“Painting is a blind man’s profession. He paints not what he sees, but what what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen.” ~ Pablo Picasso

FAIPS-DPS had organised an online art competition for the students of classes I to XII and IGCSE based on the theme ‘United Against Corona’ and related aspects like social distancing, quarantine, safety & hygiene and tribute to healthcare workers. The deadline for the submission of the works was 20th April 2020. The Vincis, the Picassos & the Monets of our school from all the classes tried to beautifully express their emotions, feelings, ideas and innovative thoughts on COVID-19 through any medium. The winners, with their extraordinary masterpieces, were declared on the official school website . 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Consolation prizes were given out from each grade. The best art works will be sent to India for an International contest. These will be evaluated by a higher level jury. The art works of the students who win there, under each category, will then be exhibited in leading galleries in India. An online exhibition of these art works will be on display as well. A Grand Finale for the exhibition will be conducted in New Delhi with a cultural function and prize giving ceremony.

Victor Hugo once said, “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent”. Music can induce such an intense feeling within our hearts and bind us with other people irrespective of religion and culture.

In honour of our devoted mothers, FAIPS had held an online inter-class “Mother-Child Duo Singing Competition” for classes V to XII including IGCSE. Interested students were advised to sing a song with their mother and post the recording on YouTube. This competition was the first online music competition organized by the school and a total of fifty-nine (59) participants sang in different languages, such as Hindi, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Marathi, Kanada, etc. All the songs were mellifluous and harmonious to hear. The winners were decided by three honourable judges, Mr. Sunil George, Mr. Mathew, and Mr. Anterro Baretto. All three judges have a profound passion for music and have earned a distinct reputation in the society. Despite the stiff competition between the participants and keeping the current situation into consideration, the judges were able to pass their judgments within the short-stipulated time, and on the 10th of May the results were announced.

The purpose of this competition was to bring out the talents within the students and unite different cultures to bring harmony and tranquility among the people. At the end of the day, all the children were delighted to partake in the competition.

FAIPS DPS has always worked towards the wellbeing of its students and while still under lockdown, the school has shown that there is no lockdown of fun and creativity. During May, an online dance competition. using the video platform Youtube, was held by FAIPS DPS for students from class 5 to 12 and IGCSE. The categories were Indian and western styles of dance and were grouped as solo and duet (with a sibling). The Indian section was divided into semi-classical, folk and contemporary while the western was freestyle.

In the western style (solo and duet) the duration of the dance was 2-3 minutes. In the duet form of dance, only siblings(from FAIPS) were allowed to participate. The western dance had to be recorded in one take and no editing was allowed. These dance videos judged based on their choreography, presentation, execution, rhythm and expression. The dancers presented a unique form of expression and were very graceful on their feet.

The Indian style was also divided into solo and duet. In the solo category, dancers could perform folk, semi-classical, or contemporary form (classes 9 to 12 and IGCSE only) of dance. The theme for contemporary was based on the pandemic and the changing world. The duration of the dance was 2 to 3 minutes. The duration of contemporary dance was 2 to 4 minutes. The dance videos were judged based on their choreography, rhythm, presentation, expression, and justification (only for contemporary). The dancers were well-coordinated and extremely graceful with their movements. This was an intraclass competition and the winners from each class were awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. All participants were given participation certificates. There were a total of 78 entries in the Indian style and 43 in the western style.

‘Unusual times call for unusual activities’. Keeping this adage in mind FAIPS (DPS) conducted its first pathbreaking Online Inter school Hindi Debate Competition for the students of Grades 9 & 10 across all the Indian Schools in Kuwait. The event held on Zoom on Thursday; 11th June, 2020 was on the topic– “Corona- Ek Kadwa Sach”. Participants of eight Indian schools in Kuwait vied for top honours by presenting their views both for and against the motion. It was an effective and impactful discussion wherein the youngsters displayed their exemplary oratory skills to a panel of eminent judges joined from India viz Dr. Meenakshi Agarwal, Ms. Manju Mittal and Ms. Akriti Khanna. After a heated debate and a rigorous questioning session, India International School, Mangaf emerged 1st, followed by Indian Learners Own Academy and Indian Community School Kuwait, Khaitan in the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. FAIPS(DPS) contestants, Asmi Choudhary (Grade 10) and Aashka Bhavsar (Grade 9) gave an outstanding performance with their powerful eloquence. Despite that, FAIPS(DPS)decided to relinquish its supremacy to honour its role as the host of the event. The idea of an Online Inter School Debate Competition was initiated by the Principal, Mr. Ravi Ayanoli to engage students creatively during the pandemic locked down period and to provide them a platform for showcasing their debating skills in Hindi. It also enabled both teachers and students to make the best use of this transformative experience of debating online. The Principal also appreciated the efforts of the teachers of Hindi Department for training students even in this difficult time. The event was a huge success and an enriching experience for all.

Encapsulating the spirit of debating, FAIPS (DPS) organised an Online Inter School English Debate Competition on Saturday, 13th June 2020, on the Zoom platform. This was another successful event organised by the School to make the current lockdown period stress free for the students and to enable them to articulate their thoughts and ideas freely. The topic of the debate, ‘POST COVID 19 – A GAME CHANGER FOR THE FUTURE’, attracted active participation from nine Indian schools across Kuwait, with two contestants from each participating school, one speaking ‘For’ and the other ‘Against’ the given proposition. Mrs. Jyoti Kathju, Mr. Surya Prakash and Mr. Xavier Muthu, all eminent personalities in the field of public speaking joined in from India and Kuwait as judges for the competition.

The participants, armed with supporting data, displayed right facial expressions and voice modulation to make their arguments emphatic. The judges and the audience were left speechless as they argued, and counter argued during the rebuttal rounds demonstrating their eloquence and clarity of thought.

The First place was bagged by Indian Learners Own Academy while the Second position was jointly shared by The Indian Community School Kuwait (Seniors) and Integrated Indian School. The Third position was secured by Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS). FAIPS participants, Anshel Saldanha (Gr.12) and Haleema Hana Shamsheer (Gr.11) clearly overshadowed their competitors with their sheer persuasive prowess and articulation. But exemplifying the elegance of a host, FAIPS chose to keep out of the honours list graciously. Strongly believing in perfect teamwork, the Principal Mr. Ravi Ayanoli credited the remarkable success of the event to the Department of English and to the entire committee set up for the debate. The display put up by the students made the online event truly memorable.

As the country is combating a pandemic on a war footing, FAIPS (DPS) is leaving no stone unturned to deliver its best even in such unprecedented times. The school is not only helping the students in academics, but also involving them in various activities to make them invest their day in a better and productive manner. DPS has brought education in its true sense to the doorstep of its students. The competition was an enthralling experience for everyone.

At FAIPS, we have always believed that knowledge isn’t true power but it is the implementation of it that bears fruit. This was the purpose of organizing the 4th Session of FAIPS Inter House Model United Nations 2020 with 54 delegates from 6 houses and 11 Secretariat members which was held online on ZOOM application.

With the support and encouragement of the Principal, Vice Principal, Headmistress and teachers the event was a true success. It was organized by the Secretariat members in grade 12, with Dwiti Ponda as the Secretary General and Aryan Nair as the Director General. There were 3 committees with topics that redefine global balance.

In recognition of the dire need to address the all-encompassing alarming atmosphere created by the Covid19 pandemic, a committee for the World Health Organization, with Dwiti Ponda and Soumya Bhasin as the Director, was set up. Its aim was combating the Covid19 pandemic. The session begun with the veto powers and neighboring countries expressing their stance on the situation, which was then followed by a heated debate on the policies and methods adopted by various nations for tackling the present scenario.

The committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency, with Shubhangi Sharma as the Director, was set up to discuss the topic ‘Nuclear Disaster Prevention and Response’.In committee, countries talked about the intricacies of nuclear disaster prevention and response. Discussions were centered upon how governments and companies should take responsibility and provide a quick and efficient disaster response system and also upon the implementation of a preventions system for these disasters.

The agenda of The United Nations Security Council was ‘Assessing and Minimizing the usage of Biochemical weapons’ with Aryan Nair as the Director. Delegates took charge exceedingly early on during committee and continued to raise motions to further solve this vast topic. Throughout the course of the committee sessions, the delegates were faced with a variety of crises that often challenged their stances and forced them to approach committee in a new way. A resolution was agreed upon during committee and was successfully passed.

With the keen enthusiasm and mind-boggling statements made by the delegates, the session proved to be an interactive and fruitful one.This event marked as an important one for FAIPS. In trying times like the coronavirus pandemic the FAIPS family has once again proven their unity.

An enthusiastic team of 6 delegates from FAIPS displayed their vitality, zest and passion for MUN by participating in an e-BMUN competition organized by Bhavans School on Saturday, 30th May, 2020 on ZOOM. Out of the 9 schools that participated in the competition, FAIPS outshone others by winning the Best Delegation award with a total of 7 prizes. The FAIPS team represented 2 committees: ECOFIN and UNGA.UNGA debated on the spread of the pandemic resulting in severing ties between USA and China while working out a solution to restore peace and cooperation. . The delegates of ECOFIN, on the other hand discussed the economic aspects of the pandemic with heated debates between USA, China and their allies. As delegates struggled to gain support for their opinions and solutions, crises and updates made their committee lively. The delegates of FAIPS led blocs and put in all their energy to come up with effective solutions.

Dwiti Ponda from UNGA committee won the Best Speaker and Best Position Paper award. Shubhangi Sharma secured the 2nd runner up award under the Best Speaker category while, Soumya Bhasin won the runner up award under Best Position Paper category. Earning acclaim as “the Tiger-speakers of MUN 2020 online” from the host school principal, Rohan Raju and Abhishek Singh, delegates of ECOFIN, won the Best Speaker and Best Delegate award respectively. Rohan Raju was also awarded the runner up position for Best Position Paper. The delegates, with the support of their teachers and school, were able to make the best use of this transformative experience to train them to be the global leaders of tomorrow. The Principal, Mr. Ravi Ayanoli congratulated the FAIPS team and appreciated the efforts of the teachers in training the students, even in this difficult pandemic times. The event was a memorable and enriching experience for the students.

As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a potentially era-defining challenge to humanity. Even during this unprecedented crisis all over the world, FAIPS (DPS) has been able to give the students of all CBSE Schools in Kuwait an opportunity to express their dancing skills and bring out the colours of life through each dance step. An Online Inter-School Solo and Duet Dance Competition was conducted by our school for the students of classes V-XII.

The applicants of the competition could perform either a solo or a duet item and were grouped into Junior and Senior categories. The genres allowed as entries were semi-classical with contemporary, folk dance, and duet freestyle, each with a permissible duration of 2-4 minutes. The dancers were also given the opportunity to upload their videos on the popular platform, YouTube. The last date for uploading the videos was June 10, 2020.

Also, it is a great pleasure to inform that FAIPS was blessed to have a proficient panel of judges for the competition. They were able to recognise and award the mesmerising and flawless moves of the phenomenally talented dancers. However, the results are expected to be declared by the last week of June 2020. Winners of the competition will be awarded 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd prizes in each event and under each category. Certificates of Participation will be given to all the participants as incentives since we believe that attempting is just as great and important as winning.