PSBB Mirror

Reverbs 2011

2011-09-08T10:45:00.000+05:30

Brightness flashes in every PSBB-ian's eyes when you mention the word 'Reverberations'. It is not because of the energized atmosphere in our classes, rather because it happens to be an apt title for our annual cultural fete.
Reverberations '11 started off with a bang, with day 1 at PSBB KK Nagar School. There were exciting events such as Cinema Quiz, a new find which involved quizzing participants about punch dialogues and general cinema, among others.
Events during the next two days were held at Vani Mahal, which included the notable events like Shipwreck, Adzapp, Dance, JAM etc. Shipwreck was riveting, with the audience keenly watching the battle between the witty retorts of the contestants and the judges' cynic humour. Ad-zap brought out with innovative advertisements that threw light on the funnier side of the contestants, much to the viewers’ enjoyment (read literally as rolling on the floor- okay, seat- laughing). Western Music was another highlight, and was judged by a promising up-and-coming band, Frank’s Got The Funk. There was also a Light Music concert, which had everyone humming in tune. Voice Over, a complimentary delight, had everyone in splits. Debattito stimulated our smarter halves, and had us hanging onto every word. There was a liberal amount of informal dancing, in the corridor of the auditorium, and DJ Ashok had everyone tapping their feet in unison. The dance event evoked whooping and cheering, and was judged by our alumnus who even gave us a performance. Performance in other events like Channel Surfing and Quiz were also admirable. In the end, we witnessed the most awaited event, the selection of Mr/Ms. Reverbs ’11. Srinivas from Sir Sivaswami Kalalaya bagged the award, much to the elation of the audience.
Where would we be if we didn’t satisfy our guests with adequate options to fill their stomachs? Pizza Hut was the most popular stall, though The Fruit Shop and Gangotri were close contenders. The organizers also had Arun Ice creams and a stall which sold snacks like chips and drinks. The cafeteria was a immediate hit among the students and other guests.
The organizers offered exciting and drool-worthy prizes like a Mac Book Air for Mr. Reverbs, a HP DeskJet, and Panasonic LCD Televisions among others. This wouldn’t have been possible without the generous contributions of the main sponsors, Panasonic and Kalpathi Investments.
All the hard work and sweat paid off in the end for our organizers, because Reverberations ’11 couldn’t have been a more "vibrating" event. Combined with the support of the Dean, the heads and the teachers of the schools and the student volunteers, encouragement shown by the innumerable thumbs-up by the jubilant juniors for our unsuspecting seniors, the organizers worked hard and did a brilliant job. On behalf of students in my class, I commend the organizers and members of the student council for their tireless effort, their admirable team work, and unending vow to make it an unforgettable occasion for everyone who attended.
Reverbeartions ‘11 was worth our anticipation, worth the perspiration, and even worth the wrath of teachers. It will remain etched in the hearts of every PSBBian present, as a true memory of our beloved school.
..

Malavika Ravi
XI C

The Hindu - NIE Report

2011-09-07T14:56:00.000+05:30

The Hindu NIE sessions were introduced to us in class six. Since then, they have always been looked forward to. The sessions so far have been both interesting and informative. They were packed with loads of intriguing facts, and were fun and entertaining. At the same time, we learnt new things in a creative and engaging way. Every year, a particular topic was chosen, and we were exposed to various ideas by discussing the topic during our sessions.

This year, the topic is ‘Money Matters’. Our first session opened our eyes to the value of money, in the form of an activity, where we worked with our partners to add our incomes and analyze our daily expenditure. This activity gave us a good perspective on dealing with money sensibly.

All in all, the session was an exciting experience. We look forward to more such sessions that will help us learn the important aspects of using and handling money, thereby enabling us to be responsible citizens.

Niranjana Ramani

IX B

Lecture by Dr. Wesley Calvert at PSBB, Ngm

2011-09-07T14:53:00.003+05:30

On 29^th August, select students of classes XI and XII of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Nungambakkam, were given the opportunity to listen to Dr. Wesley Calvert, mathematician and professor at Carbondale University, South Illinois, who was invited to deliver a speech on the applications of Bayes’ theorem in artificial intelligence.

His opening lines immediately reflected his enthusiasm for mathematics, and we hung onto his every word as he introduced the concept of Bayes’ theorem through a witty example. Learning the concept by means of its daily-life usage, in some ways, helped us understand the gravity of its significance and opened our eyes to a dimension of the concept beyond just the mathematical formula. Dr. Calvert also pointed out that probability proves to be more useful than we imagined; it can predict the choices of customers, and even helps entertainers create the illusion of magic and prophecy.

Artificial intelligence requires a less cumbersome alternative- the Monte Carlo Algorithm, as Dr. Calvert introduced to us by an example and a diagram, can be utilized in computers for easily acquiring results in terms of conditional probability. His words left us inspired even after he concluded his lecture.

S.S.Anjanaa Devi

Class XII

Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan

Nungambakkam

Media Club – Term Report 2010

2010-12-03T15:33:00.003+05:30

The Media Club in 2010 began unprecedented ventures from the very beginning. Having set an agenda, the club finished every task it set itself by October 2010.

Agenda:
· Creation of blog:
· Prompt publishing of campus reports with pictures to document key term events

· Adoption of Author of the month initiative along with a plan for every month of the year.

· Organization of three events: Story writing, poetry writing and photography contests for classes IX, X and XI respectively.

· Set up of Book Reading event to be conducted in the second term.

1. Blog

The new team of office bearers: -

Ø President: Karthikeyan Ganapathy XII C
Ø Secretary: Padmapriya G. XIC
Ø Permanent Members: Amrithavarshini V. XI C
Anuradha Rao XI A
Saniya Surana XI C
Shruthi Anand XI C

2.Report Publication

For each event conducted by the school, a media club reporter, armed with notepaper and camera, was present to cover the entire story. Along with appropriate pictures, an article would then be published on the official blog – www.psbbmirror.blogspot.com

This is to ensure the maintenance of proper archives for the next set of student members.

Reports were submitted on:

q TEA Workshop
q Alumni Meet

q Prize Distribution Ceremony

q Impromptu Debate
q Debating Society Inaugural Debate

q Sports Day

q GSP Visit
q Trip to Sri Krishna Sweets Factory
q Business Management Counseling Session
q Countdown 2010
q NIE Launch
q IAYP Trip Report
q Interact Club Launch

3. Author of the Month

For every month, beginning with October, the club calendar has allotted an author whose Birthday falls then. This bulletin board will be maintained with student contributions that pay homage to the author.

4. Club Contests

Three contests were thrown open to the students:

For Std. IX – Story Writing Contest
Student Judges: Tarunya Shankar & Anuradha R.

Students were analyzed on their interpretation, use of language and plot structure of stories that began and ended in the following ways:

o A pearly droplet coursed its way downward…
And light filled the sky again.
o He tripped over his own shoelace…
And the clock struck one.

For Std. X – Poetry Writing Contest

Student Judges: Anuradha Rao & Saniya Surana

Students were judged on the concept, language and poetic meter of works written on the following topics:

o Horizon
o Steps

For Std. XI – Photography Contest
Student Judges: Anjali Chandrashekar

Entries were on the topics were judged on the basis of technique, concept and output.

o Leaves

o Blue

The student judges have picked out finalists and the teacher judges will announce the final verdict. Five more contests are in the pipeline.

5. Book Reading

All the groundwork for the Media Club’s first programme for the academic year 2010-11 has been done. The members have read the book recently released by Dr. Sujatha Mohan titled ‘Coffee with Vakil Varadhu’ and students of the ninth and tenth grade have made attractive posters and bulletins for the oncoming event.

The event is scheduled for the second midterm and the students will bring a story from the collection to life.

In a nutshell, these are the activities performed by the Media Club and the club hopes to diversify activities in future.

Padmapriya Govindarajan

(Club Secretary)

Reverberations 2010

2010-12-03T15:31:00.000+05:30

The most awaited cultural event in Chennai, the talents of numerous schools across the city displayed in a short span of three days, with a vibrant background of music, celebrities and pure energy. Yes, you guessed it. Reverberations 2010, the brainchild of the PSBB schools.

Day Zero was held in the home grounds in PSBB KKNagar and for eight hours, the preliminary rounds for various events like adzap, shipwreck and debatito continued. The judges for these events were the alumni of both the schools. The final rounds for the sports events (FIFA, DOTA and AAA) as well as photography took place on Day Zero. In addition to that, Reverbs Ink, the tattoo competition, judged by the owner of Ire Zumi was held on the same day.

Day one and Day two were held in Vani Mahal. Day one, after being formally inaugurated by Mrs. Sheela Rajendra, began with a boom with the host performance by KKNagar students for the western music events. Following that was the spoof theatre judged by two very famous personalities, ‘Crazy’ Mohan and Mr. Ramesh. KKNagar students followed by the Nungambakkam students blew the stage away with their respective host performances for the Group dance event.

DJ Ashok, who has been attending Reverberations for the last five odd years, kept the audience moving to his beats. Whilst the Mini Hall was the host to the finals of debatito and shipwreck, Channel Surfing, judged by Melvin, and JAM, moderated by the extremely articulate Naveen Thomas were held in the Main Hall.

On Day two, the tension eked out of everyone as the final day had dawned. The benignity in the room was easily replaced by a sense of serenity as the host performance for light music took off, and the auditorium echoed with the stunningly moving tones of both schools’ students. ‘Ghatam’ Vidwan Sri Uma Shankar, Ajeesh –of Airtel Super Singer fame – and playback singer Anita judged the event.

Just as the finals for the quiz took place in the Main Hall, the Mini Hall was flooded with audience when the Adzap finals took place, judged by comedians Mr. Santhanam and Mr. Jagan.

Last, but not the least, the grand finale, the climax of the show, the all awaited end, the selection of Master /Ms. Reverberations! The audience watched in open-mouthed amusement as the seven finalists battled it out on stage through a series of contests like eat-o-mania and shipwreck, to determine who was the winner of the largest school culturals of Chennai. While the results were tallied, our Chief Guest, the incomparable and the extremely talented Mr. T. M. Krishna, gave his views of Reverberations ’10, giving it a firm thumbs-up and encouraged us to promote more classical events, a thought heartily seconded by our Dean, Mrs. YGP. Our Guest of Honour, Arya, the man that made every girl in the crowd swoon, put in his two cents just before Vidya Mandir was announced as the overall winner of Reverberations ’10.

Hearty congratulations to the teachers, students and volunteers who made the event possible, and a special mention for their ‘Go Green’ initiative must be made. Reverberations more than lived up to its name and fame, and its energy will be felt for many years to come.

Tarunya Shankar
XII C

Commerce club activity 2010 – 2011

2010-12-03T15:29:00.002+05:30

In keeping with the traditions of excellence that PSBB forever strives to meet and excel, the business quiz was held on the 25th of November 2010. The quiz was conducted by the popular combination of Kartik.V.S and Karthikeyan of XII C. Six students apiece were chosen from XI C and XII C and paired up to form six teams. The quiz kicked off with the first round, which consisted of twelve questions. Kartik was at his humorous best, enthralling the audience with a ready mixture of wit and suave. The audience was thoroughly hooked and it was time to hand over the mic to Karthikeyan for round two. The round required the skilful identification of logos. The extra information provided by the textbook really helped the participants solve the questions. The concepts, which were brilliantly taught by Mr Devakumar, really helped the students answer the toughest of questions with élan.

The quiz was progressing at a frenetic pace and the reins were handed over to the ever-debonair Kartik. This was the challenging buzzer round, a round where lesser quizzers would have trembled and cracked under the strain and pressure. The fine crop of quizzers that PSBB produces, however, met them face on and the round took place in a titanic battle of reflexes and nerves. Based on the skilful application of textual concepts such as Shares and debentures along with business management concepts were a thorough treat. By now, it all came down to the slog. Huge points were at stake in the final round. Huger reputations were on the line. Diverse pictures and logos were skillfully and intricately woven together into a single company. The participants racked their brains to weave the strands of diverse concepts into the fabric of a single answer. This is where the humorous and insightful teaching of Mr Devakumar was a lifesaver.

The victors were the dynamic duo of Vinayak Sasikumar of XII C and Amrith Bhargav of XI C. The quiz will go down in the annals of PSBB history as one of the finest and most humorous quizzes held on the premises.

BUSINESS BATTLE 2010

2010-12-03T15:27:00.002+05:30

Business Battle 2010 a two-day commerce fest organized by PSBB Nungambakkam began with a bang on 25th October, 2010. Held at PSBB KK Nagar, the huge campus served a splendid location for hosting the event.

Among the various on-stage events conducted were Business Quiz, Case Study, Adzap and Role-play, which showcased the humor intellect and theatrical skills of participants. The off-stage events of Product Designing, where the participants had to design a utility product using eco friendly material and Budding Architects, where the participants had to sketch the interior and exterior of a company on a given theme helped in bringing out the artistic talent in every student and helped them in thinking beyond the cliched knowledge. All the events had the audience cheering and wanting more, which they were guaranteed with the finals the next day promising an atmosphere more electrifying.

The second day began with seven teams competing for Adzap Finals. This was followed by Case study which found appreciation from one and all .The stage was set, with great pomp and show, for the finals of Bizwiz. The role play, a new concept introduced this year spelt such a big success that it commanded a repeat show and proved to be a fitting finale. Topics like Management Principles from Arthasastra, opportunities for rural graduates were well researched and brought out in an entertaining manner by the participating teams.

At 3pm, began the valedictory function graced by Mr.C.A.V.Murali as the chief guest and the various heads of PSBB. The chief guest’s speech, which was an amalgam of intellect and humor, won a big round of applause from the audience. Vidya Mandir, Mylapore was adjudged the overall winner .In this age where parents focus on classroom education, Business Battle 2010 proved to be the welcome change.

Raining Awards...

2010-12-03T15:26:00.002+05:30

As always its been raining prizes in PSBB Nungambakkam. Students have shown their prowess in various fields ranging from Computer Programming to English Essay Writing.

· Rishab Kohli, S.P.Ambarish, S.K.Ramanandan have won the national level CSI programming contest. They will be representing India in the International Level to be held in October 2010. They have won Rs. 5000 cash award each and an open job offer from Polaris IT Company after graduation.
· Our Bhajan Group has won the First Prize in the Devotees Seva Trust Bhajan Competition held on 29th August 2010. Special Mention about Krithika of XII C was made.
· The following students have won awards in the Commonwealth Essay Writing Competition.

Ø Tarunya XII C – Gold Award
Ø Samyuktha Dhandapani XI C – Silver Award
Ø Padmapriya Govindarajan XI C – Bronze Award
Ø Malvika Ravi X D –Bronze Award

COUNTDOWN 2010

2010-12-03T15:25:00.000+05:30

It was a day for using our creativity. A day for thinking about the world around us. A day to commemorate the Year of Biodiversity. The day a remarkable, interesting project was launched.Dr.Guhan Jayaraman, PhD, and Professor at IIT Madras, The chief guest of the event, inaugurated the “Countdown 2010 – Save Biodiversity” project on The 23rd of July.The students of 9th and 10th standard attended the program at 2:30.

Project “ Countdown 2010” is organized by the International Zoo Outreach Organisation(ZOO), an NGO that works for animal welfare. Mrs. Jessie Jayakaran, and educator with ZOO, organized the workshop. It is a full year program, part of CCE for the 9th std. Students. It helps the students learn about Biodiversity and the importance through fun projects. The program divides the students into 5 groups – World Environment Day Group (WED), Frog Group, Monkey Group, Elephant Group, Frog Drawing Group.

Shreya of class IX A and D.S.Aravind of IX-D welcomed the gathering and the program began with Dr. Guhan lighting the lamp. The students recited a short prayer after which the presentation of skits started.

The students of the WED Group presented a skit on how to save resources in our daily lives, and incorporated simple solutions like judicious usage of water, conservation of electricity and so on.

The Frog Group presented a skit on frogs-about how they help us, on how they are being exploited and solutions to this problem. The Monkey Group and Elephant Group enacted plays on animal behavior.

This was followed by a speech by Dr.Guhan who briefed us about the dire situation of our environment and conservation measures. He urged the students to opt for studying biology in senior school.

It was heartwarming to see our Dean participate with enthusiasm despite her health problems. She told us interesting tales from mythology and outlined the importance of treating animals with concern. Reshma.R of class X-D proposed the vote of thanks. The program concluded with an oath taken by the students to conserve the environment.

By Samkyuktha Srikanth
X-D

Career Counseling Session – Business Management

2010-12-03T15:24:00.000+05:30

Languages were always perceived as a soft option by most students – a device for pumping up scores and a weapon of the intellectually challenged. The career counseling session on the 22nd of July 2010 showed us all that this surmise is as far from the truth as possible.

Mr. Neelameghan Muralidharan, an entrepreneur with an amazing flair for languages, gave us, the Commerce Students, an exemplary speech on the pros of business management as an option and the need for learning multiple languages. He discussed the importance of the IT Sector and highlighted the remarkable impact finance has on all our lives. The inclusion of anecdotes from his own life, made the speech more interesting.

He went on to talk about the need for fine-tuning our communication skills and provided smart analogies, which drove his points home. He shared his experiences and “shortcuts” with us and gave an informative power point presentation. Throughout this session, he asked and answered questions, making the whole experience an interactive one.

He wound up his speech to much applause and took his leave after giving us a lot of food for thought.

Padmapriya Govindarajan
XI C

PRESENT DAY ACADEMICS

2010-12-03T15:23:00.000+05:30

The inaugural debate of the Debating Society of PSBB Nungambakkam was held on the 20th of July 2010. The motion on the floor was “This house believes that present day academics is driving the students away from real learning”. The judges were Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Raman, HOD, Department of English, Mrs. Anita Nagaswami, PTA Member and Meenakshi Srinivasan of Std. XII

Purva, Malavika, Rishikesh and Lakshminarayanan from classes X and XI of the proposition faced off against Prajay, Harshini, Amritha and Ranjini of classes IX, X and XI from the opposition.

The proposition dealt with several important points like the different boards and syllabi and the pressure children faced owing to the above. They compared rote learning to real learning, and bald facts to innovation. They explained the pain of students to whom grades proved demoralizing and competition caused obsession. With the last speaker giving us an insight into the difference between memorizing textbooks and mastering a subject, the proposition rested their substantial case.

Competing with them neck to neck was the opposition, full of fact, example and analysis. With proof to the success of the Indian education system, research concerning its different changes and dilution, a testimony to its adaptation, and arguments showing why the yet imperfect system still had more pros than all the other existing ones, the opposition swept the judges off their feet.

Fierce and full of conviction, the rebuttal was the cherry on the absolutely delicious ice cream, this debate thus giving a perfect start to the debating activities of our school.

With the closing comments of the judges, the students dispersed, happy that they were able to witness a fitting start to the proceedings of the club.

Ranjini, Harshini and Amritha, all from the opposition were adjudged the best speakers, and the opposition was declared the winner. In a nutshell, the debate was lively, entertaining and of high standard.

Shruthi Anand
XI C

FACE OFF: NUNGAMBAKKAM Vs K.K.NAGAR

2010-12-03T15:22:00.000+05:30

On the fifth of July 2010, a busload of enthusiastic students made their way to PSBB K.K.Nagar to cheer on their team. A team of seven, skilled in Rhetoric, ready to take on the team from K.K.Nagar for the second round of debating.

This time, in keeping with tradition, the teams were given impromptu motions. The debate, held at Silver Jubilee Hall, was judged by Mr.B.G. Krishnan, an erstwhile debator and alumnus of our school; Mr.A.R.Srnivasan, a veteran actor and playwright and Mr. T.T.Srinath, a successful entrepreneur.

The teams debated on a range of topics from art to environment. The motions were as follows:

· It is the artist and not the critic who contributes to society
· ‘I’ is more important than ‘We’
· Food on a plate is more important than a few trees.
· Freedom of Expression is being abused through Freedom of Press.
· There is no such thing as friendly competition.
· We could forgive and forget.
· The sun is sinking in the west.

The teams from K.K.Nagar took away the overall trophy, but not without an engaging battle with the students of Nungambakkam. Arguments and rebuttal rent the air and it was an enjoyable experience for all. The first five prizes were bagged by Visruth Venkat, Meenakshi Srinivasan, Akila, Sanjanaa and V.S.Karthik, the first, third and fourth prizes being awarded to K.K.Nagar students.

The students were immensely grateful for the opportunity provided by the school management and faculty, and this debate officially inaugurated the activities of The Debating Society for the year 2010-11.

Padmapriya Govindarajan
XI C

ISA TRIP

2010-12-03T15:19:00.002+05:30

Five students of our school – Srnidhi, Devika, Abhishek, Anuradha and Shruthi Anand, of classes ten, eleven and twelve – along with Mrs. Shyamala Shekar were given the privilege of visiting Dorset, a small village in the U.K., as part of the ISA programme in June 2009. There each of us stayed with a host family for a week, and it was a week of learning, fun and frolic, which we would never forget

A Trip to Nilakottai

2010-09-28T11:41:00.001+05:30

Nilakottai. That was our destination. This trip can best be described as a mixed bag of experiences. It was enlightening and also brought in face to face with certain realities of life. These were humbling to say the least.

|The importance of protecting and preserving our ecosystem was elcidadted by our project director, Mr.Ramesh, on our opening day. We were taught about various fertilizers andw e stirred their solutions for farm use. Working on the farmland was as exhilarating experience and we all had a lot to think about when we went back for lunch. Our trip to the farmlands and the houses of some farmers was a wake up call. We realized how harsh living conditions were and were astounded by their happiness and contentment with life despite all their travails.

On the second day, we interacted with sschool children from the Villinayagapatti village. The groups prepared activities to entertain them and my team decided to play dodgeball with them. We had a lovely hour of laughter and the children went on to beat us at our won game !after two more rounds of games, these students performed plays about the environment. We sat simply spell bound, for their honest thoughts and tremendous will power to change the world were clearly portrayed. It was remarkable. We all woke up at 5 am on day 3, excitement coursing through our veins, as we wondered what our surprise challenge would be. Our teachers told us that we would be meeting local farmers and helping them. We were split into groups of four and for two refreshing hoursm we collected flowers for the farmers. We settled for the evening after another game of dodgeball and a cup of “chukku kape”.

This trip was in all m a revelation to me. Life, be it in the city or the village is not easy. However , there is a certain magic in this place that sets it apart from the city. Maybe it isn’t for us to faltom what is ism, but the feeling that this trip has left me with are priceless. I shall cherish them for life.

Srinivas Gollapudi

XI B

ALMA MATER REPORT

2010-09-28T11:39:00.001+05:30

It was just our second session of Alma Mater and we’d already felt the seeds of transformation sown deep into our minds. Mrs. Gomathi started off on a very enthusiastic note and dealt with change and how even one person could make it happen. She cited examples from the lives of The Mahatma, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, telling us about the mark they left on this world, and how each one of them were as good as one men armies.

The next part of her session began with a bang. “Adolescence,” she said, “Makes or breaks you”. And that line drew our attention. “Flirt with fear” was her next catch phrase. Through the next thirty minutes, she elaborated the causes and effects of fear. She taught us that facing our fears and being honest would enable us be one above the crowd, yet one among the crowd.

She went on to explain the fears of teens and the result of the way they faced them. She differentiated between the two ways of feeling heroic, the positive and the negative. Most of us however realized that we were mid-way, and not completely on either side. However, many identified with her when she described her childhood fears and how she bravely eliminated them from her life.

We admired the fact that she had changed from a person who was shy answering in class to one who stood in front of swarming teens, teaching them personality development. Her lecture gave us much food for thought, and we were set thinking even before she wrapped up, about our fears and future.

She concluded her session with facts that amazed us. She revealed to us that Churchill, Disney and Washington all had learning disabilities, yet they made it big. She imparted her Mantra – You’ve gotta believe, YGB and subtly finished what I hope is only one of the many many interesting lectures we’d attend in the future.

Amrithavarshini V

XI C

Independence Day at PSBB, NGM

2010-09-28T11:38:00.001+05:30

Even heavy rains couldn’t wash away the pride every PSBBian wore today. We had dawned upon celebrating another year of Indian Independence and PSBB Ngm, just as ever, showed no hesitation in grabbing the opportunity. With the tricolour pinned on every single uniform and the light of freedom disrespecting the darkness of the sky, the festivities began.

Patriotic songs rent the air, creating a feeling of national integrity. Among the dignitaries present were Mr. Anand.R., Mrs. Sheela, Mrs. Valli Arunachalam and the PSBB faculty.
The symbol of unity, prosperity, peace – the symbol of India itself was unfurled by the Chief Guest, Mr.Anand, lovingly referred to as Budget Anand by the school, owing to the fact that he discussed the Union Budget every year with the students. The flag opened out with brilliance and showed flowers upon our land.

Four languages marked the emotion in every students’ heart and mind, one of fierce oneness – Hindi, Tamil, Sanskrit and English. Representing the students’ community, invigorating speeches were given in the same and appreciation gathered for our beloved motherland, her victories and resilience.

Mr. Anand was then requested to share his views on the new journey of yet another year of Indian Independence. He elucidated Indian conquests from the past, her greatness in the present and her plans for the future. He urged us to recognize the efforts made by our leaders through their nine decade long fight for Swaraj.

Our Principal, Mrs. Valli Arunachalam came up on the dais and elaborated the importance of not only recognizing but also follow the leaders we recognize. Finally, we rose for the National Anthem, with love and devotion in our hearts and minds. That wasn’t close to the last of festivities of that day; it was in fact the beginning to a social service project of blood donation and free eye check-up camp.

A large success!! We collected 35 samples of blood, despite the lashing fury of the sky. With 70 people signing up for the free eye check up, the initiative as a whole was complete and fulfilling to the Office Bearers of the Interact Club of the School, who took charge and canvassed around the neighbouring areas, in order to create awareness.
Independence Day was made more memorable, it going hand in hand with social service. A wise man once said – “Service to Humanity is Service to God”. This was definitely understood, imbibed and implemented by the students.

Saniya Surana

XI C

Inaugural of the Interact Club

2010-09-28T11:36:00.001+05:30

10th August 2010 marked the inaugural of the Interact Club at PSBB Nungambakkam for the year 2010-11. The function commenced with an invocation to the Almighty, and the welcoming of distinguished members of the Rotary Club, T.Nagar. The annual report of the active Interact Club was delivered by the outgoing President of the Club, Meenakshi of Std. XII.

Next, Rotarian K.Ramanujam, President, Rotary Club, T.Nagar addressed the gathering, telling students about social service and its effects on humanity. He had a lively and interactive session with us, fitting the name and spirit of the club.
The club's activities then began with zest and fervour. The school watched with amazement, as the multi-talented Incoming President, Anuradha Rao was introduced. The Club Charter was then exchanged, followed by which Anuradha gave the school an acceptance speech.

The new team of Office Bearers were then introduced, a squad filled with erstwile students inclined towards social service. Proud and beaming, they took their positions gracefully.
The Chief Guest, Mr. Anand Ram then addressed the gathering and gave us valuable advice. With our hearts filled with committment towards service, we listened with rapt attention. The dignitaries were then felicitated. They were given saplings as a token of appreciation and as a note to conserve the environment.

The function then came to an end, with Saniya Surana, the Club Secretary proposing the Vote of Thanks. The meet was ajourned by the new President. With minds made up to offer helping hands, we went back to our classes with the satisfaction that a new year of the interact club had just begun, with more activities, learning, and service.

THE HINDU – NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

2010-09-28T11:33:00.001+05:30

26^th July 2010 is a day worth remembering for the students of PSBBSSS, as this was the day NIE educational program was launched by the “THE HINDU”. Among the dignitaries present were Dr (Mrs) Sudha Seshayyan, Dr. Mohan Rajan, Mr. Sridhar, Dr. Mrs. Y.G.P, our dean and director and Mrs. Valli Arunachalam, our principal. The function commenced with the lighting the KUTTU VILAKKU by our dean and director. A prayer was rendered and the welcome speech delivered.

Mr.Sridhar, Assistant Regional Manager (Circulation) from ‘THE HINDU’ then addressed the gathering and expounded that NIE had been scientifically framed to instill the spirit of continuous education and keep students abreast with recent issues. He mentioned that the programme had already reached over 350 schools. Dr Mrs. Sudha Seshayyan then interacted with us, telling us about her interest in the ‘YOUNG WORLD” and exhorted students to cultivate a daily habit of reading.

Leading eye specialist and president of the PTA, Dr. Mohan Rajan recalled his two decades of pleasant association with the “THE HINDU’. He made references to the ‘Health Column’ and its illuminating contents. Being the first woman in having to obtain a post graduate diploma in Journalism then, Dr. Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy shared her experiences as a columnist of ‘THE HINDU’. She appreciated the NIE urged us to take it up seriously.

The vote of thanks was proposed and the function came to an end, with lingering thoughts of awareness created among students.

V. Amrith Narayanan

X D

Countdown 2010

2010-09-28T11:31:00.001+05:30

Project “ Countdown 2010” is organized by the International Zoo Outreach Organisation(ZOO), an NGO that works for animal welfare. Mrs. Jessie Jayakaran, and educator with ZOO, organized the workshop. It is a full year program, part of CCE for the 9^th std. Students. It helps the students learn about Biodiversity and the importance through fun projects. The program divides the students into 5 groups – World Environment Day Group (WED), Frog Group, Monkey Group, Elephant Group, Frog Drawing Group.

Shreya of class IX A and D.S.Aravind of IX-D welcomed the gathering and the program began with Dr. Guhan lighting the lamp. The students recited a short prayer after which the presentation of skits started.

The students of the WED Group presented a skit on how to save resources in our daily lives, and incorporated simple solutions like judicious usage of water, conservation of electricity and so on.

The Frog Group presented a skit on frogs-about how they help us, on how they are being exploited and solutions to this problem.The Monkey Group and Elephant Group enacted plays on animal behavior.

This was followed by a speech by Dr.Guhan who briefed us about the dire situation of our environment and conservation measures. He urged the students to opt for studying biology in senior school.

It was heartwarming to see our Dean participate with enthusiasm despite her health problems. She told us interesting tales from mythology and outlined the importance of treating animals with concern. Reshma.R of class X-D proposed the vote of thanks. The program concluded with an oath taken by the students to conserve the environment.

-By Samkyuktha Srikanth

-X-D

Career Counseling Session – Business Management

2010-09-28T11:30:00.001+05:30

Mr. Neelameghan Muralidharan, an entrepreneur with an amazing flair for languages, gave us, the Commerce Students, an exemplary speech on the pros of business management as an option and the need for learning multiple languages. He discussed the importance of the IT Sector and highlighted the remarkable impact finance has on all our lives. The inclusion of anecdotes from his own life, made the speech more interesting.

He went on to talk about the need for fine-tuning our communication skills and provided smart analogies, which drove his points home. He shared his experiences and “shortcuts” with us and gave an informative power point presentation. Throughout this session, he asked and answered questions, making the whole experience an interactive one.

He wound up his speech to much applause and took his leave after giving us a lot of food for thought.

Padmapriya Govindarajan

XI C

PRESENT DAY ACADEMICS

2010-09-28T11:29:00.001+05:30

The inaugural debate of the Debating Society of PSBB Nungambakkam was held on the 20^th of July 2010. The motion on the floor was “This house believes that present day academics is driving the students away from real learning”. The judges were Mrs. Vijaylakshmi Raman, HOD, Department of English, Mrs. Anita Nagaswami, PTA Member and Meenakshi Srinivasan of Std. XII

Purva, Malavika, Rishikesh and Lakshminarayanan from classes X and XI of the proposition faced off against Prajay, Harshini, Amritha and Ranjini of classes IX, X and XI from the opposition.

The proposition dealt with several important points like the different boards and syllabi and the pressure children faced owing to the above. They compared rote learning to real learning, and bald facts to innovation. They explained the pain of students to whom grades proved demoralizing and competition caused obsession. With the last speaker giving us an insight into the difference between memorizing textbooks and mastering a subject, the proposition rested their substantial case.

Competing with them neck to neck was the opposition, full of fact, example and analysis. With proof to the success of the Indian education system, research concerning its different changes and dilution, a testimony to its adaptation, and arguments showing why the yet imperfect system still had more pros than all the other existing ones, the opposition swept the judges off their feet.

Fierce and full of conviction, the rebuttal was the cherry on the absolutely delicious ice cream, this debate thus giving a perfect start to the debating activities of our school.

With the closing comments of the judges, the students dispersed, happy that they were able to witness a fitting start to the proceedings of the club.

Ranjini, Harshini and Amritha, all from the opposition were adjudged the best speakers, and the opposition was declared the winner. In a nutshell, the debate was lively, entertaining and of high standard.

Shruthi Anand

XI C

ALUMNI MEET

2010-09-28T11:27:00.001+05:30

With nostalgia breezing in and around school, the batch of 2010 was back for their reunion on the 8^th of July. As per tradition, the meet commenced with an invocation to the Lord. Our dear Principal, Mrs. Valli Arunachalam welcomed the gathering. The meet had a note of happiness in the air, gossiping students, excited teachers and our erudite Chief Guests, Mr. R.S.Murali and Mr. Vishwanathan. Among the dignitaries, Mrs. K.S.Vijayalakshmi, our academic coordinator was also present. The Chief Guests gave the students career advice and urged them to never lose touch with their friends. Varsha Ramdevan, former School Pupil Leader, took over, recounting her wonderful days in school. Delicious refreshments were served, mixed tears were shared and goodbyes exchanged. One thing never changed though – a couple of the front rows were empty all through the programme! In a nutshell, 8^th of July was the end to blissful school life and the beginning of newer, more exciting avenues.

Shruti Ashok, IX C

Shreyas, Aravind IX D

FACE OFF: NUNGAMBAKKAM Vs K.K.NAGAR TIBETAN MONK STYLE

2010-09-28T11:24:00.001+05:30

This time, in keeping with tradition, the teams were given impromptu motions. The debate, held at Silver Jubilee Hall, was judged by Mr.B.G. Krishnan, an erstwhile debator and alumnus of our school; Mr.A.R.Srnivasan, a veteran actor and playwright and Mr. T.T.Srinath, a successful entrepreneur.

The teams debated on a range of topics from art to environment. The motions were as follows:

It is the artist and not the critic who contributes to society
‘I’ is more important than ‘We’
Food on a plate is more important than a few trees.
Freedom of Expression is being abused through Freedom of Press.
There is no such thing as friendly competition.
We could forgive and forget.
The sun is sinking in the west.

The teams from K.K.Nagar took away the overall trophy, but not without an engaging battle with the students of Nungambakkam. Arguments and rebuttal rent the air and it was an enjoyable experience for all. The first five prizes were bagged by Visruth Venkat, Meenakshi Srinivasan, Akila, Sanjanaa and V.S.Karthik, the first, third and fourth prizes being awarded to K.K.Nagar students.

The students were immensely grateful for the opportunity provided by the school management and faculty, and this debate officially inaugurated the activities of The Debating Society for the year 2010-11.

Padmapriya Govindarajan

XI C

Trip to Sri Krishna Sweets Factory

2010-07-21T21:26:00.000+05:30

It was the nineteenth of July 2010. The rain poured in the early hours of the morning. The Unit Test left the twelfth graders in less than elated spirit. With an overcast mind and an overcast sky, we boarded the famed yellow school bus. The trip was the usual raucous affair. Popular songs from popular movies were sung with gusto that would impress anyone. The journey ended at the gates of Sri Krishna Sweets factory.

We were given caps to prevent strands of hair falling. We were taken on a guided tour of he factory floor and we sampled sweets and savouries of infinite variety. An invaluable glimpse into the scientific experimentation that goes into creating unadulterated sweets stunned us. One of the employees explained how hygiene and cleanliness is maintained painstakingly in the factory and how quality is never compromised in making their food products. We were then given lip-smacking lunch in a dining area. With our hearts light and our tummies heavy, we listened to a soft-toned yet firm and inspiring speech by the Managing Director, Mr.Murali.

Mr.Murali urged each one of us to pursue our dreams, to be an employer rather than an employee. His emphasis on ‘Planning and Management’ reminded the commerce students of our business studies and entrepreneurship lessons and helped us understand how relevant these concepts were to achieve our dreams. All of us were impressed by his professionalism coupled with soft demeanour. But what floored us the most were his commitment, humility and most importantly his respect for parents and teachers who played an instrumental role in his success story.

We returned to school humbled with a happy heart and contented stomach. We thank our school management particularly our beloved Principal Mrs.Valli Arunachalam and Mr.Murali for this golden opportunity. We would also like to express our heart felt gratitude to Mr.K.Devakumar, Mrs.Vaidehi and Mrs.Vasanthi for accompanying us.

By

Karthikeyan & Meenakshi

XII C

GSP Visit 2010-11: The Reepham Reverie

2010-07-21T12:11:00.002+05:30

Visiting the Reepham High School as part of the GSP representing PSBB has been a life time opportunity for the entire team. After a there hour drive from Heatrhrow we were received by the faculty and host families at Reepham High School.

On Thursday the 8th July we attended the briefing session at the staffroom. Then we went to the assembly and left for a visit to the Cawston Primary school, accredited with the ISA award. The sprawling primary school boasts of all amenities that facilities learning in the young. The colourful corridors provide ample scope for creativity to be displayed in imaginative splendours. In the afternoon we were taken on a guided tour of RHS by two volunteers. Mr Tim Reeve te GSP coordinator hosted dinner on Thursday. He has transformed a barn into a lovely villa and we watched ‘Chasing Sunlight’ – A movie on the Reepham students visit to India in February 2010.

On Friday, the 9th July we were taken on a tour to Norwich. We visited the famous Norwich Cathedral. The Herb Garden was fascinating. We walked down the Elm Hill Lane. We had lunch at the town Guild Hall and left for the Univ of East Anglia. The Sainsbury Art Exhibition was out of the world. We were hosted a dinner at Waffles at Norwich by the Reepham faculty.

On Saturday, we left for London. The \national Express took us from Norwich to |Liverpool Street. Travelling by the London tube rail was quite an experience. We went shopping at the Saturday market at Portobello. The royal walk from West minister Abbey through St James Park to the Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden Market gave us a glimpse of the busy London Life. It was a stark contrast to the tranquil Norfolk life.

On Sunday, we visited the Queen garden at Sandringham. In the evening we had a typical English tea at Ross place. On Monday we had the great opportunity of taking classes for the Reepham students.

Tuesday was the D day as we entertained the Reepham students in the morning assembly. The programme began with PSBB prayer by the students followed by a power point by Mrs Sheela Rajendra our correspondent, oN iNdia the pinnacle of Human Civilisation. She made it interactive and the students were able to identify the Taj Mahal and some of the musical instruments like the sitar.

Nikilesh surya , Abbhinav and Chandrasekhar conducted the Spin a Yarn speaking contest. They had a demo of the event and two boys volunteered to participate. The vice principal was all in appreciation for this event as he felt it involves nimble thinking, creativity and humour. Small souvenirs were given as prizes to the two boys. Mrs Shiela Rajendra, Gayathri and Ishitha sang ‘ Maithreem Bhajatha- the song of the Universal peace. The students sang the GSP anthem which was a song composed by Mrs Vijayalakshmi Raman, summing up the three years of GSP activities. The highlight was the gift we had brought all the way from India. Two Carrom boards for Reepham were presented to the principal Mr Chris Hassell as a taken of our love and affection.

In the afternoon, we went to the beach at Sheringham. The pre departure dinner at Mrs Dianne Randle’s house was awesome.

Since Monday, Mrs Sheila, Ishita and Gayathri were busy with their mehendi session and the whole forenoon of Wednesday. Students kept thronging the library to have their hands decked with mehendi designs.

Seven days in Norfolk fleeted past. The English country side , the unpredictable English weather, the wonderful drive round the country side, the hospitable faculty, the enthusiastic students, the endearing hosts – all these made our trip memorable nay’ historic’.

Que sera sera

Whatever will be will be

The GSP will always be

Que sera sera

By Aasha Pillai And Vijayalakshmi Raman