On the track
The grounds of Delhi Public School, Megacity, saw the students doing some warm-up exercises as they gathered for the 18th annual sports day, Athlon 2025, recently.
The day began with the Athlon torch making rounds across the track, followed by the school song. Captains of the four houses — Agni (red), Jal (blue), Vaayu (yellow) and Prithvi (green) took a sports oath, and the national anthem was sung.
The guests included the institution's pro-vice chairman Vijay Agarwal and academic director Suman Singh Ganguly. Principal Tilottama Mallik highlighted how discipline, teamwork and confidence define true success beyond medals and laurels.
The chief guests were cricket coach Keshav Ranjan Banerjee, cricketer Abhishek Raman and gastroenterologist Dr Indrajeet Kumar Tiwary.
Athlete Sushmitha Singha Roy and cricketer Ranadeep Moitra were the guests of honour at the event.
The programme opened with performances by Pre-primary and Primary tots. Hoops, sacks and smiling faces filled the track as parents cheered on. Senior students of the four houses followed with a march-past, led by the school band. Track and field events included sprints, hurdles, javelin and discus throws. The drill displays reflected precision and teamwork.
Novelty events such as Sack, Bucket Ball and Blindfold Partner races added to the fun. The school's media team documented the event.
Prithvi House emerged the overall champion in both the junior and senior categories. Maulik Kapoor and Azalyn Thingbaijam were the best athletes from the senior category (male and female, respectively), while Atif Hoque and Adrija Saha were the best athletes in the junior.
"Sports play a vital role in shaping our emotional and physical well-being. They teach us discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience. Winning is not measured by medals or trophies but by the courage to try, the confidence to improve and the determination to never give up," said the principal.
Let there be stories
Spandan Barman of Class III narrated a "scary incident from childhood", while Saanvika Mondal told the story of The Three Little Pigs and a Wolf.
Their emotive power and clear diction won them the first prize at the annual storytelling competition organised by Lions Calcutta (Greater) Vidya Mandir (LCGVM) in December. Self-composed, those read and loved or timeless ones heard from grandparents — stories of all kinds tumbled out from students, who were given no particular theme.
The school organised the competition for Classes III and IV to boost their confidence and creativity skills. It gave students command over their language and stage presence.
Weeks of practice preceded the competition.
The president of the school's managing committee, Lion Pramod Chandak, also attended the event, encouraging the students to read. He shared personal anecdotes to highlight the importance of stories in a child's holistic development.
“Since the birth of human civilisation, storytelling has been the most effective means of communication for reaching out, connecting and conveying moral messages, facts and narratives. At Lions Calcutta (Greater) Vidya Mandir, storytelling is of paramount importance and encouraged amongst students from an early age. I am glad that it has taken the shape of an annual event that students and parents look forward to at a time when the skill of reading is getting obsolete,” said principal Kakoli Ghosh.
“It was inspiring to see the children command the stage with such poise and creativity. The storytelling competition is clearly a powerful tool for holistic development,” said vice-principal Neha Kapoor.
The students were judged for their clarity of narration, imaginative presentation and impactful use of performance elements.
Aditri Pal of Class III and Amrik Das of Class IV came second, while Gunjita Panchadhyai of Class III and Soumyadipto Sarkar of Class IV came third.
Circle of love
Md Zayyanul Haque of Class III could hardly contain his joy as he watched his grandparents being felicitated on stage.
He said: “My grandfather is my best friend. I share everything with him. Both of us were very happy today. It was an honour to see my school felicitating mygrandfather.”
St Thomas’ Boys’ School, Kidderpore, recently hosted its annual Grandparents’ Day in the school auditorium, with over 150 grandparents, many of them very emotional with the treat on the cards.
The programme began at 9.30am with a welcome address by principal Suman Biswas. He described grandparents as the foundation of families and custodians of tradition, especially in an age of nuclear households.
Students of Classes I to III presented a cultural programme. The junior choir performed a medley of classic songs. Dance performances followed. A short skit and a PowerPoint presentation highlighted the role of grandparents in a child’s life.
Interactive games allowed grandparents to speak about their grandchildren and share personal experiences.
The programme concluded at noon with refreshments and a photo session at a selfie corner. Each grandparent received a handmade token crafted by their grandchild.
"Grandparents form the very foundation of any familial structure. In an age of nuclear families, they are the keepers of tradition, holding the family together and instilling the values of love and heritage among the youngsters," said the principal.
Action time
Sportsmanship and practice were the order of the day as Pratt Memorial School held its annual sports on theSt James’ School groundslast November.
The chief guests were footballers Alvito D'Cunha and Subrata Paul. The event began with an opening prayer delivered by Reverend V.V. Gain, followed by the head girl Labbhi Daga of Class XII, lighting the ceremonial lamp.
The sports meet was declared open by D’Cunha, and balloons of the four house colours were released into the air.
The march past of the four houses — Nightingale (red), Teresa (yellow), Joan of Arc (blue) and Cavell (green) — followed. The best part of the parade was the marching band, composed entirely of students.
Each house captain held the house banners with pride.
The karate drill display was much appreciated. The track events left the audience cheering. There were five categories for the students in the Primary, middle and senior sections. The races included 50m, 100m, 400m and 800m.
The students of the middle school (classes VI to VIII) also presented a drill that was praised for its precision and coordination.
As the final whistle blew and the last scores were tallied, Cavell (green) House was declared the winner.
"Sports day is the most significant event in our school calendar. Our students showcased their athletic skills and also demonstrated discipline, courage and teamwork instilled by the school. I am proud to witness our students giving their best, whether on the race track, drill or march-past," said the principalCarolyn Lionel.
Talent fest
Over 100 participants and 35 events! The second annual concert of Orchids, Burdwan, was a festival of energy and talents, held at the Town Hall Maidan on January 29.
The ceremony began with the felicitation of director Bijoy Kumar Gupta and secretary Shruti Gupta. The guest of honour was Sister Brahma Kumari from Prajapita Brahma Kumari.
The cultural segment began with a welcome song by the kids of Lower and Upper Kindergarten and Class I.
Boys from Upper Kindergarten to Class III presented a Ganesh Vandana.
What followed was a series of traditional dances by Classes I to III. Students of Class I showcased their salsa moves. There was also a comic act presented by LKG, UKG and Class II. LKG girls sang a song dedicated to mothers.
Students were recognised for their year-long achievements in both academics and co-curricular activities.
"Our first concert set the bar high, but this second edition has exceeded all expectations. My vision is to provide a platform where every child finds a voice. It is evident from watching over 100 students perform with such poise that we are not just teaching subjects; we are building personalities," said the director.
Fit and fast
The ground roared with cheers, and four Greek gods and goddesses — Apollo, Poseidon, Artemis and Aura — stood at the centre of the stage. That's how Magnolympix 2025, the annual sports day of Magnus Global School, kicked off in December.
The chief guest was Ayesha Rani A., districtmagistrate and collector of Purba Burdwan.
She was welcomed with a dance performance, Swagatham Aaye Aap, by Classes VII and VIII. Principal Sushma Surana formally inaugurated the event. Other guests included Umeen Kr Jaiswal, principal of Delhi Public School, Durgapur, Satapa Acharya, principal of Tegh Bahadur Public School, Durgapur, and Raj Paulson Shekhar, principal of Zoom International School, Durgapur.
The programme began with a dance, Rangapooja, and a song, You Raise Me Up, by students of Classes IX to XI.
The theme was Greek mythology. The four houses were led by their captains and vice-captains during the march-past. School captain Trisha Ghosh led the oath-taking ceremony. There were cultural performances such as a dandiya to Dholida, multiple drills by students of Classes III to VII and a western fusion dance by students of Classes IX to XII. An art bazaar was also set up, showcasing and selling students' artworks.
The sports segment featured 40m, 70m and 100m sprints, long jump, hurdles, medicine ball throw and relay races. Fun events included rope jumps, tunnel walks, a caterpillar race for Class VII, a chair race for Class I and a sack race for Class XI.
"Participation matters much more than winning. Sports help students develop resilience, confidence and face life's challenges," saidthe principal.