Author: Maryam Sadriwala

A team of representatives from INJAZ Pakistan visited Badri High School on 28^th October 2021 to give 90 minute sessions to students of class 8 on SCRATCH Programming. INJAZ Pakistan (founded 2012) is an initiative and part of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide & also a member of INJAZ al-Arab, a network of 14 MENA (Middle East & North Africa) nations with a common mission of preparing and inspiring the youth to succeed in the global economy.

The SCRATCH program is a graphical programming language, developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. SCRATCH is used in many schools around the world as part of the curriculum. Free to use, the tool is beneficial in allowing children to learn coding concepts and create interactive projects. Besides the fact that coding, is a skill set that students could use for a future career in a world that has a shortage of skilled coders and programmers, coding can help students in their other subjects too—it can help improve soft skills like perseverance & problem-solving that we educators emphasize. Coding is especially beneficial to students who are struggling with reading and math. In addition, students often feel empowered when they can create digital media and share it with others instead of just being consumers of digital media.

INJAZ partners with local as well as the international business community, corporate volunteers and educators to inspire and prepare young people to take on the challenges of the fast-changing world to be able to contribute to the global economy. The session was very engaging and the facilitators were very impressed with the enthusiasm and queries of the young coders.

Education is synonymous with crafting solutions to problems we see around us. At Badri High School, we teach the students to play their part in resolving world issues, albeit at a micro level. After all, every individual has the power to make a difference. With this intention and in light of Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s TUS intention to eliminate hunger, to commemorate World Food Day activities the students of class 10 at Badri High School collected non-perishable food items like wheat, sugar, tea, Tetrapak milk and biscuits from their younger peers belonging to class 5-9. They packaged these items in week-wise ration packs to distribute among the people at Anmol Zindagi shelter, North Nazimabad. This was part of the list of programs received by the Taleem office.

The girls of Grade 9-10 made home-cooked breakfast boxes with sandwiches and coupled it with a fruit which were then distributed by a team of boys from class 9-10 who visited the Anmol Zindagi shelter and gifted the rations and fresh breakfast to the homeless people on Thursday, 21st Oct 2021.

They spent time with Ms. Shagufta, the person incharge at the shelter, who was grateful for their generosity and for their sensitivity towards the hapless of the society.  

Mondays are always significant because they bring with it an entire week to look forward to. This particular Monday, which marked the beginning of the month of December 2019, was an especially remarkable one as it gave BHS an opportunity to honour one of the top Cardiothoracic surgeons of the country.

Dr. Saulat Hasnain Fatimi is one of the top tier and busiest Cardiothoracic surgeons in the country. With decades of service to the cause of humanity in the field of healthcare, he specializes in complex open heart surgeries, minimally invasive thoracic surgeries and Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery.

With over 150 published pieces in peer reviewed journals and 300 abstracts, Dr. Saulat serves on multiple national and international scientific advisory boards. Needless to say he is a source of inspiration and pride for the community and country.

Dr. Fatemi was given a Guard of Honour by the school band and attended the invigorating morning assembly. The students who read the news in the assembly welcomed him and offered him a fragrant bouquet. After a light breakfast he was taken to the computer lab where he addressed the class 9-10 students who have opted for Biology and aspire to become doctors.

He candidly spoke to the students about his interesting life journey and his childhood dream to become a heart surgeon.  The story of his humble beginnings and his fire to achieve his goal inspired the students immensely. “Passion is what makes you stand out! Don’t let anybody tell you that something is impossible! Be an Olympian!” His words of wisdom fueled the passion in the student’s hearts. “I see a spark in their eyes,” the doctor commented as he looked at his audience. His rousing speech ended with a standing ovation.

The sessions ended with a Q/A and a prized group photograph with the good doctor under the BHS logo. With such a precious resource of professionals in the community, BHS wishes to expose these ambitious children to people who can be their mentors.

In an Interschool English Declamation Contest hosted by Al Madrasa tus Saifiyah Tul Burhaniyah, Shabbirabad, featuring nine schools of Karachi, two out of three Badri High School participants bagged the second position in their respective age categories.

Grade 6 results:

1^st: Zainab Jawaid (VACS Junior Campus)

2^nd: Sakina Yousuf (Badri High School)

3^rd: Husayn Zain (VACS Main Campus)

Grade 7 results:

1^st: Abdeali Sadriwala (MSB Shabbirabad)

2^nd: Hussaina Taher (Badri High School) and Khubaib Kamran (Sunbeams Grammar School)

Grade 8 results:

1^st: Amena M. Amer (MSB Haidry)

2^nd: Habiba Amer (Sunbeams Grammar School

3^rd: Ayesha Alam (Dawood Public School)

Kudos to the winners. BHS is proud of its eloquent orators.

The girls of Class 6 of Badri High School were nearly jumping with excitement as they caught sight of the Mughal revival style palace by the sea. The façade of the local yellow Gizri and pink stone from Jodhpur brought to life the Anglo Mughal palaces of the Rajput of yore.

“Every girl dreams of palaces,” one of them retorted in glee.

The girls of class 6 visited the Mohatta Palace Museum on Friday 15^th March 2019 and the boys did so on Tuesday19th March as part of their Social Studies chapter of ‘Visiting Public Places’. The field trip helped them learn about the historic world heritage site of Makli through the ‘Symphonies in Stone’ exhibit on display there.

Makli, one of six World Heritage Sites in Pakistan, is located in Thatta. Formerly a small settlement on the river Indus, it became the seat of government from the 14th to the 18th centuries for successive dynasties.

The students were enthralled by the stunning images of Makli including aerial views of the necropolis captured by photographers like Abdul Hamid Akhund and Aziz Soomro as well as the intricate delicate carvings and decoration Makli is known for across the world.

They were explained by the guide at the museum about the history of Makli and its tombstones and graves elaborately carved with geometric patterns and interlacing Arabic inscriptions. Many sculptural representations are also visible, horsemen with swords and spears, bows, arrows and daggers, foot soldiers, representation of turbans, materials of war and weapons are also distinct symbols indicating the graves of men. Ornaments or jewellery in high relief depict the graves of women.

The students sketched views of the breathtaking façade of the palace and enjoyed a light snack on the green turf. Many wrote reviews of their experience as well. Such visits to historic places are memorable escapades proving to be windows to the past and opening horizons for learning for their future as well.

This year in February 2019, Badri High School has created history.  It has become the first Pakistani school as well as the first Dawoodi Bohra institution to have two speakers chosen to speak at GESS DUBAI 2019 held at the World Trade Centre, Dubai.

The GESS Education Fair is a platform where academicians, researchers and educational stakeholders from the Middle East, Asia and European regions come together to share expertise, hold discussions as well as showcase products which may enrich the learning experience.

Professors, PhD’s, experts and academicians share their researches and experiences with other teachers and educationists. It’s fascinating to see qualified teachers become learners and share their academic expertise. Some enclosures where the talks are held  are so packed that attendees have to sit on the ground or even stand to hear the discourse.

Ms. Tasneem Sh. Hashim Marsiawala, Head of the Preprimary Section at Badri High School, and Ms. Rashida Adnan, Head of stem education at BHS  became the first Pakistanis and Dawoodi Bohras to be speakers at GESS DUBAI 2019.

On 27th and 28th February 2019, Ms. Tasneem spoke on ‘The How and Why of Getting them on Stage’ in the Furture Learning enclosure, while Ms. Rashida spoke in the exclusive Leadership Stream enclosure on ‘Teachers as Leaders’.

The event was heavily attended by educationists from over the globe as well as community members including Qasre Aali Sahebs, MSB delegations from all over the world as well as Taleem office and Idara officials.

Ms. Rashida Adnan reveals about her experience, “It was an overwhelming experience! As a teacher I always wished to represent my country and community at such a stage where so many educationists shared their teaching and learning to make the world better for the next generation and cater to their needs. I felt I was in the sky when someone came forward and asked if we were a school based in Dubai and when I told her that we were from Karachi she was shocked. This is a reaction I will remember for life.”

 

Ms. Tasneem Hashim shares, “From visitor to speaker at GESS Dubai, it was an exhilarating journey of learning & discovering, growth & progress. That moment for me manifest in itself all that Badri High School stands for and believes in: to uplift & upgrade, to inspire & motivate, and to encourage & support each and every being associated with it. Proud to be a part of this esteemed institution.”

Looking back, a small delegation of BHS visited GESS DUBAI two years ago where they were awestruck by the advancement educational technology has made.  Here they discovered ROBOTICS and they came back and did the impossible.  They made a highly expensive robotics program of STEM education through LEGO accessible to the students of Badri High School.  Today we are at a point where BHS is winning Interschool robotics contests.

Last year in February 2018 our delegation became bigger and they discovered Arduino which was again incorporated in the Secondary curriculum.  It was heartening to watch young teens enjoy the open source platform of Arduino programming.

May each year ahead be yet another feather in the BHS cap!

 

“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.

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!

The voices swept over the expanse of the auditorium…impassioned, confident, eloquent voices that echoed off the walls and moved hearts, touched souls, probed controversial topics and forced minds to ponder.

They were the voices of the youth of the community—young boys and girls belonging to the seven Imani schools of Karachi.

The Interschool Bilingual Declamation Contest organized by Badri High School on 17^th November 2018 aimed to provide a platform to the seven community schools in Karachi to display the oratory skills of the youth and polish their abilities as communicators. Such skills are imperative to be successful in the spheres of our personal, professional and academic lives in this media-dominated, technological age.

The English Declamation with its 14 participants (2 from each participating school) was judged by Ms. Marya Nakhoda, who has excelled as a trainer and facilitator at the PACC and Mrs. Samina Godhrawala, an English language expert who has taught at Al Jamea tus Saifiyah, Karachi, for a decade.

The 14 Urdu participants were judged by Sh. Taha Jalebiwala, a renowned Urdu writer and columnist and editor of the magazine Raudat. He was accompanied by Sh. Shabbar Jamali, a renowned poet of the community who has penned popular Marasi and Madahe.

The audience boasted of dignitaries like MNA Najeeb Haroon and Jinnah Women’s University Chancellor, Mr. Wajihuddin Ahmad who was so moved that he announced scholarships for the winning girls.

Janab Naeem Bhaisaheb, the chief patron of BHS, was present throughout the two and a half hour event. Also present were Amil Saheb of Karachi, Janaab Juzer Bhaisaheb, Amil Saheb of Al Mohalatul Burhaniyah, Janab Shabbir Bhaisaheb and Amil Saheb of Fakhri Mohalla Sh. Murtaza bhai as well as scholars from Al Jamea tus Saifiyah whose presence motivated the young presenters.

 

The students chose out of the following topics:

Topics:  A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Envy is the ulcer of the soul. Exploring Mars, discovering Earth. A community receives light from its history. The apple does not fall far from a tree. Nothing is permanent but change Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. Life begins on the other side of despair. In the warrior`s code, there is no surrender. A genius like me is not born every day.

موضوعات            ہر قوم پكارے گی ہمارے ہیں حُسين ع م۔            بجھا سكو تو ديا  بجھا دو  ،  دبا سکو تو صدا  دبا  دو۔            ابھی عشق کے امتحان اور بھی  ہیں ۔            دال میں کچھ کالا ہے۔            وہ صدی تمھاری تھی ، یہ صدا  ہماری ہے۔            اگر آسانیاں ہوں زندگی دشوار ہو جائے۔            ہزاروں خواہشیں ایسی کہ ہر خواہش پر دم نکلے۔            عہد جوانی پڑھ پڑھ کاٹا۔            اقبال تیرے دیس کا کیا حال سناؤں۔            مصروف تھا میں کچھ بھی نہ کرنے کے باوجود۔

Results for the Interschool English Declamation 2018

• First: Sakina Amir-Badri High School
• Second: Zahra Ghatila- MSB Shabbirabad
• Third: Zainab Talib-MSB Haidry
• Consolation prize: Sakina Ghatila-Saifiyah Girls High School

Results for the Interschool Urdu Declamation 2018

• First: Naqiya Saifuddin-MSB, Haidry
• Second: Taher Sh. Mohammed-Badri High School
• Third: Zahra Aunali-Badri High School
• Consolation prize: Shehrebanu Naeem-MSB Haidry

The Declamation not only succeeded in enthralling the audience with the talent of our youth but also proved that our Imani schools are striving to provide the very best of Deen and Duniya to our young generation to prepare them aptly for these changing times. These young orators won the hearts of the audience and were able ambassadors of their schools.

We hope that this declamation is merely a beginning to many such collaborative events in future through which we can provide opportunities for growth to our children and equip them to perform Khidmat as well as lead prosperous live in this world and the hereafter.

 

The Karachi School Games Academy in collaboration with Pakistan Sports Board and Sindh Athletics Association organized an invigorating plethora of sporting events at the NCC Ground on Saturday 27^th October 2018.

23 students from Badri High School experienced the thrill of participating on a tartan track as they competed with top 30 schools like The City School, Generations, Karachi Grammar, BVS.

Under 16 Winners:

Event	Position	Student	Class
Shot Put	4th position	Arwa Aziz	X
100 meter race	3rd Position	Fatema Najmuddin	X
400 m race	4th Position	Sakina Aunali	X
800 m race	4th position	Amatullah Sh. Mansoor	X

Under 12 Winners:

Event	Position	Student	Class
100 m	2nd position	Hussaina Juzar	VIII
100m	3rd position	Murtaza Hussain	VII

Under 16 Relay race-Boys:

Student	Class
Abbas Fakhruddin	X
Huzaifa Abbas	X
Hamza Hasan	X
Mohammad Shabbir	X

Under 16 Relay race-Girls:

Student	Class
Fatema Mansoor	X
Maria Mansoor	X
Umema Abbas	X
Maria Ismail	X
Fatema Saeed	X

Long Jump-Under 16 –Boys

Student	Class
Tahir Shabbir	X

100 m –Under 16-Boys

Student	Class
Husain Feroz	X

Under 12 Relay race-Girls:

Student	Class
Naqiyah Ali	VII
Sherebano Huzaifa	VII
Hawra Juzar	V
Jamila Sh. Fakhruddin	V

Under 12 Relay race-Boys:

Studentz	Class
Shabbir Aliasghar	V
Adnan Hussain	VII
Ismail Adnan	VII
Burhanuddin Huzaifa	VIII

BHS encourages participation in Inter School competitive sporting events as it has proved to enhance skills, fitness and teamwork and exhort physical activity. The athletes of the school stand out from others as they display discipline because competitive sport requires dedicated training and practice. They understand that with hard work, often come results.

Students who ran on the track experienced the thrill of victory as well how to deal with disappointment. Losing well is a skill best learnt early and learnt well. Engraining good sportsmanship early can ensure students carry these good practices across every aspect of their lives and into their adulthood.

Yet above all, participation in sporting events builds camaraderie and teamwork. It’s this shared experience and emotion that builds loyalty and trust within a team and as a school.