Voices & analyses
A courtroom simulation, a ballot box voting and the intricacies of news-making — Critically Yours, the intra-school humanities fest of Delhi Public School, Megacity, had all that and more.
It saw members of the four houses — Jal, Agni, Vayu and Prithvi — locking horns in various contests as they exchanged opinions on political science, legal studies, mass media and psychology.
Principal Tilottama Mallik said, “Learning is never-ending, and in the 21st century, just marks and numbers won't help us to go anywhere; we need a lot of other skills.”
Vice-principal, Anirban Roy added: “Critical thinking is not about criticisms. Students must learn to find solutions to problems.”
With such advice in their hearts, the students began with the screening of a video on the fest.
Among the events, Scriptum and Spectrum saw students exploring different aspects of journalism and event documentation.
For Leaders Under the Lens students paired up to analyse the strategies of world leaders such as Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Real-world scenarios were broken down and the importance of media portrayal was revealed. Prithvi House claimed the first position.
Vox Populi was a poster-making competition on topics such as women breaking stereotypes, voting and politics, mental health awareness and clean city and happy citizens. Jal House won.
Evidentia focused on how the media portrays political events. Students presented research papers on historical crises, highlighting the double-edged nature of the media and its influence. Agni House won this round. They also won the photography event, Lumiere.
Lumen Terrae: Illuminate to Preserve highlighted environmental concerns. Students used visual storytelling to express their thoughts. Jal House was the winner here.
The Benchmark created a court simulation, surrounding an imaginary case between a student protestor of Bengaluru and the state of Karnataka. Prithvi House clinched this round.
Electio Consulis engaged the students in an election role-play, where they formed political parties, conducted campaigns and voted in ballot boxes. Jal House won the election. The overall winner was Agni House.
Share & care
Last year's Durga Puja turned meaningful for an 11-member team of students — all members of the interact club of Magnus GlobalSchool, Burdwan.
What began as a plan to see different pujas soon blossomed into a celebration of compassion, unity and joy, as the interacters spent their day with 40 students of Burdwan Blind Academy.
The day with the interact club members meeting the excited students of the Academy and bonding with them.
Dressed in bright, festive colours, the group headed towards Alamganj — around 25km from the school grounds — the first stop of the day.
The students explored the artwork inside the pandal, taking in every detail.
After visiting several pandals across the city, the group returned to the Magnus Global School premises for lunch. What could have been a simple meal transformed into a moment of some more bonding. Conversations flowed and laughter echoed across the room as students from both institutions shared anecdotes and joked with each other.
With energy renewed, the group continued towards their final destination — Barsul.
At Barsul, the infectious festive spirit was addictive.
“The Blind Academy students were so happy — their joy was enough to melt anyone’s heart. I learnt courage from them,” shared Samadrita Ghosh, joint secretary of the interact club, after the experience.
“Seeing them smile reminded us that the true meaning of a festival lies in sharing joy,” added Oindrilla Dutta, president of the club.
“Our students learned that sharing joy multiplies it. They connected learning with values through teamwork and expression. Each performance reflected understanding, discipline and cultural pride," said principal Sushma Surana.
Role swap
Teachers gave up their classrooms — and the students took over without a protest at Apex Academy!
No, it wasn’t a rebellion. It was the students' way of paying tribute to their guides on Teachers' Day. Senior students transformed into mini-mentors, their juniors became learners, while teachers enjoyed the luxury of sitting and watching.
Senior students taught their juniors English, biology, mathematics and history. The day began as usual, with teachers taking their regular classes in the first three periods. Then came the highlight of the day: the peer-learning initiative. Dressed in formal attire, senior students stepped into various classroomsduring the fourth and fifthperiods to teach topics theywere confident andpassionate about.
Snehansu Dandapat of Class XI was left inspired. “Being called a teacher is a great responsibility. We can’t truly take on that role as our teachers do, without their guidance,” he said.
The sixth and seventh periods saw students presenting dance dramas, songs, recitations and more, each class putting forward its best creative expression. Many students even performed self-composed poetry, much to the delight of the teachers. At the end of the programme, everyone participated in a meditation session.
"I extend gratitude to all teachers for their tireless efforts and compassion. Teachers inspire excellence and nurture future leaders. Their commitment makes our school a place of growth," said principal Nayantara Roy.
Green pledge
Ayaansh Seth of Class IV, Vivekananda Mission School, Joka, has learnt not to use plastic pots but to stick to mud ones.
Prapti Roy of Class VIII, Calcutta Public School, Kalikapur, has distributed cloth bags near her school, spreading green awareness.
Both were present on the final day of a campaign — Plantation & Plant Today Thrive Tomorrow — organised by The Association of Schools for the Indian School Certificate (ASISC), Bengal and Northeast chapters and held on the premises of Sri Ram Narayan Singh Memorial High School, Rajdanga, on December 20.
The campaign (November 17 to December 10) aimed at making students more conscious about the environment. It was also a tribute to educator Nabarun De.
As part of the campaign member schools were encouraged to take part in workshops and webinars, tree plantation drives and other projects. The closing ceremony saw member schools giving presentations of the work done. Educators Fr Gregory Monterio, Sucharita Basu and content developer Kristi Maikapevaluated them.
Calcutta Public School, Kalikapur, won the award for Best Initiative and Impact award while Vivekananda Mission School, Joka, emerged the first runner-up followed by Sri Sri Academy.
The final day began with a welcome dance by Angikam Dance Institute, featuring students of Classes II to X.
President of ASISC (Bengal and Northeast) M.P. Rozario, its regional coordinator Ahanaa Bhattacharjee and principal of the host school Puja Mehra lit the inaugural lamp on the final day.
Students of the host school presented a dance performance to Vande Mataram. They also paid a tribute to educator Nabarun De through the screening of a video montage on his life and journey. This was followed by an open quiz contest for the participating students moderated by Subir Dutta, in association with Purushottam Publishers.
The highlight of the day was a “Tree of Promise”. A daisy plant made rounds of the auditorium and was later placed in the garden of the host school.
A green anthem was played. A video highlighting the green initiatives undertaken by ASISC member schools was also screened.
"Our students actively engage in nature clubs, waste segregation and initiatives like distributing dustbins. Change is a habit — it begins at school and at home with parents, and goes beyond a single day’s activity,’’ said the principal of the host school.
Back to roots
How old is our language?
Is it still relevant today?
Students were made to go back to their roots and learn about the richness of the Bengali language as Vivekananda Mission School, Joka, organised an in-house Bengali festival, Nirjhor 2025, for Classes I to XII.
The Bengali department organises this cultural programme annually as a tribute to the language and Bengal’s art and heritage. This year’s theme was Bengali Culture and Heritage. Language, as a medium of belonging, remained central to the programme. The day had many interactive activities. It began with Cha Chokro, a group discussion where students spoke about Bengali culture and its place in contemporary life.
A quiz competition tested students’ understanding of Bengali culture, history and traditions. The students participated enthusiastically.
There was also a fashion show. Students walked the ramp dressed as animals and elements of nature, reflecting Bengal’s close relationship with the natural world and its symbolism in art and folklore.
There was a word hunt where students explored the depth and richness of Bengali vocabulary. The activity strengthened their linguistic skills while fostering pride in the language.
An exhibition was held on the side, displaying handmade jewellery, bookmarks and coasters crafted by students.
A food fest offered traditional Bengali delicacies.
“The research and creativity of our students and teachers is appreciable. Such programmes should reach every corner of Bengal, inspiring our youth to reconnect with their roots,” said principal Ananya Dutta.