Hope - Gaurangi Rastogi

Please read The Little Book of Values:
Educating Children to become Thinking, Responsible and Caring Citizens.

People talk about hope whenever you are stuck in a difficult situation.

But what is hope? Sometimes this question clicks my mind. It is a step that motivates you to reach your destination or aim to be achieved. 

Recently, I travelled to 'Char Dham Yatra'. Which is enjoyable. When I saw the track, I felt disappointed. It was a tiring journey, but something inside kept my excitement alive.

I think that's hope!

Hope never lets your aspirations or dreams die. It keeps it alive in your heart. Some examples of maintaining hope in my daily life:

• Hope of mummy making something good in Lunch.

• Hope that my family to bring surprises on my birthday 

• Hope of going to park and cycle 3 rounds without stopping.

Gaurangi Rastogi 
VII 
The Doon Girls' School 

Honesty - Avni Karmarkar

The Honest Boy
Once, there was an impoverished boy named Paul. He lived with his family. His parents worked hard to raise their son. Paul was a very good boy and always spoke the truth. His parents taught him that "Honesty is the best policy!"

One day, the King visited Paul's small village, and all the villagers came out to greet the King. The King was giving away cookies and candy. Paul and the villagers crowded near the King's carriage to try to get some gifts from the King. Finally, the King got to Paul and gave him a box full of cookies and candy. Paul was so excited that he immediately rushed home to share the candy with his family.

When Paul returned home, he noticed a beautiful ring among all the candy. He thought to himself that this ring could make him rich. And he and his family no longer had to worry about having enough food to eat. After thinking about what to do all day, Paul decided to return the ring to the King.

Paul went to the palace and returned the King's ring. The King was very thankful to Paul and said to him, "Son, this is my favourite ring! You are a sincere boy, and I want to reward you with lots and lots of gold coins!" When Paul's parents learned about his honesty, they became delighted.

When Paul came home, his parents hugged him. Paul was a wealthy boy from that day, and his family never went hungry again. 

Name: Avni Karmarkar
Grade: 5C
Billabong High International School, Thane

Happiness - Avni Karmarkar

There was a boy whose family was very wealthy. One day his father took him on a trip to the country, where he aimed to show his son how poor people live. So, they arrived at a farm of an impoverished family, which his father considered poor. There they spent several days.

"Did you notice how poor people live?" Yeah, I did- said the boy.

The father asked his son to tell his impressions of their trip in more detail. 

Well, we have only one dog, and they have four of them. In our garden, there is a pool, while the poor have a river that has no end. We have got expensive lanterns, but they have stars above their heads at night. We have the patio, and they have the whole horizon. We have only a small piece of land, while the poor have endless fields. We buy food, but they grow it. We have a high fence for protection of our property, and they don't need it, as their friends protect them."

The father was stunned. He could not say a word.

Then the boy added: "Thank you, Dad, for letting me see how poor we are."

This story shows that wealth and happiness are not measured by material things. The father asked his son if he liked their trip on return. "It was great, dad!" the boy replied.

Name: Avni Karmarkar

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane

Happiness - Unnati Jamdar

When I was a young kid, I always wanted a pet. I wanted a cat or a dog, but sadly my parents won't allow me. One fine day a cat suddenly appeared and started meowing. I was in shock; the poor cat was sitting alone and was searching for food. I couldn't resist, so my friends and I decided to comfort her. From that day onwards, she was our best friend, and within a couple of days, my family was ready to adopt the cat. This was where my happiness increased, and now she is a part of our family.

Name: Unnati Jamdar

Grade: 5A

Billabong High International School, Thane

Owls In The Family

The brother school of The Doon Girls' School, Dehradun! Discover books and stories by Ruskin Bond. Listen to Ishwar and Tenzin. Thank you, Ms Sumali Devgan, for showcasing the beautiful art of storytelling! #JoyOfLearning

 

Friendship - Vinisha Choudhary

Friendship is one of the most precious gifts of life. It is a relationship between people. It is the purest and divine relationship among all other relations. Friends support you in life, not only in the happy times but also in your hard times. 

True friendship is what gives us reason to stay firmer and happy in life. Many people don't have a family, but they have family friends to them. In a good friendship honesty and loyalty plays a very important role. Having a best friend in life is a blessing that doubles your joy and divides your pain. Friends never leave up in bad times. 

We learn how to understand people and trust others. A real friend will always motivate you and cheer for you. When we make friends on the first day of school, we become delighted, but when we all get far from our friends, we miss them a lot. Whether they made fun of us and whether they helped us in our bad times.

TRUE FRIENDS ARE NEVER APART, MAYBE IN DISTANCE BUT NEVER IN HEART 

Vinisha Choudhary

Class: 11th Science

The Fabindia School

Friendship - Ushita Saxena

 What is friendship? Friendship is something so complex it is hard to define! But, in simple words, friendship means “being friends”. It is essential, as having friends can prevent loneliness and sadness. Friends bring more happiness to our lives than most things do. It has an enormous impact on your mental health and happiness. Here is an example:

For 4 years, I had been with my old friends in school since K-G. We were best of friends. But when our classes changed, I felt very lonely and uncomfortable. To make matters worse, COVID- 19 had begun to spread, and we were all locked in our homes and had to start homeschooling and online classes. At first, I felt very weird. Soon, I had settled in and had many friends. I felt thrilled and joyous that at least I had friends. It has been 2 years since that happened, and now, we are closer than ever.

The value of friendship is so significant that without it, you would be unfortunate and unhappy for the rest of your life! And nobody wants to be lonely. It also has a substantial impact on your life. Friends prevent isolation and solitude and give you a chance to offer the company needed, too. 

“There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family.

Ushita Saxena Grade V Gyanshree School

Friendship - Asmi Patankar

Friendship is the real fantasy. Not everyone has a friend but deserves to have one or more. A friend is like a partner in crime from everyone’s viewpoint. You can’t choose who you are, but you can pick your friends. Finding a perfect friend is like a scavenger hunt sometimes, but it is always worth it. After all, there are friends, and there is a family, and there are friends who become family.  

Name: Asmi Patankar

Grade: 5A

Billabong High International School, Thane

Friendship - Rishona Chopra

Friends are companions for life, a family that we choose for ourselves. It's, of course, essential to building a good relationship with them, right? 

Some of us might look at friendship as a bond that we share with our best friends, but it is not just a relationship that we build with our friends but with everyone around us.

It implies a friendly and compassionate attitude towards all, and it's essential to have good social skills. Now I would like to share a story about friendship.

Once I saw a young girl walking across the street. I waved to her, and she waved back at me. I could feel that she was timid. I walked up to her and asked her if she would like to be friends with me. She was very nervous and mumbled, '‘Yes." I didn't understand her behaviour but was friendly with her. Soon, we became good friends. We played, we helped each other. I never saw her mother or any of her family members around, but she looked happy when she played and talked to me. 

For a long time, I never really asked about her parents. But one day, I finally asked her if her parents were around so that our parents could meet up. She frowned. After a deep breath, she told me, "I don't have any parents. I live with my uncle and aunt. They are very busy people. But the way you have always been there for me didn't let me feel lonely.' I was taken aback by that response. I hugged her and told her, 'Thanks for being my friend too'.

So having a friendship with everyone is a gift for all. Did you see how that little girl felt so much happier after having me as her friend? Friendship helps us build better connections for life and gives us reasons to smile every day!

Rishona Chopra

Grade V

Gyanshree School

Freedom - Gaurangi Rastogi

Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?” -Mahatma Gandhi.

Freedom is a short word in English, but it has profound importance in our life. I hope you know about British Reign in India. We fought for two centuries for our country’s freedom. Some people were violent, and some were non-violent, and why shouldn’t we fight for freedom?

We were burdened with so many taxes that India came into poverty at that time; the crops were failing. There was bloodshed. None of us can forget what happened in 1919, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. We fought for our rights and stood with unity. But the real meaning of freedom is when we are captured, and we want to get free from that captured scenario and fight for it. 

When we have freedom with us, we don’t value it, but we realise its preciousness when we lose our independence. 

Let me tell you a story that occurred in my family.

Before the 21st century, that means us, my father and his brothers and sisters and my grandparents were there under the scare of my eldest grandfather, Mr Hari Krishan Rastogi. My father’s destiny was already set to be a businessman, but there was a dream to become a cricketer in his heart. Now, whenever my dad is free, he sits and gazes at his cricket kit, But, My father says, “ You can become whatever you aspire, for and you have my consent.” 

This story reminds me of how important freedom of choosing your occupation and speaking your voice is, isn’t it? 

Gaurangi Rastogi

Grade VII

The Doon Girls School

Making Others Happy - Yashraj Sharma

  "True happiness comes only by making others happy."

- David O. Mckay

Happiness. What is happiness? How do we get happiness? What do we need to do to obtain happiness? Well, the answer to all these questions is a simple one. By making others happy. The feeling of contentment we get by bringing a smile on anyone's face by our actions is the greatest triumph of our lives.

Let me apprise you about a sweet incident which my father and I experienced.
A few months ago, my father and I went to the grocery store to buy some vegetables when we came across an underprivileged girl about 8 years old walking on a rocky road barefoot. I saw her and sank away in pity, watching her. I pleaded to my father to do something; he had an idea to buy her a pair of slippers. We talked to her and took her to the nearest shop and bought slippers for her. The moment she actually realized what we gave her, a 20,000-watt smile on her face made my day. That day I couldn't resist and took a picture of her with her new pair of slippers.

Whenever I see her walk by us, I get reminded of her broad smile and get quite ecstatic. By this, the thing I learn is that "Happiness is rather contagious."

With this moral, I am reminded of another one of my experiences. A person I want to tell you about is Doctor Nana. I call him Nana because he is my uncle from my maternal side. Well, by now, you already know that he is a doctor. Since my mother's old school days, he has given our whole family very effective cure remedies for many illnesses' cures. But, I admire most about him because he always has a cheery good smile on his face no matter how tense the situation may be. Also, whenever I fall ill, and he comes to give us the remedy, half my illness is already cured, seeing his confident body language and his " no - worries smile."

So, in the end, I would like to give you a message. If you genuinely want to be happy, try doing something that brings an automatic smile on someone's face, which again, after all, means that happiness is instead a chain reaction.

Yashraj Sharma
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Making Everyday A Celebration - Rishona Chopra

You can make each day a celebration by being happy and by being kind to others!!

We usually celebrate on special occasions like festivals, birthdays, anniversaries and more. I’m sure you love celebrating and even I do. But why? Now your answers could be the following:-

• Get time to spend with your family

• Get to watch TV

• Eat tasty food

In the above examples you can see that in these celebrations you watch TV, eat tasty food etc. But is it necessary that in celebrations you need to watch all those TV shows and eat  unhealthy food? No. A celebration is something when you spend time with your families and be happy and be compassionate to people. So what do you think? Can you make each day a celebration? Yes you can. You can make each day a celebration by being happy and by being kind to others!!

So be grateful and thankful everyday and it is itself a celebration!

Rishona Chopra

Grade - V

Gyanshree School

Joy of Reading - Hridhaan Jain

Hridhaan Jain is a student of grade 3 from Gyanshree School, Noida. His favourite place in the world is his school library. He is passionate about reading and travelling to space. He aspires to become an astronaut in future…

Reading is the gateway to many adventures. It makes a bubble of curiosity and imagination in our minds. It even helps us in decision making in many situations. Many times when we read, it clears our strain and gives us peace of mind.

When I read any book, I imagine a similar character roving in the same story. My favourite books are Mudcrusts, Noddy, Thrilling Illustrated Stories, Tinkle Digest and many more. Books have filled my mind with so much fascination that I am keen to pretend to play the same fantasy with my family and friends.

Reading bedtime stories with my mother is the best part of my day. We have immense fun together, and she always teaches me moral values from that story. Reading has improved my vocabulary and communication skills and given me great confidence.

Books are the only gift that can be opened again and again. When I reread the same book, I can catch up with things I missed in my first reading and double my fun.

I, Hridhaan Jain, am writing this to share my incredible journey of books so far and encourage you all to read and discover your own fun.

Co-operation - Hetal Vaishnav

Co-operation means working together. 

Co-operation is essential for us and our society. 

For example, co-operation is when someone hands you a paper, and you lay the paper. Co-operation is necessary for a family and even in our professional life. In the case of children, co-operation is primarily expressed in the play. 

Co-operation is one of the most widely taught skills. At an early age, we learned that "United we stand, divided we fall". 

When I was in class 4, my classmates and I were given Swachh Bharat Abhiyan's mission. We all had to clean our school. We all worked together, and because of co-operation, we all got success in this mission.

Co-operation means to work together to achieve a common goal. 

Co-operation is very much essential in our life.

Hetal Vaishnav 

Class VIII A

The Fabindia School

Happiness - Leesha Suthar

Happiness is a feeling which each and everyone experiences in his or her life. There are different ways in which we get happiness. We experience a lot of happiness by living in a joint family because there the whole family lives together. Going to someone's wedding or someone in the family is getting married. We enjoy it, we have fun, we get happiness in that. 

School trips, family trips, friends trips and going for picnics, we are very happy in those moments because we enjoy ourselves a lot during that time. On someone’s birth and performing functions, playing with the newborn baby gives us immense joy. 

The joy we used to get when we were little ones, like playing with toys, going out, having fun, falling in love, going to school for the first time, meeting new friends, and seeing a place for the first time or whatever we did which no one has ever done also make us happy. Fighting with brother, teasing him, having fun with him, taking small things from him. Eating food with mother's hands or playing with father, is happiness or it is small happiness in which we get a lot of happiness.

Leesha Suthar 

Class VIII B

The Fabindia

Caring - Anisha Gaitonde

Caring is something that all of us experience at some point in our lives. Most of the time we do not see it or understand it. When our mothers cook yummy food for us despite their busy schedules when our grandparents ask us how we are feeling today when our friends ask ‘kaisi hai’ or ‘what’s up' when our fathers tell us not to ride a bicycle without a helmet – all of these are because they CARE about our well-being. Our response generally is ‘what’s the big deal?’ ☹ and we forget about it.

Well, one of my experiences where I felt very strongly that people CARED for me, was when I fractured my foot. In short, I had what the good doctor referred to as a ‘hairline fracture’ in my foot when I was dancing Kathak (of course, at the wrong speed and wrong technique) last Dussehra. The pain was unbearable, and I was extremely scared of how I was going to walk again (though it wasn’t that bad, then it was good either 😊).

Apart from the physical pain, I was also quite depressed that I would not be able to dance for few weeks and that I would have to make a lot of adjustments (for example, preventing water from falling on the plaster). That is where my family members came to my rescue. My Mumma and Baba spent quite some time making sure I was able to move around, my grandparents kept me engaged in different discussions to forget the pain. My cousin Aashay played a lot of board games with me despite having a lot of homework 🥳. Even my friends in school were very considerate and kept sharing the daily work and notes for the lectures that I could not attend due to doctor appointments.

When I recovered after three to four weeks, I realized how much everyone had CARED for me without expecting even a thank you from me. If you are one of the people who helped me last year, a big THANK YOU to you from me, and a SORRY as well if I did not tell you earlier 😓.

Anisha Gaitonde

Grade: 5B

Billabong High International School, Thane

My Sweet Family - Mokshi Nagar

This is my family. I live in Lunawa. My family is a joint family. There are ten members in my family. My grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, uncle, aunt, two cousins, my younger brother and me. I call my grandma Dadi and grandpa as Dadu. I love my family very much. We help each other and take care of each other. I have made a family tree to show you, my family members. Family is like a tree that holds its branches as family members throughout its life. We learn values like caring, responsibility, being helpful to others etc. Life becomes easy and happy with the family. 

Mokshi Nagar 

Class III

The Fabindia School

Caring and Happiness - Aarchi Agarwal

To me, happiness means caring for one another. I have a pet, and it is a Labrador dog. Its name is Dazi. It is white in colour and lives in a kennel. It barks loudly and runs very fast. I give roti, milk, bread, pedigree, calcium bones, etc., to eat. It protects our house from thieves or any other strangers. He chases all the stray dogs that tend to enter our house. It is a very faithful animal. It sleeps very little at night and keeps observing at night. I play with it and click photos of it while playing with a ball. She is more than a family member to us, and everyone loves her. Whenever she is ill, she won't eat anything, and then we take her to the vet. I give medicines with meals and take proper care.  It is so much fun to have such a wonderful and faithful friend who gives a lot of happiness at home. I love my dog very much and take care of it. Being with my pet dog is true happiness to me.

Aarchi Agarwal 

Class IV

The Fabindia School 

My Family - Aarav Solanki

Aarav Solanki of Class UKG at The Fabindia School talks about his lovely family.  He affectionately shares with his family members, their family tree. Families are important, they provide affection, support and reflect the values of the members. Family members lead each other, serve each other and share life's joys and sorrows.