Cleanliness has much importance in everyone’s life. It is vital for a healthy body, mind and spirit. Every individual is taught the importance of cleanliness right from their childhood, especially at school. Recognizing the vital role in spreading cleanliness awareness and implementation, St. Xavier’s High School, Gurgaon, undertook the Swacchta Abhiyan in different areas of Gurgaon. Under the program the students of Grade 9 and 10 took up the responsibility of cleaning different areas in and around school.

Principal of the institution  Mr. Stanley Anthony addressed the students stressing upon the fact that we need to work hand in hand for the success of the campaign. The cleanliness drive held by the school was in accordance to the nation-wide Swachh Bharat Mission launched by Prime Minister on 2^nd October, 2014. The school chalked out a plan to organize the drive in order to raise the awareness amongst the common people. The students took a pledge to clean their schools, homes, public places and surroundings.

The whole drive was quite inspiring and motivating for the staff and students. The students realized that any work is best done when it is carried out by a person himself. It also made the students aware of the dignity of labour. 

“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions”

Good traffic management is key to achieving the department's goal of a safe and efficient road network for a country. To ensure the safety of road users, traffic control and road work personnel in construction zones around the state, it is essential to maintain effective traffic management and educate people about traffic congestion.Students of grade 9-10 participated in a “Traffic Management Rally”at various places on 29th September 2018 to create awareness and spread the message of following traffic rules, as life is a precious gift of God. The students held pla-cards with the messages depicting the condition of mother earth. The rally started at the central red light of Sector 4- 7 InoxChowk, which is commercially a very busy area. Renowned BJP leader from Haryana Shri G L Sharma blessed the occasion with his benign presence and motivated the students to take up the cause. Students not onlyhelped the traffic policemen to manage the mob of traffic but also shouted slogans and talked to people about saving planet earth by carpooling, switching off the engines while waiting at the red light and following rules and passing the legacy of a wonderful India for their generations to come. The students also stressed upon the fact that the traffic congestion is caused by inefficient traffic control, excess demand and people not obeying the traffic rules. Defining the main cause of traffic congestion is a challenge in India as everyone is in a hurry to reach on time which ends up in traffic congestion. The students shouting slogans conveyed a message through this rally was that being the countrymen we can only build the nation we have always wanted to see.

The students are theharbinger of progress to the nation and such steps at an early stage of learning is surely to awaken the leader in them.

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other”

Under the aegis of Strings of Faith an enlightening workshop was conducted for the parents of Grades of Pre-Nur & Nursery on the topic – ‘Art of Storytelling’ at St Xavier’s High School, Sec 49, Gurugram on Saturday, September 15, 2018 by the School Counsellor Ms Manpreet Sandhu.

 The aim of the workshop was to tell the importance of Stories in today’s scenario when the relationships among children and parents has withered due to increasing availability of technology-driven options at the disposal of children.  The workshop started with an engaging icebreaking activity. The School Counsellor shared that Stories not only help in improving a child’s imagination, creativity, enhances vocabulary but also leads to overall development of personality. Parents enthusiastically participated in the different group activities where they stepped inside a story and narrated self created stories in front of audience. The workshop also dwelled into the key principles of storytelling and how to narrate a story to the kids. Our Pre-nursery teacher Ms. Ruchi Gandhi also narrated a wonderful story and guided how to engage children. Ms. Manpreet Sandhu ended the workshop with a message that kids should curl up in the bed with imaginative learning experience. 

The jamboree of Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated by the students of Grade 5 of St. Xavier’s High School on 11^th September 2018 during their morning assembly with gusto.The event was staged with great ardor and suggested ways of celebrating it in eco-friendly ways and, how it can significantly contribute in keeping Swatch Bharat. The assembly commenced with the prayer ‘Vakra-TundaMaha-Kaya Suurya- Koti Samaprabha’praising the deity and soliciting the Lord to make their work obstacles free always. The highlight of the event was when the students made a mass appeal and cautioned the use of nonbio- degradable raw materials such as Plaster of Paris, thermocol, incandescent lighting with compact fluorescent lights (CFL), use of plastic etc. and suggested ways and means like the use of turmeric, henna and rice powder as natural colours for decorating,colouring Lord Ganeshaand for making Rangolias these colours do not pose a threat to human health and affect the environment.The students further acknowledged the avoidance of plastic bags and suggested replacing them with eco- friendly material, they further made a humble submission of restricting the masses from using fire crackers, since there is no direct connection between one’s faith and fireworks. The educatees showcased the values of Lord Ganesha for the betterment of mankind and encouraged pupils to be the ambassadors for safeguarding the Mother Earth and the whole universe, as Xavierians have always believed in the preachings of Lord Ganesha.

Green, the colour of  nature, life and growth was introduced to the children of  Pre-Nursery A and B today.  The children came to the school beautifully dressed in Green outfits looking like cute little plants walking around with flower like faces.

The classes were decorated with green balloons and green objects. The children were shown green fruits and vegetables and were taken out to the ground to see plants and trees. They were also shown how mixing colours ‘blue’ and ‘yellow’ make ‘green’. They enjoyed the ‘leaf printing’ activity and coloured trees, the take away craft. 

‘Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges!’

5th September is celebrated as Teachers' Day as a mark of tribute to the contributions  made by teachers to the society.5th September is the birth anniversary of a great teacher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a staunch believer of education, and was a well-known diplomat, scholar, the President of India and above all, a teacher. It is the supreme  art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

To acclaim this auspicious day and to express their heartfelt gratitude,the students of St. Xavier’s High School, Gurugram celebrated Teachers’ Day with great pomp and show. Be it dance, music, titles or enactments, the students exhibited their outstanding talents as a treat to the teachers. They took great effort and ensured that teachers enjoy every minute. They even dressed up as their teachers and took lectures in classes which were assigned to the teachers they represented.The students personally presented handmade cards to the school Principal and Head Mistresses. To show their love and gratitude towards the teachers the students very efficiently shouldered the responsibilities of the entire programme .The teachers were overwhelmed to see the endeavour put in by their students and were touched by the warm gesture shown by them as they made each teacher feel special on the day. The teachers were extremely elated with the wonderful programme.

In the end,principal, Mr. Stanley Anthony, thanked all the students and wished all the teachers a very happy teachers’ Day. It was truly a memorable day for the teachers and all the Xavierians!

To develop and foster the Scientific temper and encourage the students to indulge into research work, on September 3, 2018 an inter House Science Symposium was organised for the students of St. Xavier’s High School by the science faculty of the school. Students from Grade VIII and IX enthusiastically participated in the event under the two below mentioned categories on the theme “Ways of E-wastage and Nuclear waste disposal ”

Category 1- Class VIII- Two participants from each house

Category 2- Class IX- Two participants from each house

Under the theme the students were asked to study and collect Data about the waste disposal in India, China, Japan, Russia and Sweden. The students came up with an elaborative research and Data pertaining to the Subject Countries and beautifully compiled the Data and presentation in the form of Lap Books. A comprehensive understanding and insight on the subject was imparted to the students prior to the event by a medium of a well conducted workshop by the Science Faculty of the school.

The event commenced with the address of the Principal, Mr. Stanley Anthony who urged the participants to develop a scientific temper for pursuing knowledge to contribute towards making India one of the most developed countries in the world.He advised the contestants to not only focus on learning and gaining experience through healthy competition but also bond with each other to become global citizens.The event was indeed an eye opener for every one present as the participants brought the disturbing facts about improper disposal of Waste by the citizens and they also enlightened everyone about the proper disposal of such hazardous waste.