In his last vlog of 2022, our head of school, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, reflects on the eventful and exciting year we’ve had at B.D. Somani.
As the pandemic becomes more of a memory than reality, he hopes we retain the resilience and capacities we’ve built during this tumultuous time.
He appreciates that the school community was able to transition back to the physical format so smoothly and celebrates the joy of being together once again in the unique environment that makes B.D. who we are.
Dr Fisher encourages us to move forward with our experiential learning methods and holistic approach to education, which celebrates the critical aspects of a grounded liberal education.
A focus on inclusion, individual development and a breadth of ideas drive the daily activities in the school. Students are again going on field and day trips in Mumbai, participating in Sports Days and resuming all the activities that Covid made difficult.
Our educators have been assessing students and understanding what they missed during the pandemic. However, what is clear is that intellectually, they have managed exceptionally well – primarily due to the stellar efforts put in by our wonderful parents.
B.D. Somani teachers don’t notice a lack of conceptual understanding or content knowledge, but they do see a difference in their social skills, emotional resilience and physical abilities. We are making efforts to help the children relearn these skills.
Having them participate in physical activities is an essential part of this process because these help them learn fine motor skills, coordination and the capacity to challenge themselves physically.
These activities also help them learn from each other, develop bonds and meet obstacles confidently.
Their emotional well-being is also addressed as they face up to these challenges.
Dr Fisher is heartened to see B.D. return to its joyfulness – the noise, the flurry of activity and the enthusiasm of children and educators.
He goes on to stress the importance of equipping young people to care for their mental health in today’s world. He draws attention to the negative effects of mobile usage, including the constant exposure to short bytes of information and content that damages their concentration.
Dr Fisher also talks about how myopia (short-sightedness) has become an epidemic in East Asia caused by mobile usage.
He encourages everyone, especially young people, to go out in Narure and participate in physical activities, talk to family members and engage with life around them. This is crucial to ensure that they don’t get all their information from these devices and that they have social and emotional lives outside of the platforms on these devices.
As a school, B.D. Somani plans to examine its role in IT at a deeper level to understand how to cater to the students’ advantage in different courses.
Dr Fisher signs off by wishing everyone a happy holiday and hope to return with a fresh burst of energy in the new year.
