An interactive session was held in school for students of class 10 on ‘World Mental Health Day’recently. Ms Shivani Joshi- Vice Principal Special Educator, conducted the session. Her interaction with students revolved around the current issues which the students face like exam pressure, bullying in school or outside school, peer pressure and social media. She also gave students tips to save their time and to improve their concentration in studies. In the end, students came forward and asked her questions which she answered patiently. The entire session ended with positive feedback from students as they enjoyed interacting with their Vice-Principal on the issues which they face daily in their lives.

Empathy is an essential element for a healthy society. As a school, we feel that it is imperative that our students contribute to the community and the various social initiatives undertaken by the non-governmental organisations. To celebrate the indomitable spirit of Helen Keller, who was deaf-blind and an American author as well as a political activist, Sense International India organised a unique charity Cyclothon “ Messengers on Cycles”. Ms. Mili Bhattacharyya, the Vice-Principal of our school, motivated our students to participate in this cyclothon. More than 60 students from Zebar School turned up at the cyclothon on Sunday morning. They knew they were pedalling for a social cause. With every pedal they tried to contribute from their end to the society, raising awareness on what is deaf blindness and sensitising the people of Ahmedabad to understand the issues and problems faced by disabled people. We hope that our students will in the future become responsible, empathetic and sensitive citizens of our nation.

The third edition of ‘AHA! International Theatre Festival for Children’ is being screened in Ahmedabad. This year, the performances are dedicated to widening the prospects of puppeteering as a form of storytelling amongst young minds. Engaging children in the magical world of theatre broadens their respect for, and understanding of, theatre as an art form. The school-sponsored the passes of the event. Students of Class 4 went to watch the show named “Body Rhapsody” which was performed by an International Artist Hugo Suarez from Peru. The performance combined mime, dance, puppetry and act. They loved his style of puppetry in which he used his knees and elbow to deliver his four performances in 40 minutes. Hugo created a riot full of colourfull characters using his knees, feet, hands, elbows, stomach with a handful of props. Students enjoyed the acts and came back to school with information on puppetry and theatre as a form of story telling and communication.

Today, online crime is a concern not just for parents and teachers, but schools also as it affects the social conditioning on a deeper level. To help students tackle the online bug, a Cyber Safety Workshop was organized for Grade 8 Students at Zebar School for Children. It was an initiative of Middle Section Supervisor- Ms. Pankhuri Agarwal to spread awareness particularly amongst the teenagers in order to reduce the Cyber Crime Cases. The workshop was proportionately banked upon four segments namely- avoiding online scams, social media safety, Cyber Bullying , Strengthening Privacy settings. Ms. Agarwal highlighted the need for children to keep in touch with their parents about the details of their accounts on Facebook, Whatsapp etc. Students who attended the workshop were urged to make optimum use of what they had acquired and spread their skills and knowledge among other children. Zebar School made an effort to emphasise the constructive relationship children can have with technology and upskill students in understanding the importance of and ways to implement safe online practices.