Vanamahotsava
Tree plantations on the occasion of Vanamahotsava were held in many city schools. At the Future Bhubaneswar School, students from Class IV to X actively participated in the event. A wide variety of trees, such as mango, jackfruit, breadfruit, sapodilla, gooseberry, neem and bamboo were planted with great enthusiasm. All the participants took a pledge to do their best to protect the Earth from environmental degradation. Mathew Thomas, the school principal, exhorted the students to be ambassadors of environment regeneration programmes. In St. Xavier’s High School, Satyanagar, students used the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle by using plastic throwaway bottles of soft drinks to replace pots for planting saplings. The bottles were reshaped and remodelled with flamboyant colours and decorated attractively. The students enjoyed digging up the soil and filling up the bottles before planting of the saplings. Besides focussing on the significance of plantation, the children emphasised on reusing waste products generated everyday. Guided by their science teachers, around 200 students actively participated in the activity with great zeal.
Digital India Week
The SAI International School observed Digital India Week, the flagship programme of the Government of India, which aims to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The event began after the principal of the school enlightened the students with some basic ideas on the topic. Making the students aware about the main motive of Digital India Week, chief guest Manas Ranjan Panda, who is the director of STPI, (software technology parks of India) said: “In order to bring a large investment in the technology segment, we need a digitally empowered society. With the prelude of Digital India Week, good governance can be offered to the citizens. There will also be job opportunities for the youth of our country, and most importantly it will focus on the empowerment of individual citizens.” Panda also said: “Universal access to mobile phones, smart city projects and various citizen centric services are some of the major perks of this scheme.”
Training camp
A training camp on the Initiative for Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS) was inaugurated at KIIT International School. Eminent scientists such as P.C. Sen from the Bose Institute, Ashis Mohanty from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), R.N. Ray, the president of Odisha Children's Science Congress and Usha Bhaskar from Intel graced the inaugural session of the two-day camp. Around 20 budding child scientists from seven states are participating in the camp.
Students honoured
In order to encourage the young achievers of Class XII and to inspire their successors, DAV Public School, Chandrashekharpur, honoured 124 students who secured 90 per cent and above marks. The chief guest of the felicitation ceremony, Lakhanlal Meena, who is the regional officer of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Bhubaneswar zone, advised the students that personal achievements coupled with societal concern can only define true success. “Successful students must also be dedicated to societal concerns and issues,” Meena said. He also presented trophies, cash awards and certificates to the toppers in different streams.
Freshers welcome
The students of Class XI at Mother’s Public School, Bhubaneswar, were given a warm welcome by the students of Class XII. Songs, dances, music, mimicry, skits and street plays were all part of the entertainment programme that was performed by the boys and girls of Class XII. The Class XI students participated in a talent contest where they showcased a variety of activities in 60 seconds each. Bracing the afternoon heat, the young boys and girls showed a lot of enthusiasm in welcoming their juniors and the juniors reciprocated by participating in the welcome ceremony with equal grace.
