Akshar resonated with the magic of numbers, triangles, polygons, thought provoking questions, collaborative explorations and brainteasing events as it hosted its unique inter-school fest MATHEMAGICA on the 11th and the 12th of November at the school premises.
We were honoured to have Mr Pradipta Hore , a distinguished educationist as our CHIEF GUEST.
We were delighted to welcome 9 Kolkata schools and 6 outstation schools alongside the host school Akshar as participants.
The focus was more on explorative, collaborative events like Soaring Kites, Polygon Trains which enthused the students immensely.
Events like Triangulate A Poem and Piem, encouraged the contestants to fuse mathematical concepts into words and expressions.
Akshar's inter-school fest's signature event, THEMATIC DISPLAY brought forth a burst of creativity, insightful perception, concept development and skillful execution from all the participants.
The theme was A WORLD WITHOUT NUMBERS- IMPOSSIBLE and the displays were truly magnificent.
MATHEMAGICA had a plethora of many more mind-boggling and interesting events like MATHODYSSEY QUIZ, IGNITED MINDS, PATTERN WITH PASCAL and GAME DESIGNING
The magical aura of MATHEMAGICA truly engulfed us and enriched us by igniting in our minds a quest for knowledge which brings above everything happiness along the journey .
The distinguished guests, their felicitation, the welcome address and the lamp lighting ceremony with the guests and the school reps
The opening song " SWAGATAM" by the school choir and the skit " To Count or Not to count" performed as part of the INAUGURATION ceremony
Speeches by Mrs Khullar and Mr Pradipta Hore , the chief guest
The Maths Co ordinator , Mrs Sucharita Pradhan with the respected guests A Collage of the events of MATHEMAGICA
THEMATIC DISPLAY
POLYGON TRAIN
JUNIOR MATHODYSSEY QUIZ
Presentation of TRIANGULATE A POEM
SOARING KITES
IGNITED MINDS
A Presentation of the GAME DESIGNING event
The MATHEMAGICA RESULTS
THE PRIZE DISTRIBUTION CEREMONY
The Proud WINNERS of AKSHAR
The SHOWCASE of MATHEMAGICA : NUMBER MELA and the PSYCHOLOGY CORNER
Fun and Food at MATHEMAGICA
MAGIC at AKSHAR
FEEDBACK - Mrs Sucharita Pradhan, the Maths Co ordinator noted, " MATHEMAGICA, the first-of-its- kind fest , was a great success and that gives all of us at.Akshar immense satisfaction and joy"
Mr Pradipta Hore shared his thoughts
Visitor's penned their thoughts
A visiting student's exuberant expression
The TEAM AKSHAR AT MATHEMAGICA
October, 2024
Puja Pride
We are happy to share that Anandi of class 10, Akshar's representative for TTIS,has been selected to be a part of CCBP (choto choke boro pujo),the most prestigious event organised by them.
Out of 260 students from various schools , 30 most deserving 'tigers' who have worked the hardest throughout the year get chosen.
The 30 of them,along with seniors and the Director of TTIS,will visit and judge the main puja pandals in Kolkata.The awards will be given out by them, in the midst of celebrities on Shashti.We are so proud of her.
September, 2024
September Stories
Teachers were honoured, laurels were achieved in competitions, enlightening and thought provoking visits happened where futuristic ideas were presented by students of Akshar... September had many stories to tell..Listing a few
Teacher's Day award was presented to our Nandita Ma'am and Jayanti Ma'am in a prestigious ceremony organized by I.I.H.M
A superbly soothing Tea Party was hosted by the Life Skills students. Everyone enjoyed thoroughly
The Foundation students had a perfect simulation of Voting experience and it's related exercises . This activity reinforced the idea of learning by doing.
Echoing the same enriching idea of Learning by doing , Class 3 students presented models made by them as they learnt about Rainwater harvesting.
Senior students of Akshar visited the astounding exhibition Travelling Plants held at the Indian Museum
Akshar students presented the model of their Green School in a science fest held at the Indian Museum. Vyaan of Class 4 and Zeyad of Class 5 had a wonderful time there
Proud Achievers Aditya, Casuarina and Kanav with their 3rd Prize winning Presentation in the Crafting Narrative event in an inter-school fest Abhivyakti, organized by the Birla Bharati school. Carrom, colours and fun with play dough--the Junior school's share of fun this month
August, 2024
Proud Achiever
Our ever smiling 'sunshine ' boy, Mridul Kedia, suffering from a rare debilitating disease that has led to severe locomotor and speech impairment, is awarded The Telegraph Award for Courage.
Mridul is a student of Class X, uses an AAC board for communication and is going to appear for his ICSE examination in 2025. So proud of him!
Independence Day
India on 15th August, 2024 marked 77 years since she gained Independence from the British Raj. Along with the nation, Akshar too revelled in the glory of its freedom.
While the Junior section held an Assembly the day before, the Senior section students gathered at the school premises on the day itself to celebrate.
Flag hoisting by the cubs and bulbuls, paying tribute to freedom fighters in regional languages, songs, dances and a solemn pledge not to take this freedom for granted, were the highlights of the thoughtful and aesthetic programme presented by the students..
Celebration by the Senior Section.
The Flag Hoisting ceremony
Song: Jayatu Janmabhoomi
Paying tribute to freedom fighters in regional languages
Poem: Aage Tu Badh
School Choir
A melodious harmonica recital
An invigorating dance medley
Principal ma'am with the students: Charting a mind map of the future
Celebration by the Junior Section
July, 2024
The July Album
The month of July was packed with lots of hands on activities , cheerful celebrations, buddy projects, hosting prestigious events and achieving laurels in inter school competitions. Some vignettes from our joyous July Album
Akshar hosted the prestigious Frank Anthony Memorial All India Inter School Debate competition. It was a proud moment for us
Proud Achievers
Aranya Shinde and Devanshi Parikh of Class 10, secured first and second positions in an Inter School Declamation competition at Future Foundation school
Aranya Shinde secured first position in Hindi Declamation
Devanshi Parikh secured second position in Hindi Declamation
Through out July there were celebrations of special days . It was so much fun
All smiles pulling the Rath.. Celebrating Rath Jatra
Celebrating Chocolate day by making chocolates and cookies..yummilicious fun day
Celebrating Paper Bag Day... children made paper bags and designed them with meaningful messages of protecting the environment
Class 6 Celebrating Pi Day on 22.7.24
The Junior and Senior Section carried out various science experiments in the inimitable environment- friendly Akshar style.
Little ants doing experiments on properties of water
Germination Activity by Class 3
Rain clouds in a jar experiment and learning about Water Cycle with Class 2
Class 3 Making Fruit Salad and learning about various types of seeds
Pledge to the environment through a Hindi poem by class 3
Presentation on Solar System
Human skeleton with buds.. learning is so much fun!
Cartoon characters with coloured dough.. vibrant models shaped by little hands
Learning about the Excretory system...happy learners of Class 7
Calculating height, weight and BMI...Class 6 concentrating on the job at hand
Class 12 psychology students conducted an experiment on Perception and Memory with Life Skill and Foundation students
Tie and Dye with Class 12
Akshar takes pride in buddy projects where students help their peers to learn
Class 10 children teaching tie and dye to their NIOS friends
Cubs and Bulbul activities in full swing
Annual Prize Day (2023 - 24)
Today's achievements are the stepping stones for the future.
It was a proud moment of accolades and applauds as Akshar celebrated its Annual Prize Day on 2nd July,2024, for students of Kindergarten to Class 12.
Achievements of students were recognised from an array of fields like the Academics, Olympiad, Asset examinations and Co-curricular activities.
The Prize Distribution ceremony instilled a sense of motivation , encouraging all the students to strive for greater heights.
For the evening, the children put a mesmerizing show which struck an emotional chord with the exuberant audience.
It began with SURYA NAMASKAR, followed by an ODE TO THE ENVIRONMENT , humbly thanking the 5 elements and seeking their blessings.
The talented school choir presented by the MUSIC CLUB graced the stage with their melodious renditions and instrumental prowess. It captivated the audience.
An ensemble cast of children from Classes 2 to 12, staged a comedy, A ROOM TO RENT. It was a contemporary adaptation of the hilarious and witty play " Bharatey Chai" by Narayan Gangopadhyay.
The rip-roaring performance brought the audience to splits and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.
The finale for the evening was the song " LET THE CHILDREN HAVE A WORLD" presented by the MUSIC CLUB.This enchanting song left and indelible mark upon our hearts and minds with a strong message of inclusivity and hope.
The CHIEF GUEST of the evening was Mr Pradip Chopra, entrepreneur, educationist and philanthropist, Chairman of iLEAD and PS Group.
It was an evening to remember lifting our spirits with a joyous rainbow of iridescent hope.
The entrance lobby decoration
The Welcome Address
Welcoming the CHIEF GUEST , Mr PRADIP CHOPRA
The SURYANAMASKAR
An ODE TO THE ENVIRONMENT -- Maati Maat
An ODE TO THE ENVIRONMENT -- Thanking the 5 elements
Paani Paani-- performed with sign language
A poem highlighting the water crisis looming large in the future
THE JUNIOR PRIZE DISTRIBUTION CEREMONY
The Principal's Annual Report
A ROOM TO RENT
The SENIOR PRIZE DISTRIBUTION CEREMONY
The BOARD RESULTS ACHIEVERS
Divyam Agarwal of Class 10--- Winner Rajpal Khullar Memorial Trophy
Antarik Das ( Class 12) -- Winner Rajpal Khullar Memorial Trophy
The READATHON winners-- Classes 4 and 7
The Chief Guest's Address
" Let the children have a world"-- the finale performance
Distinguished guests and audience
May, 2024
RABINDRA JAYANTI
Rabindra Jayanti is an annually celebrated cultural festival, around the world in remembrance of Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary.
A tribute to the memory of our Kabiguru by the children of Akshar.
A bouquet of songs, poems and dance performances has been the highlight of the programme this year.
SCIENCE SPECTRA
The Telegraph online edugraph along with The Bhawanipur Education Society College had organized the Science Spectra on the 11th of May 2024 at the Bhawanipur College.
Over 61 schools from all over Kolkata had participated in the ultimate inter-school Science Contest.
Akshar had put up a sustainable way of living called LIV ECO.
Anandi Haldar from class 10 displayed how vertical wind turbine, propelled by hot air drafts from buildings could produce electricity that would light up common areas.
Erin Vergis from Class 10 demonstrated how grey water from kitchen sinks could be recycled to grow a hydroponic kitchen garden.
Rujval Shah of class 9 presented the powerpoint presentation of the need of sustainability with great enthusiasm.
To end it up, Shivanghi composed a beautiful song on sustainable living that was much appreciated.
The contest gave the young minds an opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas that can be implemented to meet the environment crisis of the modern world.
THANK YOU DIDIS & BHAIYYAS!
On Labour Day it was the turn of the students of Akshar to show the Didis and Bhaiyyas immense gratitude for keeping them safe and caring for them.
Goodie bags were happily distributed by the students of the Junior Section to thank them.
The senior students organized a lunch for the Didis and Bhaiyyas.
The simple gestures conveyed a lot of love to the dedicated staff at Akshar.
Our Toppers
Heartiest Congralations to you all!
April, 2024
Akshar's Achiever
We are delighted to announce that Abherii Ghosh ( class VIII) from Akshar School has bagged the second prize in the Declamation competition ( sub- junior) organised by ASISC-The Association of Schools for the Indian School Certificate )
Abherii Ghosh of Class VIII
Earth Day Celebration
April 22nd-- The annual event of World Earth Day. Theme for Earth Day 2024 was Planet vs Plastics. The theme aimed to bring attention to the serious issue of plastic pollution and how it harms nature.
Celebration of Earth Day by the Akshar children was both fun and meaningful. Hugging the trees in the courtyard to wish mother Earth a happy birthday, potting plants , touching and feeling the greenery around, making colourful badges and making a 'nimboo paani' drink as part of the celebration.
Several saplings were planted,a Peace Lily too.Paintings,poetry writing,poster making,paper bags and discussions on how to protect the planet went on with lot of gusto.
Everyone thoughtfully took a pledge to care for mother earth with lot of love and determination this day and every day.
Planting saplings
Wishing Mother Earth Happy Birthday
Caring Angels
Making badges, posters, paper bags and flip books
Enjoying a Nimboo Paani drink
2024: A SPACE ODYSSEY!
Space Odyssey Programme held at Akshar on 19.4.24.
It was a spectacular experience to travel through space and view the electromagnetic solar spectrum through special glasses. The session was interactive and children's enthusiasm was abundant. Conducted by Mr. Sam Gibbs, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts , Mathematics) leader and Educator from
Malaysia. He was the first person to conduct mobile planetarium operations in Astronomy in Malaysia. His mobile planetarium, 'Omnistar' goes to various public spaces.
He believes that what is learned in youth is carved in stone .
Amazing April Guests
1. Dr P. J Rangachari
Director of IMU, Rear Admiral (Retd) Dr. P J Rangachari addressed the students of Akshar and shared with them the anecdotes of a seafarer's life,thus motivating them to explore the maritime world, understand the glory and adventures associated with the Indian Navy and the importance of discipline, perseverance and endurance in life. The children were visibly excited to have a Kargil war veteran amongst them and absolutely thrilled to hear about his inspiring journey and the role played by the Indian Navy in the Kargil war.
2. Mrs Gita Balakrishnan
Gita Balakrishnan, an unconventional architect,the founder of Ethos,came to our school on the 18th of April,to talk to our students about her walk from Kolkata to Delhi. She went across the country,1700kms in 70 days,meeting hundreds of people,listening to their stories,laughing and empathising with them.She was on a mission to show how sustainable design is for everyone.
A mesmerised bunch of students and teachers,watched her presentation and heard her inspiring story with rapt attention .She also signed copies of her book.It was a delightful morning.
March, 2024
Session-end Fun!
n Akshar it has been merriment galore for the students of both Senior and Junior sections.
The session-ending days have been filled up with miscellaneous workshops, enjoyable field trips, culinary activities, toy making, art activities and much more.
What a delightful way to end one academic year and pave the path for a new one with oodles of joy and creativity in the offing!
Senior Section
Dr. Zohra Calcuttawala who lives in Cleveland, Ohio is a geographer by profession. She has worked with war migrants and refugees in the past.
Her talk with students of classes 8,9,10 has been on “The influence of geography in geopolitics: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.
Akshar witnessed an electrifying drum workshop led by seasoned drummer Kaizad Adi Rabbadi.. Students leaned the essential magic of rhythms and grooved along with Mr Rabbadi . The session unleashed their inner percussionists and ignited their passion for drumming as they all tried their hands on the drum and rocked the beat.
Electrifying Drum Workshop
Workshop with Don Gnu
kshar students had the privilege to learn the basics of physical drama from none other than Don Gnu and his team.. Through the teams expert guidance the students delved into the realm of expression, mastering intricate movements through fun and games. It was an exhilarating experience leaving them inspired and eager to continue their exploration of drama and dance
The excursion to Puri and Bhubaneswar was super exciting. Lots to see, lots to learn . They visited Konark, Pipli, Nandan Kanan, Udaygiri, Khandagiri among other places and had endless fun together.
Purvi- Bhubaneswar excursion
The senior section and NIOS students did table arrangements on the theme Holi . The courtyard burst into colours with the vibrant displays
Junior Section
All the activities in the Junior Section have been colourful, hands on and have been carried out with infectious burst of energy. They have taken part in Tie and dye and Batik workshops, toy making, blow art, Roti making , cooking pasta, story sessions --just to name a few.
Field trips to the zoo, Horticultural garden and BITM were enjoyed by one and all. The wide smiles on their faces told their happy stories
BITM trip
Day out at the Zoo
Hurrah for Horticulture!
Dyeing and Art Workshops
The children enjoyed Tie and Dye and Batik workshops with Mrs Priyanka Nilesh Mhaske, a gifted Akshar parent
Tribal art and Blow Art also opened their windows of imagination
Cooking is so creative!!
The children made rotis, cooked pasta, corn bhel, baked cakes hands on. And learned so much more.
Little ones making Rotis
Pasta Chefs
EPL Activities invigorating fine motor skills and hand eye coordination
Nature walk! Go green
Natural Dyeing with Palash!
Toy making
Story telling !
The children were engrossed in riveting story sessions conducted by Kathasur Rajesh Shinde, an Akshar parent and Hema Ma'am. Some of them made stick puppets of their favourite characters
Flower arrangements and learning about musical instruments
A wonderful trip to Santiniketan!
Printing Workshop
February, 2024
Celebrating 29th February!
You might call it ' Intercalary Day' , but to us at Akshar 29th February is an 'Extra Day' , full of extra possibilities and good vibes.
Children of classes 1 and 3 has celebrated the Leap Day today by adding dollops of extra thought and fun. A presentation of what we can add extra in life and a ' Leap frog Race' with cute headbands have made this year's Leap Day a day to remember with extra fondness and hope..
Class 1 celebrates EXTRA DAY!!
Class 3 enjoying the super fun Leap Frog Race!!
Saraswati Puja
Saraswati Puja, the festival to celebrate the goddess of learning and music, was celebrated with much enthusiasm and vigour by the students and staff of Akshar Everybody came together on this auspicious day of Vasant Panchami, which also marks the advent of Spring Season. The colour yellow (basanti), signifying the season of spring, was prevalent in the traditional attires worn by students and staff
After the offering of puspanjali to the Godess the students of Akshar put up a delightful cultural programme .
Akshar vibrated with positive energy as the sound of Saraswati vandana echoed through the halls and corridors of the school seeking the blessing of the Goddess.
Saraswati Vandana
Kindergarten students singing a Prayer!
" Hey Saraswati Maa Tujhe Naman.. " Song sung by Classes 1 & 2
A poem by Class 3
" Veda Kalamayi Saraswati".. A shloka chanted by Class 4
" Hey Hamsavahini.. " Performance by the children of Junior School
"Saraswati Vandana.. Dance recital by Class 5
" The teachers celebrating Vasant Panchami
January, 2024
Inter School Inclusive Cricket Tournament
Akshar hosted an Inter School Inclusive Cricket Tournament on 29th and 30th January. The match was held at Rabindra Sarovar. It was a new experience for all at Akshar. The participant schools included Akshar, Future Foundation, Indus Valley World School, Heritage, Nobel Mission School , Manovikas Kendra and Mentaid.
On the first day, players from different schools had to team up together. The teams were inclusive in composition
Akshar provided the players with food parcels for refreshment.
On the second day Akshar, Heritage, Indus Valley and Future Foundation participated. The matches were very intense and competitive. Everyone enjoyed watching the matches while cheering for their own schools. Even passersby watched with interest. Heritage won on both the days.
This event displayed the sportsmanship of all the players and their passion for cricket.
Day 1 highlights.
Day 2 highlights.
Team Akshar.
The Finalists.
Winning Team - Heritage school.
Runners up - Future Foundation
Akshar's Inclusive Team with their certificates.. Proud of you.!
Meeting Mrs Sudha Murty
On the 24th of January, Telegraph - Edugraph held their under 18 award finale. Through a creative writing competition Toshna Unni, a class 11 student of Akshar, won the chance to meet eminent author Mrs. Sudha Murty and ask her a few questions. The topic of the essay was - If I were Sudha Murty.....
Sudha Murty being one of her favourite authors since she was young made the entire event one of the most joyous moments of young Toshna's life.
Though she was nervous initially, however all of that changed as soon as Toshna met Mrs. Sudha Murty. She was one of the most warm and down - to - earth person Toshna had ever met. One advice she had given that day was that life should be as balanced as a thali. In a thali there would be a variety of food , needed for a balanced diet. Thus she said that life should be as balanced as a thali.
This was truly an unforgettable advice. Mrs Sudha Murty explained to her young audience that the most important thing was to have a balanced life and diet in a very easy and comical manner.
It was indeed an enriching experience for our Toshna Unni.
Toshna Unni of Akshar standing on the left of Mrs Sudha Murty.
A Visit to the Police Museum
A visit to the Lal Bazar Police Headquarters and the Kolkata Police Museum was really an eye opener for the children of Akshar. They came to know about the tremendous work that the city police forces are doing everyday. The Police Museum houses many artifacts and weapons of the pre independence freedom movement. The display enthralled our young visitors. It was a memorable visit.
Glimpses from the memorable visit
December 2023
Celebrating Christmas
Glittery bells jingled, tiny Rudolphs sang, Santa handed out loving presents, the colourful Christmas lights twinkled, friends mingled together and cheered each other up, the aroma of fresh baked cakes wafted, smiling faces dazzled--- and Akshar celebrated Christmas with the true yuletide spirit at heart!
From the Christmas Assembly depicting scenes from Nativity and beautifully acting out the story of the origin of Christmas trees to baking cakes, rustling up chocolates and choco balls; from enjoying picnic in the sunny courtyard to sharing secret Santa gifts with friends-- we had it all.
The season of joy and cheer truly filled our hearts with a heady fervour and happiness..
THE MORNING ASSEMBLY
COOKING GOODIES AND ENJOYING A PICNIC IN THE COURTYARD
SANTA WAS THERE AND THE RUDOLPHS WERE THERE TOO
SECRET SANTA CELEBRATION BY CLASS 9 STUDENTS ALONG WITH THEIR NIOS FRIENDS
Fun Workshop for our staff
The students of Class 11 celebrated the season of joy by having a fun workshop with the staff. The creative talents of our staff was brought to light. It was also an opportunity to express our love and gratitude for their tireless commitment and dedication.
Koushik bhaiyya recited a poem in Bengali
Bandana didi recited a self-composed poem in Hindi!
World Disability Day Celebration
The World Disability Day event, organized by the parents of classes IX and X, was a very enjoyable and heartwarming event.
There was a canteen outside serving delicious homemade food that turned out to be a big hit.
There were crafting corners where the differently-abled kids could make quick and easy crafts or do some colouring.
There was also an area where the kids could put on some mehendi and nail polish.
Once the canteen was over, there was a storytelling session by a parent about “MOVING MUSHROOMS” which was very entertaining. It was a horror-themed story with humour incorporated into it to make it fun for the children. The children had their eyes glued to the storyteller till the end. They enjoyed the story a lot.
After the storytelling there was a RAMPWALK event. The parents who organized the event paired up with a few additional needs children and did short and fun dances on the stage. It was the most heartwarming part of the entire event. All the students and teachers who were in the hall began singing along with them.
By the time the event wrapped up, the children were all smiles.
It was a very well planned and well organized event.
Kudos to all!
THE CANTEEN
ENJOYABLE ACTIVITIES
THE RAMPWALK!
November 2023
Halloween Assembly
ACTIVITY ALBUM
The months of October and November were dotted with various activities and outings. They were all enjoyable, engaging, creative and learning experiences loved by the children.
Glimpses of the happy moments and memories..
VISITING A FOLK & CULTURAL HERITAGE FAIR:
CLASSES 7,8,9
DELICIOUS SALAD SPREAD: CHILDREN OF NIOS
VISIT TO THE INDIAN MUSEUM
VISIT TO THE JAIL MUSEUM
VISIT TO THE INHERITAGE EXHIBITION
VISITING THE SPACE EXHIBITION AT IICP
PERFORMING COMMENDABLY AT THE KALAKRITI FEST !
BRAIN ACTIVITY: CLASS 7
Halloween Assembly
Trick or Treat !
The Western Music Club and Junior NIOS students left the audience awe struck in the Morning Assembly.
They shared several anecdotes and trivia associated with the tradition of Halloween.
The students danced with songs based on the theme of Halloweeen. They wore Halloween costumes which,indeed, created a spooky and eerie atmosphere.
Through their act, the children beautifully conveyed the message of overcoming the fear which could just as well be based on a figment of our imagination.
Celebration without Food is unimaginable in Akshar.
The children of Class 12 rustled up some delicious snacks and desserts for the occasion. Each delectable dish had a spooky name which definitely added to the sense of eeriness and awakened the taste buds of the spirits around!
WALL ART
On 6th November, Akshar children had a unique and fun filled experience with two gifted artists from Argentina -- FLORENCE AISE and JULIA ROMANO.
Florence is one of the youngest and most influential plastic artists of Latin America and is known for her striking hyper-realistic portraits, collages of the world and her famous still life's
Julia is a professor and licentiate in plastic arts from the Cordoba National University. She is interested in the possibility of creating one's own landscape through personal stories.
These immensely talented artists worked alongside the children and turned the walls of the school courtyard into a vibrant blue and white hued dreamscape glorious with local flora and fauna.
The children vivaciously participated as the masters taught them how to perfect the brush strokes. It was a great interactive way to celebrate art and appreciate aesthetics.
The blue smudges on the children's fingers told stories of unbridled joy. They sat in the sun-kissed courtyard and watched with wondrous curiosity as the plain walls burst into life with creativity and passion..
October 2023
INFINITELY INDIGO
What a year it has been! From sowing Indigo saplings,learning how to harvest the dye and using it, to workshops on informed choices and walking the ramp in blue...There was a play on the Indigo Revolution and the revival of its farming in Bengal. In our inimitable way, we learnt about Indigo through connections to every subject-from Mathematics to Dance.A year of traversing the world researching the blue dye has culminated in this fabulous exhibition.
The guests of honour inaugurating the exhibition
Music
Shyam Geet Malika
The colour blue conveys the idea of vastness as of the infinite sky or the bottomless oceans. When either Krishna or Kali ar conceived of being vast , they are portrayed as blue. The word Shyam means dark blue or blue complexion. The song offerings had Baul, folk songs describing Kanhaiyya and his cows dancing to the enchanting melodies of his bansuri, fusion of two ashtapadis by 11th century poet saint Jaydev. Shyam Geet Malika was a garland of fresh fragrant song offerings
Science
The Science department displayed the dyeing process with the help of 1-2-Vat dye. The audience took turns dyeing pieces of cloth in beautiful shades of Indigo with the different designs on it. There was also a model of the electromagnetic spectrum depicting the position of Indigo wavelength.
Psychology
Indigo plays a special part in psychology in the form of different emotions associated with blue, to how the color blue can impact the body. However, what's more intriguing is the concept of Indigo children. It is a new age concept of unique children with indigo auras. These children are believed to possess special, unusual, and sometimes supernatural traits or abilities. We also explained how certain indigo children can also have traits similar to children with ADHD and gifted children. Akshar being an inclusive school we also informed everyone the October is ADHD awareness month !
Geography and Mathematics
A model of Jodhpur the blue City was in display with students explaining how the city got its moniker. There was an applique map of the world made from pieces of Indigo cloths of different shades and designs telling the story of how indigo originated in Peru and spread throughout the world. There was a graph of Indigo trades ups and downs over the centuries.
Economics
The economics section showed the economic Marvel's of Indigo in the yester years. Indigo as a currency was used in the slave trade by the imperial powers. One brick of India was equal to a slave from Africa or India or other subtropical countries. Models of Indigo bricks and imperialist traders were shown in the exhibition
History and English
The history and english room presented the colonial History of indigo and the subsequent indigo revolt of 1857 through a brief tableau. The tableu showed the oppression of thr British planters, the Rising of the peasants, the role of the intelligentsia and the indigo commission of 1860 which found the planters guilty and stopped forced cultivation of Indigo in Bengal.. The room also presented the Mystic aura of the Indigo and how Indigo is connected to us spiritually.
Reading Room
Keeping in mind the indigo theme we decorated the interior of our snug reading room in different shades and tones of indigo .
Our story tellers from grade 6 and grade 10 narrated folklores which mentioned the use of indigo by the natives whether in India Or South Africa .Our chief guest, Mrs Amrita Mukherjee immediately produced an indigo dyed fabric she had collected on one of her visits to South Africa
Art
The gallery was splashed with various bright blue scrolls depicting different forms and figures of animals painted in blue resulting in a happy vibe filling up the ambience . An interpretation of Van Gogh's Starry Nights also lighted up the gallery along with a runner of indigo appliques mounted on the wall. Students sat and jammed with their guitars with that wall as a back drop.
There was an installation of a mystic, magical, abstract form in blue. She was a goddess of no particular religion , decked up with our imagination and love.
Art Teacher, Samir Roy said" Dark blue absorbs negative energy and spreads positive energy. The installation was based on this concept "
Blue also represents Openness and endlessness. There were videos shown made by the children telling the story of the deep depths of flowing water and reflections of the sky on water.
Visitors feedback
"The exhibition was just awesome!! I wish I could study here once again to be part of these events
I loved the psychology part best ... So well researched and learnt a few new things too!! "
Sumona Mukherjee, a Parent
"This was a truly well thought out exhibition. Kudos to teachers and students especially the latter for assimilating the information clearly."
Mita Chakravarty, an educationist
The Indefatigable Team Akshar
CPR Workshop
* How to tell if a person has had a cardiac arrest or a mere heat stroke?
* What action should be taken if a person faints in front of us?
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is one of the most important first aids provided to a person in case of a cardiac arrest. It is a simple act which could save someone's life.
On the special occasion of WORLD RESTART DAY on 16th October,2023, a CPR workshop was held at Akshar.
This workshop was organized by " Project Jeevandaan" in collaboration with Indian Resuscitation Council Federation and Rotary Club Belur and brought about by "Breathe", an initiative of Ethos Foundation. A number of students from classes 10,11 & 12 participated in the workshop along with the teachers.
The objective of the workshop was to equip the teachers and students with basic training so that they can provide immediate assistance in case of a cardiac arrest or other life-threatening situations, potentially saving lives before the arrival of professional help.
The workshop was attended by esteemed doctors like
* Dr Sarbari Swaika , Head of Emergency Medicine and In- Charge Trauma Center, IPGMER, Kolkata
*Dr Akshay Gadre, Consultant Anaesthetist , Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Kolkata
* Dr Kishen, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, IPGMER, Kolkata
* Dr Simantika Ghosh, Anaesthetist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London
The doctors skillfully explained the importance of chest compressions and the important Do's and Dont's while giving CPR to an individual.
The lectures gave a valuable insight into the importance of CPR.
The lectures were followed by hands on practice sesy. All the students were divided in groups of seven accompanied by teachers. All were given hands on practice.
" CPR is a technique that moves blood to the person's brain to help prevent death or brain damage", remarked one of the doctors present.
This workshop empowered students by teaching them how to respond to medical emergencies thus making them more responsible citizens who could provide life saving assistance. This could help to make our communities safer and more prepared for emergencies.
Glimpses of the Workshop
September 2023
TRIP TO TAJPUR
Students from Akshar recently undertook a three-day International Award For Young People (IAYP) expedition to Tajpur. Tajpur, situated between Mandarmani and Shankarpur, offers serene beaches and green landscapes. The trip, a prerequisite for the IAYP Bronze Medal, aimed at personal growth.
Upon arrival at Tajpur Retreat, students enjoyed beach activities, learned whistle tunes and knots, and rested. The second day began with morning exercise, followed by a 10 km trek to Sankarpur Beach. They collected shells, learned trekking symbols, and had a fun evening with stories and dance. The last day featured tent pitching and survival tips. The trip fostered self-awareness and lasting friendships, leaving students with cherished memories.
August 2023
INDEPENDENCE DAY
15th Aug,2023 was the 76th Indepence Day of India, our magnificent motherland.
On this day, Akshar celebrated, by paying heartfelt tributes to the unsung heroes of India. They were the courageous souls, the bravehearts who fought for and strived to keep the flag of freedom flying high.
Through songs, poems, dances and speeches about the Paramveer Chakra winners, the students of Akshar wove a beautiful narrative. They put their heart and souls into it. The spirit of Independence was truly reflected in their wonderful performances. Everyone pledged to keep the light of patriotism shining in their hearts . Jai Hind!
July 2023
ANNUAL PRIZE DAY
Akshar turned the 4th of July into both a celebration of prize day and a commemoration for
Akshar’s 25th birthday. Celebrating prize day both junior and senior, Akshar’s theme for this
year was Indigo. Though many may not know, there was a huge stigma about growing Indigo
right from when the British occupied India. Due to Indigo being a cash crop that benefited the
British, the farmers grew less and less food crops and eventually the famine occurred. After
leaving India, there was a rumour going about in India that said that planting Indigo would make
the lands infertile - the reality is that Indigo is a leguminous plant which means it fixes the soil's
nitrogen levels making it more fertile. Akshar felt it imperative for the students to make
informed choices - to question where their food and clothes came from and Indigo is a plant
that is very important in the history of Bengal. It really connects together all subjects, whether it
be science, arts, environmental study, history or geography and thus, it connects the students
and is a great teaching subject. Akshar has had several activities pertaining to Indigo this year
where students from various classes participated in. Mr. Bappaditya Biswas, the co-owner of
Byloom and Mr. Sanjay Pramanik, a farmer, has visited our school in the past to help raise the
children’s awareness regarding Indigo. Mr. Biswas who has worked closely with the farmers
alongside Mr. Pramanik have started to grow indigo on their lands and have dyed clothes with it.
The students have worked around Indigo all year round and have come to learn about the plant
and the dyeing process.
Akshar’s Junior Prize Day started off with the opening speech as well as our choir singing
Swagatam Shubha Swagatam and Mangalam. On the tabla and the keyboard we had two alumni
who offered their skills to tie the performance together. Each singer wore traces of blue in their
outfit and sang beautifully. The Junior students of Akshar all received prizes for their academic
achievements and other various accomplishments. Student Nishtha Thakkar in the ICSE section
got an award for her courage,determination and unwavering spirit. Ahmed Monem and
Yatharth Seth in the secondary section for working with single minded determination and their
exemplary behaviour co - won the Rajpal Khullar Memorial Trust award.
The junior skit,‘Our Nature Club’ was set in the classroom with the teacher and students singing
songs, reciting poems and even rapping lyrics on nature. The play was short and sweet and
really helped the viewer understand the importance of nature and how precious it truly is.
The senior play was about the Indigo revolution that took place in 1859 in Bengal. It was placed
in a small village in Nodia where the idea of the planting of indigo was suggested. It follows the
lives of Sanjoy, an individual of the younger generation of farmers who, with the help of ‘Biswas
Da’ convinces the people of the village to grow Indigo. It turns out to be a success for the village
and the play concludes with a fashion show where the students wore clothes designed by Mr.
Biswas and walked the ramp. It tackled heavy topics like overcoming the stigma around growing
indigo, the mistreatment the farmers underwent under the British and the revolt. The choir
sang ‘Song Sung Blue’ as the music for the fashion show and it was a success. Both plays
revolved around nature in their own way - with the senior play being more heavily focused on
the theme for the year.
The evening ended with the school song and all the guests receiving their own little bundle of
seeds to plant at home.
Akshar choir starting the evening with 'Swagatam Shubha Swagatam”'
The Indigo Fashion Show...
Akshar Students' Fashion Show modelling clothes designed by Mr. Bappaditya Biswas while the choir
sings 'Song Sung Blue'
Senior Prize Day chief guest Ms Bratati Bhattacharya handing a prize to Navya Reshamwala
The Indigo revolt scene from the senior's play " The Indigo Dawn"
The Juniors of Akshar presenting a skit called ‘Our Nature Club’
Mrs Khullar's address.
The Prize Distribution Ceremony.
Mrs Khullar & Ms Neena Singh with esteemed guest.
May 2023
The Leadership Workshop.
Emerging leaders of the new Student Council 2023 at Akshar, attended a workshop on 10th May 2023. There were games and activities, discussions, and reflections, through which the students tried to pinpoint leadership qualities, skills, and styles amongst themselves.
Students were also shown slides of well-known leaders from politics, industry, sports etc. Students pointed out leadership qualities of these well-known role models. It was heartening to find them familiar with the career graphs of young environmentalists like Greta Thunberg, Ridhima Pandey and Licy Priya, and other youth icons like Malala Yousafzai, Mark Rober and Ritesh Agarwal.
One video called “What is a leader,” in which small children tried to define a leader in their own innocent and innovative ways was an eyeopener. Another video from TOI Lead India named “Tree” was viewed with awe and delight, as it showed a young boy emerging as a leader during a challenging situation on the road.
As students filled up a worksheet labelled “I admire…” and introspected with the help of a Leadership Checklist, many leadership qualities emerged. Examples: honesty, integrity, confidence, empathy, humility, resilience, calmness, creativity, positivity, and patience. It ended with an inspiring definition of a leader: “One who influences, inspires and initiates Change”.
Ms Noni Khullar, principal of Akshar and senior school teachers were also present, either as observers or facilitators.
Feedback from the students.
Our Toppers.
RABINDRA JAYANTI CELEBRATION
The luminous Bard of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore resides in our hearts. At Akshar, Ponchishey Baishakh, his birth anniversary was celebrated with fervour and joy in the school auditorium. Students of the Middle and Junior school presented the programme. Rabindranath Tagore's poems, songs and dances were performed and the enthusiastic audience enjoyed it. Akshar 's tribute to Tagore on his 162nd birthday was an offering of spontaneity, vibrance and reverence .
FEBRUARY 2023
HOUSE COLOUR DAY!.
Three colours- Yellow, Green and Peach.
Yellow for radiant energy
Green for progress and prosperity
Peach for joy and creativity
The three House Colours of Akshar.
They symbolized all that Akshar wanted to imbibe. The yellow of the rising sun's energy, the green of the verdant nature, the peach of the soil of our bountiful mother earth.
On 20th February, 2023, Akshar's Junior school celebrated the House Colour Day!
Children of classes LKG- Class 5, dressed neatly in their uniform, performed many activities to celebrate the Day.
The children of classes 3&4 decorated their class boards with beautiful artworks themed on thought provoking messages pertaining to their respective houses.
Green had " Go green, eat green" as its theme.
Peach had the story of the Peach tree of immortality.
Yellow made us aware about Nurturing nature and saving the environment. All the displays were amazingly creative.
Children of LKG, UKG, Classes 1,2,5 and Primary Group made crafts, did flower arrangements, composed and recited poems and sang songs for their respective Houses. There was lot of heart in every performance.
All the classes themed their food on their House colours. The range was exotic and exciting.
Yellow House had dishes like corn salad, yellow rice, gold fingers, popcorn.
Green House dazzled everyone with a spread of harabhara kebabs, cucumber sandwiches, green salad, dhania chutney, grapes.
Peach House laid their table with delicious tossed salad garnished with orange slices, carrot dolphins, parathas, halwa and imartis.
It was a wonderful celebration. The day spent with pride, joy and unbridled enthusiasm. The array of yellow, green and peach around the school was a true reflection of the Akshar spirit which filled the young hearts with immense pride and pledge.
JANUARY 2023
SARASWATI PUJA AT AKSHAR.
Up on the terrace, under the blue canopy of the sky and warmed by the sunshine, the Akshar students gathered to celebrate Saraswati Puja.
Students from classes LKG to 12, teachers and school staff all offered prayers to the goddess seeking deliverance from ignorance. A simple puja followed by flower offering and distribution of prasad among all was carried out.
The cultural programme began with a classical dance by students of classes 6,7&8 which was a salutation to the goddess of learning. A mellifluous flute recital resonated in the air. A stirring recital of a Hindi poem which was an introspection on the king of seasons moved everyone. The songs performed in Hindi and Bengali were tributes to the beauty of the nature and the creator.The Ahomiya folk song celebrated the advent of spring. Percussion instruments, tabla, dholak and guitar were played by the students themselves.The programme ended with a sense of euphoria as an inclusive dance performance hailed and welcomed the splendour of spring.
The day was resplendent with bright hues of hope and happiness.
Invoking the blessing of the goddess
Junior Sports Meet on 19th January 2023.
Akshar' Junior Sports Day on the terrace turf was a day of exhilarating burst of energy, excitement and enthusiasm.
There were enthralling displays like Natyabics performed by nimble-toed students of classes 6,7,8, which was a fusion of classical dance steps and aerobics movements. The supple grace of the Hoola Hoop dancers in their sunshine yellow costumes and the literally head-turning intricate yoga postures in the Yog-a-gaman presentation were well loved. The Karate Kids were determination personified.
Students of classes LKG to 5, dashed, darted, balanced, dribbled, hopped, jumped, crawled and climbed to compete in various Relay Races representing their respective Houses. The deafening cheers of support motivated them all.
The Buddy Races highlighted Akshar's ethos of inclusivity. Mainstream and additional needs students teamed up together and were unstoppable in their gritty resolve.
Mrs Sanya Mehta Vyas and Mr Ratan Postwala graced the occasion as the Chief guests.
The inspiring words from the guests of honour, the smiles on the sweaty shiny faces on the victory stand and the hearty applause of the audience made the day a memorable one.
The Relay Races of various classes which focussed on the skills of eye-hand coordination, body balance, flexibility and motor skills
The Karate Kids
The Prize Distribution Ceremony graced by the honourable Chief guests
The parents and teachers celebrating spontaneously
DECEMBER 2022
Celebrating World Disability Day.
The students of Class10 and NIOS teamed up to celebrate The World Disability Day at Akshar.
The celebration was all about the spirit of inclusivity. There were many fun activities ranging from art, dancing to cricket. The atmosphere was filled with joy with everyone showing off their dance moves. As the music resonated, the school transformed into a big party spot.
The joyous hours spent together convinced all how everyone can be included and not be left behind.
NOVEMBER 2022
Akshar's Exhibition Mind Matters
Mind matters. Indeed it does. Akshar's science exhibition (held on 17th & 18th November,2022 )on the Brain has been an astounding event.
The journey taken to unravel the mysteries of the brain by learning, discovering and exploring through a plethora of activities ranging from " Race to Survival" to " Neurobics" has been scintillating and stimulating. All of these explained and expressed through various creative models, charts, meditation , dance, play, quiz, games, mesmerized every visitor. Teachers and students of classes LKG to 12 have participated and contributed in this mind-boggling presentation.
Eminent neurosurgeon Dr Sandip Chatterjee and renowned endocrinologist Dr Sudip Chatterjee inaugurated the exhibtion.
A number of schools visited the exhibition including Heritage school, Indus Valley school, Oral School, Ektara and a school for underprivileged children in Sealdah.
The engrossed visitors
Games and activities presented by various classes
Visitors' Feedback
OCTOBER 2022
Mind Matters! Workshop
Akshar's Exhibition coming up...active grey cells and abundant excitement.
SEPTEMBER 2022
A Pop-up Exhibition
On 27th September in the school courtyard there was a dazzling display of creative models made by the children of Classes 3 & 4.
Class 3 made cute and creative models based on the MODES OF TRANSPORT, while Class 4 created magical miniature models of FAMOUS HERITAGE BUILDINGS of India.
The Red Fort, Bahai Temple, Jantar Mantar, Qutb Minar were among the many models which thrilled the students and teachers who visited the exhibition.
The little ones of Class 3 made well designed models of the air/ land/ water transport systems like metro rail, speed boat, trams to name a few.
The surprise exhibition was well loved by one and all.
Caring Hearts
Students of class 10 visited the All Bengal Women's Union to visit the elders there. The elders were very welcoming, and the conversations were insightful. Tea, coffee, biscuits, cake, cups and bed sheets were handed out to them. The students learned about how the elders lived in the home and how they all felt like family.
It was a fulfilling experience, and the students were glad that they could visit the place and loved every second of it. There were many wonderful and inspiring women. They all were friendly and appreciative and so were the students. The Class X students would love to visit them as often as possible.
CARING CANTEEN
As part of our social service project this year we are going to work with the children of the ABWA school.We wish to set up a basket ball pole there,get board games for the children of the Balwadi and art material for their senior school students.
In order to raise funds, Junior, Middle and Senior classes are organizing canteens for the whole school. The canteens are a huge hit and the food served are tasty and wholesome. Popcorn, Papdi chaat, sweet corn chaat, phuchka, pasta are some of the sold-out items of the canteens. The students are enjoying distributing the food and collecting the proceeds which are being saved for the charity fund. It has been a hugely successful venture for a noble cause.
AUGUST 2022
Accolades for Akshar
In the recently held Telegraph School Awards, Akshar was honoured with a Certificate of Appreciation in the field of Social Service for the Anand Paul Memorial Award.
Ridhima Radhakrishnan of class 12 received an Honour Certificate for All- Round Excellence.
We are proud of the achievements!
ANNUAL PRIZE DAY
JULY 2022
INDIGO PLANTING EVENT
On the 13th of July, Akshar had the honour of hosting an Indigo Planting Event with Mr. Bappaditya Biswas and Mr. Sanjay Pramanik.This will be a year long programme with the aim of raising the awareness of the children so that they make conscious and informed choices. Mr Sanjay Pramanik, a farmer, was one of the first to gather the courage to plant Indigo in India after 160 years. Mr. Biswas, the co - owner of ‘Byloom’, a clothing shop that sells natural handmade and naturally dyed clothes, involved Mr. Pramanik in his endeavours to build a greener textile economy.The students of class 12 planted the Indigo saplings in little pots to be nurtured and carefully taken care of until the colours could be procured. Akshar looks forward to what the future brings with these Indigo plants.
JUNE 2022
Akshar turns 24 !!!
On 18th June 2022 Akshar completed 24 years of its journey and has stepped into its 25th year. Love, happiness, good wishes and smiles poured in from the student members of the Akshar family.
Mud Day
On 29th June Mud Day was celebrated as a day for children to connect with mother earth and to feel her warmth with all their senses. Akshar children walked barefeet on a mud path and did a sensory walk stepping on sand, pebbles, clay. Little hands moulded imaginative models of clay. Face painting with multani mitti was also an enjoyable experience. The children were overjoyed to touch and feel mud and clay all day long.
MAY 2022
Rowing Championship
This year Akshar made its debut in the domain of rowing. We
participated in the 19th BRC Students Rowing Championship 2022 recognised by
the Rowing Federation Of India, held at the Bengal Rowing Club .
The event was flagged off on the 15th of May, 2022 and the finals were rowed for the M P Birla Trophy on the 22nd of May, 2022.
20 schools from all over Kolkata participated in the competition in
the Junior and Senior Categories for boys and girls.
The Akshar Junior boys team was represented by
Siddharth Zalba (X) , Rishit Shah (X), Aranya Shinde (VIII) and
Abhishek Pemmaraju(VIII).
The Akshar Junior girls team was represented by
Asmita Dash (VIII), Anandi Haldar (VIII), Shivangi Buzzarbaruah
(VIII) and Anushree Das (X)
The captain of our team, Ridhima Radhakrishnan of class XII won
a Gold medal in the double scull State Rowing Championship in
the Senior Category and a Bronze medal in 500m Indoor Rowing.
Siddharth Zalba of class X won a Bronze medal in Indoor Rowing
in the Junior Category .
The boys team made it to the quarter finals and put in a great
effort but couldn't qualify for the finals.
The enthusiasm and spirit with which our students participated in
the sport for the first time this year only goes to prove that we will
be back next year with a stronger and a winning team.
MAY 2022
History for Peace Workshop held on 4th,5th, 10th, 11th of May
History for Peace conducted a 4-day workshop series with the students of Classes 9 and 10. The topic was 'Thinking with Films: The Bollywood Historical Film Edition'. The sessions were conducted both offline and online. During the workshop the students re-thought, re-viewed and subjected Bollywood to a critical lens, while enjoying the ‘grand Bollywood experience’.
The students had to watch 3 films – Padmavat, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Shaheed. Following this, group activities were conducted where students were encouraged to express their critical observations about the films, especially regarding the characters, the cultural milieu of the films and the role of the songs in the films. Finally, they had to compare what they had learnt from both the films with what they had gathered from textbooks and popular narratives.
The session was concluded with an individual assignment for each student where they had to select a Bollywood historical film of their choice and critically analyse it. The workshop was designed to stimulate the students’ critical thinking, research and imaginative skills. The students participated with great enthusiasm.
APRIL 2022
Earth Day 2022
We only have one earth" and it is upto the future generation to care for it with both hands. 22nd April, Earth Day was thus celebrated with immense enthusiasm and sensitivity at Akshar. Saplings were planted by little hands after sieving the soil and watering them with lot of love and care. The trees around the premises were hugged as gratitude was expressed. Birdfeeders were created from reusable material and colourful posters with messages were put up. Recital of poems by children and awareness talks by the teachers were also part of the celebration.
FEBRUARY 2022
Musical Assembly
As people living in Kolkata, we have all heard Rabindra Sangeet somewhere or the other without a doubt. It is one of the prides of this state - the sweet melodies and feelings never fail to touch our hearts. Following the theme of this term ‘West Bengal’, the music club coordinated an assembly called 'Sangeetanjali' , an offering of the Bengali melodies of various genres. The Saima Music Club of Akshar proudly presented renditions of Bengali songs from a rich variety of melodies from different genres. The Saima Music Club of Akshar wished to rekindle the spirit of musical appreciation in everyone and so wished to display the students of Akshar’s voices through this assembly. The club could not previously show their talent due to the pandemic and school shutting down, and grasped this opportunity to finally reveal themselves and their hidden talents during the assembly !
JANUARY 2022
AKSHAR WINS THE GOLD in MATHS CHALLENGERS at INFINITY 2022
Akshar had the opportunity to participate in the Infinity Mathematics Competition 2022, held by the Aditya Birla World Academy. Infinity is the ultimate Mathematics Championship organised annually by Aditya Birla World Academy, in association with the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. With every passing year, the popularity of this enigmatic competition has been growing among students. Since its inaugural edition in 2014, Infinity has attracted top-notch brains from India and overseas. The competition is designed and open for students studying in Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12. High school students from schools across India have participated year after year in this exciting and enriching experience since 2014! The participation included schools from all over India - some of them were Welham Girls School and La Martinirere for Boys, including the host - Aditya Birla World Academy.
AVSAR 2022- ‘The Unstretched Realm -A Canvas Of Words’
Akshar started this year with a big bang by holding the eighth edition of their annual school fest - Avsar 2022. The main theme being 'The Unstretched Realm -A Canvas Of Words'. Multiple events were held like Creative Writing, Storytelling, Just a Minute, Music,Art Installation . Due to the global pandemic, all the events were held online with little video boxes for participants. The coming together of the schools and their words created quite an out of the box result. The Delhi Public School and South City International School team bagged first place with Akshar and Heritage coming second. All the judges appreciated the participants' initiative and creativity throughout the fest. True to its name, the 'Avsar' fest gave an opportunity for participants from multiple schools to showcase their creativity, imagination and thoughts.
AKSHAR proudly hosted an Inter School Fitness Meet whose finale was streamed on 14th December evening via Zoom. The youngsters of the 7 participating schools displayed various physical skills in their video entries of the 6 different events. The judges who graced the prize distribution ceremony, Mr Ratan Postwalla & Mr Ranadeep Moitra, stressed on the importance of developing a child with a fit mind & body right from the early school days. "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton" he quoted and quipped.
The host school AKSHAR excelled in quite a few categories bagging the top position including the group drill, skipping, hula hoop skills.
The INTER SCHOOL FITNESS MEET hosted by Akshar can claim the fame of being one of the first sports related online events in our city.
The Green Day at Akshar school was celebrated with a humble assemblage of students and teachers standing to pay honour to Mr. Nabarun De. With the spirit of ‘Earth Day Everyday’, the students conducted a short programme. They spoke about how we can practise and maintain afforestation and reforestation in our city, Kolkata. They discussed the Padma Shri winner Tulsi Gowda also known as “Encyclopaedia of the Forest”. A round of quiz on environment was conducted. The students who answered correctly were given beautiful houseplants in little pots. The programme was concluded with a song originally composed by a student called `The way you’re living’ which called upon the youth of today to take a stand and alter the ways of living and give the earth a chance to heal herself. At last a diya was lit while the students planted a tree. All students were given one plant to take home, just like how nature gives to all, of all kinds.
The highlight of this year's Gandhi Jayanti celebration in Akshar was an ensemble presentation prepared by the OBE children. Some students of classes II, IV and V also paid their respect.
Online classes have their charming moments and out of the box occasions to celebrate too. Students of Class 1 of AKSHAR recently celebrated 100days of online school in the ongoing session. The theme was- We Are 100Days Smarter!
They made 100 DAYS hats with numbers, all of them joined together to make 100 sentences out of their chosen 100 words in English and also learnt a poem on number 100, in Bengali too they chose their own 100 words and presented them pictorially.
Their enthusiastic activities were compiled in a video and shared with all. We have definitely a lot to look forward to from our smart century makers.
Akshar celebrated Grandparents Day with a lot of joy and excitement. The students of Classes Lkg- V shared the screen with their grannies and grandpas and created fun filled memories to cherish in the years to come by participating in a variety of creative events- Art and Craft, Antakshari and Story Telling. The programme was dedicated to the grandparents and the fundamental role they play in shaping and nurturing the lives of the little ones. Grandparents are, our first best friends, the best story tellers, the strongest pillars in the family and keepers and carriers of our rich culture and traditions. There was a special event called As You Like It. This was for the grandchildren who were far away from their grandparents, in different cities. Videos sent in by our incredibly talented grandparents were shown, while their grandchildren were delighted to see them on screen.
Art and Craft was a live event where the children and their grannies/grandpas had to make something innovative together. .They made fabulous artworks with recycled materials. This was followed by Antakshari. Antakshari included- Geet Gata Chal, 3 rounds of golden oldies and the visual round. The excitement of the teams and all the participants was palpaple. The last event was story telling where stories of all genres- mythology, folk, fables, personal reminisces etc. were all told lovingly.
Getting to know each other in these online classes is very important , the children of Class 5 did a very interesting activity to fulfil this need. Each child painted a beautiful Tee shirt in the following format .The children took a few weeks to do it and the results were amazing. Every other day the children proudly wear this tee for their online classes instead of their school uniform.
Akshar celebrated Independence Day with fervour and gaeity. The celebration lasted the entire week and on 15th August a video studded with enthusiastic performances of students of middle and senior school was shared online. The most thought provoking moment was when respected educationist Smt Ila Roychoudhuri shared her glorious memories of the first Independence Day.
Throughout the week the students participated in various activities evoking patriotism and expressed their indebtedness to the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives to usher our country's freedom. They dressed up as freedom fighters, gave rousing speeches, sang heartwarming patriotic songs, narrated stories from the glorious past, danced, recited, painted, even made tri- colour sandwiches. The junior school parents joined virtually to be a part of the celebration. Akshar really offered a bouquet of tributes to celebrate the 74 years of freedom.
Webinar On Textiles To Celebrate National Handloom Day.
Akshar celebrated National Handloom Day on the 5th of August, 2021. Our special guest Mr. Bappaditya Biswas, one of India's foremost textile experts who has been creating mastery weaves over the last decade and more to redefine Bengal Handloom, creator of the brand Bai Lou, winner of the UNESCO Seal of Excellence conducted the empowering webinar with the senior school children. He strongly believes that our future generation, our children should be exposed to the importance of our textiles and heritage. Read More
Shayoni S conducted a webinar with our senior school kids. Learnt a lot from her . Thank you so much for saying all ????lovely things for us.
What a fantastic evening or morning ¯\_(?)_/¯ spent chatting with almost a 100 kids from Akshar school in Kolkata on environmental justice, ecological citizenship, avacado toast, jhaal muri and puchka! Akshar is unique as in it is an inclusive school where children of all abilities and needs study together without discrimination. They have an Environment Club and the kids are already involved in community action! #hope ?? Here is hoping for many many MANY more inclusive classrooms and the wonderful staff and teachers who make this happen on a day to day basis.
JULY 2021
Akshar Celebrates Pi Day
Akshar celebrated Pi Day on the 22nd of July 2021 (the date 22/7 is the fractional representation of the Mathematical constant pi). This year we had a week full of fun pi-activities. Students plotted the symbol of pi, solved a Pi-crossword and also solved a Pi-sudoku. On the actual Pi-day, all students of the Senior School celebrated together. We had an interesting presentation, a fun Pi-song and a Pi-quiz inspired by Bingo. It was a great celebration.
JULY 2021
JUNIOR PRIZE DISTRIBUTION AT AKSHAR
Akshar hosted its second online Junior Prize Distribution for the academic year 2020-2021 on 17th July. Students of Class 1-6 performed in the programme comprising a play, dance, sitar recital and songs .Each item echoed and reverberated the central theme of the year of Akshar which is hopes and dreams. Prizes were announced from Classes LKG to - V . Children received prizes for academic achievements as well as various categories like - Online Conduct, IT Wizard, Online Assistance..to name a few. Read More
Akshar Cares and Celebrates..
Akshar and its Social Services Club continued to team up with the Robin Hood Army and distributed relief to cyclone affected families of Dimollah Ghat in Howrah district and Kumirmari. Food items, water and purifying liquids were distributed.
Akshar celebrated its birthday on 18th June. Students,ex-students poured out their love and gratitude through cards, reminisces and performances. They baked cakes at home to celebrate and wished desperately to be back in their classrooms.
The International Yoga Day was also celebrated by Akshar. A video of many Yoga Asanas performed by students of various classes was compiled. There was unbridled enthusiasm among students to embrace the holistic benefits that Yoga offers to build up healthy mind and body.
Teachers, students and parents of Akshar teamed up with the relentless Robin Hood Army to organize a Breakfast Drive in the Bhowanipore area of South Kolkata. Around 40 underprivileged persons including 30 beaming children were handed out milk and cereals, biscuits and mangoes. Students and ex-students of Akshar were the enthusiastic helping hands who distributed it in an organized manner. Meet Ravrani, and Varun Nagar of Class 11, Abherii Ghosh of Class 5, Ishani Bose and Oishee Ry Chowdhury of Class XII and an ex-student, Moksh Desai were part of the team. Taniya ma'am, teacher at Akshar , alongside Mitrobinda Ma'am, a parent who is also a part of the "Robin Hood Army ", headed this act of social service .
The food items distributed were mainly donated by the students of Akshar. Reaching out in times of need has been the clarion call of Akshar and the young warriors stepped out to do just the same. The breakfast drive organized on the morning of World Environment Day brought smiles on the face of many.
The students of Akshar offered their tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his160th birth anniversary with great enthusiasm and joy. This year too, it was an online endeavour where everyone was united in spirit.
The students of Classes I- VI celebrated 'TAGORE WEEK/ GURUDEV WEEK '. It was an enlightening week wherein, the children spoke about his life, recited poems eloquently, narrated stories , sang songs, danced gracefully , played instruments and made beautiful paintings and informative power point presentations on Tagore's child characters.
All the activities and musical renditions presented by the children echoed Tagore's message of hope .." Bipod e morey rokhkha koro e nohe mor prarthana..bipodey ami na jyano kori bhoy"
The students of Akshar offered their tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on his160th birth anniversary with great enthusiasm and joy. This year too, it was an online endeavour where everyone was united in spirit.
The students of Classes I- VI celebrated 'TAGORE WEEK/ GURUDEV WEEK '. It was an enlightening week wherein, the children spoke about his life, recited poems eloquently, narrated stories , sang songs, danced gracefully , played instruments and made beautiful paintings and informative power point presentations on Tagore's child characters.
All the activities and musical renditions presented by the children echoed Tagore's message of hope .." Bipod e morey rokhkha koro e nohe mor prarthana..bipodey ami na jyano kori bhoy"
Earth Day Activities...
The students of Akshar celebrated Earth Day with a wide array of activities pledging to protect and help Mother Earth.
Class1 made Earth Keeper crowns on which they drew their duties and responsibilities. They also sang songs and posted Nature Spotting videos.
Class II made posters and recited poems on the theme EARTH DAY.
Class 3 celebrated the day as GREEN WARRIORS. They wore costumes of various shades of green and spoke about their tasks as a Green Warrior. They also made useful crafts like birdhouses out of recycled material, nature photo frames ,exciting board games- like snakes and ladders to spread awareness about the dangers faced by the environment.
Class 4 made posters of Dream Earth and also pledged to maintain a Green Diary to record their environment friendly activities for a month
Class5 made EARTH DAY badges, played a Bingo game and also had a competition of Best Earth Day forwards in their whatsapp group.
Class 6 made Mini Models of the Earth promising to protect, deeply love and help Mother Earth
The OBE planet heroes were all dressed up in gorgeous green to celebrate this special day. They made posters to spread awareness.
Sukanya Bhattacharjee- embellished herself as the 'Messenger of Good' to rescue human beings from the present crisis.
All the activities aimed at creating environmental awareness and empathy.
Online classes can be tedious, especially for the tiny tots. An out of the box activity is thus like a breath of fresh air. AKSHAR's UKG children, aged 4years and above, read NEWSPAPERS in their virtual classroom and had a unique experience. They were ready with their newspapers and the essence of newspapers were briefed to them- newspapers were more health friendly than TV or mobile phones. The little ones, in no time, got busy with finding something they enjoyed- cars, food, fashion, sports, comic strips, movie stars, advertisements and so many other things. They were also encouraged to find words that they could read.
It was a wonderful time spent for them- heads down, eyes riveted and happy DO NOT DISTURB signs lighting up their innocent faces.
Saraswati Puja/ Basant Panchami 2021 was celebrated by the students and teachers of Akshar with much fervour and warmth.
The teachers were present in school to conduct the puja and to seek blessings for the well being of the students. An online, virtual programme was conducted, the links were sent to all the students who could be part of the auspicious celebration in spirit. The beautiful renditions ( songs, dances, recitations, skit, classical bandishes, Rabindra Sangeet) were uplifting, radiating great positivity. The students of Classes I to IX participated in the Saraswati Puja Celebration.
The Akshar kids are cooking up a storm in their virtual classrooms. Children of Classes 2&3 and NIOS & OBE are rustling up salads, sandwiches, chaats, cookies, laddoos, soups and many more delectable dishes week after week with glee and enthusiasm. The dishes chosen are compatible with online demonstration so that the children can understand and complete them independently while they enjoy every step of cooking.
Children are picky eaters but preparing the dishes themselves has helped them to open up to new tastes. The sense of pride and accomplishment is evident too.
Virtual cooking class has helped the children to be independent. They thoroughly enjoy learning new recipes. They virtually share their dishes. They have learnt to see the videos and are ready with the ingredients. The parents are always happy to help them in the process.
It was a wonderful experience for the children and they thoroughly enjoyed their creations.
The role of language in education is immensely enriching and beneficial. The use of multilingualism as a resource strategy leads to the holistic development of a child. It enables the child to become academically more creative, socially more tolerant and it enhances divergent thinking.
The theme 'India Travelled & Unravelled' followed throughout January. Various vernacular activities were performed by Classes UKG to V including Vernacular Poem Days. Children did prayers, performed Tamil wedding songs, recited poems by 17th century poet Yogi Vemana. Poems in various Indian languages like Gujarati, Odiya, Coorgi, Bengali and many more were recited as well. The children of Class I dressed up in their traditional attire and spoke about how to take care of them. The children of Classes UKG, I and V recited poems in their mother tongues eloquently and confidently.
We are going to continue with the theme and discover various aspects of our country and how language interacts with life and society. Our endeavour is to make our children culturally rich.
Ashari is a shelter in Kolkata,run by the People for Animals,under the stewardship of Mrs Maneka Gandhi.
An article in a newspaper asking for donation of old sheets and blankets for their animals caught our eye.
As an SUPW project the students of classes 10,11 and 12 were asked to fold and stitch old dupattas to make soft bedding for the animals.Clean old sheets and blankets were collected. Cartons of things were sent to Ashari today to ensure the inmates have a pawsum,warm winter.
The students of Classes IV and V participated in the Quiz Competition "QUAESTIO" organized by Birla High School.
July 2019
Akshar participated in the Birla High School Fest, 'ODYSSEY', which took place on the 18th, 26th and 27th of July. In the offstage events , Akshar stood 1st in ROCK CLIMBIMG (girls), 2nd in LAWN TENNIS (girls) and 3rd in CARROM(boys). In the onstage events, we stood 1st in FASHION SHOW and 2nd in WESTERN BAND. Akshar also stood 2nd in TREASURE HUNT, which was a special REP EVENT.
The overall winner of the fest was Birla High School. Being the host school, they handed over the Winner's Trophy to the Runner -Up, which was Akshar.
A special award, 'BEST REPRESENTATIVE' was given to Akshar's representative- Aditya Narayan.
The 'STAR OF ODYSSEY' Trophy also went to Akshar, which was awarded to Vaidehi Gupta, the 2nd representative of Akshar. She took part in several events thereby gaining the highest points.
The students of Class III, IV and V participated in the Literary Fest at Mahadevi Birla World Academy on 30th January,2019. They won the third prize in Quiz-'Racism' and Hindi Creative Writing-'Bunkar'.
The bulbuls and guides participated in Symphony and Expressions organised by The South Calcutta Bharat Scouts and Guides District Association on 23rd January,2018.
The girls bagged prizes for JAM (1st prize), EMBROIDERY (2nd prize), SNACK AND DRINK (3rd prize), CARD MAKING (3rd prize), EDIBLE ART (1st prize) and JEWELLERY MAKING (2nd prize).
On the 20th of January,2019 Shrut Gupta (Class XI) and Anjanay Gupta (Class VIII) stood first in the 9th Howrah District Inter School Karate Championship 2019 at DPS Domjur Howrah.
On the 11th of January 2019, Dhruva Dhar and Simran Sikand stood first in 'Recycling Rubbish' and 'Gems and Treasures' respectively at the Quest Floral Fantasy- A Grand Floral Extravaganza.
Celebrating World Disability Day at IIHM on 4th December, 2018.
Celebrating World Disability Day (3.12.2018) in school.
November 2018
Scouts and Guides Camp to Purulia.
The students of many schools participated in the workshop 'Ek Mutthi- A Fistful of Clay' at The Harrington Street Arts Centre, conducted by Pune based ceramic artist Ruby Jhunjhunwala.
Akshar participated in the ICSE Jubilee Marathon on 4th November, 2018.
Akshar participated in the Diamond Jubilee Marathon Race, presented by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations in association with The Telegraph Young Metro.
Dance Movement Therapy Workshop conducted for Teachers @ Akshar by Karishma Thapa
Dance Movement Therapy is a therapeutic modality, which uses natural and authentic movement to find a balance of emotional, social, cognitive and physical well being in individuals. Through such creative dance therapy, individuals express their ideas, feelings, emotions or stories using movement. Using a session as a laboratory, individuals experiment and play with movement. As they improvise, intuition comes into play and the body begins to think aloud. Dance movement therapy provides an introspective and expressive experience for an individual.
18 students from Akshar (classes 8-11) participated in the Indian Chapter of MUN at The New Town School , Kolkata. It was held from 21st- 23rd July, 2017. Abhishek Unni won the best photographer.
Class VII took part in an interesting round of Science Quiz competition conducted by Ratna Ma’am. There were three different levels of difficulties to be answered. Children were divided into their houses . They took part enthusiastically in the competition. Green house won.
Class VIII took part in a fun activity held on the terrace. It was conducted by Luna Ma'am. It revolved around the Principle of Flotation. There were 2 set of games. Firstly there was the game on "Floating the coins."Children were given 35 numbers of coins of Rupee 1 denominations. They were supplied with pieces of Aluminum foils and were asked to float the coins on it so that it does not sink. The child who could float the maximum number of coins is the winner. At first those who did not make a flat surface were unable to float larger number of coins. Later they learnt that flatter the surface , more is the buoyant force and more number of coins could be floated!. In fact about 5 of them could float all the coins.
The second game was on " Blowing out the candles" from a distance with an apparatus.They enjoyed the game thoroughly. " It was a thrilling experience", they said.
Classes IX and X took part on a discussion in Science and the most important inventions in the world in this Century. It was conducted by Meera Ma'am . Electricity was foremost in the race followed by clothes!! Specifically it was the mobile and game boxes that won hands down!!!
Fun with Chemistry: Class IX conducted an interesting demonstration on Gas laws and magic with Science in the hall on Friday 23rd June. Classes VII and VIII were thrilled to see the outcomes- a boiled egg being pushed into a glass tumbler without breaking, a crushed Ping -Pong ball becoming whole again when put into a tumbler of hot water and many more. Everyone wanted to try their hands on a piece of paper catching fire but not burning!
AKSHAR won the Inter School Inclusive Cricket Match held at Vivekanand Park
workshop on paper planes
Students of class IV attended a workshop on paper planes by paper pilots Jason and Dylan Webber at Artsacre Foundation. They watched the movie Paper Planes.
A parent - led initiative made Teacher's Day at Akshar School extra special!
As it was also Ganesh Chaturti, a beautiful dance was choreographed and
performed by class V.
NEWSPAPER
The entire school participated in the newspaper competition. On 4.2.16 all the classes displayed their newspapers in the hall. The papers were judged by eminent media personalities- Ruchira Dasgupta, Ravindra Kumar (Statesman Managing Director and Chief Director), Mrs. Sunita Majumdaretc. The aim of this newspaper was to bring back the newspaper in the daily lives of our children.
SARASWATI PUJA
We celebrated Saraswati puja on 12.2.2016.The puja began with a Saraswati Vandana ,followed by devotional songs, group dance and concluded by an Aarti.
SPORTS
Junior School Sports day was held on 22.1.16 at the Oxford Mission Ground from 9.a.m -1.30 p.m .
It was inaugurated by our Chief Guest Noomi Mehta . It started with the drill display followed by various races. Some of the exciting innovative races were like HAWAII race, PALKI race, WE ARE HUMANS race,Sa Re Ga Ma Pa race, Love and peace etc. We also had some integrated races where children of special needs participated. Everyone participated enthusiastically to make the event a success.
CHRISTMAS
Students from various classes decorated their classes with holly leaves, bells, wreaths. All the classes jointly designed a Christmas tree with recycled materials.
DIWALI
We celebrated Diwali on 13th of November . The students of class 3 presented a skit highlighting the triumph of good over evil.The effigy of Ravan was burnt and firecrackers were burst. Children also displayed colourful rangoli with flowers and diyas.
Avsar
Our inter –school fest ‘AVSAR’ was held on 9/10/15 and 10/10/15. It was a two day fest and 10 schools participated in various events like Graffiti, Photography, Debate, Group Dance etc. The children enjoyed themselves thoroughly. The theme was ‘Unity in Diversity’.
September 2015
Teacher’s Day
Junior kids and their mothers presented a wonderful programme for the teachers. It was an outstanding show.
Independence Day celebration
We Celebrated Independence Day on 15th of August. The National flag was hoisted followed by patriotic songs and a group dance.
February 2015
January 2015
Class IX attended a workshop “Career development -The Right Way to Nation Building’ organized by The Heritage School. The exposure to eminent professionals in different fields was a good experience for our students.
Saraswati Puja was celebrated in the school premises.
December 2014
Inter school fest organised by Vidya Bharti in the pursuit of ‘Khoj’. Many schools participated our students participated in most of the events. Akshar came 2nd in Checkmate – Chess Competition.
Students participated in the annual Inclusive Inter-School fest ‘SNEH’ organised by Shushila Birla School. Additional needs children participated with lot of enthusiasm and won many prizes..
- 1st prize – Model Making (Theme Save on Earth)
- 1st prize – Dress to impress (LKG – II)
- 2nd prize – Rangoli
- 3rd prize - Novelty race
Akshar participated in an inclusive cricket and football tournament organized by Loreto College, Department of Psychology.
Akshar hosted Derek’s Sunfest Yipee Noodles Challenge in school for classes 5 to 7.
Few of our students have been selected for the Junior NBA Hot Shot Basketball Competition organised by Reliance foundation.
1st place – Ananya P. Kulkarni
Amit Srimani was awarded one of the15 best physical education teacher in Kolkata by the Junior NBA, Reliance foundation.
The Senior Athletic Meet 2014 was held on 13th December 2014 on the grounds of Oxford Mission. The chief guest Lt. General Raman Dhawan. This year the House Cup was lifted by the Green House and the Medley Cup by Yellow House.
Akshar participated with 6 other mainstream schools in an inclusive concert ‘Yeh Hai Duniya Meri Jaan…’ organised by Trinayani NGO- endorsing the cause of disability awareness and oneness.
November 2014
Science Exhibition – ‘Getafix on El-Com-Mix’ -It was a dream come true, to see the entire school conjuring up the most spectacular exhibits – ranging from Machino techno, Liqui-pedia, Skittish elements, Ferrous-ticate, Up and down periodic table, Bond-o-blast, looking through the lense, Organised, System-a-tic, Green I.
Mrs. Dr. Anuradha Lohia, Vice Chancellor of Presidency College was the Chief Guest.
Children’s’ Day - A day trip to a Jute mill at Rishra, saw our children from class V to X enjoying themselves hugely, as they raced around the open spaces in glee – from shared food, to spontaneous games, to matches between the classes, they reveled in it all.
Junior school (Classes II to IV) went to the Horticulture garden for a picnic. Little Akshar went to Zoo.
Scholastic organized their annual reading event ONE NATION READING TOGETHER. Schools across the country participated. At Akshar we allocated the 5th period to the event. Text books and other study material were put away. Story books were taken out and everybody from LKG to Class IX settled down to read – for pleasure! At the end of this event most children and adults-remarked on the quietness and calm. And almost everyone wanted to do this again.
Workshops for Teachers
Some of the teachers gave of their time beyond school hours to attend the workshop and conduct the same for their colleagues’.
Two of our teachers attended workshop on ‘The Challenges of Teaching Hindi to Non Hindi Speaking Learners’ organised by Orient Blackswan. The resources person for the workshop was Mrs. Chandrika Mathur.
Teachers attended a workshop on “Teaching the History of the Freedom Movement to Young Children’ at Victoria Memorial Hall at their 68th Independence day.
Teachers attended a lecture on “English Medium Instruction: Boon or Curse” conducted by British Council. The lecture emphasized on the global landscape on debates and issues on English Medium and content and language integrated learning, touching upon the differences between the two approaches which set the tone for wider discussions on the topic with a panel of expert respondents from Kolkata.
Teachers attended a workshop on ‘Learning the Art of Quality Circle Time’ by Jenny Mosely at La Martiniere for Boys.
A very interactive workshop on ‘Values and Introspection ‘was organised for teachers by Ms. S. Pradhan in the school premises.
Two of our teachers attended a Documentary film on ‘The Revolutionary Optimists’ at the American Center.
Participation by teachers
Two of our teachers / Ms. K.Khullar and Ms. Piyali Gupta participated in the Regional Summit School Principals on ‘Discipline- New Challenges’ organized by Institute of Counsellor Training Research and Consultancy (ICTRC)
July and August 2014
A busy month of participating in Inter School Fests
Saloni Pandey and Auntora Mitra represented Akshar in the preliminary of Frank Anthony Memorial All-India Interschool Debate Competition 2014 held at Vivekananda mission school.
‘Milaap’ organised by SPICMACAY. Students of classes VI to X participated and walked with many prizes.
Akshar participated in the Pariwar Milan Seva Sadan Inter School Patriotic Song Competition held at Kala Mandir. The lyric of the song was composed by one of our Hindi teacher Ms.Priyamvati Tripathi and the music was composed by our music teacher Ms. Arpita Chatterjee.
Students of class X (2013-14 batch) participated in Ram Awtar Gupt Pratibha Puraskar 2014 who secured 80% and above in Hindi in 2013-2014 ICSE examination organised by ‘Sanmarg’ newspaper.
The school celebrated Independence Day where each member of Akshar enjoyed the spirit of independence to the utmost. It was not just another ‘holiday’ for us. It was yet another day when we felt proud to be Indians. The theme for this year was ‘Rights and Duties of Indian Citizens’. Students from class 6 to class 10 put forward the main idea through short enactments, songs, dance and recitations.
Grand closing of the month was with the participation of our school at the opening ceremony of The Telegraph School Award 2014 with a song- Peace in our Heart
June 2014
Annual Debate was held were the students of the senior school enthralled the audience with their speech. The topic for the motion was ‘In Today’s Day and Age a Stay at Home Parent is essential for the Child’s Development’. There was a great response from the floor.
•Time to study no time to waste – Students were appearing for their FINAL EXAMS.
•The school excursion for classes 7 to 9 to East Sikkim (Aritar, Zuluk and Kupup), a wonderful trip which once again opened the eyes to the beauty of our country. The hike was a test in endurance.
Shantiniketan ‘Abode of Peace’, birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore, was a heritage trip with the Class V and the Life Skills unit. It was a fun filled memorable trip where we experienced the rich culture of Bengal amidst the open field s and enjoyed the breathtaking experience of studying in the open fields. It was a truly a journey one must undertake.
February 2014
•Saraswati Puja was celebrated in the school premises.
•Class IV’s visit to the Indian Museum was exciting. The children were welcomed by the new friendly museum staff. A very meaningful trip, children came back satisfied.
•Class II went for an educational trip to the Horticulture garden on the 7th of February, 2014. Children enjoyed observing and learning about different kinds of flowers. Children enjoyed ‘The Flower Show’
January 2014
•The junior sports day was held on 25th January, 2014 at the Hastings Ground. Akshar believes in doing things differently. Like every year this year the theme was ‘Sports’ children had great fun running the races and the parents too.
•On the 5th of December Akshar organized an Integrated Cricket tournament At Vivekananda Park. The integrated teams were Manovikash and Heritage school, IICP and Laxmipat Singhania Academy, lamertenere for boys with Oral school and of course the Akshar Integrated team. The tournament was played with true spirit of inclusion between regular school boys and children with special needs including Akshar. It was a knockout tournament and after the first round matches each comprising of 6 overs of bating and bowling by each team. Children with special needs bated and bowled with immense enthusiasm. Final matches were between Manovikash and heritage inclusive team Vs Akshar .Akshar lost the match though showed true spirit of the game by helping each other in the game.
On the 6th the participating teams were Heritage school, Laxmipat Singhania Academy, lamertenere for boys and Akshar .Akshar and Lamertenere for boys played the final match in which Akshar lost.
•Upcoming event: The wait is over- the countdown begins! the first of its kind a inclusive fest ‘AVSAR’ will be held on 12 -13 December.
*Apeejay - Apeejay
*La Martiniere for Boys - The Oral School for Deaf Children
*Manovikas Kendra - The Heritage School
*Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy- Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy
*Akshar - Akshar
November 2013
• Students of class IX were privileged to attend ‘Golpomela’ - Peace works Storytelling Festival organised by The Seagull Foundation for the Arts.
• Children day : Students of classes LKG to Class I visited Horticulture Garden for Children’s Day Celebration.
• Akshar was pleased to have visiting teachers from Dycorts School as a part of an exchange programme between Akshar and Dycorts. Students were excited to learn Christmas stories, crafts and songs. On the last day of their stay in Akshar we had a Christmas Carnival were the children presented a lovely song on Christmas..
• Students of Akshar participated in the Inclusive Fest organised by Loreto House ‘ Kalakriti’.
• Students of Akshar got the opportunity to visit the IICP Carnival Theme ‘Yes We Can’.
• The Akshar ‘Life Skill Unit ‘showcased their talents and products to various Consulates members and Special Guests at the Exhibition organised by Akshar at The Harrington Street Arts Centre..
• The Akshar students participated in the National Level Painting Competition organised by Paryavaran Mitra..
October 2013
• Students of Akshar Participated in an Inter - School Basketball tournament for middle school girls organised by Calcutta International School. Students played the match with good spirit.
• Akshar students were privileged to campaign for the Awards Ceremony for the ‘Backseat Buddies’- students campaigned for carpooling with slogans, jingles, road shows and final stage performance at Rotary Sadan. Akshar won the prize for school with best Props
September 2013
• A busy month of participating in Inter School Fests
- Little Akshar Participated in Abhivyakti – Inter school Fest organized by Delhi
Public School.
- Participated in Inter school Quiz ‘Quaestio’ organized by Birla High school. Akshar got through the first round and went into the last eight, secured 7th position.
- Participated in the Inter- school Literary Meet ‘Sanglaap’ organized by the Heritage School.
•Workshop ‘Out of thin air’ was conducted by Ms. Shaili Sathya in Akshar premises. The workshop was
about the methods of creating stories out of ordinary objects in classroom.
August 2013
• Students of Akshar participated in the ‘Yule Elocution’ contest organized by Andrew Yule and Company Ltd.
• Students of Class VII were privileged to watch a film in the school premises on ‘Environment’ by Earthsmiles.com.
• Students of Class IX got an opportunity to attend An Audio Visual Exhibition titled “Voices of India’ organized by Weavers Studio Centre for Arts at the I.C.C.R.
• Odyssey 2013, Inter School Fest at Birla High School- bagged the 3rd position in Rock Climbing and the Talent show. Walked away with the Second Runner’s up trophy of Starblitz.
July 2013
December Events and Only "Senior Sports Day Pics".
• Conservation crusaders, an art installation with waste is one such effort, to bring to the forefront the need to conserve our natural resources. The exhibition aims to spread the message of conservation and sustainability by showcasing the beauty that can be created from waste. The exhibits have been made out of reused and recycled products.
• The exhibition was inaugurated by the eminent artist Sri Shuvaprasanna and special guest Mrs. Bharati Deveshwar. Work done by outgoing students (ICSE 2013) with impressions on plaster of Paris and Linoleum prints showcases their Footprints in the sand of Time. Photographs taken by the students in the current batch of class X are also on display. Waste to art; spread over two rooms, as toys and installations made entirely out of waste such as old toys, boxes and perfume bottles. Junkyard science is filled with science models made out of recycled items. It also includes a demonstration on science with waste. Ecolibirium living showcases an urban eco-friendly house, with household items that have very low carbon footprint. Also on display are models of extinct animals, again made from recycled matter.
• NGOs such as Living Free and WWF, along with our Life Skills training Unit at Akshar put up stalls showcasing their products.
• Students from Birla High School, Modern High School, Heritage, IICP and The Oral School visited the exhibition. Also the faculty and teachers trainees from MAC came to visit the exhibition.
April 2013
• The wait is over - New academic Year Begin
March 2013
• Striving for success and strengthening of mind- Students were appearing for their Final EXAMS.
February 2013
• Children of class VII conducted an exhibition for the whole school and for their parents. An integral part of each student’s life ‘E-Electricity – Magnetism’. Brainstorming in class led to the chapter being dealt as a total ‘hands –on activity only’ topic. This resulted in a wonderful exhibition showcasing the children and their creative and innovative exhibits.
• Class VI students wer4e taken to a Military Tattoo conducted by the Indian Army. Students cherished the chance they got to get into bunker and tanks and also to see rifles and other machines used by the Army. A display of one day of life of our armed forces on the war front, paragliding, horse riding, rescue mission and Shwet Ashwa left students spellbound and made their heart fill with pride.
• Class VII students hosted a music soiree ‘Baithak’ for their teachers and parents. They presented songs based on Hindustani Classical Music. They sang patriotic songs and Rabindra Sangeet too. There was also a presentation on ‘Raag Taman’ and ‘Teental’, the basics of this raag and taal.
• Saraswati Puja was celebrated in the school premises along with ‘Saraswati Fiesta’ by TTIS. It started with a puja done by teachers and was followed by music, dance, unconventional orchestra and even quiz. Students got a chance to showcase their talent in non-fire cooking, flower decoration and rangoli and quiz when competitions were conducted on the same day.
• A troupe of artist from Germany performed ‘Clown without borders’ in the school. The children had a funfilled afternoon watching the clowns perform. The artists lived upto their name and called themselves Raita, Chilly, Palak. The colourful costumes, innovative props, interesting musical instruments and a hilarious performance had the children rolling with laughter. An exposure of this kind has a major impact on young minds and will stay in their minds for long time
• Class IV students were happy to see an exotic variety of plants and colourful flowers when they were taken to the Horticulture Society.
• Cubs and Scouts of the school participated in the Inter District Cubs Scouts competition held at St. Lawrence’s High School.
JANUARY 2013
• Children of class IX went on their annual visit to the Rehabilitation Home for children, Barisha. It proved to be an eye opener for many of them. Stationery items were given by ITC. Chips and cake brought smiles to the children recovering over there
• Mr. Mohan Rai Origami, an artist of Pigeon Art, New Delhi had given a demonstration of paper cutting at Akshar. It was a marvel to watch him transform a simple kite paper into flowers, trees, lanterns and many more items
• Students of Class V went on an educational trip to Santhiniketan for three days.
• Students got an opportunity to have an interactive session with Ralph Dutt Ballerstadt, from United States of America. He had fruitful discussions with children on various cultures, resources like trees and birds, politics, connection between arts and maths etc.
December
December Events and Only "Senior Sports Day Pics".
• Akshar students participated in SMAYAN 2012 organised by SNEH, The Social Service Unit of Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
• Students of Akshar were a vital part of a Baithak organized by Akshar, The Harrington Street Arts Centre and Sangeet Research Academy. The students got an opportunity to listen to some melodious music by renowned classical musicians like Vidushi Girija Devi and Ustad Rasheed Khan.
• An explosion of speed, colour and skill awaited us on our Senior Sports Day held on the grounds of SAI in Salt Lake on 15th December. The children from classes VI to X blazed their own trails of glory in track and field events. The hallmark of Sports Day was the inclusion of each and every child from the aforesaid classes. Chief guest was Mrs. Jane Thompson, Early Intervention specialist and wife of the U.S. Consul General, Kolkata.
• A visit to an old age home run by All Bengal Women’s Union class X students proved to be an exercise in awareness and compassion. The ladies of the home and students had very lively interactive session of music, a medium that crosses all barriers of language and class. Our youngsters came away humbled and touched by their experience.
November
Activities
• Akshar students were privileged to attend a short play in school premise by Jana Natya Manch and discussions thereafter.
• A novel occasion of “Get Pet and Go” (much awaited annual pet show) was organized in school with Biped, Quadruped, Winged and Finned pets.
• Akshar students participated in PCRA painting competition organized by Centre of Environment Education.
• Students of classes IX and X set out for a IAYP and Geography trip to Baranti Village and area of Damodar Valley Corporation (Panchet and Maithon dams)
• Students of Akshar performed in a musical soiree organized by The Harrington Street Arts Centre& ITC Sangeet research Academy.
• Students participated in a UN Interface- an interactive session with DerekO’Brien at La Martiniere School for Boys.
• Children’s Day: Akshar Teachers proved to be magicians once again. They pulled out many rabbits from their hats to entertain the children. The children seemed to enjoy the programme which comprised a Medley of songs, a spoof on Cinderella and an energetic dance to the chart buster Disco Deewane. The Teachers perhaps enjoyed more than the students in putting up the show.
Click here..
Workshops:
• Akshar students got an opportunity to attend a Scottish Dance Theatre workshop in Calcutta School of Music at The Harrington Arts Centre which gave students an introduction to contemporary dance, the performance work of Scottish Dance Theatre, new movement skills, partner skills and creative tasks devised from various themes.
• Students of Class IX attended a special programme called Ranan School Connect Week. It encouraged students to discuss and foster opinions on theatre art and got opportunity to interact with International and national performers.
• Students attended a workshop on energy conservation conducted as part of URJA Chetana progamme organized by CESC.
October
Activities
• Students of Akshar took part in ‘Kalakriti’, an annual event organized by Loreto College for differently-abled children. It enabled our children to exhibit their talents and they bagged two gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
• Students took part in the Annual Science Quiz contest conducted by BITM and the Maggi Quiz held in the school premises.Click here..
• ‘Spell Linc’ competition was held in our school organized by Linc. Students of classes VI to IX participated and students have been selected for the next level (Inter-school competitions).
• Avsar 2012 (A Tribute to Charles Dicken’s 100th Anniversary), An Inter School Fest was held in the school on 11 and 12 of October. Students of La Martiniere for Boys, Birla High School, Sushila Birla Girl’s High School, Future Foundation school, Delhi Public School, Calcutta International School, Heritage school, Modern High School and Apeejay School participated and we were privileged to have noted luminaries of the city as our judges.
Tremendous creativity of ideas and effort was evident in varied events- Thematic Display, Yours Quizzically, Cover to Cover, Theme Music, Dumb Charades, Power Point, Theme for a dream, The Proverbial jam, Argumentative Indian, All the World’s a Stage, Photography. The children outdid themselves in reaching out towards excellence. Our senior children were brilliant in organizing the entire event. Click here..
• Students of Akshar participated in Green I. They proudly prepared project report on our eco-endeavours. It is a nationwide competition organized by Confederation of Indian Industry. We worked on the topic, ‘Your school and your environment’. Out of 115 schools Akshar secured the third position.
• Students took part in a marathon, poster making and quiz competitions as a part of ‘Right to Green’ conducted by Apeejay School, Park Street.
• Little Akshar held an exhibition on 17th October celebrating the different seasons, their uniqueness and exploring the different festivals that fall within these seasons. To reinforce the joy that each season brings we also looked at various festivals like Holi, Durga Puja, Diwali, Christmas and others which we celebrate. Click here..
September
Activities
• TEACHER’S DAY: A morning full of fun and frolic was presented by students to the teachers on the 5th of September. Thank you to the parents of classes Kg to V who made it such a success.
• High tea at Akshar: Class X students celebrated a tea festival in the school. The aroma of different types of tea welcomed the teachers into the room. It served a dual purpose- as a part of geography project and to inculcate interest in research.
• Akshar students participated in “Quaestio”, an Inter School Quiz organized by Birla High School and attained the third position in.
Awards
• Akshar is ranked India’s Number One day School on the parameters of Special Needs Education in the ‘Education World India School Rankings’ 2012
• Sourya Sinha, from the 2011-12 ICSE batch students received the much acclaimed The Telegraph School Award for Courage. We are proud of him.
Click here..
Workshops:
•Teachers and students of Akshar attended “A Blindfolded Sensory Photography” workshop conducted by Beyond Sight Foundation at The Harrington Street Art Centre which proved to be an enriching experience. It is a not-for-profit organization prompting the art of photography in people with visual impairment and capacity building around the “Non-Retinal” Art culture in India. It provides a platform for the visually impaired to share their “Inner Gallery” of images – their imagination and point-of-view of the visual world, and speak out about their unique experience, feelings, challenges and hopes. One of our teachers observed “It is an unusual experience- it gave me new perspectives and insights. It also answered many questions I had wondered about.”
August
Activities
• Students attended a three-day long Peace-Lit Debate conducted by Seagull Foundation for the Arts. They dealt with the topic, ‘how to make the world peaceful’ by discussing various issues of division in society.
• ‘ Today when almost everything is available on the net, teachers are becoming redundant’, a topic that can set a stage on fire was dealt well by our students who participated in St. Lawrence Platinum Jubilee Inter-School Debate organised by St.Lawrence Old Boy’s Association (SLOBA) on the occasion of St.Lawrence Day.
• Little Akshar students were taken to witness recreation of Krishna’s life in the form of a tableau. The presentation was put together by grandparents of Nilesh Moore, a former student. Our Little Aksharites were entranced by the spectacle.
• We were privileged to get an opportunity to interact with students from Europe. The students are also known as YAPs (members of the Young Ambassadors programme). The session proved to be interesting, fun filled and at the same time informative.
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• The school celebrated Independence Day where each member of Akshar enjoyed the spirit of independence to the utmost. It was not just another ‘holiday’ for us. It was yet another day when we felt proud to be Indians.
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• Students of Akshar took part in “TIRANGAA – Inter Cultural Fest 2012”, an Inter-school platform for children to exhibit the best of their talent in Art organized by Pailan World School on the topic ‘save the roar save the tiger.
Click here..
• Students of Class VI were taken to visit the architectural wonder, the Victoria Memorial Hall. It was conducted as a part of ISA (International School Awards) Programme.
Click here..
• Students of Class VI were mesmerized by the show on the formation of solar system when taken to Birla Planetarium.
• A very interactive workshop on environment was organised for teachers by Ms. Jayanti Neogi. The art of waste management was explained in a very novel way.
July
Activities
• Non- fire cooking competition - A very exciting morning at Akshar with parents and their children cooking up a storm with their culinary skills.
Click here..
• Milaap- Inter School competition organized by SPICMACAY at Apeejay School. Students of classes VI to X participated in this colourful fest of spirited bonhomie.
• ODYSSEY 2012, Inter School Fest at Birla High School – Our students went on their own odyssey of discovery.
• Musical stage show “AMRA SHABAI RAJA” a tribute to Tagore organized by Margam, an NGO in collaboration with Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of India and conceptualised by Dr. Rajeev Chakraborty, a renowned Sarod player- a beautiful rendition by our little princes and princesses.
Workshops:
• Workshop on silk screen printing and block printing conducted by Mr. Bappaditya Biswas of Byloom for Class X and children with additional needs.
