Two informative workshops were organized for the teachers of DPS, RK Puram on 12 September, 2018 in the AVH. The sessions were coordinated by Ms. Vandana Chadhoke and Ms. Niva Chhonkar.
Session 1
New Guidelines: Foreign Admissions
Ms.Ambika Kaul
The first one was an interactive session on Foreign Admissions by Ms. Ambika Kaul, Education and Career Counsellor. DPS R.K.Puram has an unmatched record for international admissions. A large number of institutes are coming up with brilliant offers for the applicants of 2019. Ms.Ambika Kaul, who is handling International admissions, expressed her concern about the changing trends this year in the application process. She elaborated on the need to not just know about foreign universities, but also their admission processes, drafting applications, timeline and the documents required by different countries.
She informed the teachers that normally universities abroad, especially in the U.S. and even those in the Asia Pacific region require a sound SAT score. Other universities in the U.K. and Europe require adequate proof of written and spoken English proficiency through academic grading as well as special tests like IELTS and TOEFL. She also stressed that apart from subject expertise, students require skills like critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, etc. The need for strict privacy in giving predicted scores and making letters of recommendations to which the child does not have access, was discussed. Ms.Ambika told the audience that a system will be put in place for the same by Mr.Mukesh Kumar. Caution needs to be exercised in giving predicted scores which are not inflated. They should be awarded keeping in mind the student’s abilities and performance.
The Principal, Ms. Vanita Sehgal discussed the nuances teachers must keep in mind while writing a good letter of recommendation especially the personal touch e.g. anecdotes about the student etc. The session ended after an interactive Question and Answer round.
Session 2
Cancer- Intervention for Primary Prevention
Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Preventive Oncology, AIIMS
In an effort to explore opportunities for cancer prevention, an interactive session `Cancer- Intervention for Primary Prevention’ was organized. Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Preventive Oncology at AIIMS was felicitated by the Vice Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan.
Dr. Abhishek declared cancer as a highly curable disease especially if detected early. He urged the teachers to change their perception about cancer. He informed them that over 50 % of the cancers are preventable, with the guidance of experts and age-appropriate, timely screening. He condemned the pseudo knowledge of cancer propagated through social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. He urged the teachers to be ‘Cancer educated’. He talked about various myths related to the disease. He further elaborated on the positive lifestyle changes that can be made to reduce the risk.Proper breast self-examination techniques and Mammogram guidelines were also discussed. He highlighted the importance of detection and different strategies to detect. He ended the session with the stress on the need to prioritize health check-ups. The Vice Principal, Dr. Renu Nayar, extended the vote of thanks.
