Sunday, November 28, 2010

CRYPTOGRAM # 5

Here's the next Cryptogram:

TW GIO ZTNCWA: CW RMTJMW, VRM YGICBM TFM UFCVCZR, VRM BRMHZ TFM HFMWBR, VRM QMBRTWCBZ TFM AMFQTW, VRM IGJMFZ TFM CVTICTW, TWO MJMFNVRCWA CZ GFATWCPMO UN VRM ZXCZZ. CW RMII, VRM YGICBM TFM AMFQTW, VRM BRMHZ TFM UFCVCZR, VRM QMBRTWCBZ TFM HFMWBR, VRM IGJMFZ TFM ZXCZZ, TWO MJMFNVRCWA CZ GFATWCPMO UN VRM CVTICTWZ.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

DOES YOUR PARENT HAVE TIME FOR YOU?

PARENTS ought to read this ...

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in
— Cleveland Abbe (American meteorologist, inventor and astronomer)

Is this quotation relevant to today's families?
Does every child have an adult at home with whom he/she can discuss things that are learnt in school, the news that newspapers publish, and the activities that The Genius exposes them to for the first time in their lives?

One of the important things we do is to have Mock Press Conferences, where each student acts out the part of a leader, a decision maker, and the rest of the group becomes press correspondents, and come prepared to fire away questions.

Our politicians often kick up an infernal ruckus in the sacred precincts of the parliament instead of having an intelligent debate. They would be put to shame by the tactful and well-informed manner in which some of our young students handle the questions that they are asked!

When these competitions are in progress, we can identify children whose parents are too busy to be of active intellectual assistance. We also observe children whose attention spans have been nearly destroyed by the importance given to television serials and movies of pedestrian tastes in some homes.

Parents who read this would do well to contribute to children's development on a daily basis, and proffer them quality conversation time as often as they can.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

One eventful day at The Genius

Not really just one day - it's a series of events every weekend for four or five weeks, but to each child, it is just one day - one day of great expectations, looking forward to specially prepared dishes - enchiladas, cannellonis and the works - all served in courses from soft drinks through soup, cutlets et al until a succulent dessert appears on the table at the end of a scrumptious repast. Appropriate bowls, plates, spoons, forks and knives are laid out for each course, and they are not served by flunkies (we have no flunkies at THE GENIUS), but by Mentors of exceptional calibre, especially trained - not in table service - but in development of thinking skills. Visit http://the-genius-blog.blogspot.com/2008/03/raison-dtre.html and you will understand why we need to do stuff that parents and schoolteachers ought to be doing.

To cut it short, I shall just say that THE GENIUS is indeed the whole enchilada! (..."the whole enchilada" is an idiomatic expression referring to something that is complete in itself. Refer to a good dictionary before you use it in writing or speech).

If you wish to see some of the pictures of one of the evenings, please click here.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

CRYPTOGRAM # 4

Another Cryptogram for the enthusiast --

LY LYPLX, IKJJWGC GKULCLILXYH PKY'C TK CK VXLU; HKNM TK CK GXJULXNMYC. LZ CEMR XJM ... FKCM-SXYA CEWTH, CEMR NXR MFMY SMIKNM IXSLYMC NLYLHCMJH -- JXFL HEXYAXJ

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

YOU need a Dictionary too!

Anu Garg [whose http://wordsmith.org/ has reached phenomenal subscriber numbers] says:
"There's a new exhibit here in Seattle, showcasing props from the Harry Potter series. As I make my way through it, I see kids holding magic wands in their little fingers and pretending to cast spells. If only we all had a book of spells we could use to make things happen!
"It turns out we do. It's called a dictionary. It has all the magical words we need (though some assembly is required). We can use them to convince (from Latin vincere: to overcome), to motivate (from movere: to move), to inspire (from inspirare: to breathe [life] into), and more."

A Dictionary is a tool of the trade for those who seek to speak fluently, to speak using words that are appropriate to the context, and to those who desire to write impressively.
We at THE GENIUS recommend that every child from the very youngest possess a dictionary, and learn all aspects of using it.

Older students may also subscribe to
http://wordsmith.org/ for a daily dose of words and their interesting origins.

Monday, November 1, 2010

CRYPTOGRAM # 3

An irresistible temptation

When I come across a good quotation - that is, one that does not preach to us from a high pedestal, but has a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour as well, and a sprinkling of truth spiced with satire, I am sorely tempted to share it with the many students and Mentors at THE GENIUS as well as with other friends and well-wishers. I posted the last Cryptogram only two days ago, yet here's another one - swiftly following the last one.

Here's Cryptogram # 3:

SYVT XRP XGTP GX QPJYDK XV XJQO PAPYU NRGQC TJOPK J CYPJCSMQ DMGKJDNP VS GXKPQS EU JKOGDH 'ZRU?'. XV KXVI XRGK DMGKJDNP KVNGPXU GDAPDXPC J TJYAPQQVMK KUKXPT NJQQPC PCMNJXGVD ZRGNR EYGDHK XV JD PDC XRPGY CPKGYP XV JKO XRJX LMPKXGVD. XRP SPZ SJGQMYPK VS XRGK KUKXPT JYP ODVZD JK KNGPDXGKXK -- KGY RPYTJDD EVDCG

I am publishing only the names of the first two all-correct solvers. I need your opinions if I ought to put up the solution as well. I had thought of avoiding display of the solution in order that anyone who visits the page ought to have the mental challenge of the puzzle without the solution available. If anyone finds it difficult to solve a Cryptogram and would like me to send the solution, please put in your comment saying so, and you will receive it directly by mail as
quickly as possible.

Happy deciphering!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

CRYPTOGRAM # 2

Here's another Cryptogram for you to solve. Unfortunately the author of this humorous line is unknown. So just solve it and click on "Comments" and put down your name and the complete solution.

TZCVDSFN GQL NZ SFBLCCSULFB BDGB OSBDSF ZFCK G JLO OLLRN ZJ IGVBSPSBK, BDLK IGF BQGSF G DEYGF HLSFU BZ NBGFT GB BDL PLQK LTUL ZJ BDL VZZC GFT BDQZO BDLY JSND.

10-year olds and above ought to try their hand at decoding cryptograms.

You can use the Comments section for any messages that you wish to send us.



Prasan Wilfred, THE GENIUS
October 30, 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

CEREBRAL CHALLENGES & CRYPTOGRAMS

Message from Prasan Wilfred!

Here's something exclusive for those who love mental challenges like the children of THE GENIUS do!


Here's the first CRYPTOGRAM [a simple substitution code] -- put on your thinking caps, decipher the quotation, and send me the solution as quickly as you can by clicking on "Post a Comment" below.


FMGS HMWDT VDFMNV VP AMRT MWDBGNFV PX XMBDS XWPA DSF PDSFW, MRY DSF GMRYBYMDFV VHFRY VP AIGS DBAF AMOBRQ FMGS PDSFW'V VHFFGSFV, DSMD UT DSF DBAF FNFGDBPR YMT BV HMVD DSFWF BV RPDSBRQ AIGS DP YP VMLF DIWR DSF VBDDBRQ WMVGMNV PID MRY NFD M RFZ QMRQ BR -- S. N. AFRGOFR


I have been, from time to time, personally mailing Cryptograms to a large number of current and old students of THE GENIUS, as well as to our Mentors and others interested in this kind of cerebral challenges.

Henceforth I will not mail it to anyone but I shall display on this blog new Cryptograms for you to solve from time to time.

Have fun!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Greatest Evening of the Year

All of us at The Genius look forward at all times to the Annual Awards evening. The last couple of years we have had to spread this over two evenings, as we have over 800 children with their parents joining us to celebrate their children's attainments.

We spent our two evenings on 3rd and 4th April 2010 at the beautifully renovated and refurbished Ravindra Natya Graha, Indore.

The spirit of the evening was just fun and laughter, 60 to 70 cartons of books (from the UK, USA, & Australia) given away as prizes and a final dance of sheer ecstasy as was echoed in the spirit of the universal favourite Do-re-mi to which the entire lot including a few Mentors danced with glee.
Click this link to see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nVww0Rc9lw

Well-wishers from around the world wrote to congratulate us when they saw the video, and we have had to clarify that dance forms no part of our work whatsoever. Music, yes; poetry and humour, yes; and anything that is enjoyable for children and yet is intellectual is part of our repertoire! The dance was just a spontaneous joyous release of energies.

Vacation now until we re-assemble mid-July 2010, refreshed, refurbished, re-enthused. That would usher in another nine months of wonderful evenings picking each other's brains, challenging little children to reach out higher and to aim for new learnings and even greater attainments.

It has been [as Robert Browning put it so aptly] "Roses, roses all the way" for everyone connected with THE GENIUS.

My WONDERFUL TEAM OF MENTORS and my family thank our universe for the extraordinary support.
Many new Mentors will be with us while some of the senior ones leave us for various universities, some to different lands seeking fulfilment in new mental challenges. The children who benefited from the cerebral inputs of these Mentors carry an eternal imprint in their neurons - an imprint that will forever bear the names of those who influenced them.

Monday, April 5, 2010

THE GENIUS 20th ANNUAL AWARDS 2010

12-YEAR OLD RISHABH JAIN WINS THE GENIUS OF THE YEAR 2010 AWARD

The 20th Annual Awards function [The picture: L to R - Rishabh Jain's parents, Rishabh, Aunty Shobha & Uncle Prasan Wilfred] of The Genius was celebrated with great enthusiasm over the last weekend. It was held on the 3th and 4th April 2010 in the Ravindra Natya Graha auditorium attended by the elite of Indore.

THE GENIUS, now quite renowned for its intellectual enhancement programme for school children, declared 12-year old RISHABH JAIN of Class 7 (now in Class 8) the winner of The Genius of the Year Award 2010.

The Award included a silver trophy, an artistically crafted certificate, and a 22-volume set of the World Book Encyclopedia worth over Indian Rupees 40,000 ($800).

The criterion for the Award is high intellectual potential and consistent meritorious performance in all areas of cerebral activity.

THE GENIUS, located in Saket and Vijayanagar, has been catering to the intellectual needs of over 800 bright children from twenty different schools. They undergo one-hour-a-day sessions of intense, yet fun-oriented, intellectual games that challenge their thinking skills, exercise their mental muscle, and contribute to their growth in areas not covered by school curricula.

The outstanding prize winners at the gathering were Samarth Agarwal, Rakshit Jain, Benimadhav Agrawal, Kartikey Jajoo, Tanishq Kishnani, and Ishaan Manudhane.

THE GENIUS stimulates the curiosity of young minds, and assists development of mental agility, and high awareness levels.


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

We now await the great day!

Expectations run high before the great day. The children of all groups are trying to guess who the winner of "The Genius of the Year Award 2010" would be. We have to select one child from among a galaxy of intelligent, quick-witted, and ambitious youngsters.

All our students are mentally agile, gifted with immense intellectual energy, and they cas
t a glow on all those who come in contact with them - a daunting galaxy indeed!

Try to guess who would be the winner, it is no easy task. One might as well dig
atop the summit of Mount Everest for that one perfect snow-crystal.

The Annual Awards will be as usual on the first Saturday in April - and, now that we have to cater to about 800 children, it spills over to the following day as well. The winner would receive a silver trophy, a certificate, and an encyclopaedia worth over Rs. 40,000 ($ 800).

If you wish to know what THE GENIUS is all about, click on "raison d'etre" that I wrote while introducing this blog two years ago.