On Wednesday, 28 June, Calcutta International School held its annual Graduation Day ceremony for the batch of 2023. Attended by parents, guests, and teachers of the graduating batch, the event was held at GD Birla Sabhagar, and was organised primarily by the current students of grade 12. The event team was led by Mrs Debalina Mitra Chatterjee with all teachers of the senior section divided into different committees. The evening began with an inspiring speech made by the Senior Principal, Ms Tina Servaia; followed by touching words from the Junior Principal, Ms Pratima Nayar. The Section Heads, Ms Susmita Mukherjee and Dr Runa Auddy, and Career Counsellor, Ms Sanjukta Poddar, shared playful anecdotes about the graduating batch. The Chief Guest was Prof. Basab Choudhury, Senior Director (Education) of the Heritage Institute of Technology, KBT. Professor Choudhury was previously Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal State University for 5 and a half years. He addressed the gathering with a motivational and inspiring speech.
The valedictorians, Yuvraj Jhawar from the IBDP and Rohan Arya Marda from CIE A Levels, were then felicitated. Salutatorians, Ayanika Bhattacharjee from the IBDP and Arushi Sanghi from A Levels; Students of the Year, Ayanika Bhattacharjee and Prithviraj Jhunjhunwala; and Teachers’ Choice award winners, Rishi Jain and Shreya Kaveri Ghosh were duly awarded. These students then delivered poignant speeches recalling memorable moments of their journey and expressing their gratitude to their mentors. These were followed by a riveting Jugalbandi recital featuring sitar and tabla, performed by Rohit Dey and Dhiman Narayan of Grades 10 and IBDP-Year II. This was followed by a graceful Indian classical dance performance by the students of Grade 12. The various subject toppers from the graduating batch were also felicitated.
The students were also awarded learner profile awards for showcasing exemplary personal traits. Finally, the all-important graduation certificates and goodie bags were distributed on stage. The formal section of the evening closed with the ceremonial throwing of the hats and singing of the school song.
After a short break for refreshments, the informal ceremony began with a video compiled by the students of Grade 12, in which teachers recalled hilarious anecdotes involving the students. This was followed by a parody awards ceremony in which students were felicitated for being the “most likely to become a fashion influencer”, having the “most contagious laugh” or the “coolest sibling” to name a few categories. Abonti Mukherjee of the graduating batch performed an emotional rendition of “Somewhere Only We Know” with piano accompaniment by Archisha Dasgupta of Grade 12. The evening ended with a delightful dance performance by Grade 12 to a medley of songs. The graduating batch joined in to match steps with them, concluding the evening with laughs and cheers.
Overall, it was an emotional evening for the graduating batch, parents, and teachers alike, who could be seen shedding tears and sharing sentimental goodbyes. This evening will certainly remain indelible in the minds of all those in attendance for years to come.