Learning beyond books as school events unfold

K.E. Carmel School, Sarisha

Students of K.E. Carmel School, Sarisha, staged a cultural fare for their 21st annual day, held in association with Young Metro, on January 21. The theme was Glissando-The Gamut of Gaiety and the programme took place on an open-air stage on the school grounds.

The vibrant evening started with a prayer song by the school choir, followed by a welcome dance. Rev. Fr Jojo Thuruthayil C.M.I., principal of the Sarisha institution, welcomed everyone and thanked the students and teachers for their efforts.

Student representatives joined guests and dignitaries to light the inaugural lamp. Secretary of the K.E. Carmel Group of Schools Rev. Fr Sebastian Chamathara C.M.I. addressed the audience stressing on hard work and how there is no substitute for diligence.

Students of middle school lent their voices and danced to songs such as Lalon, Kesariya and Mone Kori Assam Jabo. Next, the Primary school students danced to Shubhaarambh.

The middle school students also danced to Shendur Laal Chadhayo, turning on the spiritual flavour of the evening. The Kindergarten children presented a dance to Such a beautiful day and other foot-tapping numbers.

A short break later, the much-awaited KECS Star Award 2023-024 took off. Ten students from Class X had been nominated for the award for their all-round performances and participation in various inter-school competitions. After some tense moments, the winner was announced. Arusha Anjum of Class X was the lucky one. The student was all smiles as she went up on stage to receive the huge trophy amid fireworks and thunderous applause.

There were some more dances slated for the last leg of the programme. The final performance, Rhythmic Carmelites, was a 20-minute choreography of smart contemporary moves staged by around 200 students of Classes I to XI. They danced to Punjabi, Hindi and popular songs, prompting the audience to keep clapping.

Students had put in two months of hard work to make the event a success.

"We at K.E. Carmel School, Sarisha, give equal importance to both academics and co-curricular activities for the holistic development of each student. Our annual concert every year is a platform for our students to hone their skills. This year, the spectacular event was the cumulative effort of all the teachers, our supporting staff members and our beloved children. Every year, we add a feather or two to our crown and wish to do so in the coming years also," said the principal.

Douglas Memorial Higher Secondary School

Sparkling decorations, carols and exotic roses turned Douglas Memorial Higher Secondary School into a happy zone during Christmas. A cultural programme, La Vie En Rose, was hosted by the school on December 22.

Every year around this time, the school organises a flower show. Several exotic roses and organically grown vegetables — nurtured in the school's Gidla Garden — are kept on display.

The plants are taken care of by rector Wilson Gidla, along with a gardener.

Some rare varieties of roses were on display such as Damask and Juliet. The Juliet rose is considered one of the rarest flowers in the world.

The chief guest for La Vie En Rose was Sanyogita Dhanwatey, president of the Indian Rose Federation. She inaugurated the rose festival. Bengal Rose Society president Narendra Dadlani inaugurated an art exhibition.

The event began with a welcome speech by academic-in-charge Subarna Chatterjee.

Visitors were taken on a tour of the exhibitions. School administrator Ashwin Kumar Medidi began the opening prayer. A Bible reading followed.

After lighting of the inaugural lamp, the students staged a classical dance performance. The rector delivered his speech reflecting on the values and ethos of the school.

A contemporary dance performance added variety to the cultural programme.

The school choir sang carols, creating an ambience of festive delight. A nativity play was also staged. Other schools were invited to perform as well.

The participating schools were St Augustine's Day School, Shyamngar, St John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School and Modern English Academy.

"La Vie En Rose means looking at life through rose-coloured glasses. Our school premises looked rosy surrounded by the warm glow of festive month. The evening was celebrated with joyful Christmas carols, nativity play and an exhibition of exquisite roses," said the principal.

Delhi Public School, Joka

Delhi Public School, Joka, organised the annual Surendram Football Challenge Cup, 2024, on its grounds in January. It was a double celebration for the school as they won the championship and ensured a successful event where every match offered exciting moments.

The inter-school tournament is organised as a tribute to educator Surendra Agarwal.

The air was charged with excitement as several schools from the city and beyond signed up for the event. The participating institutions included Saini International School, Maheshtala, National Gems H.S. School, Asian International School, Narayana School, Maheshtala, Sri Sri Academy, Silver Point School and Little Steps School.

The guests at the event were renowned footballers Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi and Dipankar Roy. The players displayed skill in passing and tackling the ball. The finals were played out between the host team and the Narayana School, Maheshtala. Both the teams were locked at 1-1 at the end of regular match time with Delhi Public School, Joka, emerging victorious in the tie-breaker.

"The school organised the football tournament to commemorate the death anniversary of Surendra Agarwal, the visionary who always dreamt of schools — where the individuality of students, their potential and varied interests are honoured. Inter-school tournaments play a pivotal role in fostering leadership skill, team building and belongingness," said principal Writuparna Chatterjee.

Olivia Enlightened English School

School students from Siliguri took part in Mélange-2024, an inter-school literary festival organised by Olivia Enlightened English School, in association with Burlington English, on January 15.

The participating schools were G.D. Goenka Public School, Darjeeling Public School, Naxalbari Heritage Academy and Techno India Group Public School.

Around 218 students took part in varied events of the competition that included scene building, theatricals, literary pageant show, declamation, mono-act, extempore and slam poetry, among others.

The performers got a chance to write songs and poetry, act and work on theatre productions.

There were recitations and skits on tales from Panchatantra and Jataka. The students also had to present a Shakespearean character and perform tasks around the Harry Potter series. Every challenge brought out the creative best in the students.

The host school won followed by the G.D. Goenka Public School and the Naxalbari Heritage Academy.

"On January 15, we organised an inter-school literary fest — Melangé — for the second time. The school had created events showcasing a perfect blend of language and literature, drama and viva voce, promoting literacy, creativity and intellectual development," said principal Ambalika Gahatraj.

St Xavier’s Institution, Panihati

Laughter, excitement and practice sessions took over the junior section of St Xavier’s Institution (SXI), Panihati, as the school organised a winter concert for the little ones on December 14.

Music, elocution and performances by Pre-primary kids to Class IV kept the audience hooked.

The guests included Jyoti Prasad Banerjee, general secretary of the Suburban Educational Society, who lit the inaugural lamp.

The children began by paying tribute to Lord Ganesh and Lord Krishna through a performance.

It was followed by a dance by the little ones.

The concert was not merely fun. Through the myriad performances, the little ones learnt to love animals and nature and were taught how to cohabit peacefully. The Kindergarten and Class II students showcased various dance moves from ballet to Bharatnatyam. There were performances taken from various classics such as Rudiyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (performed by Class I) and Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant (by Class III).

Lower Nursery kids re-learnt some rhymes as they performed Rock With Rhymes on stage.

Young Nursery performers learnt to appreciate the mysteries of the changing seasons. The children also imbibed the concept of unity in diversity and the essence of love and peace through various musical presentations.

There were also performances by the school choir. The students of Class IV paid a special tribute to Rabindranath Tagore by staging his dance play, Chitrangada. The students illustrated how Tagore envisioned love and its expression.

"Every performance was praiseworthy, given the children did not get much time to practise. They had their exams. But such extra-curricular activities are equally important in a student's life. Those make them confident, teach them teamwork, develop social skills," said principal Lipika Ghosh.

Mangalam Vidya Niketan

Mangalam Vidya Niketan held their annual sports at NKDA Stadium, New Town, on January 10.

The day began with a torch run by the school captains, house captains and their deputies. This was followed by a march-past by the four houses. Sarojini House clinched the trophy for the march past.

Finally, the track and field events followed where the competitive spirit of the students reached its peak. They took part in 100m and 200m races, hurdles and relays, among other events. All the track events showcased the agility, co-ordination, strength and stamina of the participants.

The students also presented a drill with flags, a rejuvenating yoga presentation and a deft martial arts performance. The tug-of-war was the highlight of the day testing the students' stamina and teamwork.

Another attraction was an inter-school relay held both for boys and girls. The host school won the championship trophy in both categories.

At the end of the day, Sarojini House and Tagore House were the joint winners with Shakespeare House coming second and Austen House third.

Principal Jayati Mukherjee thanked the audience for their co-operation and support and advised the children to retain their sportsmanship spirit.

"Sports is given a lot of importance in our school right from the junior classes. It helps in muscle development as well as teaches important life skills. We have upped our sports standards since Covid to help our students," said the principal.