DIS’s Extracurricular Activities: Key to Your Child’s Growth

DIS’s Approach to Extracurricular Activities: Why they are important for your child’s holistic growth.

It’s not all about books and homework. When it comes to a child’s full range of development, for holistic growth, a mix of extracurricular activities makes all the difference. And this point cannot be emphasised enough. At Deccan International School, this is one of our core tenets of education: to ensure a child grows into their fullest potential, only bookish learning will not get them there. 

Extracurricular activities play a crucial role in education by providing students with opportunities to develop skills and attributes that complement their academic learning. Our sports programmes at DIS, the music enrichment programme, the performing arts programme, and new certificate courses that we plan to introduce soon in digital media literacy, are geared towards exposing a child to different facets of learning outside the core curriculum: hence “extracurricular”. These give a child a solid foundation into their own interests and passions, making higher education and career choices that much more informed for them and their parents as well.

Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

In the rapidly advancing technological age, no skill set is redundant. Instead of a litany of benefits DIS can share with you, in this article, we will give you an overarching picture of the impact that extracurricular activities can have on a student in their formative years. 

For starters, all activities outside the ambit of core academics help in personal development: performing arts, essay competitions, debates, among other things, greatly enhance communication skills, interpersonal skills, and help even shy students grow in their confidence to be centre-stage. This does wonders for their self-esteem, helping lay the foundation for leadership skills, team work, time management, problem-solving, and critical thinking, all necessary skills for adult life. 

These also help nudge improved academic performance due to better application of reasoning, time management, and learning reinforcement through rehearsals and sandbox learning techniques, all crucial for a mindset that will remain curious well into adulthood. Softer, less apparent psychological aspects of peer interaction and relational dynamics also improve, fostering greater collaboration and team work, teaching students how to work effectively with others. 

As a result of this, emotional well-being and community mindset improve through a greater sense of belonging, all crucial for mental health and wellbeing of the child, as they grow into their own unique personalities. Not just mental health, physical health as well, as is evidenced by our wide range of sports tutelage and participation.

These are crucial to lay the foundation for successful adulthood, and DIS firmly believes in fostering all these aspects, through its structured approach to imparting quality education while giving every student a solid emotional foundation to explore aspects of their creativity while in school. All of these are essential for future decisions regarding higher studies, career exploration, leadership potential, and healthy adult relationships. 

DIS’s Range of Extracurricular Programmes

Deccan International School offers a wide range of activities to cater to various interests and talents, including our much-appreciated music enrichment programme. Students learn several western and Indian instruments, going on to form the school music band that represents DIS at various competitions. An entire floor is dedicated to this programme, and visitors can hear the strains of music echoing in the hallways in the afternoon hours.

DIS also has a well-developed sports programme, with a basketball court, the adjoining Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre for water sports, and physical education that trains students in various modes of athletics. The science labs and arts labs promote greater application of respective lessons learnt in the classroom. DIS’s annual school day is a treat for parents and students alike, and the annual academic calendar encompasses various literary programmes like essay competitions, debate symposiums, and unique bridges between two learning streams, like scripting and staging an educative play on the computer and its uses. Vibrance, DIS’s student fest, is something students look forward to participating in every year.

Implementing extracurricular activities in Deccan International School is par for the course for us. This encourages students to explore and participate in activities beyond their core academic subjects, helping them balance out academic responsibilities with fun and play to prevent stress and burnout. 

Summary

To sum it up, extracurricular activities support holistic development by addressing multiple dimensions of growth:

• Cognitive skills are enhanced through practical applications and critical thinking.
• Emotional health is supported by boosting confidence and providing stress relief.
• Social skills are developed through collaboration and relationship-building.
• Physical health is promoted through active engagement in sports and physical activities.
• Moral and ethical values are reinforced through leadership and community involvement.
• Creativity and innovation are nurtured through artistic and imaginative pursuits.
• Time management and organisational skills are honed through balancing multiple commitments.
• Cultural awareness is broadened through diverse experiences and community engagement.

Extracurricular activities are integral to a well-rounded education, contributing significantly to the development of students’ social, emotional, and practical skills. They offer valuable experiences that prepare students for future challenges and opportunities. Come visit us at Deccan International School to get a sense of the diversity of our extracurricular activities that we have in store for your child.