House pride
Titiksha Kabra of Class XI, dressed in her house colour, cheered for her stars. "It was wonderful to see everyone maintaining discipline despite the house pride."
The event was the annual sports of H.M. Education Centre — Unity Athletica 2025 — held on November 28 and 29.
Day I saw members of Tagore, Aurobindo, Vivekananda and Vidyasagar houses, from Classes III to IX and XI, locking horns in various races and relays.
The programme opened with a prayer followed by a march past. Principal Sonita Roy and other guests hoisted the school flag.
The chief guest was footballer José Ramirez Barreto. As the spectators cheered, Barreto encouraged students to hold on to discipline, consistency and passion.
A felicitation ceremony followed, honouring students who have brought laurels to the institution in sports.
Among them was Yash Singh who secured first and third positions in the 34th All India G.V. Mavalankar Shooting Championship, qualifying for the national level and subsequently becoming a member of the Indian shooting team.
Debangshu Das was also awarded for winning gold in the CBSE Zonal Swimming Championship.
The field events kicked off with students from Classes III to IX and XI participating in flat race, class races, flat relay and tug of war. There was also a display of aerobics, yoga, drill and martial arts.
Ex-students, parents, teachers and support staff members also participated in races, drawing cheers from the audience.
The next day was reserved for the junior section — Lower KG to Class II — who lit up the field with their energetic parade and fun-filled
competitions.
Events included class races, yoga, aerobics and the crowd-favourite musical chair, turning the entire ground into a carnival of colours and laughter.
Vidyasagar House became the champion.
"Sports is as important as academics. We ensure that our students are trained throughout the year with the support of a well-equipped playground and qualified coaches. This consistent effort has helped many of our students achieve state and national-level success," said the principal.
"Beyond classroom learning, coming to the playground makes them happy, energetic and refreshed, which helps them perform better," added director Sudipta Bose.
Space talk
Cheers filled the auditorium of SAI International School, Bhubaneswar, when Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of Isro Gaganyatri stepped in.
Questions poured in about his recent space mission, Axiom Mission 4, and his journey as an astronaut. Shukla answered all queries and showed the participating students some exclusive videos of his mission, firing the dreams of many present.
The event was SAITED 2025, an inter-school science and technology fest hosted by the school on November 26. Envisioned by Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, founder of SAI International Education Group, it saw over 5,000 students from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack signing up for various events and workshops.
The theme this year was Infinite Possibilities, Endless Realities: Science Beyond the Omniverse. Young learners showcased prototypes and explored new-age scientific concepts through a rangeof activities.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the event. The biggest attraction was an hour-long session with Shukla that was filled with space insights.
He explained how Axiom Mission 4 was executed meticulously from the pre-launch stage. He spoke about the challenges of surviving in space, describing how astronauts manage daily routines, adapt to microgravity and maintain physical and mental discipline while away from Earth. There were gasps of excitement as he showcased videos from his mission, showing students real onboard activities, movements inside the spacecraft and views from space.
“Events like SAITED play a crucial role in nurturing a culture of science. Being here, I have found that the school has created an environment where scientific curiosity is alive. The energy came through in every conversation I have had,” Shukla said.
The house was open for questions and students poured out all their doubts and dreams of a future in space technology.
SAITED 2025 also hosted a tech fair where there were activities related to coding, aeromodelling and crime forensics, among others.
Several experts conducted specialised workshops.
Silpi Sahoo, chairperson of the SAI International Education Group, said: “It is an overwhelming moment to see thousands of young learners come together to celebrate science, creativity and imagination. SAITED is more than a fest, it is a movement that inspires children to think boldly, innovate courageously and embrace limitless possibilities.”
Teamwork counts
The roar of the crowd, the clash of boots against the ball and the spirit of competition filled the air as Delhi Public School, Megacity, hosted the Smt Manori Devi Smriti Football Cup from September 9 to 13.
Eighteen boys’ teams and six made up of girls signed up for the tournament, turning it into a festival of grit, skill and youthful energy. The event kicked off with an opening ceremony. The school choir delivered Ganesh Vandana, followed by inspiring words from academic director Suman Singh Ganguly and principal Tilottama Mallik.
“Winning or losing does not matter. Participation is most important. Embrace competition and sportsmanship,” the principal told the participants.
The chief guest was footballer Ekomobong Victor Philip. He told the players to be disciplined. "Be strict with yourself. Make sure you obey the instructions of your coaches," he said.
The first two days featured 18 boys’ matches, played under a hybrid system combining group stages with round-robin play and subsequent knockout rounds. Parivaar Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth (PABV) and Albany Hall Public School went up to the finals.
The girls’ matches kicked off on September 12, following a similar format. PABV and Modern High School locked horns in the finals.
The host school clinched third place in the girls’ category, while Purwanchal Vidyamandir secured the same in the boys'. Modern High School girls and PABV boys clinched the trophy.
In every match, Harold Hart, a teacher of the host school, kept the crowd hooked with his engaging commentary. Each day during break, students from all classes flocked to the grounds, their cheers filling the air.
Science and art
For Srestha Ghosh of Class X, it was a proud moment. She and her friends showcased their Synapsense Model, a student-developed prototype capable of detecting minute abnormalities.
The project had already been praised by Isro chairman V. Narayanan before. Now it was the visitors' turn to check it out at a STEAM Exhibition organised by Shri Shikshayatan School.
"Explaining our work to visitors felt thrilling, especially after nights of preparation. Knowing this very model won first prize at Futurescape 2047 and was recognised by the Isro chairman made the entire experience feel surreal," said Srestha.
The theme of the exhibition was Innovation within You, and it became a celebration of ideas.
Corridors became galleries, classrooms turned into mini-labs, and every corner buzzed with presentations, laughter and chatter. Parents, judges and guests from one exhibit to another, pausing to marvel at how students connected classroom concepts to real-world challenges.
The biology section also attracted many visitors with its live trauma-care demonstration, offering practical insight into emergency response.
The art and craft exhibits offered lipan designs, tie-and-dye pieces, velvet bags, terracotta bottles and crafted decoupage soaps.
The school’s Heritage Club revived the charm of traditional puppetry, presenting stories through handcrafted string puppets.
The cookery department kept the energy high with an irresistible spread.
But beyond the colour, science and spectacle, the heart of the exhibition lay in its purpose. The proceeds from the event went to a charity.
"The STEAM Exhibition, themed Innovation Within You, provided a wonderful platform for young minds to showcase their creativity, knowledge and scientific curiosity. Every model reflected futuristic thinking and relevance to real-world challenges, highlighting the immense talent and imagination of our students," said principal Sangeeta Tandon.
Hindi love
Recitation, anchoring and quiz — students of Adamas International School celebrated Hindi Diwas through such fun activities.
Organised by the young learners of Classes I and II, the event focused on making students aware of the importance and richness of the language. The event saw the children reciting several Hindi poems, their emotive power and voice modulation winning appreciation from peers and teachers alike.
There was also a quiz contest that tested the participants' knowledge of vocabulary and cultural facts.
Students enthusiastically answered the questions, showcasing their knowledge and love for Hindi.
"The Hindi Diwas celebration at Adamas International School was a heart-warming display of our students’ confidence, creativity and respect for their vernacular language. New events were conceived which aligned with the objectives of fostering creativity, collaboration and cultural awareness. It was inspiring to see even our youngest learners take the lead with such enthusiasm," said Anusuya Paul, principal.
Evolution story
The stage was set and students nervously did their last-minute preps. The annual day, Aarohan, of Ashok Hall Girls' Higher Secondary School, was celebrated at Kala Mandir on November 21 and 22.
"We had practised for five months, and it was such an emotional thing for us," said Rahee Chakraborty ofClass VIII.
The programme was divided into three slots.
The chief guest on Day I was Alok Sanyal, officer on special duty, Kolkata Police. Also present were chairman O.R. Chitlange and special guest and alumnus Aanchal Agarwal.
The morning show on Day II welcomed IAS officer Abhinav Chandra as the chief guest and alumnus Barna Auddy as the special guest. The evening show, on the same day, had V.M.S.R. Murthy, director of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, as the chief guest and alumnus Sampurna Dey as the special guest. The school choir began with an old favourite, What a wonderful world.
The junior section (Classes I to V) presented Gaia, a journey tracing the history of Earth, from the Big Bang to the progress of human civilisation. Narrated through the eyes of inquisitive Martians, the presentation blended science, dance, drama and multimedia storytelling.
Day II began with the chief guest's speech, followed by that of principal Divjot Kaur and the chairman.
Students of Classes VI to VIII took the audience on a musical journey, Raga to Remix I, focusing on the music culture around the world.
The performers presented fusion choreographies covering bihu, pop, garba, jazz and flamenco, among otherdance forms.
The senior school went a notch higher with Raga to Remix II, a tribute to the timeless evolution of music, inspired by Indian mythology. It celebrated Goddess Saraswati, Lord Nataraj and others.
"It was a lovely show that our children put up. Despite industrialisation, our children are going to bring greenery and peace to the world," said vice-principal (junior section) Madhumita Arnab Chattoraj.
"Students lit up the stage with talent, reminding us that when young minds are nurtured, they create magic," said vice-principal (senior section) Ambica Mehra.
Live music
Live music, special lighting, cheering audience and an energetic atmosphere — Jayati Sinha of Class X felt she had entered a real concert. The familiar faces of classmates brought her back to reality.
Jayati was on her school grounds, witnessing the most sought-after inter-school music event of the season. Hebron School, New Rangia, hosted the third season of Battle of Bands, an inter-school music competition that provides a platform for student bands to exhibit their talents.
"Watching our friends rock the stage made us feel energetic too," said host school's Saloni Tirkey of Class XI as she clapped away for thehome band.
Twelve bands from 10 schools took part in the event. Hebron School, New Rangia, and Hebron English School, Bagdogra, staged twobands each.
From classic rock to Indie, fusion to soulful ballads, each band showcased their originality, technical skill and passion.
The guests included Rev. Mammen Joseph, director of Hebron Schools, Alice Mammen, its founder, Moncy Mammen, its chairman.
Also present were the host school's principal Jemeema Philipose, vice-principal Jayanti Das, headmistress Debika Thapa Naidu, Anu Peter, principal of Hebron English School, Bagdogra, and Beas Paul Choudhary, director of Father Leblond School.
The event was judged by a panel of musical professionals such as singer Abhishek Lemo Gurung and violinist-educator Abhishek Gahatraj. The performance sequence was decided by the judges through a chit system conducted just before the programme. This added an element of surprise to the event.
The participating schools were Darjeeling Public School, Siliguri, G.D. Goenka Public School, Siliguri, Sri Sri Academy, Siliguri, Sacred Heart School, Siliguri, and others. Each band performed two songs — one in a regional language and the other in English.
Audience favourites included renditions of Sweet child o’ mine, Socha hai, a high-octane performance of The final countdown and a soulful Luka chhupi.
Before the awards, there was a special performance by guest teachers B.B. Rana and Arbin Gurung from Hebron English School, Bagdogra.
Teachers Ranita Das and Antara Bhattacharjee from the host school also added to the fun quotient with their performance.
The championship title was claimed by Hebron English School, Bagdogra (Seniors). St Xavier’s School, Siliguri, was the first runner-up followed by G.D. Goenka Public School, Siliguri.
There were also special awards for outstanding individual talent.
The programme closed with the headmistress delivering the vote of thanks.
"Each performance reflected a high level of talent, preparation and creativity. The atmosphere was energetic and vibrant as students from different schools came together to celebrate music in its many forms," gushed Ritishaa Angel Khati of Class IX after the event.
“Music is a universal language — in its chords and rhythms, we find space to express our true selves, connect across differences and make the stage a home for every voice,” said the principal of the host school.
Contests and concern
For Monami Adhikari, Shreeyansh Maity and their friends of Class XII, it was an emotional time. It was their last year of Udaan and Vrrikshya 2025, an inter-school fest hosted by the interact and nature clubs of South Point High School.
"We enjoyed the process of organising every event, because each one had its own unique charm. We were counting days from the beginning of the year," said Monami.
On November 29, the school became a melting pot of talent and creativity as students took part in many contests, from T-shirt painting to a parade of literary characters. Some of the participating schools were National High School, The BSS School, Birla High School, Sushila Birla Girls’ School, Shri Shikshayatan School and others.
The festival began with a throwball competition. Young chefs surprised the judges with their culinary presentations, while artists transformed an ordinary T-shirt into a canvas of colours.
In the product pitch event, students tried to sell business plans to judges, and for slam poetry, they wrote poems on the spot and also acted them out. Fusion dance and fusion band performances drew huge applause from the young audience. For Greenovate, students displayed their concern for the environment through charts, models and demonstrations. A non-competitive street play production by South Point High School drove home the message of hope. Children of NGO Pathchala were also invited to perform.
The chief guest was Gaurab "Gabu" Chatterjee, drummer of the band Lakkhichhara. He entertained all with a short performance.
South Point High School won in the end. They passed on the trophy to the first runner-up, Modern High School for Girls. The trophy for Miss Udaan jointly went to Asaawari Sahai and Aparajita Ghosh of Modern High School for Girls. Zaruf Iqbal, the head boy of South Point High School, won the Mr Udaan trophy. Host school's Shreeyansh Maity of XII was adjudged the Star of the Fest.
"The fest aims to nurture growth and essential life skills among students. It is a joyful blend of fun, excitement and meaningful learning for every child," said principal Jaidev Ghosh.