The Journey…
The Modern School’s journey to become a member school started in May, 2017 with a thought about the possibilities and the formalities of becoming a Round Square member School. Upon applying for the membership formally our school was inspected by Ms Rajbir Sandhu and Dr Sumer Singh.
As an observer school we first visited St Cyprian’s School Cape town, South Africa where we were introduced officially as an observer school in October 2017.
We became a candidate school in March 2018 and within no time, with a strong will, far fetched vision and a never dying spirit towards our goal to be a member school, on Jan 31 st 2019, we received The Global Membership of Round Square Conferences. We were awarded the Global Membership in a year where as other schools get it in two years or more. We are deeply and profoundly honoured on becoming the Global Member!
The Global Conferences bring together Students and teachers from different countries to share perspectives, debate topical issues, forge friendships, support local communities and develop international understanding.
Dr Vijay Datta, Principal ,Modern School attended the Round Square, Head’s Symposium recently at the wake of the New Year 2020 from 9 th January to 12 th January . The symposium was held at County hall, Westminster, London, UK. He received the coveted King Constantine Medal on behalf of Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
Dr Vijay Datta spoke about ‘Humanity’ and ‘Community Service’.
Dr Vijay Datta spoke about ‘Humanity’ and ‘Community Service’, stressing upon the humane perspective of leading life in his address for the august intelligentsia group comprising Head’s of Round Square from all over the world at London.
“Together we can do so much.” This quote from Helen Keller perhaps sums up the strength of the Round Square network, which brings together 225,000 students and 35,000 educators across 60 countries to create one big collaborative pool of talent and inspiration. This diverse and innovative global network of schools puts a strong positive impact on students.
Through Round Square, students gain confidence, and develop capabilities and attitudes for responsible, compassionate leadership.
The concept of Round Square was conceived in 1966 based on the educational ideology of Kurt Hahn, who founded two of its original member schools, Schule Schloss Salemin, Germany, with Prince Max of Baden, and Gordonstoun in Scotland.
Round Square is a not-for-profit network of schools in 60 countries on five continents that share a passion for experiential learning built around six IDEALS of learning: Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service.
The Round Square schools include prominent schools from India such as the Doon School, Mayo College Ajmer, Welham Boys’ School and Scindia School and now Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
Round Square Students are encouraged to discover and develop their own capabilities through a range of experiences, activities, collaborative projects and challenges, both within and outside the curriculum, including social service projects, exchanges and conference participation.
Modern School and Round Square
Round Square Representative – Ms Shalini Dahiya
Modern School being synonymous with quality education, is a pioneer in promoting all round growth and holistic education in all its students. The ideals of Round Square are well reflected in thinking out of the box perspective promoted at Modern school. Round Square has ignited the young minds at modern school , where strong efforts are made at building a strong platform for the students ,as they are nurtured with the idealism of community service awareness towards a sustainable development.
Learning the effective tenets of democracy, facing the challenges and lead the way for a better tomorrow. The Modern School delegation has been actively participating in all the Regional, Global and International Round Square Conferences. The Round Square discovery framework is a part of the school curriculum and is reflected on the progress cards of the students.
Modern School has been a part of several other Round Square International Conferences
Annual Round Square Forum for schools in the South Asia and Gulf Region 2023 – DUBAI
Round Square Representative, Modern School, Barakhamba Ms Shalini Dahiya attended the Annual Round Square Forum for schools in the South Asia and Gulf Region at the Indian High School, Dubai from 17th to 20th November 2023.
The forum lasted for three days over the weekend where a fantastic carousel of workshops were organised for the delegates. Presentations on good practices adopted by various eminent schools around the region were shared. The success stories along with the steps and practices that the schools have imbibed to make a lasting impact on their students’ lives were also shared.
“Samman” Project
We, at Modern School believe that caring for the elderly is not only a responsibility but also a moral duty. Being the backbone of their families, they are well-experienced in life’s hardships and therefore teach us how to grow, survive, and shape our careers.
All the delegates were welcomed and felicitated on the first day and were given a brief introduction about the project.
Followed by an ice breaking session aimed to create an atmosphere of inclusivity & set the stage for meaningful interactions.
The delegates witnessed a mesmerising Equestrian show presented by the Modern School student riders displaying their horsemanship.
The Project began with the Formal Opening Ceremony,
which was graced by the benign presence of Dr Navin Dang as the Chief Guest and Shri Ashok Pratap Singh ji, the Guest of Honour.
The delegates were briefed about the journey of ‘SAMMAAN’ and its meaning through a video prepared by the students.
The guests were enthralled to see a musical ballet put up by the Modern School Fraternity titled ‘Dancing Down the Memory Lane’ which shared the story of how an elderly couple and their grandson overcame generational gaps through music and dance.
The delegates visited the Cheshire Homes and Palna, an orphanage home, they interacted with the residents there and truly understood the spirit behind service.
The history of Modern School and its 27 acre campus was then shared in an immersive and interesting school tour led by Ms Beeba Sobti
The school was honoured to have the eminent panelists,
Mr Hardayal Singh (Former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, New Delhi), Mr Ravindra Gulati (Renowned Chartered Accountant) , Lt Gen Shankar Prasad (Retd), and Ms Deepa Mehta (Retd IPS Officer) as the guests for the Townhall Discussion, which was moderated by Mr Rishabh Gulati, Managing Editor, NewsX.
The illustrious panelists shared their life experiences and insights which truly enlightened and inspired everyone.
The day ended with a formal dinner hosted by the Principal, Modern School Barakhamba, Dr Vijay Datta.
Mr Ishaan Khanna, CEO Antara Assisted Living, shared his thoughts and experiences as a Keynote speaker.
The delegates also painted together which made them connect at a personal level.
The project was by the students, for the students and of the students.
It enhanced their organizational skills and truly served as a memorable and enriching experience which has left a life long impression.
Round Square International Conference’23, Kenya 8 th October,2023 to 14 th October,2023
The 55th Round Square International Conference hosted by the Brookhouse Schools, Kenya took place from 8th October 2023 to 14th October 2023. It brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives from all around the world. Students from over 200 schools embraced the spirit of openness and respect, creating an inclusive environment in the grounds of Brookhouse School. The Modern School Delegation comprised of Krisha Kapoor (S7 J), Priya Yadav (S7 D), Ananya Nath (S7 G), Daksh Verma (S7 I) and Dhruvin Agrawal (S7 G) escorted and mentored by Round Square Representative Ms. Shalini Dahiya and Ms. Sarita Sharma.
Brookhouse is a co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 2 – 19, spread across two beautiful campuses in Nairobi. It proposed the theme for the 55th Round Square International Conference to be “The New Africa ” which, they aimed would allow the future leaders to explore numerous ways in which the continent has evolved and has been defining its position in the 21st Century.
Round Square opens a world of opportunity exploring new avenues for like-minded-young future leaders. Striving for ‘one-world’ in the time of increasing polarization, racialism and cultural barriers, is its motto. This conference has ignited these young minds to nurture the ideals of community service, human rights and sustainable development
In the week long excursion, the students were exposed to African traditions and understood their way of living. This included witnessing live Kenyan traditional dance, caricature, horseback riding, camel riding and much more. The visit to the Nairobi National Park was a whole experience all together where they saw exquisite wildlife and the tribal dances by Masai people. The student delegates were taken to various schools for underprivileged children where they spent long exhilarating hours doing community service by repainting walls and helping them learn using innovative methods. The conference also included keynotes and panel discussions conducted by Mr. Clifford Oluoch and Ms. Idah Murithi who inspired the students with their life stories.
This Round Square Conference was a transformative experience that pushed boundaries and broadened horizons. It fostered a sense of togetherness, encouraged experiential learning, and inspired action towards global challenges. The modern school delegation surely returned back with a lifetime of memories and enriching experiences which improved them as individuals.
53rd Round Square International Conference 2022 at Oxford University, UK
Exchange Programs in Last Few Years
CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM WITH COLEGIO CAROL BAUR
OCT 14-24, 2019
Modern School, Barakhamba Road sent 7 students: Akshit Gupta(7G), Aryan Bahl (7H), Erica Neerja Malhotra(7I), Hiten Chadha(7H), Khyati Vermani(7I), Kopal Mehta(7J) and Paridhi Chadha(7B), along with Mr. Rais Ahmed Khan as the delegation to Mexico, for a cultural exchange program with two branches of Colegio Carol Baur, i.e. CCB Querétaro and CCB Concordia.
MODERN’S JAPAN ODYSSEY
Modern School students Disha Jain (S7E), Navya Girdhar (S6I), Shivang Soni (S6I) and Sayan Bajaj (S6I) along with teacher and mentor Ms. Beeba Sobti participated in the renowned World Youth Meeting hosted by Ritsumeikan Junior and Senior High School in Kyoto, Japan from the 1st -7 th of August 2019.
The World Youth Meeting is an international youth conference that has been hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Education since 1999. University students and high school students from various parts of the world come together to challenge themselves by composing a joint presentation, overcoming the conflicts that arise during the process and prevailing over the language barrier. The theme for the conference was ‘A Sense of Inclusiveness’.
Modern school was awarded the Platinum Prize for Excellence, the highest honour given at the conference for the exceptional presentation on the topic- ‘Inclusiveness through Communication Technology in the 21 st Century’.
During the course of their stay in Japan, our students had an opportunity to visit the Fukushima Inari Shrine. The atmosphere of peace and spirituality which surrounded this divine shrine exposed our students to the true essence of Japanese wisdom traditions. The students also interacted with locals in the area and learnt more about Japanese culture and practices.
The conference was extremely successful in fostering a sense of unity among all participants. It laid down a strong foundation for values of global co-operation and inclusiveness in the minds of all students.
LEBONE-II COLLEGE OF THE ROYAL BAFOKENG
LEADERSHIP FESTIVAL 2019
30 June to 7th July 2019
The Modern school delegation comprising of students Aathiya Bansal, Dhruv Tantia, Harinya Sreenivas and Vatsal Singal accompanied by Ma’am Poonam Rajput arrived at the stunning campus of Lebone II- the College of the Royal Bafokeng in Rustenburg South Africa.
Exchange Program with Townley Grammar School, Kent, UK
Built on the adage, “Self-realization cannot be achieved by the weak willed,” Modern School has become a melting pot of diversity & leadership. In the pursuit of self-realization, the school organized the Student Exchange Program with the Townley Grammar School to foster the spirit of internationalism, humanity, unity and leadership in the delegates.
The program commenced with the arrival of the delegates, perhaps a bit nervous but eager for the experiences awaiting them. Next day, the delegates assembled in the Resource Centre, where each delegate gave a short introduction of themselves. Dr Vijay Datta, our respected principal, officially welcomed the delegates to India and to Modern School and encouraged them to partake in discussions to uphold the ideals of this cultural exchange. The delegates were then taken on an informative school tour and were introduced to the legacy of this esteemed institution. Later the delegates tapped their creative sides as they took part in various activities in the fashion technology, sculpture and paper technology in the technology block.
Early in the morning of the next day all the students learnt the importance of sports as they engaged into badminton, horse riding, lawn tennis, basketball and learnt several Indian games such as Kho-Kho and Kabaddi under Mr. Rajesh Kumar. The students were then taught important Indian gestures and greetings like Namaskar by Ms. Alka Luthra. They experimented and created beautiful dyes in the chemistry laboratory under MS. Vandana Dhawan They were enlightened on the significant topic of feminism by Ms. Himani Bakshi and were introduced to the extremely useful Vedic Maths by Ms. Shivpriya Mathur. Later the students learnt about the essential life processes such as osmosis and diffusion in the bio laboratory by Ms. Shalini Dahiya The next day the students were fascinated by the diverse Indian physical features and ancient indian monuments and architecture as taught by Ms. Deepa Kapoor and Ms. Beeba Sobti respectively.Ms. Meera Malhotra and Ms. Susan Jose shared with us their vast knowledge about the Indian economy and polity as well. The delegates also studied about various interesting concepts of physics as taught by Mr. Manoj Kumar.
On the next day the delegates visited the magnificent Taj Mahal and were amazed by its beautiful architecture.
The next day the delegates, along with their hosts went on a city tour. They visited many historical monuments like the red fort, Ugrasen ki Baoli and the hustling, textile and jewel trading centre of Chandni chawk.
The delegates were given an insight into the lives of the Mughal emperors as they visited the Humayun’s Tomb. Later they paid their homage to the father of the nation- mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat. They also visited the Akshardham Temple and were left spellbound by the light and sound show at the same.
Besides the aforementioned activities, another interesting aspect was the ‘homestay’ experience. Delegates blended into the Indian culture as they found second families, miles away from home. The following day the delegates were taken around Delhi, to visit historic monuments, cafes and malls. Some of them even visited weddings and experienced the Indian culture from a completely unimaginable dimension. They developed new culinary preferences as they tasted the delicious Indian chat, and home cooked “paneer” and “dal”. I hope all the delegates eagerly await the one last day they have with their hosts, or I should say second siblings.
On the next day morning, the students of The Townley Grammar School gave us an insight into the life at Townley, and their vision to enable their students to let their dreams power their futures.We at Modern do our best to provide maximum opportunities for interactive learning and projection of thoughts. The students then had an interactive session with the students of grade 7. This session gave everyone the opportunity to not just learn but also experience the other nation’s culture and education system. In the evening the delegates visited Delhi Haat, the popular food plaza and craft bazaar of Delhi.
The following night the students boarded the train to Rishikesh where they visited the sacred and the splendid Indian temples and played in mother natures lap as they went for water rafting
Country: England
Partner school: Townley Grammar School, Kent, UK
Website: http://www.townleygrammar.org.uk/
Students: AAmelia Ann Karan, Amelia Rose, Amy, Anna, Deeya, Esther, Grace, Ingrid, Julieta, Laura, Maddison, Navinder, Olivia, Paris, Poppy, Raf’iah, Sarah, Sira, Sophie, Stephanie
Escort teacher: Mr Desmond Deehan (Head Teacher), Ms Sally Macdougal & Ms Hita Naik Shetty
International Student Conference In Malaysia
Modern School Barakhamba Road was invited to the SGGS Malaysia for International Student Conference to represent India at this esteemed event. Five Delegates Dr. Prem Prakash Vermani (Teacher) ,Akash Aggarwal ,Bharat Mukim ,Priyank Nangia , Shubham Gupta represented our school.
The opening ceremony included cultural dance performances and regional songs for entertainment. Dr Vermani presented a paper on “The Best Teaching Practices in Modern School” during the teacher’s session which was highly appreciated. The conference was truly an enriching experience for the modern school delegation.
Country: Malaysia
Partner school: St. George’s Girls’ School (Penang, Malaysia).
Website: http://www.smkpstgeorge.edu.my/
Students: Akash Aggarwal ,Bharat Mukim ,Priyank Nangia , Shubham Gupta
Escort teacher: Dr PP Vermani
School Kids to Make the World a Tranquil Planet
As a part of Modern School’s leadership initiative and global outreach Programme, we organized our 13th Community Development and Leadership Summit – 2018 from Saturday, the 15th of December to Saturday, the 22nd of December 2018.
Modern School has hosted schools from more than thirty countries in our past CDLS since 2006, which include Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, U.A.E., U.K., Ukraine, U.S.A and Vietnam.
This year we hope to host two new schools, one each from Ghana and Japan.
The key objective for organizing the CDLS is to encourage mutual exchange of ideas and help develop leaders, who will grow and provide such experiences that will help the young leaders of tomorrow to make informed choices about their roles in the world communities. In an increasingly globalized world, they need to dream big for their own country and for the world at large. We wish to make a meaningful difference towards this grooming and care.
The participating contingents in this summit, spread over six days, shall consist of four students from a participating school accompanied by one teacher. We wish to advise that all participation, boarding, lodging and local transportation within Delhi and other expenses related to the summit after arrival of the delegates at New Delhi, shall be borne by the host school.
We are expecting our delegates to arrive on or before Friday, the 14th December and they may depart two days after the Valedictory Function scheduled on Thursday, the 20th December 2018. Two days after the Valedictory Function are basically free for the visiting delegates. They may spend their time with the host families and visit different important places of Delhi with their hosts during the weekends or can visit some important and popular tourist destination around Delhi on their own cost. Modern School shall provide adequate assistance for the same, if been requested well in advance. Thus the visiting delegates may stay with the host families’ up to Saturday, the 22nd December 2018 and depart for their home on or before Sunday, the 23rd December 2018.
For any request/query related to participation, please mail us at cdls@modernschool.net
List of schools which participated in the CDLS
Sr. No. | Country | School |
---|---|---|
001 | AUSTRALIA | BRISBANE GRAMMAR SCHOOL |
002 | AUSTRALIA | PYMBLE LADIES COLLEGE |
003 | BANGLADESH | SCHOLASTICA SCHOOL |
004 | CANADA | GOLD RIVER SECONDARY SCHOOL |
005 | CANADA | CANADA - HAVERGAL COLLEGE |
006 | CHINA | BEIJING NEW ORIENTAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOL |
007 | AUSTRALIA | LIAONING PROVINCE SHIYAN HIGH SCHOOL |
008 | FRANCE | LYCÉE PAUL LANGEVIN |
009 | GERMANY | LIEBIGSCHULE GIESSEN |
010 | HONG KONG | ST. STEPHEN'S GIRLS' COLLEGE |
011 | INDIA | MAYO COLLEGE , AJMER |
012 | INDIA | MGD JAIPUR |
013 | INDIA | MODERN SCHOOL FARIDABAD |
014 | INDIA | MODERN SCHOOL GHAZIABAD |
015 | INDIA | MODERN SCHOOL, KUNDLI |
016 | INDIA | MODERN SCHOOOL, VASANT VIHAR |
017 | INDIA | THE DOON SCHOOL |
018 | INDONESIA | SMA NEGERI 4 DENPASAR |
019 | ITALY | THE LICEO FOSCARINI |
020 | KENYA | THE AGA KHAN ACADEMY, NAIROBI |
021 | LAO PDR | KIETTISACK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL |
022 | MALAYSIA | MALAY COLLEGE KUALA KANGSAR |
023 | MALAYSIA | ST. GEORGE GIRLS SCHOOL |
024 | NEPAL | MALPI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL |
025 | MEXICO | FUNDACIÓN CULTURAL BAUR |
026 | PAKISTAN | AITCHISON COLLEGE , LAHORE |
027 | PHILIPPINES | PHILIPPINE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL |
028 | RUSSIA | THE COORDINATING CENTER, ZOLOTOY PESOK |
029 | SERBIA | MATHEMATICAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL |
030 | SINGAPORE | CHOA CHU KANG SECONDARY SCHOOL |
031 | SOUTH AFRICA | CLIFTON SCHOOL |
032 | SOUTH AFRICA | LEBONE COLLEGE |
033 | SWEDEN | KÄRRTORPS GYMNASIUM |
034 | SWITZERLAND | SURVAL MONTREUX |
035 | THAILAND | MATTHAYOM WATNAIRONG SCHOOL |
036 | THAILAND | VAJIRAVUDH COLLEGE |
037 | TURKEY | ANKARA ATATÜRK HIGH SCHOOL |
038 | UAE | GEMS OUR OWN ENGLISH HIGH SCHOOL |
039 | UK | ACKWORTH SCHOOL |
040 | UK | TOWNLEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, KENT |
041 | UKRAINE | KYIV INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL |
042 | USA | COLLEGIATE SCHOOL |
043 | USA | GREENSBORO DAY SCHOOL |
044 | USA | PEDDIE SCHOOL |
045 | VIETNAM | SAIGON INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE |
--- | HOST SCHOOL | MODERN SCHOOL, BARAKHAMBA ROAD, NEW DELHI |