Achievers, green activists and ode to Bengal's art

Julien Day Group of Schools

The four branches of Julien Day School organised a joint award ceremony for students at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) on April 27.

Students from Calcutta, Howrah, Kalyani and Ganganagar attended the event and were recognized for their stellar performances in academics, sports and extracurricular activities.

The award ceremony began with a welcome song performed by the Julien Day band that was made up of music teachers from different branches and chairman of the school, J.G. Broughton. The chief guest at the event was Justice Asok Ganguly.

A cultural programme followed. The audience were taken on a vibrant journey across Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Each performance was an ode to the tradition, music and dance forms of a particular region.

In between, prizes were give away to academic performers, sports stars and other achievers of the school. Dedicated teachers were also honoured. The prestigious "Teacher of the Year" award was given to one teacher from each branch - Dominic Jennings of Calcutta, Sreeparna Chakraborty of Ganganagar, Pushpa Goswami of Kalyani and Arpan Karmakar of Howrah .

The highpoint of the event was when the winners of the coveted titles, Mr and Miss Julienite (Johan Stockman of Calcutta and Anuja Khatua of Ganganagar respectively) were announced.

Kalyani clinched the overall championship award having accumulated maximum points in academics, sports and extracurricular activities.

”This annual award show is one of the most awaited events in the city. The four branches of Julien Day School conduct different activities throughout the year. All the winners need to be appreciated. And this award show is just that. It has been our tradition to recognise young talents right from the school's inception,” said Terence John, principal of Kalyani branch and director of education and development.

St Jude's High School

Around 50 students of Classes VI to X, St Jude's High School, took part in a walk, street play and myriad performances to celebrate Plantation Day recently.

The event aimed to make students more committed towards the plants around and ensure that the green cover does not get repleted. The school also wanted to encourage community involvement through the event. Thus students went around the neighbourhood of their school in Madhyamgram, gifting plants to passerby, vendors and civic body officials and spreading awareness about the need to follow sustainable goals.

The students enthusiastically commenced the day by decorating the school premises with different plants and saplings, that they had taken to nurture, infusing the atmosphere with a green touch.

The highlight of the event was the spirited walk that students undertook with placards in their hands. They asked people to plant more trees and keep the green cover intact.

There were songs and dance performances too stressing on the theme of the event. The students also staged a thought-provoking street play that asked everyone to be more responsible. Every performance educated spectators on how to lead a sustainable lifestyle

Principal Aditi Chakraborty awarded some community heroes with saplings. "We went to shops, the municipal office, banks and also addressed pedestrians. We gifted people potted plants that the students themselves had nurtured.

"Students under the guidance of teachers made the neighborhood people feel happy by gifting them a plant that was nursed by them. We tried to make all feel green.. . A walk around the neighborhood with street plays, dances and music enthralled the passersby," she said.

St Xavier's Institution, Panihati

G.D. Goenka Public School, Dakshineswar