Co-curricular activities are vital to a child’s all-round development. In this article, we take a look at why Bethany believes and champions co-curricular activities in schools. We trust that this will be a new and informative perspective for everyone reading this.
How is it possible to gauge just how busily the children are kept engaged in co-curricular activities in Bethany? That is easy enough….a glance at the events calendar in the school diary will give one a fair idea. The pages are packed with events, each one more interesting and enriching than the other. The feeder schools which is home to the little ones of Bethany has such a range of activities that it would make an adult envious. Colour days, Readathons, Tell me an Old Story Day, Plant a Seed Day, Newspaper Festival and a multitude of other activities. No doubt the parents are kept on their toes but the little ones thoroughly enjoy these special days.
Every single child gets an opportunity to participate in these little but innovative events. Apart from these in-house activities the children also go on field trips to the Special school bakery, the fire station, the police station, the post office and any other place which will help the little ones broaden their horizon. The smaller classes begin their confidence building with their first step on stage with the Choral Recitation. The children sing, recite and even dance with gusto. They do get a little perturbed at first but as each year passes they become so much more confident. This sets the stage for what the child may blossom into, in his or her future years at Bethany.
One such success story out of so many at Bethany High is Alex Koshy. Alex has been a pupil of Bethany from 2003 and passed out of grade Twelve this year. Little did one know that Alex would go on to make his school so proud in the years to come.
At the Pre Nursery and surprisingly, when he heard the drums being played for the first time he ran away refusing to listen to the loud sound. His mother believes that this was actually because Alex had a very sharp sense of hearing. Alex, according to his mother was a restless and impulsive little boy. When Alex was in the Pre Primary school, the Head of the Department Mrs. Bharathi Ponappa would laughingly say that Alex does not need a mike to make his voice heard. His teacher in grade three Evon d Cruz played a pivotal role in channelizing his impetuous nature towards singing. She recognized that he had a gift and she ensured that he was in the school choir. From there on there was no looking back.
When in the fifth Grade Miriam Andrews the genius behind the Bethany musicals gave the children a song to practice over the holidays. Alex sang the song non-stop during his vacation and perfected it. When he returned from the summer holidays his rendition of the “Any Dream will do” bagged him the lead singer’s role. In the Fifth Grade, Alex joined the Harmony Choir conducted by Sandra Oberoi. As a part of the choir, he went on to take part in numerous singing competitions. Alex was also a part of the Freedom Chorale Festival conducted by William Joseph. The feather in the cap was when Alex won the second place in the American Protégé ( an international vocal competition) and was invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.
The Musicals are a huge part of Bethany’s cultural scene and children right from the Primary school have an opportunity to showcase their singing, acting and dancing prowess’s. Watching Alex perform in Shrek, renowned choreographer Judie Bidappa singled him out and casted him in the musical Cats. Needless to say, Alex took part in most of the musicals Under the Sea, Aladdin, Shrek, and Pippin. His last stint in a musical will, of course, remains the most memorable. Roaring his way through Madagascar as Alex the lovable Lion. His powerful roar which reverberated through the packed auditorium and his deep-throated singing stole many a hearts.
Alex is superb at sports too. He plays a mean game of basketball, is good at javelin throw, discus throw, shot put and skating.
Alex went on to become the school captain and President of the Bethany Student Organization. His mother’s display picture on Whatsapp shows Alex proudly marching with the school flag.
“All children have within them the potential to be great kids. Our job is to create a place where this potential can flourish.” Said Stanley Greenspan.
For Alex this place was Bethany High. His teachers, the Principal the Director and the Bethany Education Board supported him through and through in all his endeavors. His mother says all that Alex has achieved today is because of the immense support that the school gave him. Alex performed amazingly well in his academics as too which is no mean feat considering the vast amount a child in the ICSE curriculum has to study. A fine balancing act indeed. Bethany nurtures all its children so they can soar. Alex is just one of the thousands of success stories.