Dear Parents,

Greetings to one and all.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish one and all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2022. The beginning of a new year is the time to let go of old worries and turn over a new chapter of life.

With 2021 coming to an end, people are desirous to celebrate the start of something new. With the corona wave still riding and spreading again, our daily life and celebrations are likely to continue on the low profile this year as well, as we continue to battle the pandemic. I hope that the year 2022 brings us lots of new and exciting opportunities. This new year will be our year as we aim to conquer new heights.

The month of December has been a busy one for students of GIIS Smart Campus Balewadi. The students of all sections were occupied with a line-up of events and activities. 

Students of GIIS Smart Campus Balewadi put on an impressive performance as they walked home with five awards in the Real World Challenges Convention (RWCC) 2021 which took place on December 1.

GSF has entered its 20th year of providing Global excellence to students across the globe. Year-long celebrations and activities have been planned across all the GIIS Campuses to commemorate this achievement.

In the Innovative Social & Commercial Entrepreneurship Challenge (ISCEC)- Secondary Team Result, the trio of Harshita Shukla, Gargi Devshatwar and Manaswini Kumar clinched the second position. Meanwhile in the ISCEC- Senior Individual results, Ayushi Nawal stood in the third position. In the Transformation Turncoat- Secondary event, Aishani Acharya finished in the third position.

In the A Valuable Bond event, Poonam Siddhiqui, Parent of Maira Siddhiqui clinched the second position.

Meanwhile, Ms Priyanka Patil from the Balewadi campus stood third in the event which was called 'An Educator's Perspective (Art)'.

Meanwhile, students of Grades 1 to 5 learnt about Global Warming as part of the I-Care activity, They took part in an experiment where they collected air particles with two white index cards, on which they wrote 'Indoor Air' on one card and 'Outdoor Air' on the other. The students learnt that air has more particles and is more polluted outside the house than the inside.

The tiny tots of GIIS Balewadi took part in the 'Colour Changing Water' experiment as part of the Thinking Thursday activity. The students learnt that when two primary colours mix, it forms a new colour known as the secondary colour.

The I-Care activity further kept students of Nursery, KG1 and KG2 occupied as they learnt about the 3 R’s -Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. They enjoyed the art and craft activity of making paper bags, thus contributing towards keeping our planet clean and green.

As part of the GSF-20 celebration, students of Grades 6 to 11 of GIIS Smart Campus, Balewadi took part in the activity called Fireless Cooking with Dad. With different cooking activities being allotted section-wise, the result was diverse food platters on display.

When it comes to creating an impression at the bigger stage. Ivy John from GIIS Smart Campus Balewadi secured the third position in the Tryst With Colours competition of Al-Tasamuh, the signature event of GIIS Abu Dhabi, which promotes and imbibes the values of peace and tolerance. Ivy designed her T-shirt and explained the concept of her drawing.

Meanwhile, the little ones of GMP continued to be enthusiastic lot, as they were engaged with activities when they celebrated Brown Day. Students of Nursery and KG1 enjoyed making teddy bear hand bands. Meanwhile, the students of KG 2 were engrossed in the fireless cooking activity of making a bat with Oreo biscuits and Cadbury Gems.

The students celebrated National Mathematics Day, which marks the birth anniversary of famous mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. Students of all sections took part in various activities to mark the occasion.

Students of GMP participated in the virtual Sports Day. The finalists took part in the activities with their cameras switched on, with two teachers being the judges. Dance performances from each class added cheer followed by surprise games for the parents.

When it comes to learning from basic activities, the students of the primary section took part in the Thinking Thursday activity. Students of Grades 1 and 2 took part in the Straw Struck activity while the students of Grade 3, 4 and 5 took part in the Dry Newspaper activity, in which they learnt about the basic principle of air pressure. 

The Campus GALS 2021 took place on 20th,21st and 22nd December 2021 wherein members of all the departments of the school teamed up and came up with different ideas to improve the process of education.

The month ended with the Christmas celebrations across all sections. The festival was celebrated with fun and gaiety. The kindergarteners enjoyed a virtual field trip which was the highlight as the tiny tots enjoyed a tour of Disneyland. They then relished sweets prepared with a simple yet yummy fireless recipe. The primary section students turned chefs as they prepared delicious chocolate balls as part of the celebration.

As always I would like to thank all the teachers for the efforts which they have been putting in during various events and activities.

On behalf of everyone at GIIS, I once again wish all a happy and prosperous new year.

Here's hoping that 2022 is filled with new beginnings. As the world continues to fight the pandemic, I wish for strength and good health for you all this new year.

Warm Regards,

Dr N. K.P. Ashok Raj,

Principal, GIIS SMART Campus

Balewadi, Pune