Open Essay Writing and Poster Making Competition

SAIGROUP

Presents
TIMES OF OMAN

OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION

FOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

OF OMANI ARABIC / OMANI PRIVATE / INTERNATIONAL AND

SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOLS IN OMAN

“SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES ”

The Principal/Head of English / Arts Department 6th March 2014

…………………………………..(School)

…………………………………. (Address)

Sultanate of Oman

RespectedSir/Madam,

SUB:SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION - “SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES” – 11th YEAR EVENT IN 2014

We are pleased to announce that the “SAI & TIMES OF OMAN” ESSAY WRITINGAND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION 2014 - “Spreading the Light Through Human Values” , in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman, is scheduled to take place in April 2014.The Guiding Principles, Details of the Competition (including in Arabic), Write-up on Topics and Entry Forms are enclosed herewith.

We are overwhelmed by the keen enthusiasm shown by the school and the student fraternity in Oman during the last 10 occasionssince the inception of this competition, which is intended to strengthen the spirit of Human Excellence amongst the student community in Oman. The event which had humble beginning in 2003, has grown in stature and reached as many as 4,200 students and about 250 schools in Muscat, Batinah, Dakhliya, Buraimi, Sharqiya and Dhofar Regions during 2013 and is now all set for its 11th Year in Oman.

We seek your continued support and request you to send us the registration forms, either by “ON –LINE REGISTRATION through website or by E-mail to on or before 31st March 2014.Please contact Ms.Mythili Manohar – GSM: 9514 9226 or Ms. Gowri Mohan – GSM 9523 4650 for any clarification.

With warm regards,

For and on behalf of SAI Group, Oman

Shankar T ShettyA.V.ManoharGowri Mohan

(GSM: 9938 7409)(GSM: 9934 1379)(GSM: 9523 4650)

Co-coordinators – “Spreading The Light through Human Values” Event 2014

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SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION -“SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES”

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

AIM OF THIS COMPETITION

“Make the children better children and better citizens for tomorrow” is the primary focus of conducting this event. This competition enables the students to express their thoughts and viewsthrough visual art or written essays on selected topics on human values and citizenship education.. These activities encourage students to comprehend relate and reflect values in their daily lives.

ENGLISH – THE MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

English language is the chosen medium for the Essay Writing Competition and thus students are given an opportunity to improve their writing and communication skills.Making good usage of the language will open new vistas in their lives and offer ample scope to compete with the external world.

HOW DOES THIS COMPETITION BENEFIT STUDENTS?

Participation in this competition increases their awareness of human values and responsibilities as good citizens. It also enhances the rapport between the family members, teachers and students as it gives an opportunity for everyone to work close with each other in rendering guidance to the students in their preparationfor the competition.

HOW DOES SUCH A COMPETITION ON HUMAN VALUES TOPICS BENEFIT THE SCHOOL?

When the awareness of human values and citizenship concept is increased in students, they become better individuals and effective members of the school community. It also complements the current value based curriculum activities.

STUDENTS – THE FUTURE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY

The school forms the foundation for the future of our society. Any benefit to the individual student is thus a benefit to the whole society. This competition thus reinforces the noble objectives of the schools.

SUPPORT FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has given unstinted support and encouragement to this Event. Through MOE’s network, participating schoolsare reached. The officials of the MOEare appreciative of the universality of the content of this Programme and have taken a personal interest in the conduct of this Event.

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SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION - “SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES”

DETAILS OF THE COMPETITION

DATE, VENUE AND TIME:

I Phase: Muscat Region:

On Saturday, 12th April, 2014 at the Indian School Al Ghubrah, (near Al Maha Petrol Station Opposite to the Grand Mosque), commencing at 10 am.

II Phase: Dakhliya, Batinah and Sharqiya Regions:

-At Nizwa – Indian School, Nizwa on Saturday, the 19th April 2014, at 10 am.

-At Sohar – Indian School, Sohar on Saturday, the 19th April 2014, at 10 am.

-At Sur – Indian School, Sur on Saturday, the 19th April 2014, at 10 am.

III Phase: Dhofarand Dhahira Regions and Buraimi:

-At Salalah – Indian School, Salalah on Saturday, the 26th April 2014, at 10 am.

-At Buraimi – Indian School, Buraimi on Saturday, the 26th April 2014, at 10 am.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

The competition is open to students of Primary and Secondary Schools - Omani Arabic, Omani Private (Bilingual, Monolingual and Global), Special Education and International Schoolsin Oman.

NO. OF ENTRIES FROM EACH SCHOOL:

Each school can send a maximum of 40 students i.e. 20 students for Essay Writing at 5 Nos. per group and 20 students for Poster Making at 5 Nos. per group.

TOPICS CHOSEN FOR 2014 COMPETITION

Group / Grade / Topic
A / 1st, 2nd, 3rd / I Love my Family
B / 4th, 5th, 6th / Study to be Steady
C / 7th, 8th, 9th / Protect and not Pollute Nature
D / 10th, 11th, 12th / Driving faster can cause Disaster

A HELPING HAND FOR PARTICIPANTS TO GET INTO THE TOPIC

A short write up on each of the topics is enclosed and hence a copy of this must be given to the participating students for their initial understanding and preparation.

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ENGLISH – MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

English is the medium of communication for essays.

BRING OUT THE ORIGINALITY:

Schools are requested to encourage the students to introspect, research and discuss their chosen topics to help them formulate and convey their original ideas in essays. Schoolsshould avoid reproduction of the same essay by all the students.

NO ENTRY FEES

No entry fees will be charged either to students or to the Schools.

ENTRY FORMS

Entry forms, separately forEssay Writing and Poster MakingCompetition are enclosed and these forms should be filled up by the schools. No student can send his / her registration directly. Names of the students are to be written clearly on the entry forms in CAPITAL LETTERS as hall tickets and certificates will be issued based on the spellings as appearing in the entry forms.

The school can register the names of the participants by “ON –LINE REGISTRATION” through website

Alternatively, Entry Forms could be filled up, signed by the Principal with School seal and sent to the organisers via email:

LAST DATE FOR RECEIVING ENTRIES:31st March 2014.

HALL TICKETS

Upon receipt of entry forms from the school, a hall ticket for each student mentioning the name, group, topic chosen, category, Roll No., Class Room No., venue, etc will be sent to the schools.

Each student should be advised to bring the hall ticket while appearing for the competition and the same will be verified at the time of competition.

Each student has to write only the Roll No.on all the Essay Writing and Poster Making sheets during the competition.

Participants have to take their seat at least 15 minutes before the scheduled time.

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WRITING AND DRAWING MATERIAL

Organisers will provide the participants with foolscap ruled papers for writing essay and A3 size white sheets for poster making.

Other materialrequired for writing / drawing (e.g. pen, ink-erasers, paints, colours etc) will have to be brought by the participants.

TIME ALLOCATION:

Participants will be given 90 minutes for Essay Writing and 120 minutes for Poster Making.

SUGGESTED WORD LIMIT FOR ESSAY WRITING:

Approximately 400 words for the A and Bgroups and 700 words for the C and Dgroups.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Each paper will be valued for a total of 50 marks. Marks are awarded for (i) Content Relevance, (ii) Efficacy of conveying human values, (iii) Presentation and Neatness (iv) Language (for essays) and Creativity (for posters).

A panel of 3 judges will be formed – One from the Community, One Ministry of Education and one from the Organizing body, in each of the category and age group.

A blind judging process will be used, whereby judges will not know the identity of the participating students.

Decision of the judges will be final and binding.

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES

Three prizes – First, Second and thirdfor all the groups in each categorywill be awarded, besides Consolation prizes in each category and each group.

Participation Certificate will be given to all the participants through the schools.

The date of the Award Ceremony will be notified in due course of time.

Winning Essays and Posters will be exhibited to the general public on the Award Ceremony Day.

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SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION -“SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES”

تفاصيـل المسابقـة

1-التاريـخ والمكـان والوقـت :

المرحلـة 1 : منطقـة مسقـط

يـوم السبـت 12 أبريـل 2014 بالمدرسـة الهنديـة الغبـرة ( بالقـرب من محطـة بتـرول المهـا مقابـل المسجـد الكبيـر ) البدايـة في الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

المرحلـة 2 : مناطـق الداخليـة والباطنـة والشرقيـة :

-في نـزوى – المدرسـة الهنديـة ، نـزوى يـوم السبـت 19 أبريـل 2014 الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

-في صحـار – المدرسـة الهنديـة ، صحـار يـوم السبـت 19 أبريـل 2013 الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

-في صـور – المدرسـة الهنديـة ، صـور يـوم السبـت 19 أبريـل 2014 الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

المرحلـة 3 : مناطـق ظفـار والظاهــرة والبريمـي

-في صلالـة – المدرسـة الهنديـة ، صلالـة يـوم السبـت 26 ابريـل 2014 الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

-في البريمـي – المدرسـة الهنديـة ، البريمـي يـوم السبـت 26 أبريـل 2014 الساعـة العاشـرة صباحـا.

2-المـدارس المشاركـة

المنافسـة مفتوحـة لطـلاب المدارس الابتدائيـة والثانويـة – المدارس العمانيـة باللغـة العربيـة والمدارس العمانيـة الخاصـة

( ثنائيـة اللغـة وأحاديـة اللغـة والعالميـة ) ، التعليـم الخـاص والمدارس العالميـة في مسقـط .

3-عـدد المشاركيـن من كـل مدرسـة :

يمكـن لكـل مدرسـة أن ترسـل 40 طالـب كحـد أقصـى أي 20 طالـب لكتابـة المقـال كـل مجموعـة تضـم عـدد 5 طـلاب و 20 طالـب لعمـل بوستـر (ملصـق ) كـل مجموعـة تضـم عـدد 5 طـلاب .

4-المواضيـع المختـارة لمسابقـة عـام 2014

المجموعـة / الدرجـة / الموضـوع
أ / الأولى والثانيـة والثالثـة / أحـب عائلتـي (I Love my Family)
ب / الرابعـة والخامسـة والسادسـة / القراءة لتكـون مستقيمـا (Study to be Steady)
ت / السابعـة والثامنـة والتاسعـة / حمايـة الطبيعـة لا تلويثهـا (Protect and not Pollute Nature )
ث / العاشـرة والحاديـة عشـر والثانيـة عشـر / القيـادة بسرعـة تسبـب الكـوارث (Driving faster can cause Disaster)

5-يـد المساعـدة للمشاركيـن للدخـول في الموضـوع

مرفـق ملخـص مختصـر عن كـل موضـوع ويجب إعطـاء نسخـة من هـذا الملخـص للطـلاب المشاركيـن لتمكنهـم من الفهـم والإعـداد الأولـي للموضـوع .

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6-اللغـة الانجليزيـة – وسيلـة الاتصـال

اللغـة الانجليزيـة هـي وسيلـة الاتصـال للمقـالات.

7-إبـراز الأصالـة

مطلـوب من جميـع المـدارس تشجيعالطلابعلىالتأملوالبحثوالمناقشةوالدخـول للمواقـع بشـأن المواضيعالمختارةولكنفيالنهايةيجبنقـل الأفكارالأصليةفيالمقـــالات. ينبغيتجنباستنساخنفـس المقالمنقبلجميـــعالطلاب.

8-لا توجـد رسـوم مشاركـة

سـوف لـن يتـم احتسـاب رسـوم مشاركـة للطـلاب أو المدارس

9-استمـارات المشاركـة

استمارات المشاركـة ، بشكـل منفصـل لمسابقـة كتابـة المقـال وعمـل البوستـر ( الملصـق ) مرفقـة ويجـب تعبئتهـا وتوقيعهـا بواسطـة المـدارس . لا يجـب على الطـلاب ارسـال استمـارة التسجيـل مباشـرة . يجـب كتابـة أسمـاء الطـلاب بوضـوح على استمـارات المشاركـة بحـروف التكبيـر حيـث أن تذاكـر القاعـة والشهـادات سـوف تصـدر بنـاء على الهجـاء الظاهـر في استمـارات المشاركـة.

يمكـن للمدرسـة تسجيـل أسمـاء المشاركيـن عن طريـق " التسجيـل بالانترنيـت " من خـلال الموقـع الالكترونـي

وكبديل يمكـن تعبئـة استمـارات المشاركـة وتوقيعها بواسطـة المديـر مـع ختـم المدرسـة وإرسالها إلى المنظميـن عن طريـق البريـد الالكترونـي :

10-آخـر تاريـخ لاستـلام استمـارات المشاركـة : 31 مـارس 2014

11-تذاكـر القاعـة

عنـد استـلام استمـارات المشاركة من المدرسـة ، سـوف يتـم ارسـال تذكـرة القاعـة لكـل طالـب والتي يذكـر فيهـا الاسـم والمجموعـة والموضـوع المختـار والفئـة ورقـم الوثيقـة ورقـم الصـف والمكـان ... الخ لجميـع المدارس.

يجـب إبـلاغ كـل طالـب لإحضـار تذكـرة القاعـة عنـد الظهـور في المسابقـة وسـوف يتـم مراجعـة التذكـرة في وقـت المسابقـة.

على كـل طالـب أثنـاء المسابقـة أن يكتـب فقـط رقـم الوثيقـة على جميـع أوراق كتابـة المقـال وعمـل البوستـر ( الملصـق ) .

مطلـوب من المشاركيـن أخـذ مقاعدهـم قبـل 15 دقيقـة على الأقـل من الوقـت المحـدد .

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12-مـواد الكتابـة والرسـم

سـوف يقـوم المنظمـون بتزويـد المشاركيـن بأوراق ذات خطـوط لكتابـة المقـال وأوراق بيضـاء بحجـم أ 3 لصنـع وعمـل البوستـر ( الملصـق ) .

المـواد الأخـرى المطلوبـة للكتابـة / الرسـم ( مثـل القلـم ، الحبـر ، المساحـات ، الطـلاء والألـوان ... الخ ) يجـب إحضارهـم من قبـل المشاركيـن.

13-الوقـت المخصـص

سـوف يتـم منـح المشاركيـن 90 دقيقـة لكتابـة المقـال و 120 دقيقـة لعمـل البوستـر ( الملصـق ) .

14-حـد الكلمـات لكتابـة المقـال

المقـال محـدد بعـدد حوالـي 400 كلمـة للمجموعـات أ و ب و 700 كلمـة للمجموعـات ت و ث .

15-معيـار الحكـم

تقييـم كـل ورقـة سيكون بما مجموعـه 50 علامـة . يتـم منـح العلامـات (1) للمحتـوى ذات الصلـة (2) فعاليـة نقـل القيـم الانسانيـة (3) العـرض والترتيـب الدقيـق و (4) اللغـة ( للمقـالات ) والإبـداع ( للبوستـر ) .
سيتـم تشكيـل لجنـة من 3 محكميـن – واحـد من المجتمـع وواحـد من وزارة التربية والتعليـم وواحـد من الهيئـة المنظمـة في كـل فئـة ومجموعـة عمريـة.
سـوف يتـم استخـدام عمليـة الحكـم الأعمـى والتي بموجبهـا لا يعـرف المحكميـن هويـة الطـلاب المشاركيـن .
قـرار المحكميـن نهائـي وملـزم.

16-الجـوائـز والشهـادات

ثلاث جوائـز – يتـم منـح الأولـى والثانيـة والثالثـة لجميـع المجموعـات في كـل فئـة بجانـب جوائـز مواسـاة صغيـرة في كـل فئـة وكـل مجموعـة.

يتـم منـح شهـادات مشاركـة لكـل مشـارك من خـلال المدرسـة .

سيتـم الإعـلان عن تاريـخ حفـل توزيـع الجوائـز في الوقـت المناسـب.

سيتـم عـرض المقـالات الفائـزة والبوستـرات ( الملصقـات ) للجمهـور في يـوم حفـل توزيـع الجوائـز .

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SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION -“SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES”

Important Guidelines to be followed by the students

(This should be given to the participating students by the school)

Understand the main aim of the competition:

The main aim of the competition is to make the students pursue the path of human values in their journey of life. In this competition, the topics are given in advance with a view to enablethe students think deeply on these principles, discuss with their friends and siblings and also take the guidance from the teachers and parents. A serious preparation this way will make the students absorb the ‘Values’ fully and enable them to integrate these virtues in their daily life. Besides, when the teachers, parents, friends and siblings are involved in aiding the students in their preparation, they are also in a position to carry forward these lofty ideals in their lives. In this way, a wide spectrum of population is benefitted by this competition.

A helping hand for Students to know the topics better

To help the students to start the thinking process, a brief write-up is given below for each of the topics. This is just to provide some hints to the parents and teachers to discuss with or guide the participating students. It is not for memorizing and repeating the same in the competition. These ideas can be developed further by the students after thinking deeply, reading relevant books, referring to relevant websites, discussing with others and rehearsing before the actual day of the competition.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each paper will be evaluated for a total of 50 marks. Marks will be awarded for (i) Content Relevance, (ii) Efficacy of conveying human values, (iii) Presentation and Neatness (iv) Language (for essays) and Creativity (for posters).

In the case of essays, it is expected that there should be a proper introduction followed by logical explanation, with appropriate quotations, famous words / poems, linking stories, life incidents, etc and finally should bring out a nice conclusion. It is advised to use simple words and ideas should be expressed in original sentences, with good grammar. The essay should be written in good hand writing.

Suggested Word Limit for Essays:

400 words (roughly 2 pages) for Group A & B and 700 words (roughly 4 pages) for Group C & D. However, the time limit is 90 minutes for all the groups.

All those associated with this contest can bear in mind that after all, this is a contest on human values. So, let us all display the best of human values at every stage of this competition starting from preparation. All the Best to the children.

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SAI & TIMES OF OMAN OPEN ESSAY WRITING AND POSTER MAKING COMPETITION -“SPREADING THE LIGHT THROUGH HUMAN VALUES”

Sample Write-up for SAI Essay Writing themes - 2014

GROUP A: Grade 1st, 2nd and 3rd - “I LOVE MY FAMILY”

Family is the garden of life. Love is the basis of a family. Love is one of the most important human values. Parents love their children and children too love their parents, their brothers and sisters. When there is love and happiness in the family, there will be harmony in the society and peace and prosperity in the nation. When children love their parents, they realise the sacrifices made by them for bringing up the family and understand them better. A good family system and support is important for children to become successful in their lives. Parents should openly express their love for their children. Children too should be motivated to say often, “I love you mother and I love you father”. This will improve the bond in the family. When there is no love in the family, members start arguing and they will lose happiness. In a well-knit family, joy and sorrow can be shared.

GROUP B: Grade 4th, 5th and 6th - “STUDY TO BE STEADY”

Educationhas been a corner-stone of His Majesty'svision for the development and prosperity of the Sultanate of Oman and its people. It is very important for the students to work hard and study well so that they can acquire quality education. Today, there are so many distractions for the students like television, internet, social networking sites, video games, mobile phones and apps etc. Students have to exercise discretion and discipline to stay clear of distractions. When they imbibe human values as part of education, it becomes easier to stay focussed on studies, secure admissions for higher education and get good jobs. When a family member gets a good job, the quality of life of that family gets improved. Acquiring knowledge is a continuous process. The mind too has to be steady. One should study holy books, which tell people how they should live in a righteous way. Self-development and inspirational books motivate people. Study of one’s own self through contemplation and periodical self-analysis will help in improving one’s strengths and overcoming weaknesses.

GROUP C:Grade 7th, 8th and 9th– “PROTECT AND NOT POLLUTE NATURE”

The world is passing though a turbulent phase due to factors such as economic recession, global warming and ecological imbalance. It is extremely important that nature has to be protected and nourished through green habits. When nature is polluted, disasters are bound to happen. Sometimes, the ill-effects of pollution can be immediate, but often, they occur over a period of time, but on a massive scale. Greed and recklessness are some of the reasons why people pollute nature. Polluting the rivers, we run the risk of consuming contaminated water. When we pollute atmosphere, we invite dangers like ozone layer depletion. Mother Nature has to be revered and treated with utmost care. Conservation of scarce natural resources can be achieved by reduction of consumption, cutting down wastages and efficient use of technology. If every individual reduces his / her needs and puts a ceiling on desires, significant resources can be saved. Use of non-conventional resources like wind and solar energy should be encouraged.

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GROUP D: Grade 10th, 11th and 12th - “DRIVING FASTER CAN CAUSE DISASTER”

Driving at high speeds gives a feeling of excitement but it puts not only the driver but also the other passengers in the vehicle and many other road users in serious peril. When we drive at normal speed, it is easy to control the vehicle but the more the speed, the more difficult it becomes to handle and controlthe vehicle. At high speeds, the braking distance increases. Majority of the accidents are caused due to over-speeding. If a slow moving vehicle ends up in an accident, chances of survival are more for the occupants. But at high speeds, the vehicles turn into killer machines. Vehicles are meant to aid people and not to kill them. It is up to the driver to make the best use of them by safe and defensive driving methods. One moment of adrenalin flow at the driving seat can lead to death or an entire life spent bed-ridden. We should all take a pledge to drive safe and never to exceed the prescribed speed limits. Start Early, Drive Slowly and Reach Safely, must be the dictum to follow.

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SAI GROUP & TIMES OF OMAN - “Spreading the Light through Human Values” Competition 2014

ESSAY WRITING ENTRY FORM - 1

Name of School:______

School Category: International / Omani Private / Omani Arabic / Special Education ______

Region: Muscat(Capital) / Dhofar / Dakhliya / Buraimi / Batinah / Sharqiya ______

Address:______

Phone No:______FaxNo:______email:______

Contact Person at School: ______GSM:______

Group A (Grade 1st, 2nd and 3rd ) Topic: I LOVE MY FAMILY

Name: IN CAPITALS ONLY (ESSAY WRITING - PARTICIPANTS) Grade Boy/Girl

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Group B (Grade 4th, 5th and 6th) Topic: STUDY TO BE STEADY

Name: IN CAPITALS ONLY (ESSAY WRITING - PARTICIPANTS) Grade Boy/Girl

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5.

Group C (Grade 7th, 8th and 9th) Topic: PROTECT AND NOT POLLUTE NATURE

Name: IN CAPITALS ONLY(ESSAY WRITING - PARTICIPANTS) Grade Boy/Girl