Kids pay tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of his 151st birth anniversary in Rourkela. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Arty strokes

Noted social activist Tulasi Munda honoured the winners of the “Kuni Chitrakara” (Little Artists) competition at the Odisha Modern Art Gallery in Bhubaneswar last week. The painting contest attracted over 100 children from different schools in three different categories.

There was no specific theme and the kids chose a wide range of topics such as climate change, Odisha culture, social issues such as child labour and dowry, parental pressure on children and so on. These artworks were put up for an exhibition. The best paintings in the three categories were by Anubhav Mukherjee (Class I, Ruchika High School), Abhijeet Kumar (Class VI, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pokhariput) and Avipsa Biswal (Class VII, St Joseph’s High School).

Chief guest Munda congratulated the children for their competitive skills and focus on the burning issues of present times.

Sampriti Panda of Sai International School, Bhubaneswar, with the gold medal he won for his computer skills from the University of New South Wales, Australia. (Right) Participants of Kuni Chitrakara competition. Telegraph pictures

Computer wizard

Sampriti Panda, a Class VII student of Sai International School, Bhubaneswar, has earned a University of New South Wales, Australia, gold medal for his brilliant performance in the 2011 International Assessment for Indian Schools. The test, conducted by Educational Assessment Australia, evaluates students in subjects such as English, mathematics, science and computer skills. Sampriti scored the highest in computer skills. The test saw the participation of over one lakh participants from Classes III to XII from 2,044 schools in 16 countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

Mom’s the word

Mothers relived their childhood memories on the last day of the summer carnival at Kutie Kids preschool, Bhubaneswar, coinciding with Mother’s Day.

Kids taking part in the camp turned chefs and prepared an assortment of light snacks, hearty munchies and finger food for the moms. They also surprised them with handmade gifts and cards and staged dance and music shows. They had organised a host of fun activities such as musical chair, blind man’s bluff and solving jigsaw puzzles.

In another event, over 600 teenagers took part in a mini marathon organised by the Mother’s Business School, Bhubaneswar, to mark Mother’s Day. The marathon “Outrun others for Mothers” was flagged off by matinee idols Sabyasachi, Archita, footballer Shraddhanjali Samantaray and athlete Anuradha Biswal. The school awarded cash prizes of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 to the participants, who completed the run in minimum time.

Among boys, Santosh Behera from P.S. Mahavidyalaya, Balakati, won the first prize. Birendra Haiburu and Govinda Tudu from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (Kiss) bagged the next two places. In the girls’ category, all three prizes went to Kiss students – Milirani Singh, Jyoshna Raito, Kuitu Soren. There were also six consolation prizes of Rs 500 each.

Double fun

Another round of summer camp is being organised at the Sampurna School, Bhubaneswar. It would conclude on May 30. The first camp, which featured a host of fun-filled activities including dance, drama, art and craft, educative games and a pool party, ended on May 13. Students from different schools in the capital, who took part in the 10-day programme, presented a colourful cultural show at the Regional Science Centre.