Shri Shikshayatan School
The junior section students of Shri Shikshayatan School celebrated World Book Day on April 26.
Members of the English Book Club organised a classroom activity in Class IV, where they played many fiction characters and enacted scenes from books such as Matilda by Roald Dahl, Binya's Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond, Jack and the Bean Stalk and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
It was an enriching experience for the children as they learned to appreciate good writing and were also educated about some must-reads.
A few days ago, the junior section members of the school's Bangla Club organised a rally on April 23 to encourage all to read and enjoy Bengali literature. Their motto was to read and make others read — a message that they also spread through posters.
"Unesco declared April 23, 1995, as the World Book Day. We celebrate this day with our children by reading books, reviewing books, playing favourite characters of popular books and making posters and banners. We believe, what Jane Austen said: 'I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.' Our children are encouraged to develop book-reading as a hobby and this day is a culmination of their year-long practice of reading books through various interesting activities," said headmistress Poushali Mukherjee.
"The whole idea of reading a book is the objective and the motto in celebrating World Book Day. Students do read quite a bit to increase their knowledge but the medium has changed. Yet we as educationists insist that children see a physical book, read it, understand the emotions attached to flipping the pages, enjoy the smell and the cover of the book apart from just reading it," said Bratati Bhattacharyya, secretary-general and CEO of the Shikshayatan Foundation.
Young Horizons School
To celebrate the 162nd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, students, teachers and parents of Young Horizons School took part in a prabhat pheri (morning round). The walk that began from Karaya Police Station and ended near Syed Amir Ali Avenue was named He nutan after a timeless Rabindrasangeet.
The participants were all dressed in traditional clothes, some carrying posters of Tagore’s quotes and verses. The students sang Rabindrasangeet such as Purano shei diner kotha and Amra sobai raja and recited the bard’s poems, mesmerising local residents, many of whom joined in. They also danced to Aguner poroshmoni and Ekla cholo re among others.
Principal Sarmistha Sen congratulated the children, teachers and parents for the wonderful road show. She also thanked the local administration.
"The idea was to spread the message of Tagore through his songs and poetry in the neighbourhood. It was a very successful effort. The students were very excited. The local people were appreciative. Since our school in Karaya Road does not have much space, we decided on celebrating Tagore under the open sky," said the principal.
Narula Public School, Mogra
The students of Narula Public School, Mogra, under the aegis of JIS group Educational Initiatives, celebrated Rabindra Jayanti with great enthusiasm in the school auditorium.
The opening speech by English teacher and anchor of the show Bidisha Goswami threw light on Tagore’s literary vision, education, philosophy, patriotism and social reform initiatives.
The students presented a wonderful potpourri of recitation of the bard's soulful poems, songs and dances inspired by his poetry. Aheli Das of Class VI recited Hariye jaoa while Dipsa Pal of Upper Kindergarten recited Makal, among other notable performances.
The school band, mentored by music teacher Atanu Banerjee, presented a performance that left the audience enraptured.
The lead vocalist of the school band, Wrishagni Paramanik of Class VI presented a beautiful rendition of Mayabono biharini horini.
Principal Kamalpreet Kaur enlightened the students on the life, work and achievements of Tagore.
She also highlighted his patriotic ideals and how the bard gave up his knighthood in protest against the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre in 1919.
"I asked the students to read the verses from Gitanjali which I regularly do and find very inspiring. Tagore must be read and imbibed. I want all my students to soak in the spirit of his works," she said, reciting some lines from the verse, I have come to thee to take thy touch before I begin my day. The celebration ended with the national anthem as a tribute to its composer.
Delhi Public School, Ruby Park
The 162nd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore was celebrated with zeal at Delhi Public School, Ruby Park, on May 8.
The tribute to the Nobel laureate began with floral offerings to instrumental music. The programme was inaugurated with a Rabindrasangeet Nabo Anonde Jago followed by a speech by principal Joyoti Chaudhuri.
The students presented a performance on some poems from Gitanjali along with music and dance. The children promised to carry forward the legacy of creativity, individuality and spirituality.
The programme came to an end with a vote of thanks presented by vice-headboy Swapnil Dey, followed by the national anthem.
"It was heartwarming to witness the students comprehend the nuances of Tagore’s literature competently — which enabled them to come up with an enriching and invigorating performance," said the principal.
