Language & Cultural School Happenings

--Ruchi Chauhan

ISW School Giving Tree - set up in the lobby. We will be collecting gift cards ($10 from Walmart, Target, CVS etc),new mittens and hats for donations. A small gesture to provide families in shelters in need,  a little warmth. Please contact Ruchi at schoollead@iswonline.org for any questions

Previous years.  A tradition started by Carolyn Passey and continued through the years

ISW School XMas, thanks to Michael siblings

We were fortunate to have Brianna , Arianna and Ryan come back as usual to tell the story of Xmas and how it is celebrated.  Topics covered were Birth of Jesus Christ, Santa Claus popularity and why poinsettia plants are meaningful etc.  When we asked the students how they celebrate Xmas, most said they make cookies and decorate their Tree

The Michael kids were part of ISW Tamil School many years ago and are now are in college at WPI and working adults at TJ Maxx.  We are fortunate they come back every year and volunteer their time to share the Xmas story.  Its encouraging to see our school alumni return and give back to their community, and be role models for the current school kids.

Thanksgiving Craft, Jeopardy Part 2: India – Geography and Culture, Yoga
---Update by Divya Muthu
November 16th – Thanksgiving Craft
Our students have been busy creating beautiful Thanksgiving cards under the guidance of our dedicated art teachers, Bindiya Jain and Divya Gahlot. Each card reflects creativity, patience, and attention to detail. Activities like these help students express their thoughts and feelings, improve their artistic skills, and develop a sense of accomplishment. Creating these cards takes significant effort from both students and teachers. From planning  the project and preparing materials to guiding students step by step, a lot of thought and care goes into ensuring every child can participate and succeed. We are especially proud that all our teachers are volunteers, sharing their time and skills to nurture our students’ love for culture and creativity.
November 23rd – Jeopardy Part 2: India – Geography and Culture
Our students enjoyed an interactive session exploring India’s diverse geography and rich cultural heritage through Jeopardy. Thanks to our student teachers, Ishita and Nimish, for leading this engaging activity. Games like these strengthen listening skills, teamwork, and cultural awareness, while making learning fun and memorable.

Yoga Session

The day concluded with a calming Yoga session from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM, led by Alka Ji and Narendra Ji. Yoga encourages mindfulness, body awareness, and relaxation, helping students connect with themselves and stay balanced in both mind and body.

Student Perspective
Rishi, age 9, shared, “I really enjoy these activities. They help me learn about India and our culture, and I get to work with other kids and feel part of the community.” We are deeply grateful to all our teachers and volunteers for their dedication and creativity, which make these activities possible. A special thanks to our principal Ruchi Ji and Shiamin Ji for their constant guidance and support, helping us provide a nurturing and enriching environment for our students.

-- Submitted by Diyya Muthu

The last two Sundays at the ISW Cultural & Language School were filled with celebration, learning, and joyful experiences for our students. Here’s a look back at everything they enjoyed.

October 26, 2025 – Halloween Celebration
Led by Swati Agrawal & Divya Gahlot
Our Halloween Sunday was full of excitement as Swati Agrawal and Divya Gahlot led a fun and colorful Halloween parade along with creative games for the children.
Students came dressed in their favorite costumes and enjoyed the festive activities together. Swati ji and Divya ji also brought yummy treats, making the day extra special for the kids.
A big thank you to both teachers for organizing such a joyful and thoughtful Halloween celebration!
November 2, 2025 – Music, Yoga & a Fire Truck Visit
String Instruments Demonstration
With Narayan ji & Priya Vaidya
11:00 am – 11:30 am

The morning began with a lively and engaging string instruments demonstration by Narayan ji and Priya Vaidya. Students listened to different sounds and melodies and learned how the instruments work. Their curiosity and excitement made the session especially enjoyable.        

--Divya Muthu

Celebrating Indian Heritage: Garba Workshop, Navaratri Golu Presentation and Diwali Crafts

The ISW Language School was filled with festive joy and cultural learning over the past few weeks as students participated in themed sessions celebrating Garba,  Navaratri, Gandhi Jayanti, and Diwali.

A Joyful Start to Our New School Year!

What an exciting beginning to our new year of language and cultural learning! This year we proudly welcome 145 students — our largest registration ever! The joy of seeing our students return after the summer, along with many new faces, filled our assembly with energy and enthusiasm. Classes have begun in Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Kannada. For adults, Hindi and Telugu continue online with flexible scheduling — ensuring learning fits into everyone’s routine.

Our very first assembly of the year was truly special. School Principal & Chair, Ruchi Chauhan, and School Co-Chair, Shiamin Melville, led the gathering with warmth and encouragement. To celebrate, students took part in a vibrant Garba dance workshop, guided by Shaivi, Kajal, Vaishali, and Bhaarti ji. Grouped by age, children danced, laughed, and immersed themselves in the lively rhythms — setting the stage for a year filled with fun and cultural connection.

None of this would be possible without our dedicated teachers, parent volunteers, and families. Your time, commitment, and love for our mission make this community thrive. And to all the parents — thank you for bringing your children each week and making language and culture such an integral part of their upbringing.

Here’s to a year of learning, tradition, joy, and togetherness!

September 28th – Navaratri Golu Presentation & Meditation Activities

A true highlight of the season was the Navaratri Golu presentation by our student Rishi Muthu, accompanied by his dad, Muthu. Rishi impressed everyone with his confident narration and thoughtful explanation of the story and significance behind Navaratri, while Muthu guided the audience through the spiritual meaning of the Golu display. Their engaging and well-prepared presentation stood out for its depth, teamwork, and cultural insight.

The same day also featured a delightful session of meditation and interactive games with Kavishwar Wagholikar, helping students connect mindfulness with fun.

October 5th – Gandhi Jayanti & Yoga Session

Our student teacher Nimish Kunte led a deeply informative session on Gandhi Jayanti, reminding students about Gandhiji’s values of peace, truth, and non-violence. This was followed by yoga and stretching with Alka ji and Narendra ji, which brought calm focus to the morning.

October 12th – Diwali Assembly & Crafts

The celebration continued with a beautiful Diwali presentation designed by Yukta Singh and presented by Ishita Agarwal and Swati Agarwal. Students then expressed their creativity through Mandala-inspired Diya painting, filling the room with color, joy, and artistic energy. A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated teachers — Divya Gahlot, Swati Agarwal, Sonia Gera, Anjali Paranjpe, and Uma ji — for leading these events with enthusiasm, and to our student teachers and parents for their support. 

These sessions beautifully reflected the spirit of ISW Language School — where students not only learn a language but also live their culture through creativity, confidence, and community.

Classes started Sept 20/21, but you can still apply since we accept applications on a ongoing basis for all languages excepting Hindi. Please note registrations for HINDI Beginners forr all ages is now closed. 

 If you have a child who knows Hindi and is a transfer from another school or older, do reach out to Ruchi for more information. Registrations for other languages is still open.

ISW School open house was held Sept 14, 2025.  As the kids checked in, they had a chance to meet their language teachers.   The teachers self- introduced themselves and shared their engagement with the school over the years.  Jagan, ISW's President and school parent welcomed everyone and empasized the family spirit and comraderie the ISW parent community had.  Our classes begin Sept 20/21, 2025.  We offer rolling admissions, and the registration links are open, do sign up.

Ruchi Chauhan, ISW School 
any questions send email to schoollead@iswonline.org

We emphaze fun and learning, our students get to attend classes in our beautiful India Center and make friends in our vibrant Indian Community.

Learning is fun(video)

Do register soon, send email to schoollead@iswonline.org to contact Ruchi Chauhan

ISW School all  languages  Registrations 2025-2026

ISW Adult Conversational Samskrit (Sanskrit) -online 

--submitted by Divya Muthu

Annual Day Pictures, thanks Kiran Gahlot

On May 18th, the ISW community gathered once again for the grand finale of the school year—the much-anticipated Annual Day Celebration. This vibrant event was graced by the presence of esteemed speakers including Ms. Ruchi Chauhan (ISW School Chair), Ms. Shiamin Melville (ISW School Co-director), and Dr. Jagan Srinivasan (ISW President), each of  thom delivered inspiring messages that reflected on the cultural, educational, and communal impact of ISW’s mission.

The day also held a special tribute to Ms. Nisha Bawa, whose dedicated years of service to the Language and Cultural School were honored with a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony. As Nisha prepares to move to Texas, her legacy and commitment will continue to resonate within the hearts of students, teachers, and families alike.

The Annual Day performances were a colorful showcase of the students' linguistic journeys throughout the year. Each child participated in an act that corresponded with the language they were enrolled in—ranging from skits and speeches to songs, dances, and traditional recitations. These performances not only displayed their growing fluency but also celebrated the rich diversity of Indian languages and cultures represented within our school.

Following the performances, students were awarded Certificates of Completion, symbolizing their progress and dedication. This joyful occasion culminated in a delightful potluck lunch, where families came together to share food, laughter, and stories—capping off a year of learning and connection on a delicious note. It was a tremendous success and a deeply fulfilling year for all involved—teachers, students, and parents alike. As this chapter closes, we look forward to welcoming new and returning families when ISW Cultural and Language school reopens in September 2025.

The ISW Cultural/Language School admissions (Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu & Assembly only registration is now open and can be accessed via link.

Annual Day Performances by Language and Teacher

• Gujarati: A delightful Skit/Speech performed by both Beginner and Advanced level students. (Teachers: Vaishali Amin, Kajal Raval, and Samik Shah)
• Hindi: Melodious Singing by Hindi 1 and Hindi 2 Beginner classes. (Teachers: Divya Gahlot & Swati Agrawal)
• Hindi: A thoughtful Presentation by Hindi 2 Advanced students. (Teachers: Bindiya Jain)  Hindi: An expressive Skit/Speech from Hindi 4 students. (Teachers: Sonia Gera)
• Hindi: A dramatic Skit/Speech from the Hindi Beginner ++ level. (Teachers: Kinkin Kumari)
• Hindi: An engaging Skit/Speech by Hindi++ Advanced class. (Teachers: Vandana Mahawar)
• Hindi: A lively 1-minute 20-second Dance Performance by K1 Beginners. (Teachers: Nidhi Relan)
• Hindi: A sweet Singing performance by the K2 class. (Teachers: Anupama)  Hindi: A heartfelt Poem Recitation by Hindi 3 Advanced. (Teachers: Smita)
• Hindi: Students shared their reflections on learning Hindi from the K1 Advanced class. (Teachers: Anju Shukla)
• Kannada: Two performances: a Skit/Speech and a Singing item by students of all levels.(Teachers: Rangarajan Krish)
• Marathi: A Skit/Speech presented by the KG level. (Teachers: Shilpa Kulkarni)  Marathi: A harmonious Singing performance by Level 1. (Teachers: Sarita & Veena)
• Marathi: Traditional Shlok Recitation by Level 3 students. (Teachers: Vaijayanti Joshi)  Marathi: Singing presentation combining Level 1 and Level 2 students. (Teachers: Priya Vaidya)
• Marathi: A dramatic Skit/Speech from Level 4 students. (Teachers: Vaijayanti Joshi)  Sanskrit: A Skit/Speech by Level 2 students. (Teachers: Raveendran Ramakrishnan)
• Telugu: Spiritual Sloka Recital by Level 1 and 2 students. (Teachers: Babu Tammisetti and Madhavi Chaliki) 

On May 11th, in celebration of Mother’s Day, the ISW Language and Cultural School organized a heartfelt craft activity where children lovingly created handmade greeting cards for their mothers. With all supplies thoughtfully provided, this touching initiative allowed students to express their love and gratitude in creative, meaningful ways. The room buzzed with warmth and enthusiasm as little hands shaped colors into memories that would surely be cherished by their mothers for years to come.

RSVP for Annual Day program on May 18, 2025

ISW School all  languages  Registrations 2025-2026

ISW Adult Conversational Samskrit (Sanskrit) -online 

Donation for Teacher Appreciation 2025
Hi Parents,  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 33+ years with the support of our teachers, so thank you to them.

Should you wish to donate to a collection for teachers appreciation, you may do so at this link by the end of June 2025 and once thank you for your support. Funds will be donated as per teachers choice.

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 Abbey House, Floral Street School(for a family in need), Northborough Junior Woman club (Turkey earthquake relief fund) and Senior Center In Shrewsbury(Food Pantry)

2023, we collected approx $500, and amount was shared between $250 to Shrewsbury Senior Cnter, $150 to Abbey House shelter for Women, $50 to Beal School and $50 Floral School food bank

2024, we collected approx $300, and gift cards were purchased and donated to Abbey House shelter for Women.