PAGE KIDS

CONTEST

1. 

Name Tata’s smallest cheapest car?

2.

Which lady  olympian banned for 6 for steroid use?

3. 

Which state of Northeast is under President Rule?

Last Week' s 

Answers

1. Kiran Bedi 

2. Benazir Bhutto

3. Manipur

LAST WEEK's WINNER

Maong, Class III, DBHSS, Dimapur

Pick up the Contest Coupon from the Sunday print issue; fill it up and send to Nagaland Page office at Leirau Ki, Khermahal, P.Box No. 200 latest by Friday.

Winners may claim the prizes within 10 days of the declaration of the results by producing their School Identity Cards.

 

Did You Know

• In ancient Greece, children of wealthy families were dipped in olive oil at birth to keep them hairless throughout their lives.

• Britain is still paying off debts that predate the Napoleonic wars because it's cheaper to do so than buy back the bonds on which they are based.

• The US national anthem actually has three verses, but everyone just knows the first one.

• A German World War II submarine was sunk due to malfunction of the toilet.

• Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.

AMAZING FACTS

• It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

• All polar bears are left handed.

• The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

• The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

• On every continent there is a city called Rome.

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Inspiring Stories

 

Except For Six Strangers

-- Bob Perks

It was extremely hot and humid. Any movement at all caused perspiration to form on my brow eventually running like a fresh rain down my face.

I had arrived early and was standing in the parking lot.

After a few minutes I wandered inside to find a place out of the sun and hopefully into the cool air being generated by the small window air conditioner facing the lot.

I was out of the sun, but far from cool.

The only other time I was ever in a funeral home by myself was when my Gramps died. The director always let me arrive early so I could spend some private time with him.

I loved my Gramps so much.

This time, however, I didn't even know the man and I was about to participate in his funeral.

A man walked in and thanked me for being there. "We have him ready.  There will be no viewing, of course. We will hold a simple ceremony at the grave site," he said.

When the others arrived we all followed the hearse a few miles down the road to the cemetery.  Upon entering, the driver slowed down for a moment just outside the chapel.

"Good, at least he will have a church service," I thought to myself.

Suddenly the cars in front of me began to move.

Following them down a winding road we made a sharp turn and pulled up along the roadside.

The hearse drove right up to the open grave and back up to it.

I got out of the car and back into the sweltering heat.  The grass crunched below my feet as dust flew up in the air with each step.

The back door opened and inside was the simple wooden casket of ...wait I don't even know his name!

"Can I help you with that?" I asked.

"If you'd like to.  There's no handles on it so you have to grab it from the bottom," he said.

With little effort, four of us lifted and placed the man over his final resting place.

Including the funeral director, there were six of us in attendance.

The chaplain began his brief service and I began to disconnect.  I mean, I couldn't believe this.  All the thoughts of how sad this was.  All the images of no one being there for him and no one caring trashed my brain.

"And so we commit our friend..." the chaplain went on.

And then it was over.

"May I ask," the director said.  "Did any of you know him?  I mean, would you know him by sight?"

One of the nurses replied, "Yes."

"Would you please take a moment to identify him?" he asked.

He was about to open the casket.

We all stood there nervously anxious and uneasy.  I've certainly seen enough dead people in my life, but this seemed odd to me.  Right there in the cemetery...he opened the casket.

The man was in a nice dress shirt and without any fancy linen, silk or even cotton lining in the box he was leaning toward us.

"This would be the very last time that the sun would shine on him," I thought to myself.  Then the lid was closed.

For 57 years my life zig zagged in a thousand directions.  For 70 some his did, too.  On this day, in early August 2007, our lives crossed.  I didn't know him and he didn't know me.  I never had the honor of speaking with him nor did I ever hear a word about him before this very day.

He had loved, laughed and lived well over 25,550 days.  In doing so he touched thousands of lives and still, on the very last day none of those people were there.

That is except for six strangers.

I have since learned that he did indeed have family.  But none of them spoke to each other for more than a third of his life.

Are you saddened by this?

Me, too.

Is there someone you need to call right now?  Someone you haven't spoken to for many years?  Someone who would love to know you cared enough to forgive, ask for forgiveness, forget, move on, begin again, start over, love anyway?

Me, too.

Imagine being that man who had no one, "that is except for six strangers."

"I believe in You!"

 

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NEWS FOR CHILDREN

   

Getting innovative in the math class

A tangible, visual way to explore and understand abstract mathematical concepts.

India’s school curriculum governing body, the National Council of Education Research and Training, has made mathematics a prime focus area in schools. Its goal is to make the subject a more visually appealing and enjoyable learning experience. In line with this mission, the country’s Central Board of Secondary Education has directed all schools following the CBSE curriculum to install a Math Lab.

Easily adaptable

Mathematics is the eternal bugbear for most students. For all those teachers, despairing how best to get across numerical concepts to students, hope is at hand. The U.S. based Key Curriculum Press, a mathematics publisher of inquiry-based textbooks, mathematics software and supplementary materials for middle-school and high-school students, is partnering with NIIT Ltd. to introduce Math Labs featuring The Geometer’s Sketchpad to India schools.

The programme is a construction, demonstration, and exploration tool that adds a visual dimension to the study of mathematics. A concept that may be initially difficult to understand becomes clear when they see visual representations on screen and interact with them using Sketchpad. Teachers can give students a tangible, visual way to explore and understand abstract concepts in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, and calculus since it allows the building and investigation of mathematical models, objects, figures, diagrams, and graphs.

The sketch plane draws new objects using the point, compass, and text tools. Using the selection arrow tool, teachers can select figures and use the menus to reformat measure or construct new objects. It seeks to provide a faster and engaging way to demonstrate mathematical concepts. Sketchpad can help teachers and students quickly understand variables and relationships. When objects are constructed in Sketchpad, you can drag points and lines with the mouse. As shapes and positions change, all mathematical relationships are preserved, allowing teachers and students to examine an entire set of similar cases in a matter of seconds.

Sketchpad can be used across mathematics curriculum, so different software is not required for each class, concept, or grade level. The software has the flexibility to help meet teaching needs regardless of the subject matter, technological expertise, or curriculum. The subject-specific, ready-to-use activity books can be used or customised based on specific activities and demonstrations to differentiate learning for all students. It works easily with the LCD projector, classroom computer, or SMART Board.

The best thing is that it can quickly and easily generate teaching aids such as worksheets, tests, reports, and presentations with accurately measured figures by exporting Sketchpad files to word-processing programs and spreadsheets, other drawing programs, and the Internet.

 

 

 

Just look at what these kids accomplished

Exasperated adults usually say this with a sigh and a roll of the eyes.

Too often, the younger set gets a bad rap as the Wii-playing, me-me-me generation whose members are more tuned in to their iPods than to the world around them. But plenty of teens and tweens are giving back, pitching in and helping others.

Good deeds such as these aren't new. But they're still noteworthy.

Consider what these kids have been up to:

• Just 13, Celia Beron is an accomplished soccer player, an inventor and a compassionate kid. The eighth-grader from Richardson realized that a teammate's hearing disability put her at a disadvantage during games. So Celia invented Ref for the Deaf, a bracelet that vibrates for players who can't hear an official's whistle or a starting gun. Celia trounced the competition at her school district's invention contest, but she didn't stop there. With the help of her dad and some graduate students at the University of Texas at Dallas, Celia has a patent and a business model for marketing Ref for the Deaf. Just imagine what she might accomplish when she makes her way to high school.

• Students at a Mesquite school decided they could do without this holiday season, preferring to provide bicycles, food, clothing and even a bus to a West African village. Some families such as student Logan Brock's had no presents under their own Christmas trees; instead, they sent gifts to Ghana. The Dallas Christian School still is raising funds to ship that bus – no small feat, by the way – but they've already rounded up a few hundred bikes and plenty of other supplies.

• Acting students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts lent their time and talents to four anti-drug public service announcements. The professional-grade TV spots have won plaudits and spurred requests for more. There's also talk of airing the ads statewide. Teacher Vickie Washington said she urged her students to "do something that has an impact." Consider it done.

Kids today, indeed.

 

 

Manchester United scout watches kids

NEW DELHI: He may be on a holiday in India, but the talent scout of the Manchester United Football Club, John Owen, based in Wales, was quite pleased to spend an evening with the kids training in the Simla Youngs camp at the Central Secretariat ground here on Friday.

“Back home, kids in the 6 to 9 years age group start with four-a-side game, and then move on to seven-a side when they grow up. From starting at six years to making the main team, it takes a lot of hard work. You can also be good footballers if you have the determination, desire and discipline,” said Owen, as he enthusiastically addressed the kids.

Later, interacting with the media, Owen said that the Indian kids struggled to make an impact in the Welsh Cup last year as they found it hard to adjust to the different conditions. “The Indian teams can be a lot better the second time as they know what to expect and prepare accordingly,” said Owen. Simla Youngs will field teams in the under-8, 9, 13 and 17 year age groups this time in the prestigious tournament in Wales in July, that attracts about a 100 teams.

“We make it a point not to over-train the children. You need to get good basics, the right technique and keep practising, even on your own with the ball. Like in snooker when the white ball has to be ready for the next shot, you have to pass the ball and move to position quickly to receive it. Football is a simple game. The simpler you can play, the better,” said Owen. (Agencies)

 

 

 

Better days in store for migrants' kids

NAGPUR: Nagpur division of the education department, in first of its kind survey in the country, has decided to find out the status of education among children of migrants. These children suffer as their families have to travel from place to place. Most of the migrants in the city hail from states like Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

Children in the 6-14 age group, identified during the survey would be admitted to schools where they are currently staying and provided with stationary like books, slate, pencils and uniform. They would also be entitled to other benefits like mid-day meal scheme. The survey would be conducted in over 12,000 villages and six cities - coming under the Nagpur division from March 1.

"The government has made it mandatory for every child in 6-14 years age group to take education under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan campaign. No one has actually paid attention to the migrants’ children who can’t attended one particular school due to family compulsions," Govind Nandede, deputy director of education told TOI.

The survey would be conducted by department’s officers along with school teachers in respective areas. “The officers are all geared up for the massive exercise. The teachers too have shown keen interest in the project. The officers would submit their report in a couple of days, which would be sent to the government after through scrutiny,” the deputy director added.

He pointed out that children identified under the survey would be convinced to take admission in government schools in whichever area they are living. The principals of all 15,000 schools in the division would be told to admit these students throughout the year and provide them with various facilities like extra coaching. Moreover, these children could take classes in any of the schools in the division, while moving with their parents.

"The principals would maintain a record of attendance and intelligence quotient of such children and forward it to other schools where these kids will go. The kids can even appear for exams in any government school in the division. We expect to find about 2,000 children during the survey and are sure that the entire exercise would be a big success," Nandede said.

He informed that the ground for the operation has already been laid, with arrangements in place for conducting simultaneous exams in all schools and anytime admission for children in all government schools even before a week of examination.

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MIND QUIZZER

1. Who was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state?

2. In which city was the 'unsinkable' Titanic built?

3. Which four-lettered word describes the liquid that remains after milk has been curdled and strained?

4. Which dance's name comes from the Spanish word for sauce?

5.  Where on the body would one sport a 'pince-nez'?

 ANSWERS

1. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, 2. Belfast, 3. Whey, 4. Salsa, 5. On the bridge of the nose

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ART WORK BY CHILDREN

 

Art by: Ajay Ghising; Class: III; Age: 9 yrs; School: Balijan Hindi English School, Karbi Anglong

 

Art by Manuka Kumari,  Class-V, Balijan Hindi-English School, Karbi Anglong (Assam)

 

Art by Motiash, Class-III, Balijan Hindi-English School, Karbi Anglong (Assam)

 

Art by: Bidha Englang, Class-IV, Balijan Hindi English School

 

 

Art by Aditya Sharma, Class-IV, Holy Cross School