To grandparents, roots and the world of literature

Delhi Public School, Howrah

Two generations cooking, painting and having fun together. As they worked, some stories were shared.

That was how students of Delhi Public School, Howrah, celebrated a fun-filled Grandparents' Day with their family members.

The day aimed at strengthening the bond between grandchildren and grandparents, even though they may not be living together. It is an important annual event in the junior school calendar.

Children from Nursery to Class V took part in myriad activities with their grans such as mangal ghot decoration, non-fire cooking, fabric painting on dupattas, doll-making, stuffed potato patty-folding and antakshari. Finally, the two played the dhaak together to usher in the festive season.

The programme started with principal Sunita Arora welcoming the grandparents. Students of Class I presented a performance on Mahishasurmardini, setting the mood for the celebrations.

All the grandparents enthusiastically took part in the events and had a great time bonding with the school community. Lots of memories were made and clicked in the process.

Every participating team got a chance to showcase their creativity and were judged on various yardsticks. The winners were gifted saplings and the day ended on an emotional note.

"I remembered my school days. There were many competitions planned for the student-grandparent teams. The events were not about winning but spending time and creating something together," said Kalyani Goswami, the grandmother of KG II student Aditi Mukherjee.

"It was delightful to see such enthusiasm and active participation from the grandparents on their special day. Grandparents are the warmth and solace we all seek. They bind us together, and it is thrilling to see this bond, which is to be cherished," principal Sunita Arora.

Doon Heritage School, Siliguri

The students of Doon Heritage School, Siliguri, held pre-Diwali celebrations on their school grounds. Parents were also invited to the festival of lights that had the students exhibiting their talent in speech and craft.

The students organised two inter-house events on the occasion — Fiesta of Lights or an extempore competition and Rangoli that challenged the participants’ aesthetic sense.

An inter-class trade fair was also held where the students sold sweets, candles and diya that were crafted by them. Parents visited the stalls, encouraging the students and buying the lovely, colourful items on sale. The amount collected was spent on charity.

Principal Md Ishaque said: “It was an eventful day for Doon Heritage School, Siliguri, because for the first time we had a pre-Diwali celebration. We lined up three inter-house events. The speech competition involved students of middle school who spoke about the brilliance of Diwali. The rangoli competition celebrated the essence of Diwali while the inter-class trade fair had students exhibiting their craft. The theme of the fair was, Charity Begins at School, and it was meant to promote humanity.

Bidya Bharati Girls' High School

Students of Bidya Bharati Girls’ High School organised a book fair, Educhange Boimon Mela, on their school grounds on October 17. The event aimed to promote the love for literature among students and encourage them to read more.

Up for grabs were books on a range of subjects from different genres. Students poured in to browse, buy and learn about new launches. There was also a book-reading session where two students read out from their authored books. From classics to contemporary bestsellers, there were reads catering to every taste. There were also books on non-fiction, science, history and on other specialised streams. There were books in Bengali and other regional languages as well.

Students and teachers had a great time browsing and discussing their favourite reads. The proceeds from the sale of books has gone towards supporting and educating marginalised children. This instilled a sense of social responsibility in the students and taught them the importance of giving back to the community.

The book fair ended up turning many non-lovers into readers.

“The Educhange Boimon Mela offered an outstanding educational experience. The range of books available, from children’s literature to academic resources was commendable. It not only encouraged reading but also inspired intellectual curiosity. All credit goes to the organisers and the students for making it such a successful event,” said headmistress Sharmistha Banerjee.

Mahadevi Birla World Academy

Students of Class II, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, celebrated Grandparents' Day with a didactic play recently.

The students presented Guarding the Green Gold, highlighting the story of the famous Chipko Movement that took place in Uttarakhand. The main idea was to unite grandparents, hailing from diverse backgrounds and culture, through the celebration.

Guarding the Green Gold was an adaptation of the story, Chipko takes Root.

It showcased the story of bravehearts of the Garhwali tribal community who saved their forests from being cut down and thereby did their bit to save and preserve the “green gold”.

All the parents and grandparents of Class II students were invited to the programme. They loved the vigour and confidence, the little ones exhibited on stage. As the students performed they were greeted with loud cheers. Everybody appreciated the teamwork showcased by the students.

The kids managed to bring alive an important chapter of history and taught all something new.

“I look forward to Grandparents’ Day every year. Thanks to this day, the Class II kids come of age! All 210 students putting up a concert on stage for their grandparents is no mean feat. In doing so, numerous life skills are honed and students learn far more than they would have otherwise,” said vice-principal Nupur Ghosh.

St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore

Performances, exhibition and reunions — students of St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore, packed all this and more at their Augusto Sharad Utsav, 2023, held in October.

Students from Nursery to Class XII showcased their talent and creativity on the occasion.

The festivities commenced with a colourful cultural programme featuring performances from all classes. Students presented dance, music, drama, recitation and a fashion show. There were also intra-class dance and quiz competitions held.

An annual exhibition was organised that saw students exhibiting both their knowledge and creativity. Pre-primary children presented an exhibition on Carnival and Circus.

Middle and senior classes presented models, charts and creatives on mathematics, science, computer science, physics, biology and social studies. There were also projects on art, craft, logic and reasoning, photography and games. Students made articles from recycled materials in the Best Out of Waste section. The senior section also set up food stalls, offering culinary treats.

The girls from the evening school presented a special performance, Sampoorna. They took part in a dance production, Shaktirupena Sangsthita, highlighting the strength of women power.

Members of the school alumni also joined in the celebrations and shared their memories.

“Augusto Sharad Utsav is a pre-Puja celebration, where we exhibit the talents of our students. We have the annual school exhibition. Students also showcase cultural performances and club activities. They drop in with their parents and enjoy the ambience and mouth-watering food up for grabs. It's a calendar event in our school before we close for the Puja vacations,” said principal Shweta Ray.

Vivekananda Mission School

Students of Vivekananda Mission School organised a Bengali fest, Nirjhor, recently with great enthusiasm.

The fest was also about giving one's imagination a free reign. It explored the students' research and knowledge into Bengali culture and literature. The children were invited to embark on a journey into the world of imagination and joy and to explore the limitless possibilities of creativity.

The auditorium was transformed with intricate decorations that vividly portrayed the rich heritage of Bengal. Students were also dressed in traditional Bengali attire, to symbolise their connection with their culture.

Nirjhor offered a plethora of engaging events.

Karukriti tested the students' alpana-making skills.

Srishtir Raj Bari was a Do It Yourself activity, that encouraged students to express themselves freely by making stuff fit for a rajbari or palace. Other activities included non-fire cooking, extempore speeches, drama, dance and music. The fest also encouraged the students to write their own fairytales.

It had students at the helm of planning, organising and executing events. The Kishors, consisting of students from Classes VIII to XII, were the main organisers of the event.

The teachers and principal took up the role of judges. The fest emphasised on unity and creativity and reaffirmed the students' commitment to their Bengali heritage.

"Nirjhor is not just not a one-day celebration, it is a prolonged initiative taken by the students to preserve such a beautiful language. This interest is missing in a lot of students nowadays. I am glad that my students are enthusiastic about preserving their roots and they will be given full support by the teachers," said principal Ananya Dutta.