How does a student benefit by taking NCO ?

Participants of NCO are ranked on the basis of marks obtained. Hence, after taking the first level of the test, students can judge themselves academically at four different levels - within the school, at city and state level, and above all at International level. Finally students are suitably awarded based on their international ranking. Prizes include cash prizes, computers, medals, CD’s, etc.. The prizes for the first 3 toppers of each class are awarded at a grand prize distribution ceremony presided over by an eminent personality. Rest of the prizes are either sent to the schools or can be collected from the Foundation’s office after announcement. State level prizes are also being initiated to award state toppers.

Who all are eligible to sit for the NCO?

Students of classes 2nd to 12th are eligible to appear for the NCO. There is no other eligibility criterian like minimum marks. The top 500 All-India ranked students of the first round from each class and 10 state toppers class wise are eligible to appear in the 2nd level online / offline exam.

I am interested to take part in the NCO. Tell me how will I come to know about the details of the exam?

All the relevant information is sent to the schools all over the country along with prospectus, registration forms and posters before the first round and then as the date and venue of the second level is decided, the information is sent to the relevant schools again. The students come to know about the necessary details from their school teachers or through the Foundation's official website www.sofworld.org

Myself and few of my friends are interested to take part in the NCO but our school has not yet received any information regarding the Olympiad. What do we do?

Let us know the complete address of your school. We will send detailed information and registration forms to your School so that your Principal / Computer Teacher can register your names for the exam.

What is the syllabus for the NCO?

The syllabus of the NCO is the Computers and Mathematics syllabus as is prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE or various state boards. If you sit for the second level and have moved onto the next class, the syllabus will remain the same (i.e. of the previous class). The syllabus is also posted on the Foundation’s website.

Are there any special books which the participants should refer to for the NCO preparation?

There are no special books as such. In general, NCERT books/course books prescribed by the CBSE/ICSE/STATE BOARDS are sufficient for the preparation. Your computer curriculum book is good enough to prepare you for NCO. MTG NCO Class wise Workbooks contain useful matter including exercises and previous years paper of NCO.

My school does not want to register for the NCO, but I am very eager to write the exam. Can I do it on my own?

SOF does not encourage individual participation. Students have to register through their schools only.

I have already appeared for the NCO while I was in a lower class? Can I appear again?

Definitely yes. This will give you an opportunity to improve your previous rankings, and if you are successful in doing so, you will again be eligible for certificates and prizes.

My school has already despatched the registration form. I am left out and I want to register myself for the NCO...

You can request your school authority to send your exam relevant details and fee immediately to us. We accept it if it reaches us before the last date of registration (usually 4 weeks before the exam).

I am going to write the NCO for the first time. Can I get sample papers?

Sample Papers are sent to all the registered schools. SOF website also contains these papers (link for NSO / NCO / IMO). Sample papers sent to the schools prior to the first level test are helpful and can be used for both levels of NCO.

for more Visit SOF

Before you have children, you have a certain set of responsibilities, but you don’t have anywhere near the same type of worries that a parent has. The minute a child enters your life, you suddenly realize how fragile the world is and how easily you could lose the child that you brought into this world. For some parents, the fear of losing their child is enough to stop them from allowing their child to experience anything new, such as a high school student exchange.

The fear can consume parents, but the reality is that if you prevent your children from doing the things that they long to do, especially safe things such as a high school student exchange, you are taking them away from the experiences that could shape their future dramatically. If you’re worried about letting your children become high school exchange students, there are a few things that you should know. The Family

The families that are chosen for a high school student exchange are, for the most part, your average, everyday families. When a family decides that they want to host an exchange student, there is a process that they have to go through in order to be considered a qualified family. If they have not gone through the process, which includes a great deal of paperwork and an inspection, they are not allowed to host a student. The safety of the student is the most important thing for any high school student exchange program, and they are going to make sure that whatever family takes care of your student will do so as well as they possibly can.

Your Child

Many parents are concerned that, just like a child’s first sleepover, the student will get to the foreign country and will decide that they don’t want to stay the required amount of time. Unlike that first sleepover, it’s almost impossible to go and retrieve your child, especially if you don’t have the financial resources to afford a trip to Germany, Italy or wherever they may be. If you support your child and keep in contact with them, they should be able to handle the separation as well as, if not better than, you can.

There are many reasons that most parent can come up with as to why their children shouldn’t become high school exchange students, but the truth is that most high school exchange students get so much out of their experiences abroad that you should tear down the excuses and allow your child to enjoy experiencing the world.

High School Students Drinking Fewer Sodas

One quarter of US high school pupils are drinking one soda every day, fewer than in the past, says a new report issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The authors explained that water, fruit juices and milk are considerably more popular among teenagers than sodas.

The report, titled " Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010," involved 11,429 nationally representative high-school students from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS). The report appears in the CDC's publication MMWE (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report).

The students completed a questionnaire, which among other things asked how often they had consumed the following drinks during the previous seven days: energy drinks, regular sports drinks, diet soda (or pop), regular soda (or pop), 100% fruit juices, milk, and other SSBs (sugar-sweetened beverages).

However, when other sweetened drinks are included, such as Gatorade, approximately two-thirds of high school students have at least one per day. Towards the end of the 1990s over three-quarters of teenagers had one sugary drink each day.

US health authorities and health care professionals have long linked the country's high childhood obesity rates to the consumption of sugary beverages.

29% of American teenagers consumed at least one soda a day in 2009, compared to 24% in 2010, the authors reported.

Some experts wonder whether teenagers are underreporting their soda consumption. Among young people today there is much better awareness regarding the health consequences of over-consuming sodas.

Below are some facts from the study:

72.4% drink a serving of water daily

16% have a sweetened sports drink each day

17% have a flavored milk, sweetened tea, or some other kind of sugary drink each day

African-American teenagers tend to consume more sugary beverages than their Caucasian or Hispanic peers do

Boys on average consume more sugary drinks that girls

42% consume at least one glass of milk each day

15% have a minimum of one cup of coffee or tea each day

7% have at least one diet soda each day

30% have a 100% pure fruit juice each day

The authors write that 100% fruit juices and milk are sources of key nutrients, such as vitamin C, calcium, as well as water. On the other hand SSBs have very poor nutritional value, and are only really seen as a source of water. SSBs are the single largest source of added sugars in the diet of young Americans.

The report urges parents, schools and youth-oriented institutions to take measures to reduce SSB consumption by teenagers, while at the same time encouraging them to consume healthier drinks.

The authors inform that water, low-fat, or fat-free milk are healthy drinks. 100% fruit juices are too if low amounts are drunk. They add that according to the American Academy of pediatrics, children should avoid routinely drinking sports drinks. 

"Beverage Consumption Among High School Students - United States, 2010"

Nancy D. Brener, PhD, Caitlin Merlo, MPH, Danice Eaton, PhD, Laura Kann, PhD, Div of Adolescent and School Health, Sohyun Park, PhD, Heidi M. Blanck, PhD, Div of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Corresponding contributor: Nancy D. Brener

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 17, 2011 / 60(23);778-780

Written by Christian Nordqvist 

Copyright: Medical News Today