Reaching Out

Avenues of Self-Expression

Activity Time!

It is well-documented that extra-curricular activities are vital to a student's overall performance in school and can be linked to their later successes. They provide an avenue for selfexpression in a safe environment and carries on the work of education after traditional class-room time has ended. Nasr started Activity Classes way back in 1991 with five activities and now conducts thirty-one extra-curricular classes with activities ranging from guitar, rangoli designing, gift wrapping and sepaktakraw.

Clubs-Helping you reach your vision of the future!

The first club formed in Nasr was the Nasr Dramatic Society, after which followed Red Cross and Nature Club and more recently, the Movie Appreciation Club and the Literary Club. Students look eagerly forward to joining clubs at the beginning of the academic year, waiting to find out their respective niche in school dynamics. The clubs offer the students the avenue to put their talent, skills and passion to work.

Competitions - Striving to be the best!

Talent is always encouraged and nurtured at Nasr. Students are provided the exposure to exhibit and enhance their inherent talents through participation in various inter-school competitions.

Share the knowledge!

Realising the importance of exposure to different academic and cultural environments, Nasr began an exchange programme with Raffles School in Singapore which has been a great success. At present, Nasr is contemplating an exchange student programme with Germany for its students who have taken German as their third Language.

Touching Lives

I joined Nasr when it was in its infancy – I have seen the school grow by leaps and bounds. There was something special in the school which attracted me - the teachers were expected not only to train the students in academics, but also teach them values and contribute to society.

The Nasr fraternity realized the importance of this aspect in life even before S.U.P.W. (Socially Useful Productive Work) was considered an essential criteria to get the pass certificate by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. The credit goes to the Founder Principal and now Secretary, Nasr Education Society, Begum Anees Khan.

Teachers and students have always been involved at various points of time to "Touching Lives Forever"- the theme of the 45th Year Celebrations this year.

I will briefly trace the various activities in which students of various batches of Nasr participated.

In the beginning, our students would go to the Balwadis in the Old City under the auspices of the Indo-Dutch Project headed by Dr. H.W. Butt. The students would prepare charts and other teaching aids, prepare action stories and games to keep the lesser privileged girls occupied. Both groups would look forward to meeting each other and share their views, find solutions to their problems and make use of the time spent together.

A small village in Rajmundry met with a natural disaster. In keeping with the tradition of extending a helping hand, two teachers and a group of students went to the affected area. Our contribution may have been like a drop in the ocean, but the impact on the tender minds by giving things themselves was immense.

The staff and students came forward again to help in a similar disaster in Latur which was affected by an earthquake. They personally handed over the essential food items and clothes to the affected people. Behind this was another motive - that the students coming from well -to -do families should realize what the other side of life entails.

Our students also contributed to "Save a Heart" a campaign launched by Care Hospital. This was specifically for heart surgeries of infants. The amount was presented to Dr. Somraju, a leading Cardiologist – this effort by the students was appreciated.

Lives Forever

Another year, students visited the school for mentally challenged at Niloufer Hospital and chalked out individual plans of study for each handicapped child.

Nasr girls have also touched the lives of children affected with HIV through various non-governmental organisations. Students who want to involve themselves in Social activities become part of the Red Cross. They put up food stalls in the school premises and the money collected is given to pay the annual fees for a child in the SOS village. Not only do students respond in kind, but they also give of their time. They have entertained inmates of Old Age Homes as part of their SUPW projects. These moments are treasured by the senior citizens of these Homes.

Nasr Literacy Centre was started in March, 1992 when members of the Nasr Education Society felt the need to educate the underprivileged girls from neighbouring localities. Free education along with books, uniforms and career counselling is given to the girls. This is a project taken up by the Management of the Nasr Education Society

When floods played havoc in Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the staff and students collected money for the inhabitants of Rajoli Village that had been washed away. This village housed master craftsmen famous for weaving Gadwal sarees. A cheque of Rupees 3 lakhs was presented to help them buy Jacquard machines for the weaving looms.

Some of our ex-students who have been associated with the Nasr Dramatic Society have formed theatre groups of their own. They put up shows through sponsorship and the amount thus collected is given to different charity organisations. Two of our students Afrah Saleem and Naina Thirani were declared as the Horlicks Wiz Kids – South Region. They took up projects where they helped orphanages in the city. They presented their reports and won accolades for their contribution to society.

Henrik Ibsen has rightly said "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed". The message of helping the needy has spread far and wide through our ex-students in whom the values of compassion, sympathy, kindness, concern …. have been deeply engrained.

I hope and pray that the future generations will 'touch lives for ever' in the years to come.

Mrs. Usha Dham
ISC Incharge

Reaching for the Sky!

Reaching for the sky is not a one time act; it is an attitude to keep striving for the best that is cultivated in every Nasrite. It embodies a set of values that demand continuous self reflection and improvement of one's performance; with a conviction that life is not easy, but with the right support and a never say die attitude, one can be successful.

Further for a flight to be successful, not only is solid ground work and preparation required, but an ability to anticipate and adapt to changes is necessary. Nasr's success is largely due to the tenacity and conviction with which it upholds its vision and academic traditions, yet initiates changes rather than try to react and adjust to them.

How is the attitude to reach for the sky developed at Nasr?

In my 24 years as a Counsellor with Nasr, I have seen it developed through a safe, loving, caring and fear free environment. Exposing students to myriad activities develops in them a spirit to try new things and inculcates perseverance and patience to accomplish them. The joy of learning with friends in the long run makes them good team members. A process of self reflection helps them understand who they are and what to aspire for. As they transit to High School, they learn to take responsibility through a right mix of freedom and discipline. High expectations and an emphasis on strong values of integrity, service to society and respect for mankind are all along stressed. The Interact Club and SUPW projects groom students to take up leadership roles. Through various outreach programs undertaken for the betterment of society, they come to understand the importance of balance between theory and practice. So deeply ingrained are these powerful experiences , that our students continue to pursue and excel in whatever they undertake, inspiring and leading their peers in colleges and their work spheres to do the same.

I remember vividly how during the Latur earthquake students, parents and teachers all pitched in to achieve a target to support a house for 10 orphans for 3 years. Working for Child Rights, Nasr's ongoing commitment to ameliorate the underprivileged is seen through its Nasr Literacy Centre for school dropouts.

Be it academics, extra curricular activities, or helping those in need , the whole Nasr fraternity tries to reach for the sky in all its endeavors.

Zenobia Rustomfram
Student Counsellor (1987-to date)