AVEC Mumbai: March 2013

Thursday, 21 March 2013

ST. THERESA'S HIGH SCHOOL - BANDRA: STD IX

ST. THERESA'S HIGH SCHOOL - BANDRA, STD IX VALUE ORIENTATION

March 20-21, 2013: At the request of Fr. John Mascharenhas, Principal St Theresa's High School - Bandra, three sessions were taken for 200 students of standard Nine over a two day period. Fr. Glenford Lowe and Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes conducted the 'Live your Life by a Value Compass' program. At the very outset, AVEC would like to congratulate the students for the very attentive and participatory way in which they responded to the entire session. Fr. Mascharenhas welcomed the guest speakers to the school and introduced them to the participants.

In all, three sessions were conducted for the students. The students were divided into smaller batches to facilitate better participation. The session began with a multi faith prayer song that invoked God's abundant blessings of health, peace, joy, love and hope on all. The students joined in the latter half of the prayer song. Mr. Rochwyn invited the students through a fantasy meditation that also included being aware of important highlights of their academic journey. All the three groups really took this exercise very seriously. He then introduced Fr. Glenn and gave a brief of the AVEC activities over the last three years.

Fr. Glenford Lowe challenged the students to look at life and the gift of time through a new perspective. When we Value Life and Time, two important resources and gifts, we are able to make life more meaningful and significant. "Value Education is an Education to becoming', he kept repeating. "A good Value compass enables us to reach there. But sad to say, many have lost their value compass, broken it or even traded it for something less valuable", he reminded them. "Today's session is a home work for all: to reconstruct our broken Value compass and begin the journey again". The students were really glued to every word that Fr. Glenn kept challenging them.

Through the use of a Powerful PowerPoint presentation, coupled with inspiring songs, True life stories and also from his own personal testimonies, he was able to bring home to the students the TWELVE IMPORTANT VALUES that can make one's life more meaningful. The interaction between the students and the daily true life examples kept the students attention all through. Fr. Glenford Lowe, invited the students to look at Twelve Values that need to be imbibed in order to make a meaningful and fruitful life. He challenged the students to start by having a 'Winner Attitude'. Once we Value a 'win-win' situation in life and see the optimistic side of life, the journey of life becomes more interesting and worthwhile.Other important values were the importance of 'Being a Team Player', Communicating Effectively, Exuding Confidence, Honing Creative Skills, Multi Tasking and Prioritizing One's Time and Schedules, Being Honest and Accountable, Motivating and Leading Others, and the need to Live a 'Balanced and Abundant Life'. Living and directing one's life by a Value compass is indeed important.

At the end of the three sessions, a number of students came forward to write their words of appreciation in the AVEC log book:

"Yes, today's session was really good and it inspired me about my life" - Zaid Khan IX-C

"I really liked the session" Patni Saad IX-B

"A very meaningful session that showed us the importance of life" - Shahzad Shaikh IX-B

"It was very interesting and easily understandable too" - Shaikh Salman IX-B
"I know I have to live life King Size from now on" - Faisal Zindran IX-B
"Have a winner attitude" - Abuaas Farooque IX -B

"It was very interesting and I taught us how to be good persons in life" - Yusuf Shaikh IX - B
"This seminar has taught us the Value of education too" - Umesh Makwana IX-C
"It was very meaningful and special for me" - Shaikh Huzaifa IX-B

"It was very good for us in the long run of life" - Kapil Ganwani IX-C
"This seminar was very good for us students" - Shabez Khan IX-C
"I liked it very much" - Mustakam Khan IX-C

"It was presented very well and we understood it" - Harshal Kolaviya IX-C
"It was a very nice experience meeting Father Glenn" - Shobit Dubey IX-C
"This seminar will turn me from being good to being the best" - Shaibaz Ahmed IX-C

"Thank you for helping me and to think about my life.. it gave me the courage to dream and to think big too" - Sadik IX - D
"Thank you for giving us courage and showing us something about our life and also about our country. We promise that we will improve in our lives" - Vishal Tak IX-D

"This seminar changed my way of thinking. It helped me to look at things and situations in a completely different way. This helped me to think differently too" - Nathan Rodrigues IX C
"Due too this session I was made to think creatively. I also learnt the importance to never let go and to have a Winner Attitude" - Sarfaraz Siddique IX-C

"This seminar was motivating and I changed the way I used to think. I have now learnt to respect life" - Fernandes Jordan George IX-A
"This seminar was very inspiring. It helped me in many ways and the way in which I think about others and myself" - Shawn Fernandes IX-A

This seminar was really good and I had fun too by attending this seminar" - Roshan DSouza IX-B
"This seminar challenged me to live life meaningfully. It was an inspiring seminar which made me a Valuable person too. thank you Father Glenford for this seminar" - Arshad Shaikh IX-A

"This seminar really helped me to plan for m\y future and thanks to Fr. Glenford Lowe and team" - Manzoor Ali IX-A

Congratulations to all the students of Standard Nine for your whole hearted cooperation and participation all through the three sessions.God bless you all and may your lives be more meaningful and Make A Difference too.

Saturday, 16 March 2013

ST. STANISLAUS HIGH SCHOOL, BANDRA: VIII STD ORIENTATION

ST. STANISLAUS HIGH SCHOOL - BANDRA: STD VIII VALUE ORIENTATION PROGRAM

March 16, 2013: The AVEC team today visited St. Stanislaus High School - Bandra to conduct a three-hour Value Orientation program for 208 students of STD VIIII. The Principal, Fr. Jude welcomed the guest speakers and introduced them to the students in the school auditorium. This was the first of its kind for the students.

Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes, Project Coordinator of AVEC began the session with a brief introduction followed by a Prayer Song that invoked blessings on each one. He then took the students through a time of personal relaxation coupled with a fantasy meditation that enabled the students to sync with their breath and the daily activities of a student. Most of the students took this session seriously. He then introduced Fr. Glenford Lowe, sdb - Director of AVEC, and invited the students to pay attention to the session ahead.

Fr. Glenford Lowe began the session by asking the students to look at the level of their contribution to society and their outlook of life. The theme for the day was: 'Live your Life by a Value Compass'. "If your life is not guided by a Value Compass, then you are bound to be lost along the way", he said. The students were asked to self evaluate their life in terms of being a 'Light house', a 'Wheel barrow' or a 'Magic Bouncing Ball'. Light house students have a firm Value based foundation and it helps them to shine their light and save lives too, wheel barrows have no inner drive, they need to be constantly pushed around. Magic bouncing balls look nice and colorful on the outside but are directionless and unpredictable too. Using the examples of Kia Scherr and little Ryan Well's Foundation, he challenged the students to start Making A Difference too.

In the next session that followed, Fr. Glenford, with the help of a PowerPoint presentation, spoke to the students about Twelve Important Diamond Values and Skills that were necessary to live a Value based life. He spoke on the need to reset one's Value compass and to set a direction in one's life. The important Values given were: the Power of a Winning Attitude, the Synergy in Team Work, the Value of communicating Effectively even our 'sad stories', the energy in Confidence, the joy in Creativity, the nobleness in Motivating and Leading others, the Quality of Multitasking and Prioritizing one's schedules, the need to learn to 'fall forward' and learn from criticisms, the art of being accountable and transparent, the need for a well Balanced life in Body-Mind-Heart- Soul and lastly, living a Life of Abundance. With the use of a number of powerful Video clips and true life stories, the students went through this three hour program with an open heart. Though it was a bit long and tiring, being at the end of a day, they were still able to get the messages clearly. Sr. Vera, resource personnel from AVEC also participated in the event.

Sr. Gloria, FMA, Vice Principal concluded the day with a vote of thanks on behalf of the students and management.A few students came forward to write their observations in the AVEC log book:

"It was a very good session especially with the inspirational videos too. The point that struck me the the importance of the Value of Team Work. There was much more that impressed me but I have no time to express it now" - Warren D'Silva VIII-A

"It was a very interesting session and we learnt many important Values and we should be focused on our future" - Rahul D'Silva VIII - B

"It was an interesting session. We had many things to learn. One thing that I would like to share is that we must never give up in life and always go for it. The most important for me also the Value of Team work" - Jesdin Raphael VIII - C

"This session was required because it was necessary to enlighten us at this important time of our exams. It makes a lot of efforts for AVEC to give these wonderful thoughts and Values for life. Thank you to much AVEC" - Ansh Shah VIII - D

Thanks to Fr. Jude, principal of the School and Sr. Gloria for inviting us for this Orientation program. We pray God's blessing on each one of the students and wish them every success in their examinations.