As the parents of two children who have passed through the final PYP phase at Oakridge, watching the event this year with our youngest participating, gave us the benefit of comparing the past and the watching the PYP exhibition develop and evolve, for the better. Certainly the PYP exhibition this year was something to behold. The overall experience was scintillating. Several parents whose children did not participate in the morning events before the exhibition opened might have missed a remarkable performance by the children. Hopefully the school will show the video as a backdrop during the “Founders” – it truly deserves a larger audience.
Looking at our daughter’s enthusiasm and effort in the preparations this year should largely be credited to the faculty who modified the program from the previous years and empowered the children to innovate and create. We have never seen our daughter so engrossed, as she was in developing and preparing for this exhibition. While the pride, the effort and the commitment were solely hers, but the collaborative effort, communication and sharing of thoughts and ideas with her team mates was incredible, and what made the entire experience unique.
From gathering Plaster of Paris (POP), collecting recyclable waste for a project, to making a doll from re-cycled materials, working on the dance, working on the logo for Water Scarcity, gathering inputs for including in the charts and props for the presentations, the entire effort was commendable and had both of us, pleasantly surprised and proud, witnessing this transformation in our child.
The effort put in by the students and teachers, this year was extraordinary. Unlike the previous years, the groups working on a particular topic were collected from various sections, making the process more inclusive and participative. Collaboration, team work and individual pride were evident throughout the entire preparatory phase of the program. The number of phone calls and meetings between the children on their own time, discussing the preparations, improving upon their ideas, was unbelievable. This new approach, of having a single issue discussed in a classroom, under the holistic concept of “Saving The Planet”, should be commended and made all the difference.
The dance enacted by the children, although without words, communicated such a clear picture of how we are destroying the planet. The play showcased how death will befall the planet unless it is saved by our actions. Both these presentations were wonderful and showed the creativity and expressiveness of a young, growing and intelligent generation. Great work, kids.
The choice of issues selected by the students towards addressing the central theme of Saving The Planet were remarkable, the presentations and information gathering encouraged by their teachers was very well organized and there was a flow of thought that impressed. The model adopted this year enabled the concepts to be presented in a holistic manner.
Keep it up kids, keep it up teachers and management keep encouraging innovation. As at any institution striving to make its own mark, the final result will always be how these students perform on the stage of life. As these children grow, it is these seeds that will make their education whole, not just the degrees they earn, that will make the world a better place. This generation holds in its hands the future of the planet. If this exhibition is a window, then I am sure they will, Save our Planet.
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