August- March (2017-18) VOL: II ISSUE: 02

Inside this Issue

“We worry about what a child will become

tomorrow, yet we forget that he is ‘someone’ today. We at St. Vincent’s endeavor to bring out, that ‘someone’ of today and chisel him into ‘the someone’ of tomorrow. This institution has been striving indefatigably to nurture the young minds with the belief that, “the heart of education is the education of the heart”. We are pleased to present yet another issue of volume – 02 of the school E-newsletter ‘Spotted and Reported’. True to its name, the newsletter marks our growth, unfolds our imagination, gives life to our thought and aspiration and unleashes our wide spectrum of creative skills ranging from writing to editing to even designing this newsletter. I congratulate the entire editorial team especially the middle school group, for their zealous efforts and undaunting enthusiasm in putting together this issue. Enjoy every exhilarating moment that you have, as in life there are no rewinds, only flashbacks. Happy reading, Stay Tuned! God Bless!

Here’s wishing everyone a pleasant 2018.

Ms. J. Sabharwal

ROUND THE CAMPUS

Auditorium of our dream

My pride day

Exhibition

Independence Day

Teacher’s day celebration

Swimming gala

Editorial investiture

Farewell of Mr. S. Majumdar

Children’s Day celebration

Greenathon

Cultural Fiesta

E.R.E.B.B. Part – II

Jr. School Concert

Christmas special

Debate competition

Farewell

50 years of brotherhood

Social Justice

Just fete

Donation of clothes

Scholastic Thoughts

The Bygone Era

Penning Thoughts

Articles

The Budding Artists Pulse Poll

Question of the Month

Essay of the Month

The construction of the auditorium of our dreams is in full swing. The construction of its ground floor is almost completed and now the

construction of the first floor is on. This auditorium is going to be the platform for many children to showcase their talent. This auditorium is

the biggest auditorium we have ever seen and we are very eager for the project to come up. Besides, being happy for what this new building

will signify for us. We should also remember the hard work put in by the workers in bringing up this building of our dreams. We should be

appreciative of their hard work and we should keep in mind, never to damage it when it is completed. Now it’s time for the latest news about

this project, and that’s, “This new auditorium is expected to be completed by the end of the year 2K18”.

- Siddhartha Ghosh (VII A)

My pride day is a wonderful occasion for every child to showcase his individual talent. 8

th

august 2017 was the day when the boys from class KG

came up on stage, eager to put forward their skills as they put up different performances based on the theme, ‘Talent is given by god, our gift to

him is, fulfilling it’. The parents gradually poured in and seemed jubilant as they constantly clicked photographs of their dear children. Our

respected principal sir welcomed the parents appreciating their active participation and co-operation thus motivating their children to do better

still.

The first act was a graceful dance performance on a Bengali song. ‘Walk with me daddy’ was a beautiful poem, dedicated to all the fathers in the

world. The parents greatly supported and encouraged their children by applauding after each and every performance. The children looked

extremely cute as one after another dance performances took place, wherein the children danced ecstatically to the lilting rhythms. Everyone

present laughed heartily as the boys portrayed different cartoon characters from Chhota Bheem and Chutki to Kalia, Shiva, Dholu, Bholu etc.

The mellifluous songs sung by the choir held everyone spellbound. The day ended as reverend brother G. Thomas gave an inspiring speech,

thereby thanking the parents. The principal spoke about the history of our school while a PowerPoint presentation was displayed to show the

different facets of the institution. He even requested the parents to endeavor to make their children into better humans. The day was a success as

the parent’s co-operation enabled their children to demonstrate their innate potential gracefully.

- PRATYUSH DAS (VII C)

This year the middle school and senior school of St. Vincent’s put up a Science and Commerce Exhibition. Students of other Schools such as Loreto Convent, A.G Church School, Asansol, St. Patrick’s and St. Jude’s came to see the exhibition.

The Science Section of the exhibition displayed several educational as well as fun filled experiments. The Students prepared models and charts to further explain their topics along with power points presentations. There were also quizzes for the visiting students with prizes for the right answer, thus promoting education and learning through fun. The students spoke enthusiastically about their Models and experiments to the visitors explaining how it worked and the science behind it.

The Commerce section (XI AND XII) took the opportunity to showcase various aspects of Commerce. They put up charts and models and PowerPoints on specific topics. They elaborated on these topics to the visitors’ thus promoting awareness about topics, such as Banking, GST etc. There were games in this section as well to make the experience ever more exciting. This was a fantastic opportunity for the students to not only showcase their creativity but also apply their knowledge constructively. They would benefit from the lessons in Team Work and co operation that this activity provided.

On August 10, 2017 the junior school came together to display a beautiful creation out of waste. The very idea behind this exhibition was to motivate the children to give shape to their imagination in addition to strengthening their motor skills. It got an overwhelming response from the students and teachers alike. They joyously poured out their talent in the art and craft exhibition.

- Ms. Renu Martin

The INDEPENDENCE DAY is a red-letter day for each and every Indian. It is celebrated on 15th of August every year. This auspicious day marks the end of British rule in India. Our school, SVS, also celebrated it to salute the freedom fighters who never thought of their lives and their family and concurrently gave their lives to free India from the British. Our Rev. Br. Thomas hoisted the national flag and set the program in motion. Our respected principal sir, Mr. Ravi Victor, accompanied him in doing so. The hoisting of the flag was then followed by the singing of the national anthem. The girls of class 11 gave a mesmerizing dance performance on the song “Dhanyo Dhane Pushpe Bhora”. Thereafter, a skit was performed by the middle school students. The juniors drew the maximum applause when they danced on the song “Mera joota hai japani”. Rudra Raj Mital, a student of class7, filled each heart with patriotism as he recited a poem steeped in the patriotic fervor. There was another skit performed by the social justice group. The middle school choir sang the song “Maa Thujhe Salam” which attracted everyone present there. There was a lovely dance performance by the boys of classes 7&8. The senior boys then presented a dance drama – India of my dreams (pre and post independent period). How could the program end, without the foot tapping beats by the senior boys? Rev. Br. Thomas then enlightened everyone with his, inspirational words. Our principal, Mr. Ravi Victor gave his speech and a vote of thanks to everyone, who had worked hard to make this marvelous event an enormous success. The program ended on a sweet note with the distribution of sweets to each and every student.

- SOUMYADEEP PAUL (7A)

It was 25/8/17, Friday, when the little champs of class 1 of St. Vincent’s High and Technical school were all ready to showcase their talent. The parents came to the school around 8.15 am and took their seats. They waited for some time when the anchors and the teacher of class 1 Mrs. P. Burman welcomed the principal and the parents. The two young narrators unfolded the program with a cute poem and welcomed some boys for the prayer. It was followed by the singers who sang a beautiful song. Then followed a skit on the underwater world of Bay of Bengal, where they all dressed up like marine animals and gave a truly fantastic dance performance. It concluded with a power point presentation which was shown to the parents on the screen. Next was an elocution by the students which melted the heart of parents. Last but not the least was a foot tapping dance by the students dressed as cats and bears. Then Mrs. P. BURMAN thanked the parents for their cooperation and zeal and asked Mr. R. Victor to conclude with his inspiring words. He congratulated all teachers who worked behind the scenes and also congratulated the two narrators. The program ended on a joyous note.

- Rudra Raj Mittal

7C

The junior section of our school presented an assembly celebrating Teachers’ Day on 1st September, 2017. The decorations were beautiful and exquisite. The program commenced with the song “You raise me up” dedicated to the hard work put in by our dear teachers. Next up was a short and really funny skit based on the value of sharing where the boys gracefully imitated different marine creatures as they sang various hymns and danced elegantly. It was followed by a superb dance on the song “Gummy Bear” which was hilarious as the boys danced to the lilting tunes. This was followed by a song which left the audience speechless and cheering happily at same time. Principal Sir then gave a vote of thanks to the teachers for bringing out the best in the children and appreciated their efforts. He also encouraged the endeavors on the part of the teachers to develop each child into a dignified individual.

- Pratyush Das

7 C

The day had finally arrived. It was Teachers’ Day. Teachers are those people who shape the life of students. Teachers impart immense knowledge. So, to thank our teachers we Vincentians had put up a show. The show started with gifting of bouquet and cards to our beloved teachers. Then the middle school choir sang a beautiful song ‘You have changed our lives’. Next, we tasted the classical aroma of music staged by the class 6’s along with tabla, piano and guitar. Next the class 8’s presented a skit in which there are two boys who do not study and disturb the class and the teacher and end up failing in the class. Following it was a beat boxing performance which touched the hearts of all the teachers. Then we had a hip-hop dance by the class 8 dancers. There was a comedy skit by class 9’s which entertained the students and our beloved teachers. There was yet another dance performance by the senior group. It was followed by a skit by the class 12’s about the difference between the school life and college life. Then there was a dance by the divas of class 11 and 12. The school band presented a mellifluous song. Finally, the beautiful event came to an end with an eastern traditional dance by the girls of class 11. The anchors performed a small comedy dance to entertain the audience. The show ended with the cutting of cake by the teachers. Then there was a photo frame with our respected principle sir in the center surrounded by all the teachers which was gifted to the teachers by the students.

- Spandan Adrian D’cruz

7 A

A hubbub of clapping and cheering was heard around the pool area as the young swimmers perambulated the pool. The program was scheduled on 11th of October at 10:00 am. It started with the youngest competitors, the boys of class 2 who wanted to achieve the first position in the free style breadth. It was followed by class 3 who also competed to become the winners in the same event. Then the boys of class 4 also participated in the event. Next it was time for the master swimmers of class 3 to march in and swim in the free style length event to achieve the medals. Bansh Agarwal won the the gold medal in the race. The upcoming race was between the class 4’s who had to struggle to win as all of them were equally good swimmers. Following the free style length event was back stroke breadth. Boys of class 4 were divided into two groups, and each group had boys who competed with the others. This was followed by the breast stroke event, free style breadth between C, D and E groups. The inter class relay race forced all the spectators to cheer their own class. All the spectators then stood up and cheered and clapped for their friends who were participating in the final event of the day which would give name of the the fastest swimmer of the junior school. Mithilesh Bodhwani successfully achieved the glory of being acclaimed the fastest swimmer, junior school 2017. The program concluded with the prize distribution ceremony to felicitate the winners.

- Soumyadeep Paul

7 A

Whenever there is hot and humid weather, the first thing that comes to our mind is swimming. Every year, a swimming competition is organized to give an opportunity to the students to showcase their skills and prowess in swimming. This year the middle school swimming was scheduled on 12th October. The final round began on a day which was not too hot but was perfect for the spectators to enjoy the event in comfort. The whole middle school (5 to 7) surrounded the pool in joy for the exciting event. Soon the participants entered the swimming pool area. The time came for the first event which was the inter school free style relay. Our school came first and the whole middle school let out a joyous cheer. The next event was the medley relay. It comprised of the back stroke, butterfly, breast stroke and freestyle. In this event also our school came first. It was also followed by a round of applause. The events which followed next were freestyle breadth, freestyle length, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and the most awaited event the fastest swimmer of the middle school. Students, teachers and the parents of the participants cheered enthusiastically thus motivating the swimmers to put in their best. Last but not least was the much awaited event – the fastest swimmer of middle school. The middle school shouted as the whistle went off. Maximum cheering was heard during this event, and finally it was Sougat Chakraborty who walked away with the trophy. This watery event came to an end amidst laud applauses.

- Siddhartha Ghosh

7 A

“Swimming is sport, rest everything is a game!” On 12th October, 2017, our school organized the “Senior School Swimming Gala for the year 2017-2018. This event took place in our school’s swimming pool. There were many events that were organized and each event had its own splendor and victors. Some of the notable events were the Inter-School Free Style Relay, Inter-School medley event and the most talked about by each Vincentian was “The Fastest Swimmer of S.V.S. The events unfolded as time passed and winners after winners kept on emerging. The winners of the class wise Free style and Back stroke events were: -

CLASS EVENT NAME WINNER

8 Free Style Keshav Dudani

9 Free Style Fardeen Khan

10 Free Style Abid Khan

11 Free Style Aman Sakuja

11 Back Stroke Md. Muntaha

12 Free Style Harsh Agarwal

12 Free Style Sunil Gupta

The hands flapping in the sprinkling water and the determination on each participant’s countenance to win and prove themselves was priceless to see. The most breathtaking events were yet to unfold before us. Yes, it was “The Inter School Free Style and Medley relay”. The competitors were all set and the pride of the two schools, St. Vincent and St. Patrick’s were on an all time high. The whistle blew and the participants splashed into the water. The results were:- While St. Patrick's grabbed gold to their names our boys were not to be left behind. We took away one silver and two bronze. Then the Inter Class Double Length (50m) was organized. The four swimmers of class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 got ready as it was an important event. Amidst stiff competition class 11 was crowned 1st. Class 8 came second and class 12 came 3rd. Now, it was time for the most important event which was - “Fastest Swimmer of St. Vincent’s". Each and every participant put their heart and soul into the event. Amongst all others, Fardeen Khan of class 9 proved his mettle and emerged as the 'Fastest Swimmer of S.V.S'. The gala concluded with the distribution of prizes by Brother Walter.

The editorial board is a group of students who work together in a coordinated manner and capture all moments and events in pen and text to bring it before the readers in our digitalized newsletter. This e-newsletter, ‘Spotted and Reported’ is published in our school website. It was on the 12th of October that the members of the editorial board got recognition for their hard work and determination involved in the publishing of the newsletter. This year it was the first time when the middle school students were also selected as members of the editorial board. Mrs. J. Sabharwal, our editor-in-chief and our team leader called out the names of the members in the morning assembly and we were requested to come on the stage to receive the badges from the principal which was indeed a great honor. We stood behind our principal with our chest pouted out in pride on being a part of the editorial board. Our principal Mr. Ravi Victor encouraged the other students to move ahead and to take interest in such activities. The assembly concluded with a prayer and a photograph was taken of the newly elected members. Receiving such an honor is a moment of great pride which we would like to treasure in the coziest corner of our heart. These badges will encourage us to do our work with greater perfection, determination and diligence. We will try our best to make our e-newsletter, ‘Spotted and Reported’ the best.

- Siddhartha Ghosh

7 A

The S.V.S family bid farewell to one of its oldest teacher, Mr. Somenath Mazumdar who retired from service on 1/11/17. It was also his birthday. He served as a teacher of S.V.S for 33 years. He was very popular among the students due to his impressive way of teaching. He was very friendly with his students and also cracked jokes but strict while teaching. The farewell assembly was very touching. The assembly was organized by Mrs. Sonali Mustafi. The opening speech by Snehasish Bala of class 7A was preceded by the National Anthem sung by the school choir. After that Siddharta Ghosh of class 7A recited a poem glorifying Mr. Somenath Mazumdar as a mentor, philosopher and guide. Giving a brief sketch of Sir’s life, he said that sir had written several books which are very famous and are used in many schools in West Bengal. Justin D’sena sang a melodious number which mesmerized everyone, Rabindra sangeet sung by a boy of class V was fabulous. Then there was a small skit presented by boys of classes 5 and 6 which was followed by the song, ‘Aye Khuda’. It was followed by a medley of dance by the middle school members which mesmerized the audience. It was really amazing. Then Mr. Mozumdar was called up on stage to say a few words. He broke down as he began to share his experiences as a teacher. Everyone became emotional and none of the students were willing to let him to go. He gave a wonderful message to the

students that they should never lose hope and keep on trying as one day they will become successful.

- Spandan D’cruz (7A)

The most awaited day by all children of this nation had arrived. The birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that is celebrated as Children’s day. All the students of our school were gathered in the assembly ground. We were wished and told about this day by the Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Vikas Gaitano. We then had a melodious group song by all the teachers of our school. Next we had a marvelous dance performance by some of our teachers who just set the stage on fire. This was followed by a keyboard and mouth organ performance that was literally mesmerizing. This was just the beginning. Our teachers had in store for us a Bengali song and an act which was conducted by our second language teachers. This was followed by a medley of songs by Nitesh Sir. This was truly awesome. Then we had some foot-tapping dance by the junior school teachers. We then had an awesome song by Sir Sumanto Dey which was followed by a dance performance by the dancing divas of S.V.S. We then had a melodious number of by Arun sir. The joy of the students knew no bounds as a group of teachers along with principal sir presented a melodious number. Following it was a jugalbandi by the junior school teachers who represented students and teachers. Last but not the least we had an impressive dance performance by our male teachers which shook the dancing bones of each and everyone. Our head boy on behalf of all the students of S.V.S expressed their heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers for their effort in putting up this unforgettable event, the memories of which will be cherished forever in our hearts. Our principal concluded the show with his ever inspiring words.

- Snehasish bala (7A)

Many had prepared for this day the whole year - Greenathon organized by our school and SVAAA, was to be held. We all were ready for the run to begin. Invitees had also come from other schools to participate in the event. Even some of the parents and ex-students had come to participate in the marathon. We had to run for a total distance of 5 km. Our principal gave a small opening speech and then the race started. All were jogging to save their energy for the end. As the race proceeded slowly some of the boys took the lead while some were jogging behind. We were provided with drinks three times at regular interval. Towards the middle of the race, the students were sweating and panting like anything but they still did not give up. They all ran with passion and enjoyed it as well. As we finished the race within the assembly ground, we could see that all the students were so tired that they couldn’t even speak. Then the prize distribution followed. From each category first 5 participants were given a prize. Then our principal Mr. Ravi Victor gave a small closing speech and the packets were distributed and then we all were dismissed.

- Snehasish bala (7A)

The 2017 cultural fiesta was held on 30th November 2017. It was a majestic show and the decoration was splendid. The parents poured in by 4 o’clock and were seated, eagerly waiting for this huge showcase of talent. Our beloved announcer, Mrs. Anita Mathew started off the program by welcoming the Chief Guest, Principal and the parents to this, one of a kind, cultural experience and gave a really nice speech on the values of life.

The school choir under the guidance of the music teacher, Mr. Christopher Benjamin enthusiastically sang the song ‘Glory to the Lord’ in praise of the almighty. This was followed by a graceful, devotional dance by the girls of class 11 on the song ‘Aigiri Nandini’ to welcome the guests.

First up were classes 7 and 8 with the theme ‘Bengali culture and a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore’. The narrators introduced the play and gave an insight into the various aspects of the theme. The Bengali choir melodiously recited popular songs like Dhana Dhanye Pushpe Bhora and Dur Dipo Bashini. This was followed by the historic play of Tagore - Kabuliwala which was beautifully portrayed through animations and dances enacted by the boys of class 7 and 8. The story revolves around a dry

fruits hawker from Kabul who befriends a little girl, Mini. The fatherly affection of the Kabuliwala strengthens his bond not only with Mini, but also his own little daughter, Anima. Next were the different folk dances of Bengal like Bhatiyali, Baul, and Santali which were exquisitely performed by the students.

The boys of classes 5 and 6 next created for us a really graceful Christmas experience. The narrators took the audiences through all the joyous and tragic events in the life of Lord Jesus. The act was full of songs like ‘Mary’s boy child’ and many other Christmas carols. All in all, it was impressive and highly appreciated by everyone. The audience was rocked off its feet by the song ‘Rock me’ sung by our very own SVTS band who did a remix dedicated to the school itself. The patience of the audience was finally rewarded with the staging of the Aladdin play for which they had been eagerly waiting. The story was nicely set with intricate background arrangements and funny songs and dances, which gave a mystical feel to everyone. It talks about a little boy Aladdin, whose life changed after discovering a genie’s lamp. The students from class 9 and 11 nicely prepared and executed their play, and the audience was impressed by the subtle humor and natural acting of the students.

The crowd listened intently as our Chief Guest, reverend Br.Thomas acknowledged the efforts of the whole school, including the parents, in making the whole show a success. Our Respected Principal gave a vote of thanks to all involved. The staff and the students wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2018 cordially, as the day ended in a lovely and befitting manner with great pomp and show.

- Pratyush Das

“The junior school is amazing!” This has been provedtime and again by the boys of Junior School, who organized the Cultural Program on 7th, 8th and 9th of December, 2017.

Chief guests, guests, parents and teachers, everyone took their seats in the school hall. The hall retained a joyous aura. ‘Day 1’ began with the Inaugural ceremony. The program proceeded with a song of praise. A song “you are my sunshine” was then sung. Next, the students of the junior most class, K.G.S, had everyone transfixed with their songs and dances. It was followed by the musical nativity- A Ray of Hope. Everyone was wished merry Christmas through the dance- Count Down. The Chief Guest then presented his speech. The program ended with the principal’s vote of thanks.

‘Day 2’, was scheduled on 8th December, 2017. The concert was set to motion by the song of praise. It was followed by a dance on the Bengali song- Moyna Cholat Cholat. The sound of applause from the audience was heard everywhere as the next thing presented, was a Fiesta of Folk dances. There after a play was conducted on the theme - The Bossy Cow. The main play of the program, Cinderella a tale of Dreams That Come True was performed. It was then followed by an address by the chief guest, and a vote of thanks by the principal.

‘Day 3’, was scheduled on 9th December, 2017. The song of praise was again sung which was followed by The Bengali dance- Moyna Cholat Cholat. After that, the same Fiesta of folk dances were performed as on Day 2. Following that, the song-A Ray of Hope was sung. Cinderella was again presented before the audience on Day 3. It all ended with the address by the chief guest Chris Myers Principal St.Patricks College, Brisbane and a vote of thanks to all.

- Soumyadeep Paul

Junior school Christmas celebration-2017

Christmas is a time of celebration for each and everyone as it is famous for its unique and interesting celebration worldwide. 15th December was the day on which the whole junior school participated in their wonderful Christmas celebration. The decorations were exquisite and it all started by welcoming one and all and wishing them Merry Christmas. The story depicting the legends related to Christmas and the beautiful moments of Jesus Christ’s life started the program. Next was a divine prayer recited by the choir, accompanying a song of praise dedicated to Lord Jesus Following it, was a dance performance celebrating the values of life. Next up was the song ‘Countdown’ followed by a graceful dance on ‘lift up your hand in worship’ with the children tapping their feet perfectly to the tunes. The play was glorified by a special portion rejoicing Indian culture with an amazing dance performance on the traditional song ‘Mayna Cholat Cholat’. The show ended with the song ’Feliz Navidad’ as it was concluded by a sincere vote of thanks by Mrs. S. Pana, the Junior school co-coordinator. The function concluded amidst great pomp and show.

- Pratyush Das and Souvick Chakroborty

The 6th of December, 2017 was a very special day for our school. It was the day when St. Vincent’s school took the 2nd step towards the E.R.E.B.B. (Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders) program. It was on this auspicious morning that we welcomed Chris Mayes, the principal of St. Patrick’s Collage, Brisbane, along with his six fellow teachers, who were our guests from Australia. On this day, a cultural program was held in our school at the main assembly ground. The distinguished guests were escorted to their respective places in a very special way. The girls of class XI traditionally dressed in sarees, showered flowers on them. The head boy felicitated the guests by putting ‘Tika’ on their foreheads. After all this the program began. The program started with the hymn ‘Glory to the Lord’, sung by the middle school choir, and a fusion dance performance on ‘Aigiri Nandini’, depicting the various incarnations of Maa Durga. This was followed by the play ‘The Kabuliwala’ enacted by the students of classes 7 and 8, which was thoroughly enjoyed by our guests. It was a heart touching play showing the love and compassion of a father for his daughter. Soon after the play ended, the student’s of classes 7 and 8 performed some folk dances, giving an insight of our Indian culture to the guests from Australia. To end the day’s program, Br. G.Thomas, Mr. Chris Mayes and our Principal; Mr. R. Victor spoke a few words about the cultural program as well as the E.R.E.B.B. program. Then we were all sent back to our classes. This was not the end of entertainment for the guests. The next day on 7th of December, ‘the Aladdin’ play was to be performed by the students of class 9 and 11. The guests seemed to be excited and were looking forward to this because they were aware of the story of this play, since they had seen this play in some other places too. On the 7th of December, when the ‘Aladdin’ play was performed, it was a big hit since our guests found it really humorous, as it included a lot of subtle jokes, which made them laugh their jaws out. They praised it a lot, saying that it was the best ‘Aladdin’ play they had ever witnessed. That was all for the day’s program. On both these days, the six teachers had some interaction sessions with the students of the classes allotted to them, based upon the subjects they used to teach. In these sessions, they told us about themselves, their school in Australia, and the teaching pattern followed by them out there. They even taught us something from our syllabus to give us an example of teaching pattern followed by them. The students were free to ask anything they wished to. These interactions also enabled the foreign teachers to know something about the students here in India, and they could even point out the differences between the students here, and their own students. Both, the teachers and the students found these interactive classes to be very productive. The fun didn’t stop here either. On the 8th of December, a friendly cricket match was played between the guest

teachers and some boys from our school cricket team. This proved to be a fun activity, since cricket is of their favourite games. This acted as a cherry on the cake. All our guests enjoyed being here and they were looking forward to come again next year.

On 5th December, 2017, a group of our students met our guests from Australia for the first time at 7p.m. A visit to one of the most auspicious temple in town, locally popular as ‘Badi maidan’ was scheduled. The party gathered at the school campus that evening where introductions were made. This was the first direct interaction between our students, and the teachers who had come as a part of the E.R.E.B.B (Edmund Rice Education beyond Borders) program, all the way from Australia. Apart from getting used to the Aussie accent, the interaction proceeded smoothly. They set off from the school at about 7:30pm and arrived at the destination 20 minutes later. After the tilak and aarti,they entered the temple premises. The visiting teachers were fascinated by it all. They even participated by whispering ones wishes and problems in the ears of nandi, the messenger of lord Shiva. Later they were escorted to the temple committee for refreshments where Mr. Chris Mayes, respected principal of St. Patrick’s Collage, Brisbane delivered a speech of thanks for the warm welcome extended to them. For the next day, a trip to the Burnpur Gurudwara had been planned. As per the traditions, the group covered their heads and entered, leaving their shoes outside. While being seated they were told about “Guru Granth Sahib Ji” and how the sacred book was treated as a living being. They learned about the 10 gurus of the Sikhs and about the 5k’s i.e. Kesh, Kacha, Kirpan, Kanga and Kara. They were informed that the Gurudwara was open round the clock for anyone seeking shelter. The saffron colour sacred flag of the religion with the emblem of Khanda was put on a very tall pole so people could locate the gurudwara from far. After receiving kara Prasad, the visit came to an end. On 9th December, 2017 our guests were invited to Asha-Niketan - a home for specially – abled children within the school campus at 9:30 in the morning. They were welcomed warmly and presented souvenirs made by the children

themselves. The children put up a program show casing their singing and dancing skills. Rahul, one of the most intelligent child there, guided the guests around Asha Niketan. After having a marvelous time, our guests participated in a group dance, along with our respected principal and the head of the editorial board Mrs. J. Sabharwal The next destination on the itinerary was a village on the outskirts of Asansol where Mr.Debu-an ex-teacher of our school---- had built a farmhouse in order to provide education to the local tribal people. Our Australian guests were treated in a traditional way and later one of them Mr. Ben Niland-Rowe taught the students numerical on Simple Interest. They were full of appreciation for the noble work Debu sir was doing for the welfare of the Tribal people. The guests tried their hand at the drum and everybody joined in for a tribal dance

1) What did you enjoy the most in trip? What memories do you carry back from here? Ans. Patrick – The place is beautiful especially in the morning. I enjoyed the Aladdin play a lot. The action was great and the jokes in the play were nice. I was amazed by the hospitality and friendliness of everyone here. Troy-I was overwhelmed by the welcome we received. The students and teachers took so much trouble for our entertainment; the Aladdin play for example. The actors did a great job. The mornings are beautiful. The students are very hard working and have a lot of potential. That’s the difference between our students and Indian students. 2) How did you like the places you visited in Asansol? Which, one place, has left an indelible impression on your mind? Ans. Ben- The temples were fantastic. I was fascinated by the spiritual side of India.It was a worthwhile experience. Ans. Maree- The Sikh temple (gurudwara) was amazing, the chanting and music and everything. I was very impressed by Daljeet’s knowledge about temple and its history and the way she guided us around and explained things.

3) What is the layout of the classroom there? How is it different from ours? Ans. Troy- The layout is pretty similar except we have white boards and a projector instead of interactive boards. There is more interaction in our classes as we have around 25 students. The students often work in groups. All the classrooms are air conditioned. 4) What motivated you to choose teaching as a profession? Ans. Ben-I just want to give back to the society and contribute to the lives of the younger generation by helping them to achieve their goals. Patrick- It is an exciting profession. I get to meet new and different people every day. It’s very rewarding. Troy- Through this profession I get an opportunity to have contact with young people. Anne-Mariee- I kind of got into the profession accidently [laugh]. Every day is different and it is a challenge to see all the students the same way. Annette- I had a really good teacher in high school-dedicated and protective. That made me want to be a teacher. 5) What is the image you had in mind regarding India? Is it still the same or has it changed anyway? Ans. Annette- I had heard that Indian Students are very disciplined, studious, serious and hardworking and they really are. It has been very pleasant. The country is so colorful and the people are all friendly. I’m going back happy and surprised. Anne-Maree- It is my first visit to India. I had only watched Bollywood movies before. I expected a lot of bad smell and noise but the smells are beautiful. The smell of the Indian food is amazing. The sarees that Indian women wear are really beautiful . The Bharatnatyam attires were very pretty and bright. Troy- Everything here is extreme. It’s quite different from what we are used to. We received such a warm welcome. It was a rewarding experience. Patrick- I travel a lot and I have visited Asia but not India so I was glad to take up this opportunity. I think we all had sensory over load. There is a lot of happiness and joy all around here and I’ve never seen animals walk around me. There is lots of discipline in the school and our school and our children should learn that. Ben- The cultural barrier did not affect the interactions. We were able to understand each other and everyone was so happy to have us here. 6) What differences did you notice between our students and your students? Ans. Troy- The students here are more conscious and hard working. Especially Mathematics is of higher standard. Annette- Australian students don’t have the ambition that Indian students have. There is not much competition since everybody finishes high school and there are a lot of universities. India has fewer resources so the students work harder. Our students are too privileged. Anne-Maree-The Australian students are very lazy compared to the students here, they don’t reach their academic potential. Indian students are very respectful to elders too. Patrick- Our students are better at basket ball. (Laughs) 7) Which Indian food did you relish the most? Ans. Troy- The chutney that goes with roti is really good. (Laughs) Anne-Maree- Yes, roti.

The War of Words The debate contest of class 5’s and 6’s. The debate contest for 5’s and 6’s was held on 25th January, 2018. The program started with a welcome speech by our most honorable coordinator, Mrs. S.Mustafi. After the speech the rules of the contest were read out. There were 12 candidates altogether, 4 candidates from each section. Each of the candidates was given a number to wear. The numbers were ranging from 1 to 12. The program started with the class 5’s, in which the judges were Mr. S.Das, Ms. S.Beck and Ms. E.Gomes. The topic for class 5 was “Which is a better one? Nuclear family or Joint Family.” There was a bell which was rung twice, once at 3 minutes and once at 4 minutes. The judges had to give them marks upon 50. After the class 5’s there was the debate of class 6, in which the judges were Ms A.Kajur, Ms N.George and Ms. S.Das Gupta. The same rules applied to them too. The topic of class 6’s was “Technology is good”. There were boys speaking for and against topic. After all the classes had finished their speeches our coordinator thanked everyone for taking part in the program. Soon the winners were announced. From class 5’s, Somyadeep Chatterjee was first, Samoj Singh was second and Saswata Majee was third. And from class 6’s, Abhirup Roy was first, Piyush Dey was second and Souvik Chakraboty bagged the third prize.

The debate contest of class 7’s and 8’s.

A debate was organized on 31/1/18 for classes 7 and 8 of St. Vincent’s High and Technical School. It was held in the hall where all the students of class 7 and 8 had gathered to listen to the speakers speaking for and against the motion. Before the debate competition started Ms. Sonali Mustafi announced the names of the judges. They were Mrs. E.Gomes, Mr. P.Dutta and Mrs. N.George. The topic of the debate for class 7 was “Child labour cannot be stopped in India.” From each section 4 boys were selected, 2 spoke for the motion and two spoke against it. The debate was started by 7C. First came Trishanu Ganguly followed by Abhinav Ghatak both speaking for the motion. They both said that child labor provided money to many poor children with which they could make a living. In a country like India with a huge population living under poverty line, it seemed to be quite logical. Pratyush Das walked in next followed by Richik Nandi. Both of them spoke against the motion. The next class was 7B. Sneham Dawn and Brayden Mark D’Souza spoke for the motion. The boys were learning and understanding the debate very carefully because this was very important as told by the principal Mr. Ravi Victor. Next walked in Shubankar Bose followed by Swatik Ghosh who spoke against the motion. The next class was 7A. Shehasis Bala and Soumyadeep Paul spoke for the motion while Siddartha Ghosh and Aniket Das Chowdhary spoke against the motion. With this the first round of motion was concluded. The next round of motion was “Modern technology is good or bad.” The speaking time was 1-2 minutes. This was also spoken by the same speakers of class 7. The speakers who spoke against in the first round spoke against the motion in the second round too and the boys who spoke for in the first round spoke for the motion in the second round too. With this the debate of class 7 came to an end. The next debate was of class 8. Their topic was ‘Government should spend more on defence or health’. The boys put forth very strong points. The debate was very interesting and everyone listened with keenness. It was mind stimulating. Shivam Mallick of 8A and Asif Abdul Rajak spoke profusely and logically. With this the debate competition of class 7 and 8 came to an end.

The debate contest of class 9’s and 11’s. The inter-class debate competition for class IX was held on the 12th of February 2017-2018 hosted by Mr. Vikas Gaitano with all his expertise. The program was divided into two parts one for class IX and one for class XI. Each class was assigned a topic and four from each section took part, among them two were to speak in favor and two against the motion. Class IX’s were judged by Ms. J Sabharwal and Mr. Md Jabir. They were given the topic “Students are now influenced more by their friends than their parents”. One by one the participants came onto the stage and put their views forward. There was a set of rules read out at the onset. Each participant was allotted 3 minutes to speak and after that his/her opponents were given two minutes for rebuttal. They were judged on the basis of their diction, pronunciation and subject matter. Class XI’s were judged by Mrs. Anita Mathew and Mr. Thomas D’Cruz. They were assigned the topic “Money used in space research should be diverted to rural development”. It was an hour full of nerve racking stress and anxiety and there was a spirit to win in everyone. Some faltered while some stole the scene. It was a neck to neck competition but the winner could be only one. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from the senior school coordinator Mr. A Prakash. This competition gave a glimpse of the amount of knowledge and oratory skills possessed by them. It gave them an opportunity to put forward their views in front of the people and express themselves.

Farewell 2018

On 1st February , 2018 the students of classes IX and XI bid farewell to their seniors classes X and XII who would be appearing for ICSE and ISC respectively. By 8:15am in the morning, these, soon to be ex-students of St. Vincent’s were filling into the assembly ground. The boys dressed in immaculate suits looked imposing and the girls of class XII were looking gorgeous in saris. The function started with an introductory speech followed by a poem ‘Farewell to Thee’. Next up, the girls of classes XI performed a stunning fusion of classical and western daces. This was followed by a hilarious musical skit by class XIs highlighting the fun we can have only in our school life that had everyone in fits of laughter. The next event was perhaps the most highly anticipated part of an S.V.T.S farewell- the pageant that would determine the finalists who might be titled Mr. and Ms. Vincentian 2018. 30 boys from X and XII were selected through a Q &A round and the audience applauded as they strode elegantly down the ramp. Five of these boys were chosen to go to the next and final round i.e. the talk show. The girls of class XII then glided down the ramp, and five of them were selected for the talk show as well. A group of boys then gave a sensational dance performance on Bollywood songs that captivated the audience. The talk show which was also the final round of the pageant was the highlight of the program as everyone was on the edge, waiting to know who would be chosen as Mr. and Ms. Vincentian. The anchors for both the talk shows- girls and boys; put up questions to these finalists who answered them with ease. The competitive tension grew with every good answer but the suspense would continue as the winners were not to be announced yet. Our melodious singers then sang their hearts out to their seniors, who would be leaving soon. Up next was a very emotional skit, presented by class IX, highlighting all the memorable excerpts of school life that we all were surely going to miss in the future. This skit did make a few eyes misty in the audience. To gear up the mood, boys and girls of class XI performed an energetic and refreshing bhangra dance that had everyone tapping their feet. Then it was finally time to award the students. Harsh Agarwal of class XII, head boy 2017-2018 was titled Mr. Vincentian and Ms. Vincentian 2018, was Adrija Dutta of class XII. These awards were presented by Reverend Brother Thomas himself and the awards for runners ups – Pratham Lalwani from class X and Muskan Agarwal from XII were presented by our esteemed principal. Other awards were given out as well such as best Orator, Most Congenial, Philanthropist, etc. The head boy Harsh Agarwal and head girl Philomina Raj delivered speeches, each thanking the school for the experiences they had, had the memories they cherished and the life lessons they had learned. The head boy, overwhelmed with emotions told us how much he was going to miss his

school life and advised his juniors to cherish the school days while they lasted. The girls of class XI then walked down the ramp holding letters that said “good luck” and “god bless” as they bid adieu to their seniors. After all this, the students right from IX to XII went to the basketball court area where there were arrangements for a short DJ session. The XII were shown a power point presentation putting together moments spent in school. The X and XII were busy clicking selfies with everyone to capture moments they were going to miss. These students then had a healthy lunch and amidst much merry making the event came to a bitter-sweet end.

- Piyali Banerjee

It was the propitious day of 9/2/18, when we celebrated the golden Jubilee of brotherhood of our esteemed Reverend Brother Gabriel Thomas. A day when we applause those hundreds of memories with our beloved brother, which we cherish. We celebrated the most precious fifty years of his life. The program was held during the morning assembly and presented by a number of young talented hosts. It started with a few prayers thanking the almighty for such precious moments, for blessing us with such an inspiring soul. We presented the journey of fifty years in a very innovative manner bringing a bouquet through a student sitting in a ‘rickshaw’ and while the rickshaw reached the school, the man spoke with the rickshaw puller giving a description of Brother’s journey. We knew about Brother’s fascination for old Bollywood numbers and therefore we decided to amuse or rather surprise him with a tuneful combination of old numbers and a foot tapping retro dance presented by the new generation of students from class XI. It really served the purpose, as we could see Brother go back into that golden era of his youth, while humming the tunes. The function ended with an emotional teary-eyed speech and we hope to hear more of such heart touching and inspirational speeches from such an influential personality.

JUST FETE On 17th October, 2017 St. Vincent’s had organized a fete for the inmates of various local NGOs. This event was put

together by the students of Class X, XII and the members of the Social Justice Club under the guidance of the teachers assigned.

The purpose behind this event was to give them a chance to experience a fair, play and win fun-filled games, enjoy themselves to

the fullest and leave the school gates with lots of happy memories, armful of gifts and huge smiles.

The NGOs that participated in this event and made it successful are Asha Deep, Nayi Disha, Ankur Vidyalaya, Missionaries of

Charity and Muktangan Group.

Asha Deep is a home for destitute girls, which was established in 2012. There were 14 young girls who attended the fete.

The purpose of this organization is to educate the orphan girls so that they may stand on their own feet and earn a place in

society. The girls remain in the home until the age of 18. Currently the eldest is 16 years old.

Nayi Disha was established as a school for poverty-ridden children on 10th August, 2002. Its purpose is to educate poor

children from 5 to 14 years of age who were found begging at the Asansol Railway Station. The children are given a free meal every

day and their health is also looked after along with their education. The children go to open school and some children, helped

through this initiative, are able to earn their own living now.

Ankur Vidyalaya, an off-shoot of Loreto Convent Asansol, is a full-fledged literacy program within the school campus. It was

established on 10th July, 1991 and girls aged 5 years and more are admitted irrespective of caste and creed. The purpose of this

initiative is to reach out to the needy and the deprived and to share the benefits of studying in a good regular school with the less

fortunate. Since 1997, a few candidates have been prepared for the Board Examination of the National Open School.

Missionaries of Charity is a home for both male and female destitutes of all ages. It was established in the year 1965 with

the objective of taking care of destitutes, orphans, the differently abled, the aged and anyone who is in need of help, the poorest

of the poor, without charge and regardless of their religion and social status.

- Piyali Banerjee

Donation of warm clothes The social justice group and the interact club on a joint venture visited two different NGOs namely, Muktangan and Ashadeep. We were guided by two of our teachers Mr. N. Shaw and Ms. Dokiana. We had collected winter garments from different classes who wished to contribute for this noble cause. We had been collecting those garments from 3 days and finally gave them to the children of Muktangan and Ashadeep. It was a great experience for us as we got to interact with the children out there and realized the importance of sharing. The smile that we saw on their faces was a rewarding experience and kindled in us the emotions of helping and sharing with the needy.

- Komal Kour

Pratyush Pande was felicitated by the governor of West Bengal

for his extraordinary performance in the ICSE exams 2K16-17.