Annual Day 2015-2016 – Breaking Free of Limitations

The 8^th Annual Day celebration of Jyotirmay International School was a resounding success – more so, because many of the star performers broke free of their own limitations. Teachers are still beaming with pride because some of the children had managed to surprise and inspire them with their talent and gumption. Read some of the anecdotes and observations from teachers as well as parents who were enchanted by these spunky children stepping into the limelight for the very first time in their lives. 

When the cute little cherubs from Daffodils and Marigolds were guided on to the stage by their teacher for a Garba, the rest of their pre-primary teachers waited in the wings with bated breaths, ready to go onstage and lend support to their wards. Undaunted by the blinding lights the little ones stole all hearts with their flawless performance and set the standard for the afternoon’s entertainment. These tiny tots came back later with another charming dance performance to the song “Give me a Song to Sing”. 

Daffodils and Marigolds dancing to "Give me a Song to Sing"

Mixed group dance performance spreading cheer and happiness

Two more performances by young children from Ivy, Basil and Amber, and the pre-primary section touched all hearts. The “Story of a Flower” aptly depicted the values which the school holds dear, about every bud blooming when the time is right. According to their teacher, all the children had become emotionally connected to this inspiring skit during their rehearsals. 

Skit presentation titled "Story of a Flower"

However, a backstage incident preceding this act had everyone in a tizzy when one of the children suddenly wanted to go into the audience and meet his parents! With commendable crisis management by our Admin the performance went on brilliantly without a hiccup; the wandering child became a happy actor.

Parents who had joined us for the Annual Sports Day Fest at Jyotirmay International School campus, will remember the Zumba fitness demonstration with the hoops. On popular demand, children from Clover and Iris put up a classy Latin American inspired Zumba dance performance which had the audience tapping their feet to the beat. 

The Zumba dance performers wowed viewers with their grace and talent

With their stellar performance in the Hindi skit on Child Labour, the children from Coral and Saffron drew a huge round of applause from the audience and all the teachers. Many shy children had turned into confident actors onstage on that day! 

A sobering message coming from our children

Another pleasant surprise which drew a smile on teachers’ faces came in the Marathi song “Pavsachi Sar Aali Gammat Zhaali Gammat Zhaali” – little Arnav who was stage-shy all through the practice sessions, belted out confidently with a powerful voice and improvised the performance. 

Marathi song performed by Ivy, Basil & Amber

One of the outstanding features of the cultural fest was a skit titled “A Radio Show” which was performed by students of Clover, Iris, Coral and Saffron under the able guidance of their teachers Priyanka, Somishala and Neha. The unseen actors behind the curtain had their audience in splits with their well-timed and seamless dialogue delivery in this humorous piece. An anecdote here is about the children tutored to speak into the microphone remembering and visually borrowing it from each other.

"Agobai Dhagobai" brought up nostalgic smiles for many!

Following an endearing Marathi song and dance about shifting clouds titled, “Agobai Dhagobai” by Ivy, Basil and Amber, came the pièce de résistance. 

The adaptation of the classic fairy-tale Peter Pan titled “Chasing Neverland” was enacted by the senior students from Aster upwards. Under the encouraging guidance of their music and drama teacher Somishala these students rose to the occasion and took charge of the entire production. 

Chasing Neverland - a grand performance by the seniors

Fatema Ezzi as Wendy in Chasing Neverland

From preparing the backdrop, their own props and costumes to coming in for rehearsals and recordings on holidays their team effort made it a huge success. Of the two primary actors of this skit, Ziad Khan who played Peter Pan is fairly new to the school having joined at the beginning of the second term; he surprised everyone including the drama teacher with his confidence. For Fatema Ezzi who played Wendy, owning the stage was a revelation: this shy and quiet girl underwent a transformation and was rewarded by a standing ovation from her father. 

With the decision to make this year’s Annual Day function a grand show in a professional auditorium at the Mahatma Phule Sanskrutik Bhavan, teachers and students at Jyotirmay International School have raised the bar. More importantly, the children enjoyed every moment of practice, the limelight and their individual accomplishments.