Subject
Subject
Though the syllabus requires students in Std. 1 and 2 to have only two subjects – English and Mathematics, at Walnut School they do a whole lot more. In addition to these the students study Science, EVS and Reading as core subjects.
SOCIAL STUDIES
At Walnut School, social studies is a favorite subject among primary school students. With no examination pressure, students enjoy listening, observing, discussing, analyzing, doing map work, and sharing their own opinions about various incidents. This approach makes social studies engaging and enjoyable.
Moreover, the school offers a unique curriculum that allows students to learn about everyday objects, relationships, values, disabilities, special needs, and the story of the Earth and the stars, which makes them curious and inquisitive to learn more.
Science
In Science, our students learn about their body, about plants, animals, insects, seasons etc. They also learn about the earth, air, water and materials. The additional science and social of Std. 1 and 2 gives the students more reading material and it helps to increase their understanding and vocabulary as well.
Math
Mathematics is a regular subject for all CBSE schools. At Walnut we take it a few notches higher. We work on skill development and give them lots of practice in the school. There are many hands on activities as well to reinforce the concepts.
English
Students follow a well – thought out English curriculum, where in each unit they are introduced to all the four language skills – Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. They read a lot of short stories, poems and dialogues which go beyond the NCERT textbooks. They start with personal response questions right from Std. 1.
We also have certain periods in the curriculum set aside for activities that improve listening skills. Students are encouraged to express their thoughts in English, which is not their mother tongue. This encourages the students to think in English as well. When all the four skills come together, a child’s language develops effectively!
Subject Wise Classrooms
Reading Skills
Subject Wise Classrooms
The subjectwise classroom concept that starts in Kindergarten continues right up to Std. 10. in Walnut School. That means the children move to a different classroom for each period. Each room has interiors customized to teach that particular subject! So, the classroom becomes a learning aid too!
Children learn science in the Science Lab, Math in the Math lab and Social studies in the Social studies room! Moving between rooms also gives our students a five minute break after each period, which keeps them alert and fresh, even at the end of the school day. All this results in better learning and a very interesting school day.
Reading Skills
At Walnut, students have a separate period each day just for reading. They get to work through the pronunciation of words and understand sentence structures. They are encouraged to build on their sight reading and also guess the meaning of certain words, based on the context.
The difficulty level of the stories steadily goes on increasing. With this, the students learn how to read properly and understand what they are reading in the process. All of this helps them to prepare for the higher standards, where skimming content becomes a necessary skill.
Board Exam Preparation
Sports
Board Exam Preparation
Right from Std 1, our students start preparing for dealing with exams. We have three practice tests before each exam – that ensures that the students get familiar with the format, time management, content handling and the actual exam scenario. It gives them time to recover from ‘silly mistakes’ and give their best performance where it counts. Also, by the time they finish with the practice tests, they are so comfortable with the idea of writing the test that there is no stress at all.
Thus Walnut has happy and high achievers. And this system gives them learning habits for a lifetime! From Std 1 to 5, they have 4 unit tests a year and 3 practice tests before each unit test along with evaluations during their regular routine.
Sports
At Walnut School, all students have a sports period everyday. In Std. 1 and 2 our students learn yoga, gymnastics, basketball and also play group games.
Sports helps them develop a good personality, its a stress buster and teaches them about teamwork. It adds a daily physical activity into their routine and this habit stays with them even in later life.
Art and Craft
Computers
Art and Craft
Art and craft is also taken very seriously at Walnut. The students are exposed to a variety of art forms. They learn about patterns, perspectives and forms to create art. They also try out seasonal and traditional artwork to take home.
Computers
Walnut students learn a lot about computers and computational thinking through the CS Pathshala program of ACM and Google. They learn problem solving, algorithms, pattern recognition, computational thinking, analysis and logical thinking. They also learn digital literacy and how to use the computer.
Students are made to formulate simple algorithms like making tea, or packing their bags for school in these classes.
Library
Performing Arts & Events
Library
Students have a library period in their timetable. The special thing about this period at Walnut is that it is never eaten up by other subject teachers!
The ambience is relaxing. They get to browse and pick a story book of their liking and they can sit cosily and read away! The teacher also reads out stories to them with voice and sound effects. All this gets them interested in the wonderful world that books open up!
Performing Arts & Events
With so many events lined up during the school year, a lot of performance art training happens in Walnut school. Students learn acting, dancing, singing, speeches and dramatized readings. There are numerous events throughout the school year, including the largest event, the Walnut School Carnival, as well as other medium-sized events such as Sports Day, Science Fair, Entrepreneur Fair, and Independence Day celebration.
All children participate in every event, and there is no extra charge for participation, training, or drapery. Parents are allowed to take as many photos and videos as they wish, and Walnut School shares photos and videos of the events freely. The exposure the students get is invaluable, and they build a lot of confidence in the process.
Recess
Going Home
Recess
In the middle of the school day, the students have a snack break. They do not have to eat their food in the classroom or sitting on the ground. They have a cafeteria where they have tables to sit at.
They form groups with their friends and have a nice chat and laugh as they take a mid-day break. There are also presentations with news, GK and other information playing in the background, which they can catch after their break before going to class. That’s fun and interesting too!
Going Home
A balanced schedule, good timetable and subject wise classrooms keeps the day interesting for Walnut students. Once their schedule is done, it is time to go home. They line up as per their buses, board them and head home, with smiling faces – as they have thoroughly enjoyed their school day. Safety and security is very important and ID cards are matched when they head back and are handed over to their parents or caretakers. If the process is not followed, the child is brought back to the school! That is how careful we are at Walnut about the well being of our children.
Parents in Loop
Happy Parents
Parents in Loop
Walnut parents are properly kept in loop. They get weekly updates about their child’s classroom and hands on activities using the Wal-Sh app. PTMs are planned 12 times a year. The parents get to meet all the subject teachers and get personalized feedback about their child. Quick and frequent feedback helps work on improvement. That way all problems can be handled properly in the best interest of the child.
How do we manage to do so much in a school day and over the year, year after year? Well, detailed planning is at the heart of every activity that goes on at Walnut.
Happy Parents
Under the guidance of our mentor, Arpita Karkare, we have a huge R and D team with experts from different fields who are making sure that the children get the best possible schooling experience.
This dedicated team creates the content, trains the teachers, keeps doing quality checks and makes sure that all our Walnut students remain Tough Outside and Smart Inside!