“Five Senses” – Jan 2018
December 26, 2017

News & Events

Greetings……..

From the editor’s desk……….

Time is the most powerful element of the universe. It is the only thing that’s beyond man and humanity, beyond flora and fauna, beyond life itself. It’s ever flowing and ever changing. And the best thing about time is it leaves behind memories of what has gone by. And why am I talking about time so much? Because time seems to just fly by with the little ones around me.

Yes, we are nearing the end of another wonderful academic year and it has created so many unforgettable moments. The most memorable are the ones that bring along them the happiness of seeing our little pumpkin pies grow and enjoy their little achievements. And this is a daily affair!

And as always, I cannot wait for long to share with my readers the magic that happens all day long around me. Magic of the laughter and enthusiasm of the little bundles of joy we call “children”.

I am happy to present to you the second edition of Pumpkin Pages for 2016-17. Your suggestions and comments are always welcomed. Happy reading!!!

 

Editor-in-chief

News And Events

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October:

The month started with the much awaited 10th year celebration of Pumpkin Patch School on 1st October, 2016. This was followed by events like Dasera celebration, Diwali party as well as show and tell event for Nursery. The month culminated with the Foundation Day Fun Fair followed by the Diwali vacation.

November:

Post Diwali vacation everyone one around was refreshed and the school was alive again. The month included the most enjoyable event for both children and teachers alike, the school picnics. Also, the first term report day was held during the month.

December:

The month started with the Grandparents Day celebration, followed by Fancy Dress for Pre-nursery and Nursery classes and Show and Tell events for Jr. KG and Sr. KG children. The Pre-nursery Sports Day was also held during the month. Christmas celebration brought the month to its culmination which was followed by the Christmas vacation.

January:

The New Year was welcomed with joy and enthusiasm. Republic Day was celebrated with great fervour. This was followed by the much awaited event of the year “The Annual Concert”.

February:

The month started with the Sports Week. Field trips to various places of interest for children were arranged. Events like handwriting competition for Sr. KG and clay modelling competition for Nursery were also arranged.

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Annual Concert

Earth, the most beautiful, the most alive planet of our solar system, has been our home for millions of years. And humans are the most curious race of this planet. We have invented so many questions of how, what, where, when etc. and have also found their answers. We developed sciences that discovered the formation of our planet, its layers, the oceans, the continents and all that they behold. But one thing that was inherent in all of us since time immemorial, and still exists, is the spirit of humanity. This is what has actually kept us alive, kept us together, kept us united. It is this unity in diversity that was brought alive on stage by our little Pumpkin pies as they danced to the music from around the world.
The performances by the children brought the refreshing feel of various cultures from around the globe on stage. It all looked like a miniature world filled with the fun, laughter and confidence of our little bundles of joy.

I share with you some wonderful glimpses of the event.

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Diwali Fun

The Diwali Camp was organised during the Diwali vacation for a week from 7th to 11th of November, 2016. The camp had an array of fun filled activities like “Rangometry”, “Hurdle Race”, “Balloon Volley Ball”, “Animal Races”, “Musical Hoola Hoop”, “Fun with mud”, “Follow Me” game and many more. The children thoroughly enjoyed every moment of their time spent with the teachers and friends.

Winter Camp

The winter camp was organized from 26th to 30th December, 2016. The camp was sheer fun for the children. It was filled with varied activities like “Winter yoga”, “Sugar painting”, “Play with snowman”, “Magic show”, “Bonfire party”, “Reindeer shorts”, “Aerobics”, “Zumba” and many more activities that kept the children busy and happy at the same time.

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International Exposure For Pumpkin Patch Early Act Club

The Pumpkin Patch Early Act Club organised a very interesting project for the Early Act members in the month of February, 2017. Students under the IYE (International Youth Exchange) program, conducted by the Rotary Club of Khadki, Pune visited the school on 20th February, 2017 accompanied by Rtn. Mrs Alka Mathur.
The international students, hailing from Brazil and Thailand, had an interactive session with the Early Act members which was very informative and interesting. Thoughts regarding the different cultures, dress, food and language were exchanged. The students from both the sides thoroughly enjoyed the session and were very happy to interact with each other.
This project gave our children an international exposure and helped satisfy their inquisitiveness about many things. The foreign students also shared their views about India and their stay.

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Pumpkin Patch Teacher’s Training Academy (PPTA)

imgEarly childhood education is one of the most talked about topics in parent and teacher circles today. Psychological and behavioural sciences have established the fact that a child’s personality is formed between the ages of 0-7 years. As such, children belonging to this age group are the most vulnerable, physically, mentally and emotionally. Hence, teachers for pre-schoolers should have the necessary traits and training to deal with the issues arising out of the day-to-day handling of children belonging to this age group. Pre-school teachers should have a clear knowledge of the developmental milestones for the children between 0-7 years of age and should also be clear about the areas of development and the types of intelligences. All this is made possible by providing formal training to the pre-school teachers, both pre-service and in-service.

The Pumpkin Patch Training Academy (PPTA) has been functional since 2010. Currently, it has a strength of 14 learners who are undergoing rigorous training to assist them in starting a career in EYCE. They have got hands-on experience at every level, increasing their professional competencies. They have been enthusiastically participating in all school events like the Funfair, Annual concert, Sports and various event celebrations. They are also required to go through an internship program in the school.

The learners have been conducting lessons, games, physical and sensory activities, science experiments and much more. They also participated in field trips and visit to places of relevance to early childhood education. All this has given a boost to their confidence and the vast knowledge they have gathered under the supervision of Asmita Tr. has made them ready to enter the field of formal early childhood education.

Benefits Of Music For Young Children

Singing and music play an important role in our culture. You’ll find music present in many aspects of our lives: theatre, television, movies, worship, holidays, celebrations, and government and military ceremonies. But none is as important as how we use music with our children.
From birth, parents instinctively use music to calm and soothe children, to express their love and joy, and to engage and interact. Parents can build on these natural instincts by learning how music can impact child development, improve social skills, and benefit kids of all ages.
Children’s Music and Social Learning
For toddlers and preschoolers, music making can be a dynamic social learning experience. Making music together, children learn to work as a team while they each contribute to the song in their own way. At the same time, music helps children learn that together they can make something larger than the sum of its parts.
More benefits of music for children include learning cooperation, sharing, compromise, creativity, and concentration – skills that become invaluable as they enter school, face new challenges, and begin to form new friendships and develop social skills.
Children of all ages express themselves through music. Playing music for infants proves that, even at an early age, children sway, bounce, or move their hands in response to music they hear. Many preschoolers make up songs and, with no self-consciousness, sing to themselves as they play. Children in elementary school learn to sing together as a group and possibly learn to play a musical instrument. Older children dance to the music of their favourite rock bands and use music to form friendships and share feelings.

  • Infants and Music. Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the words. They often try to mimic sounds and start moving to the music as soon as they are physically able. Quiet, background music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time. Loud background music may over stimulate an infant by raising the noise level of the room. Sing simple, short songs to infants in a high, soft voice. Try making up one or two lines about bathing, dressing, or eating to sing to them while you do these activities.
  • Toddlers and Music. Toddlers love to dance and move to music. The key to toddler music is the repetition of songs which encourages the use of words and memorization. Silly songs make them laugh. Try singing a familiar song and inserting a silly word in the place of the correct word, like “Mary had a little spider” instead of lamb. Let them reproduce rhythms by clapping or tapping objects.
  • Preschoolers and Music. Preschoolers enjoy singing just to be singing. They aren’t self-conscious about their ability and most are eager to let their voices roar. They like childrens’ songs that repeat words and melodies, rhythms with a definite beat, and words that ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs about familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people. They also like finger plays and nonsense rhymes with or without musical accompaniment.
  • Primary School Children and Music. Most primary school children are intrigued by songs that involve counting, spelling, or remembering a sequence of events. Songs and musical activities with other school subjects also are effective during this child developmental stage. School-age children begin expressing their likes and dislikes of different types of music. They may express an interest in taking musical lessons.
  • There is no downside to bringing children and music together. From the pure pleasure of listening to soothing sounds and rhythmic harmonies, to gaining new language and social skills, whatever the setting – a quiet room at home with mom and dad, a large grassy field filled with people, or a busy classroom – music can enliven and enrich the lives of children and the people who care for them.

Words Of Appreciation

It has always been a pleasure to hear from our parents and I, on behalf of the entire Pumpkin Patch team, am thankful for all the appreciation and encouragement from you. I share with you some wonderful thoughts from our parents………….

  • The song selection and execution were nice. Great efforts from Pumpkin Patch team. We loved the journey around the world.

                                                                                                         Nursery,

 

  • The concept of the concert was superb. Appreciate the hard work each one of you have put to bring out the best in our kids.

                                                                                                        Sr. KG, Pandas.

 

  • Thank you for all your efforts in preparing the kids for the concert. All the performances were very well executed. We were delighted to see Shreya perform on stage.

                                                                                                       Jr. KG, Palms

 

  • All the performances were very, very good. Excellent job by the children, teachers and staff of Pumpkin Patch.

                                                                                                       Pre- Nursery, Pears.

 

  • Excellent efforts put in by all teachers, staff and children. It was a great show. The audience was equally enjoying as the kids. It has all paid off well.

                                                                                                        Jr. KG, Poplars.

 

  • Thank you teachers for bringing out the best of these little geniuses, having immense patience to handle these tiny tots and channelize their short span of attention to be able to perform with precision.

                                                                                                        Montessori, I

A Child’s Whisper

 

A child’s love is like a whisper,
given in little ways we do not hear
but if you listen closely it will be very clear.

They often do not say it loud but in how they come to you…
Daddy, will you play with me?
Mommy, tie my shoe?

…the many ways they tell you changes as they grow
Dad, I made the team today!
Mom, I’ve Got to go!

Pop, I need some money
You see there’s…this girl at school…
Mama, I met a boy today and wow he is so cool…!

Dad, I’ve got something to tell you… I think she is the one.
Mom, He asked me to marry him. Would you love him as your son?

Dad, I’ve got some news for you…
It’s gonna be a boy!
Mom, I’m kind of scared of this, yet I’m filled with joy!

A child’s love is like a whisper,
given in little ways we do not hear
but if you listen closely it will be very clear.

They often do not say it loud but in how they come to you…
Grandpa, will you play with me?
Grandma, tie my shoe…

It is never ending
A blessing from above
Listen to the whispers of a child’s love

Author: Unknown

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