Holi was celebrated in style at Isha Home School. Festivities began on Holi Eve with a large bonfire, where attendees were given dhani prasad to throw as an offering into the fire, a symbolic gesture to rid themselves of ill feelings such as anger, hatred and envy. Dancing around the flames to the rhythm set by Home School drummers, teachers and students boisterously sang and laughed. The next day, the students and teachers gathered on the school grounds and had a ‘paint’war using a variety of colours. The older students could not contain their excitement and began the day early by filling their water bottles from the taps and dousing each other. The delight of throwing dye and coloured water on one another made everybody feel like a child again. Students and teachers ran about with bright colours of orange and blue spread over their skin and clothing. After the ‘colourful’ war, everyone headed to the stream to continue the fun by washing off the paint in the stream water! It was truly a colourful celebration! Holi Hai!

During the second school term, the Junior IHS students visited Century Apparels, a T-shirt factory in Tirupur. They were walked through the various stages involved in making the finished product – from the inspection of cloth to printing it. To inculcate a better understanding, the children went through a brief orientation before they started the factory tour. The children witnessed how a group of people were involved in manufacturing and designing the product. thus, they came to appreciate the value of the T-shirts they were wearing. They were exposed to elaborate machinery as well, and were shown the safety measures taken in handling machinery,, which helped them understand the interaction between man and machine. In spite of the long drive, the children showed great enthusiasm as they explored various parts of the factory and its products.

During the second term, the Junior school students, along with the staff, trekked to the 2^nd stream in Velliangiri Mountains. The children, dressed in their trekking clothes, walked silently in the forest as they enjoyed the beauty of nature. Each student carried a backpack in which they had fruits, water and a change of clothes. They were all so excited to bathe in the stream that as soon as they reached the destination, they all plunged into the water. Everyone had fun splashing around and swimming in the water. After a rejuvenating dip, they were treated to food and snacks. Before they headed back to school, the children were asked to maintain silence and listen to the various sounds of the forest for a few minutes. They all expressed their pleasure at having had a chance to explore the surroundings.