STEM PROGRAM AT HPS
As Habib Public School has always strived to bring excellence for students so we collaborated with Pakistan Innovation Foundation and The National STEM School to conduct a three days STEM winter retreat program.
As this was an open program for entire Karachi, 40 students participated from multiple schools namely Habib Public School, Karachi Grammar School, CAS, Nixor, Roots, Generations, and PAF etc.
This program was from January 3 - 5, 2020 which had an inclusive learning experience of 36+ hours where they experienced hands on science and 21st century skills through Robotics, Aeronautics, Computer Science, Electronics and Synthetic Biology.
We also had STEM Lectures by Leading Scientists and Scholars for our students which included Dr. Faisal Khan (Biology), Mr. Mehdi Hussain (Astronomy), Dr. Nuzhat Khan (Oceanography), Dr. Syed Shabbar Raza (Physics), Mr. Imran Moinuddin (Computer Science / Artificial Intelligence), Dr. Imran Akhter (Mathematics), Dr. Athar Osama (Social Science), Mashal Waqar (Startups) and Mr. Imran Qureshi (College Apps).
Top ten Habibians who were top performers (academics and co-curricular) were selected as 'Teacher Assistants' (TA) where they got a chance to assist the faculty from LUMS and NUST.
Habibian Khizar Navaid and Habibian Ibad Nadeem were honored with Star Performance Award.
MOTIVATIONAL SESSIONS
Habib Pubic School realises need of providing motivation to the students along with providing best academic and co-curricular facilities to its students.
Following the vision, as soon as the students rejoin the school after their winter vacations, Habib Public School has organised motivational sessions for its students with the help of renowned figures.
Tech specialist Dr. Faisal Khan addressed the students of Habib Public School today on 6th Jan 2020. Dr. Faisal Khan earned a Masters and a Doctorate from the University of Oxford in 2013, where he also went to a Business School. Since then, he has founded Peshawar 2.0 (P2); a movement of young techies, creative and entrepreneurs who are bent on rebuilding and re-branding the City of Peshawar. The movement’s major initiatives include Basecamp; a co-working and community space, Revolt; an incubator dubbed as the “startup factory up north,” and 100s of events and workshops.
Dr. Khan has also been the founding director of the Institute of Integrative Bioscience at CECOS University where he currently leads a research group as an Assistant Professor. His work includes the ground breaking SynBio KP project funded by the Government of KP and the IGEM Peshawar teams of 2016 and 2017. Dr. Khan has won several awards in the academic circle and advises the federal and provincial governments on numerous boards and committees on education, science, technology, and innovation. While addressing the students of Habib Public School he emphasized on the importance of Team Work, and perfection in work. He also advised students to explore their talents for their future success. Students were also able to understand the importance of selecting the right course for their studies.
HPS Staff Assisting parents
Students Demonstrating their skills
Scrabble Competition
Robotics at HPS
School Libraries Convention
In 2019, a convention was organized by School Association Librarians where two librarians from Habib Public School participated, Maryam Mustafa from the Junior and Adeel Khatri from the Senior.
The Programme was as follows:
ONLINE SPEAKER:
The convention commenced with the first online speaker of School Libraries convention 2019. Ms. Mary Keeling, president, American Association of school libraries (AASL), she shared her views about future of school libraries in the age of disruption opportunities ahead.
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY IN THE AGE OF DISRUPTION:
Mr. Afnan Khan, Head of British Council Library and outreach services emphasized that innovation is the need of this demanding world. Libraries also need an innovation in design, ideas and services SCHOOL LIBRARIES CONVENTION 2019
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE &.THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES
21st century school libraries are dynamic spaces of learning. In Pakistan, there is a concrete effort and platform required to promote this understanding and create framework and programs for supporting school libraries both for public and private sectors. For this reason, School Librarian Association has been established and it conducts different professional development programmers for the librarians.
On Saturday, 21st December. Most importantly, library leaders should focus on building a common vision that will guide necessary practices and changes for innovation to be achieved.
CREATING HOPES AND POSSIBILITIES THROUGH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE:
Panel discussion was amongst the professionals specially invited for this convention.
Yasir Qazi - Radio & TV Broadcast Journalist & Writer
Malahat Kaleem Sherwani - Director, Bait Ul Hikmah Library, Hamdard University
Haseena Moin - Famous Dramatist, Playwright and Scriptwriter.
Nazma Akhtar - Educationalist & Author
Ameena Saiyid - Ex-managing Director Oxford University Press, Pakistan
Salman Asif Siddiqui - Founder & Director of Educational Resource Development Centre
Parallel Workshops were arranged and the participants were allowed to choose workshop of their own choice.
Workshops Facilitators
Using Children’s Literature for Character Education - Dr. Khawaja Mustafa & Farina Sajjad
Parents as Partners in Learning - Tazeen Nazir
Digital Storytelling & Children’s Literature - Saima Hussain
Developing & Implementing Innovative Library Programs - Afnan Khan
How Literature can help Build Scientific Thinking - Kanwal Fawad
DRAMATIC READING SESSION:
The convention concluded by the Zambeel dramatic team who presented satirical texts penned by Urdu literature’s notable authors.
Counselling Session
Habib Public School has been running the Duke of Edinburgh Award for eighteen years. We currently have students undertaking both Bronze and Silver programme and are growing each year, with the hope of expanding to Gold. The students that participate have complex learning difficulties meaning they might sometimes need additional support in activities, particularly with their Expedition section.
Duke of Edinburgh Award coordinator at the school explains; “As far as possible we ensure that all the conditions of the Expedition are adhered to, whilst still maintaining the element of challenge and independence that makes these awards such an achievement. In our most recent expedition, we have learned a lot”.
After a little training, the students were able to hike independently, but as they had not developed the rescue skills to be safe and independent whilst on the supervisors (our teachers) were granted special permission to closely monitor the group, providing assistance in the case of an emergency.
Teachers have seen first-hand how their students have progressed personally whilst working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award; “Our students have made massive developments in a number of areas, but the one that stood out to us was in their social skills. Often our students would rely on adults to initiate something new, be it between students and staff or between other students within their peer group. Now they seem to have developed common interests with each other and have the confidence and desire to engage with their peers and it is important to them in their lives”.
Speaking about the Duke of Edinburgh Award experience, one habibian concluded: “Completing Duke of Edinburgh Award has taught me that achieving goals requires hard work and dedication, and even if you’re struggling, you should never just give up. The challenges and pain you face along the way are only temporary, the success and achievement lasts a lifetime! Duke of Edinburgh Award programme has helped improving the personal skills. I believe that the people who have completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award truly understand just how important it is as everybody gets a different outcome from it. Personally, I think it’s a catalyst for building self-confidence, which is crucial for the youth of today.”
Explaining the motivation behind introducing the Duke of Edinburgh Award, another Habibian said, “We [Habib Public School] got involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as it provided an opportunity for us to gain vital life skills, become visible within our school and with new experiences.”
What’s great about Duke of Edinburgh Award programme is that young people achieve exactly the same Award regardless of their background or abilities. For the Duke of Edinburgh Award, it’s always just the one which is why our students value it so highly. Successful candidates are able to achieve and have done so on their own merit, due to their own commitment and hard work. Also, as successful completion of the Expedition section was judged on the collective effort of the group, everyone’s contribution was important, valued and influential on the group’s achievement.
CPR Session for Teachers
In pursuance of safety at home and roadsides, HPS organized a comprehensive training on Saturday 15, February-2020, for teachers and support staff with the collaboration of FRIP (First Response Initiative of Pakistan), a team of expert doctors with high spirits and sincerity with their profession and country.
The expert team of FRIP conducted an interactive training session for the teachers, training them how to give CPR to the casualty before the medical team arrives. Further, they equipped the participants on how to deal in different casualty at home or roadside following safety protocols.
Having received an extensive training about safety protocols and measures, every single teacher was given a chance to perform CPR to/on a dummy just to make sure the objectives of the training have been well achieved.
CPPL Session - Project Based Learning
Counselor Session - Safety at School
Deep Relaxation and Meditation
Teachers have to play a great-role in molding and preparing the students for a bright future. This huge responsibility comes with great stress. The counselor has organised a deep relaxation session for the teachers to help them relax and meditate in order to counter the stress they have to deal with.
Breast-Cancer Awareness Session
Habib Public School has always been known for its values. The school cares for its staff and has organised several programs and sessions to promote the well-being of everyone playing their roles at the school.
HPS MUN 2020
A MUN is a simulation of an actual United Nations conference, where students are tasked with solving a global issue through research, drafting, lobbying and debate to pass a suitable ‘resolution’.
Students take on the roles of delegates, speakers, and chairs, representing different countries and work together with other students from different backgrounds to take part in discussions and reach a solution for the agenda they are assigned.
Preparing and participating in a MUN helps students develop leadership skills, research, writing, public speaking, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, coming up with solutions that are acceptable to a majority of the representatives also inculcates skills of negotiation, conflict resolution, and cooperation.
1. Worldly Knowledge
Keeping up with world affairs may get dull at times by simply reading news articles or watching video news programmes. By participating in MUNs, your knowledge of the world will increase tremendously as you represent a country at a ‘global’ level and interact with other delegates representing other countries.
2. Confidence-Building
A MUN involves meeting new people, interacting with unfamiliar faces, working in teams to develop resolutions to assigned tasks and to express views in a self-assured manner. From preparing for the MUNs to the discussions, debates, and resolutions made during the MUN, the entire experience will serve to boost your confidence.
3. Analytical Skills
Astute analytical ability is a trait that helps you at every stage of life as well as in any career, by helping you solve problems through analysis. The MUN is an ideal place to hone analytical skills, as in a simulated environment you will be challenged and required to solve the task after examining the concerns of the other countries, past precedents and potential solutions to come up with an acceptable resolution.
4. Problem-Solving Skills
At its core, the MUN is based on problem-solving skills, as it places you at the centre of an organization designated to resolving global issues (albeit simulated). Thus, problem-solving is a skill that you will have to hone from the beginning of the MUN itself, learning how to identify the key components of a topic, determining factors to be kept in mind while deciding on the solution, and putting it all together to come up with a final resolution that satisfies all concerned countries.
5. Diplomacy
Diplomacy, or the art of negotiation, is not only restricted to conversations between two countries, but pertains to any purposeful exchange between two groups, and thus, is a very useful skill to possess. By practising diplomacy at the MUNs, you will become more knowledgeable and experienced on how to conduct negotiations between two groups in a tactful and result-oriented manner.
6. Public Speaking
Developing efficient public speaking skills takes practice, and the MUNs provide an ideal platform where you can explore and improve your capabilities. Public speaking is an integral part of the MUNs, as you express your views and debate in front of an audience. Since you will make multiple speeches during the overall MUN event, you will have several opportunities to improve your public speaking prowess.
7. Networking
Attending a MUN is an ideal way to network, make new friends and build connections that will come in handy later on. During a MUN, you will meet other delegates, senior delegates, organizers, co-sponsors, judges, and chairs of the event. By making new contacts and meeting possible mentors, you can cultivate your network for future use.
8. Writing Skills
There is a hefty amount of writing involved at MUNs, including writing for speeches, writing position papers on the topic given for resolution, possible amendments, and finally, writing the resolution itself. In comparison to the writing you do at school, the writing you will work on in MUNs is a lot more disciplined and requires more creativity. Each writing piece involves research and analysis and will serve to groom your writing skills, a useful skill for college and professional life.
9. Leadership Skills
Considering all the benefits listed above, it is not a stretch to claim that your personality will flourish at MUNs. The independence, challenges, and teamwork will surely serve to enhance your leadership skills, as you take charge as a representative of a real-world country. You will be encouraged to take decisions and work out solutions as a leader for the country.
10. College Applications
MUNs are known for their quality, high standards, and difficulty levels, and participating in one will work as an asset when you apply for colleges and/or jobs. Top Ivy League colleges such as Yale and Harvard have been known to give additional consideration to students who have attended MUNs.
Joint Band Session - Habib Public School & Saint Patrick School
Band Competition
Singing Competition
Theatre Festival
A program in theatre arts or drama can allow students to plan, produce and star in plays, musicals, recitals or even short films. Students can study the history of theatre and incorporate what they learn into their own acting or performances.
The benefits of participating in performing arts programs are valuable and numerous. Some benefits include emotional, social, physical, and even academic. Participation in performing arts programs is related to various positive personal and academic outcomes, improving child development as a whole, enhancing cognitive, motor, and social skills.
Arts programs help build self-confidence. Various aspects of performing arts classes, from improvisation to performing on stage, will help your child build confidence and self-assurance. They will learn to explore outside of their comfort zone, appraise new situations, think outside the box, express their thoughts and ideas in a safe environment, solve problems, cope with performance and presentation fears, and build trust and self-reliance. All of these beneficial tools can be carried through to school, social activities, their future career, and will stay with them throughout their lives.
Drama and performing classes help improve communication skills, concentration, and memory. One of the main advantages of taking part in the performing arts in young individuals is the improvement of communication skills. Acting lessons, for example, will help with their presentation skills, vocal projection, tone of speech, and articulation.
Social-emotional development. Kids will also improve their social skills by working as part of a team, listening to others and expressing themselves, sharing and making new friends. They will learn to minimize errors and bounce back, solve problems and improvise, giving them the confidence to manage and perform in new situations that come with everyday life. The participation in these types of programs will also help enhance their interpersonal skills because they need to understand their play characters and the different roles, which allows young children to relate better to different situations, people, feelings, and support the ability to be in ‘someone else’s shoes.’ As a whole, the performing arts teaches kids about empathy, compassion, and how to express and understand their feelings and those of others.
Listening skills will also get refined by taking stage directions from teachers, by collaborating with peers, and working together toward a common goal. From learning new lines, to remembering their acting cues and timing, and rehearsing scenes time and again, your child will improve their focus, memory, concentration, and quick-learning skills.
Higher academic achievements. Studies have found that creative and critical thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning increase and improve when arts education is added to the mix. As the Arts Education Partnership Report “Arts Education Has Academic Effect” suggests, arts learning in music, drama, and dance is related to high academic achievements in school. As is well-known, learning to play instruments and read music improves mathematical achievement and proficiency. Performing arts programs have multiple connections to reading, verbal and math skills, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
It’s super fun! Arts programs are a really fun way for your kids to express themselves, their emotions, and explore and improve their unique talents. Whether kids enjoy acting, singing, dancing, or a behind-the-scenes role, they will delight in expressing and improving their special talents. They will also have a fun workout in the process, as many performing arts classes improve flexibility, balance, and coordination.