St Augustine’s Day schools
Both the Barrackpore and Shyamnagar branches of St Augustine’s Day School observed the 72nd Republic Day to pay tribute to those national heroes, who had helped us attain the purna swaraj.
Students of pre-primary and primary sections of the Barrackpore branch excelled themselves online. The pre-primary kids proved their zeal for creativity through craftwork, while the primary students gestured in excitement to the live broadcast of the Republic Day Parade 2021 directly from the Red Fort, New Delhi, which was uploaded in Google Classroom.
Principal Jhuma Biswas said: “We should teach our children to cherish our culture, and celebrating the Republic Day is a step in that direction. Students will know and, thus, respect the freedom fighters’ sacrifices which will encourage them to cross every hurdle for a better future.”
On the other hand, primary and secondary students of the Shyamnagar branch put up week-long activities as part of the celebrations. The primary kids made paper crafts such as cards and designs, including the colour of the Indian flag. Virtual classrooms became lively with display of the crafts and interesting talk sessions on national heroes and the freedom struggle. Senior students paid their homage digitally by posting speeches, paintings, poems, slogans and presentations in their Google Classrooms. Class-wise special online assemblies on Google Meet were conducted where teachers and even parents witnessed the presentations by students on the theme, Republic of India.
“Celebrating events such as Republic Day has its own importance because it makes children aware of their own country. This time, the mode of celebration was different. But the essence remained the same,” said principal A.D. Gomes.
“What better way to engage the tiny tots than art and craft? And if that helps raise awareness about our Independence struggles and build their national pride, it is a double win. This is what we attempted through online means this Republic Day with great response from the students,” said St Augustine’s Education Society president Janet Gasper Chowdhury.
JD Birla Institute
JD Birla Institute sustained the patriotic sentiment and promoted the spirit of brotherhood even amid the ongoing pandemic by observing the 72nd Republic Day, virtually. Teachers, students, staff members and many from the management attended the programme.
The students made videos, depicting the history and glory of the Indian republic. They even depicted the contributions of B.R. Ambedkar in drafting the Indian Constitution. A plethora of events was put up, showcasing the cultural diversity of India. The programme commenced with hoisting of the national flag, followed by a speech on our motherland. “Earlier, we used to celebrate only the Independence Day. But from now on, we have started to celebrate the Republic Day to make our students learn the difference between both the occasions. Yes, we did miss the physical touch, but I am glad that we managed to keep up the patriotic fervour,” said principal Deepali Singhee.
St Stephen’s School, Dum Dum
Prayers and patriotic songs ruled the Republic Day celebrations at St Stephen’s School, Dum Dum. The guests included Rev Arabinda Mandal, the presbyter in-charge of St Stephen’s church under Dum Dum pastorate. Principal Ela Chowdhury delivered a speech where she asked the teachers to follow the Covid norms while serving the nation to their best. The portrait of Mahatma Gandhi was garlanded and the teachers sang Otho go Bharata Lakshmi and Vande Mataram to cap the day. “Around 70 teachers and staff members gathered on the school premises to make the event special. The students could not attend because of safety issues. We still wanted to pay our tribute in a small way,” said Chowdhury.
Vivekananda Mission School, Joka
Vivekananda Mission School, Joka, celebrated the Republic Day virtually. Few were present on the school premises for the flag hoisting ceremony, strictly following all the protocols of Covid-19.
Principal Sarmistha Banerjee hoisted the national flag and delivered a motivational speech. “Only commemorating the day is not enough since we have a lot of responsibilities to fulfil as Indian citizens. Leaders are not born but made. The teachers and parents have to inculcate among the children the urge to take up the responsibility to make a better India tomorrow,” said the principal.