Awards and talent shows take the fun quotient up

Sports and life lessons

Drills, thematic races, and relays marked the annual sports day of Ashok Hall Girls’ Higher Secondary School, held at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium.

The event reflected the school’s commitment to inclusive and holistic education.

Footballer-coach Aloke Mukherjee was the chief guest. He gave a speech motivating the students to keep working at their fitness.

The day began with vibrant dances, drills, and fun races such as the Clown Race and Happy Catch Corner for junior students from Nursery to Class V, designed to test their agility and teamwork. The tots enjoyed all the on-field activities as their parents cheered along.

Middle school students (Classes VI to VIII) showcased their skills in the hula hoop race, three-legged race and sack race. Seniors (Classes IX to XII) competed in events such as Tug of War, 100m sprint and relay races. There were awards for individual winners as well as teams.

In a significant gesture of inclusion, the school invited children from NGOs working in red-light areas to participate, promoting social empowerment through sports.

Parents and alumni also joined the festivities. Fathers competed in a lemon-and-spoon race, mothers in a clay pot balancing contest, and junior school parents enjoyed a lively tug of war.

Principal Atreyee Sengupta highlighted the role of sports in developing life skills such as discipline, teamwork and perseverance, underlining its lifelong value.

"Students should participate in sports and extracurricular activities, not just to win medals, but to develop their overall personality and character," she said.

Thank God for films

Lakshmipat Singhania Academy (LSA) celebrated its 29th Founder’s Day on December 7 at the Kalamandir Auditorium.

The chief guest was Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the economic advisory council to the Prime Minister. Also present were Sharda Singhania, president of the executive committee, Mamta Singhania, member of the managing committee and others. The programme began with emcees Ahaana Bajoria and Aryaman Pachisia of Class XII welcoming the audience.

The event opened with a medley of songs — Laadki, Try, Jago Zara, Invincible and Teri Bari — performed by the school choir to celebrate women’s contributions to society. Bavrabi Dutta of Class IX and Nirvi Chaudhary of Class VII created a live painting during the performance.

Principal Jaya Misra presented the annual report, highlighting the school’s achievements in academics and co-curricular activities. Board toppers Vanshika Kothari (Class XII) and Priyasha Jethi (Class X) were felicitated, along with recipients of general proficiency, 100 per cent attendance and special honours. Teachers were also recognised for their contributions. The cultural segment featured Reel to Real, a dance drama honouring film-makers Alfred Hitchcock, Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa and Steven Spielberg.

Students from Classes VII to XII recreated iconic scenes from Hitchcock’s thrillers, the train sequence of Ray’s Pather Panchali, moments from Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The performance highlighted cinema’s role as an educational and transformative medium, ending with junior students joining the stage in dinosaur costumes.

"The Founder’s Day was a blend of melody, movement and recitation. We celebrated the legacy and the shared vision of our founder. It is a day to relive the ideals that help us shape generations of young citizens," said principal Jaya Misra.

"Every year through the Founder's Day celebration the entire school expresses its gratitude towards the visionaries who have laid the foundation of this institution. The achievements of the school in the current academic year are also brought to the fore on this occasion," said director Meena Kak.

Show of talent, tenacity

Bhavan’s Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir hosted its annual prize distribution ceremony and cultural programme, Mannan: Contemplation, on December 1 at the Science City Auditorium.

The event, organised in association with Young Metro, The Telegraph, showcased the talents of its students. The chief guests were dancer Tanusree Shankar and academician Dilip Kumar Maiti.

“One day is simply not enough to showcase the immense talent of our students. It is a brief glimpse of what they are capable of,” saidSujata Ghosh, deputy director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the cultural wing of theinstitution.

The event began with an instrumental performance by students from Classes VII to XI, playing the tabla, guitar, flute, synthesizer, bongo and harmonium. Their performance was greeted with a large round of applause.

A medley of iconic songs such as Kingston Town, Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye and Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas followed.

Principal Arun Dasgupta highlighted the school’s achievements and milestones in the past year and released the 22nd edition of the school magazine, Ripples, with other dignitaries.

Actress and alumna Sayani Gupta was felicitated on the occasion, alongside current students excelling in academics and sports.

Board toppers Aditri Dutta, Bianca Banerjee, Aryan Goenka (Class XII) and Abhigyan Acharya (Class X) were felicitated, along with other special awardees.

The cultural programme included a dance on various elements of nature, a performance of excerpts from Shakuntala by Classes VI to XI, and an enactment of Sukumar Ray’s Abol Tabol by junior students.

The evening ended with a dance performance O Alor Pothojatri, bringing all participants together on stage.

"The annual prize distribution and cultural event is something we all eagerly wait for throughout the year. This year’s theme Manan, or contemplation, beautifully captures various aspects of human life. This event offers a platform for our students toshowcase their talents," said the principal.

Role-play and wordplay

Little Durgas, their divine entourage and other gods from Hindu mythology took centre stage at The Foundation Secondary School as students and teachers welcomed the festive season with art, craft, performances and role-play.

The theme of the celebrations was the "victory of good over evil" and the universal appeal of Durga Puja.

The morning section saw toddlers to Class V participating in role-play, with their vibrant attires and striking poses bringing smiles all around. Students from Toddlers to Class I donned pink outfits and carried lotuses, spreading the message of peace and purity.

Class II boys dressed as Lord Shiv, while Class III students portrayed Lord Brahma. Scenes from Hindu mythology were re-enacted on the school grounds, with several girls transforming into Goddess Durga, complete with her symbolic 10 arms.

The day section showcased their creativity through art and craft displayed on the school’s bulletin boards. They also designed the wall magazine, Jyotirgamayah, which highlighted dual themes — women empowerment and the triumph of good over evil.

Through art and writing, students celebrated the contributions of women across various fields and shared real-life examples of the victory of good over evil, inspiring everyone present.

“The making of Jyotirgamyah was not abrupt or sudden, but a long process that included various challenges. Nevertheless, the students’ enthusiasm and dedication were evident throughout the project,” said rector Sangeeta Chatterjee.

Principal Soma Natarajan chipped in: "Our founder wanted to prepare students as global citizens, with their feet rooted in our heritage while their minds open to accepting new ideas and opportunities. This year we prayed to the eternal mother to lead us to light through the magazine, Jotirgamaya."

Passion for poetry

Modi Public School recently organised an inter-house English elocution contest to enhance students’ communication skills.

Participants from Nalanda (Green), Takshashila (Red), Vikramshila (Blue) and Valabhi (Yellow) houses competed in three groups — A (Classes V and VI), B (Classes VII and VIII) and C (Classes X, XI, and XII). Each group had three participants, who recited poems judged on pronunciation, fluency and expression.

The school corridors echoed with eloquent renditions of poems by William Blake, Lord Byron and Maya Angelou. Takshashila House won the trophy, with Vikramshila House as runners-up.

Academic director Jayanta Pal praised the participants. “This competitive spirit should persist as the bar has been set high. Let us gear up for the upcoming year with added zeal,” he said.

Lessons & experiments

Smart minds turned science into fun at a two-day science exhibition hosted by Garden High School on November 29 and 30. Over 400 students from Classes III to XI celebrated science by seamlessly integrating it with other disciplines.

The event showcased over 150 projects spanning biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, mathematics, economics and home science. Scientist Dipyaman Ganguly from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology inaugurated the exhibition.

A highlight was the forensic science demonstration by Class XI students, who illustrated techniques such as tracing fingerprints using superglue and iodine fumes — a potential crime-solving tool.

Class VII students impressed visitors by extracting rose oil from petals through steam distillation.

In the AI and robotics section, Devansh Ghosh and Advika Bose of Class VIII introduced their robot, built over three months under the guidance of robotics teacher Sourabh Kumar. Equipped with a camera, smoke and alcohol detectors and the ability to respond to questions, “Dev” was described as ideal for security purposes and deployment in high-risk areas.

Younger students from Classes III and V showcased creative exhibits on volcanic eruptions, renewable and non-renewable energy and solar-powered farms.

Home science students from Classes IX and XI engaged visitors with demonstrations on fruit carving, table napkin folding and natural dyeing techniques. Priyanshu Majumdar and Swapnadeep Adhikari of Class IX explained e-banking to visitors. The maths section featured interactive models and games, making the subject more accessible and enjoyable for all.

"The children are so knowledgeable that we often learn from them. Eventslike this sharpen their communication and analytical skills, helping them apply classroom lessons. Through research and conceptual work, they gain skills for life,"said principal Rajashri Biswas.