by Arlene D’cruz, Valrie Mascarenhas & Fr Brian Moras for BISMumbai

The new normal has configured our lives to the present scenario. Though this transition has been accepted by most adults, the situation stands challenging and grim for the young. Children have been confined indoors, fastened to their gadgets for online schooling and various other classes leaving little room to combust their energy. Keeping this fact in mind a week long ‘Virtual Sports and Health Festival’ was held at St. Dominic Savio High School (Andheri). The main aim of the fiesta was to promote fun, team spirit and better mental and physical health.

Monday 25 October 2021, marked the commencement of the festival. Various events were planned, demonstrated and recorded with clear instructions by the sports teachers Alexander Fernandes, Ramnaresh Yadav and Bhavesh Sawant. The recorded videos were uploaded a day prior in the classroom for the students to understand and replicate. The students performed the demonstrations and uploaded their videos in the assignments created in the Google Classroom. House points were allotted to the participants. The entire exercise developed a spirit of enthusiasm and competition among the students. Some noteworthy highlights were- balancing act, shape object hunt, keep the balloon high, balloon your way, etc. The activities aimed at rejuvenating the five senses of the child and strengthened the kinesthetic, affective and cognitive domains. Activities like ‘reverse counting and celebrate the gift of hands and focus’ were specially aimed at building motor and mental vigour. While the students unwound themselves from their routine online schooling, they also experienced an emotional connect with their parents and family members through parent-child activities like, ‘Health drink and Healthy food item’ that were conducted.

The week-long festivity culminated on Saturday 30 October 2021, with the Principal-Valerie Mascarenhas addressing the students during circle time conducted by the class teachers on the virtual platform. It was a neck-to-neck battle between the Rua, Magone, Rinaldi and the Zatti houses. In the Juniors and the Inters Magone House emerged winners while Rinaldi House bagged the first place in the Seniors. Magone House was declared as the Cock House for the year 2021. The principal congratulated the winners and the participants and cheered for the success of the event.

As we close down for a Diwali break, we pray that Don Bosco continues to stir us with robust resolve to create such happy moments that would go down in the legendary chronicles of St Dominic Savio High School.