Introductions

SPA Introductions
T he school serves more than 870 students from throughout the metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. St. Paul Academy and Summit School was created in 1969 by the merger of two schools: St. Paul Academy, founded for boys in 1900, and Summit School, founded for girls in 1917. Today, the school enjoys a national reputation. The Lower School (grades K-5) attends to the needs of the whole child by providing an interdisciplinary academic program, opportunities for student leadership and service and ample offerings in art, music and athletics. Middle School (grades 6-8) offers an educationally challenging and socially constructive experience for adolescents. The Upper School (grades 9-12) offers a comprehensive liberal arts program complemented by a broad range of athletics and other extracurricular activities. ([|www.spa.edu])
 * About SPA-**

Hi. I'm Alex. I have two parents, a brother, and a dog named Arlo. I really like the wilderness. Each summer I take multiple canoe/camping trips to Canada. This past summer one of the trips included whitewater canoeing down a river in Ontario and Manitoba culminating on Lake Winnipeg. I run competitively during the fall and spring. In the winter I cross-country ski, again, competitively. I enjoy music a lot. I play the tenor and bass trombones in our schools jazz band. I also play guitar with my dad. Probably the most important thing to know about me is that I have eaten eight veggie burgers, four hotdogs and a pint and a half of ice cream in forty-five minutes.
 * Alex Whitman-**

Hi! I'm Christina. I enjoy lots of things. Some things I particularly enjoy are reading, listening to music, and painting my nails. Like Kari, my favorite subjects are also History and English. I don't like science. At all. I have a cat named Kit and I love her. I have also gone on extended canoeing trips in northern Minnesota, Ontario, and Manitoba like Tim and Alex. The wilderness is wonderful! My favorite ice cream is vanilla. I know it's plain, but it's just the best. I'm really excited to be working on this project with everyone in this group, and look forward to our future collaborations!
 * Christina Salis (X)-**

Hey, I'm Jack and I'm a virgo. I love the winter and anything related to snow and the outdoors. I love to climb and backpack. I am a huge fan of downhill skiing, it is an amazingly awesome sport and you all should try it (its also the fastest non motorized sport in the world - pretty cool). II want to use my life to help better the world we live in and aspire be a field intelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps or Central Intelligence Agency to meet this end. I really like to study history, diplomacy and world affairs and am looking forward to working on this project with everyone.
 * Jack Morris-**

Hi everyone – I’m Kari. My favorite subjects are English and History, and I’m interested in theater and hope to pursue it in a critical context. I love going to New York City and seeing Broadway shows. My favorites include Company, Rent, Arcadia, and the History Boys. I like to listen to music, and in addition to musical theater, my favorite artists include the Beatles, Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, and Spoon. I read too much for my own good, and my favorite books are currently A Clockwork Orange, Lolita, and Interpreter of Maladies. I’m not ashamed to admit that I find the Daily Show with Jon Stewart the most credible news source in America. I like lots of random things too, such as hyenas, Harry Potter, and arguing with Alex over his theories of population control and sterilization. On that happy note, I look forward to working with you guys on this project.
 * Kari Olmon-**

Hey everyone, My name is Maddy and I'm the only junior in the class at SPA. I was supposed to be on semester away in New York City but then decided not to go at the last minute. I'm really jealous all of you get to live in India and not Minnesota. It sounds to me like the most amazing place. I really want to go there... I can't stand the cold here, but love the lakes and boating in the summer. Other than that I like to travel, to listen to music and to be with my friends. I don't really know what else to say... I'm pretty open minded...
 * Maddy Karon-**

Hey eveyrone. I'm matt, I'm a gemini, and i like to read history text books. I play baseball and soccer for school, and also do some club soccer. I wish i could play rugby, and like to think i can play cricket. My favorite movies are Saving Private Ryan, Slumdog Millionaire, and Rambo: First blood part two. I like to listen to Daft Punk, Kanye, and Punjabi MC. In my free time i hang with friends, watch the office, and stare at my computer. My favorite subjects are sciences and languages, but i really like psychology too. My favorite book is Angels and Demons and i am psyched for the movie to come out. Can't wait to work with you guys on the project
 * Matt Pichert-**

Hi everyone, My name is Tim. The place that you would most likely find me would be in the woods (with a camera). I love hiking, canoeing, and skiing. This last summer I spent 30 days hiking and camping in a remote area of the Canadian Rockies. If you couldn’t guess, my favorite book is Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. I also enjoy sports, especially baseball. When it comes to music I listen to mostly alternative rock. If I was an animal I would either be a bush baby or a porpoise because they are both adorable. My favorite color is blue, yet I also enjoy sea foam green, and maroon. My favorite smells are rain, pine, and expo markers. My favorite flavor of ice cream is pavarotti (banana, caramel, chocolate chip). My favorite thing about living in Minnesota is the four seasons. I think I am one of the few people who can truthfully say that they love winter. I am really excited to learn more about all of you over the coming months.
 * Tim Kelley-**

Hey! I'm Zuhra, and unlike Alex and Tim I don't really like the wilderness....I'm more of a city person. My family is consists of me, my parents, and my four year old brother. We all enjoy traveling, and my favorite place I've been to is Dubai. I enjoy running, playing soccer, and rugby but I don't do these sports competitively. I love all kinds of music, but I mostly listen to Indian music (haha)... I guess generally I like to cook, be with my friends and family, read, and dance! Oh, somethings I do a lot are smile and laugh....so generally I'm a pretty happy person :-D! Well, I'm looking forward to meeting and talking to you guys ! Zuhra
 * Zuhra Khoyratty-**


 * Nicks Bancks-**

Hi! I am Nick Bancks and I am the middle and upper school librarian for SPA. I enjoy hunting and fishing, especially fly-fishing, and I try to travel to the western United States at least once a year for an extended fishing trip every summer. I also really enjoy playing and watching sports. I just got cable TV at my house and I think I may never read again (probably not good since I'm a librarian). I like a lot of different kinds of music but I'd have to say my favorite two groups at the moment are Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky. I've seen Sigur Ros live twice and they're great! My favorite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I really enjoy reading anything by him. I helped Dr. Hodges and her group last year and they did such a wonderful job with this project so I'm excited to be involved again this year.

Dr. Sushmita Hodges teaches 10th grade world history with a focus on global—especially non-Western—perspectives. All her courses are based on a balanced, integrated and inclusive approach to historical development. She helps each of her students achieve success through patience, perseverance, and personal attention. Since joining the faculty in 2000, she has developed the school’s first course in Multicultural Studies and new senior electives in Honors World History, and the History of the Developing World. She advises the Gender Equity in Learning and Leadership group and, for the past five years, has chaperoned the sophomore service retreat. “It’s fun to watch 15-year-olds take initiative and engage in community service,” she says. A native of India, Dr. Hodges lived in New Delhi until graduate school, when she moved to the United States. She earned a B.A. with honors history from Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi and an M.A. in history from Delhi University as well as an M.A. in history and a Ph.D. in social science from Ball State University. At SPA she has received several Wark grants for curriculum development and a Lilly Fund grant for professional development. Outside of school she enjoys reading, watching international and Bollywood films, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
 * Dr. Sushmita Hodges-**

BSI Introductions
A sound education is one, which provides the learners with roots and wings; roots, which are firmly set in the traditions, culture and philosophy of their land and wings, which help them, fly creatively in a world characterized by rapid technological change. An ideal school is one that integrates the various facets of teaching-learning, the emphasis being on self-learning and not on teaching; where the students embark on a journey of discovery – about people, things, places and themselves. Bluebells school offers an environment to its students, which allows for their multi-faceted growth and development into responsible citizens and professionals of tomorrow. It facilitates learning through a process of self-inquiry in which students are simultaneously a source, a resource, the provider and the recipient of learning. It through experiments, projects, assignments and discussions in every discipline that students learn to do research right from primary classes. The school also creates a learning atmosphere in which empowered students play a responsible role in administrative and academic affairs. There is a concentrated effort to develop the cognitive thought processes of students. The curriculum at Blue bells is activity-oriented and the school constantly reinforces its internal strengths and competencies in both students and teachers through a constant emphasis on training and development via regular participation in workshops on improvement of teaching-learning skills, multi-intelligence thinking, and creative thinking. The founder Principal Mrs. G Soni had envisioned Bluebellians as blossoms nurtured lovingly by their alma mater, which must spread their beauty and grace far and wide and bring joy to others
 * About BSI-**

wassup guys? I'm aditya, but call me addy for short. i enjoy reading, listening to music, playing the drums, and hanging out with my friends! I love English and Science when it comes to academics, and my friends and I share a common passion when it comes to food! i love to eat good stuff! lolz! anyway, i hope all of us can be really good friends, and i'm looking forward to working on this project with you guys!!!
 * Aditya Banerjee-**


 * Arjit Arora-**

Hey, hi all..me arjit,my nick name is aju but you better call me arjit.i am a capricon,i love to play football,tennis,listen to rocking music and be a part of projects indeed.i also love watching movies,reading novels of "espacially the man of writers 'charles dicken'.." i have taken part in the project to put on my views on the insipid topic "poverty"...and affterall looking forward to work with everyone in this group.. thank you...

hi all.. my name is gurvisha ahuja..am 16 years at the moment..going to be 17 on the 5th of feb.. i love playing basketball and all other sports like badminton and volleyball and throwball and like swimming.. love listening to music..of all kinds like hip hop, pop , rap and maybe sometimes slow and soft but that is like really rare...and other than that i love travelling especially to beaches and sometimes love being in the hills..and i love sports like hell..am alwayz out on the field... sometimes i might crack some really dumb jokes but i love making people laugh so dont really care much.. also love dogs.. have 2 at home..and i love them..
 * Gurvisha Ahuja-**

and by the way.. if you guys want you all can call me Benny..thats my nick name and evryone at home and school calls me that..so if you all want..you can too.. and thats a kind of brief up about me.. cant wait to talk to you guys and know more about you.. take care you all

hey guyz..... my name is Nayan Sethi....... i love 2 play cricket, soccer n computer games.......m interested in movie makin, photography, music n acting......i simply love 2 play guitar....wen evr m free i either chat on d fon or onlin wid ma frnds or i go 2 sleep(ma favourite).... m a commerce student....ma subjects r economics, maths, accounts, business studies n english.... wen m in a good mood i can do nethng in d nam f fun in shrt m a fun lvin prson.....
 * Nayan Sethi-**

hello ppl, my name is prateek shekhar and my friends call me pratty......i love playin cricket, soccer and basketball. i enjoy watching films and i am also interested in photography. well, eating is my favorite passtime and whenever i hve nothin to do i go to sleep.....my subjects include economics, maths, sociology and psychology....i m an adventure freak and rock climbing, parasailing and pargliding are some of the adventurous stuff i love.....well, i think dats enough about me.....it will be great working together on this project....
 * Prateek Shekher-**

hey:) this is shilpi, and i do not have a nickname, that totally sucks,lol. Anyway, am extremely hyper, sports loving, way way talkative, extremely tiny, a little nerdy and a hip hop learning 16 year old. My subjects include political science, sociology, economics, maths( and no they are not as boring as they sound) . Well am more of a summer *happy* person, in winters i rather hide in my blanket than go to school.lol.Would totally love to have a puppy, some how its been 16 years and my mom still thinks am one, hmph:( But anyways enough of me , i love interacting with new people and so i think it will be lots of fun to do this project with you guys. p.s. you all sound so adventurous*eee*:D lots of love
 * Shilpi Nanda**-

Heya! this is Yashfeen Ahmad...frm class XI ...bluebells international school...my fnz call me Sheen...i enjoy networking, cooking, EATING, music(alternative rock is my favorite!!!) and sleeping away to glory...my subjects include business studies, accountancy, economics and math... i'm a nerd only to the extent that i never compromise when it comes to studies...i celebrate my life as much as i can...i'm looking forward to working on this project with you all...
 * Yashfeen Ahmad-**

** Bhavana Bhasin works as the Head of the Department of Social Work in Bluebells School. She has been a part of various programmmes in school. She has worked as a coordinatorin the exclusive educaion centre, integrated education schemes and teachers resource centre. Through these programmes she has worked with children for reading, spelling and comprehension problems. She is also incharge of Training and Curriculum Development Cell on Peace Education. In this programme the primary objective is to help the child to grow into a peaceful person and to develop and implement innovative, sustainable peace models, interventions, processes and partnerships which foster outcomes of peace, justice and personal responsibility for non-violent conflict resolution.
 * Bhavana Bhasin