Month: January 2019

“Men talk as if victory were something fortunate. Work is victory.”-Emerson

Interschool contests are an ideal opportunity for community school children to gain exposure to the outside world and experience true competition in challenging environments. It gives them an opportunity to find out where they stand and interact with peers belonging to different social circles.

This is the reason why at Badri High School we believe strongly in providing this valuable insight into the real world. On one hand students taste the fruit of competitiveness by participating in interschool events; on the other they feel the glory of representing their alma mater.

January was a month of glory and accolades. The second term began on a positive note as one of the nightingales of our school, Ammar Mustansir of Grade 10, represented BHS in the Happy Home School System Fest 2019 which celebrated 70 years of HHS.

In a series of competitions in the HHS Fest, one was Qirat ul Quraan held on 25^th January 2019  in which 50 students participated which was judged by top Qaaris of the city. Ammar bagged the third spot in the contest and his teacher Janab Mulla Abdul Qadir Bhai was also lauded for his role in Ammar’s grooming. Ammar had earlier won the third position in the SSC Board Student’s Week Qirat Contest as well which was held in December 2018.

On 27^th January, Saturday, Fatima Sh. Mansoor of Badri High School won the first prize in the Art Competition hosted by MSB, Haidery, in which the artist from 17 schools (72 artists) were given an opportunity to showcase their talent. The topic was ‘Fun Learning in School’ and the concept of her painting was appreciated by the judges as it was meaningful and classic. She tried to depict in a scrapbook form how activities in schools play a pivotal role in preparing you for challenges in your professional life and help unearth your potential.

As it is truly said, “The principles of true art is not to portray but to evoke.”

Such triumphs infuse confidence in these young, talented pupils and certainly, pave the way for their success in their future professional lives.

It was a breezy morning on Friday, the 11^th of January, 2019. Khaimat-ur-Riazat stood picturesque amongst the hustle and bustle of Badrians entering the ground with the warmth of enthusiasm and fervor of motivation. The radiant smiles on their faces conveyed their anticipation of a thrilled and elated Sports Fest. Representatives of Blue, Green, Yellow and Red houses settled down in the audience camp as directed by the House Captains waiting impatiently for the Diamond Jubilee Sports Fest 2019 to commence. The canvas of BHS emerged as kaleidoscopic.

This year, the Sports Fest was themed around a diamond as we celebrated the 75^th Milaad Mubarak of Syedna Aali Qadr Muffaddal Saifuddin T.U.S.

The day began with the recitation of verses from Al Quran by Hussain Shk Huzaifa Motiwala, a student of Class X, followed by Marasi of Imam Hussain A.S. rendered by BHS Zakireen. The air then filled with mellow and honeyed voices of BHS Zakireen when they rendered a Madeh, commemorating the breeze of Rabee. The Wazifat-us-Shukar and National Anthem were recited, after which our Chief Guest, Janab Naeem BhaiSaheb, declared the games open. Janab Juzer BhaiSaheb Amil Saheb of Karachi and Janab Shabbir BhaiSaheb Imadi also graced the occasion with their valuable presence as Chief guests.

It was a splendid spectacle watching the Head Boy, Adnan Zahid, taking oath along with the four house captains, after which the games started. The game opener was the PT Display of the Pre Primary Section, where the tiny glittering diamonds shone with brilliant focus and concentration. It was a fantastic sight watching little Badrians swaying their colourful pompoms in air. The children demonstrated commendable discipline as they had been practicing for two months in the morning assembly.

The Students of Primary Section also astounded the audience with the formation of flowers as a Tehniyat for the Diamond Jubilee Milad. Following this, students of Classes IV and V performed a drill which was concluded as the formation of BHS, which left the audience flabbergasted.

Races of Pre Primary Section started as soon as the drill and the formation ended. The little children jolted the audience with their verve and determination to finish the task and reach the finish line. Primary races were the next. The races were chosen so as to test the students on a variety of skills. Races such as the obstacle race and the blockage race tested the runners on their team playing skills and co-operation while as sprints evaluated the runners` speed and agility. Balancing race and body bridge formation were also a visual treat.

Secondary races started with the shuttle race which was meant to check the team work of the runners along with their agility and speed, which was followed by the stack race, the jumping leap and the all famous wheel barrow race. The commentators Fatima Najmuddin, Zahra Aun Ali, and Zahabya Najmi, belonging to Class X, kept motivating the participants and updating the audience about the happenings of the field. The runners of the Secondary Section ran in a 100 M sprint race. Tug of war was the final event in which four houses competed. The final round was played between Red house and Green house. The Red house defended the house cup this year too as they won by 169 points while Blue was declared to be the runner up with a difference of just one point. They stood on 168. The Diamond Jubilee Sports Fest 2019 ended amongst the cheers of victory. May this spirit of sportsmanship and healthy competition prevail for ages and ages under the luminous leadership of Syedna Aali Qadar Muffaddal Saifuddin T.U.S. Ameen

Winters are reminiscent of warm socks, hot cocoa, roasted peanuts, steaming coffee and many such things. If one is a student, winters prove to be a harbinger of fun-filled holidays. On the contrary, winter breaks are supposed to be a period of rejuvenation and restoration of passion and teaching energy for smart teachers.

Winter is also a reminder of flocks of migratory birds flying high above in the sky. Birds are known for their long migratory journeys taken in the winter season in search of better food and shelter. The prime reason to migrate is survival. The same way, keen teachers also migrate towards places where opportunities of professional development are available.

Keeping those astute teachers in mind, BIRD (Badri Institute of Resource & Development) resolved to lead the migration pack this winter break to Badri High School where Winter Learning Festival was being held. It commenced on 24^th of December 2018 and lasted till 29^th of December 2018.

The trainings and workshops offered were:

The variety of workshops and professional development sessions were attended by a number of teachers from different schools and institutions such as Pathways British School, The Academy, The Noori Educators, Eureka, Lilies School and many others including the teachers of Badri High School. The attendants were filled with brand new vigor and energy by the end of the festival. A Head teacher from Noori Educators, Ms. Rukhsar Nizam commended the efforts of the facilitators and said, “These workshops and training sessions are vital for every teacher to attend as it truly restores in us the passion with which we started teaching.”  Her colleague, Sadaf added, “I have attended many workshops but all of them e wercostly. These workshops were very reasonable for the pocket of a teacher, and that too certified. Surely, this is a plus.”

BIRD intends to facilitate students, parents and teachers by arming them with the skill set required in the 21^st century as we believe that every teacher needs to improve not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better.

The winter season proved to be an invigorating one this December as the students of class 8, 9 and 10 proved their mettle at Interschool sporting events.

The first major win came at the Quaid e Azam Sports Festival organized by NSTAPAK and the Sindh Dodgeball Association Council. The students tasted the flavor of the emerging game of dodgeball this year at the hands of a veteran dodgeball instructor in school and also attended workshops arranged by the organizing Committee of the National Dodegball Course at HEXIS College.

Finally, they were ready for the big league on 24^th December 2018! The girls and boys teams from Badri High School went head-to-head with eight other teams from schools, clubs and colleges at the Dewa Academy campus. The girls team from Badri High School beat their rivals by playing brilliantly to win the first position. The organizers were astounded by the grace and confidence with which the girls played in their ridas. The boys team from BHS won the third position.

The boys of class 8,9 and 10 of BHS also emerged triumphant as they clashed with the boys of Saifiyah Boys High School on Monday 24^th Dec in a friendly Futsal Match at the SBHS campus.

The cherry on top was when the boys and girls teams represented Karachi at Khairpur in the Sindh Dodgeball Competition where they clashed with teams from cities of Interior Sindh. They left for Khairpur on Friday 4th January 2019 and reached the historic city of Khairpur on Saturday morning. The athletes played deftly and both the teams emerged victorious on 5th January 2019 bagging teh provincial dodgeball champion title.

These experiences proved that our children excel in physical development and sports thanks to the encouragement received from schools due Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s TUS guidance to encourage physical fitness in the community, especially the youth.

All in all, the winter break was certainly a well-spent one and the students are back for the second term feeling fresh and invigorated!