Ģ����Ƶ

(NB these may be subject to change)

Soniva, one our curriculum prefects, studies literature, history and psychology A levels in Year 13 and is one of our two curriculum prefects. We are proud that her writing prowess was recently showcased in the , where she showed her critical interest in modern cultural identity and storytelling, writing about the impact of social media on the upcoming festivals in Nepal. Her original article is reproduced below.

I remember Dashain as a tender embrace. My cousins and I would race barefoot across the terrace, jamara tucked behind our ears, tika still damp on our foreheads. Steel plates clinked under the weight of sel roti, stacked like golden memories. The air was thick with marigold and camphor, madal drums pulsing softly in the background. In those sunlit rooms, family gathered without distraction, fully present, stitched together by ritual and story. My bajai would hum a bhajan in the kitchen and say, “Aaile ko keti-keta haru, yesto Dashain kahile dekhcha ra?”, translating to these kids nowadays, what would they know of a Dashain like this?

She said it with a soft smile, not with scorn, but with something like mourning. Like she already knew we’d grow up into a different kind of Dashain, one wrapped in Wi-Fi signals and busy schedules, where the warmth of the sunlit kitchen would be replaced by the glow of a screen.

Now, the air feels quieter. The plates are still full. The rituals still happen. But more often, they unfold behind screens, typically on WhatsApp calls, filtered through Instagram stories, caught in between video edits and captions. We say “hello” instead of “namaste,” “thanks” instead of “dhanyabaad.” And somewhere in that shift, the soul of the festival feels like it’s slipping.

My mother also speaks of a Dashain that stretched across days, a sacred pause when neighbors became family and the night was carried by kaathas passed down through voice and memory, not typed out. Each gesture held meaning. Each offering had purpose. Even the smallest thing, placing jamara under a mattress, sweeping the puja room at dawn, applying tika with both hands was loaded with history. Today, those same gestures are often performed without question, reduced to a quiet shrug: “This is just what we do.”

For many of us in Gen Z, festivals have become curated performances. We wear the traditional clothes, we light the lamps, we take part in the puja but too often through the lens of a phone. Culture is dressed up for the feed. Aesthetics sometimes eclipse meaning. The perfect photo matters more than the imperfect moment. And in the process, something quieter, something sacred, begins to fade.

Kathmandu itself is changing. Sprawling family courtyards have turned into compact homes. Siblings live across countries. Families are spread thin across time zones. The altar may now be a single candle, lit in between meetings or homework. The spirit of celebration has become a matter of logistics. What was once rooted in sambandha, deep relational ties, can now feel like a checklist: tika, thali, photo, post.

Tihar, another example, used to arrive gently. Flickering diyos, whispered songs, the unspoken warmth between brothers and sisters. A festival of light that lived not just in lamps but in shared silence. Now, celebrations often boom from Bluetooth speakers and dance to algorithms. TikTok trends replace traditional songs. The ritual is still there, but sometimes, it feels hollow, almost like a paper version of something once carved in stone.

I watch friends post stunning rangolis and perfectly arranged thalis, and it’s beautiful. But it also feels rehearsed. The whispered instructions of grandparents are replaced with online tutorials. The chants become short audio clips played from someone else’s phone. This is a new way to celebrate, but I constantly wonder: does it still carry the same weight?

Language is part of this quiet fading. Our mother tongues like: Newar, Maithili, Tamang, Gurung, among others carry within them stories, humor, songs, and wisdom. But they, too, are softening. Yielding to convenience, to English, to what feels easier. I find myself translating in my head before I speak to elders. And when a language disappears, so does a whole way of understanding the world.

To be clear, this isn’t about resisting change. Culture isn’t something to preserve in glass. It’s alive, which means it adapts, shifts, and evolves. I’m not asking us to put down our phones or cancel our posts. Social media connects us. It lets us share, remember, and create. It brings a global Nepali diaspora together in ways once impossible.

But when it becomes the only lens through which we experience culture, we risk turning festivals into content and content alone.

What I’m asking is this: can we slow down? Can we ask why we do what we do? Can we pause before we post, just long enough to understand? Can we listen to the stories behind the rituals before they slip through the cracks?

Festivals don’t need to be picture-perfect. They need to be felt. Lived in messy, honest, deeply human ways. Culture doesn’t need to be aesthetic, but it does need to be meaningful.

We don’t need to be perfect keepers of tradition. But we should care more about what our customs mean when no one is watching, than how they look when everyone is. Because when rituals lose their roots, they become routines. And when tradition becomes a trend, it no longer grounds us.

Our festivals still breathe. They still carry power. But they ask us to meet them halfway. To be present. To care. To listen. To remember.

Because if we keep culture alive only for the feed, what remains when the screen fades to black?

By Bibhushan & Saanvi (11)

Small Acts, Big changes : A visit to Bal Bikash School

Last week, several members of our Ģ����Ƶ community visited the Bal Bikash School, one of our valued community partner schools. During the visit they distributed laptops to the school, particularly the teachers, where the principal had a positive outlook on their acts of kindness and support. Additionally, some of the students who participated in this trip shared some reflections on their experience. One of the students who had an opportunity for this experience, reported that they really liked the school environment as it was welcoming and that the atmosphere displayed liveliness. Inspired by what they saw, now they are planning further on how to improve the school. For example, the students are planning to improve their library, where they noted now organisation tools could help. Along with this, another potential problem they noticed was benches randomly stacked in classrooms due to lack of space. The laptops they provided are expected to make a meaningful impact, not only by educating the students on literacy and studies but also helping them to explore topics like societal norms, responsible technology use and efficient learning. Furthermore, they learnt that this community partner school has an education where people are classed based on their knowledge rather than age, in comparison to Ģ����Ƶ.

Beyond these, the visit offered a powerful emotional and social experience where students also reported on how they had an opportunity to views things in a different/ distinctive perspective, leading one of the students into reflecting how everyone doesn’t always get what they yearn for and how some people might not even have the basic necessities needed; “not everyone gets the same privilege and opportunity” (a quote from one of our own students). It was a humbling reminder of how much we take for granted and how much we can do to help. This opportunity gave the students a chance to experience something new and different, along with engaging in meaningful conversations with the teachers there, getting to know about their own viewpoints. This exchange of ideas helped build stronger connections between our communities and reinforced the importance of collaboration.

Ģ����Ƶ STUDENTS ATTEND THEIR FIRST MODEL UNITED NATIONS

By Arianne (Year 10)

Over the weekend, a group of students from Ģ����Ƶ attended an MUN conference hosted by Sanskriti International School. A day before the conference began, the students went to visit the school, registering their names and attending an opening ceremony that all participating schools were invited to. The opening ceremony was a truly spectacular one, with a heartfelt welcome speech by the school’s principal, Ms. Timila Shreshta, making all students feel truly welcome. Other speeches included the committee chairs, who provided necessary information required for students to succeed in the event. At the end of the opening ceremony, the audience was also graced with a beautiful cultural dance and a musical performance of Green Day by the amazingly talented Sankriti school students.

The first day of the conference took place on a Saturday, with students arriving at the venue at around 8:30 in the morning. After having breakfast provided by Sanskriti School, the students headed to their respective committees, including UNEP, SAARC, UNSC, UNHRC and many others. Most of the British School students, being first-time MUNers, exhibited truly impressive debating skills, adjusting very quickly to the formal setting of MUN conferences. The first day was split into 4 different committee sessions, each session filled with passion and motivation as students learned the ropes of procedure.

At the end of the day, Sanskriti School also had an optional social session, where delegates from different schools all around Nepal could meet and socialise. This included lots of music and dance and was overall a very fun experience.

The second day of the conference was a little less intense, with only two committee sessions. On this day, delegates worked toward drafting a resolution, working together to find a solution to their respective problems. However, for some committees, such as UNSC, there were emergency crisis events, meaning delegates had to work extra hard, under pressure to come up with solutions. This really tested the delegates’ skills and creativity as crisis events are very difficult to deal with. Students that wrote resolutions also had to write under the pressure of time as only three people from each bloc (blocs are groups within a committee) were allowed to write.

After presenting the resolutions (some passed, some failed), the formal part of MUN finally ended. This left time for something called the Motion of Entertainment, which was basically a fun activity to end the experience. There were sessions of Truth and Dare, Just Dance performances, Karaoke and much much more. This was also an amazing opportunity to socialise and get to know people in your committee. Arguably, it was better than the social session as it meant you didn’t have many people from your own school. When the Motion of Entertainment was over, the committee sessions finally came to an official end and students headed to the stage for the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony was one of the most exciting moments of MUN as the awards for Best Delegate, High Attainment and Award of Recognition were announced for each committee. An incredibly impressive achievement was when Yajur, a student from Y11 in Ģ����Ƶ, received the award for Best Delegate.

Overall, the Model United Nations experience at Sanskriti School was a very enjoyable one and an amazing learning opportunity for all the students involved. For first-time delegates, the students of Ģ����Ƶ were truly very impressive and are bound to improve their MUN skills and become some of the best debaters. As this was an amazing event, the MUN students are also planning to attend another event in GEMS school to further improve their skills.

Match Report: Ģ����Ƶ vs Ullens

By Shayaan (Y10)

The football fixture between Ģ����Ƶ and Ullens proved to be an exciting contest that ended in a 2–2 draw, with both sides showing moments of brilliance.

The game began with Ullens winning the toss and choosing to kick-off. Early on, both teams traded chances: Abdul stood firm in defence for Ģ����Ƶ, while Ullens’ attackers pressed hard. Rana and Saugat both missed early opportunities before Ģ����Ƶ goalkeeper, Myles, was called into action with strong saves to deny Maddy. Abdul continued to make crucial interventions at the back, while Saugat came closest to scoring for Ģ����Ƶ when his strike rattled the crossbar.

Despite Ģ����Ƶ’s resilience, Ullens eventually broke through in the 22nd minute. Maddy’s powerful effort clipped the bar and dropped in, giving Ullens a 1–0 lead at half-time. At the break, Saugat and Maddy were highlighted as the most dangerous shooters, while Tashi created chances going forward. Defensively, Abdul and Myles stood out for Ģ����Ƶ.

The second half began with Ģ����Ƶ on the attack, and they soon piled on the pressure with a series of corners and free kicks. Ullens, however, continued to threaten, with Maddy and Yukta both going close. The game then turned dramatically: in the 40th minute, Yonden curled a superb finish into the corner to level the score. Just a minute later, to complete a stunning turnaround, putting Ģ����Ƶ 2–1 ahead.

Ullens were not done, though. After Myles had pulled off a stylish backheel save to keep Ģ����Ƶ in front, Arush set up Yukta for a well-taken equaliser in the 45th minute, making it 2–2.

The full-time whistle confirmed a fair result after an evenly contested game. Ģ����Ƶ will take pride in their second-half comeback, with standout performances from Myles in goal, Yonden, and Saugat in attack. Ullens, meanwhile, showed resilience and attacking flair of their own, ensuring the match ended honours even.

Final Score: Ģ����Ƶ 2 – 2 Ullens

NISSA Matches Kick Off at Ģ����Ƶ

By Aafia S. and Ryona S. (Y11)

Thursday was an exciting afternoon for our school, as our boys football team and girls basketball team played their first NISSA matches against ULLENS. Students, teachers and parents gathered together to show their support and to cheer them on, full of energy and school spirit.

Our girls faced Ullens in a tough match finishing 19-3. Despite the score, the team showed excellent effort and never gave up until the very end. Ghazal scored a fantastic three pointer and all the players played so well with strong passes and great teamwork. They attempted many shots and had many close ones showing the commitment they’ve learnt.

The boys started off with undeniable dedication displaying the extensive hours they put into these matches. The game was full of near misses, incredible saves and amazing teamwork from start to finish. During the first half Topden, Saugat’s close attempts to score early in the match was missed by just a few inches. Our goalkeeper, Myles, made strong blocks and the rest of the team contributed with crucial tackles and quick passes, including on free-kicks. Ullens scored just before halftime putting pressure on our team, but Ģ����Ƶ came back stronger in the second half with two fantastic goals from Yonden and Saugat.The crowd cheered loudly, full of excitement as Ģ����Ƶ almost won, however Ullens managed to get in one more goal in the last minute ending the game with a 2-2 tie.The whole team showed great sportsmanship, teamwork and determination throughout the whole match.

KS3 Textiles club

This term in KS3 Textiles club, students are designing and making their own pencil roll. This week, students were able to screen print their designs onto their material pieces and also practise using the sewing machines in preparation for making their product. There were some amazing designs and we are really excited to see the final results!

Another exciting week in the Early Years & Primary section.

Our Little Yetis had another brilliant session this morning based on the theme ‘Under the Sea’, the Little Yetis enjoyed counting fish, walking the plank and developing the​ir fishing skills with new friends. We can’t wait to see them again next week for our ‘Busy Builders’ session.

Community Visit Year 3 and 4

In Year 4, we were delighted to welcome our community partner school, Mary Ward, for an afternoon of learning and fun. Year 4 students at Ģ����Ƶ shared a range of activities they had prepared around the Brainwaves topic. Together, the children explored physical health by completing exciting obstacle courses, tested their cognition skills with team puzzles, and learned about healthy eating by tasting a variety of delicious fruits. It was a wonderful opportunity to share learning, build friendships, and celebrate the importance of looking after both body and mind.

On Monday afternoon, Year 3 warmly welcomed students from our community partner school, Mary Ward, for a special session of shared learning and fun. The Ģ����Ƶ students proudly shared their recent work on Growth Mindset, encouraging everyone to embrace challenges and keep trying, even when things feel tricky. Together, all the students took on the challenge of folding an origami cat, reminding each other that perseverance is key. They played team games to build trust and cooperation, enjoyed a calming yoga session to help keep their minds healthy, and extended their science learning by making hinge joints using cardboard and split pins. It was a fantastic afternoon of collaboration, creativity and connection.

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Student Leadership

This afternoon saw the House Captain candidates presenting their speeches in assembly, there were 17 candidates and they were all very articulate. It was a very difficult decision for the rest of the school to elect the leaders of their houses for the year. They all went back to class to vote and once the votes have been counted and verified, we will be announcing the 2025/26 House Captains in Assembly next Friday.

In addition, there are vacancies for Play Leaders, Leading Linguists and Student Librarians, for which the deadline is Wednesday 10th September. These, along with the Community Ambassadors, will also be announced in Assembly on Friday 12th September.

Thank you to those parents who have confirmed that their child/children will be leaving Ģ����Ƶ at the end of the term, i.e. Friday, 19th of September. Adequate notice is a requirement and avoids financial penalties for parents.�� It also allows us to refund your security deposits on time and helps us to plan for the new term.

The deadline for providing the formal notice of the withdrawal of your child/children is Monday, the 15th of September. The notice of withdrawal can be provided either by email or a written letter to Ms. Bajracharya at the admission office.

After submitting the notice of withdrawal, parents will receive a clearance form to complete the withdrawal procedure nearer the end of Term 1. Please let Ms. Bajracharya in the admissions office know should you require any school documents/references to provide to the new school.

Late notice of withdrawal (or providing no notice) and failure to submit the form or return the school’s resources may fully or partially affect the refunding of the security deposit.