Chennai Kids' Directory

It was more fun than task making the directory at YOCee.

Task because, we gathered details of learning places and activity centres from all over the city.

Fun because, the verification of details over phone calls connected to a variety of people.

Some thought we were another Credit Card marketing company and disconnected the calls. Some others thought, we were competitors to their centres and didn't want to 'disclose' the details. Some were really sweet to share info of not only their place, but of others who are also engaged in similar activities. But those people were from the unusual hobby centres like the The Hobby Club and the Anglers Club.

A few parents called up and shared the goods and bads of the classes their kids went to.

It was a great experience making the directory.
But we are waiting to see the output in front of our eyes. Release on April 2, 2010.

By the way, do you want to book a copy? Check out at http://www.yocee.in/directory.php

A new kid on the block - Copernicum

This post is for the Science buffs.
A new element with atomic number 112 is officially named. And this is the new element added to the periodic table.
Named after the 16th century scientist Copernicus this is the heaviest element known element with a name now.

Read the full story here - http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57303/title/FOR_KIDS_Heaviest_named_element_is_official

Reporters' Blogs

If you have been reading the stories filed by YOCee's student reporters, you will be knowing what and how they can present their stories.
Do you know how they express informally?
Here is where you can catch up with them through their blogs.
We have added their blog-links on this blog.
Check the right sidebar and find a section 'YOCee reporters' blogs'
You can read their posts now.
Do post your comments there and encourage these little bloggers!

Get to sunlight; prevent rickets

Travel by schoolbus, less of physical education periods in school, back home and relax in the sofa watching TV and to bed in a a/c room!

Sounds nice. But beware you could be diagnosed for rickets! Lack of vitamin D that mostly come from the sunlight is the cause.

Read here to know more. Scientists world over are more worried about this situation.

So make it a point to play out in the open in the evenings and go for a walk in mornings.
The more protected from sunlight, the more is chance to fall victim of rickets!

Catching up with critical thinking

Is your memory good? Or you just go about thinking of applying the common sense to solve problems?

Some do this and some others do that. But finally the education system realises that only memorisation does not help in daily life. Only marks do not count. You need to think critically.

Here is an article from The Hindu Education Plus that would interest you.

So, the State Board students are catching up with the rest of their peers in cracking exams like IIT JEE, AIEEE etc. No more just percentage! Think critically!

Do you exercise enough?

What does exercise mean to me?
Why should we do it?
Don’t we stay healthy without exercise?
Did my grandparents exercised daily to keep their health in tact?

I ask these questions many times nowadays! Nobody stressed on doing exercises when I was a school kid. But now I hear many of my friends exercise or workout very hard and ask me why don’t I exercise!

When I was in school, I walked ny way to school most of the days and cycled when I grew up to high school.
We did not have lifts at our apartment where we stayed on the first floor. But we played on the terrace, on the quiet end of the road.
We skipped our way to the road end playing corner, almost like a skipping race!
And…. we never had a Television to sit in front and keep munching!
So never we had a necessity to exercise.
But what about the young kids of today?
A study carried out in Britain says most kids will be overweight by 2050!
Read here.
And tips about how simple it is to exercise!

How do YOU keep yourself fit and fine? Share it here. Sure, it will be useful to many!

Leave letter for a school girl from Obama

Read this – http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8090000/newsid_8098700/8098788.stm
Kennedy Corpus, 10, missed school to hear President Obama speak, and needed a note to explain her absence.
When Kennedy’s dad told Mr Obama about her day off while asking a question, the president offered to write a note.
If you are away from your school to attend an important event you are interested in, do you give a leave letter mentioning the real reason? Or say you weren’t doing well?
Well, in most cases we need to say a ‘lie’ since most schools do not encourage you to skip the classes to attend another ‘useful’ event!
If the chief guest offers a note for your absence from the schools how would you feel?
Has it happened to you?