Lakshmi Darpan Lakshmi School, Madurai 625020 Ph: 9843465255 Email id: lakshmischool@tvslvs.com

Confident, Competent and Compassionate Citizens through value based quality education.

From the Principal’s deskGreetings to you all!

The sweet September morning this year seems different. My cabin is the same, it is nearly the same time of the day but the scene is different. I miss the vibrant butterflies ofkindergarten flitting in and out with a louder noise than what warrants their size. The lunch time din, the howlingfreshers, the encouraging bursts of applause are all missing.

The redeeming factor is of course that in large numbers the senior kids are around. However, one can feel a visiblechange! Teenagers have become more quiet, thoughtful and serious. Their assembly talks seem to be far beyond theiryears. Jostling crowds and muffled laughters are gone!How I long to see the good old days!As I inch around the Lakshmi campus savouring the fragrance of the frangipani and yellow bells, it feels verydifferent!

Cheering myself, I consciously embrace yuugen- the Japanese art of noticing the unseen! (the beauty of subtlety-Connecting with the unseen!)To stand upon the shore and gaze after the boat that disappears behind the distant hill and imagine thereafter.. As I retrace my steps, I pause near my favourite spot - near the grounded Mustang II .I gaze at the two seater - how like a bird one must have felt soaring in the sky! How many cities and people must ithave connected! Here at LS, it continues to inspire and spur youngsters to unreachable heights of glory. Hundreds ofstudents sit here, chalking out plans, determined to follow their passion. To me, the Mustang II is a symbol offreedom, empowerment and passion.

A walk past the MPH and the Shakespearean plays come alive, in another moment I am in the rehearsal of SriSundramIyengar’s biopic! I hear the mesmerizing commentary of Smrithi!

JUNE to OCTOBER 2021

I know many more heroic scenes are to unfold themselves here.Many budding actors and debaters will make Lakshmi proud. I can see a little doll oozing confidence despite trippingaccidentally! Well, the little brown bear in the play, may be our torch bearer for the future.With a smile , I turn right-the new magnificent junior school ground with its awesome tensile roofing .Soon it will be filled with the laughter of the energetic kids. Rain cannot play spoil sport henceforth. I can see thecross country race culminating there and children stretching themselves and recalling the exciting leads theyestablished!

Heard melodies are sweet but unheard are sweeter!-is soothing poetry.

I am waiting as most of you are-for the real experience! Let our wishes come true!Wish you all good health, happy vacation and a safe Deepavali !

Shanthi MohanPrincipal

News and Events

June

4th - Parent Orientation for Classes X- XII14th - Parent Orientation for Class IV15th - Parent Orientation for Class V16th - Parent Orientation for Class VI17th - Parent Orientation for Class VII Parent Orientation for Class II18th - Parent Orientation for Class VIII Parent Orientation for Class IX Parent Orientation for Class II24th - Parenting Session – Classes II & III26th - Session on being Good Digital Citizens – Class IX Investiture Ceremony

July

3rd - Session "Sangam Age and Literature" – Class IX17th - Orientation on Digital Flagship Conference (IMUN) – Classes VIII – X24th - LVS Case study presentation

August

6th - Interhouse Declamation Competition – Classes VI - VIII7th - Live Book Session12th - UraiVeechu title "Bharathi Kanda Pudhumai Pen" - Class IX15th - Virtual Independence Day Celebration and Sports Day Inter house Creative writing competition for classes IV & V16th - Inter house Declamation competition for classes IV & V21st - Live Book Session

September

4th - Teachers' Day Celebration 18th - Prize Giving Ceremony October

4th - Term I Exam for Classes IX & X11th - Term I Exam for Classes VI - VIII13th - Term I Exam for Classes XI & XII

27th - Virtual variety show

Friendship

Friendship is as bright As the sunlight,

Friendship is kind, andNever leaves us blind.Friendship is a magic It is super fantastic.

Friendship is like a dove That fills us with love.

Friendship is the best company,As sweet as honey.

Friendship is sharing, caring,Understanding and sacrificing,

Friendship is guiding and motivating,Leading one towards life’s scaling.

Friends can’t be enemiesThey are a part of our families.Friendship is forever enduring,With moments and memories,

For us to keep cherishing!!

B. Janani VIII A

RAIN

Hey, Rain!!Where are you?

Farmers are waitingfor you, to sow the seeds

Plants are waiting for you, to grow

Flowers are waitingfor you, to bloomI am also waiting

for you, to sail my boat.Please come, come,

We are eagerly waiting!!!!

Ashwanth Sankar IIC

Corona

Corona Corona go away,Never come to us another day,

All my friends want to play,Corona Corona go away.

Renya IIC

My School

I love my school,It’s so cool;

My school has a playground With my friends I run around

It’s fun to run under the hot sun,I like to play with lots of clay, I like to jump over the humps,

I miss my school.

Nikhil Sam II E

Smile

The greatest joy in my life,Is to see my loved ones smile.

I will go an extra mile,To make my dear ones smile.

An innocent and honest smile,Can make things happy and fine.

In hard times and tough days,It’s a blessing to see a smiling face.

If each day is like a baby’s smile,I would thank God for the precious

times.A smile is truly worthy,

It makes us happy and healthy.It spreads love, peace, and joy,

It is more valuable than any toy.So, smile every moment,

As a smile creates a shine!Smile not just your sorrows away,But also, your worries and fears.

Wake every day with a smile,And make all lives bright and

cheerful!Remember, the greatest treasure in

lifeIt's not Gold or Diamond or Ruby

But a wide and loving smile!

J.S.Krithik Aditya V F

LUCKY KID

I am a lucky kid,I get to go to school

We play games and crafts and grids,At our Lakshmi school.I came from far away,

But still I don’t feel new,I made a lot of friends,

Not only just a few.Since corona hit the earth,

My classes are online,Though we don’t go to actual school,

But still we are all fine!With teachers very kind,My work is very straight,I love my Lakshmi School,

My Lakshmi School is great!

Aarini Banerjee IIB

THE BIG CHANGE

Helping us out,In the place of school no doubt,

No getting up early like those old days,Just not in the early morning sun’s rays,

Real school is so cool… !But, didn’t we want a change in our

way of ‘school’ ?We just need to set up and join,

As simple as a toss of a coin,Assembly performances, that’s what I

really want to speakAs a matter of fact, the applauses we

seek,A beautiful chance to express our

talents,And getting loads of positive

comments,Even if school reopens soon,

We will miss this boon.Though real school is the best !

A.ANUSHA IV B

ONLINE

Yesterday,I had a craze,

On your grace.But today,

You have become a maze,Taking all my days.

Yesterday,

I admired others,Who used you as their feathers.

But today,You have cursed us all,We are caged in a hall.

Yesterday,

You helped people,And made them skilful.

But today,You are awful,

My days are not beautiful.

Yesterday,You were like a friend in need,

And guided us in deed.But today,

We are trapped by you,You seem to be in lieu.

Sweet memory of yesterday.

Bitter truth of today.Hope the day that dawns tomorrow,

Takes away our sorrow.

S. P. Santhi – Faculty Level III

HOPE

Hope helps us dreamHope gives us courage

Hope is in us,So, don’t feel hopeless!

The candle of hope is always lightedTo ward off the darkness inside us.

Hope makes us feel braveAnd face challenges with ease!Be hopeful wherever you are

And do not forget to remember-Hope is everywhere,

Never leaves you astray anywhere!

S. Kailash Annamalai V D

Our Cosy Abode

Our abode is beautiful, For which we are grateful.

We always keep it neat and clean, Everything has its sheen.

We are so happy here, We love everyone near.

Our walls are galleries of art, And handmade décor held close to heart.

Lively and bright, cosy and merry, Our house is a pool of colours.

With plants smiling at us, Out abode is a pure bliss!!

Shravan Muthuraja III C

IIMUN

Indian International Model United Nations or India’s InternationalMovement to Unite Nations is a youth organisation comprising over 26,000students who help arrange conferences across 22 countries. It is a greatplatform where students from all over the world meet and showcase theirdebating skills on various topics. It is basically the United Nations run byyoung students, where students debate on the worldly affairs and comeforth with suitable solutions from their perspective to the problems.My first ever IIMUN was a unique experience for me. It was held on the14th,15th and 16th of August '2021. I got the golden opportunity toparticipate in it through our school. I was assigned to an interestingcommittee where we debated on the qualification and representation ofMPs. We debated on various subtopics like, “Is educational qualificationneeded?” (or) “The under representation of MPs in proportion to thepopulation.”(or)”The need to increase the number of MPs.”(or)”How toimprove the quality of education?”, in a very parliamentary mannermaintaining absolute decorum. It was a very fruitful discussion, where wedrafted a declaration containing solutions in our perspective. It containedmany new innovative ideas of all the students in the committee. Like this,in 23 other committees consisting of 20 - 30 members, each debated ondifferent agendas like alternate history of Harry Potter, vaccine diplomacy,etc. This has taught me that, there will be two sides to a coin in any situationand a healthy discussion will bring out the best solution. I thank my schoolfor giving us this opportunity and guiding us in the preparation.

Narain VIII D

A Report on the Anbu house Variety show

On 21st August 2021, we had the Anbu house Variety show. The topic of the show was‘Past, Present, Future’ which was predominantly featured in almost all the programmes.The show started with an introduction video for the topic and a speech rally on thechanges in the food, medicine, methods of fighting, technology and clothing in the past,present and the future by the 10th graders. Then the show slowly proceeded with thecultural programmes, i.e. a dance showing the deteriorating life of the Mother Earththrough time. Then we had a song and a dance through time showing the difference inmusic, beats and dance choreography through the decades. We also had a creative speechabout the possibility of time travel. Overall, the programmes were of great diversity and variety. We made it as colourfuland informative as possible and made sure our programme was too good for the viewersto look elsewhere.. As the captain of the Anbu house, I am very proud of my house andloved every single second of the preparation and enjoyed the final outcome. Lookingforward to many more such programmes.

K. Shreenithi XII C Anbu house captain

A visit to ‘My School'

Missing school is hard, right? Well, its been quite a hard time for me! I think of themorning breeze that tickled me,the chitchat with my bus mates,the fun of watchingaround as we traverse the length and breath of our temple city during the travel fromhome to school and back by bus, I can literally feel butterflies in my belly. And as soon as I reach my school,I can feel ‘home’ there. The Lakshmi family – the fun and frolic, the competitions and excitement, theintramural and house spirit, the group activities and learning, lunch time and gossip,games period and friendly skirmishes are a thing of the past. It was a glorious morning,when I was asked to go to school to collect my Tamil reader. Lucky that I visited my schoolright in the middle of the pandemic! I was so excited that my legs were barely on the ground. During the travel to myschool, that pure feeling of fresh and cool breeze touching my face was priceless. I sawthe board outside the school reading “LAKSHMI CAMPUS”, something I have seen with noemotion a year and a half back, but now it is a magical board,a ticket to my happiness. I ventured into the campus and I was about to pass out in excitement! I decided to visitmy classroom. Yes! I did so. When I entered my very own and old classroom I wasn’t asexcited as before, as I didn’t want to see my classroom with none of my classmates andthe room so silent. When I walked around all the memories were just etched in my mind. Icould hear my friends chatter in the corridor, teachers walking along as we happilywished them. Sweet unforgettable memories! The bell rang and brought me to the real world. Very soon I know that I will be backhere in the campus, learning and having fun. I was, I am and I will always love, adore, and admire my school. And that one experiencegave me what an entire lockdown year in my very own home couldn’t give me! I had asplendid day visiting my School.

Azana Shruti VIII D

GANESH CHATURTHI CELEBRATION

Thanks to all teachers and Lakshmi school for the beautiful celebration held on09.09.2021 Friday. We really enjoyed celebrating Ganesh chaturthi with you. The video

narrating the story of how Ganapati was created was so beautiful. Our kids sangbeautifully and danced without fear. We were awed at their performances. And the clay

activity making Ganesha idol made us feel young. The story was also interesting and not afrequently retold one. We are happy that we get to be a part of your celebration. I wish to

express my gratitude for your efforts even in these tough times to keep our childrenengaged, encouraged and entertained. Thank you.

Mother of A. Saharshnaa IIC

Assembly Activity

Hi…. Everyone… This is Rahul Kanna of 7B, Lakshmi School, Madurai. I’m here to sharemy experience in creating animation videos for my class assembly… First of all I would like to share how I developed a new hobby. During the lockdown,attending online classes made my life monotonous.… my Mom often told me to dosomething innovative and creative… but I had no idea… I spent time watching cartoonsand with play stations. Then, one fine day, I thought, ‘Why can’t I create animation videos?’. I approached my mom about this idea, she said it was good and encouraged me to goahead… then I started working on my creative idea… coincidentally, I got a chance toparticipate in an online workshop conducted by St. Marys college, Thoothukudi. I gainedgood experience through it… after that I participated in our school virtual assembly… Ireceived a good feedback from the Academic Coordinators, Vice Principal, teachers,friends, relatives and so on.. It motivated me to do much better and create good moralvideos in future. I am also motivated to write my own quotes, and this is one “SPREAD HUMANITY TO THEWORLD THAT THE WORLD MAY GROW IN STRENGTH “.

Rahul Kanna VII B

HUMANITY!

I love participating in events that inspire people. So how can I ignore the opportunity that I gotto speak about humanity in the VII-B class assembly. I readily accepted it and delivered aninspirational speech on humanity. This article is based on my speech, and I hope it creates apositive impact on the readers. First of all, what is humanity? Is it just being kind to people? No, it is about empathy andcompassion to every living creature, or in other words being humane. Just by being humane we canchange a lot around us. For example,if we show empathy and compassion towards animals, we willhave many 4-legged friends to have fun with. If we show empathy and compassion towards naturalresources and use them wisely, we and our future generations would have happy lands to live andclean water to drink. If we show empathy and compassion towards everyone, then there will be nowars and we can live in peace and harmony. We have all heard about Gautama Buddha the onewho founded Buddhism. He is a great inspiration and role model to all the people who choose to behumane. Dalai Lama, who is a famous Buddhist monk quoted- “Love and compassion arenecessities, not luxuries, without them humanity cannot survive”. With this I would also like toshare two of the many incidents where I showed humanity towards animals. The first incident took place when I was in grade four. We went to a place called Haleebedu inKarnataka. After visiting the temple, we were on our way to the car where I spotted a dog whichlooked very weak. I was very heart broken after seeing the dog and I quickly ran to the car to getsomething for it to eat. I found some biscuits in the car and then kept it near the dog. The doggladly accepted it and ate it till it quenched its hunger. I felt very happy and contended after thisincident. The second incident happened when I was in grade six, where I rescued two chipmunks. It allstarted when my uncle and I found a rotting smell emanating from the attic. We quickly took alook and found a big dead squirrel inside the room. Mixed emotions were running inside me and Iwas very sad that day. To our surprise, the next day we found two baby chipmunks coming outsideof the room. They were probably about two weeks old and looked very weak. We fed thechipmunks with diluted milk and I told my uncle that I wanted to keep the chipmunks with me andgrow them. But since we didn’t have the experience of taking care of chipmunks, my auntsuggested us to hand over the chipmunks to an animal shelter home where they take care ofabandoned animals. After that incident many chipmunks visit my house every day and we takecare of 6-8 squirrels by keeping food and water for them. Like this, many incidents have happenedin my life where I showed humanity towards animals and fellow humans. As an empathetic personI understand how the life of others is and show humanity. I hope that you will also change manylives around you after reading this article.

Varsha VII B

Online Classes

This is Joshua from II D. Due to pandemic I am attending online classes. I like onlineclasses. I also miss going to school. I miss my friends and teachers. I pray to Godthat schools should reopen soon. I am eager to meet my friends and teachers.

S. Joshua Gunasingh II D

When for the first time, I heard about online classes, I was excited and nervous too.I had many questions in my mind, like how to study and ask doubts. But after onlineschool I feel both good and bad. Online classes are good in covid situation. I got knowledge about how to operatecomputer and join teams platforms. But my teachers are really very good in makingus study and encouraging us to do all celebrations, art and craft activities. But Ireally miss my school, friends and teachers. We are lucky to study in this school asmany children's studies are interrupted due to COVID lockdown. Really thankful tomy hardworking teachers and parents.

Ridhanyaa II D

Teachers' Day

It has been more than 2 years since I left school but I always yearn for anopportunity to keep coming back to my second home, LS. That is why I was veryexcited when our alumni started planning to celebrate the teachers' day at school. Ihave been looking forward to show my gratitude and love for my amazing teacherswho have been there throughout my 14 years of schooling, witnessed my successesand failures and helped me become who I am today. I was very touched by theamount of involvement shown by many alumni and current students. We all got onweekly calls to put forth ideas and come up with a plan. The whole process itself wasa fun one because we got to interact with seniors and super seniors who were veryenthusiastic and helpful. We got input from so many different age groups of peopleand the final outcome did not disappoint any of us. Seeing the teachers enjoy thecelebration was a big win and coming to school bought back a wave of nostalgia thatwas pleasantly overwhelming. On the whole, we all had the time of our lives and Iwould like to thank everyone who made it happen. After the event, when teacherscalled or texted us saying how they had a lot of fun, we felt a plethora of happiness.September 4th, 2021 was yet another example of how LS will always be a family andthe passage of time does not weaken the bond we share.Always looking for the opportunity to come back,

Iniyaa (ISC 2019)

LAKSHMI SCHOOL'S PERSONA IN THE SWACHH BHARATH MISSION

The Swachh Bharat Mission is a pioneer movement initiated by the government ofIndia, in order to keep and maintain the cities and villages clean and tidy and moreimportantly inculcate the habit amongst its citizens to maintain and practice cleanliness,so that the generations to come will also be benefitted. This movement was in factinitiated in the year 2014 by the honorable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi himself. Ijoined our esteemed institution about 14 years back, and upon reminiscing, ever since Ijoined my beloved school, I’ve been experiencing a kempt and tidy complex. Odour freewashrooms, aesthetically constructed classrooms and office complex had alwaysenthralled me. I will always boast that my school had first taught all its children tomaintain cleanliness with discipline. No wonder Lakshmians will be practicing this allthrough their lives and also pass it on to the generations coming. While having pride that my work in the Swachh Bharath essay competition had earneda credit (I bagged the second prize in the contest), I should also express that it was allpossible only because of the school which had encompassed in us the norm of practicingcleanliness within the campus by implementing various initiatives such as rallies,campaigns, one such recognizable step is the oath taking (Swachhta Pledge).The habit of maintaining cleanliness in the campus will also be taken home. When a homeis clean, your vicinity is clean and simultaneously a street and subsequently making thewhole city clean in conformity with the African proverb “Little by little becomes a lot”.I can boldly commit that a Lakshmian will be more staunch in carrying out the motto ofthe Swachh Bharath than any other citizen of India. Jai Hind!!!

D.Hurshithaa XII A

LIVE BOOK SESSION WITH AN ARMY MAJOR

We had our recent live book session on 7th August 2021. Army Major Mr. Madhan Kumar

joined us during this session. He was a very humble and down to earth person. He wasreally patient with us. He answered each and every question we had, with a smile. All the

questions which I had in my mind about the life of a person who devoted his/her life tothe Nation were cleared. It was exciting to hear him sharing about his experience in the

army camp. It was totally a new experience for me as this live book session was differentfrom the other sessions. I have seen most of his interviews and speaking with him inspired

me to work harder. Thank you for this opportunity. I’ll work harder.

Rakshana Rajam X B

My responsibilities as the nominated School Captain

I have always liked to be a part of the student council. It has helped me mould myself into a moreresponsible and disciplined person. So becoming the School Captain has been my biggest dream.when I finally became one, my joy knew no bounds. I was proud, overjoyed and excited to have beenappointed as the School Captain of Lakshmi School. I want to bring a change with my fellow councilmembers to the students for their betterment and happy schooling. I aim to be a positive leader whois open to ideas, criticisms and listens to problems and solves them without being judgemental. This year my main focus is on two major things. One to discuss the problems faced during virtualschooling, find solutions to overcome them and implement the same. The other is to ensure theactive participation of students in school programmes and inter-house competitions and roping innew talents for the same. But the major difficulty during virtual schooling is effectivecommunication. We as a team are working on it to ensure that one's thoughts are clearly conveyedto the others. I believe I have made up to the level. And I will still keep giving my best for the betterment of theschool and welfare of our fellow mates.Once a Lakshmian, always a Lakshmian.

E. AnbuMalar XII A

Assembly Talk

I am very thankful to the class teacher of 7 A Mrs. Meenu Sarvanan for giving me this wonderfulopportunity to interact with very bright set of students. I thank all the faculty members and kidswho patiently listened to the talk . Assembly was well organised and started very punctually.The

entire presentation of the students was excellent and the idea of presenting from SPACE during thispandemic season is very thoughtful. All kids presented clearly and the message was delivered well.PROUD TO BE A LAKSHMIAN PARENT. Hope to see more such initiatives . Thank you all once again.

Dr. Sri Vidhya

Mother of Nikil Skandan VII A

A report on DeclamationOn a Sunday by 8 pm, I received a message from my class teacher that I had been selected for the

finals of Level-3 Declamation Contest. It was a tense situation at home then, because my mother hadCOVID and she was getting ready to get admitted at a hospital. I had a mixed feeling of being happy

that I got selected and sad as my mother had to be hospitalized. I was worried how I was going toprepare for declamation. The next day after the classes, when I spoke to my mother on a video call,she assured to help me with the declamation preparations. Everyday for a week I used to video callmy mother and she helped me to prepare well for the finals. On the day of the finals, I was relievedto find my mother coming home and see me perform in the finals. I put in my best and did well in

finals. After a few days, the results were announced in the assembly and I secured the third place indeclamation. I was extremely happy and joyful. It made me realize, even when we are upset we

should think positive and put in the best efforts and success will be ours.

S. Saanvi V E

Art Integration

Basically kids are bundle of creativity and curiosity. Lakshmians’ curiosity is kindled andpromoted through integration of art and craft in their subjects this academic year 21 – 22.Art and craft is the key of understanding concepts easily. It is a medium to learn thecurriculum with fun. We teachers in Lakshmi School integrate art and craft in subjects to help them discoverthe concept of math and science in the world around them in an innovative manner. Inaddition it builds and enriches their vocabulary. Art integration helps kids to becomeaware of the interdisciplinary connection of subjects. Children are able to express theirthoughts freely and aid joyful learning of concepts through this integration. Hence webelieve that art integration has proved to be an effective tool to enhance the efficiency ofstudents.

O. Surna – Faculty Level I

Weekend challenges

Weekend challenges create many opportunities for the kids to keep active and to keeplearning. *It imparts child centric education where children will be able to learn by themselves. *It also includes the trial and error method of learning which is very important inthe learning process particularly in early stage. Even while social distancing or self-isolating, kids can learn through playing, using active games to keep them moving andlearning at home. Thus weekend challenges are a part of play-way method of learning.

U. Mallika Devi – Faculty

Level I

Poem recitationRecitation is one of the important & effective modes to learn language. On behalf of all

the parents, I take this opportunity to thank the school management for providing aplatform for the kids to exhibit their talent and confidence. I am sure this competition

has inspired many of the kids to come forward and recite with great zeal and enthusiasm.It had increased the children’s memory power also. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to theteachers for their continuous and tireless effort for encouraging the kids to recite duringregular class hours and also they have corrected the kid's pronunciation. When a kid gets

a chance to recite during class hours, all other kids got inspired and participated more.The same with my daughter too, she has become more confident after participating in

this competition. It is a chance for the parents to know their children’s talent. We parentslook forward for more number of competitions similar to this in the near future. My

special thanks to Geetha ma'am and Sathya ma'am who always encourage the kids in atremendous way....Thank you.

P. Indra Devi ( Mother of P. Harini – Class I )

LKG activities

The exercise of Practical Life provides the foundation for all other activitiesin the classroom. Through exercises in daily living, such as pouring the liquid

in a container, how to carry a tray /pail, walking in a line with book/bell,folding the napkin, gardening, or practicing graces, the child gains

confidence. Specifically these activities contribute to the control and helps incoordination of movement, development of concentration, and the self-

esteem that comes with making a real contribution to the group. Last yearthe teachers shared the videos and the parents trained the kids. But this

academic year, teachers were quick to adapt lesson plans and curriculumsfor virtual classes, while also trying to make the kids independent. The

practical life in Montessori provides a scope and sequence for these everydayroutines and practices. The Montessori approach offers a pedagogy that

elevates and empowers the child in her pursuit of these skills. Practical life inMontessori is a purposeful activity and it develops motor control and

coordination, and develops independence, concentration, and a sense ofresponsibility. In the present scenario, recorded videos of our teachers' EPL

activities help the children to learn all that we have done in school. This areaof the classroom creates a comforting environment for the children. Theyfeature engaging activities that help children learn to be independent and

care for both themselves and their environment. Practical Life is not only funto a child, it is also useful from a physical development perspective —

refining both gross and fine motor skills through movements that are vitalfor any growing child. Each activity enhances physical coordination and

promotes muscle development.

M. Visaha Priya – Faculty Level I

Grandparents’ day

It was a wonderful initiative to make the grandparents feel important. Organizing

Grandparents' Day is very thoughtful, in this busy schedule we tend to miss showinggratitude towards our elders, this way Lakshmi School shows the excellent values to

children and this generation kids would also learn to show respect and love for our lovedones and would certainly grow up to believe in tradition with modernity.

T. Kalaivani ( Mother of K. Rahityasree– Class I )

Mom and IThe online session was to engage the child and mom for an idol making of Lord Vinayagar

which would otherwise be done in school on normal days. Prior instructions were given forthe materials needed and the purpose and agenda of the session was detailed. The sessionwent very well with the efforts of the teacher making everyone understand the process ina step by step manner with clear instructions. My daughter and I enjoyed the activity andshe was very anxious to see her dough getting molded to an idol Lord Ganesha. There was

a story played during the session to make the child understand the reason of thiscelebration how Lord Ganesha is important for all of us. Meghna asked me few doubts too

during the story which shows that the kids are equally involved in the session.

N. Rajni Sharma ( Mother of N. Meghna– Class I )

Open House

Hello everyone!It’s my pleasure to share something with you all after 2 years.

It all started when I was in class 4th in March 2020. It’s completely a different experiencefor everyone of us to be at home and learn through Teams for one and half year. Recently,some days back I came to know that an Open House was scheduled for class VI. I was veryexcited to meet my friends and teachers physically in school. When I heard that we wereallowed to borrow books from the library, I was delighted very much. It was the first time

that I went to the old block to borrow books. I discovered books related to space,adventure, ghosts, magic, jokes, History in the library. There, I even found some Comicsand Encyclopedia too. Finally, I borrowed the book which I was most eagerly waiting to

read, ‘The Wizard of Oz’. While I was passing the library, I noticed the Chemistry, Computerand Biology labs. I was curious to go inside, but it was closed with a lock. I saw the new

ground which is a massive structure, it’s a new big open stage for us. I think we will havesome school programmes under the new roof in future. When I saw that first, I noticed

some busy bees building a honeycomb there on the top. I am extremely eager to go backto school. I hope our school also will re-open very soon.

B.Pavan VI D

Class I – Activity photos

Class I – Activity photos

Taste the joy of reading

Most of us think that reading is a boring thing, but in reality reading is fun. It's indeed aprecious habit. There is an old saying: "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers".Books are the best source of knowledge and information. They have the potential to developleadership qualities in you. Even many leaders have written books sharing their wisdom andexperience in them. Reading keeps you entertained. It improves your vocabulary. It even helps you to concentratein your work and studies. It is a perfect way to stay occupied positively and at the same timelearn something interesting. Reading fictional stories can take you to a new World. It improves your imagination byvisualizing the fictional worlds’ setup and getting you familiar with every new character.Imagination can thus be a base for numerous inventions and discoveries. Reading can also become a kind of motivation that works wonders when it comes to relaxing.Reading motivational books can change your thoughts and make you more optimistic about life. Reading autobiographies can motivate us to work hard and stay focused in achieving ourgoals. Reading historical books helps us to gain knowledge about what happened in the past.Books on science and technology widens our knowledge about us, our body, surroundings and thethings we invented to aid us. Reading is fun. It will be even more interesting to read a book after knowing the fun filledessence in it. Reading good books means you are making use of time. It keeps your mind active,soul happy, life wonderful. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away, Reading a book per day keeps all problems away."

J. VidullaSreeAriya V F

Our first experience in short filmmaking

Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes - Robert Altman Drama is a strong medium of communication. We got an amazing opportunity to participate inthe 9th Odyssey international English literature Olympiad which was conducted by CityMontessori School in Lucknow. The contest was all about the Victorian Era. There were over 10events and we registered for the kinoTeatras, the short film making competition. The topic givenwas the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and we had to make a short film with a voice-over. Wegot to know about this Olympiad through our English teacher, Ms. Vidhya who helped us a lotthroughout the contest . In two days, we had to finalize the short story which we were going toenact, the dialogues, costumes, location and much more. It was difficult but challenging. Wedecided to make a short film on “The adventure of Speckled band” and started writing the scriptright away . Then, we finalized our costumes which was my favorite part and a crucial elementtoo. The next day we met and started to shoot the video. Since the maximum participants perteam were only two, we had a lot of different characters to play. We both acted as three differentcharacters in the film. We had a lot of dialogues to deliver and had to change our costumes basedon the characters we played. We, especially Sreenithi, edited the film overnight. The mostchallenging part was to compile all those clippings into a five minute video. Successfullyeverything was done and we were waiting for the results with a bliss. Days passed, and theresults were finally out and we bagged the second place. I was elated, I was on top of the worldand was grinning from ear to ear. It was incredible. We never expected to win as this was our thefirst time directing, scripting and acting. We just gave it a whirl. We were both representing ourschool so when they announced the results our school name was displayed which made us feelextremely proud. We were on cloud nine. The making of the film was exhausting but everythingwas paid off. To be honest after shooting this short film we both have a huge respect for thepeople working in cinema. This was such a precious memory we would cherish forever and ever.

R. KeerthiLatha and K.Shreenithi XII-C

My feathered friends

This lockdown gave me the wonderful opportunity to develop my hobby of bird watching.As the poet W.H.Davies says in his poem leisure,

What is this life if full of care?There is no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep or cows.

I am blessed to reside in a place cradled by nature’s bounty, surrounded by a hill (Yana Malai),

agricultural fields, stream full of water and lots of trees. With plenty of time at hand, I havespent hours together spotting at least 35 species of birds.

One fine day, after rains, I spotted the Black-Rumped Flame back Woodpecker effortlessly

catching insects while in flight. Its bright colours and agility mesmerised me. I was indeed luckyto capture the shy and magnificent Golden Oriole hiding behind the dense foliage. Another

added attraction to my list were the Bee-Eaters in various shades of green, orange and blue.It was an unbelievable moment for me to find Peacocks and Peahens on top of the overhead

water tank in our terrace. The sight of green Parrots feasting on ripe ivy gourd has got engravedin my mind. This beautiful view was from my study room window. I also spotted two birds of the

myna family – Common Myna and BrahminyStarling and 2 birds of the cuckoo family – PiedCrested Cuckoo and Asian Koel.I can never get enough of Sunbirds. Daily, I watch them feedingon nectar with their long beaks.I have observed Common Tailorbird stitching leaves together

and making its nest. A small crevice in our house is all that a pair of Robins needed to build their nest. My joy knewno bounds when I spotted two eggs. Lo behold! After 14 days two cute hatchlings hatched andout they flew in the next 14 days. Jungle Babbler or seven sisters as they are popularly known,

this bird always lives in groups of seven; probably depicting ‘unity is strength’. I regularly see Scaly Breasted Muniasthatare usually mistaken for sparrows but are actually

spice finches. I am enthralled seeing the White Breasted Kingfisher swooping down on her prey,the fishes that are seen in the canal near my house. White Egrets are migratory birds which arelooking for insects hidden in grass.The Greater Coucal or Sembotthu has a stately walk as she

searches for food. Everyday I see this Red Vented Bulbul sitting on top of our lightning arresterand calling for her partner.

The majestic Shikara can wait patiently on top of tall trees or buildings for hours together for itsprey. One cannot but notice its sharp and deep call. All other birds become restless when

Shikara is around. Black drongo or rettai-valkuruvi teaches us how to be fearless. It is ready tofight against the mighty shikara. I have seen how it imitates sounds of other birds.In the

evenings, as I come back from play, the Spotted Owlet with beautiful round eyes camouflages indry branches.

When ever we travel through villages and fields my brother and I search for Indian Rollers thatare large birds with blue wings, perching on wires. I also found rocking pigeon and spotted dove.I have been taken aback by the peculiar quacking sound of White breasted waterhen. Till date, Ihave been lucky to spot around 35 species of birds and each of these God’s feathered creations

teach us different values.This lockdown is not a time to feel depressed. In fact, we can pursue all our hobbies that we

have always wanted to. I have bird feeders, water bowls and bird houses in my garden where Ican spend hours together with my feathered friends. Seeing them, my heart soars high with joy.

L.Gayathri VII F

THE VIRTUAL IIMUN

As a person who loves to voice out my views and meet new people – IIMUN was theperfect medium for me to express myself. My previous participation in IIMUN instilled ahuge amount of confidence and knowledge regarding our society and its reality, its one

kind of a experience where it fulfills fun as well as knowledge. In spite of being intriguedby IIMUN sessions, the recent one in the month of August which was a virtual experience,

didn’t excite me earlier. Generally IIMUN is about meeting people and exchangingperspectives over a matter. The soul of this theme is crushed down due to the prevailing

pandemic .surprisingly, this virtual experience turned out to be one of my best IIMUNexperiences of all time. One of the main reason would be my committee which was

“continuous crisis committee”- which is a fictional committee which embraces creativityand out of box thinking. The most arousing part was the agenda-“MARVEL VS DC” and myportfolio was –“SPIDERMAN” which itself makes the entire experience awesome as I was a

huge fan of Marvel comics, it’s a dream come true for me. The committee sessioncommenced with various delegates voicing out their different opinions, which aroused

me to make my stance and stay firm with it, which eventually attracted more challengesand debate which made my time in the session more phenomenal.

Inspite of miles of distance ,I made new friends from corners of India which made mebelieve that friendship is not just about having fun its also having a connection and

common perspectives and respecting genuinely. The end line of the session gave me afeeling of satisfaction and enrichment with brand new experience,which made me believe

that, no matter what the platform is, our voices are heard and our views make astatement. I was absolutely delighted to win the “BEST DELEGATE AWARD” for the

committee.

None of this would have been possible if it wasn’t for LS. Lakshmi school has opened mydoors of opportunities to discover myself. LS is the key to unlock the world of

opportunities!-THANK YOU LS!

B.M.Keerthanaa XII A

Quiz for Quirky Minds

On the 12thof September, Sunday, the students of Lakshmi School[classes 6-9],participated in a unique quiz competition organized by Mr.Berty Ashley and coordinatedby Mr.Nambi. I was very pleasantly surprised to know that Mr.Berty had been a studentof Shanti Mohan Ma’am and is currently employed as a Molecular Biologist whose hobby

happens to be quizzing. Mr.Berty came up with an interesting set of 20 questions, live streamed on the YouTube

portal. The answers were to be submitted via Google forms. The thing that made the quizvery enjoyable was that each question was accompanied by the relevant pictures andMr.Berty also shared some interesting trivia associated with the questions. All in all, it

was a unique quiz experience, one which we all thoroughly enjoyed. V. AnanthVI D

My Creative Writing Contest Experience

The day had arrived and the time had come for me to sit before my screen. Do you know

what I am talking about? It’s the virtual creative writing contest which was held on 15thAugust, 2021. I was a bit nervous, when I was about to start, because I was worried whether

my writing would be as impressive as others’ work. But, after completing the task, I wasquite happy about myself. I also wanted to make it sure that I send a piece which is error

free. So, I checked it again and again and again. Each time I read it, the thought of making itmore impressive than others’ work was haunting me. At last, I convinced myself and decided

to send it with the positive thought that I had tried the maximum and can always make itthe best, the next time. I clicked my write up and shared it with my class teacher. The day

when the teachers said that they were going to announce the results of the creative writingcontest, I didn’t show a lot of interest in listening to it. But, to my surprise, they announcedthat I had bagged the third place. I was on cloud nine. This experience taught me the lesson

that we shouldn’t lose hope.

MANYA KAMAL V D

A Session On Meteorology- A Review

What an intriguing event! You must be wondering what I’m talking about. Well, I’m talkingabout a very stupendous session about meteorology! A special thanks to “Mr. K. Rajesh”.

Thank you, sir for filling our brains with a dash of meteorology. In this session, I learnt aboutthe different instruments, how they help to measure weather and how satellites help us

human beings to identify the weather of a particular place. My friends and I had loaded upour brains with a zillion of questions. This also helped us to understand the topic weatherand climate better. This will help us to further predict the climate of our country. The only

thing which I felt was- the time was not enough to clear and understand our doubts andquestions. The Resource person was truly an inspiration to all of us. I hope he comes to visiteveryone of us at our school, and enrich, our minds with his wisdom. I once again thank sir

for making our minds curious and come up with good initiatives to do in life. Sharvi VA

A GREAT ASSEMBLY

Our Assembly’s topic was space , it was held on 18th August, 2021.To make it interesting, allthe participants were dressed up like astronauts. Our class teacher helped us a lot in

choosing backgrounds, correcting the script, introducing new ideas and new programmes.The script was changed twice and thrice but we couldn’t get an idea on that, at last everyone

co-operated and gave their efforts and hard work to present a great assembly. We had funmoments and arguments too among us, but finally it lead to a successful assembly. Everyone

performed well, even though we had network issues and problems with connectivity, wemissed some of the programs but we entertained the audience present there. On that day we

learnt that team work is the best .

Arun Nagappan VII A

An exciting visit to Keeladi

It was a quick decision to visit Keeladi, an excavation point of the old Sangam civilization. Wedecided to go there because of our research topic which is Keeladi : Unearthing the ancientSangam civilization. On the 27th of September, we the Antique Unearthers went on a fieldvisit to Keeladi. For all of us the exciting part, more than the information we were going to

collect, was meeting our friends in person after ages When everyone met, we forgot all aboutour research, it was almost like we all went on a picnic. Eventually we started doing our actual

work, saving the fun for later. We first went to the excavation point. There the resourceperson gave us new insight on our research. We learnt about how mathematics was used in

accuracy even without any measurements when we discovered the exhibit of measuringstones. They were exactly multiples of eight. Some of the exhibits which we were thrilled withwere the hopscotch coins, big urns made of terracotta, few animal and human bones, beads

made of precious stones,pots and ring wells made of terracotta.The resource person Mr.Arul explained the intricate details of the Sangam era.

After an hour or so, we visited a location nearby, had a sumptuous lunch. It was almost likewe were back in school, having fun, joking around and much more. We spent longer than we

intended to as we got lost in the joy of the atmosphere. Finally we realized that time was ticking by and we had to go to Kondagai, which was anotherexcavation point near Keeladi, that was found by accident when the people of a nearby village

dug that area for a pond. Kondagai is the coolest place I have ever seen! We actually saw skeletons there, I had never seen a skeleton in my life. It was the most vivid sight to contendwith.Obviously all nice things come to an end, and so did our trip. Time flew so fast we never

noticed that 4 hours had gone by. To us it still seemed like an hour or so. It was very sad tosay goodbye to all our friends because who knows when we would see them again? It was

truly heartbreaking to go back home. But when I did, I carried the story of how my best friendand I took a selfie with a skeleton!

G. Aaradhna VIII C

Comparative study on the anti-diabetic activity of Acalyphaindica and Bryophyllumpinnatum

Our research is on the plants which help to control diabetes. The plants we took for researchare Acalyphaindica and Bryophyllumpinnatum.

We chose these plants for our research because they are commonly available and havevarious other medicinal properties too. In connection to our research, we went for a field visitto meet a doctor who is a senior consultant at Dhanwanthri Ayurveda Vaidyasalai in Madurai.

Name of the resource person: Dr. Praveen Kumar, B.A.M.S Date of visit: 25.9.2021We had an intensive discussion regarding the usage of medicinal plants against diabetes. Hegave us a detailed picture on the other plants used for the same purpose. He also briefed usthat both these plants have been used for topical applications traditionally and their primeimportance is on skin allergies. Yet, he also stated that both these plants have Anti-diabetic

activity too. This is an unexplored area on their usage. So, as the next step of our research, weare planning to find the phytochemical components of these plants and compare it with the

existing literature. Ritin VIII D

Independence Day celebration

The Independence Day was coming up. So, we were all getting ready with ourprogrammes. I was appointed to compere the Independence Day programme, I too

started writing the scripts. My class teacher Ms. Meenu helped me a lot in making ita successful one. The days passed by and finally the day had arrived. I was very

confident. The whole programme came out very well. We all celebrated the 75thIndependence Day. But because of this pandemic we all celebrated it virtually.

Though we had it virtually we had made it a successful one. The Principal shared themessage for the day. She told the students about the supreme sacrifice, the great

martyrs who gave their lives for the sake of freedom. She told us that freedom wasvery precious and it was very necessary to preserve it. The Principal also told the

students to follow the ideals of the great people like Mahatma Gandhi, JawaharlalNehru, Subash Chandra Bose, etc. Then a few students delivered speeches on theoccasion. All the speakers spoke about the significance of the historic day. Some

students also presented a group dance and skits. The Independence Day has a greatimportance in every citizen's life. This day reminds us every year that freedom is

sacred and citizens must do everything to ensure that it shall not be misused.

Srishti Vaithiam VII A Congratulations!

Mr. Francis Praveen Kumar on the

birth of your daughter.

Mr. Ravi Chandran on the birth of

your daughter.

Ms. Selva Meena on the birth of

your daughter.

Published by Lakshmi Vidya Sangham on behalf ofLakshmi School, Veerapanchan.Principal: Ms.Shanthi Mohan.Editors: Ms. N. Meenakshi and Ms. VidhyaEditorial Committee: MS. S. Usha , Ms. Thangalakshmi,Dr. P. Saravanan, Ms.Devaki, Ms.Natasha, Ms. Sakila,Ms. Vidhya Senthilnathan and Ms. SornaLayout designed by SP. Swadhitha & RS. Jwala VarnaClass XI.