Winter sun, carnival grounds and Christmas memories

Fun time

Delhi Public School, Newtown, hosted its much-anticipated two-day carnival, Zephyr 2024, on the school grounds on December 21 and 22. The event was in association with Young Metro, The Telegraph.

Altogether 65 stalls were put up, with students contributing to 17 of them.

Zephyr began on a cool, rainy morning. Despite the weather, the enthusiasm of visitors was at its peak.

Students and teacher volunteers managed the stalls.

Rides such as The Dragon Train, Columbus, Carousel and Bouncy Castle were a huge hit with the kids. The early birds got free rides. Students put up dances, songs and skits on the side. There was also a fashion show.

The Music on Demand stall had the students and teachers dedicating songs to their loved ones.

There were game booths designed by each class. Another stall, Karukrtiti, had students of Classes IX to XII displaying their paintings and pottery craftwork. Dreamcatchers, painted umbrellas and t-shirts were a big draw here.

The home science department catered to the culinary fare, setting up rows of puchhkas, papri chaat, pasta, egg salad sandwiches, cookies and muffins before hungry buyers.

The gardening stall sold plants and compost made by students from Classes VI to X. The Innovation Club’s stall featured projects on AI and robotics. The Social Service Club showcased their outreach initiatives.

Another attraction was the Zephyr Prince and Princess competition, a celebration of talent and personality. Swapnil Chaudhary of Class XI and Anushka Bakshi of Class IX were crowned after the rounds.

“The carnival brought students, past and present, together to enjoy the festivities and the weather. All the proceeds of the event went towards charity. The cultural programme was performed by students to showcase creativity and teamwork,” said principal Sonali Sen.

Happy days

Bidya Bharati, Mominpore, ushered in the festive season with its biannual fete, Utsav' 2024, on December 14.

The event provided an occasion for the families of students, teachers and staff members to interact and have fun together. The children enjoyed coming in their colourful clothes to a decorated school. There was a selfie booth, where they created lovely memories.

A highlight of the fair was an exhibition of crafts and models made by the children throughout the year on various themes.

Besides, there were games stalls such as Aim the Basket, Pin the Bindi/Moustache, Get Ready for School and 1, 2 ka 5 that saw long queues. When one got hungry from all the activity and walking, there were rows of food stalls to drive the pangs away. A bouncy castle and a tattoo kiosk were also very popular.

Children performed carols and dances. A Santa Claus made rounds of the fair distributing goodies (colourful candies) to the children.

The teachers and staff members managed the stalls along with student volunteers from Class IV. There were prizes for winners in the activity stalls.

"The fete was a huge success with a footfall of around 300. It buzzed with music, activity and joy from 10am to 3pm. We alternate the fete with sports every year, but this event is more loved as it offers families wholesome entertainment. The children performed and also showcased their models and crafts made throughout the year. The planning spanned two months," said teacher-in-charge Sumana Nag.

Paws, plants and people

Lower Nursery to Class II of Mahadevi Birla World Academy celebrated nature and animals on Environmental Awareness Day on November 22.

The children of Lower Nursery made bird feeders, using old plastic bottles and paper cartons and decorated them, using fingerprinting and paper-tearing techniques. They were also taught to take care of their feathered friends.

Nursery children went on a nature walk around the school. They collected fallen leaves and pinned them on the class soft board, learning the importance of preserving greenery.

Kindergarten kids discussed the unique characteristics, habitats and behaviours of animals. The tots also crafted animal puppets using metallic sheets.

A guessing game was conducted for them, where teachers reproduced animal sounds and the students identified the creature.

Class I was taken on a nature walk too. They were encouraged to explore their surroundings during visits to a bank, animal rescue centre, local market, zoo, parks and museum. These visits allowed the students to learn about the importance of various establishments in their community.

Class II also explored their surroundings and documented their experiences in personalised scrapbooks.

“We chose Eve Day to familiarise children with the world around them, which consists of not only humans, but also plants and animals. Children visited animal shelters, local markets, banks, orphanages and old-age homes. They interacted with several community helpers to realise that without their service, life would not be comfortable,” said vice-principal Nupur Ghosh.

Tech champs

National English School’s robotics team, Techno Titans, won accolades at the inaugural CISCE Inter-School Robotics Championship (IRC) 2024, a national competition, held at the CISCE Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Hyderabad.

The team, consisting of Siddharth Kumar, Abhiraj Sarkar, Binita Mondal and Ananya Debdas of Class IX, came fourth among the quarter-finalists. Hard work, practice and research under mentor Aratrika Deb, earned the Techno Titans a place among the top eight teams in the national competition.

They were the only team from Calcutta to have represented the national round and their tech skills were much appreciated.

Principal Mousumi Saha said: “This success is a testament to the team’s perseverance and teamwork. Robotics and AI are essential skills for the future, and it’s crucial that our students are prepared for the challenges and opportunities they bring,” she said.

The achievement has inspired many students to take an interest in AI and technology.

Spell smart

Birla High School, Mukundapur, hosted the sixth edition of Spellympic 2024, an inter-school spelling and word-building contest, on December 16. The event marked founder S.K. Birla’s birth anniversary.

The participants were from Classes IV and V. The preliminary round saw 20 schools from across the city locking horns. Ten schools went up to the final round.

The event began with the school choir’s rendition of Saraswati Vandana followed by the school song. The chief guest was educator Mini Joseph. Headmistress Rakhee Patel encouraged students, emphasising how hard work, focus and perseverance are the building blocks of achievement.

Raju Raman moderated the contest that had five rounds — Spellacadabra (spelling), Proverbs and Idioms, Code It Right (jumble words), Rapid Fire and Word-Making. There were also audience rounds.

The host school won, followed by Garden High School and Sushila Birla Girls’ School.

"The sixth edition of Spellympic 2024 was a celebration of linguistic excellence and the boundless possibilities of language. It provided the young minds of Classes IV and V with a platform to enhance their vocabulary and sharpen their analytical skills through coding and digitally unscrambling words. Watching students display such passion and ingenuity filled me with pride and optimism for the future," said principal Hira Prasad.

Bidit Biswas and Dhritiman Das of Class VII, Indus Valley World School, film Laha Bari as part of a film-making project of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) on December 9.

Heritage redefined by budding film-makers

Students of Classes VII to IX visited the heritage house in Manicktala to capture its interiors, hear about its famous Durga Puja celebrations and other tales. The students toured the iconic building and studied its red and green facade. They selected three locations for filming — the thakurdalan, the main staircase and a spiral staircase. They also learnt the importance of preserving heritage structures.

The students interacted with Aparna Law, a member of the house, who shared anecdotes about the heritage house and its significance in history. “We were welcomed by Aparna Law. She took us through the history of this wonderful heritage building. Students loved the experience and learnt so much about its history and architecture,” said vice-principal Madhumita Seal.

Principal Reshma Bhattacharya said: “The project was a tribute to the rich heritage of Bengal. The interaction with the members of the Laha Bari helped students weave a historical association as they used photography and videography to capture the exquisite heritage of their city.”