SELF-DISCOVERY WEEK activities across the School

“There is no greater journey than the one that you must take to discover all of the mysteries that lie within you. “
Michelle Sandlin

The students of The Indian School - Second Shift embarked upon a self-discovery voyage from 4th to 8th April 2022. Several stimulating activities were planned at all the grade levels and carried out within the classroom to get children to make interesting discoveries about themselves.

The activities during this week were intended to help students raise their self esteem by focusing on their positive qualities and aspirations.

The little munchkins of Pre School were asked to print their hands with paints of different colours and then observe them. They were fascinated when they did so! 

'Self-portrait in Shapes' was an activity where the children constructed images of themselves with the help of clay moulded as the different shapes. 

The tiny tots of the Pre-primary did a mirror activity. The young artists drew themselves as they saw their mirror images. They held their crayons carefully as they attempted to copy the contours from the looking glass. They were fascinated when asked to observe their facial features in the mirror. They noticed the colour of their eyes, the shape of their noses and ears, their appearance when smiling or frowning etc.

In another riveting activity, ‘My Name is Special’ and decorating their ‘Name Crowns’, the eager learners traced their names on paper and then created a crown for the same with finger painting. It was an opportunity for the children to know that their names are special.

Class I students made self portraits and made objects using coloured shapes cut out of foam using their creativity and imagination. They also did an activity named ‘My Future Self’ in which they came dressed up as doctors, soldiers, architects and policemen etc. They spoke a few lines about what they want to become when they grow up.

The students of class 2 made beautiful self portraits. They made colourful handprints and wrote adjectives describing themselves. The students also crafted photo frames with ice cream sticks and showcased them in the School lobby.

Students of class 3 participated in a series of activities focusing on skill building and knowledge enhancing. They participated in a story building activity. Students also observed their surroundings as a part of being back at School. Emphasising on skill building they composed self portraits and wrote about their strengths and weaknesses. Capacity building was also achieved by a a ‘Figure Me Out’ activity which introduced the family at home to the peers in class.

The students of class 4 made self esteem portraits and noted things that they like. They laid out a 'garden of growth' notinv the different ways in which they have grown over the years. The students made colourful sandwiches and talked about their favourite cuisine. The students also wrote about their hobbies.

During Self Discovery Week, as a part of the Math activity, the students of class 5 composed an endearing timeline depicting the wonderful events that have occurred in their lives. The students were asked to look outside the window and observe what was outside. They then drew their observations. They wrote 10-15 sentences each, as answers to questions that ushered them to reflect. For example, ' What does your own ideal version of " You" look like?' 'What is keeping you away from that "ideal You"?' Students got creative writing Cinquin poetry.

The students of class 6 described how their “ideal” versions of  themselves look like and what factors are keeping them away from being that so-called "ideal" version.
It helped them identify the desired qualities they must focus on in the upcoming year.

Students of class 7 described one incident each from their own experiences, which they feel changed them for the better. Students drew a timeline from birth till year 2030 as a social science project, to comprehend the concept of chronological order and develop the idea of grasping events of history with ease. Self expression in Hindi was attempted by students on given situations, where they were instructed to name and describe creative solutions for a particular situation. Students collected family data like age, height and weight and represented the same graphically. In science they did a pair-activity of one partner drawing the food pyramid based on his/ her diet of one day. This was followed by an evaluation of the same by the partner. The exercise reinforced an understanding of the requirements of the various essential nutrients in the daily diet.
Students identified their role models and listed reasons for choosing them. The role models were chosen on the basis of different criteria. Some were identified on the basis of being good friends while some others were chosen simply for being good decision makers. Others were chosen for their contribution to sport, academics or community service. The activity encouraged students to explore role models, with whom they can relate.

The students of classes 8 and 9 worked on a future saving plan as a math project. They planned to save some amount of money each month and save enough to match the the cost of an item they wish to acquire for themselves. The data was represented in terms of rational numbers. This activity helped them make a habit of planning and being responsible. In Hindi they described early childhood memories which are closest to their hearts. They wrote down these experiences and refreshed their sweet memories thus. The students also discussed good and bad behaviour. They children enjoyed the activities immensely and exhibits of these were showcased in the School lobby and came in for wide appreciation!

Thus, the week-long voyage of Selfdiscovery concluded with the young voyagers pleasantly surprised to discover new and novel aspects of their own multi-faceted young personalities.