Stories that teach, spread joy and build empathy

Tiny tots in learning trots

Bright-eyed and brimming with enthusiasm, toddlers entered the gates of Sri Sri Academy. They were welcomed to colourful classrooms and a session of storytelling by loving arms.

Sri Sri Academy inaugurated its Pre-nursery section on February 21 to mark its 16th Foundation Day.

The events saw theatre artiste Dolly Basu, founder of Choopkatha, dropping in as the guest of honour. She also used props and voice modulation to tell stories and engage the newcomers. Parents were equally thrilled.

The students also got to explore their state-of-the-art classrooms. The teaching tools were age-appropriate. The children were also excited to see the play areas, both indoors and outdoors.

The parents were told how the curriculum would involve activity-based learning that would ensure the holistic growth of children. The teacher-student ratio will be 1:10.

"On our Foundation Day, we inaugurated our Pre-nursery section for the toddler group. As we completed a milestone of 15 years, we were elated to spread our wings. We are committed to providing a warm, nurturing and stimulating environment where children can explore, learn and grow. We believe in fostering love for learning through play, creativity and hands-on activities," said principal Gargi Banerjee.

Poppy’s joy, crow’s cry

A sparrow, a thirsty crow and a young girl, Poppy, took centre stage at Mahadevi Birla World Academy’s annual concert, Happiness: The Secret Sparkle, turning an evening of performances into a reflection on joy, nature and responsibility. The concert was staged on the school grounds from March 4 to 6.

UKG students captivated the audience with their music, dance and storytelling — all woven around the idea that happiness isn’t just a personal feeling but a shared duty.

The inspiration for the script came from the works of author K.G. Subramanyan, whose centenary year was commemorated through this production. The students explored two of his popular stories, A Summer Story and How Poppy Grew Happy, which illustrated how one can get happiness through small, meaningful actions.

Laughter and claps filled the air as the tots danced to Shake Your Sillies Out.

The play followed Poppy’s journey of realising that happiness is not found in screens, but in real-life experiences and the world around us.

Children also used their creative expressions to showcase how human actions are responsible for climate change, water scarcity, habitat destruction and steps must be taken to heal the world.

What made the event special was the use of recycled props and costumes, reinforcing the message of sustainability and doing away with waste.

As the sparrow guided Poppy towards her self-realisation, a thirsty crow’s struggle for water highlighted the harsh consequences of environmental neglect.

"This time, we decided to celebrate K.G. Subramanyan. Our library had purchased his children’s collection, and we realised he drew and told delightful, simple stories that had meaningful messages for all age groups. All the children participated joyfully, and the props and costumes were mostly recycled," said vice-principal Nupur Ghosh.

Gift of the gab

Students of Kalikapur, Bidhan Park and Barasat branches of Calcutta Public School took part in wordplays, streetplays and other creative activities as part of an inter-branch language fiesta organised on the Kalikapur grounds on February 1.

The events of Language Fiesta 2025 were held in Hindi, Bengali and English. There were both individual and group events for students to showcase their skills.

The guests included Proma Das, Protichi Lahiri Sengupta and Abhilasha Das, principals of Kalikapur, Bidhan Park and Barasat branches, respectively, along with secretary Tathagata Das.

The dignitaries lit the ceremonial lamp.

The day began with the students presenting a medley of songs consisting of Bhasha rastra ki bhasha, Hello to all the children of the world and Ami takdum takdum bajai.

Classes VI to XII presented a dance, Saraswati Vandana, next. Finally, the battle of languages and creativity began on-stage and off-stage.

The on-stage English competitions included Spin the Wheel and Speak as You Feel. It had nine participants spinning a wheel that was marked with numbers.

When the wheel stopped, a participant had to speak impromptu on a word, phrase or topic pointed.

Every speaker got two minutes and they had to speak without pausing.

The off-stage contests included slogan-writing (Hindi), comic-writing (Bengali) and jingle-writing (English) for Classes VI to VIII. The events took place in the junior auditorium, where students had one hour to perform.

Students of Classes IX to XI took part in a Hindi skit contest, Vartalap, featuring seven teams. The theme was muhavare (idioms). Street plays or Nukkad Natak were also staged on the beauty and significance of Hindi language. In Bengali, the audience was treated to performances that blended poetry and dance moves, bringing literary works to life through creative interpretations.

A prize distribution ceremony concluded the event.

"It was an honour to witness the magnificent inter-branch Language Fiesta hosted by our school. The hand-picked and deserving students from Classes VI to XII exhibited their talents in Hindi, Bengali and English. The students worked hard and made us proud," said principal of the Kalikapur branch, Proma Das.

Stage presence

Two days of talent fest — that was the annual day of Bihani Academy in a nutshell. The much-awaited signature event began at the school's open-air theatre on March 7, with children from Nursery to Class VII holding forth. Around 150 students performed that day.

The children began with a medley of devotional songs.

Dressed in white, a team of graceful dancers from Classes V to VII performed Meghbalika to a series of Rabindrasangeet. Children also presented a vibrant play on the Pied Piper of Hamelin and a fun Graduation Day dance. A folk dance to popular songs such as Lal paharir deshe ja, Nao chariya de and Chhata dhoro added to the delectable mix of entertainment. The day concluded with inspiring speeches and recognising the achievements of the students.

On March 8, Classes VIII to XI set the stage on fire, again at the same venue. Around 220 students performed on the second day. The performances included an inaugural classical dance to Veena Vadini. The senior choir of the school performed popular numbers such as Country roads and Memories. There was also a western dance performance.

The highlight of the day was a medley of songs from Satyajit Ray films, as a tribute to the legend. The students also recited poems in English, staged a Hindi play on respecting elders. Finally the students danced to a mix of Bollywood numbers. The day ended with another round of awards and speeches.

"The event was a true reflection of our commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a spirit of unity and excellence. All the performers did a great job," said principal Sanjay Adhya.

Colour and culture

Music, flowers and gulal were the order of the day as Delhi Public School, Durgapur, celebrated Vasantotsav on March 7. The note of sustainability prevailed, too.

The students spread awareness on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle in a cultural programme that followed. The programme blended poetry, music and dance to pay homage to spring.

Principal Umesh Chand Jaiswal, faculty members, guests and parents attended the event that began with the school choir (consisting of Classes IV to IX) presenting a medley of songs such as Aaji dokhino duar khola and Holi khelat Nandalal.

Students of Classes I and II added energy to the celebration with a Bhangra performance. There was also a fashion show that saw students and parents walking in outfits crafted from reused materials. Students from Classes III to V presented a dance to Ore Grihobasi and Basanter Phool Ganthlo. A folk dance, Pinga, was staged by students of Classes VI to IX.

The school also organised an inter-school cultural fest on the occasion. An art exhibition displayed the work of the host students in the art room.

"It was heartwarming to see the students and staff members coming together in such a joyous and meaningful way," said the principal.

Tagore’s dino & data tales

The history of numbers, journals on statistics and a dinosaur named after Tagore — a new world opened up before the Class XI students of G.D. Goenka Public School, Dakshineswar, who took off to the campus of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Dunlop on February 14.

Seventy-five students and four maths teachers toured the campus, explored its Geology Museum and also learnt about the various programmes and research opportunities up for grabs.

First, professor Sumitra Purkayastha welcomed the students at the institution's seminar hall. Here, the visiting students were introduced to the history of the ISI, its registration on April 28, 1932, as a non-governmental, non-profit society and the vision of its founder, Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

The students were also told how the journal Biometrika, edited by Karl Pearson, had a profound impact on Mahalanobis. The session also touched upon the ISI's contribution to statistical research, including the journal, Sankhya: The Indian Journal of Statistics, established in 1933. The students were fascinated to learn about the Mahalanobis distance, a metric used to measure distance in multivariate space.

Students also explored various academic programmes offered by the ISI.

After the session, the group moved on to the ISI library, where they saw towering bookshelves filled with countless volumes on statistics, mathematics and data science. Students were fascinated to see the original copies of Sankhya: The Indian Journal of Statistics on display. They also explored an exhibition showcasing Mahalanobis’s personal belongings. Handwritten letters, his furniture and even his graduation gown were on display.

The final stop was the Geology Museum, where the students saw the fossilised skeleton of Barapasaurus Tagorei, a type of giant dinosaur that lived around 160 million years ago during the early Jurassic period. It was discovered in 1958 by ISI geologists in the Pranhita-Godavari valley and named after Rabindranath Tagore to mark his birth centenary.

The museum also housed a collection of fossils and artifacts, giving visitors an insight into Earth’s history.

"School excursions and field trips are about hands-on learning, gaining new experiences and creating fond memories. The visit to ISI, Calcutta, helped our students to have an idea about the richness and diversity of statistical and mathematical concepts," said principal Rina Maitra.