Why Great teachers are 'Great'

By

Babu P.K
Academic Advisor

JUNE 26 - INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING.

June 26 is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, this day serves as a reminder of the goals agreed to by Member States of creating an international society free of drug abuse.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) selects themes for the International Day and launches campaigns to raise awareness about the global drug problem. Health is the ongoing theme of the world drug campaign.

ABOUT THE WORLD DRUG CAMPAIGN

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is leading the global campaign to raise awareness about the major challenge that illicit drugs represent to society as a whole, and especially to the young. Mindful of fundamental human rights, every drug user should be treated with respect, dignity, compassion and in line with the available scientific evidence, including the WHO, UNODC and UNAIDS comprehensive package of nine HIV interventions.

UNODC encourages as many awareness-raising activities as possible around the globe and invites individuals, non-profit organizations, the private sector and Member States to get involved by:

1. Organizing outreach or institutional events to mark 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; 
2. Spreading the word about the campaign through your own networks and contacts; 
3. Using the campaign slogan and logo in promotional products, websites and social media; and 
4. Donating funds to your local NGO and community-based organizations in support to drug and HIV prevention and treatment efforts, or making in-kind contributions to the campaign and related events

By,

Linda.R

IT Coordinator

BenchMark International School

SMOKING PLANTS

Plants can pick up pollutants from the air and soil, including the nicotine from tobacco

Plants turn out to be secondhand smokers. They breathe in smoke, nicotine and other pollutants released by burning tobacco. And that can be a good thing for people. By sharing our environment with green plants, people may be able to breathe easier. But can plants that people eat also suck up pollutants? Yes, a new study finds. And that may explain why nicotine has been found in some herbal teas, its authors note.

A quarter-century ago, NASA scientists showed that houseplants could filter formaldehyde, benzene and other nasty pollutants from the air. As reported in Science News, a broad range of plants could do this — everything from spider plants and Gerbera daisies to mums and English ivy. So perhaps it’s not surprising that greenery also can remove smoking related pollutants such as nicotine.

Dirk Selmar works at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany. His research team recently decided to work with peppermint plants. They trapped pots of them with fumes from 11 smoked cigarettes. Within two hours, peppermint leaves had picked up a “tremendously” high amount of nicotine, the researchers now report.

Nicotine is the addictive chemical in tobacco that makes it so hard for smokers to give up their habit. Smokers inhale plenty of nicotine. They also exhale some. And as tobacco burns, it also releases nicotine into the air. Even eight days after the plants encountered the cigarette smoke, their leaves’ spike in nicotine had dropped by only half.

But air is not the only route by which plants can become exposed to nicotine. Roots can also take up the pollutant from soil. For instance, the researchers sprinkled 100 milligrams of tobacco — about an eighth to a tenth of what would be in a cigarette — onto the ground in which plants were growing. Nine days later, the plants’ older peppermint leaves had roughly five times as much nicotine as did those in untreated plants. “From a food safety point of view, there is no reason to panic,” Selmar says. He intended the research to help explain unexpected amounts of nicotine in some herbal teas and spices. Smoking farmers and processors could contribute, at least somewhat, to the bonus nicotine, he now concludes.

Neema Suresh

EVS Faculty

BenchMark International School

Poem-But of No Use

She, the Sky

The misery’s child

Looks at me,embarrassed and exclaimed sometimes

Sending forth,a thunder bolt but of no use

With flickering light

She holds the fist tight,

Tries to cry out,weeps bitterly

But of no use.

Creatures are burned alive

In her scorching light

She, but desperately makes efforts to help a tear drop

Scroll down on her cheeks

But of no use.

Ibrahim Mohammed

English Faculty

BenchMark International School

IMPORTANCE OF READING

Reading is fundamental to function in today's society. There are many adults who cannot read well enough to understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. That is a scary thought - especially for their children. Filling out applications becomes impossible without help. Reading road or warning signs is difficult. Even following a map becomes a chore. Day-to-day activities that many people take for granted become a source of frustration, anger and fear.Reading is a vital skill in finding a good job. Many well-paying jobs require reading as a part of job performance. There are reports and memos which must be read and responded to. A poor reading skill increases the amount of time it takes to absorb and react in the workplace. A person is limited in what they can accomplish without good reading and comprehension skills. Reading is important because it develops the mind. The mind is a muscle. It needs exercise. Understanding the written word is one way the mind grows in its ability. Teaching young children to read helps them develop their language skills. It also helps them learn to listen. Everybody wants to talk, but few can really listen. Lack of listening skills can result in major misunderstandings which can lead to job loss, marriage breakup, and other disasters - small and great. Reading helps children [and adults] focus on what someone else is communicating. Reading develops the imagination. TV and computer games have their place, but they are more like amusement. Amusement comes from two words "a" [non] and "muse" [think]. Amusement is non-thinking activities. With reading, a person can go anywhere in the world...or even out of it! They can be a king, or an adventurer, or a princess, or... The possibilities are endless. Non-readers never experience these joys to the same extent. In line with the above, reading develops the creative side of people. When reading to children, stop every once in a while and ask them what they think is going to happen next. Get them thinking about the story. When it is finished, ask if they could think of a better ending or anything that would have improved it. If they really liked the story, encourage them to illustrate it with their own drawings or to make up a different story with the same characters. Get the creative juices flowing!Reading is fundamental in developing a good self-image. Non readers or poor readers often have low opinions of themselves and their abilities. Many times they feel as if the world is against them. They feel isolated [everybody else can read - which isn't true] and behavior problems can surface. They can perform poorly in other subjects because they cannot read and understand the material and so tend to "give up."There is an old saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Ideas written down have changed the destiny of men and nations for better or worse. The flow of ideas cannot be stopped. We need to read and research to build on the good ideas and expose the bad ideas before they bring destruction. Only by reading can we be armed in this never-ending, life-and-death struggle.

 Reading is important because words - spoken and written - are the building blocks of life. You are, right now, the result of words that you have heard or read AND believed about yourself. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People, families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. Think about it!!!.

Linda.R

IT Coordinator

BenchMark International School

The five stages of change

Babu P.K
Academic Advisor, BenchMark International School

A Real Teacher

The Real Teacher Is The One Who Shows You The Way But Lets You Walk It On Your Own In Your Own Way
The Wise Teacher Is The One Who Shows You The Door But Does Not Tell You What To Think About What Is Behind Them
The True Teacher Is The One Who Teaches You To Lead, Not To Follow
The Awakened Teacher Is The One Who Is Also The Student
The Genuine Teacher Is The One Who Knows When To Tell You To Leave Your Teacher
The Compassionate Teacher Is The One Who Teaches All By An Example, Not Just His Students
The Courageous Teacher Is The One Who Dares To Expand Beyond His Teachings
The Best Teacher Is The One Who Brings Out The Teacher In You So That You May Become REAL, WISE, TRUE, GENUINE, COMPASSIONATE And COURAGEOUS"

Regards
Linda
IT Coordinator
BIS