"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do then by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain With this note I would like to share a very interesting experience on the Malacca tour that was organized for school students. Being a physical education teacher I organized a soccer tour to Malacca for the students of class 3, 4, 5 & 6. I was given a helping hand with three of my colleagues during the course of the tour. We started on our journey to Malacca at 10.00 a.m. We reached Malacca at about 4.30 p.m. to the Makhota Century Resort. We had early dinner since the journey was tiring I asked the children to retire to bed early so that they would be fit enough to handle the next day with ease. It was a long night as the students were filled with excitement and felt that sleep would deter their enjoyment. There were about two-three students who were homesick and we played the role of mother-hen to pacify them and reassure them that they could cope well without their parents and outgrow this, as this was their first trip out of Singapore without their parents. After the breakfast session they collected their soccer gears and proceeded to the nearby Kubu Stadium for the Soccer Carnival. At the stadium we were welcomed by the Soccer officials, referees and students (opponent team against whom the students were going to play) from Malacca. During the game, children of classes 3 & 4 were grouped together and children of classes 5 & 6 were grouped together. They were divided into eight in a team and each team played eight matches. Though the opponent team was much tougher and skillful, this did not deter our boy’s confidence. After about three hours of soccer and photograph session with the officials and players (opponent team), it was time for lunch. We organized a sightseeing tour was also in live for them to the Heritage Centre, Colonial buildings built during the British period and other historical sites. The students were smitten by the handicraft items on sale and spent quite a bit of time purchasing them. The most fascinating event that caught the attention of the students was the snake show. They got an opportunity to touch the Python fearlessly. They had an enjoyable time at the Mellaca Hall Games Arcade and were so engrossed in the games that I had a tough time trying to get them out of the games arcade. This was followed by dinner at about 7.00 p.m. They were still on their toes in spite of the fact that they had a very long and tiring day. They enjoyed the independence of staying in an apartment in the company of friends without their parents. Shouting, pillow fights and many other games were common in most of the rooms. As a teacher in charge though I was tired, I enjoyed myself in the company of the kids. They make you feel younger and at the same time you feel you have a new zest of energy in their company. The next day on Sunday, boys attended a Soccer clinic/workshop which was conducted by ex- Malaysian International and current Malacca coach, Mr. Dorairaju. The boys learnt some soccer skills and had small sided games amongst themselves in the workshop under the guidance of Mr. Dorairaju. After the good amount of time spent there the boys proceeded to their rooms, to get ready for their check out. The energy levels of the student were a all time high even during the journey back home. By this time my vocal cords had completely worn out and I was communicating to them with the help of my whistle. During the journey back home I could hear that
(a) the breakfast was excellent
(b) pillow fighting was fun
(c) soccer was enjoyable
(d) the apartment stay and watching late night programs were enjoyable
(e)getting to buy chewing gum was great, etc.
We reached Singapore at about 6.45 p.m.and could see the parents anxiously waiting and embracing their children. They were very appreciative of the maiden effort taken by the school as this gives a good exposure to the children. This not only develops team bonding, but also teaches them to be responsible, independent and above all adjust themselves in any given situation. Students of DPS – lookout for more adventure coming your way in 2007.

From solid to liquid
From snow to water!!!
From snow city to underwater world!!!
The students of class 5 and 4 were treated with a trip to underwater world. The purpose of the excursion was that of edutainment. The visit provided a deep insight of aquatic life with entertaining display of exotic marine creatures. The students got the opportunity to have a session on ‘SHARKS’ which enhanced their treasure of knowledge. The tram ride was another luxury to feast on. The joy of visiting Singapore’s known tourist attraction along with their comrades was something that really enthralled them.

Sections A, B, C of standard One were all geared up to catch the school bus for the ride to Botanical Garden Singapore. They reached the destination at 10 A.M. It didn’t take much time for the children to adapt to this new facet of Singapore where there was no concrete jungle but only trees all around. Teachers helped them to know about the various types of trees planted. Later students took a round to Orchid Park, Eco Garden. Lots of them enjoyed the sight of colorful fishes & turtles that was there in a local pond. So much so that few amongst them decided to spend some time there, to escape the thought of next day’s homework.

Singapore's President Mr. S. R. Nathan Appreciation

On 16th August 2006, Dipsites of 5th  and 6th grade performed a dance drama ‘Krishna’ at Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Singapore.
The dance drama was directed, conceptualized and choreographed by Mrs. Patralekha Dasgupta. It was a homegrown production of DPSIS with full support from Mr. Amit and Mr. Sanjeev Saxena of the music department. Children performed in the presence of His Excellency, the President of Singapore Mr. S.R. Nathan and his wife, Mrs. Nathan. The President appreciated the programme and spoke to each child personally.
 Later the children had a photo session with the President. It was a great success which is not uncommon for DPSIS. Teachers extended their full support to make the programme successful. Without parents’ support we couldn’t have even dreamt of it. Our supportive parents cancelled their important commitments and put full effort to conceptualize the dream and DPSIS is grateful to them.
With the enthusiasm and encouragement from our Pro - Vice Chairman, Mr. C P Kabra, we got this opportunity to present this programme at such a prestigious landmark.

The dawn of Thursday, the morning of 12th October and all the children of Grade II were geared up for a rollicking & enriching experience at the Science Center, Singapore. The bus ride from the school to Science Center, via the picturesque Jurong was filled with the students & teachers all joining in with their ever increasing array of Songs.

Our objective of taking them to the Science Center was

• To stimulate cognitive thinking in their early years
• To encourage effective learning through discovery, inquiry and active interaction
• To initiate children to explore further on their own.

On the morning of 21st April 2005, students of classes I to X, eagerly boarded the buses that would take them to the Singapore Science Centre. The bright sunny morning augured a day of fun filled activity and the recently revamped Science Centre was certainly equipped to fulfill every expectation.

On arrival the students were taken directly to an introductory session on the show ‘Mystic India’ which is designed to encourage participatory learning. Pupils were proud to demonstrate their considerable knowledge of the land and its customs, and won scores of prizes as they answered questions on India.

A short lunch break was followed by much awaited trip to the Omni Theatre. It was indeed an awe-inspiring experience as the gigantic hemispheric screen was filled with the brilliant images of our beloved land – from the majestic Himalayas to the serene Mansarovar, from the wild jungles of Sunderbans to the arid desert lands. Through the simple tale of Neelkanth, a child yogi who traversed the length and breadth of his country in search of enlightenment and walked barefoot over a distance of 12,000km, the film etched a captivating portrait of the myriad facets of Indian art and architecture, customs and festivals, music and dance, and the underlying faith and spirituality that constitutes the nation’s ethos of unity in diversity.

It admirably complemented the knowledge gained from text-based learning and helped us appreciate the Science Centre’s objective “to promote interest, learning and creativity...through imaginative and enjoyable experience”.