Shri Shikshayatan School
The audience at Science City auditorium travelled back in time to 1920 when Marwari Balika Vidyalaya was set up with just 1,000 girls, amidst fierce nationalism.
Fast forward to 1954-55, Shri Shikshayatan School and College get a smart new compound at Lord Sinha Road. Finally, Calcutta Business School is set up in 2008.
The story of the Shikshayatan Foundation’s growth and the lives it has changed through education over the years was showcased through music, dance, audiovisual storytelling, roleplay and other cultural performances at its centenary celebrations on August 31.
More than 500 students of the foundation’s four units assembled to celebrate 100 years and perform on the occasion.
A coffee table book, Shikshayatan Foundation: 100 years Legacy of Excellence, was launched. A stamp and a special postal cover commemorating the 100 years were also unveiled.
Justice Indira Banerjee, the Supreme Court judge, was the chief guest, while the guest of honour was chief postmaster general of Bengal circle, J. Charukesi. Other guests included postmaster general Sashi Salini Kujur and the foundation’s trustee G.K. Khaitan.
“We had to wait for two years... to celebrate this momentous occasion. This is a remarkable achievement in the history of the Shikshayatan Foundation. Our journey will continue in making many more leaders, empowering each one of them to think judiciously with a strong value system. We aim to make our students grounded in mind, body and soul. Unveiling a stamp and a special cover was a remarkable event. The best part was the feeling of camaraderie. As students and teachers of the four units got together for rehearsals and planning for days, a lot of bonding happened,” said Bratati Bhattacharyya, secretary-general of the foundation.
“The foundation’s hundred-year journey is of educational excellence and empowerment of women. It has touched the lives of lakhs of women. I feel blessed to be a part of this organisation for we give wings to the dreams of our girls and usher them unto the path of success and glory,” said Shri Shikshayatan School’s principal Sangeeta Tandon.
Ruby Park Public School
Ruby Park Public School hosted a rakhi-making programme in its classrooms from August 1 to 5 to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters.
Students from Nursery to Class IX took part in the event. The Nursery students used smiley cutouts and googly eyes to create their rakhis. The LKG children used paper cutouts of stars and circles to create theirs.
UKG students used balloon cutouts for their rakhi bands, while students from Class I to IX designed bracelets using papers of various forms and sizes.
“We believe in celebrating festivals that teach students about our traditions and culture. Such celebrations help to enhance the students’ creativity and strengthen the bond of love between brothers and sisters,” said principal Joyeeta Majumder.
Bidya Bharati School, Behala
The Primary section of Bidya Bharati School, Behala, organised a fun event, Splash, to celebrate rains on July 29 and 30. The students staged recitation, music and dance performances on the occasion.
The Nursery tots danced and sang, dressed in colourful costumes. The Kindergarten stars performed Chak Dhum Dhum, Rain Song and Aye Brishti Jhenpe. Poems on rain followed.
Class I students performed a skit, The Grasshopper and the Ants, where the props were made by art teacher Biswajit Saha.
“We celebrated the elements of monsoon through activities such as recitation, music, dance and drama. It was wonderful to watch our little students in colourful costumes taking part in activities after so long,” said teacher-in-charge Moutushi Chakraborty.
St Stephen’s School, Dum Dum
The students and teachers of St Stephen’s School, Dum Dum, bade farewell to the outgoing batch with an eight-minute video collage and a prize distribution ceremony on August 26. The video, Despedida, was put together by the technical team of Class XI and screened during the farewell.
A felicitation ceremony preceded the farewell. The board toppers of the school — Anuja Paul and Soumyajit Roy (ICSE) and Anusha Tripathi (ISC) — along with subject toppers were given prizes in a ceremony that took place in the school’s auditorium.
The guests included MP from the Dum Dum constituency, Sougata Roy, and Reverend Subrata Chakraborty, bishop of Barrackpore diocese, among others.
The school choir performed very well on the occasion. The outgoing batch was happy not to miss out on a farewell like the previous years.
“We thought we would never be able to go back to school. Even after the ICSE, no felicitation could take place. This event more than made up for it,” said ISC topper Anusha Tripathi.
“This is one of the best co-educational schools in the area. I like the discipline taught to the students here,” said chief guest Roy before giving away prizes to the toppers.
“This event is very important in the school calendar. We could not hold it for two years. So this time the farewell was very emotional. The school also performed exceptionally well in the board examinations this year,” said principal Ela Chowdhury.
DPS, Joka
Students of DPS, Joka, celebrated Independence Day with great enthusiasm on the school premises. Tricolour was hoisted and the national anthem sung with fervour.
The guests were the school’s pro-vice-chancellor Pawan Agarwal, director Deepak Prakash Agarwal and principal Writuparna Chatterjee.
The principal addressed the students, touching on the progress the nation has made over the years in the field of space technology, military, education and health care. Students sang songs, performed a skit and dances on the occasion. The school also awarded some students in a felicitation ceremony for their academic and overall performance.
“As we commemorate 75 glorious years of progressive and independent India, our students take pride in celebrating the nation’s culture and achievements. Let us cultivate a vision and work towards making our country free from poverty, corruption, social injustice and inequality,” said the principal.
Assembly of Christ School, Barrackpore
This Independence Day, the students of Assembly of Christ School marched from Titagarh to Barrackpore, carrying a Tricolour, 500m long and nearly 10ft wide.
Teachers accompanied the students in the parade on the historic Barrackpore roads.
Several students dressed up as freedom fighters such as Rani Lakshmi Bai, Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh.
The students marchedpast to the school band, while the teachers sang a medley of patriotic songs. The ambience was electrifying.
“Celebrating 75 years of Independence gives me great joy and fills me with pride. We could evoke the feelings of patriotism among the students as they took part in the flag march on the roads of Barrackpore,” said principal A.D. Gomes.