving art/ craft, music, drama, discussion).
So what has life taught me?
That no man is an island. We are all part of a whole.
Let your world enlarge. Then no man stands alone. You will become aware not only of the beauty around but also of the myriad problems that exist… heavy pollution, flawed education for most, not enough jobs, people who can’t afford one square meal a day and so on.
Choose any one problem that stirs you, then tackle it with zeal.
For each one of us can make a difference!
God sent us here to make the world a better place, didn’t He?
Life has also taught me humility and acceptance … and the awareness that we are but pawns on God’s giant chess board.
All that happens is His will.
Like actors on a stage, we must continue to do our best …till the curtain falls.
