Reading Week 2016

Every year, Darla School observes Reading Week, and this year too, the Reading Week commenced from 12th to 17th September. The school organized a week-long series of activities to enhance reading and to help students understand its importance and the infinite benefits it facilitates in their academic growth as students and as better human beings in their individual and social lives. The theme of this year's Reading Week was "Dream Big, Read More."

During the week, special reading activities such as Readers' Theatre, Selected Reading, Random Reading, Mass Reading, etc., were initiated to provide opportunities for more students to participate in reading activities and thereby develop and inculcate an interest in reading. Some activities carried out as part of the Reading Week are described below:

Readers' Theatre
Readers' Theatre was conducted as a competition between the sections of grades PP–III. It was interesting to see the tiny tots of our school presenting themselves as little narrators and various fanciful characters in creative costumes and attire—as kings, queens, butterflies, birds, etc. Their babbling speeches and sing-song narrations created an effective ambiance and were appreciated by everyone. The presentations were evaluated based on creativity and coordination, and prizes were awarded accordingly.

Random Reading
This activity was conducted for students of classes VII–X to test their ability to read Dzongkha and English fluently, as well as their preparedness and confidence to speak before an audience. They were instructed beforehand to be ready with two passages (one in English and one in Dzongkha) and to read them out as the coordinator of the day randomly called their roll numbers in the assembly. The activity went as planned and achieved the desired results.

Selected Reading
This activity was for students of classes IV–VI. Some students identified by their teachers read out either pieces of news or interesting information they wanted to share with their fellow students in the assembly. This activity was also successful, though many students who came forward could not be permitted to present due to time constraints in the assembly.

Quiz
A mini-quiz of two questions related to books and reading was also conducted to evaluate students' awareness of popular books, writers, and some common literary terms. Prizes were awarded instantly to the winners.

Book Talk
As every Friday, two students presented reviews of an English and a Dzongkha book. These reviews help students become acquainted with interesting books in the library and arouse their curiosity to read them.

Mass Reading
To provide more time for general reading, an hour was created on Thursday by deducting five minutes from each period. After the instructional hours, all students and teachers came out to the open, settled in conducive places, and read books of their choice for an hour.

We are very happy to note that all the activities we envisaged went well, making this year's Reading Week a grand success. It is hoped that our plans for such activities in the future will also meet with the same grandeur and success. Below are some stills from the Reading Week.

World Health Day 2016 in Darla School: Step Up: Beat Diabetics

Beat Diabetes

Darla School celebrated World Health Day with a variety of health- and hygiene-related activities. In the morning, health club members delivered a speech for the day, and a healthy song was played over the speakers. In the afternoon, we invited health staff from Darla to give a talk. Three staff members came and covered a wide range of health and hygiene issues and care. Teachers and students from Classes VI to X gathered in the Multipurpose Hall (MPH) for the talk. Meanwhile, two health teachers gave a basic health talk to students of Classes PP to V on the assembly ground. Students also cleaned toilets, the water tank, and water sources. The photos below tell the story of the day.

Speech Delivered on World Health Day

“Today, 7th April, is World Health Day. It is celebrated every year on the founding day of the World Health Organization. Established in 1950, this event has a theme each year to draw attention to a current world health issue. On this day, we remind ourselves to take extra steps to care for our health, spread the news about health and threats, and inform others about important global health issues.

This year, WHO is focusing World Health Day on beating diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. In 2008, an estimated 347 million people worldwide had diabetes, and the prevalence is growing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

In 2012, the disease was the direct cause of some 1.5 million deaths, with more than 80% of those occurring in low- and middle-income countries. WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death by 2030.

There are two main forms of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes typically make none of their own insulin and therefore require insulin injections to survive. People with type 2 diabetes—the form that comprises some 90% of cases—usually produce their own insulin but not enough, or they are unable to use it properly. People with type 2 diabetes are typically overweight and sedentary, two conditions that raise a person’s insulin needs.

Over time, high blood sugar can seriously compromise every major organ system in the body, causing heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness, impotence, and infections that can lead to amputations. It was observed that 2.5% of the population (2.8% of males and 2.1% of females) were known diabetics in Bhutan.

A large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable. Simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Maintaining a normal body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.

The main goals of the World Health Day 2016 campaign are to:

· Increase awareness about the rise in diabetes, and its staggering burden and consequences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries;

· Trigger a set of specific, effective, and affordable actions to tackle diabetes—including steps to prevent diabetes and to diagnose, treat, and care for people with diabetes; and

· Launch the first Global Report on Diabetes, which will describe the burden and consequences of diabetes and advocate for stronger health systems to ensure improved surveillance, enhanced prevention, and more effective management of diabetes.”

Giving speech

Listening passionatel

Health talks by Darla BHU staff

And it begins

Wide coverage of topics

How to? and What to?

What is H1N1 and others...?

Demonstrating practically

MHM and care

Our health board with various messages

Students cleaned the water tank