St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore and Shyamnagar
Both students and teachers from St Augustine’s Day School, Barrackpore and Shyamnagar, came together to make Teachers’ Day full of fun. Teachers and a handful of students were present in their respective branches of the school to celebrate and honour the bond between children and their mentors. Songs, dance performances, recitation, skit and games were part of the celebration. Teachers, too, took part in cultural performances and digital presentations organised by their respective branches.
The magazine, Flames, for the pre-primary section of the Barrackpore school, was also released on the occasion by the co-founder of St Augustine Education Society Edna Gasper.
Given the circumstances, most students from both the branches of the school celebrated the day virtually under the able guidance of their respective class teachers.
“Teachers’ Day is always special to students and teachers. This year we have gifted our community two new schools. One exclusively for girls and the other for boys. Both schools adjacent to each other in Barrackpore (Kalyani expressway) will be following CBSE curriculum different from our existing two co-educational schools that follow ICSE curriculum. We hope as the teaching fraternity, we can do more to promote education in our city,” said St Augustine Education Society president Janet Gasper Chowdhury.
The Barrackpore branch principal Jhuma Biswas said: “Teaching has always been recognised as one of the most challenging and respected career choices, important for the social and economic health of our nation. This year, we appreciated the teachers more for reinventing themselves during this pandemic to better serve schools and students.”
“A teacher affects eternity and brings out the best in a student. Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges. Hence, we take this day as an opportunity to show our heartfelt gratitude to the teachers and school, said the Shyamnagar branch principal Rodney Borneo.
Birla High School junior section
To commemorate the birth anniversary of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev, Class IV students of Birla High School presented a special assembly. The students spoke about the main teachings of Guru Nanak.
Through the activity, students learnt about Guru Nanak— the poet and musician. Students also learnt that Guru Nanak composed the Gurbani, arranging it in various ragas in which they are to be sung. The Guru Granth Sahib is composed of and divided into 60 ragas — 31 pure ragas and 29 mixed ragas. Some ragas such as raag Majh, raag Asa and raag Tukhari are supposed to have been invented by Guru Nanak. The boys sang the shabads set to these ragas. Headmistress Farida Singh said: “Gurpurab is a day of reverence and a reminder to all the devotees to follow the teachings of Guru Nanak and his selfless service to people. Dear children, follow the path of kindness as a lesson from the life of this great saint.”
Ruby Park Public School
Carols, Santa and treats — it was celebration time at Ruby Park Public School as students and teachers ushered in the yuletide spirit with Genesis 2021, a pre-Christmas carnival. Models of Santa Claus and reindeers met the eye as one entered the school grounds. There was music and food all around. Happy faces of students added to the festive cheer as they went round the school corridors enjoying an exhibition of craft, cultural performances and interacting with their friends and teachers. Students from Nursery to Class X put up an exhibition on the occasion. There were creative models in every classroom from the life cycle of a butterfly to an active volcano. Science, history, geography and heritage the exhibition covered a range of topics. Some students also creatively depicted various festivals of India. Food stalls, game corners, artifact corners were also put up. Parents came in batches to make a round of the exhibition.
A cultural programme was also organised on the side to entertain the guests. Christmas carols were sung, dance performances presented and a live skit was staged on the true meaning of a Christmas gift. The chief guest on the occasion was actress-dancer Rajnandini Paul. “Genesis is a melting pot of talents showcased by the students. The event aimed to give our children necessary exposure to rediscover themselves,” said principal Joyita Majumder.
Lion’s Club of Greater Calcutta
New classrooms, smart boards and the promise of a new building and many more activities — the Lion’s Club of Greater Calcutta recently celebrated their golden jubilee by planning ahead for the better future of the underprivileged children that they serve.
In a ceremony to mark their 50th anniversary, attended by a lot of dignitaries and philanthropists, the foundation stone for a new school building was laid by past international director (PID) Prem Lahoty.
On the occasion, six new classrooms were also inaugurated by PID A.P. Singh, while PID Sangeeta Jatia inaugurated 48 interactive, touch screen WiFi-enabled smart boards.
A picture gallery on some unsung heroes and the cultural heritage of the country was showcased at the Lions Calcutta (Greater) Vidya Mandir, a co-educational, English medium higher Secondary school under the club catering to children of Chowhati area for the past 50 years.
Another exhibition on the craft, culture and heritage of Bengal was inaugurated on the occasion. The exhibition was conceived and organised by the students themselves. There were vibrant models showcasing the snow-capped hills of Darjeeling, the important architectural buildings of the state, the temple of Tarapith, delicious mangoes of Malda and the mouth-watering sweets that are known all over the world. Every classroom showcased the speciality of different districts of the state through the artwork, projects and illustrations of the students.
“When the school was set up, most of the students were first-generation learners. But given the quality of education and infrastructure offered, now we are increasingly getting better quality of students and parents with dreams of building a better future for their children,” said principal Kakoli Ghosh.
Birla High School junior section
Like every year, junior section of Birla High School celebrated Children’s Day this year too. Given the circumstances, a video with a special message from headmistress Farida Singh and a collage of events such as songs, skits, dance performances and fashion show by teachers was released for students on this day. Children also took part in several activities such as making a simple 3D figure of Chacha Nehru using the paper folding technique and a lollipop using 10 circle cut-outs and ice-cream sticks. The students were overwhelmed and enjoyed a small feast which was arranged by the parents, as a part of the online class party. Virtual trip to Universal Studios, Singapore, to dressing up as superheroes, made the day even more fulfilling for the students. “A nation blossoms when children blossom. I am sure that tomorrow a more powerful and robust India will rise with you dear children to make us all proud,” said headmistress Farida Singh.