milestone articles(final) (3)

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
MANAGING DIRECTOR:
DHANUNJAYA VALLABHANENI
PRINCIPAL:
SEETHA MURTHY
VICE PRINCIPAL:
RACHNA SHARMA
SENIOR WING HEAD
BHASKAR RATNA

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
CULTURES
Cultures is a way of life with the certain set of practices and
thoughts which helps in carving the character of a person.
Silver Oaks created a sustainable culture where people
Speak Softly and Pleasantly
Smile Always
Be Positive and Progressive
Feel good Look good and Do good
Have and
Confidence
Show

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
VISION
While hindsight and foresight help in focused actions,
long term vision helps clarity in purpose.
The school’s vision is to groom young people who will:
Live for a purpose
Learn to apply
Lead with determination
Leave a timeless legacy
Mission
To integrate into teaching and learning, the goals for
conservation and social justice; To develop civic virtues and
emotional skills that can empower our acorns to be icons of
personal and social change who will play leading roles in the
transition to a sustainable future.
Motto

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Written by Sir Rabindranath Tagore,
“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”
Turned into the motto of the school and the acorns.
Editorial Team Grade 10
Nischith Nadendla, Grade 10 Tuskers
Sarthak Chadha, Grade 10 Tuskers
Aishwaryaa Saraswati, Grade 10 Swifts
Prajwal Sastry, Grade 10 Paraspears
TEACHER COORDINATOR
Maitrayee Dey

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Reopening day
On the bright, sunny day of 12 th June, the senior school building
of Silver Oaks International School was bustling with joy and
energy. It was after all the reopening day for the leaders at senior
school. After a long, rejuvenating summer break, the acorns
smartly marched into the school with beautiful memories of their
summer break. Since it was a long break,
our principal and vice principal ma'am felt
that the students should be given time to
discuss and talk about their 2 month break
with their friends and teachers.
After about an hour, a special assembly
was held in the AC auditorium of our
school. The senior school students from
grade 7- 10 were addressed by the
Director , the Principal and Vice Principal
of the school. The assembly's main
agenda was to emphasize on the theme of
this academic year i.e Value Creation. This year’s goal focused
on creating values that reflected our ideas and helped make these
values more personalised to us.
To start off with this, each class from the senior school came up
with a value agreed by the entire class. The value depicted what
the entire class wanted to carry forward and preach to others and

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
themselves. Also, another initiative called ‘I clean my mess' was
also started. This initiative emphasized on keeping our
surroundings clean and volunteering to clean any ‘mess' that we
create. The first day one at school after break was fun-filled and
joyous. It was indeed a day filled with happiness and
responsibility.
Value Creation
“A value is a value if the value of the value is valuable to
you” -Anonymous
Every year, we in our school come up with a goal, something to
fulfill or a way to make ourselves better people in the year which
will be going by. In the academic year 2019-20, we have come up
with the common goal of ‘Value Creation.’
We all have an ideology that grounds us, a philosophy that drives
us or put in better words, a value that guides us. That one word or
phrase that defines who we are as a person is what we call a

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
value. The goal of the year is to find or in some cases create that
value. It could be anything ranging from something as tangible as
fitness or as abstract as generosity.
World leaders and role models like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson
Mandela had values that changed the course of history, those of
non-violence and universal welfare influenced the lives of millions.
We may not be able to do the same and change the world, but we
will certainly be able to change ourselves.
Our core values drive us to take all kinds of decisions in our
lives.In order to understand what values we want to hone in
ourselves, we did an activity on the first day in school after
reopening.We had to dive deep into ourselves and search for
what that core value is that guides us. All of us came up with the
most mind-boggling ideologies that would drive a reader into deep
self introspection.
We also came up with a common goal per class.It was that goal
being driven by the value which we would like to work upon as a
whole, meaning everyone in the class striving towards a common
target. Working together to create an initiative that invoked a
sense of true unity in all of us. All this thought about who we truly
are and what kind of person we want to be, made us realise that
there is still a lot that can be done to make us the best version of
ourselves.
Through the ups and downs of life, one of the only parts of us
which should always stay with us are our core beliefs and values.
No matter what the situation may be presented before us we

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
should never forget our values. This year’s initiative of ‘Value
Creation’ is a truly remarkable goal.
Univariety
"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do
something about it now."-Anonymous
The students of grade 9 have started planning for making sure
that their careers are laid out in front of them. They got an
inspiring talk from the counselor Mr. Nikhilesh, who covered
profile building and what matters for careers in the future, the
rapid pace at which the world dynamics are changing and so are
the careers.He also briefed us about how to not get sidetracked or
confused while making a career choice. He also gave us a few
examples of some of the alumni of our school and their career
journey. As a bonus, the students inaugurated an account where
all the planning was to be done and could ask the counsellors if
any questions persisted. The account was where the students’
intellectual ability and interests were tested and were noted, after
which career options were counselled. Overall, the students did
have fun testing out their accounts, sitting with their parents for
contemplating about the career options.
The 9 graders sure for themselves a big task going forward as
they have to choose from a wide array of options for careers.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Yoga day
"Yoga is not about touching your toes but what you learn while going
down there." –Jigar Gor
Yoga is a discipline to improve or develop one's inherent powers
in a balanced manner and indeed were the Acorns willing to
unlock them while celebrating International Yoga Day.The
Acorns at Silver Oaks International School had the ‘stretchiest’
day on 21st June’ 2019. International Yoga Day, which was
officially declared by the UN, is celebrated all around the world.
All the grades at Silver Oaks had a yoga session which lasted for
30-45 minutes each. Pranayamas freshened up the day for the
students and Asanas got piling up shirts. Surya Namaskaras,
Vajrasana sure did get us extend our arms and legs in angles, but
the question remains about how well can we acorns actually
stretch? Turns out, we can ALL stretch pretty well. Hands on our
hips and bending back got everyone suppressing giggles as well.
But at the end of the session, nobody was giggling or laughing.
We were all meditating with a serene melody playing in the
background. It took us 10 minutes to disperse out of the
Auditorium because all of us were giddy and sleepy with
meditation and for a fact, yoga helped us a lot because all the
acorns had a charismatic, fresh and bright feeling for the next 5
hours.
The Student Government

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Every academic year we, the acorns of Silver Oaks, gets an
opportunity to be leaders. We all are aware that we are self
motivated and patient people and we can all lead ourselves
perfectly well, but our school gives us a chance to formally hold a
position of power. This gives the students to outwardly show the
world that we are acorns with strong character and we are willing
to make a change. We call the group of leaders as our ‘Student
Government,’ and as we support equal rights, we have an
election which abides by most of the norms of our Indian
Constitution.
As a former student council member, I can personally say that it
feels good to show the people around you how well you can lead.
It is truly an honour to hold such a prestigious position among
other leaders. The roles in the
student government are inspired
by the Indian government.
❖ MLA- Class Level
❖ MP- Grade Level
❖ PM-School Level
❖ Vice President- School
Level
❖ President- School Level
Our school's procedure for
appointing the student council is roughly divided into four major
sections.
● Nomination
● Campaigning
● Election
● Investiture

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Nominations
This year we followed a slightly different pattern for the
nomination for our candidates.To test whether the self-nominated
candidates were actually serious about contesting and running
the office and whether they were really deserving, was done
through a series of screenings. After a long line of evaluations by
friends, teachers and the students themselves were done, the two
most appropriate candidates or in some tight and rare cases three
were chosen.
Going through such a bloodbath and coming out alive is a feather
in the cap of the selected nominees but there was still more to
come.
An interesting quirk of our student body elections is that many
posts are contested for together by two people, this might a little
mind bending, but it is simple- two students contest together as
one candidate for a single post.
Campaigning
Now this was the hard part, to win the hearts of voters and
convince them of your vision for the collective good for one and
all. For about one week all the candidates got a chance to
campaign, spread their ideologies and try their best to win the
elections. Our acorns display a spirit of healthy and this is what
makes us true leaders.
The candidates contesting for school-wide positions gave
speeches in an auditorium, but what was most notable was the
presidential debate. Inspired from practices in the USA, our
school held a debate for both the candidates and they were asked
to answer questions about their agenda, campaign, and eligibility.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
It was a cutthroat but friendly competition and was interesting to
watch.
Elections
After one whole week of tireless non stop campaigning came the
day of judgment. On one fine Monday morning, all students cast
their votes in an awe-inspiring moment.We actually got an
opportunity to exercise our voting rights in school itself which we
normally can exercise only after the age of 18. We have the
facility of online electronic voting which gets the results out
considerably faster.
Investiture
Now comes the most anticipated part of the process, the time of
the results.The winners were announced the next day before the
whole school.The most amazing fact- two of the three major
positions were held by two people contesting as one.
The Investiture Ceremony was the most awaited moment for the
newly elected student government body.Donning the mantle of
accountability, they pledged to bestow their duties to the best of
their abilities before principal ma'am Ms. Seetha Murthy and
Director Sir Mr. Dhanunjaya.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
It was a true delight watching deserving candidates gaining a
sense of power and pride
representing all the acorns of Silver
Oaks.As the journey of the student
government began,the toughest
obstacle before them was to work in
collaboration with other government
body members in carrying out their
duties and by truly upholding the
spirit of democracy.
International Crops Research Institution for Semi Arid
Tropics
ICRISAT, is an institute for crop research with its headquarters in
Hyderabad.This year the 10th graders were taken so that we
could acquire some practical knowledge about agriculture. Like
always we had fun on the ride there, but were stunned by what
we saw when we went in. All of us expected a bunch of buildings
and labs, but we were blown away by the lack of buildings and
vast area of plants and ponds. We were truly in for a treat.
The man who greeted us enlightened us on what it meant to work
in ICRISAT. In his terms, a country is not truly independent until
they can satisfy their own food requirements. This statement put
us all into deep thought and it actually did make sense. He also
showed us a few videos and presentation regarding the various
things that happen in ICRISAT. We all were amazed to see how a
small investment could change the destiny of people. With the
guidance of this institute a village, with acute water shortage, was

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
transformed into a thriving agricultural area.Surprisingly, it was all
done by the village people itself.
After a short while, we were able to see ICRISAT in its true form ,
with volcanic black soil on one
side and red soil on the other.This
area was perfect for experiments.
After looking at a few
mesmerising ponds and soothing
farms we were seated for a finger
liking lunch comprising of food
grown in the institute itself.
At a time when we have
somewhat become a machine
driven by technology, a visit to ICRISAT definitely took us back to
our basics.Being close to mother Earth was an experience worth
remembering for the rest of our lives.
Silver Oaks Model United Nations
“With great power, comes great responsibility,” this is a
common phrase that all us millennials know, but what can be
more powerful than representing a whole country.It is precisely
what we did for 3 days, show ourselves to the whole world, almost
literally.
Our seniors organised a MUN, which is the short form for Model
United Nations.It witnessed an overwhelming participation of
more than 200 participants. A well thought and planned approach
is what led to a successful event in which almost everyone spoke

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
up. Imitating a real United Nations conference with three
committees- Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee,
Disarmament and International Security and Centre for
Science and Technological Development.We tackled real world
problems and came up with solutions as a group. It was a great
platform for making new friends and learning to work together as
countries and making various resolutions with the consensus of
the whole committee. While learning to communicate, persuade,
collaborate, debate and deliberate, we all also had fun. Some of
us stayed up for hours together trying to save the world. It was all
about split second decision making and team work in the MUN.
A MUN encourages many young minds to open and give vent to
their opinions before a large audience. It gave us an insight about
the realities of the world. There will always be someone trying to
pull you down but there will always be those who will stand beside
you through thick and thin.
Silveroaks MUN was an experience of a lifetime, where we all
made everlasting memories and friendships, but also saved the
world in the process.
Motivation Through Success (award ceremony)
On the 11th of August 2019, Silver Oaks International
School hosted a program to applaud all the students who
had scored above 90% in their 10th and 12th boards. The

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
subject toppers of Grade 12 were also given special prizes.
This program is held every year in order to honour our
Director Sir, Mr. Dhananjaya's Father. He was an education
enthusiast and went to great lengths to give the best he
could offer to his family. Our school believes that hosting
these programs will motivate the younger students to work
harder and strive so that they are on the stage next year.
Especially the 10th Graders. Also, applauding our achievers
brings our school's Culture to Appreciate to life. This was
also an opportunity for the alumni to have a small reunion
and the juniors to talk to them regarding what institutes they
were going to and explore new avenues. Our school hosts a
lot of programs like Guest Lectures and Award Ceremonies
to motivate us. We will surely strive to achieve these great
heights of success.
Independence Day
On the moist and dewy morning of August 15, while the whole
country was celebrating our 73rd Independence Day, the student
and parent body of Silver Oaks International school had a little
something going on as well.
At 9 AM, the parents and students were bright-eyed and had
assembled in the Green Meadows to rejoice our country’s
Independence. The day started off with the flag hoisting and our
national anthem which everyone sang with a lot of enthusiasm.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
We then witnessed a march by our senior-year NCC cadets filled
with vigor and energy. Due to a lack of seating arrangements and
the wet weather, the assembly had to be moved into the AC
Auditorium for everybody’s convenience.
After that, turn by turn, the MP’s, the Prime Minister, the Vice
President, and the President addressed the gathering with their
thoughts on independence, what it means to them and the
Mantras of Mahatma.
To add a little more colour to our celebrations, the speeches were
followed by medleys that included famous bollywood classics and
some of Gandhi Ji’s favourite songs.
To end the day, the losing candidate for Presidency was called
upon the stage to conclude our understandings of the event and
to give us a brief reflection.
Well, to conclude, the whole idea of celebrating our Independence
is for people to come together and feel the spirit of patriotism. And
that is what I feel we exactly did.
Me and my country, we grow together!!!
Meridian Competition
Performing arts, Literature, and cultural programs forms the heart
and soul of our life. Be it swaying and grooving to the musical
beats during festivals or singing to our hearts content, music,
dance, drama and literature have always played a significant role
in our daily life. Yet, these are overlooked as a mode of
entertainment rather than a way of expression of passion and joy.
In order to break this age-old misconception about language and

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
performing arts, the Meridian School at Banjara Hills conducts a
cultural competition annually to keep the cultural spirit alive in
students.
This time our school too participated in this competition. This
year, almost 50 students had taken part either in group
competitions or in individual category in the Meridian Competition
on behalf of the school. Starting from primary to senior
secondary students, the competition saw a widespread array of
talents. The competition was held on August 17, 2019. The
participants were informed to come to the school by 7. After
checking, rehearsing and completing the documentation, we
boarded the bus and left for the venue.
We reached the venue by 10:30 AM. First, there was an
inauguration ceremony which briefed us about the importance of
language and literature in our daily life. Also, there was a quick
introduction about the judges who were to judge various events.
Soon after the ceremony was done, the participants were allotted
different rooms based on the events. The various events included
Rangasthalam, JAM, Meridian Talks, Nukkad Naatak, Apna Time
Ayega (rap competition), Dance, Music (vocal), Face painting etc.
All the competitions were segregated according to age groups
and were held simultaneously. We were very excited as well as
anxiously waiting for our chance. We gave our best in those
competitions and it was a great experience for all of us,
regardless of winning or losing it. In the end, our school managed

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
to bag 7 trophies, in both group and individual events. It was
definitely a great experience for all of us. Many of us effectively
interacted with students from other schools and made sure that
the spirit of the competition was maintained. We surely did live up
to our school's expectations, or better say our expectations in
terms of discipline and participation.
We left the Meridian Campus at 4:30 PM with trophies and smiles
while singing through the miles! It was indeed a lovely day, which
we will cherish forever.
Harvard Model United Nation
Model United Nations is a platform for young children to debate and
solve various problems hindering the world. It gives a great experience
for students to work upon their diplomacy, leadership skills, social skills
and negotiation skills.
Harvard Model United Nations is considered to be the largest MUN,
with participation of over 1500 students. It is conducted annually in
Hyderabad by the Harvard University in Novotel. This year around eight
of our acorns had taken part in the conference along with 20 seventh
graders as liaison officers. The delegates had a great experience,
speaking before 150 other delegates in the session. They had put in
tremendous efforts prior to the conference itself and contributed their
ideas for their respective committees. During the conference, the
students witnessed various speeches given by prominent speakers on

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
leadership. The students also took part in an interactive session where
the discussions were held on the importance of youth’s participation in
India’s development.
The students utilized this opportunity productively and showcased their
skills on such a huge platform. Solving such vast issues at this young age
has definitely left a huge impact on our students.
CBSE football tournament
American University Fair

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Someone rightly said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Though
one may argue that things need not always go as planned, it is
definitely not wrong to start anything like higher studies, career or a
business endeavor with a plan. Our school Silver Oaks International also
believes in the same. To make the lives of the student fraternity easier
in terms of future studies and career choice, our school is associated
with ‘Univariety’ in order to provide professional guidance to students
regarding the former.
During one of the academic days, the school organized an American
University fair to give exposure to students from grade 10 to 12 that
may be aspiring to pursue education abroad. Many reputed universities
and institutes like Iowa
University, Slippery Rock,
Connecticut University etc
pitched for their respective
institutes and discussed the
courses offered by them.
Stalls were set up for this
process and students had
one-to-one interaction with
the university
representatives. Scholarships, courses, accommodation and career
scope of the courses were discussed in detail. Many students
benefitted from this program. The student body felt that this fair had
helped them gain a clear understanding of studying abroad and also
make a decision regarding their prospective career opportunities. This

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
unique initiative of Silver Oaks has not only cleared the air around
pursuing education abroad but has also motivated many students to
aim for the moon so that they can at least land up among the starts!
An Inspiring Morning with Dr. Sai Praveen Haranath
On the 16th of September, a chill had set over Hyderabad but not
over the Senior School at Silver Oaks, who were buzzing with
excitement. They were to have another Inspiring Morning Talk
from Dr. Sai Praveen Haranath, who is a renowned
pulmonologist, Master of Public Health, Diplomat in Pulmonary
Diseases, Diplomat in Critical Care Medicine.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
‘The process of becoming a doctor does not end within a span of
7-10 years. It’s a life long journey of learning,’ quoted the Doctor.
He spoke from his heart and shared how a treating and curing
patients is beyond just a mere profession. He believes that
medicine is a service that is equal to serving god. He addressed
the acorns of Silver Oaks by sharing his initial days of hard ships,
hard work and sacrifice that it takes to become a doctor. Later he
described how helping people gave him joy and satisfaction.
He spoke about 10
important traits the
millennial generation
needs to master for
pursuing any career. He
called these the ‘Super
powers’. Listening to him,
the students bustled with
energy and were deeply
motivated.At the end the
session,the students asked him various kinds of questions
relating to both technical and moral aspect of being a doctor.
This left the acorns with an array of fresh thoughts and ideas to
start the day!

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Street store
“Living is the art of Loving,
Loving is the art of caring,
Caring is the art of sharing,
Sharing is the art of living.
If you want to lift yourself up,
Lift up someone else.”
Anonymous

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Silver Oaks International School has been one of the pioneering schools
in the city to come up with new ways of reaching out to the
underprivileged people in our
society. The art of sharing and
caring has been an integral part
of the school’s system since the
time of its inception. Amongst
the various cultures that the
schools follow, the most
important one is the “Culture to
Give”.
Every year, as a part of Corporate Social Responsibility, Silver Oaks
International School organizes “Street Store” in its premises on the
occasion of Teacher’s Day.This year it was celebrated on 8 th of
September. “Street Store” is a concept which helps in bridging a gap
between the people who have things that have outlived their purpose
and the people who are in dire need of these things.The bigger vision
behind this concept is not to develop a sense of charity amongst the
new generation but to help them in imbibing a sense of responsibility
and sensitivity towards the people living in their surroundings.The
things that are displayed ranges from clothes to toys to books to all
kinds of things that one needs for a basic livelihood.The students join
hands with the teachers in organizing this event by procuring things
from all possible sources. Villagers, daily wagers, and all the people
doing menial jobs residing in and around the school are invited to the
Street Store.
This year was the fifth year when this event was conducted with great
enthusiasm. The event observed a huge response from people of all
groups, starting from men , women to children of all age, who picked

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
up all the things as per to their requirement. In less than two hours, the
different counters bore a deserted look.
Someone has rightly said “ Success is finding satisfaction in giving a
little more than you take”.
Street Store definitely gives an opportunity to the teaching fraternity to
empowers itself in the field of community Service.
Indian University Fair
“The best way to predict the future is to create it” - Abraham
Lincoln
On the 21st of September, Grade 9th and 10th students got a
chance to delve deeper into the research for their future careers.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Esteemed universities, including Amity, Manipal and Deakin
universities, provided astute insights about the careers that would
rule the 21st century.
With everyone’s interests lying in various diverse fields, the
university representatives were insightful with the options and
benefits available at their campuses. The fee structure, the
options available, notable alumni and the required criteria for an
admission were all elucidated clearly to the students.This might
have released the apprehension and cleared the doubts related to
choosing from a wide range of institutions, majors and other
programs.
Booklets and pamphlets were given to the students so that they
could take it home and discuss it in a more detailed manner with
their parents. The Indian University Fair, organized at Silver Oaks
International school, a platform to the students where students
could explore their area of interest and the kind of course they
would need to take up for their bright future.
Ramesh Ramanadham
Many people think that only doctors, sportspersons, silver and
golden screen actors and other star studded personalities can
inspire young minds and help them to realize their true potential.
However, the truth is, every person who has struggled against all
odds and has managed to succeed in life is a source of
inspiration. Keeping this in mind our school,Silver Oaks

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
International invited Mr. Ramesh Ramanadham, who has kept
kalamkari and many other art forms alive.
Ramesh Ramanadham hails from a family of traditional weavers.
He was awarded by the British Empire Exhibition for his
contribution in the field of
weaving and handlooms.
He addressed the
students by giving a small
introduction to handlooms
and traditional art forms in
weaving. He shared his
struggles, both financial
and emotional, while
trying to preserve art forms like kalamkari. He also shared his
grievances about how indifferent people are towards these art
forms. He urged the students, the future of the country, to respect
these art forms and preserve them.These presence of these art
forms in our country were one of the major reasons for our victory
to independence and defined who we truly were.
His speech was truly inspiring and left a breath of fresh air for the
students. Many of them pondered on his words, reflected and
connected it to their lives. They not only realized the importance
of art forms and handlooms but they truly understood how
important it was to preserve these dying forms of art.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
9th and 10th trek
Jane Austen,” To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure
is the most perfect refreshment”.
Nature has always been my safe haven. The aroma of the trees
rejuvenates me every time I take a deep breath in the great outdoors.
This year I was able to get in touch with my inner Naturalist on a trip to
Maredmilli, Rajahmundry. Rajahmundry is the acclaimed birth place of
the Telugu language. The city has beautiful scenery and a variety of
flora and fauna found in many nurseries scattered all over the city.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
The whole day, I was bouncing in my seat waiting for school to end. I
had already packed my bag two days ago. I couldn’t wait to board the
train and reach Maredmulli. Arriving at the station I quickly found my
friends who were sharing the same excitement and started talking
about what we would be doing after reaching our destination. After
boarding the train, everyone mingled around. You could feel the
excitement in the air. The teachers had a hectic time trying to pull us
away from each other and get us to sleep. When I finally closed my
eyes I let my imagination run wild on awaits me tomorrow.
In the morning, everyone was talking, buzzed about finally arriving at
our destination. The two hour journey to the resort was spent singing
songs and eventually taking a little rest. Breakfast was a hustle.
Refreshed from the train journey and with a full stomach, we headed
off to a coffee plantation. There we were greeted by the sight of tall
trees with it trunk covered in pepper plants. At the base of these trees
were a large assort of ripe and raw coffee beans. We explored the
plantation learning about some of the other plants growing there
before travelling to see the majestic flow of water at the Jalatarangini
water falls. The water flowed with such elegance that it had us staring
at it in awe. The water was clear as a crystal; schools of fish were
swimming around trying to get away from us. We dangled our legs,
splashed around water and laughed to our hearts content.
While waiting for lunch to arrive, we played an exciting game of focus
and concentration. Lunch was served in the midst of monkeys and tall,
intimidating trees. Our cousins were extremely hungry and tried to
snatch away our food. Their efforts were unsuccessful. With a new
found energy we proceeded to another waterfall. The specialty of this
water fall was how two tiny waterfalls created a big and majestic

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
waterfall. The creativity of nature astounded us all. The day did not end
there. With our feet aching, we trudged into the rubber plantation. The
trunk of the trees around us was stained by a thin strand of milk
running along it. This was rubber milk. We were able to view and touch
a rubber sheet and learnt how these sheets were made. Our energy
drained, we arrived at the resort and freshened up. Our spirits were
quickly lifted by humorous conversations and dancing around a large,
glowing campfire. With heavy eyelids, we slid into our beds with an
album full of memories.
At the crack of dawn, we hiked up a mountain. Throughout the trek we
walked with a skip in our step as this was the part of the journey we
were waiting to explore. We walked through a stream, saw a variety of
mushrooms and enjoyed the sweet scent and picturesque view that
nature offered. However the best part of that day was the fun we had
while playing in the stream. We splashed cold water at each other and
played various games like tag. With a heavy heart we came out of the
water stream. It was our last day at Maredmilli and we ended our trip
with a view of the sun setting into the holy waters of the Godavari. We
visited ISKCON temple and paid our respects to Lord Krishna. The last
destination was to fill up our stomachs with a Chinese cuisine. With
both our stomachs and hearts filled to the brim, we fell asleep
reminiscing about how wonderful these two days were and holding on
to the memories close to our hearts.
Returning home was something we dreaded and also looked forward
to. We were sad at the thought of this experience coming to an end and
the however we were also eager to get to our families. Nonetheless we
arrived at the station and stepped down the train with a happy and
content smile on our face that stayed with us even after we reached

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
home. Nature not only energized me but also strengthened the bonds
of friendship. Not only that but I was able to reconnect with old class
mates and make new friends. In a nutshell, this experience has taught
me about rubber, coffee and the beauty of friendship and nature.
Ramleela
Dussehra is a festival that marks the victory of good over evil. Evil
doesn’t necessarily mean a person; it could be anything that
hampers from walking the path of righteousness and making the
world a better place. Talking about evil in students, one can wipe
out the bad habit or not-so-good habit present within themselves.
On 9 th October 2019, Silver Oaks donned vibrant and colorful
attire as the students showed up in traditional dresses for
Dussehra celebrations. At 2:00 PM, the lawns sprawled with the
students catching the festive fervor. The effigy of ‘Raavan’ was
incinerated on a countdown marking the significance of Dussehra
and all the acorns pledged to burn their penned down not-so-good
habits in the fire and from their life.
The acorns recognized and wrote down their not-so-good habits
with introspection over a week, to try and get rid of them for a
better personality. Following this was a plethora of dances, fun
and frolic as the students shook their feet to the contemporary folk
songs with the theme of ‘Navratri’ and ‘Bathukamma’. The
excitement of vacation caught up as everyone bid adieu to their
peers and teachers for a short vacation of eleven days, wishing
each other a happy Dussehra and happy vacation.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Culture to give:
Director Sir donating 1cr. to Akshaya Patra..
One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind", said Neil
Armstrong when he landed on the moon.
"1 Crore donated as a responsibility and a giant leap in
generosity", says Silver Oaks International Schools community
when their Managing Director donated 1 Crore to sponsor food for
thousands of children.
It began as one small step, supporting the education of schoolgoing
children of all Silver Oaks School bus drivers and cleaners.
For Dhanunjaya, Managing Director of Silver Oaks International
Schools, to help the less privileged has been a personal mission
for many years. He now took a giant leap in his generosity by
donating 1 Crore rupees to Akshayapatra Foundation.
"Annada Bhavanti Bhutani", said Lord Krishna in Bhagavadgita.
Varaha Purana says, "One who gives food, gives all that is worth
giving in this world".
Annadanam is the greatest service and feeding the hungry is
much more noble. Swamy Satya Guara Chandra Dasa Ji,
President of Akshayapatra Foundation in Telangana and Andhra
Pradesh was presented with the cheque of Rs.1 crore.
His Grace said that 9000 children can have lunch for 1 year with
the amount given by Dhanunjaya. In the presence of 1000 senior
school students and teachers and his family, the Managing
Director shared his long-time aspiration to do something concrete
for the community. Alleviating poverty through education,
removing hunger through annadanam are the two factors which
motivated him to donate this huge amount to Akshayapatra.

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Teaching about UNDP Millenium goals is one part of education
but finding ways to realize them is a challenge. Dhanunjaya
stands as a role model for many with his generosity and personal
mission. With this donation, he exemplified a big lesson on the
‘culture to give’. 4500 students, 600 teachers, 400 staff salute to
their Managing Director who set high standards of ‘giving’ through
this kind gesture.
About Akashayapatra:
Akshaya Patra reaches out to 18,02,517 children in 51 kitchens
across 12 states & 2 Union territories of India, providing them with
freshly cooked meal on all school days. Currently, we implement
the mid-day meal programme in 16,856 schools of the country,
with plans to increase that number to hundreds more.
https://telangana.akshayapatra.org
Albert Einstein rightly said, "Try not to become a man of success
but rather, try to become a man of value." Today, the students got
the opportunity to meet and interact with one person who truly
lives by those words!
It was an honour to have Dr. Viswanathan Raghunathan, the
author of the book "Return to Jammu" visit the school and share
the varied experiences of his life through his book with the
students.
His words of wisdom and encouragement left the students
inspired and motivated!
.
Being Gandhi (Annual Opera)
On the Sunday of 17th November 2019, on occasion of Mahatma
Gandhi’s 150th birthday, the acorns of Silver Oaks portrayed what
it meant to be Gandhi in the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium of

MILESTONE 2019-2020
SILVER OAKS SCHOOL
Hyderabad. This was the 2019 Annual Opera involving all the
acorns of the school from pre-primary to senior secondary. ‘Being
Gandhi’ was the motto of this mammoth undertaking.
After weeks of practice and hard work, the accomplishment of
both students and educators alike, Gandhi was brought to life.
Throughout my time in school, the one one thing that school
never failed to remind me of was about having a good character.
Those ideals which were followed by the school come from the
father of our nation- Mahatma Gandhi. Swadharma, Swaraj,
Sarvodaya, Swadharma and Swadesh were his guiding
principles. Each of those principles were depicted by the acorns
through dances, dramas and speeches. It was a wholesome and
colourful show which was enjoyed by all the participants and
parents.
Gandhi was not just a person, but he personified the idea of a
nation. It is in his footsteps that we the acorns of Silver Oaks
strive for glory and aim to leave a timeless legacy.