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On behalf of all of us at the Durga Das Foundation and Strawberry Fields, wishing each one of you a happy Republic Day. It is a momentous feeling to live in a free country where we can exercise our free will, exercise our choices, form opinions and follow our path. Let us take a moment to thank all those who laid down their lives to give us a free country.

It maybe a good idea to watch the live parade that is beamed from Rajpath on the morning of the 26th. In the days prior to mobile phones and multi-channel television, we would love to snuggle up in our quilts, park ourselves in front of our black and white television sets and feel a patriotic surge as we watched the march past and the different state “jhankis”. These were a window to our world, and the rest of the country. Even today, you will see just how diverse and culturally rich we are. Let’s celebrate this and more.

Best wishes,

Atul Khanna

Swami Vivekananda said…

Most of my speeches are extempore…

Take up one idea … Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea.

Extempore is the art of public speaking that is carried out without preparation or forethought. It puts to test one’s ability to think on the spot and also their spontaneity. Effective extempore speaking always has the purpose of the presentation and the impact on the audience at its heart. The most integral part of the speech is that it should be long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create the interest amongst the audience.

Surmounting the complexity of a virtual platform, the students of classes 5 and 6 successfully managed to deliver a spectacular performance in this competition organized on 11th December 2020. Their feisty and perfect elocution was praiseworthy. The self-assurance and conviction showcased by the students on this digital platform exemplified their ability to triumph over all the challenges amid this pandemic. The show that witnessed stiff competition was judged by a panel of eminent faculty members of the school.

The winners of the event were:

Class 5:

1st position – Krishiv Gupta of El Maa House

2nd position – Arjun Singh Dhatt of Aether House

3rd position – Ayanna Jain of Agni house

Class 6:

1st position –  Siddhraj Singh Bajwa of El Maa House

Arjun Bedi of El Maa House

2nd position – Nirvan Goyal of Aether House

Aasma of Agni House

3rd position – Bani Sethi of Aether House

Every moment of our life is unscripted like an extempore competition. Perhaps that is the beauty of it. This competition was one such platform which assisted the students not only in thinking on their own but also in voicing their creative ideas with precision and in a crisp manner. They got an opportunity to exhibit their talent and confidence.

The students of Strawberry Fields High School made their presence felt at this year’s tGELF Junior Achievement Company Program. With Aadidev Agarwal, Devashish Vij, Ibaadat Bains and Damanpreet Lobana acting as the Board of Directors and the business studies department’s careful coordination, they secured a special mention in the LEAD Company of the Year Competition (COY) from among 12 schools across India, in the final round. With each stage of the competition’s process, the judges made an assessment of the company on required parameters – the skills needed to run a company, the financial acumen to manage the financial aspect of the enterprise and the network and mindset to start the business. As the world around us changes and descends into chaos, one thing remains constant- our need to connect. The students formed the company, ‘Consilium’, a virtual event management company, which succeeded in bringing authentic experiences that happen to take place behind a screen. With engaging and educational events, the start-up helps to translate people’s dreams into reality in the digital age, as well as equipping Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG)

After two days of rich and stimulating debate, the Strawberry Fields High School Parliamentary Debate Championship finally, drew to a close. The championship concluded on a chilly November evening. Swathed in the instrumental tracks of Richard Clayderman, the closing ceremony kicked off with the screening of our closing video, filled with behind-the-scenes clippings of the conference. Afterward, we welcomed our Chief Guest for the evening, Ms. Lippi Parida,

She is a New Delhi based author, poet, and artist who has been the recipient of the 2018 national award, ‘Make in India’ for her work in the creative field. She has also published two novels, one based on her grandfather’s life, ‘Aja’s House’, and the other which was a take on the unrest in Odisha during the 2015 Nabakalebara ceremony, a one of a kind ceremony in the whole world. Her enlightening and erudite address enamored participants and students, inspiring them to take charge of their lives and making a difference.

The Organising Committee, along with the three convenors were introduced and applauded for their efforts and hours of hard work. Swiftly moving on, we began with the Awards Ceremony. The Best Speaker was Kabir Beotra from the Shri Ram School Moulsari, the Runners-up Team consisted of three young women from Modern High School For Girl Kolkata. The Best Team was from the Cathedral and John Connon School Mumbai. We were also greatly honored to have Cathedral’s Dean, Mrs. M. Isaacs, present at the ceremony, to welcome and congratulate the awardees.

The much-awaited Sixth Edition of the Strawberry Fields High School Parliamentary Debate Championship began today with an engaging and inspiring inaugural ceremony. Although conducted on an online platform for the very first time, due to unprecedented circumstances, this did not hamper the spirit of the enthusiastic participants.

The morning unfurled with the viewing of a captivating opening video that highlighted the art of debating from the lens of women. Then, the Keynote Speaker for the morning was welcomed. Lieutenant General Kamal Jit Singh, who retired as the general officer commanding-in-chief of Western Command, has since then been conferred with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair of Excellence, in Punjab University and appointed as Advisor to the Chief Minister of Haryana. A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Bar, he addressed the audience and shared his experience and wisdom on various parliamentary systems and the qualities of a great debater.

We were then joined by our Chief Guest, Ms. Barkha Dutt, a trailblazer in the field of Indian Journalism, a recipient of the Padma Shri, and an award-winning reporter, columnist, and author. Ms. Dutt highlighted the necessity of being a confident speaker and asserted the importance of co-curricular activities along with academic focus. One of the few journalists of her stature, ready to go out onto the field, even during the Pandemic, Ms. Dutt’s address was truly inspiring. The ceremony ended on a high note, as the adjudicators and participants began preparations for the beginning of a long, busy day with the release of the tabs and the motions.

The High School witnessed an exciting Mathematics Quiz “ Math Pi-Rater Challenge 2020”, on a virtual platform where 10 teams with four participants in each team from grade IX to XII competed against each other in a backbreaking competition.

The quiz began with ‘Scale the Ladder’ round in which the teams had to attempt as many questions as they could in 90 seconds. The round ended up with top five teams reaching the next round, that was called, ‘Catch me if you can’ which tested the grit of the teams. This round culminated in two teams which were to compete for the title, ‘Pi – Rater 2020’.

The final two teams had to crack three questions within the least time. ‘Team Ninja’, comprising of Arhaan Aggarwal, Ahan Jain and Krishiv Bansal of classes, 12, 11, 10 and 9 respectively, solved the questions in barely two minutes and bagged the title –‘Pi -Rater 2020’.

Committed to wheels is this young cycling enthusiast from SFHS, studying in Class 10-A. Jai Dogra’s passion for this Sport, his hard work and determination has helped him to win the Trophy in the Sub-junior Boy’s Category of the ‘29^th Chandigarh Road Cycling Championship’, recently held in Chandigarh. He also bagged Gold Medals in Under 17 and Under 19 categories of, ‘Time, Trial and Mass Start’. We applaud such a young talent!

A mindset that seeks not to fear ‘fear’ itself and a will to delineate one’s own path is what makes an entrepreneur unparalleled to others in the business world, said Ashish Jhina as he delivered the keynote address at the much anticipated first online edition of the Strawberry Fields High School Commerce Fest on 21^st November. A man who has experienced the nuances of corporate culture, broadened the audience’s horizons with his inspiring words. From co-founding NextDrop and JumboTail to working with the Boston Consulting Group, this notable alumnus of Stanford University has done it all. The novel event which aimed at testing how far the participants business acumen will take them, was organized by Aadidev Agarwal, Devashish Vij, Damanpreet Lobana and Ibaadat Bains from the commerce batch of grade 12.

With an impressive line-up of 200 thought-provoking competitors from multiple fields spanning from twenty-four schools across the country with equal emphasis on the speakers and judges from a plethora of fields for the event, we’ve witnessed great displays of analytical skills, creativity and intelligence.

Trial by Trivia, moderated by our quizmaster Mr. Chitranjan Agarwal, left some participants bewildered in areas of commerce and current affairs whereas some leapt ahead using their intellect – Scottish High International won this event.

Mock Stock was a real time stimulation of the Indian stock market, testing how far the participants investments and decisions affect their cash and equities. In AD-Wars, the companies designed advertisements for a flavor of fruit juices whilst getting their creative juices flowing for which St. John’s High School took the lead. Lastly, Crisis Averted and PitchForce emphasized on resolving publicity conundrums, the managerial aspects of the company and fostering human resources. With Yadavindra Public School winning first prize in Mock Stock as well as PitchForce and Springdale Senior School winning Crisis Averted.

As the Closing Ceremony commenced on 22^nd November, we welcomed Mr. Atul Khosla and his journey of five inspiring stories which led him to be the Founder and Pro Vice Chancellor of Shoolini University. Whilst enlightening us to dream big, he took us through his experiences of living by his values and the art of perfection. His wisdom led us to believe conviction, tenacity, passion and last but not least a smile goes a long way in the business world.

The zeal with which participants pitched their ideas, advertised their companies and deliberated on various other financial matters was truly inspiring and has left us all looking forward to returning to the same competitive environment in the years to come.

-Shaina Singh

This challenging year has not deterred the spirits of the children at SFHS. We proudly announce that Avisha Chaudhry of Class 9-A participated in the State Cycling Championship held on 7th and 8th November, 2020 and won 2 Gold medals in the Women Youth category. Congratulations to you Avisha!