Dear Parents,

The subject of stress/ anxiety /lack of coping skills demand equal attention alongside the academic progress of each child. Harvard medical research, along with several other powerful studies done in the recent times, proves beyond doubt that meditation is right now not an option but a necessary life skill to master the present as well as the possibilities of a dynamic future.

The newly inaugurated meditation room by BK Shivani, strategically placed right next to the student counsellor’s office exemplifies our commitment to our school vision of creating compassionate and future-ready individuals. If we enable our children to take charge of their own emotional health rather than depending on favorable circumstances, they will not only be able to avoid several psychosomatic disorders that are commonly prevalent in the modern society, but they will also become influencers of positive change. Please encourage your children to make use of this facility at school and if possible, role model the habit of meditation at home.

Besides the launch of the ethereal meditation room, I am excited to share with you some more new initiatives for the upcoming new academic year. Please watch out for information by CTs on the summer camp for sports and performing arts during the month of June.

From 1st August onwards, we will be starting the after school Extended learning program for sports, music etc. The details will be shared at the beginning of July through the school info mail-please ensure the correct email ids of both the parents is enlisted to avoid missing out on important information.

I am delighted to share with you that for the new academic year, apart from the annual inter-school Codefest, JMUN, Inter-house sports day, musical extravaganza in primary, global campus competitions, MIT and UNICEF challenges, we are also introducing a cultural fest for senior school in the first week of September and hosting an inter-school sports competition for swimming, soccer and football in December. Details of the same will be shared by the music and sports departments shortly. The preparation and planning started this year with the clear aim to balance and ensure academic excellence along with talent development.

We are about to finalize and release the new academic calendar before summer break. Please watch out for orientation and parent meeting dates for each segment. Your presence and participation in these meetings are critical for the progress of your child.

Before the close of this academic year, it is my pleasure to invite parents over to an informal chat over some coffee/juice and snacks. To save you trips to school, these coffee meetings are scheduled on the same day that you will be visiting for a recognition ceremony or AEMS. These coffee meetings are open to all parents; it is an informal gathering to get to know you better, know your expectations and your views on your child’s progress. From the school side, the senior leadership team, coordinators and teachers will join in along with me, based on their respective schedules. The interactions will be in small circles, and it will be a moving crowd as we understand you might have only a little time to spare. I am happy to add that to celebrate 10 years of Oakridge, during these meetings you will also be able to collect a hard copy of the recently taken class photos. We will send out invitations based on the pre-calendared events for the month of May through the respective class teachers.

It is fascinating that in the months of April and May, even though the weather is hotter than usual in Bangalore, the trees are laden with the largest trumpet flowers. I guess they remind us to stay cheerful through all the challenges of life. Speaking of challenges, I know all our students are getting set for the year end exams-both the internal and boards.

Wishing all our students the very best for their assessments. Each year our students have surpassed world averages and excelled in the board exams, so we are confident this year’s grades X and XII cohorts will exceed the previous year’s records. The outstanding university offers from Johns Hopkins, Duke, UCLA, Urbana Champaign, Ashoka, to name a few, offer a glimpse into the achievements of the graduating batch.

Indeed, we are waiting to applaud the achievements of all three segments during the culminations lined up at the end of this academic year.

Until then, hope you have a fantastic long weekend.

Eid Mubarak to all.

Many thanks and kind regards
Pallavi Mishra.