3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv

Issue #265, 5th August 2025

“How do I respond when my original plan doesn’t work?”

This single question cuts to the heart of adaptability because it reveals whether someone sees obstacles as dead ends or as signals to try a different approach. An adaptable person’s answer typically involves words like “I look for alternatives,” “I ask for help,” “I try a different method,” or “I step back and reassess.”

Someone who struggles with adaptability might answer with responses like “I get frustrated and give up,” “I keep doing the same thing harder,” or “I blame external circumstances.”

Go on ask it to yourself.

This question works well for students facing academic challenges, parents navigating parenting situations that don’t go as expected, and teachers dealing with lesson plans that aren’t landing with their students.

Here are some ideas that you might want to give a thought about.

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Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
― Leon C. Megginson

“If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.”
― Jeff Bezos

One Video of the Week

When venture investor Natalie Fratto is determining which start-up founder to support, she doesn’t just look for intelligence or charisma; she looks for adaptability. In this insightful talk, Fratto shares three ways to measure your “adaptability quotient” — and shows why your ability to respond to change really matters.

Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week

Literacy Lever: Budgeting

As we continue talking about the levers of reading this week it’s important to do budgeting for your child’s literacy journey. Money talks. Or, in this case, money can pay people to talk with, assess, read to, teach and support your child. We should not over burden our children with so many activities. And sometimes it’s important to say no, plainly no so we  understand it’s among our options. We do see when children enter elementary schools, and it is shocking to see how parents pay tutors just to have repeat reading lessons over the summer. Joyous reading with your child’s willingness to read should be a way to do it but not forcing them to do so. It is important to invest in an educator who can be a guide, a mentor and a guru to elevate a child’s literacy interests. I think we should focus on free and inexpensive ways to nurture reading; I’m a huge fan of the free books and programming that libraries provide. 

Literacy spending may deserve a place among the priorities, but it has to be done wisely. Financial investment in learning evaluations, educational experiences, private schools, and high-quality childcare are all major factors driving better literacy outcomes for many of us. And don’t discount smaller everyday purchases like books, field trips and after-school activities. They also contribute to the richness of a kid’s vocabulary, background knowledge and enthusiasm for learning.

Happy reading!

Meenu Gera, Consulting home and school librarian reading guide.

Showcase: Thrive Beyond School – A unique STEAM education project for very young learners.

Children explored honey badger adaptations through the Zoom-In Thinking Routine and matched animal traits to everyday materials. They made thoughtful comparisons—for example, raincoat fabric was linked to the honey badger’s tough skin, and scissors were linked to its sharp claws. During a treasure hunt, they searched for classroom items (like a fork, bottle, and honey) that represented different honey badger traits and shared their reasoning.

In group discussions, children reflected that adaptations help animals survive by keeping them safe and helping them find food. Some said they would love to have night vision or tough skin like a honey badger.

The following day, children recalled key traits such as sharp claws, a strong sense of smell, and bravery. They created honey badger crafts using textured materials. Samyuktha spoke about bees, and Havishka built a forest model. They labeled body parts and used tools to test materials for strength, stretchiness, and toughness. The session wrapped up with a quiz and thinking questions where they confidently shared their ideas.

Samyuktha & Havishka – 7 years 3 months

Neev, Mayra & Tashi – 6 years 11 months

Tara – 5 years 11 months

Career assessment, guidance, and placement strategies:

Business and Finance Capital of the World

Do you know?

6 reasons for the US, especially New York, being referred to as the Business and Finance capital of the world:

1. Home to the largest stock exchanges – the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ
2. Headquarters for global financial institutions – JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and more
3. Global Influence – the US dollar remains the dominant global reserve currency 
4. Wall Street – A symbol of global finance
5. United Nations Headquarters
6. Business ecosystem

Cities like London, Hong Kong, and Singapore play critical regional roles. New York City retains the top spot globally due to its scale, influence, and financial depth. 

Top 10 US universities for a major in Business and Finance:

1. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
2. Harvard University
3. Stanford University
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Sloan)
5. New York University (Stern)
6. UC Berkeley (Haas School of Business)
7. Columbia University
8. University of Chicago (Booth)
9. University of Michigan (Ross)
10. Northwestern University (Kellogg)

Top universities in the UK for a major in Business and Finance:

1. London School of Economics
2. University of Cambridge (Judge)
3. University of Oxford (Said)
4. Imperial College London
5. University of Warwick (WBS)

Top universities in Canada for a major in Business and Finance:

1. University of Toronto (Rotman)
2. University of British Columbia (Sauder)
3. McGill University (Desautels)
4. Western University (Ivey)

Top universities in Asia for a major in Business & Finance:

1. National University of Singapore(NUS Business School)
2. Nangyang Technological University (Nangyang Business School)
3. HKUST Business School 
4. The University of Hong Kong (HKU Business School)

Fermata Career Solutions inspires young individuals aged 13 to 30 to unlock their potential through focused and customised career and college counseling. With expertise in University Readiness, CareerGym, and Master Parenting, the experts empower you to pursue your dreams and shape your future with confidence. More about us on www.fermataco.com

Dear reader,
I work with the school leadership team as an advisor and collaborate with teachers as a pedagogical trainer. I also help parents as a parenting counselor and regularly engage one-on-one with students as a personal guide and mentor. This weekly newsletter shares what I read, learn, and experience.

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter you can subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.