A week for the love of trees. The week beginning 6th July was a special one — GFIS celebrated Vanamahotsav, the festival of forests. It opened with a special assembly on why trees matter, and our Grade 5 students added heart to the message with a short, beautiful skit on the role trees play in our lives — and what the world would look like without them.
Clean and green (Tuesday). Children brought in dry waste they had collected from home over the past month and handed it to Narsoozhal, an organisation that recycles waste and rewards children for being environmentally conscious. Small hands, a big lesson in responsibility.
Down on the farm (Wednesday). Grades 6 and 7 visited an organic farm on the outskirts of Dharapuram, exploring a grove of fruit trees lovingly nurtured by a husband-and-wife duo. Their mission for greenery, clean surroundings and plastic-free spaces left a real impression on the children.
Of birds and trees (Thursday). Mr. Sadashivam and Mr. Mahesh, founders of the Dharapuram Bird Club, led a lively 90-minute session on birds, their habitats and their deep bond with trees. Judging by the excitement in the room, we have many budding bird-watchers in the making!
Every child a tree-planter. Mr. Natraj, CEO of Vallathulil, spoke passionately about standing up against tree destruction — and brought saplings for students of Grades 6, 7 and 8 to plant themselves, learning how to identify, handle and care for young trees. Our kindergarten explorers, meanwhile, had a wonderful fact-finding trip to the Surabhi nursery.
Paper, not plastic (11th July). On International Paper Bag Day, our students made bags from old newspapers and handed them out to local vegetable and grocery vendors — spreading the message of a plastic-free Dharapuram. And for the maths lovers: the first round of the Math Mind Test (Abacus Dharapuram Chapter) was held for Grades 1–5 on 10th July.
A full week of learning, exposure and joy. 🌳
