Students of Nursery to Class XI displayed models based on class lessons at the annual exhibition of Calcutta Public School, Kalikapur. Rainwater harvesting, generation of wind energy through windmill, photosynthesis and electricity generation from organic and inorganic waste were some of the topics on display. The juniors focused on topics such as junk food vs healthy food, landforms and houses. “Students are given a chance to apply what they learn in class. It is a learning experience. Children are innovating and coming up with ideas. Such programmes are important because children get a chance to think, discuss and stay away from their mobile phones,” said Proma Das, the principal. St Stephen’s School, Sonarpur, celebrated annual day with a cultural programme and prize distribution ceremony. Students were felicitated for their academic performances as well as for 100 per cent attendance. Dance, musical instruments and choir singing kept the audience enthralled. “It is a moment of pride for us that our children are doing so well in the Boards, but we definitely aim to achieve more. Students need to come forward in both academic and extra-curricular activities. Students should learn to strike a balance in both fields,” said Amrita Ireland, the acting principal of the school. Vivekananda Mission School, Joka, celebrated its annual fest Krishti, in association with The Telegraph Young Metro. The school threw its gates open to other schools for the first time this year for Krishti, which was earlier an intra-school event. More than 100 students from 10 schools competed in dancing, non-fire cooking, portrait painting and debate. The host school was declared the overall winner of the fest. “This was the first time that we organised an inter-school fest. I want to let the children enjoy exposure to and interact with children from other schools. There is sharing of thought, culture and ethics on such occasions,” said Sarmistha Banerjee, principal. Unity in Diversity was portrayed through music, dance, recitation, fashion and theatre at the annual concert of Howrah St Mary’s Day School. Students sent out a message on communal harmony through the programme. “It is crucial to send out a message of unity to the society. Through these events, children not only get a platform to showcase their talent but also get a chance to learn new things; and by taking up this theme we had an opportunity to make children understand the beauty of our nation and how they can make their nation proud by trying to restore that unity,” said K. Chowdhury, principal. A musical demonstration of karate and an English skit Banti da Dhaba stole the limelight at the annual programme of Xavier’s English School, Konnagar. A short video on the achievements of the school in various inter- and intra-school events was screened on the occasion. “We have made our school a temple of learning and I am proud to be a part of it. Through such events, students can express themselves and develop a sense of belonging. When we give children responsibilities, they start exploring themselves,” said Snigdha Chakraborty, principal. Students of the primary, secondary and higher secondary sections of National High School, Sarat Bose Road, came together to showcase their talent in dance, music and acting. “Studies are important but it is also important to give equal weightage to cultural events,” said Rama Subramanian, the principal of the higher secondary section. Saisree Ramesh, the principal of secondary section, agreed: “Gaining bookish knowledge alone is not important, children should be aware of what is going on around them. The children practised hard for this day and I am happy that the event has come out so well.” Meenakshi Raman, the principal of the primary section, said it was important to encourage co-curricular activities and studies in equal measure. “Otherwise, children would lose interest Kids need exposure as that would help them strike a balance between studies and their interests,” she said Reporting by Arundhati Bhattacharya and Neha Singh Pictures by Koushik Saha, Biswajit Kundu, Gopal Senapati and Rajkumar Mondal
Source: The Telegraph
