Letter to Parents : Class 10

Dear Parents (students of Class 10),

I am sure that you, more than me, are relieved that the more than a month long closure of educational institutions has now come to an end and that your child’s education can continue. This letter will show you how we have worked it out that your child’s education will not have suffered. 

I wish to thank you for your patience while we waited anxiously for school to reopen. Your son’s educational well being was always on my mind.  All the teachers tried their best to help your children through their blogs. While it was challenging both to write and use the blogs, this month’s experience has surely made all of us more computer literate! I am also grateful to the teachers who continued the education of the class 10 students during most of this period.

While we cannot deny that there might be agitations in the future, we are confident that with the improved Teachers blogs and your son’s better capability in using them, we can continue the education of your children. We have taken steps to look after the boarders in school with the help of the staff both residential and others.

Besides The “Teachers Blogs” your children had been invited to attend classes informally from the 19^th August.

Taking the above statement into consideration, your sons have lost a total of 10½ class days (counting two Saturdays as I full class day, and not counting the 15^th. We were able to have the Fitzpatrick Tournament on the 29^th & 30^th July as most of the teams were resident). That means they have missed 3465 minutes of class time. We shall be making up the time in the following ways:

·         Increasing class time (Monday to Friday) by 40mins. We shall be getting 46 such days (according to the regular school calendar (Sept : 12, Oct : 15, Nov : 19).  Thus we will be making up 46 x 40 = 1840 minutes.

·         Saturdays will be full class days. We shall thus be adding 200 minutes of class time, each day, to the 9 Saturdays left (according the regular school calendar - Sept : 3, Oct : 2, Nov : 4). Thus we shall be making up 9 x 200 = 1800 minutes.

·         We need to also increase the class days by

o   Restricting the Puja holidays from the 10^th to the 16^th October. Boarders will leave, as scheduled, on the 9^th afternoon. Classes will resume on the 17^th October. Boarders will return on the 16^th October evening. We will gain 3 days here or 1110 minutes.

o   Sunday, 3^rd Nov is Diwali and not 2^nd and 4^th Nov will be a class day, not part of a Diwali / Bhai Tika holiday : 740 mins

·         We shall thus be getting through the above means 5490 minutes. We will have an extra 2025 minutes, :

·         Please note that in order to focus on your child’s studies we have only earmarked two days for co-curricular events. Though these days are working days we have not counted them so ! Preparation for those events shall be done during the co-curricular activities periods and after school. :

o  Sports Day on the 9^th October. The schedule of day will be as follows :

§  9.00 – 10.00am : Parent-Teacher Meeting & 2^nd Card Test Results

§  11.00am – 1.00pm : Sports (Mainly athletics, though Classes 1 & 2 will have drills too).

o  Children & Teachers Day on the 14^th November. The schedule will be as follows :

§  9.00am : Teachers Felicitation & Annual Prize Distribution

§  11.00am : Class 10 Reminisce Programme

·         Please note the following School calendar for remaining part of the year :

o    10^th Sept : Boarders return to school

o    11^th & 12^th Sept : Boarders Revision

o    13^th Sept : Classes Resume (school time 8.45am to 3.50pm : Monday to Saturday)

o    26^th Sept to 5^th Oct : ICSE 2014 Selection Examinations commence

o    2^nd Oct : Gandhi Jayanti : Class Day

o    3^rd to 5^th Oct : 2^nd Card Test (Classes 1 to 9 and 11) commence

o    9^th Oct : PTM / 2^nd Card Test / Selection Exam Results & Sports Day. Boarders go home for Puja holidays after Sports.

o    16^th Oct : 5pm : Boarders return from Puja holidays

o    17^th Oct : Classes commence after Puja Break

o    3^rd Nov : Diwali

o    4^th Nov : Class Day

o    5^th Nov : Bhai Tika : Holiday

o    14^th Nov : Children & Teachers day; Annual Prize Distribution; Class 10 Reminisce Programme

o    21^st Nov : Class 10 Final Examinations commence

o    30^th Nov : Class 10 Final Examinations end. Class 10 Boarders go home.

o    19^th Dec : 10.00am : Final Examination Results

o    20^th Dec : Christmas holidays commence

Letter to Parents Classes 1 to 9 and 11

Dear Parents (students Classes 1 to 9 and 11),

I am sure that you, more than me, are relieved that the more than a month long closure of educational institutions has now come to an end and that your child’s education can continue. This letter will show you how we have worked it out that your child’s education will not have suffered.  

I wish to thank you for your patience while we waited anxiously for school to reopen. Your son’s educational well being was always on my mind.  All the teachers tried their best to help your children through their blogs. While it was challenging both to write and use the blogs, this month’s experience has surely made all of us more computer literate! I am also grateful to the teachers who continued the education of the class 10 students during most of this period.

While we cannot deny that there might be agitations in the future, we are confident that with the improved Teachers blogs and your son’s better capability in using them, we can continue the education of your children. We have taken steps to look after the boarders in school with the help of the staff both residential and others.

I wish to state that we will be ensuring that every minute of lost time at class shall be made up before the end of the academic year – yes, every minute! I explain how, below:

Classes 1 to 9 and 11 have lost a total of 30 class days (counting two Saturdays as I full class day, and not counting the 15^th, 29^th and 30^th Aug which, according to the school calendar, would not have been class days. We were able to have the Fitzpatrick Tournament on the 29^th & 30^th July as most of the teams were resident). That means we have missed 9900 minutes of class time. We shall be making up the time in the following ways:

·         Increasing class time (Monday to Friday) by 40mins. We shall be getting 46 such days (according to the regular school calendar (Sept : 12, Oct : 15, Nov : 19).  Thus we will be making up 46 x 40 = 1840 minutes.

·         Saturdays will be full class days. We shall thus be adding 200 minutes of class time, each day, to the 9 Saturdays left (according the regular school calendar - Sept : 3, Oct : 2, Nov : 4). Thus we shall be making up 9 x 200 = 1800 minutes.

·         We need to also increase the class days by

o   Restricting the Puja holidays from the 10^th to the 16^th October. Boarders will leave, as scheduled, on the 9^th afternoon. Classes will resume on the 17^th October. Boarders will return on the 16^th October evening. We will gain 3 days here or 1110 minutes.

o   Sunday, 3^rd Nov is Diwali and not 2^nd and 4^th Nov will be a class day, not part of a Diwali / Bhai Tika holiday : 740 mins

o   Continuing school till the 14^th December. We shall gain 12 additional class days or 4440 minutes.

·         We shall thus be getting through the above means 9930 minutes. We will have an extra 30 minutes.

·         Please note that in order to focus on your child’s studies we have only earmarked two days for co-curricular events. Though these days are working days we have not counted them so ! Preparation for those events shall be done during the co-curricular activities periods and after school. :

o   Sports Day on the 9^th October. The schedule of day will be as follows :

§  9.00 – 10.00am : Parent-Teacher Meeting & 2^nd Card Test Results

§  11.00am – 1.00pm : Sports (Mainly athletics, though Classes 1 & 2 will have drills too).

o   Children & Teachers Day on the 14^th November. The schedule will be as follows :

§  9.00am : Teachers Felicitation, Annual Prize Distribution

§  11.00am : Class 10 Reminisce Programme

·         Please note the following School calendar for remaining part of the year :

o        10^th Sept : Boarders return to school

o       11^th & 12^th Sept : Revision days for Boarders

o       13^th Sept : Classes Resume (school time 8.45am to 3.50pm : Monday to Saturday)

o       26^th Sept to 5^th Oct : ICSE 2014 Selection Examinations commence

o       2^nd Oct : Gandhi Jayanti : Class Day

o       3^rd to 5^th Oct : 2^nd Card Test (Classes 1 to 9 and 11) commence

o       9^th Oct : PTM / 2^nd Card Test / Selection Exam Results & Sports Day. Boarders go home for Puja holidays after Sports.

o       16^th Oct : 5pm : Boarders return from Puja holidays

o       17^th Oct : Classes commence after Puja Break

o       3^rd Nov : Diwali

o       4^th Nov : Class Day

o       5^th Nov : Bhai Tika : Holiday

o       14^th Nov : Children & Teachers day; Annual Prize Distribution; Class 10 Reminisce Programme

o       9^th Dec : Final Examinations (1 to 9 & 11) Commence

o       14^th Dec : Final Examinations End : Boarders leave for home 4pm

o       19^th Dec : 10.00am : Final Examination Results

o       20^th Dec : Christmas holidays commence

For Cl XI Com (9th Sept) and XISc (11th Sept)

Arms and the Man pgs.39 to 41

We start off today's matter at pg.39 from where Paul says : "Come, it's time for us to get to business."

Shaw has allowed the element of conflict to enter the plot. It has not reached a crisis. It will play on the minds of Catherine and Raina and reach the crisis at the planned time. However, Shaw allows the action to continue.

It is Catherine who controls the action - she steers her husband away from involving Sergius in the continuation of the outcomes of the war. We see her dominating character at work.

Look up the meaning of the word 'forage' and write a sentence of your own with it.

Paul considers it impossible for Catherine to help him "settle about the regiments" why ? Why does he feel that she cannot help him in that work ? Was it because it was so technical ? Or was it because he felt that 'war' was a a man's occupation and a lady had no place in it ?

Catherine manages to sway Paul's attention by offering to show him the 'electric bell' ! Do you remember the previous conversation Paul and Catherine had had on this topic ? Remember it was about 'civilized' behaviour ?

What is it that we were told about Paul's character that he would now be willing to leave his important work and go to see an 'electric bell' ? While most probably Paul followed his wife's suggestion because he might have known from experience that it would have been pointless in trying to dissuade her, we feel that the such trappings are significant to him as they might feed into his sense of importance in his society.

Sergius and Raina are left to themselves. What transpires between them, will be called by Sergius on pg.41 as "higher love" which he admits is "very fatiguing to keep up for any length of time." If it has been "fatiguing" or tiring for him - it must be a pretence ! What do you feel ? Is the brief interaction between Sergius and Raina, artificial ? Why might you think it so ? Why might you not think it so ? Write down your opinion.

FOR GMS ICSE 9TH SEPT

Ch 22 : Surface Area and Volume (continued)

Ex.22 (C) : Nos.3, 4, 5, 6

In sum nos. 3, 4, 5 we are either dealing with a common volume of a sphere which is divided into smaller spheres or we are dealing with smaller spheres which are melted into one large sphere. This is similar to sums which you did in the previous two exercises in this chapter.

In sum no.6 you are asked to compare two spheres.

Ex.22 (C) : Nos.7 and 8

In sum no. 7 we have a comparison of the surface area and the volume of a sphere

In sum no.8 a sphere is melted into a cylinder - we will doing a lot more of these types of sums in the following exercises.

Do try the above sums.

Remember to read the sums well and keep the working out towards the end - most often, the sums do not involve so much of calculation and you see that what seems a comlicated amount of numbers can be simplified. You will save time.

All the best !

My next blog for you will be for the 11th Sept.

For Class XI SC (6th Sept) & XI Com (7th Sept) Eng Drama

Arms and The Man pgs 38-39

Have you wondered at the title of our play : Arms and the Man ? What does the title signify ? Write your ideas !

In this section Paul and Sergius continue sharing their story of the Swiss Captain they had met. The conversation becomes more and more uncomfortable for Catherine and Raina as it becomes quite clear to them that the person who is being talked about is none other than 'The Man' who climbed into Raina's room  - when ? can your remember ? go back and refresh your memory ! What is the date on which the events we are reading take place ? Why do you think Shaw has given us an exact date ?

Well, getting back to Catherine's and Raina's discomfort Raina and Catherine are able to stop the two men short in their story stating that they the ladies are affronted by such conversation ! We wonder how convincing they are. Do you think that Paul and Sergius might be even faintly suspicious that the two women in the story could be none other than Catherine and Raina ?

Paul calls the conversation "strong" and Sergius states that the war has made him 'cynical' !

Read down through the section and consider these ideas.

Make sentences with the word : thorough, enchanted, coarse, abominable, seamy, cynical, flinch

Happy reading and working !

FOR GMS ICSE 2014 6TH SEPT

Ch 22 : Surface Area and Volume (continued)

Before we proceed we need to revise the formulas we have learnt. Can you remember the following formulas :

• Volume of a cylinder ?
• Curved surface area of a cylinder ?
• Total Surface area of a cylinder ?
• Volume of the metal (or material) of an open cylinder ?
• curved surface area of a cone ?
• total surface area of a cone ?
• volume of a cone ?

Now that you have revised those, please remember that we need to regularly revise these and other formulas we need to keep in mind - just trying t study them before an exam or test will mix things up in our heads !!!

Let us now move ahead to a Sphere ! A basketball is a sphere, to is a tennis ball and a football. So what will be a hemisphere ? I'm sure that you have come across that word in Geography - in which subject it refers either to the Northern or southern half. Is the earth a sphere ? NO ! It's it's own shape !!!

There are two formulas to be learnt here :

• Surface Area of a sphere : 4πr²

• So, what will be the total surface area of a hemisphere ? It will be 3πr²  - half (curved surface) of the sphere : 2πr² and the circular section πr²

• Volume of a sphere is 4/3 πr³

• So what will be the volume of a hemisphere ? half of a sphere which is 2/3 πr³ 

So, let us try and work out the following sums : Ex 22 (C) : Nos. 1, 2, 9 and 10

TEACHERS DAY !

Dear Students,

Good Morning !

Unfortunately, you will not have the opportunity of greeting your teachers on this day. Nor will we have the joy of experiencing your gratitude and affection.

However, you could thank God for the gift of your teachers. Remember, all your teachers, not only the ones at Goethals. Our parents are our first teachers and we thank God for them.

Please also pray that we can all soon get back to school. Your teachers are concerned about your studies and your development in the educational process.

In all circumstances we thank God who watches and takes care of us.

Bro.Miranda

FOR GMS ICSE 2014 5TH Sept

Ch 22 : Ex.22 (B) : Cone : Surface Area and volume (continued)

We work at Ex.22 (B) Nos.4, 5, 6, 7

We use proportion in these sums. The word 'ratio'also features in these sums. Please remember that a proportion may be viewed as follows - a : b : : x : y (a is to be as x is to y). This same information may be written in ratio for as a/b = x/y (a divided by b equals x divided by y).

For instance in sum no.6 we are told the slant heights of two cones are in the ratio of 5 : 4. Thus if the shorter slant height is 4x the larger one will be 5x

In sum no.4 the radius and height of the cone are in proportion. In sum nos.5, 6, 7 certain characteristics of two cones are in proportion. In sums no.5, 6, 7 the answer required is also in a ratio.

Okay, so carry on and if you have a problem - I am only an e-mail away at broelmiranda@gmail.com

Take Care.

FOR GMS ICSE 2014 4TH SEPT

Ch.22 : Ex 22 (B) : Volume and Surface area of a Cone (continued)

In the first step for our work today we attempt Ex.22 (B) : Nos.10 and 13

• both these sums involve a large cone and smaller cones - in sum no.9 the large cone is melted into smaller cones and in sum no.13 the equate the volume of the cone with water - drop some smaller cones into the water - and our friend Archimedes works his principle and some water flows out - what does that volume of water equal ? You're correct - the volume of the cones which had been dropped into the larger cone !

Do those sums.

In the second step we attempt Ex.22 (B) : Nos 8 and 9

Here we're again working with the cone - its volume and surface area. Remember whenever the sum involves the covering of a conical heap - we need to find the surface area.

Do the sums.

For Class XI Com (3rd Sept) & XI Sc (5th Sept) Eng Drama

Arms and The Man : Act 2 : pg.38

First let's do some revision : Please write the answers to the following questions :

• Why did Sergius decide to change his career ?  You should be able to list a minimum of three reasons.
• How did those who heard his announcement react to what they heard ? Comment on their reactions.
• What comments had Sergius made on war and soldiering ? What light do those comments shed on his assessment of the Swiss captain "he was a soldier : every inch a soldier !" ?

Now let us proceed, and we commence with Catherine's nervous inquiry. Do you agree with me that Catherine and Raina would be nervous and uncomfortable on hearing of this Swiss Captain ? Why would they be uncomfortable ? - it might be good for you to write the answer to this question.

• "keen on picking up his profession" I feel that Sergius is still speaking sarcastically and commenting on the Swiss Captain being a cunning tradesman and that his "profession" refers more to his "trading" rather on his soldiership ! 
• So, what would the phrase "picking up" mean ? It means to learn almost by accident, as in 'Rahul picked up the playing of basketball within a month of being at Goethals.' Now write a sentence of your own with this phrase
• Why do you think Shaw puts in the comment about the foreigners role in the war ?
• What could Raina's question "Are there many Swiss officers in the army ?" reveal of how she is responding to the conversation ? 
• "humbugged" meaning deceived or tricked
• "chargers" - refers to the horses !
• "consummate" meaning very well skilled : 'Leez Ducet is a consummate BBC reporter on the middle eastern issues' - now write a sentence of your own with this word.
• What do you feel causes Catherine's condemnation of Raina's question as "silly" ? 
• "Bourgeois" - refers to a person belonging to the 'middle class', in this case referring to the fact that the rising middle class at the time the play was being acted were tradesmen.

So, that's what we'll do for today ! 

FOR GMS ICSE 2014 3rd Sept

Ch : 22 : Cone

Today, we work with the cone ! We will also be finding the volume of ice cream you may be able to fill it with !

Please look at pg324 in your text books. Look at the diagram of a cone at the end of the page. Please note that when discuss in the cone shape, we use the following letters :

• r : radius of the circular portion of the cone.
• h : the perpendicular height of the cone.
• l : the slope of the cone (from the vertex to the base), this is also called the slant height

As we have done with the Cylinder, we shall also be finding the curved surface area, the total surface area and the volume of the cone. You thus need to remember the following formulas :

• curved surface area : πrl
• total surface area = curved surface area + area of circular section : πrl + πr² = πr(l + r)
• volume = ⅓ πr²h

With the above information, please work out : Ex.22 (B) : Nos.1, 2, 3, 11, 12

Please learn your tables and be careful with your working. Draw a diagram for each sum. Be neat in your work - work conscientiously to be neat.

All the best !

For Class XI Sc (4th Sept) & Com (2nd Sept) Eng Drama

Arms and The Man pg 38 the first one-third of the page.

Let's move ahead with our text, today.

We leave aside the discussion on Sergius' career in the army and now Shaw seeks to bring the action of Act 1 (where Sergius and Paul) were off at war into Act 2.  Significantly, at this moment, Rania and Catherine, Louka and to a lesser extent Nicola were part of the action in Act 1 are brought together with Sergius and Paul.

Would we have expected that in a war where there are so many persons that the one person who had sought refuge in Rania's room (and who have stolen her affections) should have met with and become a friend of Sergius and Paul.

This is the CONFLICT in the play ! How will this be resolved ? Can this end unhappily or sadly ? This anxiety is seen in the responses of Catherine and Raina when Sergius and Paul talk to them of probably the only Swiss soldier who fought in the war, who had helped resolved the war and whose visit to this home was being kept a secret by Catherine and Raina. Of course this 'secret' is the one which Louka and Nicola had referred to at the commencement of Act 2 and which they considered could be used as blackmail against their masters and mistresses !

So, let's start reading :

• What does Sergius mean by "I have no ambition to shine as a tradesman." what does "to shine as" mean ? "to shine as" means to do well in something e.g.Sourav shone as the centre forward of the football of the football team, scoring three goals to win the match. Now make a sentence of your own with the phrase.
• bagman : A bag man (or bagman), is a person designated to collect dirty money, e.g. in a protection racket. A bag man may also be known as a delivery boy or running man. Originally the term applied only to Mafia members collecting for mob bosses, but the term later spread to use in corrupt police who picked up and delivered bribes from the local mob(s) to the captain. Sergius uses the phrase humourously against the Swiss mercenary who got them into a deal which Paul and himself feel that they did badly out of. It refers to the man being a cunning businessman.
• "given it up" : referring to his having given up the idea of a career in the army taking the advice of that shrewd Swiss mercenary
• Please note that we will be told a few things about the character of this Swiss mercenary (and we know who he is) - we have to decide whether what is said are true of his character or not.
• "over-reached" : means that they paid too much money in the deal about the horses. e.g.The company over reached itself and ran out of money in one year. Now you make a sentence of your own with this phrase.
• livery : generally refers to the uniforms of well dressed servants e.g. at a court or in a hotel etc. 
• We hear something from Sergius regarding the Swiss captain's family. Do you remember what 'The Man' had told Raina about his family ? Go back and refresh your memory.
• "horse-dealing" here Sergius is using a pun (using a word wwith two meanings for homour) : Horse dealing literally means the buying and selling of horses (which trade Sergius and Paul had had with the Swiss captain), it also describes what might be seen as unethical business practices in a more positive light,  In a further development of meaning, horse trading has come to refer specifically to political vote trading. e.g.The recent bill was passed in the Lok Sabha after some unseemly horse dealing. Now you can make a sentence of your own with this phrase.
• mock : pretended. e.g.The class 10's appeared for a mock ICSE Exam in October, in preparation for the true exam in February. Please write a sentence of your own with this word.
• Sergius says of the Swiss captain "he was a soldier : every inch a soldier" - he is saying this in the hearing of Raina - what had she called him ? Which is correct ?

Just this short section for today ! Please write the sentences and try and get a complete understanding of the section.

FOR GMS ICSE 2nd Sept

Ch 22 (Continued)

Today, we wish to take a step forward in Ch.22

Problems with a Cylinder considering the thickness of the cylinder

The last day, we worked at problems where we took it for granted that the cylinder had no thickness.

Today we take a real situation where most cylindrical shaped objects have some measurable thickness, for instance a water pipe ! You notice that then there will be

• an external radius / diameter / circumference / surface area
• an internal radius / diameter / circumference / surface area
• you will be able to find the volume of metal used 

We use the same formula

• external surface area = 2πRh (where R is the larger external radius)
• internal surface area = 2πrh (where r is the smaller internal radius)
• total surface area = [2πh(R + r) + 2π(R² – r²)]
• 2πh(R + r) is the surface area of the external + internal length of the cylinder
• 2π(R² – r²) is the surface area of the circular top and base of the cylinder, which is the area of the external circle - the area of the internal circle and this is doubled because it has a top and a base.
• volume of the metal in the cylinder will be πh(R² – r²) which is the volume of the external cylinder - the volume of the internal air space.

Now, kindly do the sum on pg.323 example 3 and Ex.22(A) nos 13 and 14 and in all three sums find

1. the total surface area of the open cylinder
2. the volume of the open cylinder.

So, these aren't too many sums to be done today are there ? All the best.