At Walnut School, it’s not just about hitting the books – we’re all about nurturing the whole student! True success comes from developing various aspects of a student’s life, like staying fit, being intellectually curious, having a strong emotional well-being, and mastering those social skills. That’s why we’ve got an awesome lineup of activities right in our curriculum that cater to all these areas. We want our students to become well-rounded individuals who can be great in every aspect of their lives. From sharpening their thinking skills to broadening their horizons and even improving their communication chops, our activities are designed to make sure our students can adapt quickly and make smart choices. Curious to find out what these activities are? Then read on. 🙂
Activity 1 : Information Transfer
One of the most innovative activities at Walnut school is the Information Transfer class. In today’s world, where data is everywhere, it’s crucial for students to know how to make sense of it all. This activity is all about teaching our students how to analyze, interpret, and transform information in a way that’s super useful and easy to understand. They learn to spot important points, convert data into visual aids like charts, graphs, and mind maps, and even how to separate the valuable information from the noise. It’s all about helping them develop a sharp eye for detail and a knack for finding patterns in complex information. With these skills, they become confident in tackling those big textbooks and making learning a whole lot more fun and accessible.
Activity 2 : Hands On
The Hands On activity is all about getting our students engaged and immersed in math and science experiments.
During this dedicated period, they have the chance to prove or disprove different theories and dive into the world of scientific exploration. They put on scientists and mathematicians’ hats and conduct experiments, making estimations and discovering the beauty of hands-on learning. Math activities complement their classroom theory by providing a visual and tangible feel to the concepts they have learnt in class. It’s all about giving them a practical understanding that goes beyond textbooks and helps spark curiosity and logical thinking.
Activity 3 : General Knowledge
This activity is to let students dive into the world of knowledge that extends beyond the confines of their textbooks. In the General knowledge classroom, they explore a vast array of topics ranging from everyday objects to complex concepts, developing a deeper understanding of the world around them. Guess what? Even our 2nd graders can explain how scabs form when they get injured!
They learn and delve into a myriad of topics across diverse genres, including,
- Finance: Logos, advertisements, money, counterfeit currency, insurance
- Health: The significance of proper nutrition for the body, understanding ailments, such as diabetes
- Daily life: Cars, the construction of buildings, different types of bridges and how they are built.
They explore a wide range of captivating topics like :
| Std. 1 – Banks : Deposits, loans, debit cards, credit cards – Why do we get a fever? – How is chocolate made? – How do we cry? – How is coffee made? | Std. 2 – What are fractures and how are they fixed? – How do bank accounts and loans work? – How do vacuum cleaners work? – How do air conditioners work? – Different types of coffees that you can get in a coffee shop |
| Std. 3. – Managing money – River pollution – Famous landmarks across the world | Std. 4 – Taxes and investments – Honey-making by bees – The significance of the Chipko movement – The lives of elephants |
By nurturing their general knowledge skills, we empower our students to form informed opinions and make informed judgments about the events happening around them, which is an important real-life skill.
Activity 4 : Speaking
The speaking class is all about helping our students build essential communication skills that will benefit them for life. We understand the importance of being able to think quickly and express oneself fluently in English, so we provide our students with numerous opportunities to practice speaking the language. Through this activity, they not only improve their language skills but also develop confidence in public speaking and stage presence. For instance, our recent Debate Competition was thoroughly practiced during these Speaking periods.
Our students get plenty of chances to practice speaking in this activity. Whether it’s presenting a 30-second speech, improvising scenes with random moods, or playing fun games like mad ads and marketing pitches, our Speaking Class keeps everyone engaged and improving.
We understand that English may not be the native language for many of our students, which is why we prioritize providing them with the tools and support they need to become comfortable and fluent in English. We start early with our KG SPEAK activity, allowing children to apply the vocabulary they’ve learned and engage in spontaneous speaking. As our students progress through the school, they continue to refine their communication skills, learning how to impress others and effectively convey their ideas. By the time they finish schooling, they are confident speakers and presenters – a skillset which is crucial in later adult years.
Activity 5 : Mental Math
The mental math activity aims to refine students’ mathematical abilities without the aid of traditional tools like paper, pencil, or calculators. It’s akin to performing mental gymnastics with numbers. Led by our dedicated math teachers, these sessions lay a solid foundation for upcoming mathematical topics. We use specially prepared PPTs that are tailored to each grade, ensuring students grasp essential concepts before venturing into new territory. It’s a fantastic way to refresh and revise previous concepts while gently introducing new ones.
For students in grades 1 to 5, we place additional emphasis on understanding and mastering the times tables, which serve as a fundamental building block for various arithmetic topics. By focusing on Mental Math, we empower our students to think quickly, calculate efficiently, and boost their overall mathematical skills.
Through regular practice and a sturdy foundation, our students gain the confidence to tackle mathematical challenges head-on and develop a genuine passion for numbers. This is one of the ways in which we make Mathematics a fun activity for students.
Activity 6 : Language Arts
In this engaging activity, our students become skilled artists, but instead of using paint brushes and canvases, they express themselves through the power of the English language.
Language Arts is a special subject we offer to our students in 1st and 2nd standard, focusing on developing their English language proficiency. Through Language Arts, our students unleash their creativity and nurture their writing skills by crafting original stories. They learn about the essential elements of storytelling, including character creation, plot development, and adding captivating details. Throughout the year, our dedicated faculty guides and supports our students as they create their own unique stories. By the end of the academic year, parents have the joy of reading a published book written by their child, showcasing their creative prowess.
Building strong language skills is pivotal for our students’ success, which is why our Language Arts curriculum is designed to be interactive, engaging, and applicable to their everyday lives. By improving their literacy and narrative abilities, our students gain a solid foundation for future academic pursuits.
Activity 7 : Strategic Thinking
Growing up, we want our students to be entrepreneurs who are strategic thinkers and can create immense value for the ecosystem around them. That starts with Strategic Thinking at Walnut School.
It’s an essential activity that hones our students’ skills in goal achievement, quick thinking, risk-taking, and teamwork. During this dedicated period, our students engage in specially designed board games, puzzles, and card games that challenge their strategic abilities. The dynamic environment in the Strategic Thinking class encourages them to think fast and outside the box. We believe in investing time in developing these skills so that our students become agile thinkers and adept learners as they grow older. Through strategic thinking, they cultivate patience, set targets, and adopt a winning mindset. Have you seen the thrilling board games competition we recently organized?
Board games are an integral part of our curriculum at Walnut School because they offer a unique opportunity to develop critical life skills that cannot be nurtured through any other means. We have curated a diverse selection of board games from around the world, modifying them to suit the age and skill level of our students.
The entire classroom transforms into a gaming zone, fostering an atmosphere of fun and excitement. It’s truly a remarkable experience to witness, and being a student in such a program must be amazing. Our students not only become smarter but also create lasting memories and forge strong neural pathways in their brains for future use.
At Walnut School, abstract strategy games, puzzles, board games, and card games are integral components of our curriculum. They provide a unique platform for our students to develop strategic thinking, enhance problem-solving abilities, and cultivate a competitive spirit while having a blast.
At Walnut, we don’t just stick to the old-fashioned way of learning by rote. We know there’s so much more to education than that! We want our students to be innovative, adaptable, critical thinkers, and effective communicators. That is the only way to create a brave new India, and to keep the current momentum going.
That’s why we’ve designed a carefully planned timetable that keeps our primary and secondary students on their toes with a variety of engaging activities. From sharpening their thinking skills to gaining a deeper understanding of the world, and even becoming great communicators, our students have a blast every day. From the little first graders to the confident tenth graders, no one wants to miss school because every day brings something exciting and new. Learning has never been this much fun!
