This week at Poornodaya Vidyanikethan, the volunteers hosted a Sport’s Day where the children competed in a variety of games and activities in a friendly competition among age groups. The day began with a group meeting where the children sang their morning prayers as they normally do. This is personally my favorite part of the day, as it is completely different than schools in the United States. Having all the students and staff start together as one group seems to unify the school, the minds, and the intentions of everyone for the day which I believe helps contribute to the focused and respectful learning environment at Poornodaya.
After morning prayer, Pre-KG began their round of competitions. They played over four different games, which challenged their hand-eye coordination, mental attention span, and physical endurance. Learning while playing is one of the main focuses at Poornodaya and this day encompassed this value in its entirety.
What amazed me most about this youngest group of children was their ability to listen and complete the task at hand without seemingly any attention difficulties. The creativity of the games created by one of our fellow volunteers definitely helped to captivate their attention and willingness to participate.
After Pre-KG, L-KG competed in their round of activities. Their games consisted of more partner competitions to encourage cooperation and group cohesion and test their teamwork skills. As we progressed throughout the day, teachers kept track of the winning members, which would be announced at the completion of all events.
Rounding up the day, first and second standard competed against one another. Their activities were the most physically intense, challenging their arm strength and speed. The game the students seemed to enjoy the most was an obstacle course that included running up a slide, balancing on a beam, and climbing the tires. Sweaty and out of breath each child pushed him/herself to their maximum physical potential.
As I witnessed the day’s events, I was astonished and blown away by the students’ commrodery with one another. When they were watching their fellow classmates compete, they were cheering every student on, chanting their name loudly and happily, regardless of what team the student belonged to. There was a strong level of respect for one another present amongst the students—outstanding to witness for children at such a young age.
The day concluded with scrumptious cake bought from a local bakery, juice, and a medal ceremony announcing the winning team and winning individual members. Children left the school day with smiling, frosting filled faces, and we the volunteers left exhausted but with unhindered grins and warm memories of such a day’s event.
Gabby Cosgrove
International Faculty United States
Poornodaya Vidyanikethan
