English language-and its common (mis)usage

The Queen's language has always been a topic of amusement and obsession with the regional speaking population. With its many contradicting rules in grammar and spelling, it's no wonder that that English is definitely a language that many find difficult to master.

Similarly spelt words are very different in meaning. Yet, very often such words are interchanged. It was quite quiet. Yes, there's a difference between quite and quiet. The former means completely and the latter means silence. Therefore, 'she's quite talkative' and 'she's quiet' are contradictory statements.

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The top is loose but you can also lose your mind over a trivial matter. There's a wide difference between the words 'loose' and 'lose' and when interchanged can make for funny anecdotes to regale our friends with. 

You're is actually two words- 'you' and 'are'- and should not be confused with 'your' which is a pronoun-used to indicate a belonging of a person.

Indiscriminate use of 'ly' to form adverbs can prove dangerous too. For example: a boss wanted to praise an employee and went on to say in a boardroom conference, "Mr. Venkkiah works hardly. He comes fastly to office too." Needless to say, the sentence left Mr. Venkkiah red-faced and the others guffawing.

So, have you honed your English skills lately? If not, it's not a bad idea to sit down with a Wren & Martin to avoid such bloopers.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/

Helping children to be tolerant and community-friendly : Lawrence School

In the urban, developed world that we live in today, nuclear families are the order of the day; the joint family system is passé.  Most are single-child families or at the most have two children.  It is no wonder then that children learn to live by themselves and ‘for’ themselves.  Their perspective is limited to “me, mine and myself”.    In this scenario, how do we help a child to learn to be more tolerant and community-friendly? 

Here are some of the things that we could do -

·         As the saying goes, “charity begins at home”; likewise, as parents we need to set the right example.  We have to practice what we want our child to learn.  Hence, our children should see us as people who care; who offer help to the needy; who take part in community programmes and who follow rules and are law abiding citizens. 

·         We must get our children to share his/ her toys and books with friends and cousins.  Also, if the maid or driver has a young kid, we could get our children to help them with their homework. 

·         We must encourage our children to take part in community services in and around our locality.  This could be in the form of

Ø  Keeping the locality clean -not throw garbage (chocolate paper, banana peel, etc) on the road, not urinate in the open..

Ø  Spread awareness around garbage segregation

·         We must encourage our children to form and express their opinion about social matters – like when they notice someone not following traffic rules, or disobeying the law, they can voice their opinion and talk to an adult about it.  This way, they will also learn to differentiate ‘right’ from ‘wrong’.

·         We should explain the importance of non-renewable and limited natural resources and get our children to save on fuel, electricity and water. 

Thus, it is imperative that we become good role models for our children – more can be learnt from seeing rather than from just preaching.  Our children can then learn to say “we, us and ours” and become empathetic, humble and socially committed citizens.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

Summer Holidays – how to keep children occupied

It is that time of the year that school children (and some parents too!) eagerly look forward to - two whole months of vacation! No waking up early in the mornings and no rigid schedule to be followed; no catching the bus and no classes to attend.   This is the best part of any child’s life - totally carefree and completely liberated!

While this may be so, parents during this two-month break have to learn to manage their children’s time well.   They will have to think of ways of engaging them in a meaningful manner during the holidays.  It is great that children can relax without adhering to strict schedules, at the same time, they should not while away their time watching meaningless television programmes all through the day. 

So as parents, what can we do?  A lot of things actually. 

• -          Get the children to play with their friends – this will help them develop good social behavior. 
• -          Get them to help you around the house.  Small jobs/chores like laying the table before every meal, cleaning their own plates / clothes, putting the garbage out, watering the plants, helping in spring cleaning (cleaning windows, furniture, cupboards, etc), folding their own clothes and arranging neatly in their shelves.  These activities will not only help them learn but will also make them responsible and help them to take care of their belongings.  And it teaches them the value of labour.
• -          Get them to take up a hobby or sport– music, dance, drawing/sketching, pottery, carpentry - anything that interests them.
• -          Get them to cultivate the habit of reading.  Get them books from a lending library or you could also buy from a second-hand book store.  This is one habit that will help them in all phases of life.    
• -          Involve them in your holiday plans.  Encourage them to read up about the places you plan to visit and make them write their experiences after the travel. 

Thus, as parents and care-givers, we need to inculcate certain habits and responsibilities in our children.  The summer vacation is the best time to do this.  Let us spend time with our kids and enjoy the holiday!    

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/

Let's have a colourful but careful Holi

Holi is the festival of colours, fun and freedom but it is a good idea to exercise caution and enjoy the festival in its true sense and spirit. We urge you to pay heed to incorporate these pointers, so that we do not cause harm to ourselves or others knowingly or unknowingly.

The synthetic colours used in the festival are extremely harmful to the skin, eye and teeth.  Make sure that you play with natural colours this year. There are a few outlets that provide herbal colours. These do not harm in any way and are easily washed away too.

We are fighting a losing battle with water scarcity as the years go by hence it is a crime to use more water than required. On festivals like Holi, a lot of water tends to get used and wasted and we need to curb this practice at once. Using only dry colours and avoiding drenching and soaking in buckets of water are something that can be easily done. Again by not using synthetic colours, one can get rid of the colours with lesser water; spare a thought for people who go without a drop of water before you drain that bucket of water on someone’s head.

Say no to water balloons. These can not only hurt a person badly but also the material is not degradable and pollutes the environment.

Festivals are celebrated to induce a spirit of brotherhood and bring in joy, so pay heed to the other person’s feelings. If a person does not want to participate, respect his/her feelings. Also, keep a strict vigil on children and do not let them stray alone into lonely streets.

Misbehaving in public is a crime on all occasions and festivals like Holi should not be used as a pretext to indulge in teasing women or causing harm to anyone physically or mentally. The adults must use restraint on the consumption of the traditional Bhang and sweets and also advise their children accordingly.As a responsibly citizen, we must not let a festive mood turn to a period of destruction and unfortunate happenings. 

We, at Lawrence school, hope that these pointers would be implemented and the festival is celebrated in its true colour. So, go ahead and have a happy and safe Holi!

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

Coping with exams-Lawrence School

It’s exam time and as usual the stress levels are on an increase. Parents and students leave no stone unturned to ensure a high success rate. However, sometimes in an effort to focus on the marks the larger picture of acquiring knowledge is left behind.

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Scoring marks might be necessary to get into the desired faculty or college but it is not a guarantee to success in the real world. Bookish knowledge cannot be applied in the real life scenarios. Hence the focus should largely remain at gaining fruitful knowledge.

Having realistic expectations is one of the best methods of approaching any exam. Parents and children need to bring down the expectation levels to match the capacity of the student. An overall 60% achiever cannot top up his scores to 85% just by cramming in the last few days. 

Mobiles, internet, Facebook, chatting (even if it means discussing studies) should be kept at the lowest minimum. Too much of discussing about how much each one has studied and how much one needs to catch up only raises the anxiety levels.

Allowing time for recreational hobby is not a sacrilegious thing to do. In fact all study will bring down the absorption levels after a point. The mind needs to recharge with something creative or stimulating. It could be anything- a favourite sport, painting, music, dancing or even cooking.

Finally, parents need to befriend their children and win their confidence. They need to demonstrate that exams and their results is not the end of the world-even if they are board exams.  

 Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

Mahashivratri-The origin and significance-Lawrence School

Mahashivratri, also known as the night of Lord Shiva, is celebrated with great devotion in most parts of India. Devotees observe fast during the day and stay awake during the night performing abhishek/puja to Lord Shiva who manifests in the form of the Linga.

Mahashivratri falls on the 14th day of the fortnight in the month of Phalgun. This night of Mahashivratri is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism. It is believed that one is atoned for his or his past sins if one prays to the Lord with complete devotion and surrender on this particular day. It is also believed that the planets are aligned in such a way that it makes it conducive for people on the path of spirituality to attain moksha or liberation from the circle of life and death.

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There are many stories that takes us to the origin of this festival. A popular tale among them is of a tribal villager who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Once he ventured into the forest to collect fire-wood and by the time he returned it was nightfall and he lost his way. Fearing harm from the wild animals around, he climbed up a tree. To keep himself awake and get rid of his fear, he began to pluck the leaves of a bel-tree and cast them on the ground while chanting the name of Lord Shiva. It so happened that there was a Linga below the tree and the bel-leaves fell upon the Linga; the act done unknowingly was indeed a deep form of worship of the Lord. It is said that pleased with the devotion, the Lord blessed him with material and spiritual bliss.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/   

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

Benefits of an inclusive learning environment-Lawrence School

Inclusive learning environment can be termed as a place where children of various needs and abilities are trained under one roof; a place where every child feels equally loved and motivated enough to perform to the best of his or her abilities without any guilt, discomfort or pressure.

A mixed environment could be a place where students of different social, cultural and economic backgrounds converge to learn under the same set of teachers. This could also be extended to include children who are also differently abled, either physically or mentally, as long as their impairment does not require constant medical attention and does not interfere too much with their every-day needs.

 Image: http://bit.ly/N5Yz0L

A well-trained and empathetic trainer or teacher is highly important in such a set up since he or she would be instrumental in bringing about the fine balance where each child irrespective of his/her background or ability gets to explore, learn and grow equally.

It is also a fine opportunity for main-stream children to develop a sense of empathy and tolerance and eventually appreciation for kids from a different set-up. The differently-abled group gets a chance to become comfortable in interacting in social set-up without feeling ‘odd’ or left-out. It gives them a chance to lift their self-esteem and be at par with their ‘normal’ peers. 

 

Image: http://bit.ly/1caFara

It is a pre-cursor to an ideal world where the have-nots are not ridiculed or looked down upon by the haves in the society; where everyone is treated with dignity and respect; where one is able to put self in others’ shoes and feel for the other.

Can we dream of such an environment in our main-stream schools?

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/