Language & Cultural School Happenings

ISW Students continued with their lessons each weekend. During assembly, Bindiya Jain and Mrunal Khandkar taught the children how to use the Mandala Art technique to decorate their Diwali diyas.

The following weekend Vijay Gupta, renowned violinist, performed two scintillating pieces, one based on western classical music and the other, composed by his wife, Reena Esmail, blending Hindustani classical style. He also engaged the children describing his own life story growing up in the US and answering many curious questions from the kids.

Later, the children went outside to build forts, a tradition in some parts of Maharashtra at Diwali. 

Link for Photos

ISW School will be hosting Vijay Gupta, violinist and Music Worcester's artist in residence,  for the school Assembly on November 5, all are welcome. Do RSVP. 

Video attached

We have  started school with a flourish, currently we have 131 +13 (Sanskrit) students enrolled. Its great that we  have a higher number of younger students than any of the previous years.

Last Tuesday we started our online sanskrit class for Adults. We have got decent registration for our pilot program and are excited to introduce this new language as a part of ISW School.

Last Sunday we also distributed our textbooks to students. Students were excited to get new books to continue their learning.

The School Open House was held on September 17 Attended by oour new and returning parents , and all our teachers and staff, after a welcome speeach , and introduction of all the teachers, Puneet and Jagan talked about ISW School and other ISW events and programs

Classes began on Sat/Sun on 23/24, so far 122 kids/adults have registered We thank our 35 volunteer teachers and volunteers, and we are seeing an interest in our new

Sanskrit Conversational online classes for adults starting on Oct 3 (Tuesdays 8:30 pm)

FB Live (link) is available until mid October, 2023, so do watch it We also had KV Krishna Mohan from Star 9Telugu TV record interviews with our teachers, and both are being shown in Hyderabad, (link) (link) India

SCHOOL REGISTRATION LINKS ISW Cultural/Language School Registration, start Sep 17, 2023 2023-24 ISW School Telugu Registration 2023-24 Registration for ISW Adult Conversational Samskrit (Sanskrit) classes-online

Links to register below, register by Sept 12, to get free books

SCHOOL REGISTRATION LINKS ISW Cultural/Language School Registration, start Sep 17, 2023 2023-24 ISW School Telugu and Kannada Registration 2023-24 Registration for ISW Adult Conversational Samskrit (Sanskrit) classes-online

मैं और भारतीय संस्कृति
लेखिका ~ सुरभि दिंडोरे

मैं क्या खाती हूँ, क्या पहनती हूँ, जो संगीत सुनती हूँ, जो भाषा बोलती हूँ, किस धार्मिक कार्यक्रम में भाग लेती हूँ -इन सब बातों का मेरी भारतीय संस्कृति से गहरा संबंध है।

भारतीय भोजन अपने मसालेदार और विशिष्ट स्वाद के लिये विश्वप्रसिध्द है! भारतीय संस्कृति में खाने में बहुत विविधता है। मसालेदार खाना मेरा पसंदीदा खाना है। मुझे अपनी मॉं को भारतीय खाना जैसे रोटी,सब्ज़ी, दाल, चावल,सब्ज़ियाँ बनाने में मदद करना अच्छा लगता है ।

मैं जो भारतीय कपड़े पहनती हूँ, उन में कढाई, ज़री, शीशे के साथ जटिल और रंगीन डिज़ाइन होते हैं। ये हमेशा हर अवसर के लिये सुंदर और आकर्षक दिखते हैं! मैं भारतीय कार्यक्रमों में भारतीय कपड़े पहनती हूँ और इससे मुझे अपनी संस्कृति से जुड़े रहने में मदद मिलती है।

भारतीय संस्कृति में संगीत की एक अलग ही पहचान है। यह मधुर और भावनात्मक है और यह भारतीय समाज को एकता प्रदान करता है। मैं जो भारतीय संगीत सुनती हूँ ,वह हिंदी में गाया जाता है। साथ ही भारत सितार, वीणा, हारमोनियम, तबला और ढोल आदि अनोखे वाद्ययंत्रों के लिये जाना जाता है।

भारतीय संस्कृति में धार्मिक गतिविधियों का एक विशेष स्थान है। ये मुझे उन देवताओं से जोड़े रखती हैं जिनकी मैं पूजा करती हूँ। मैं और मेरा परिवार अनुष्ठान और पूजा करते हैं जो हमें हमारी मान्यताओं से जोड़े रखते हैं। हम सामूहिक धार्मिक कार्यक्रमों और समारोहों जैसे गणेश पूजा और दिवाली में जाते हैं। ये सब हमें सही और नैतिक बातों पर विश्वास करके एक बेहतर इन्सान बनने में मदद करते हैं।

भारतीय संस्कृति में परिवार और मातृभाषा का एक महत्त्वपूर्ण स्थान है। घर पर, मैं और मेरा परिवार एक दूसरे से मराठी भाषा में बात करते हैं। हम जो प्रार्थना करते है वह मराठी में होती है। भारत में हमारे घर पर भी मराठी बोली जाती है। हमारी मराठी संस्कृति गीतों और साहित्य से भरी है।

अंततः भारतीय संस्कृति एक प्राचीन और महान संस्कृति है और मुझे उस से जुड़े होने का अभिमान है।

Indian Culture and I

Writer ~ Surabhi Dindore

What I eat, what I wear, the music I listen to, the language I speak, the religious programs I participate in – all these things have a deep connection with my Indian culture.

Indian food is world famous for its spicy and distinctive taste! Indian culture has a lot of variety in food. Spicy food is my favorite food. I like to help my mother in making Indian food like roti, curry, dal, rice, and vegetables.

The Indian clothes I wear have intricate and colorful designs with embroidery, zari, and mirrors. They always look beautiful and attractive for every occasion! I wear Indian clothes to Indian events and it helps me to stay connected to my culture.

Music has a different identity in Indian culture. It is melodious and emotional and it provides unity to the Indian society. Most of the Indian music I listen to is sung in Hindi. Also, India is known for unique musical instruments like Sitar, Veena, Harmonium, Tabla and Dhol etc.

Religious activities have a special place in Indian culture. It keeps me connected to the deities I worship. My family and I practice rituals and worship that keep us connected to our beliefs. We go to mass religious events and celebrations like Ganesh Puja and Diwali. All these help us to become a better person by believing what is right and moral.

Family and mother tongue have an important place in Indian culture. At home, my family and I speak to each other in Marathi. The prayers we say are in Marathi. Marathi is also spoken at our home in India. Our Marathi culture is full of songs and literature.

Ultimately, Indian culture is an ancient and great culture and I am proud to be associated with it.

Last month, ISW School teamed up with We Care Charity and collected sarees and Indian clothes.  We collected more than 40 bags of clothes and sorted them at Tejal Doshi home. It all went to We Care Charity's location in New Hampshire, where they made boxes to sorted and package 4250 pounds of saris and clothes to India. This is the largest amount they have shipped in one time. We Care Charity thanked all those who donated their beautiful clothes. Clothes are shipped to our vetted organizations in Rajkot and Dharampur in Gujarat and  to Udaipur, Rajasthan. Submitted by Tejal Doshi.

This month, ISW School kids will  begin the India Day festivities by singing both National Anthems. Calling all school kids to sign up for practice at India Center,  on Fridays (6-7 pm), do complete the form 

Also inviting school kids for   ISW School  Art and Writing Talent  project for the India Day brochure contest. Submit your artwork by July 15. Only 1 artwork will be chosen and published on the front cover of India Day brochure.  We are also looking for our school students to write about any/or both topics- 60 Years of ISW/ 30 years of ISW School (History/achievements/vision). The write up cannot be more than 1/2 page. Only 2-3 write ups will be selected. This is a chance for kids to show their  art and writing strengths. Send email to schoollead@iswonline.org

--Sonia Gera & Priya Vaidya

Pictures from event, compiled by Kiran Gahlot

On Sunday May 21st, ISW Cultural and Language School celebrated its Annual Day which marks the end of the academic year for the school. This year it was an extra special celebration as the school completed 30 years since its inception. On a bright and sunny morning, this fabulous event was graced by the presence of over 270 attendees including students, parents and teachers. The event started with reciting the Indian and American National Anthems. It was followed by amazing and extraordinary performances by each of the language classes (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, and Kannada). After each performance, the students were handed out the certificates, attendance awards and they posed for the group pictures. Dances, skits, speeches, songs, the performances included so much talent, it was a real treat to see the kids grow with each other and become so fluent in these languages. The program also marked honoring the ISW volunteers with the PVSA (Presidential Volunteer Service Awards). ISW President Puneet Kohli felicitated Mrs. Carolyn Passey, co-founder of the school and Mrs. Shiamin Melville, co-director of the school for their dedication and commitment to the school. Last but not the least, the celebration ended with a very youthful, musical and lively performance by the teachers. They danced to the medley of songs in four different languages from the 1980's era and ended the program by singing the "... ज़िन्दगी मिल के बिताएँगे '' It was loved by everyone and the air was filled with exuberance and enthusiasm. The program ended with a scrumptious lunch feast. All the families had pitched in to bring potluck items.

Behind the Scenes:

Committed to making this event memorable and special, ISW faculty and administrators worked relentlessly until the day of the event. With support and encouragement from our co- directors Shiamin Melville and Ruchi Chauhan, the event was meticulously planned so that it showcases not only the students' linguistic abilities but also gives a glimpse of the rich Indian culture. The event truly depicted the "Unity in Diversity" theme of our school.

The decoration team led by Bindiya Jain worked on creating beautiful bulletin boards and a unique centerpiece to decorate the hallways of the main lobby. While one of the boards had pictures from assemblies held throughout the school year, the other one had messages from students written on hearts that created the number "30". The hall was decked with marigold garlands and windows had mirror-work umbrellas to add more colors to the decor!

Teachers' dance performance was choreographed by Anupama Debroy and the medley had songs in four major languages (Tamil, Marathi, Hindi, and Gujarati) taught at our school.

The idea for the grand finale of the event was conceived by Sarita Deshpande. Intended to bring everyone together and spread cheer, the song created a melodious and mesmerizing environment where the audience joined the teachers singing the final few lines of the song while clapping their hearts out! It was truly an amazing 30th anniversary celebration and as our co-founder Carolyn Passeyji mentioned, "Cheers to another 30 years!"

Message from our co-founder Carolyn Passey

Thank you to Ruchi, Shiamin, and all the teachers, parents and students for allowing the school to continue to flourish and grow for the past 30 years!

Today’s celebration was just perfect - from the festivities planning to the decorations, all the well prepared student presentations thanks to the teachers and the students hard work, the great food thanks to the parents, to Sarita and Anu for the most fun way of ending the day with dance, music and song, and to everyone who “dressed” me and showered me with so much love!! The whole day was filled with laughter and fun and I am so glad I could be a part of it!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing many of you at India Day!!

Cheers to another 30 years!!

Teacher Appreciation Donations

This year has gone by so fast, and the academic year draws to a close this month

Our Annual Day celebration is going to be on Sunday, May 21. This year is very special as we complete 30 years of ISW School. To celebrate this milestone event, each class will be doing a presentation. The teachers will be providing more info on the class WhatsApp group.  Everyone will receive the participant certificates on this Annual day.  It will be followed by a potluck lunch.  Please RSVP, thanks

Registrations for Sept 2023 will be opening soon.

In the past we have collected donations for Teachers Appreciation online and the link is available here. 

Donation for Teacher Appreciation 2023

LINK IS NOW CLOSED JULY 13, 2023

Should you wish to donate to teachers, you may do so at this link by the end of June 2023 and once thank you for your support. Funds will be donated as per teachers choice.

Hi Parents, it is that time of year again, the academic year draws to an end.  Many of you wanted to show your appreciation for the great volunteer work done by the ISW  Language Teachers, Assembly Teachers and Staff.  Our school has been going strong for 30+ years with the support  of our teachers, so thank you to them.  

In 2020  $900 was donated on behalf of teachers to Greater Worcester Community Foundation GWCF for the 'First Responders Fund'.

In 2021 The donation collected for 2021 went towards the ISW building expansion fund. Once again thanks to all the teachers and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

In 2022 The donation $670 collected went to World Central Kitchen for their work in Ukraine, and the remaining amount was donated to local charities like Abby House, Floral Street School(for a family in need), Northborough Junior Woman club (Turkey earthquake relief fund) and Senior Center In Shrewsbury(Food Pantry)

We had an amazing celebration for Holi and a fun Easter Egg Hunt and all the students,teachers and parents actively. We applaud Divya Gahlot, Swati and Mukul Agrawal, our Student teachers, and last but not least our lovely group of parents. It was really fun.

Check out the pictures