Music, dance and a new stage for better learning

To teachers with love

Calcutta Public School, Kalikapur, hosted a Teachers' Day celebration filled with music, dance and fun on September 5.

The event kicked off with a warm welcome by head girl Shreya Keshri and head boy Nairit Sarangi, both from Class XII. A dance performance by Disha Pal and Purbashree Dey, also of Class XII, set the tone for the festivities, followed by a medley of songs performed by students from Classes X to XII in honour of their teachers.

A highlight of the celebration was a fun twist on the classic game of Chinese Whisper. Four teachers wore headphones while another read a phrase aloud, and the challenge was to pass the phrase along accurately. Laughter filled the room as phrases such as “no pain, no gain” and “love you zindagi” were hilariously misinterpreted along the way.

Students from Classes VII and VIII entertained with a series of dance performances before the stage was opened for a fashion show featuring the teachers. Loud cheers and applause followed as the teachers, dressed in their finest, confidently strutted down the ramp.

The celebration continued with cake-cutting, followed by more music and dance performances from senior students in Classes IX to XII. The school's new in-house band, Icarus, made their debut with a captivating performance, bringing the joyous occasion to a close.

"The Teachers’ Day programme was special this year. The students made us all smile. The fashion show and the games were enjoyable. But as teachers, what felt like a true success was seeing our students differentiate between right and wrong and raising their voice against injustice," said principal Proma Das.

Ode to knowledge

Holy Palace Multipurpose Institute organised a science exhibition on September 5 to commemorate Teachers' Day, aiming to highlight the significance of science in daily life.

Primary students, carrying placards representing different planets, arranged themselves to form a mini solar system.

The exhibition also emphasised physical and mental health, featuring a blood group testing camp for students and a bone density and calcium testing campfor mothers.

Junior students presented innovative models, including a water purifier made from charcoal, sand, soil, gravel and cotton, a hand fan crafted from discarded bottles and a lava lamp.

Students from Classes I and II showcased experiments demonstrating different types of forces and the solubility and insolubility of various substances in water.

Secondary students created models related to information technology, science, mathematics and geography. Notable displays included a drone, satellite communication technology and a hologram projector.

Participants engaged in a quiz on information technology, while the Science Team conducted a test to determine food adulteration, raising awareness about the declining quality of edibles.

Highly appreciated models of a periscope and a kaleidoscope attracted significant interest. The geography section presented models and charts addressing acid rain, groundwater pollution and the solar system, along with engaging games and discussions focused on health.

Rector Jyotirmoy Dey said: "The aim was to celebrate Teachers' Day differently. We wanted to celebrate knowledge and boost our students' creativity. We are glad the science fair went off so well."

Milestone for school

Purwanchal Vidyamandir marked a double celebration on Teachers' Day with the inauguration of a renovated, state-of-the-art auditorium.

The auditorium, equipped with advanced sound and lighting systems, features a multipurpose stage and comfortable seating, designed to provide a soothing ambience for performances and events.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Subhash Agarwal served as the guest of honour, inaugurating the auditorium. The ceremony began on a solemn note with a student invocation of Lord Ganesh.

Principal Rani Jessica Gomes expressed her gratitude to the school’s managing committee for their support in realising the project.

She highlighted the importance of such infrastructure in creating a stimulating learning environment for students and emphasised the crucial role of teachers in nurturing young minds.

During the event, eight teachers and staff members were honoured with cash awards for completing 25 years of service to theinstitution.

The celebration concluded with a lunch for all attendees.

"The new auditorium is a milestone in the school's history. We were very happy to inaugurate it and hope to see some great performances there in future. Every teacher was thanked with a gift. There was special honour for those who have served over 25 years," said the principal.

Fun with grans

St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore, was filled with love and laughter on September 14, as its Upper Kindergarten (UKG) students celebrated Grandparents’ Day in a heartwarming event dedicated to their family members.

Principal Shweta Ray welcomed the grandparents, emphasising the event’s purpose to honour the wisdom, love, and guidance that grandparents provide to their grandchildren.

The festivities began with a prayer song performed by the little ones. A highlight of the day was a Bollywood-themed fashion show, where grandparents and their wards strutted down the ramp in creative outfits. As they confidently posed, the audience erupted in cheers.

A series of engaging games followed, keeping everyone on their toes. In Scavenger Hunt, grandparent-child teams raced against time to find hidden items around the school. The Dressing Up challenge saw grandparents creatively transform their grandchildren into mini versions of themselves with props and costumes. In Speed Walk Relay, grandparents and grandchildren teamed up to walk towards the finish line while balancing packets of biscuits. The fun continued with Catch the Ball, where children threw balls into buckets held by their grandparents.

The celebration concluded with a dance by the UKG students to Itni Si Hassi.

"We not only celebrate the bonds of family but also the invaluable role that grandparents play in shaping lives, our society and our future. As we honoured our grandparents, we recognised the importance of inter-generational bonds in our society. It is our responsibility to ensure that these connections remain strong and wisdom is passed down," said principal Shweta Ray.

Sharing of knowledge

"Knowledge is to be shared, especially digital literacy" — with this mission, the Interact Club of Mahadevi Birla World Academy organised the 6th edition of Masti Ki Pathshala, an initiative where peereducators teach underprivileged children.

This year, 12 trainers and five supervisors from Classes IX to XII imparted digital skills to children from the NGOs Hope Foundation, Future Hope School, Calcutta Social Project and Park Junior School. Six students and two teachers from each institution took part in the training.

During the three-hour session, the trainers from the host school were each assigned two children to ensure personalised attention. The session was divided into two segments, focusing on Canva and PowerPoint.

In the first segment, the children were introduced to Canva, a graphic design tool used for creating presentations, flyers and infographics. They learned the basics of Canva's interface, including how to start new projects, select templates and work with design elements such as text boxes, shapes, icons and charts.

The children were encouraged to choose their topics for presentations, helping them grasp the importance of visual hierarchy and effective communication through digital designs.

Next, the children learned how to create informational flyers, selecting templates, visuals and minimal text.

They were taught to use appropriate colour schemes, fonts and layouts to make their designs visually appealing and informative.

The focus then shifted to PowerPoint, where the students learned how to organise slides, insert multimedia, format text and apply their newly learned Canva skills to enhance their presentations.

The event concluded with an address from school principal Anjana Saha, who praised the dedication of both the trainers and participants. The children left Masti Ki Pathshala brimming with excitement and newfound confidence, many experiencing digital design tools for the first time and thrilled to see their creative ideas brought to life.

"Community engagement and collaboration with the marginalised sections of society is a key objective and part of our vision-mission at MBWA. Masti Ki Pathshala saw our students engaging with friends from several NGOs in an enriching partnership for task-free learning," said principal Anjana Saha.

Best of Bengal

Swarnim International School organised their annual exhibition, Montage, on August 15 and 16. The guest of honour at the event was Swami Tatparananda from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur. Also present were founder-chairman H.P. Budhia and resident-director Swati Sarawagi.

The exhibition was organised on the second floor of the school building. The theme was: "Inspiring Legacies — The Bengal Chapter".

The social science department focused on Bengal’s renaissance and had models of Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda among others. There was also an audio-visual presentation on the partition of Bengal.

In the literature room the students staged a play, Kabuliwala by Rabindranath Tagore.

The chemistry room displayed a green fuel plant producing hydrogen fuel. The biology section featured a 3D DNA model, among others. In the robotics room students created a Morse Code instrument to show how Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose used it to send secret messages. Junior children creatively brought alive the characters of Sukumar Ray's nonsense rhymes.

"Montage is an expression of creativity and collaboration. It is a celebration of learning. I am proud of my students and teachers," said Rumjhumi Biswas.