The third programme in the Creative Writing Series at Schoolkutti was held on 20, 21 September 2018. The session was on Writing Essays Effectively and it was facilitated by Ms. Anitha S, Asst. Prof of English. The first day’s session began with writing short paragraphs which eventually lead one to writing essays. The first paragraph,that the 11 participants wrote, was on making omelettes, rather it was a piece on each one’s personal experience of making omelettes , rather it was a piece on each one’s personal experience of making an omelette. It was an interesting experience the participants said, as it brought them to something commonplace. It was also a new revelation that it isn’t easy to write about mundane things!! Then the session proceeded to a more complex exercise- like how to write an essay. The facilitator provided the participants with a power point presentation which helped them to understand the steps of writing an essay- starting with the introduction. The participants were the asked to write down a topic for an essay in the chits of paper provided to them.This ensured that there were many topics to write about, which was interesting to the participants. They were divided into groups of 3-4 which helped in generating a lively discussion among the participants. The group dynamics that evolved was highly beneficial to the participants and a session of such a nature. Day 1 ended with a brainstorming session for 10 minutes.

Day 2 began with a recap of the previous day’s activities. The relevance of the Thesis statement and the structure of the 5 paragraph essay was discussed. On Day 2 we actually went on to work on the topic –Pros and Cons of the Glamour World. Again a brain storming session was conducted and key words were enlisted on the board.After that the actual writing process started. It was an interesting exercise as we were dealing with a current and socially and culturally relevant topic . The participants were seen discussing the points to be included. The introduction and the thesis statement set they were seen writing the essay. Modifications and corrections were suggested by the facilitator. After that the final draft was prepared. Altogether it was a very rewarding experience for the 11 participants and the facilitator.

We collected Rs. 1700/- as registration fee for the ‘Kathayamma’ storytelling program conducted by Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library on Sep 9. School stationery worth Rs. 1950/- were purchased and handed over to the Club FM team as ‘Happiness Boxes’ for supplying to flood hit areas. Thanks to all the participants of the Kathayamma program. Thanks much to our Kathayamma and her daughter Anjali Rajan Dileep for spreading happiness everywhere. Anjali is the program head at Club FM and has been associated with Schoolkutti right from the beginning.

#HappinessBox #ClubFM #Schoolkutti #Kathayamma #FloodRelief #AKindGesture #FromOneChildToAnotherChild

Team Schoolkutti celebrated the International Literacy Day with the adorable little ones at Govt. LP School, Sasthamangalam as part of the ‘One Day One Story’ campaign organized by Pratham Books. It was an interactive session with about 50 kids in the 3-8 years age group and the book was ‘A Cloud of Trash’ by Pratham Books. We loved the cute story of Cheekoo which conveyed a much-needed positive message (encouraging kids to keep the surroundings neat and tidy) in simple words. We read out the story in English, but explained in Malayalam for easy understanding. At the end, the children promised to always practise and promote better waste management. Towards the end, we shared chocolates and enjoyed singing together, the right song for the day -‘Bits of paper, bits of paper…”
#PBChamps
#InternationalLiteracyDay
#OneDayOneStory
#ACloudOfTrash
#prathambooks
#schoolkutti
#schoolkuttilibrary

One day

Storytime with Grandma (Kathayamma) ->
We had a magical story time with a sweet grandma ‘Kathayamma’.Children were all ears when she read some cool stories of yesteryear and sang catchy songs/rhymes in Malayalam. It was great to see the little ones interacting actively by listening, singing, acting out, sharing anecdotes and asking questions. Such fun…towards the end, none of the kids wanted to leave!!

Wish to request for home delivery of books from Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library? Here are the steps.
1. Browse the catalog of books in the schoolkutti.com website
schoolkutti catalog
2. Choose the books you wish to read
3. Send an email to schoolkutti@gmail.com or whatsapp 9847320281 with the names of books
4. If any of the books are not available for lending, you have the option to reserve the books
5. We will let you know if any book has been lent out. If so, please choose another book to borrow.

Fun and inspiring drama classes by HelenO’Grady International in progress at Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library. Lovely to see the children growing in confidence, building new friendships and having a great time. Drama lessons are fantastic for preparing students to live and work in a team-orientated world as they learn vital skills such as tolerance and empathy. Skills that are learned studying drama with Helen O’Grady Drama Academy are invaluable in later life.

Can you guess the story that captured the hearts of our young readers this weekend? Happy to have chosen the simple, delightful story ‘Kutti and the Mouse’ from Karadi tales which is illustrated gorgeously by Malavika P C. Such a delicious read it was – we could all taste that coconut juice and jaggery oozing out of the yummy kozhukkattas prepared with love by Kutti’s mother. All the kids had a hearty laugh trying to imagine Kutti’s plight (and of course that of the poor mouse).

Holding little ones on your laps while they listen to stories and enjoy illustrations – precious moments at the library.

Our little Eric Carle fans enjoyed starting off the WordPlay session today with another gem – ‘Rooster’s Off to See the World’. It was fun counting together and discussing about the adventurer group accompanying the rooster on his journey around the word.Today we also explored an absolutely beautiful book from Tulika Publishers this morning, appropriate for the season – ‘Rain Drops’ from Tulika Books. Kids could practically experience a rainy day through the simple and realistic narration by Vaishali Shroff and delightful water color illustrations by Ruchi Mhasane. It was fun listening to the guesses from the little ones about the shapes sketched by the rain drops on the window glass. Tuning into the magic of nature is indeed an important skill to be nurtured, especially in this era of technology invasion.

It is said that children are taking less interest in nature and taking care of the environment these days. However, it was a refreshing change to see that the budding naturalists attending the session at Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library by Sri Suresh Elamon were quite passionate and curious about the wonders of nature. Suresh Elamon (a famous naturalist, wildlife photographer/film maker, conservationist and popular writer in English and Malayalam) interacted with the children & parents and shared some unique moments captured by his camera. His short films screened were HOME – OUR GARDEN OF EDEN (30 MIN) shot at his home and one at Periyar Tiger Reserve called WILD PERIYAR (25 mnts).

A percentage of the admission fee collected for the ‘Wonders of Nature’ program was contributed to a needy family. Sharing a picture of Suresh Elamon Sir handing over the same to Ms.Parvathy Gopan and children.

Bina Maria Mathews of Bee’s Tales conducted a wonderful storytelling program for tiny tots who came with their parents to Schoolkutti.com Children’s Library on 21 July. The story she chose was ‘Where Is Gola’s Home?’ from Tulika Books. Kids absolutely enjoyed listening to this adorable story and participating as actors. This book introduces many new concepts for the children in an easy-to-understand manner. The lovely props also really helped to spice up the storytime. Everyone had fun singing rhymes together and making the ice stick craft afterwards.