Essays

Parents do not want their children to idle away thentime at home. Instead, they want them to explore thru hidden talents, brush up their skills and become mencreative.

While most of the parents prefer their kids to joincoaching for dance, music and painting classes, other Want them to take up sports activities like skating, karate and swimming.

My most loving father ran from pillar to post to get me a seat for the summer camp in some hi-fi school in the mega city. He always made it a point to take me with him.

As he presented me to the principals of differentschools, one after the other, I felt small as if I were an Animal for sale or some saleable commodity. But I knewmy kind papa was only after my long term benefit.

We got the reply big "No" everywhere since everyschool was allowing only the students of its own school for the summer camp for which there was so much rush everywhere.

We wondered if our own school, though quite a goodme but situated in a small town, could adapt it sell to The' changing milieu.

A last my father met the Principal of our school and the idea clicked. In fact to our surprise Ms. Jyoti Verma, The enlightened Principal of our school had already made the arrangements for the summer camp and only The announcement regarding the same was to be made on the day my father met her. The announcement wasmade with enhanced excitement.

Now, let me recall the summer camp itself, held in our school campus. I need not explain that though the Participation was on voluntary basis, the response was tremendous.

In all, about 550 students participated in the summeri amp. They were divided into five groups I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII. Students of Group I were taught tolearn painting, music and dance for two hours daily.

Games based on mathematics, English and paintingwere taught to students of Group II. Group III students learnt scanning of photographs and playing games using joysticks.

Students of Group IV were taught surfing the Internet, slide presentation on power point and the concept of making software. Group V students learnt windows Expand HTML. I was in this group.

Only one had to inform a day or so earlier, so that properarrangements could be made for him or her alongwithothers who had given their consent earlier.

Such activities included hobbies like art, vocal and Instrumental music, giddha, bhangra, classical andkathakali dance, science, model making, making soft toys, casting, public speaking, etc.

There were certain activities which were done on daily basis. These included group discussion, mono-act in Histrionics, election, poetry recitation in English, Hindi and regional language, debates, declamation contest Paper reading, extempore public speaking, G.K. Quiz etc.

For pre-primary wing students there were about two hour activities such as block printing, paper mat. In Collage making, puppet making, mask making, tinhand painting and drawing, etc.

Everybody was marveled at her resourcefulNeither my father nor I nor anybody in the house grudged the one thousand rupees we had to pay in the fifteen day camp. Our school, always first was first to arrange such a camp in our town.