SILC: Oscars Night - Weekly Digest (02/26/12)

Dear SILC Students, Parents, Teachers and Volunteers:

Hope you are enjoying the Oscars Night. Try to find out the longest running film in India (this week's quiz) in the spirit of this evening.

[1] Extra, Extra, Read all about it! 

The SILC Newsletter is making a comeback with a brand new look, and it needs submissions from people like YOU! Everyone has his or her own story to tell, and the newsletter is an excellent opportunity to do so. Virtually anything India-related can be submitted to the newsletter, so let your imagination run wild and write something creative and personal. 

Sample topics are included below: These are only suggestions, and you're not limited to these.

• Reviews of Indian movies & music
• Reviews of Indians books
• Review of important issues of India
• Reprints of cooking class recipes
• Articles on history/geography of India
• Picture essays and / or Photographs of India
• Humorous Indian tales (ex- Tenali Rama, Akbar Birbal, etc.)
• SILC experiences, Life Experiences, Immigration experiences
• Personal stories about time spent in India
• News articles - recent events & Bollywood news
• Articles on groups working in India
• Articles on Holidays and Traditions
• Short essays
• Profiles of important indians
• Teen issues

Furthermore, we're not asking any of you to write a novel (but feel free to do so if you want to!) even a couple well-written paragraphs would be much appreciated. Write whatever you're comfortable with- we're looking for a variety of submissions from all SILC members: New members, old members, children, adults, EVERYONE. :) Get those thinking caps on and let your creative juices flow!

 

We would love ideas for an multi-issue ongoing column on say Indian heritage, Music, Arts, ... or other India related subject. Let us know if you would like to write! We have a strong editorial team to help you, if you are thinking of writing for the first time - we have the ability and desire to help, if you bring the inclination to write!

 

Openings available for Reporters - open to all SILC students and family members. Should be able to write well in English or any Indian language. Choose the topic from above and let us know so we can make sure there is no duplication and we can reserve space for the piece. For more info, contact SILC Newsletter Editorial Board via newsletter@silcmn.com

 

The SILC Editorial Board reserves the fianl right to accept / reject any submission.

[2]  IAM / FON Auditions

Please note that representatives from IAM (Indian Association of MN) will be at SILC next week on March 3rd to conduct FON (Festival of Nations) dance auditions. The auditions start at 10:00 AM. Please contact your dance teacher for the timing of your audition and the logistics. 

Day: Sat Mar 3
Location: SILC inside Como High School, 740 West Rose Ave, St Paul , MN 55117
Time: 10:00am 

Answers to last week's Quiz:

[Q] What are the classical dances of India? And what is the name of the State that contributed two classical dances?

Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)

Kathak (Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh)

Kathakali (Kerala)

Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)

Manipuri (Manipur)

Mohiniyattam (Kerala)

Odissi (Orissa)

Sattriya (Assam)

KERALA state has contributed two classical dances - Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.

This week's Quiz:

[Q] What is the longest running movie (in a single theater) in India?

-- 
Regards
Siva Jasthi
Director - Communications
School of India for Languages and Culture
http://www.silcmn.com
(mobile) 612.217.4821

SILC: Weekly Digest (02/19/12)

Dear SILC Students, Parents, Teachers and Volunteers:

[1] Thank you to all the following 11-14 year children who expressed interest in participating in the Nickelodeon program (Nick news) as indicated in the last digest.  One of the coordinating producers is expected to call the following for an on-the-phone interview  (Please note that SILC administration is out of the picture once we pass on the names to the Nickelodeon producers). .

Aekta Mouli               

Gitanjali Raman           

Anushka Mankunath         

Anurag Bukkuri            

jyotirmya kumar           

Zoe Iyer                     

Rohan-Ashutosh Raikar    

Meera Viruru

Mahima Gupta

Suparna Bhatia 

Bhavana Suvarna 

Natali Arora

[2] Some of the SILC families may be interested in the following.

Youth Angels Day Camp

Experience the Art of Meditation

IT’S VALUABLE. IT’S EFFECTIVE. IT’S FREE!

Science of Spirituality, Minnesota has been organizing Youth Angels Day Camp since last five years in Minneapolis for children under the age group of 5 to 15 years.. It was originally envisioned to make great use of winter time and introduce meditation to the children for their peace of mind. It’s a one day camp where children learn meditation techniques, yoga and engage in fun filled activities & story time which helps in character building. By learning how to calm the mind with meditation practice and simple moves of yoga, children can be happier and healthier.

At the camp, children will learn to meditate and develop the inner strength, achieve balance and realize the true potential in their lives, all in a fun filled environment.
During the camp, we will have Meditation workshops, Yoga, Camp Songs, Activities, GaMes & Pizza.

 Date:    

Saturday, March 17^th 2012
Venue:  
             4300 Dodd Rd, Eagan, Minnesota 55123

The pre-registration is now open for children between the age group of 5-15. Please complete the pre-registration on the web site www.sosmn.org.   Pre-registration will end on Feb 28^th. Kindly register for the camp as soon as possible as the seats are limited.
Please note that the registration is FREE.  You can also forward the same to interested friends and acquaintances.  More information will be sent to all who registered their children to the camp.

You can find more about the previous year’s camps at our website www.sosmn.org.   Also we need volunteers (age 15+) including assistance in  setting up the camp, teaching, conducting games, distributing food, wind down and many other areas. Please let us know your interest in volunteering for the camp.

Looking forward to a great camp this year again!

For further information please contact:

SOSMN Communication Team 
Arvind Naik (anaik@sos.org)
Ashwini Naik (ashwini@sos.org)
Sundari Balasubramanian (sundaribaloo@gmail.com)

Answers to last week's quiz:

[Q] What the words - Chit, Bandanna and Shampoo - have in common?

All these words have Hindi roots/origin and are contributed to English language; For a complete list, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Hindi_or_Urdu_origin#S

Chit 

from चिट्ठी Chitthi, a letter or note.

Bandanna 

from Bandhna,(बांधना) to tie a scarf around the head.

Shampoo 

from chāmpo (चाँपो /tʃãːpoː/) is the imperative of chāmpnā (चाँपना /tʃãːpnaː/), "to smear, knead the muscles, massage" (the scalp massage with some kind of oily or treacly mixture just before a bath).

This week's Quiz:

[Q] What are the classical dances of India? And what is the name of the State that contributed two classical dances?

--
Regards
Siva Jasthi
Director - Communications
School of India for Languages and Culture
http://www.silcmn.com
(mobile) 612.217.4821

SILC: Weekly Digest (02/12/12)

Dear SILC Students, Parents, Teachers and Volunteers:

Hope you are enjoying the Grammys and making the plans for Valentines Day. We have another deadline coming up on Valentines Day. Read on ...

[1] Nickelodeon Series, "Nick News With Linda Ellerbee (http://www.nick.com/nicknews/)

Is your child between 11 and 14? 

Jessie - one of the coordinating producers of this show - has contacted SILC in the context of the Nickelodeon "Nick News" series.

In preparation for their May special celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage month, they are reaching out to various youth organizations across the country that may like to participate in on-camera interviews. The show will include segments such as: 

--> Who are Asian Pacific Americans (APAs)? (Why was the month created? What countries do APAs come from? Do they feel like they fit in with Caucasian/African/Latino Americans as well as their own ethnic group?)

--> Stereotypes Examined. (What are the stereotypes kids hear? Do they feel misunderstood or insulted? How often do kids face prejudice because of how they look or where they're from?)

--> Individual Stories. (Examples may include a Japanese-American kid whose grandparent was in an internment camp, a kid struggling to live up to his/her parents' expectations, APA celebrities talking about overcoming stereotypes in their stories of success.)

You can view past "Nick News" episodes on our iTunes page: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nick-news-with-linda-ellerbee/id400203724

Example of recent press: http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=29210&StepNum=1&award=aw

If you are between 11 and 14 and want to be considered by Nickelodeon for on-camera interview, please let me or Shiv Bhatia (Principal) know by 10 PM Tuesday 14th February (by the valentines day).  Once we receive the names,  we will pass on the names to Nickelodeon producers for their consideration.

[2] SILC Newsletter Update:

Coming soon ... the new & improved "SILC Times"

 

The SILC Achievement Project (SAP) Class, has taken ownership of the SILC Newsletter.  The students leading the Newsletter activities are Bhavana Suvarna, Sanjana Pandya and Tarunika Anand.

 

We conducted a survey at SILC last week and based on the results of which we are making changes to the SILC newsletter. We are inviting kids and adults to unleash the "author" within you and send in articles in any of the following areas of interest.

 

You can write to us at newsletter@silocmn.com

 

For the Kids:		Informational:		Reviews  & Features:
Crosswords		Current India related issues		Indian movies
Word Finds		Profile: Non-profits working in India		Indian books
Quizzes		Profile: Other Indian Non-profits		Indian music
Other Fun Activities				Teen Issues
				Indian Holidays & Traditions
				Essays & Fiction

 

The final decision to include or exclude any contributions rests with the Editorial Board.

[3] Personal Safety  SILC endeavors to provide a safe and secure environment for its students. As you are aware, SILC functions from the premises of a public school where movement of unknown people cannot be controlled. The WalMart incident in Atlanta, GA is a reminder that we do not live in a perfect world ( http://www.inquisitr.com/192868/girl-fights-kidnapper-at-atlanta-walmart-escapes/ ).  As explained on Saturday, please make sure that parents/guardians are always aware of their respective child(ren) whereabouts, when they are not in a class. We have had an instance where a class room change was announced during morning assembly but a student who came in late (unescorted) was found wandering in the hallway. Parents/guardians are requested to escort smaller children to respective class rooms and make sure that the volunteer teacher is present before leaving.

 

[4]. Advance Information Regarding Absences  SILC understand that at times families are unable to make it to a school day. Please make sure that you do inform the respective teachers about absences, if any. Our volunteer teachers put in a lot of effort to teach and they would surely appreciate advance info if your child(ren) cannot make it or need to leave early. With the SS Day approaching teachers are putting in extensive efforts for a good class exhibit and would definitely want to know about a student's availability. At the same time, we also have classes where the total registered students are just a small number e.g yoga class. If all of the students (from a smaller class) do not show up, the volunteer teacher would end up making that drive to school for nothing.

[5] Punctuality   As a connected point to the preceding paragraph, please do make an endeavor to be on time for the classes. The volunteer teachers have a lot to teach and if a student shows up 10-15 mins late, it upsets the lesson plan for that teacher. We request you to be respectful of the teacher's time and also for the students who showed up before the class started.

 

[6] Lost & Found  We continue to spot articles of clothing and personal effects being left behind after school. While the SILC board does its best to pick up such articles and hold them for the rightful owners to claim; at times, certain articles may be missed from being spotted. Please make sure that you leave with what you came in with. We still have a few articles of clothing (and a camera) which are unclaimed and will be donated to charity if the rightful owners do not claim them.

Answers to last week's quiz:

[Q] What is GandhiCon? How is it related to Linux operating system?

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.

The above is a quote from Mohandas Gandhi, describing the stages of establishment resistence to a winning strategy of nonviolent activism. Supporters of Open Source movement and Linux have embraced this as almost an explanatory framework for the behaviors they observe while trying to get corporations and other large institutions to take new ways of doing things seriously. This strategy is also referred to as GandhiCon.

This week's Quiz:

[Q] What the words - Chit, Bandanna and Shampoo - have in common?

-- 
Regards
Siva Jasthi
Director - Communications
School of India for Languages and Culture
http://www.silcmn.com
(mobile) 612.217.4821

SILC: Weekly Digest (02/05/12)

Dear SILC Students, Parents, Teachers and Volunteers:

Hope you have all enjoyed watching the super bowl.

1] SAP Team and SILC News Letter

Our next big event on SILC Calendar is Literature and Social Studies Day on March 24th. That is also the day when we release our 3rd SILC News Letter. As some of you have noticed, SAP team (Special Achievement Projects classroom students) have taken the lead and responsibility for bringing out the 3rd news letter.  In that context, they are exploring ideas on how it can be improved. With their energy and enthusiasm, I am sure it is going to be better, different and exciting. 

There is a quiz by Divya Vundamati in the last SILC News Letter (released on SILC Mela day). The answers to the quiz are given here.

 ========================================

1. Which Indian emperor had over 9,000 cheetahs? 

Answer: Akbar the Great

2.Which state in India has the lowest population?

A. Sikkim, with a population of 540,851. It is also the second smallest state in India after Goa.

3. Who was the first Indian scientist to win the Noble Prize?

A. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. He won in 1930 in physics for the discovery of the Raman effect(named after him) and his work on the scattering of light.

4.  What is the highest number of songs in an Indian film?

A. 71, in the movie Indra Sabha. 

5.    What is the significance of the chakra(wheel) on the Indian flag invented by Pingali Venkkaya?

A. It represents Emperor Asoka's Chakra which was created to represent “the wheel of the law”. The 24 spokes in the chakra symbolize the 24 hours per day and the progress by each hour.

 ========================================

2] Musical Talent:

Do you or any of your children play piano or other musical instrument? You may find the attached music sheet on "Vande Mataram" useful.  We are exploring the possibility of leveraging the talent in SILC community to play Vande Matarm and Jana Gana Mana for our annual day and for special events. If you are interested to play, please contact the Principal Shiv Bhatia.

3] Vibha Taal:

SILC is also planning to participate in Vibha Taal 2012 (http://wiki.vibha.org/Minnesota:Taal-2012) to be held on April 21st at St Paul Student Center, University of MN. SILC Youth and SILC girls - these two teams will be participating in this event. Please talk to Neelam Malhotra (Youth team) and Aiswarya Menon (Girls team) if you have any questions on the event or participation.  And most importantly, please block off your calendar for that day. It is a free event you can attend and cheer for SILC team.

4] Lost and Found:

A green and white Adidas back pack with a laptop was left behind in the Como school cafeteria on Saturday. If you have found it, please email us and let us know.

Answers to last week's Quiz:

[Q] National motto of United States is : In God We Trust (Official) and E pluribus unum (Latin, Out of many, one).
What is national motto of India?

[A] "Satyameva Jayate" (satyam-eva jayate सत्यमेव जयते) (Literally: "Truth Alone Triumphs") - is the national motto of India


This week's Quiz:

[Q] What is GandhiCon? How is it related to Linux operating system?

--
Regards
Siva Jasthi
Director - Communications
School of India for Languages and Culture
http://www.silcmn.com
(mobile) 612.217.4821