We, at Vikhe Patil Memorial School, Pune believes in nurturing the spirit of inquisitiveness and scientific zeal among the students from a very young age as science provides answers to challenging problems and contribute to the technological progress of the nation. To celebrate Science Day on 28th February, an array of science-based activities was organised in different sections of our Schools throughout the month of February.
‘Science and everyday life, cannot and should not be separated’. With this motto in mind, a greet and meet activity was organised for students of Std 1 to 3. The objective of the activity was to make students understand and learn that science is involved in our day-to-day life. The students conducted experiments, made lovely charts, amazing 2D/3D models under the supervision of their teachers. The students displayed immense confidence and enthusiasm while explaining their topics to the class. The activity surely enhanced the young minds to grasp the magic of science. The variety in the topics, brought more interest and curiosity in our students. The topics were based on air, water, light, shadows, solar system etc. With this activity, our young budding scientists paid a heartfelt homage to all the great scientists of the world.
With an aim of developing an integrated learning experience, Mélange- a multidisciplinary exhibition was held for the students of the upper primary section (Std 4 and 5). With the ongoing ‘hybrid’ mode of schooling, the event was held over two days to accommodate all the students.
On the first day, an offline version of Mélange was conducted. The selected venues for the exhibition were abuzz with excitement as the students were experiencing their first month-end activity within the school premises after a long gap of almost two years. During the exhibition, students displayed static and working models, demonstrated experiments to explain scientific and mathematical concepts and shared some extremely challenging math brain teasers. The students displayed their interest in the languages namely English, Hindi and Marathi by creating attractive charts covering various grammar topics and interesting language games. The game counters were a hit among all. The paintings and craft items created by our young artists added to the aesthetics of the venues.
On the second day, the online mode of Mélange was executed with perfection. Students made use of technology by sharing videos made by them and took immense effort in making each presentation unique. It was amazing to see the young minds present and explain scientific and mathematical concepts like air pressure, hydroelectricity generation, volume, square roots with great ease and confidence. It was impressive to see how the students transformed their rooms into mini art galleries to exhibit their creations. By displaying a mélange of the varied learning experiences, the event provided the students with an opportunity to showcase their talent and exhibit their creativity.
A guest lecture was organised by Middle School on February 19th 2022 on the topic “Science of Synthesis and Applications of Nanomaterials” by Dr. Amol A. Kulkarni, a Scientist in the Chemical Engineering & Process Development Division, at the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune. The guest lecture was conducted online on Microsoft Teams and was attended by students of Std 6-12. Dr Amol elucidated on the importance and usefulness of nanoparticles in various fields.
An online Science exhibition by students of Std 6 to 8 was premiered on You tube on 28th February. Every student participated in this online exhibition, working in group, and showcasing their Scientific prowess and skills. Selected projects were displayed in an offline exhibition on 25th February, at Seminar Hall, Main School Building. The theme of the exhibition was SCI-TECH for future. The exhibition was inaugurated by our Chairman – Dr. Ashok Vikhe Patil and Nandini ma’am, Joint Secretary and Director of Schools program, Dr. Vikhe Patil Foundation.
Students of Std 6 exhibited their projects on topics like: sustainable green building, solar energy, electric circuits, magnetic effects, construction of variety of bridges, drip irrigation, chemical reactions, auroras, Li-Fi etc. Students of Std 7 showcased various models of turbines, space satellites and working models on electric circuits, DC motors, robotics, transformers, etc. Std 8 students brought space science alive with research-based projects like solutions for space debris, ‘humans vs. tech’ and projects about the multiple space rovers and satellites. They enthusiastically showcased how challenges in space science can lead to innovation which can benefit the future on Earth as well. Parents were invited to visit the exhibition in the given time slots following all protocols of Covid 19. They appreciated and encouraged the budding young scientists at VPMS.
Our students enthusiastically participated in various Science related competitions hosted by scientific institutions, mostly held online due to covid protocol. Anika Kanade, student of Std 9, made it to the top 5 in Toy fest 2022, the online competition organised by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune.
To explore new horizons and push scientific frontiers further, it is vital that our students develop a passion for science. This was very well achieved when all sections of the School worked towards a common goal but with a variety of scientific exposure.
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Bindu Unnikrishnan
HOD, Department of Science
Vikhe Patil Memorial School, Pune
