Students inspire their peers amidst jubilation

Birla High School

Birla High School organised its 25th edition of the L.N. Birla Debate at Vidya Mandir auditorium on July 10 and 11.

On the first day, students from eight schools in Calcutta participated in an inter-school debate competition. The motion was: "In today's digital world, we are alone amongst thousands of friends."

Sushila Birla Girls' School clinched the Best School prize and Nikhilesh Mukherjee from La Martiniere for Boys was declared the best speaker.

On the second day, four ex-students of the school — Ram Daftari, Bhaskar Aggarwal, Pushkar Pandey and Rayan Chakroborty — participated in an exhibition debate against four members of the Calcutta Debating Circle (Sheersha Bannerjee, Pradeep Gooptu, Natasha Aziz and Dr Kunal Sarkar).

The motion of the debate was “The generation gap is glaringly evident today than ever before”.

The ex-students formed the proposition while the members of the Calcutta Debating Circle (CDC) formed the opposition in the debate with the witty Raju Raman acting as the chairperson.

The event began with director Mukta Nain’s speech, the lighting of the lamp and some words of inspiration by chief guest, Major General Atul Pannu.

Ram Daftari, the first speaker, said: “Generations are not just based on a time-specific nature but on a set of experiences." He criticised the rigidity of the pre-digital generation, by stating the infamous transphobic statements of J.K. Rowling, and praised the new generation’s awareness of climate change and gender issues.

Sheersha Bannerjee from the opposition claimed that “the gap, in fact, is closing.”

She stated how the previous generation prioritises their children’s opinions by adopting liberal parenting techniques.

Bhaskar Aggarwal, speaking for the motion, stated how accessibility and adaptability are the two most vital features of the new generation and that the neo-capitalistic shift is fundamentally a generational shift.

Natasha Aziz of CDC, speaking against the motion, declared that the generational gap has narrowed down as parents, nowadays, are much more accepting of love marriages and LGBTQ relationships.

In retaliation, Rayan Chakroborty claimed how the bhodrolok elite have always weaponised morality and have caused the generational gap to widen.

The proposition was declared the winner through public voting.

"We wanted to think out of the box since this was the silver jubilee of the debate. So what better way than to have members of the Calcutta Debating Circle battling it out with our ex-students to bring out the nostalgia, as they were back on the same stage again. It has been a long journey for us and we want the future generations to learn from this," said principal Loveleen Saigal.

Delhi Public School (Joka) South Kolkata

Delhi Public School (Joka) South Kolkata celebrated International Yoga Day differently this year on June 21. The school extended an invitation to the mothers of students for a Yoga session, to help them work towards their own health and mental well-being.

Students of different classes took part in various yoga sessions, some showcasing basic breathing exercises and stretches, while others going for more complex ones.

The guests of the day were Swami Shivadhishananda of Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, and Sridip Chatterjee, professor of department of physical education, Jadavpur University.

Swami Shivadhishananda emphasised on the importance of yoga for spiritual upliftment and asked all to practise some asanas.

Chatterjee presided over a session on Pranayam and controlled the breathing process which benefitted both the students and their mothers. The session was an initiation into yoga for many participants.

The students of the school staged a creative presentation of some asanas to live chanting of shlokas. The synchronised movements and the chanting added peace and positivity to the atmosphere.

"Encouraging students to inculcate healthy habits, balanced lifestyle and mindful living to cope with stressful situations is an integral part of our holistic educational approach. Yoga Day celebrations encouraged our students to develop a sense of responsibility for their physical fitness," said principal Writuparna Chatterjee.

Shri Shikshayatan School

Shri Shikshayatan School organised their annual prize distribution at Bhuwalka Hall on their school grounds on June 29. The event was held in two phases for the middle and senior sections respectively.

The chief guest was Elizabeth Lee, director of the American Center. The guests of honour were the parents of AISSE topper Neha Modi.

Also present at the event were the Shikshayatan Foundation's secretary-general Vinod Agarwal, principal Sangeeta Tandon, headmistress Poushali Mukherjee and others.

A classical dance performance set the ball rolling.

The next presentation was a ballet, Jhansi ki Rani, on the valour, tenacity and glory of Rani Lakshmibai. The school magazine, Reminiscence, was also released.

The principal presented the annual report (2022-23) of the school and spoke of the achievements of the students. The next phase was the prize distribution ceremony to recognise the performance of the board examinees, 2023-24.

The full tuition fee of Class X topper Neha Modi (99 per cent) and second position-holder Rajashree Roy (98.8 per cent) was waived for the session 2024-25. Fifty per cent of the school fee was waived for Prakriti Singh and Laiba Mazumder for scoring 98.4 per cent.

There was a 100 per cent waiver in the school fees of all section toppers of all classes.

Class XII toppers, Rajanya Chakravorty, Prasidhi Saha and Prakriti Ganguli (98.8 per cent) of humanities stream, were given silver medals and certificates by the school management. Sneha Choudhary of commerce stream (96.8 per cent) and Kanak Yadav and Ritu Vishwakarma of science stream (96.6 per cent) also received silver medals and certificates.

The multi-talented Ananti Sen and Prakriti Adhikari of Class XI received the Nilanajana Paul Award.

They also received medals, cheques worth Rs. 5,500 and certificates.

Rank holder in competitive examination (NIFT), Rudrani Addya, was also awarded.

The newly introduced “Principal’s Award" was given to Devashree Bhuyian of Class XI. She received a trophy and a certificate. The newly introduced “Alumna’s Award”, along with a cheque of Rs 2,000 and a certificate were given to Kankana Chakraborty (98.2 per cent), Avani Goenka (98.2 per cent) and Anwesha Ghosh (98 per cent) for theircommendable score.

The Quiz Club got the best club award while Arundhati House won the best house trophy, amidst cheers.

"The annual day and prize distribution ceremony at Shri Shikshayatan School is a grand affair that seamlessly blends cultural vibrancy with academic excellence. This prestigious event showcases the myriad talents of students through mesmerising performances, reflecting the school's rich cultural heritage," said the principal.

St Augustine’s Day School for Girls

Sapling-planting, art and knowledge-sharing — students of St Augustine’s Day School for Girls took part in such activities as they celebrated Van Mahotsav, the festival of trees, in the first week of July.

The week-long event was celebrated with enthusiasm as the students involved themselves in various creative presentations to evolve into responsible citizens ready to lead a sustainable lifestyle.

The celebration began with a special assembly and a question-answer session, Knowledge Quest, with the parents. The session was conducted by coordinator of the school Babita Chakraborty. Parents participated with gusto, sharing their role in leading a green lifestyle with minimal waste.

On the second day, the students of Class VII presented a PowerPoint presentation on why Van Mahotsav is celebrated. Principal Jhuma Biswas addressed the audience on the occasion.

On Day III there was an educational session on terrace gardening. The students learned how it is to plant saplings and create green environments. The session was instrumental in instilling a sense of responsibility among students towards preserving natural heritage.

On the fourth day, students of Classes I and II appeared for a drawing competition, the themes of which were “Mother Earth” and “Effects of Climate Change”.

The Pre-primary students indulged in various colourful craft work such as finger-printing, pot-printing and palm-printing.

The celebration culminated in a cultural programme on the fifth day. Students staged a drama to promote the cause of Van Mahotsav.

They also planted saplings on the school grounds and gifted some to locals in the school’s neighbourhood.

Every action of the students conveyed powerful messages on the need for collective action to safeguard the environment.

In the end, winners of several competitions and teachers were presented with the saplings. The event aimed at shaping responsible global citizens who care for the planet.

“Van Mahotsav week was an inspiration for all my students to protect and preserve our environment. We planted and gifted more than 80 trees. We sowed the seeds of a greener, healthier future for generations to come. Let us embrace this celebration with enthusiasm, understanding the vital role that trees play in our ecosystem,” said the principal.

The Akshar School

The Akshar School celebrated its annual prize day to honour the achievements of its students at the ICCR auditorium on July 2.

The chief guest at the event was an educationist and chairman of iLead and P.S. Group Pradip Chopra. Also present were principal Kavneet Khullar, headmistress Geeta Lall, founder Neena Singh and other members of the school community.

The day commenced with a performance, An ode to the environment, on the five elements of nature. Through the play the students emphasised on a sustainable future.

The prize distribution followed. Students from Kindergarten and Primary sections got awards for Good Conduct, All-rounder, Avid Reader, Lady of the Class, and Gentleman of the Class.

Headmistress Geeta Lall took over to present the school's annual report.

Next, students of the senior classes got their awards from Madhu Duggar, wife of Surinder Duggar, chairman of PS Group. A highlight of the day was a dance drama performed by the students on stories of Narayan Gangopadhyay. The play, brimming with humour, depicted the effort of two children to give their marginalised counterparts the right to education. It left the audience both entertained and inspired.

Amitayush Ghosh was awarded for scoring the highest with 92 per cent. Nitya Kothari from class XII received the award for all-rounder performer.

"Every performance showcased what Akshar is all about—a school for happy children. We try to showcase the talents of as many children as possible. The script allowed us to incorporate a variety of skills," said the principal.