Spotlight on Creativity
Vels Global School, Newtown, hosted its second annual programme, Melange, at EZCC, Salt Lake on January 24. The event focused on the talent and creativity of the students from Nursery to Class VIII.
The chief guest was academician Sujoy Biswas, CEO and managing director of Techno India University and Techno India Group. The guests of honour were Adwitiya Datta Banik, founder-director of the Association for Global Women Empowerment, and choreographer duo Saurabh and Vivek. Others attending the event included sand artist Avijit Ghosh, principal Sangeeta Mishra, principal of the school's Howrah branch Debopriya Mukherjee and others.
The event opened with a classical dance performance by students of Classes VI to VIII.
The school choir also performed. The Pre-primary kids set the stage on fire with their butterfly dance, the theme being protecting the planet. Class I delighted the audience with a performance on the changing seasons.
Students from different classes performed a dance drama, Save Earth. The performance showcased some contemporary problems ailing the planet and the importance of climate action.
Classes III to IV danced to the beats of various popular folk songs.
Finally, the stage was for Macbeth, a representation of Shakespeare's tragedy, that was performed by Classes VI to VIII. The performance left the audience impressed.
"The second edition of our annual day was even bigger and 250 students got to perform. The planning and practice began right after Durga Puja. The students were excited to perform Macbeth on stage. We wanted to give the message that unchecked ambition can distort one's morality and lead to untimely downfall," said principal Sangeeta Mishra.
Epic revisited
Storytelling from the Mahabharat and Rabindranath Tagore with a contemporary twist — that was Aadhyavi: A Mahabharata Enigma in a nutshell. The dance drama was hosted by Delhi Public School (DPS), Howrah, in association with Young Metro, The Telegraph, as part of its annual day celebrations at the Science City auditorium on November 28.
The performance about Manipur’s warrior princess Chitrangada was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama. It reimagined the epic, simultaneously exploring themes of empowerment, equality and gender stereotypes. Chitrangada was eulogised for broke stereotypes and being adept at martial arts, just as any man.
More than 800 students, from Kindergarten to Class XII, were part of the performance that begins with the fight between Babruvahan (Chitrangada and Arjun’s son) and Arjun.
A flashback took the audience to the story of how the third Pandav met the warrior princess and they got married.
Conceptualised and directed by the school’s biology teacher and extracurricular coordinator Priyanka Gupta and a team of eight teachers, the students had been rehearsing since after Diwali in November last year.
The script was written by middle-school headmistress Mita Chakraborty. Ipshita Das and Ahiri Chowdhury of Class IX played Chitrangada and Arjun, respectively.
There were dances that invoved as many students as possible. The vibrant choreography and emotive storytelling in English, Bengali and Hindi earned the performers a standing ovation.
The production had 22 songs sung by a choir of over 100 students from different classes. The songs were both Rabindrasangeet and classical-based.
The annual day began with an opening hymn Suvam Karoti Kalyanam, a tribute to the light of wisdom and humanity.
Principal Sunita Arora, chief guest and dancer Tanushree Shankar and pro-vice chairman Vijay Agarwal lit the ceremonial lamp.
Arora presented the annual report, highlighting the school’s academic and co-curricular milestones last year. Toppers from Classes X and XII as well as the CBSE board exam achievers of 2024 were also awarded.
“Aadhyavi has been a testament to the brilliance and dedication of our students. Their hard work and passion shone through every performance, and I am immensely proud to witness their growth as individuals and as a collective team,” said the principal.
Big win
Two under-16 teams and one historic win! The girls of Rabindra Path Bhaban Academy beat their peers from Purwanchal Vidyamandir by 358 runs at a league match at the first edition of Under-16 Girls School Cricket Tournament organised by The Cricket Association of Bengal on January 14.
The grounds of AIS, Alampur were filled with cheers from the winning team who were playing their first inter-school tournament. The winners batted first scoring a whooping 424 for 2 in 25 overs with 188 bonus runs. Orisha Afroj and Rupsa Mandal both scored superb half-centuries. Their opponents crumbled under the pressure, managing a mere 66.
The girls went on to play two more league matches and beat South Point High School and The Heritage School as well. They lost out to Behala Kishore Bharati Girls High School in the semi-finals on January 25.
Their performance was a testament to their resilience, passion and teamwork. The victories have motivated many others from the school to take up cricket as a career.
According to secretary Priyadarshi Ghosh, the school stresses a lot on various types of sports. "We train our students in football, chess, carrom and martial arts. Our boys have been training in cricket for a long time. The girls have only just begun and this tournament was a huge confidence boost for them. They have made us all proud."
Eight schools, including Bhavans Gangabux Kanoria Vidya Mandir, Infocus India Public School and Jibreel International School, took part in the tournament.
Yuletide flavour
Students of K.E. Carmel School, Sarisha, celebrated Christmas with myriad performances on December 19.
There were class celebrations, which included cake-cutting and exchanging of small gifts.
The main programme commenced with principal Rev. Father Jojo Thuruthayil CMI and his deputy Rev. Brother Chacko Thekkethelakal CMI welcoming chief guest Rev. Father Johnson Kodamthottu CMI, principal of the Behala branch.
A hymn by the school choir followed.
Students of Classes V to IX put up a nativity play, The Angels of Peace. The play also focused on the history of salvation. The performers from Classes V to IX were divided into different groups going by creative names such as Woodwind, Jolly Jamboree and Happy Carmelite.
Members of Woodwind performed on carols sung by the students.
Jolly Jamboree presented energetic dance performances to seasonal songs. Members of Happy Carmelite dressed up as Santas and added to the fun quotient. The programme ended with a vote of thanks by school captain Dhriti Das of Class X. The students also performed before the sub-divisional police officer in Diamond Harbour on the same day. Thiry-five students also took part in the Christmas celebrations at Raj Bhavan on December 23.
The singers presented three songs, The way, Starry Babe and Do go the lords way, which were written by governor C.V. Ananda Bose.
"The Christmas celebration was a testament to the talent and creativity of our students. Our school also hosted a resplendent Christmas celebration at the governor's residence on December 23. We are grateful to the governor's office for this opportunity. I am proud of our students' talents," said the principal.
Sportsman spirit
Ideal Mission School hosted its ninth annual sports at Taltala ground.
The meet was divided into two segments. The Pre-primary section held theirs on December 6 and the senior on December 13. Christina Biswas, councillor of ward No. 143, was the chief guest.
The Pre-primary students took part in creative races such as Beware! Frogs Are Out, Life Is Full of Hurdles, Our Great Mathematicians and Barbie Dolls Are on Earth. The tots also took part in a formation.
Day II began with a march-past by the four houses — Netaji (red), Mother Teresa (blue), Gandhiji (yellow) and Tagore (green) — led by school captain Isha Das of Class XI and vice-captains Mahanand Thakur and Grace Goswami of Class XI.
A drill dance by Classes III to V added a burst of colour and energy to the morning.
Students of Classes III to XI competed in track events, including a 100m sprint, relay, three-legged and balancing races. Girls of Classes VII and VIII balanced earthen pots on their heads as they raced towards the finishing line.
Some events such as the high jump (Classes VII to IX) and shotput (IX to XI) were held before the sports day.
A new addition was a Maths Race, testing both the physical endurance and mental agility of the children.
Netaji House was declared the overall champion.
"What was unique about the sports meet this year was the spirit of sportsmanship. Students irrespective of their houses celebrated the joys of the winners," said principal Madhura Sanyal.
Ode to Goddess
The students of Classes IV to VI, teachers and staff members of Sri Ram Narayan Singh Memorial High School, Simla Street branch, celebrated Saraswati Puja with great enthusiasm on February 3.
The school premises were decorated with colourful flowers. Everybody turned up in traditional attires, yellow and white being the dominant colours. A beautiful idol was placed in the school courtyard. Students and teachers worked together to decorate the puja area. Students offered pushpanali with great enthusiasm. Members of the alumni also turned up taking the footfall to nearly 200.
Students also staged a cultural programme, singing songs such as Ek baar birajo ma and dancing to Baje baje ramya bina. Some recited poems too.
The principal emphasised the importance of knowledge, creativity and innovation.
The event provided a wonderful opportunity for students to interact, exchange ideas with their peers and seniors and create memories.
"I was glad to see such devotion in our students. There is a lot of strength in devotion. It was a happy event," said principal Usha Singh.