Birla Open Minds International School
(Walkeshwar)
Doodle art for kids is a big area of interest for children and parents alike these days! However, doodling for kids is not just about teaching them a new skill or art. It also goes beyond keeping them engaged or simply having a blast! It is a lot about building confidence, motor skills, technical abilities, and imaginative and creative processes alike. A Doodle storytelling workshop was conducted by Ms. Sheila Lewis at the BOMIS Walkeshwar campus on 26 February 2022.
"Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It is about doing better."
According to The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2021 The Global "Material
Footprint" has increased by 70% between 2000-2017 and 1 million plastic drinking bottles are
purchased every minute while 5 trillion single use plastic bags are thrown away.
BOMIS(Walkeshwar) is now a part of the GEMS Global Ambassadors' Society: a group of
students and teachers across 29 schools and has united to work together to impact more than
87,000 students across UAE and Qatar, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a
blueprint.
Under the hybrid learning mode, learners of Birla Brainiacs and BOMIS, Grades 6 to 8 were
invited to participate in a collaborative event, ECOTOPIA- Alliance for sustainability at Birla
Open Minds International School, Walkeshwar, Mumbai on 26th February, Friday.
Our students took their first step into doing better for our planet by collaborating to discuss
the UN sustainable development Goal of Responsible consumption and production.
After an introduction to UN Sustainable Development Goals, participants watched a screening
of an interview with Ms. Shruti Desai on a Sustainable community lifestyle which was
followed by Self-Reflection in the form of an online survey and group collaborative activity on
the key take aways aboutSustainable development and how it can be implemented in our
lives contributing to a leading a sustainable lifestyle.
Based on their performance in the group discussion, learners will be given an opportunity to
participate in a Virtual discussion forum with delegates from different schools in India and the
UAE.
The above-mentioned event was in association with Gems Global Ambassadors Society (GGA).
A new and unique way to bond with your child: An art of zen and tangle -- Zentangle. It is a self-help art therapy practice to enhance relaxation and focus. An art workshop on Zentangle was conducted at BOMIS Walkeshwar to help parents unleash their creative side and bond with their wards in an interactive way. KEEP CALM AND ZENTANGLE ON..!!
CREATING MANDALAS WITH PATTERNS IS AN ART RELIEF KNOWN FOR ITS THERAPEUTIC AND MEDITATIVE EFFECTS. On account of Women's day, BOMIS Walkeshwar organized a Mandala Art workshop for teachers. In this workshop, the staff members learnt the basics of drawing mandalas and created their own, unique masterpiece with step-by-step live instruction. It was a fun-filled session.
''Great countries have great history. Graceful histories are written with great pains and struggles.
Great were those who fought to bring this day in India's history." – Anonymous
It has been 75 years since India gained independence and celebrations were rife all over the country. In
order to familiarize our students to the struggle for independence, we assembled online to celebrate the
day. Our students and teachers turned up dressed in colours of the Indian flag, and participated in the
celebrations with fervour and vigour.
There was a smile on every face, a sign of the emotions and
gratitude attached to the day. The celebrations began with informing students about the brief history of
India, how and when India won Independence and the importance of it. This was followed by interaction -
the students were enlightened about the freedom fighters, Indian symbolism and facts through quizzes that
they participated in. The students identified some famous patriotic songs from the music played, and
unscrambled words associated with the day such as pride, freedom and flag.
'A book is a magical thing that lets you travel to faraway places without ever leaving
your chair' – Katrina Mayer
With all of us under lockdown and not have travelled in a year, we thought of taking
this statement practically and developing a habit of reading in our little students.
On the 10th August, the members of Birla Open Minds International School celebrated
the "Reader's Deck" with the purpose of developing the reading habit in students and
touching upon the theme of Women in Leadership.
The event began with the induction of students in order to create awareness about
girls' education - the history, struggle and changes for the same. Education is
considered as a milestone for women empowerment because it enables them to
respond to the challenges, to confront their traditional role and change their lives.
The role of women in the education system can play a big part in society. The factors
like cultural, social, political and technological changes in the world have
revolutionized the education and social life of women.
To strengthen these ideas and apprise us about people working towards the cause of
women empowerment, our higher grade students researched and shared with
everyone the contributions and works of female activists towards education such as
Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Savitribai Phule and others.
This was followed by the younger lot of students taking the stage and leaving
everyone spellbound by their showmanship. The students enacted a snippet from their
favourite storybook and spoke about their favourite character. Our talented students
stepped up the game with their vibrant costumes and makeup as well as the lovely
props as they turned into Harry Potter, Snow White, Charlie Bucket and many more.
The event ended with a video that showcased the importance of reading for all.
Well, as we at BOMIS do not let go an opportunity to learn, wonder, inquire and spread ideas, we decided
on celebrating the World emoji day on the 28th of July. The emoji day is celebrated on the 17th of July
every year.
BOMIS celebrated the day with students making and wearing their favourite emoji as a head gear.
The celebration involved enlightening the children and staff on the history of the emojis as well as how
new emojis come into existence.
This was followed by various Interactive games. The first involved images depicting various emotions. The
students were to guess the emotion in each image. This was taken further with students enthusiastically
identifying each emoji with the emotions that they depict. Our tech savvy millennial students also gave
instances of how each emoji could be used.
The next game involved students using their little grey cells to identify the name of food from the set of
emojis displayed.
For the last round the participants had to guess the movie names from the emojis.
The event witnessed students, teachers and parents trying to enthusiastically figure out the names of
foods and movies and positively competing against each other.
The students were apprised about 'The Emoji Movie' that they should watch at home with their families so
as to further the learning beyond school.
On the 14th of July, as the French celebrated La feté Nationale also called as Bastille day, we at Birla
Open Minds International School, did not stay far behind. In order for students to understand the purpose
behind celebrating this festival and instilling in them a sense of globalisation and awareness, we turned
in to celebrate the festival online. The students prepared a crown using the three colours of the French
flag and wore it during the celebrations with pride and excitement.
The programme commenced with a video on the cause of the French Revolution that led to the end of the
whopping 1000 years of French monarchy and laid the foundation of the French Republic. The students
watched another video that provided an insight into the things that make France a standout nation. This
was followed by a quiz on the basic French words used in conversations.
The students competed to
answer the questions of the quiz which was followed by another game of matching French numbers
(spelling).
In order to spread the colour of the festival to each student's family, the students
were shown a video of preparing the French delicacy - the Macarons, which they promised to try making at
home with their families.
The celebrations ended with the playing of the famous French song - Champs
Élysées, a song that describes the famous Avenue of France that goes by the same name. The day was filled
with fun, creativity and laughter.
Art has a power to transform, illuminate, educate, inspire and motivate"
The Art Interactive Session arranged by Birla Open Minds International School Walkeshwar, Mumbai on Friday
4 June 2021 across India on Zoom platform.
The workshop was conducted by Ms Vaishali Jamkhedkar , an art educator. She covered the topic on how art
helps 'To become a creative thinker'. The power point presentation was made to present the aspects of
creativity and share some references with children to develop creative thinking.
The School received overwhelming response and total 350 children participated in the workshop. They have
learnt Scribble Art in the workshop and presented beautiful art pieces with their own thoughts, feelings,
imagination and their experiences.
Birla Open Minds International School, Walkeshwar along with Helen O' Grady International Speech and
Drama Academy took utmost pleasure in inviting parents, staff, and friends to witness the spectacular
performance of the play, 'Alice in Wonderland' by our very own budding student performers, on 25th March
2021.
The play was telecasted Live on YouTube.
Our students creatively expressed themselves and displayed the finer nuances of the actors by acting and
stage-craft confidently
We're extremely proud of the work demonstrated by our little ones and the team of H.O.G.
Kudos!!!
Brush twice a day campaign was conducted on 4th of Feb. at 11:30 am. Miss Payal was the speaker from the
Colgate organisation. The main aim of this event was to spread awareness about the dental hygiene among
kids and promote dental health the event started with poll activity where questions such as how many times
do you brush your teeth? And when do you usually brush your teeth were asked.
Later a song was called 'brush your teeth twice' was played and children sang along. A short animated
story was shared by the host to let children know how Colgate can make teeth strong from within. It also
taught children how to brush your teeth and how long to brush your teeth. Based on the short video quiz,
match the following and puzzle activity was conducted. Lastly, all the children took a pledge to brush
their teeth twice a day for two minutes in the morning and before going to bed in the night and to keep
their teeth healthy and clean. Brush twice a day campaign came to an end when the host shared the feedback
form link and brushing calendar with the students.
Our students at BOMIS celebrated Republic Day virtually in a grand way. Singing patriotic songs and
remembering the contribution of our freedom fighters, a part of the celebration that we all cherish with
love and pride.
Teaching children about Republic Day is a great way of instilling patriotism in them. Let's appreciate the
greatness of this republic nation we are living in.
It was a fun filled, joyous and colourful atmosphere at BOMIS, as students and staff came together to
celebrate the festival of Christmas.
The celebration began with an activity where students made Christmas decorations like Santa Reindeer and
snowman using an electric bulb and a splash of colours. The activity was conducted by our creative art
teacher, Ms Vaishali. The students thoroughly enjoyed the activity and posed for photos with their
wonderful and cute creations.
The activity was followed by students watching a video of the story behind the existence of our favourite
character, the Santa and some carol singing. The students and teachers joined in as they matched the notes
of the Christmas jingles and celebrated the festival with great vigour and enthusiasm.
The celebration ended with wishes pouring in from everyone and the commencement of the mini vacation.
Another year, another celebration and once again, virtual but amazing. Navratri is a celebration of colour and tradition. It comes with a promise of nine days filled with fun, frolic, dance and festivities all round the world. Celebrating Navratri can lighten up an otherwise dull homely atmosphere in the current situation and boost student's morale. With this we began our first virtual Navratri-FestiVista, 'The Garba Gala'. Both Birla Open Minds Pre School and Birla Open Minds International School students were looking beautiful in their attire. We started with the ramp walk where students flaunted their amazing outfit. Dhiyaan Shah sang a beautiful traditional folk song. The celebration was ended by playing Garba and Dandiya.
Navaratri is a celebration of colours and tradition.
On this occassion, Birla Open Minds International School,Walkeshwar conducted virtual Family Activity
Workshop on Tuesday 20 October 2020.
BOMIS as well as BOMPS parents and children showed lots of enthusiasm in hands on experience of craft
activity such as Side door hanging with wool and decorative flowers with the colour papers.
Everyone's engrossment proved that 'Teamwork makes the Dreamwork'
"Kids prosper best with a broad curriculum that celebrates their various talents, not just a small range of them".
Music and songs promote joy and confidence both within the child and within the group. It instils the concept of beauty, creativity, rhythm and harmony and fills the mind with pure thoughts and purifies the atmosphere.
With the objective to provide experiences to students in Music that speaks the language of heart, the school had an 'Open Beat Contest' in association with F.S.M on 5th October,2020.
Students were given a variety of activities to select from. It was enthralling to watch young students sing and perform with full confidence. The best performer was crowned the 'Solo Beat Star' of the year 2020.
The whole idea behind the workshop was to sensitize the parents about inculcating the values of love, compassion, giving etc in the child from a young age.
The workshop on Positive parenting covered a variety of topics of interest to all parents.
With the skills and strategies learned during the workshops, parents can help children grow in confidence and resilience.
Ms.Rachana Dalal, a clinical psychologist and a gold medalist in her field showed parents how to get children to cooperate more, to communicate more, to try new things and to persevere – as well as how to do well academically and socially.
First Online Parent Teacher Interaction meet was held on 7 August 2020 for the academic year 2020-21. Principal Ma'am addressed parents and teachers sharing plan of action for the coming months. Suggestions and opinions were put forth by parents. An over-all interactive discussion took place giving each of them present a clear view of what is planned by the school for the welfare of the learners.
This year, Birla Open Minds International School celebrated the French Day with a twist! The students
were dressed in blue, white and red coloured attire to celebrate the occasion, online. The program
commenced with students displaying their colourful French flags. Later, students of the Primary section
sang "Frère Jacques" and students of the Lower Secondary section sang "Alouette".
To understand the significance of the remarkable day, a presentation was displayed followed by a short
quiz. Since animated films enhance children's creativity, they watched "The adventures of Tintin" in
French.
The program was insightful and entertaining.
74th Independence Day was celebrated this year on the virtual platform with great enthusiasm and patriotic fervour. Students shared candid videos on what Independence meant to them and to mark the significance of the day students and teachers dressed in any one of the tri-colour, watched a short documentary, 'I am Kalam'.Through the documentary, children learnt the importance of education and four lesson of success as quoted by Dr. Kalam. The celebrations concluded with the National Anthem being played. Overall, it was a colourful, learning and memorable Independence Day for everyone!
World Environment Week was celebrated at Birla Open Minds International School from 7 July, 2020 to 10
July 2020. The students performed various activities from their homes. The students made paper bags,
planted saplings and they also wrote a letter to Mother Earth. Students were shown a video on, 'How to
take care of our environment' thus making them understand the importance of three P's - Protect, Preserve
and Promote "mother earth."
The entire celebration was celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal.
The celebration ended on a promising note that the young warriors will do their 'Bit' to save 'It' further
enlighten their fellow beings to adopt eco-friendly practices. So, "Start today and save tomorrow."
During these unprecedented times, the safety, health & well-being of our community is our highest priority but on top of that, we must ensure that learning does not stop. To limit the impact of the pandemic on the learning, development and growth of our learners, we took an initiative and decided to continue classes through an online medium. Besides teaching the regular curriculum, we are also including counselling sessions and fun bonding activities via Zoom application and Cisco WebEx Meeting software..Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. We will get through this together.
The much awaited sports day was held on 6th March, 2020 at Priyadarshini Park. The aim behind holding the event was to inculcate the spirit of sportsmanship and fondness for sports in children.
The event began with march pass by the students. It was followed by a flag hoisting ceremony. The sports meet was declared open by principal ma'am Ms. Hina Desai. An oath was administered to students to participate in the sports day with true sportsman spirit. Another highlight of the day was the lighting of the Torch. A melodious welcome song by pre-primary laid the ground for other lovely performances. Notable among them were various kinds of races including wobble the ball, Ball lock, relay race. The parents were particularly enthused by the yoga display and praised the efforts profusely.
The event concluded with a fun race held for parents and staff. It regaled the students, spectators and participants alike as they discovered the hidden child in themselves.
The program was compered by Ms. Shivali and Ms. Nida. The day ended by congratulating the winners with medals and certificates. At the end of the day students departed with a clear smile on their face as the Green House emerged as House champions.
It was a day filled with sportsmanship, enthusiasm and memories to cherish.
Bird Puppet making activity was conducted in Grade II to enhance the knowledge of moving paper models .
Children learnt the mechanism of flapping wings. They showcased their creativity and used various types of
paper to make the bird puppet.
It was a fun filled activity.
Under the "KARKE SEEKHO" activity in Hindi subject, the children of grade 1 built a train with the help of different shapes and also learned to create new words by adding letters.
On 18th February, the students of BOMIS Walkeshwar went on an excursion to Five gardens and Mongiland. It
was a day filled with enthusiasm, excitement and fond memories with some lovely takeaways.
At the Monginis Cake Factory they were told how cakes are made. They were taken around where they saw how
cakes are decorated, baked and stored.
Students saw bakers using creams of different flavours and natural fruits to decorate a variety of
cakes.Children enjoyed playing in the garden as well as the play zone area at Mongiland.
Students were also given an opportunity to decorate a piece of cake with fresh cream, cones and chocolate
petals. Our little chefs were superb in their creativity. Finally they were excited to eat the cakes that
were served to them by the Monginis team. They relished the yummy cakes and refreshments. They came back
with fun-filled memories along with a Bakers's certificate.
It was truly a wonderful trip and very educative too.
''Mani Bhavan in Bombay will ever remain a precious memory to all those who visited it on many occasion when Gandhiji used to stay there. I am glad therefore, that this house is being converted into a Gandhi Memorial'' - Jawaharlal Nehru
To enhance the significance of Gandhi Jayanti in the lives of students and educate them about the cherished ideals of Truth and Non-Violence, BOMIS (Walkeshwar) organised an educational trip to Mani Bhavan on 1st October 2019.
It gave an eye-opening experience to our students on the simple yet inspiring life and freedom struggle of our great leader and freedom fighter, 'Mahatma Gandhi' also known as 'The Father of the Nation'.
The students visited the library which contained more than 50,000 books by and on Gandhiji and Gandhian thoughts.
They saw the living room with all the possessions of Gandhiji and had glimpses of Mahatma Gandhi's life through mini-figures in about 28 tableaux and picture gallery that took all of us back to the Gandhian era.
Indeed the students will never forget the memorable time spent here!
It was a great learning experience for everyone.
Ms.Nethmi from Sri Lanka was our first traveller guest .She was a very vibrant and enthusiastic young
woman with a very pleasing personality. Ms.Nethmi introduced herself by showing PPT about her family,
friends, school life. She spoke on various aspects like cultural, religious practices, staple food of
Sri Lankans , most widely spoken language- Sinhalese and the most practiced religion in Sri
Lanka-Buddhism,
significance of their flag with Lion and former name of Sri Lanka - Ceylon was also told during her
interaction with the students .
All the students displayed their talent by singing and played quiz . In the end students wrote a post card for the traveler to show what did they like the best in the entire session, either by writing or drawing.
It was an enriching as well as a great learning experience for the students to know about our neighbouring country.
Every year on 14th September, the nation gears up to celebrate Hindi Diwas which marks the significance of the day when the Constituent Assembly after Independence adopted Hindi as the official language of India.
To highlight the significance and importance of Hindi language we at Birla Open Minds International School, Walkeshwar held a Special Assembly on Monday 16th September 2019. Each and every student participated in enhancing their ability to express themselves confidently in Hindi.
The teachers had oriented about the importance of Hindi language and how celebrating the day helps in sustaining traditional values and glorifying them to reinforce the languages ' importance.
At the end of the assembly, Principal Hina Desai spoke about the importance of the day and concluded by appreciating both the teachers and the students for their commendable efforts.
"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe."
With the invasion of technology, the beauty of handwritten letters and precise penmanship has
unfortunately been lost in the digital shuffle.
In order to instill in students the love of writing as well as to re - interate the importance of our National language, BOMIS conducted a Hindi Penmanship Competition for the students of Grade 1 to Grade 7 on September 13, 2019.
The students enthusiastically participated in the competition and portrayed their best handwriting with commendable eagerness thereby experiencing the joy of penmanship.
"Something somewhere incredible is waiting to be known" - Carl Sagan
These words are perfect to describe the first field trip of academic session 2019 - 20. It was an
educational field trip to the CSMVS museum, Fort.
The first graders experienced the marvelous work of the young curators at the Children's Museum. They also witnessed the presence of the magnificent 2000 yr old Baobab tree.
The Lower Secondary learners took it as a learning experience and were busy taking down notes from the Pre & Proto History section and the Natural History Section.
The visit was well culminated with a craft activity arranged by the volunteers of the Education Department of the museum named the "Ganesha gets a gift"
At the end, they witnessed live Ganesha Idol making by a renowned sculptor from Pen.
Don't settle for good. Compete to be great!
It's a moment of joy and celebration for us at BOMIS, as we share the glimpses of our students who participated with full zest and vigour in the Interschool competition Renaissance, held at the Universal School, Tardeo. The students participated in various activities showcasing their talent, hard work and love for various fields like art, poetry, drama, ICT and gaming. We would like to congratulate Kavish Shah and Yuvaan Shah of grade 5 for securing the 3rd position in 'Scratch the Surface' which required them to create a game on Rainwater harvesting using the Scratch app. Way to go boys! We are proud of you!
A special thanks to all the teachers for their efforts in guiding and grooming our kids for the competition.
Elocution is the art of effective public speaking with the use of exact speech and gestures.In view of this Birla open minds international school hosted an English Elocution competition for its students on 29th August 2019 across grades 1 to 7. The students of primary school participated in Poem recitation and it was indeed a pleasure to watch the little ones render enjoyable poems with feeling and conviction. The lower Secondary students delivered interesting and captivating speeches.The competition was a great opportunity for the students to display their orating skills. All the participants conducted themselves with poise and self confidence which made the event noteworthy.
"Dance is the hidden language of the soul"
The innocent and vibrant soul of our learners brightened up depicting their lusciousness in face, attire
and demeanor. At Birla Open Minds International School Walkeshwar, Solo Dance Competition was organized
on 27 August 2019 for the primary and lower secondary section. All the little feet were in full swing
and danced on different themes that suited their taste and talent. Kids performed and expressed their
talent through Western themes, Folk themes and Patriotic themes.
They all performed enthusiastically in the competition. It was a good time for the kids, who got a stage performance arranged for them, The happiness of the children was amply evident with applause and appreciation. In the primary section, Nishka Desai secured the first position, and Divyang Bothra secured the second position. In the lower secondary section, Harshi Shah secured the first position, Kavish Shah second and Kavan Shah secured the third position. The winners from different houses were all awarded.
Such competitions in the school are an excellent platform for the budding artists. On the whole the competition rose to its grandeur with the heart throbbing performances by our students.
"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent"
BOMIS organized its first Inter-House Competition to judge the singing talent of its students and inculcate a healthy competitive spirit among them. It was a theme based competition, where the students of Grade 1 to 7 earnestly participated and sang English Inspirational Songs.
Music was in the air throughout the afternoon. It was fascinating to witness all the students putting up a magnificent performance.
Independence Day has a special place in the heart of every Indian. Not only does it symbolize the celebration of 73 years of Freedom but also extends an emphatic message of the progressive future of our country.
In the afternoon of August 14, 2019, our students in art and craft activity made tricolour greeting cards, badges along with Rakhis to mark the 73rd Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan celebration this year.
Joyfully, they conveyed their greetings in advance for Independence Day to the faculty members of the School, with a vision and mission to protect the peace and unity of our nation and celebrating the gift of freedom given by the great freedom fighters.
Handwriting is a part of an identity and essential tool for communication. The process of handwriting promotes clear thought and natural structure. An English Penmenship competition was held among the students for grades 1 to 7 on 14th August, 2019. The objective of this competition was to encourage students to improve their writing skills.
Handwriting is an essential skill for students. It is an incredibly important exercise for students to encourage them to develop fine motor skills and confidence. It also encourages and recognizes the good handwriting skills. It provides students with an opportunity to display their competency of legible writing.
The response of the students was very encouraging. The handwriting was judged on the basis of specific criteria. All the students had put in their best foot forward to enhance their writing skills.
The students were motivated and enjoyed the competition.
Reader's Deck was conducted at Walkeshwar as a part of English Culmination to enhance students imaginative skills, critical thinking, vocabulary and speaking skills.
A variety of activities were held by our English teachers throughout the day to provide our students with a language-rich environment and to use English purposefully outside class.
The students immediately after the assembly, took a visit to the book fair with a wishlist, taking a quick look at the books and writing the book titles that they intend to buy.
Followed later was a series of exciting and engaging language building activities in which students were completely absorbed.
The end result was happy faces, open minds, exciting stories to share and day to cherish.
Today at Birla Open Minds International School, Walkeshwar it was a completely new and enriching experience for our kids. A yoga session through storytelling was conducted by Hiral, a yoga teacher from 'The Lil Yogi's Club', one of the few who introduced yoga to kids from the tender age of 3 up to 17 years old and is very passionate about the development of their mental makeup.
The Lil Yogi's Club specialises in teaching yoga and mindfulness through storytelling, music, dance and games.
The primary and secondary students personally witnessed and enjoyed a glimpse of it in the 1 hr long session they had with her.
Yoga through storytelling was conducted today as a part of Reader's Deck to help develop synchronization between the creative right brain and the logical left brain and make students more aware, awakened and peaceful, posing as the perfect co-curricular activity for the young ones as is the objective of 'The Lil Yogi's Club'.
