PASCH
Fit 1 Prize Distribution at Goethe Institut
On 11th December 2024, 5 MHSG students of Class 8 and 9 received special prizes from Frau Astrid Wege, the Director of Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata for their excellent performance in the Fit1 Examinations. The names of the students are Dhriti Banerjee, Vanisha Jain, Udita Mallik, Aarshi Roy Bishnu and Kashvi Chaturvedi
Fit in Deutsch is a German exam for young people between the ages of 10 and 16. It certifies that candidates have acquired basic language skills and corresponds to the first level (A1) on the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Buntes Miteinander - Vielfalt erleben (Shillong Camp)
Six German Learners of Class 8 were selected for the youth camp "Buntes Miteinander - Vielfalt erleben". The project was a collaboration between Goethe-Institut Kolkata and Delhi. The camp was held at Ri Shat Sngi Orchid Resort in Shillong from 25th to 28th November 2024. The students took part in various German workshops and other exciting group activities. They also visited the Sacred Forests and the EFL University. There they had an interactive session with the students.
Jugend gestaltet Zukunft Lonavala Camp
From 16th to 21st November 2024 German learners of both Modern High School for Girls and Modern High School International, took part in a youth camp - “Jugend gestaltet Zukunft”, in Lonavla, Maharashtra. The Jugend gestaltet Zukunft initiative aimed to promote the German language and culture, but also focused on the sustainable development of children and young people. Participants created a play town centered on the theme of “Schools of the Future.” Through this engaging, hands-on experience, they reflected on their educational journey and envision ways to build sustainable schools.
The “Spielstadt” (play town) approach offered participants a chance to explore the educational systems of India and Germany, while reimagining what schooling could look like in the future. Through learning by doing, students took on roles such as school authorities, teachers, parents, students, youth welfare officers, ministers, and even a mayor.
In the program’s kick-off workshops, participants learned about sustainability goals and how to integrate these into their designs. Throughout the activity, teams identified areas for improvement and presented their ideas in a School Parliament. The outcome included a mini exhibition of their concepts and a three-minute video in German, where they highlighted measures for building a sustainable school.
German Exchange Programme - 2024
On 16th September, Team MHS began its 7th Austausch Programm with 10 Students from both MHSG and MHSI. They were accompanied by Mrs. Bina Ghosh and Ms. Priyanka Kali. The Team first visited Berlin, where they met their partners from Gesamtschule Ükendorf, Germany and explored the city together.
The history of mining in the Ruhr area, particularly in Gelsenkirchen, began in the 19th century with the rapid industrialization of Germany. The city became a key center for coal production, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth. Over the decades, numerous coal mines were established, leading to a population boom and urban development. However, the industry faced decline in the late 20th century, leading to mine closures and economic challenges. Today, Gelsenkirchen has transitioned towards post-industrial regeneration, focusing on services and technology while preserving its rich industrial heritage.
The Group visited the Bezirksbürgermeisterin Frau Marion Thielert (Vice Mayor of Gelsenkirchen )
Regional International German Youth Camp in Sri Lanka
Two students from MHSG were given scholarships for the Regional International Youth Camp by Goethe Institut in Negombo, Sri Lanka, from 23.09 – 27.09.2024. It is a part of the ongoing International Project "Dreamland Deutschlands?" . The camp was an excellent opportunity for the students to explore comic writing and drawing, learn more about living and studying in Germany, as well as to make new friends from all over South Asia.
Kästner Kaleidescope
On 19th September the 125th anniversary of the famous German author Erich Kästner was celebrated from 19th - 21st September 2024. The event included engaging workshops, an interactive exhibition, and a special film screening at Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata. German learners of Class 9 and 10 participated on 19th September, in a day long programme, which was commenced in the presence of Ms.A.Jeske, Deputy General Consul, Kolkata and Ms. Wege, Director of Goethe-Institut Kolkata. The interactive exhibition specially designed for the students, celebrating the works and milestones of Erich Kästner. The exhibition encouraged viewers to reflect on key themes such as individuality, friendship, the love for reading, and other life lessons that Kästner explores in his stories. Another parallel workshop which was called Deutschland zur Zeit von Erich Kästner was conducted by Mr. Matthias Dünnwald (in German). Another Workshop was the Flying Classroom by ThinkArts (in English) which explored Kästner's book The Flying Classroom and its themes of courage, friendship, and resilience through an engaging story-based session. Yet another workshop was called Wisdom of the Young: Play, Reflect, and Create: Wisdom of the Young: Play, Reflect, and Create by Ms. Trishala Kanakia (in English) where the students explored teamwork, freedom, leadership, and courage, inspired by Kästner’s works.
Multilingual Photo Dictionary of Indian Homes - Project in Mahabaleshwar
The German Learners of Class 8 were selected for the very interesting "Multilingual Photo Dictionary of Indian Homes" project organised by Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan. It took part in three phases. After the online orientation, the participants independently visited and documented homes in their local areas, capturing observations through photographs, interviews, and notes. This initiative offered a unique opportunity for students to delve into the diverse realities of Indian homes and document them through a multilingual lens, incorporating English, German, and regional Indian languages. From 23rd - 26th August the students took part in a four-day workshop in Mahabaleshwar, where they took part in an explorative workshop conducted by Gaurav Juyal, Host Disney’s Art Attack, India.
mitDenken – PhilosophyTalks
From 1st -3rd July 2024, German Learners of Class 9 participated in an interesting project named "mitDenken – PhilosophyTalks" , commemorating the 300th birth anniversary of Immanuel Kant at the Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan. The project aimed to celebrate philosophy through a series of engaging workshops designed for young, curious minds. The workshops focused on everyday concepts, critical thinking, thought experiments, and respectful expression of opinions. On the final day the parents and teachers were also invited to attend a session where the young philosophers presented what they had learned and conducted an interesting class for all.
Session on Anna Blume by ThinkArts on 13th July
ThinkArts conducted a workshop in collaboration with Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhawan on Anna Blume. 30 German Learners of Class7 participated in this exciting workshop.
Anna Blume
Anna Blume was born in Westphalia, Prussia, Germany, on 21 April 1936. She studied art at the Staatliche Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf from 1960 to 1965. She enjoyed having the same name as Kurt Schwitters' imaginary figure, Anna Blume. Anna created installations, sequences of large photo scenes and, mostly in the 1990s, Polaroids. She also created drawings. She staged and photographed scenes in which she appeared herself, with objects taking on a "life" of their own.
Football German with Moves
On 29th of June 2024 German Learners of Class 7 and Class 8 participated in an exciting workshop, ‘Football German with Moves’, in celebration of UEFA at Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan. The workshop was very engaging and interactive and was designed to combine the fun of football with the learning of German language, providing an opportunity for students to enhance their language skills while enjoying the spirit of the sport.
DeutschDialogTreff
Two more sessions of the "DeutschDialogTreff," which aimed to provide a unique opportunity for German language students to enhance their language speaking skills in an informal setting, took place with the same students of Class 10 and some students from Class 9.
"DeutschDialogTreff" is designed to offer students a platform to practice speaking German outside the traditional classroom environment. They got a chance to meet and engage with their peers, thereby improving their speaking abilities and social skills. The sessions covered a range of interesting topics tailored to different age groups and interests.
DeutschDialogTreff 24th April
On 24th April 2024 students of Class 10 of MHSG participated in an innovative project called "DeutschDialogTreff," at the Goethe-Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata. It was designed to offer students a platform to practice speaking German outside the traditional classroom environment. Through interactive sessions, students had a chance to meet and engage with peers, thereby improving their speaking abilities and social skills. The session covered a range of interesting topics tailored to different age groups and interests.
German Exchange Programme - India Visit - March 2024
German Exchange Programme - India Visit The German Learners of Modern HighSchool hosted their Exchange Partners from Gesamtschule Ückendorf and RicardaHuch Gymnasium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany from 5th -18thMarch 2024. This completed the cycle of the German Exchange Programme, which started with the visit of Indian Students to Germany in November 2023. The contingent was greeted by Mrs. Kar, the Director, along with the principals of MHSG and MHSI, Mrs Damayanti Mukherjee and Mrs Nandini Ghatak. With two weeks of learning about various Art Works from India like Tie and Dye, Gala Workshop,Pattachitra to the city tour of Kolkata, the students got hands-on experience of Indian Culture. They also had two exciting and interactive sessions with the German Consul General Frau Barbara Voss in MHS premises and with the President of Goethe Institut, Prof.Dr.Carola Lentz, from Munich in the premises of Goethe institut.
On the 16th Of March the Exchange Programme was closed with an exhibition of all the end products (work done by the exchange Students of both the countries) of the Exchange Project , which was a colourful and diverse expression of the participants in different forms like Dance, photography and portrait building along with others as mentioned above .
We hope to continue this journey of friendship and exchange of cultural flavours , art , ideas and love in the coming years.
Christmas at Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata
The German language students of Class 6 of Modern High School for Girls attended a Christmas celebration on the 18th of December 2023 Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata. The event had a range of engaging activities, including art and craft workshops, baking sessions, and Christmas carol singing. Also to enhance the cultural experience, they also had some German delicacies .
German Exchange Programme - 2023
German Exchange Programme commenced on Friday, 27th October, 2023. 20 German students from MHSG & MHSI along with 2 teachers travelled Germany.
Science-Based Edutainment Show
The German learners from MHS visited Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata on 11th October 2023, to view and participate in the science-based edutainment show conducted by Mr. Joachim Hecker. Mr. Joachim Hecker is a distinguished German science journalist, children's book author, and science entertainer with a wealth of knowledge and experience in making science engaging and accessible to young minds.
Deutschland Club - German Movie
A three day movie session was conducted for Deutschind members at MHSI Hall. The students watched the German Movie - "Fliegende Klassenzimmer" and enjoyed the experience followed by a fun-filled session conducted by Ms.Anita Mitra ( Education Cooperation Officer) and Ms.Palak Kothari from the Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan.
German Exchange Programme 2023
In context to the upcoming German Exchange Program the students and teachers were invited to have an interactive session with Consul General Ms. Barbara Voss in the premises of the German Consulate, Kolkata . The students asked several questions in relation to the culture and science related to both the countries. The session was extremely helpful in preparing the participants for their forthcoming visit to Germany at the end of October., 2023. The students also participated in an Inter Cultural Workshop at the Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan on 5th October, 2023.
German Olymiad at the Goethe Institut
International German Olympiad 2024 is scheduled to take place in Göttingen from 15.07.2024– 22.07.2024. This prestigious event involves multiple selection rounds at regional and national levels, culminating in the selection of three finalists who will have the honour of representing our country in Germany. Anandini Sengupta and Royina Chatterjee represented MHS for the first round of selection at the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata on 9th October 2023.
Deutschind Club -Schuhplatter Dance
Octoberfest is a much awaited festival celebrated in Germany at the end of September.
Deutschind members choreographed the Schuhplatter dance and had a face off. The Schuhplatter dance is performed during Oktober Fest.
The Schuhplattler is a traditional style of folk dance popular in the Eastern Alps, specifically originating from Upper Bavaria, Tyrol, and Salzburg. In this dance, the performers stomp, clap, and strike the soles of their shoes (Schuhe), thighs, and knees with their hands held flat (platt).
DigiVerse Youth Camp in Sri Lanka May 2023 - Newspaper
News about DigiVerse Youth Camp in Sri Lanka, organized by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata in collaboration with Goethe- Institut Colombo and New Delhi from May 28 to June 2, 2023, was recently published in a Sri Lankan Newspaper.
DigiVerse Youth Camp in Sri Lanka May 2023
Four 10th Standard students of Modern High School were selected from the Kolkata Region to participate in the DigiVerse Youth Camp in Sri Lanka, organized by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata in collaboration with Goethe- Institut Colombo and New Delhi from May 28 to June 2, 2023. The camp aimed to promote media literacy among young students, and was held at Centauria Lake Resort in Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka.
In the camp they had fun working in teams on podcasts with the help of the faculty members. They also had fun making new friends and went sightseeing. Along with that every morning they had “Morgen Aktivitäten” like Zumba, a walk through the Village. The Camp ended with the podcast presentations made by the students and a talent show.
German Austausch Programme
German Austausch Programme
The German learners of Modern High School for Girls participated in the virtual Exchange Programme with their partner school, Gesamtschule Ückendorf, Germany in November 2022. The topic this year was - Waste Management. From designing logos on the theme to meeting German partners on virtual platforms, this exchange was a fruitful experience for one and all. Not only did it provide the students a window to explore other cultures but also introduced them to the concept of using plastic waste to create eco bricks as a cheap, simple and effective solution to the giant problem of waste management.
AUSTAUSCH 23
Austausch 2023 was held in the Month of January, 2023 with 22 Students of Class 7 of Modern High School for Girls and 22 Students of Ricada-Huch-Gymnasium, Germany in collaboration with Goethe Institut Kolkata under the Pasch Programme. In this month-long virtual exchange programme the students showed great enthusiasm in working with each other and exchanging ideas in the course of three online workshops. The theme of the Project was Unsere Erde ist verletzlich – Wie können wir sie schützen (Our earth is vulnerable - How can we protect it?). The focus of the project was given mainly to the reduction Carbon Footprint, sustainable living and the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) The students also worked on how to bring about eco-friendly changes in their lives in order to contribute to the conservation of our planet for the sake of the future generations. The exchange programme provided exposure to the students to global issues and enabled them to think responsibly and take a step towards becoming conscientious and empathetic global citizens.
AUSTAUSCH 23 - MHS
German workshop
On 7th February, 2023 the students of Modern High School for Girls attended a workshop on story-telling on the topic, "HOME". It was conducted by Monica Caltieni and Kavita Gupta at the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata. "Home" is a broad concept and at the same time a very personal one. It is made up of images, sounds and smells and is peopled by our loved ones and our myriad experiences. With this concept in mind, the students had an interactive session of story-writing and story-telling about their own homes. It was a fun-filled session allowing the students to explore their skills of imagination and creation which ended with Swiss Chocolates for all.
IBDP German students of Modern High School for Girls who had appeared for the Fit 2 exams were given a chance to go to a German Camp in Sikkim in late September, 2022. The camp comprised students from Delhi and Kolkata and faculty members from the Goethe Institute. They were put up at a resort on the outskirts of Gangtok, in the midst of mountains and visited iconic landmarks such as the Mall Road. The camp experience was highly enriching as the students explored new places, interacted with people from different cities and schools and also nurtured their love for the German language, that too in a fun way: by cooking from German recipes, making podcasts in German and editing German skits. Overall, the camp was a huge success enabling students to be independent and creative.
Digital Pasch Youthcamp in Germany attended by Ananya Mishra
Ananya Mishra from IGCSE Year 2 won a scholarship to attend the Digital PASCH Youth Camp 2022, held from 09.05.22 – 20.05.22 which was organised by Goethe Institut, Germany. Ananya has shared her experience of the same:
The PASCH Youth Camp organised by Goethe Institute from 9th May to 20th May 2022 was an incredibly enriching and exciting experience. Despite being held online this year, the team at Goethe Institute managed to make the camp as educational and enjoyable as possible. I got to interact with individuals from all over the country as well as other South-Asian countries, such as Bangladesh. Over the course of the camp, everyone got friendly with each other while making pleasant memories. I felt like the most important part of the camp was that we covered important topics such as Saving Energy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Water Management and Education for All in an interesting and interactive manner. We even got the opportunity to interact with our peers from Germany and learn about their culture and education system while sharing ours with them. The scholarship course gave me the opportunity to refine and polish my speaking and communication skills in German. It also improved my ability to work in teams and interact with others, as we did several team activities in breakout sessions. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while gaining and enhancing several skills. I’ll be taking back numerous memories from the camp.
MHS GERMAN FEST TREFFPUNKT 2021
Modern High School for Girls hosted Treffpunkt 2021, a three-day multicultural extravaganza from 16th December to 18th Dec. It started in the year 2011 and has now grown into a global event with students participating from different countries in Europe and Asia. This year Treffpunkt was held virtually with schools from Russia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Treffpunkt 2021 was conducted by MHS students in collaboration with Goethe-Institut. As a PASCH school, MHS gets a tremendous amount of support from Goethe Institut.
The fest had 180 participants from 32 Schools, German faculty members, Workshop Trainers, judges and guests from Goethe Institut /Max Mueller Bhawan, Kolkata and Indo German Chamber of Commerce. The first day started with the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony was graced by Mrs. Devi Kar (Director of MHS), Frau Astrid Wege (Director of Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata) and Ms.Anita Mitra (Education Cooperation Officer of Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhawan). Then the German Faculty members of MHS- Ms.Bina Ghosh, Ms.Asmita Chatterjee and Ms. Sarika Dhir introduced the various sessions of the fest.
It was followed by two workshops and corresponding competitive events. The first workshop was on sustainable cooking and it was a non-fire event. It was conducted by three mentors Ms.Bina Ghosh, Ms. Dunja Heinrich, Ms. Swapna Kar. In this workshop, the participants learnt about using local sustainable ingredients and making the best out of leftover or seasonal food. The corresponding event was judged by Ms. Kasturi Sil and Ms. Laura Cadio.
The second workshop was Creating a Photostory, conducted by Ms.Luka Alagiyawanna, where the participants learned about various aspects of photography as well as expressing their country and culture through a photo story. The judges for the corresponding event were Ms.Sarmistha Banerjee and Mr.Rrivu Banerjee.
Day 2
The second day started with a Graphic Designing Workshop, conducted by Ms.Sushmita Biswas, where the participants illustrated the sustainable development goals of the UN using the skill of graphic design. The corresponding event was judged by Mr.Gaurav Juyal and Ms.Maha Jafarey.
The second workshop was a very exciting Dance workshop conducted by Ms.Arjama Dasgupta. The participants learned the techniques of Jamaican Street Dance and grooved to the tune of the German music band, Raggabund.
Finally, the day’s events were wrapped up with a 45 minute session centered around the thought of the German way of Living and Being, which was conducted by our PASCH Alumni in collaboration with Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan and the Indo German Chamber of Commerce. The first of the four sessions was on Higher Studies and Career Opportunities in Germany on Friday conducted by Ms.Yukta Raj. A special thanks to Ms. Sabina Pandey, (The Regional Director of Indo German Chamber of Commerce) for her valuable inputs and Herr Marco Krinowski (Fulda University) in our session on Higher Studies in Germany. The rest of the three sessions were conducted on day 3.
Day 3
On the last day of Teffpunkt 2021 there were 3 back to back sessions on German way of Living and Being - German for Pre Beginners, conducted by Ms.Mayukhi Ghosh, where the students got a feel of the language and how to learn German in a jiffy. The last two sessions were for Beginners, conducted by Ms.Palak Kothari and Mr.Rrivu Banerjee, where they engaged the students in playing some fun vocabulary games.
All sessions of German Way of Living and Being were live streamed on YouTube.
The Treffpunkt 2021 was concluded with speech from Frau Veronika Taranzinskaja (Head of the PASCH project), Mrs Damayanti Mukherjee (MHS Principal), (MHS German Faculty Members) Ms.Bina Ghosh, Ms.Asmita Chatterjee and Ms. Sarika Dhir.
German event: European day of Languages 2021
This is an online workshop European day of Languages 2021 from 06.September - 10.September, 2021 with students from all around South Asia. In collaboration with the German, Spanish and French Embassies the event showcased a plethora of workshops, film screenings, exhibitions and interactions in an online format on the theme culture, language and diversity. The film making workshop was a fun filled workshop where students were taught some new skills on video editing, such as animations. They also learned the use of abstract images and videos to express some meaningful messages. The concept of visual poetry was also introduced. Ishani Dey and Sonakshi Roy of Class 8 from MHS had participated in this event.
German event: Pasch Camp in Golsar Germany in Aug 2019
PASCH JUGENDKURS IN GOSLAR, GERMANY (from 4th August to 24th August, 2019)
This scholarship camp consisted of German language classes, excursions, sport, cultural events and various other extra-curricular activities. 89 students from over 18 countries around the world participated in this fully-scholarship funded Jugendkurs. Irene Altaf from MHS completed and successfully passed her A2 exam there.
German event: BERUFLICHE BILDUNG DIGITAL TOUR 2021
BERUFLICHE BILDUNG DIGITAL TOUR (from 12th April to 16th April, 2021)
Irene Altaf from class 10 participated in this 5 day long workshop introduced the participants to Vocational Education in Germany. It also included a digital tour of a future-based museum and a video editing workshop. Countries from all over Asia participated in this workshop.
German event: Virtual robotics
Dhriti Banerjee attended a workshop on Virtual Robotics organised by Goethe Institut in July 2021.
They learned how to code and move virtual robots in the workshop.
German event: Friendship week Aug 2021
Anoudhka Bardhan from class 8 partcipated in the Friendship Week organised by Goethe Institut.
Over a period of five weeks, they explored various topics related to friendship and realised how to make friends and maintain friendship in today's world. They received an insight into the dynamics of friendship through reflective, expressive and creative activities and were apprised of the mode and manner of nurturing friendship.
German event : Kinder uni Curiosity contest Sept 2020
Among many participants, Anoushka Bardhan's (class 8) entry was featured among the questions selected by the panel. It gave her immense joy as she realised that her enquiry was selected as being worthy of being responded to by the panel.
German event: STEM
Class 8 German learners attended a workshop organised by STEM, Goethe Institute in October 2020. They learnt all about 3D Designing on a platform known as 'TinkerCAD'. They were able to make many 3D animations, whose pictures are attached below. Furthermore, during the last few sessions of the Workshop, they were also taught programming.
German event: Friendship week
Anushka Chakraborty from class 8 attended 'The Friend's Zone' Workshop organised by Goethe Institute in August 2021. They had 5 sessions in the course of the workshop which they had to attend - Friendship and All that it means, Befriending Yourself, Friendship and the Arts, Internet Safety and Anti-Bullying, and Giving Back a Little Love. She learnt many new things during this Workshop, like editing using the app Flipaclip, using Canva, designing on Google slides, and many more. It was a wonderful experience.
German Event (Deutschind session) - Easter 2021
In April 2021 on the account of Easter the ex office president of Deutschind Mayukhi Ghosh conducted an enjoyable session for Deutschind members, helping them to learn and understand about the easter celebrations in Germany. The members made easter eggs and had an interactive group discussion about the german festival.
German Event (Deutschind session) - Further Opportunities of Learning German July 2021
Deutschind, the German club of Modern High School for Girls, organised interactive sessions on 22nd and 29th July which were conducted by an ex Deutschind President, Palak Kothari.
The students were presented with details and benefits of pursuing German at the college level. These sessions made students realise how the knowledge of German could be used as an asset for their future and how captivating and exciting the language is. The sessions provided various details of how one could apply for internships in Germany and the criterion for taking up German at higher levels. Additionally, they were informed of the various opportunities, innumerable programs and skills the German language enables them to, which made them widen their horizons and recognize what a great stream it really is.
The sessions were extremely informative yet interactive and were accompanied by various games and activities.
German event: Christmas Market 2020
The IGCSE and IB German and French learners organised a virtual Christmas Market in December 2020 for all foreign language students from classes 8 to 12 of all curricula.
German event: German International Film Project
Meher Paul Mehmi and Suhani Kothari (IGCSE German learners) participated in the German International Film project from December 2020 to February 2021. It was organised by Goethe-Institut on the topic Equal Rights, Human Rights & Democracy - A Matter of Opinion?
There were participants from Delhi, Kolkata, Dhaka. With German as a language of communication and production, the participants recorded films, conducted interviews, wrote scripts and planned production schedules. The films have been screened and will be further screened on various platforms.
German Event-Namaste Europe 2020
The 26th of September is celebrated as the European Day of Languages. Europe is a country rich in languages with over 200 of them. The day is marked as a means of promoting awareness of the importance of language learning, and conserving the linguistic heritage. To celebrate this day, Mayo College and Goethe Institut partnered up to organize the Namaste Europe Fest in September 2020. However, because of the peculiar circumstances, the entire festival was held on an online platform. This fest has been conducted since 2001, and this year some of the German and French students from our school got the opportunity to participate in this prestigious fest. The festival began on 26th September with an inaugural ceremony where we understood how every language was similar, but at the same time also had a different flavour. We learnt how languages give us a second vision and help express our feelings and desires to the world around us.
The fest consisted of several events in German, French and Spanish. The offline events consisted of Recitation, Meme-Making, Reading and Comic-Strip Making, and the online events consisted of Spellbee and Quiz. In the offline events, the students were told to prepare their materials and send it in by a certain date. The online events comprised two rounds- one for elimination and the final round which took place on Zoom. After all of us were done with our respective events, we held our breath in anticipation for the results to be announced. The day of the Closing Ceremony finally came around and each of us was anxious and restless. We were proud to find out that we placed 1st in Spellbee and 2nd in Comic-Strip Making nationally.
We thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience and are truly grateful to have gotten this wonderful opportunity. Namaste Europe 2020 allowed us to fully embrace our love for language. We are certain that it will continue to do so in the years to come.
Srishti Sarkar, German, Class VIII- D
Aastha Burman, German, Class VIII-B
German Event- Dr. Oetker Internship
Hadisha Kaur from class 10 was selected to be a part of an Internship Programme at Dr. Oetker India, initiated by Goethe Institut in June 2021.
The information for the programme was circulated by the German Department in the month of February where it was mentioned that Goethe Institute, India was looking for 10 interns from Classes IX to XII for a week-long internship at Dr. Oetker India for Pasch School students. I applied for the programme and got a confirmation mail from Ms. Tanvi Duggal, PASCH Project Manager, for the same on 14th June, 2021. Immediately after that I received a letter, goodie bag and schedule for the programme.
On the first day, after an ice breaking session, we were explained the ‘Organisational Overview’ and ‘Departments and Work flow’ by Mr. Oliver Mirza, CEO, Dr. Oetker India and his team. Thereafter, we were split into five groups to work on different projects such as ‘Product Price Benchmarking’, ‘Consumer Understanding in the Western Dessert Space’, ‘English Mustard’, ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ and ‘Social Media’. I was part of Group 5 for creating a ‘Social Media Calendar’ of posts for the coming two months for the company and was assigned a mentor, Ms. Khyati Behl, Senior Executive, Digital Marketing who briefed us about the project, expectations and deliverables.
Next few days were enriching and engaging with carefully planned sessions on ‘Career in Marketing ‘and ‘Supply-Chain Management’ but the most impactful of them was the session ,‘Personal Journey ‘ with CEO, Mr. Oliver Mirza. The lessons he taught us would stay with me throughout my life. During the week we worked on the project along with our team and presented our ideas on to the project leads on the last day.
The experience was truly wonderful. It not only helped me to discover my creative side but also allowed me to hone my soft skills by working collaboratively in a team.
The programme was also featured on the Linkedin profile by Dr. Oetker India (https://in.linkedin.com/company/dr--oetker-fun-foods )and on the Instagram page of Goethe Institute, India. (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQyN0dTIIGI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link )
I am very grateful to you for allowing me to participate in this programme and would also like to thank my German teachers for alerting us to these wonderful opportunities from time to time.
By Hadisha Kaur
German Event - Jugendkongress
Drishya Toshniwal of class 8 participated in the Jugendkongress in June July 2021 organised by Goethe Institut.
A few days ago, I was given the opportunity to take part in a dance workshop. I assumed that we would just be taught different dance styles and being a dance enthusiast, I agreed to it immediately but soon realised that it was so much greater than that. The workshop was actually a part of a greater project, a Jugeng congress (congress for today’s youth) with the main theme “Our house (mother earth) is on fire”. There were several workshops similar to mine taking place around the globe in countries like Germany, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and many more. The workshops were mainly based on the idea of Intergenerational Justice, Sustainability and Gender Equality. My Workshop focused on portraying gender equality through speech and the magical art of dance. The few days spent in the workshop were a whirlwind of amazing discussions on gender equality, a lot of creativity from our side and a lot of effort from the instructors and participants alike. The outcome of the workshop was to be presented in the last day of the Congress In front of hundreds of people from around the globe and a live audience from Dusseldorf, Germany. Now you may think that the congress took place on a platform like Zoom or Google meet but the organisers created an entirely new platform for us called “Gather Town”. Gather Town was just like a virtually city wherein we created avatars of our own who became the citizens. The best part about Gather Town was that when 2 avatars came close together, the two people operating them would instantly get connected via a video call. This meant that we could talk to people from all around the globe without getting disturbed or interrupted. We did several different enjoyable group and individual activities throughout the congress and also saw 2 different productions by a theatre in Germany. The last day was the best since we got to see our hard work pay off in front of so many people. The congress was an extremely exciting experience for me and meeting so many different people from around the globe was certainly a dream come true. The best part was being able to make some amazing lifelong friends of several different ages and different personalities. It is definitely something I will cherish forever.
German Event: International Digi Camp
Namrata Raitani from class 11 had attended the International German Digi-Camp- 5th and 6th December,2020.
This event was organised by Goethe Institut. German students from India ,Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had attended this camp.
The camp consisted of several events in it from which the event I personally attended was Entrepreneurship.
The two days of the camp were very informative and the camp ended with a live concert by Raggabund (A German band) followed by Kulturabend (Cultural evening).
German Event: Friendship week
Prama Surana from class 6 participated in the German Workshop "Rediscovering Friendships – A reflective, creative and expressive journey to reconnect and celebrate Friendships" organised by the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan. German Songs - Our Movesin August 2021.
This workshop was a gratifying approach to alliance once again with our friends. This lamentable pandemic scenario has made the true essence of friendship austere, but with the implementation of this proposition had bought about a change in our delectable friendship, having awakened the soul of friendship. In this workshop, we learnt the significance of true friendship as one of the faculty, with the help of a presentation in German, gave us German words to describe our friendship. We also relished German songs. Along with that, Aditya Sir, with prodigious interest and effervescence imparted some remarkable dance moves for a German song. which I profusely adored.
German Event: Avatar designing
On 24th of August 2021, Meghna Mukherjee from class 8 attended an Avatar Designing workshop by Fabmobil organised by Goethe Institut. Here they learnt how to create avatars using simple tools. It was very well conducted and all queries were answered very well. From knowing nothing about avatar designing to being able to create an avatar in 1-2 hours, it was certainly an enriching experience.
German Event- 3D designing
MHS German students participated in the 3D-Designing organised by Goethe Insititut where they learnt how to design 3D models . It was a different experience which was interesting at the same time. This event took place in October 2020.
German Event - European Day of Languages
Goethe Insitut organised a Eurpean Day of Languages in the month of September. Ishani Dey from class 8 participated in the Poem/Song writing workshop as a part of the event. In this session they were taught how to write small poems and learn a lot more about them.
GERMAN WORKSHOP: International Food Fest
Alisha Roy of class 8D, was selected and participated in a German Workshop across 3 countries - India, Sri Lanka and Germany on International Food Fest "crEATe together - A journey about food, traditions, conviviality and sustainability". It was from 22.04.21 to 22.05.21. It was on the following dates - 22.04.21, 29.04.21, 06.05.21, 20.05.21 and 22.05.21. We learned to make several delicious recipes:- Spiced Fruit Salad- Lemon and Ginger Iced Tea- Milk Rice with Onion Relish- Chocolate Biscuit Pudding - Beetroot Chutney
Germany, Vlotho - Workshop attended by Mrs. Bina Ghosh
Mrs. Bina Ghosh attended a two week German Teachers' workshop. She had the privilege to attend as part of a scholarship received by PAD (Pädagogische Austausch Dienst) Germany. The workshop is being held between 20.10.19 to 2.11.19 in Vlotho, Germany.
German Youth Camp to Germany, St. Peter Ording
Eira Shah, Naomi Mogrelia of class 11 and Nandika Kejriwal of class 10 have received scholarship from Goethe Institute and they are travelling for a German Youth Camp to Germany, St. Peter Ording.
They are being accompanied by Sarika Dhir, one of the German Teachers of MHS, who is also traveling to Hamburg for a language course on a scholarship .
After winning the local.and national rounds, Yukta Raj (Class XII) and Mayukhi Ghosh (Class X) are on their way to Germany to attend the International German Olympiad Finals 2018 in Freiburg. They are the only candidates representing India among 76 other countries. All the best!
SPO 2018
5th to 26th
May 2018 – the most unforgettable days of our lives
We were very excited because
our school had chosen us for a Youth Camp. On 5th May, we travelled
to St. Peter Ording. There we found many participants who came from various countries,
namely India, Thailand and the Phillipines. Initially, they were complete
strangers, but now it is so difficult to think of life without them.
As we were in North Germany,
the word “Moin” was enough to convey a hearty greeting. After an examination,
we were divided into four classes. The funniest thing we did was the
tongue-twister which we all learnt together. There was not a single minute of
the classes which was boring. We played different games, conducted interviews
and directed and compiled a music video, all to improve our German and have fun
at the same time!
We went for many excursions
to the Kiel University, Hamburg Art Gallery, Hansa Park and so many more. Of
course, we did a massive shopping haul of clothes and souvenirs. And how can
one forget the innumerous chocolates and gummybears! We enjoyed ourselves at
the parties, which took place one a week. We were given the opportunity to
participate in so many activities- climbing, cycling, swimming, arts and craft and
Go Carting to name just a few. Our caretakers were extremely nice and helpful.
The landscape, with the gentle banks and stretching salt marsh appeared to be a
beautiful painting. The weather was perfect for us to sit at the beach till
late, marvelling at the towering lighthouse and collecting colourful seashells.
Time flew so quickly and the camp was over in the blink of an eye! The bonding between all of us was so deep that not one lasted through the farewell party without tears in their eyes. Whenever I think about north Germany, the memories come flooding back like a river. After this course, we were richer in memories, friendships and of course, our German language skills. Although I travelled back to India, my soul still soars back to the North sea coast.
Mayukhi Ghosh(X B) and Sneha Das(X A)
Travelling to Germany for the exchange programme meant meeting our new German friends,having lots of fun with them, communicating more in German and getting to learn about the German culture. 13 of us along with our German teachers, Mrs. A. Chatterjee and Mrs. B. Ghosh reached Duesseldorf airport on the 3rd May 2018. Our partners ,their families and the teachers welcomed us with flowers , balloons and lots of love. We drove with our host family to Gelsenkirchen and spent the rest of the day with them.
These fourteen days were one of the best days of our lives. We went to school with them, played german sports and also created our own games based on the German and Indian sports as a part of our project, ‘Der Rhythmus des Lebens’ (The Rhythm of Life). We also had a lot of fun with our partners and their friends .We went for shopping , ate german food like Currywurst and went for bowling too. We also had two days of Hiphop cum Bollywood dance workshop. Along with all the fun we worked continued to work on our games . We created rules and details such as precautions , materials and mistakes to be avoided. We also made a day trip to Köln to visit the Deutsch Olympia Sport Museum. We also visited the Koelner Dom .We went up the tower of the Dom (1,576 meters high).
To facilitate research for our project we got the opportunity to visit the 'Schalke Arena' (football stadium).
Finally before leaving on the 16th of May ,we had a ' Abscheidsparty' where we bid farewell to our partners ,their families and teachers.
It was a wonderful experience in Germany . Our partners had become our best friends not only for those fourteen days but for the rest of our lives .
Anna Rossié, a magical storyteller from Germany, performed Japanese fairy tales with “Kamishibai” for class 5 German students of our school as well as students from other schools of the city. The event was organised by Goethe Institut, Kolkata and was hosted by MHS.
The teachers and students from our German partner schools (Gesamtschule Ückendorf, Gelsenkirchen and Ricarda Huch Gymnasium, Gelsenkirchen) arrived on 15th November 2017 and will be in Kolkata till the 27th of November.
On 31 October and 1 November the children of Lower KG watched an innovative performance ‘Woodbeat’ in School. It was organised by ‘Think Arts’ in collaboration with renowned German artists. It was a marvellous show which encouraged creativity and imagination and the very young audience enjoyed it thoroughly.
Our Deutschind members celebrated the opening of 'Oktober Fest' which was witnessed in Germany on 16th September this year. They watched videos of the ceremony and tried to imitate their folk dance, also known as the 'Schuhplattler Tanz. ' They also choreographed their own version of the Schuhplattler dance.
