School Events at Kolhapur

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

The Investiture Ceremony for the academic session 2023-24 was held with great pomp and dignity at Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur.

The ceremony was graced with the benign presence of the Chief Guest, Mr. Omkar Navnihalkar, National Youth Award Winner Chief Trainer of the Disaster Department of Maharashtra along with the Principal Ms. Shilpa Kapoor. The ceremony commenced by an auspicious lamp lighting and offering prayers to Goddess Saraswati. Flags and badges were handed over to the young leaders along with the distinguishing sashes as a mark of handing over the responsibilities to the new Student Council.

The ceremony was formalized with the Oath Taking ceremony. The newly elected members of the student council enthusiastically swore the oath, which was administered by the Principal. The Student Council members reaffirmed their commitment to working for and alongside their peers to enhance academics and other areas of the school. Both the Senior and Junior Head Boy and Head Girl in their speeches, expressed their duties to the school.

The Chief Guest, Mr. Omkar Navnihalkar, congratulated the Student Council and advised the future leaders to carry out their responsibilities with the utmost honesty and devotion. Sharing his real life incidents, he expressed his life journey of how an auto driver child achieved recognition as a National Youth Award winner. He even added that everything can be accomplished in life with true determination & perseverance and one should always respect their parents who always strive for upliftment of their children. The Principal, Ms. Shilpa Kapoor, reminded the Student Council of their responsibility to pass on the values and ethos of the school to the next generation. She even added that receiving a badge and an office is just the beginning of a journey to give back to the school by making it a better place to study. The vote of thanks, put forth by the Cultural Captain, brought the ceremony to its conclusion.

Yoga is the journey that takes you through yourself, to your true self, to your soul.

9th International Yoga Day was celebrated in Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur with great zeal and enthusiasm. The day was celebrated in its true essence by performing several asanas under the guidance of Dr. Rachana Hegde Patil, a professional physiotherapist and internationally certified fitness manager.

Yoga improves concentration and increases body flexibility. Keeping this as the mantra, Podarites demonstrated several yoga asanas with their ability to balance the body well. The Yoga Pledge was administered during the session. To add more charm to the event, the Chief Guest Dr. Rachana Hegde Patil conducted some warm up exercises & asanas which helped the students, teachers and parents to feel rejuvenated. The students, parents and teachers performed various asanas like Tadasna, Vrikshasana, Ardha Chakrasana, Bhadrasana, Vakrasana, prone lying positions and seating positions. Dr. Hegde Patil added in her address, the benefits of including Yoga in our daily life and how it will be beneficial to the students to remain focussed on their road to success. The programme concluded with the Yoga mantra praying for everybody’s wellness and good luck.

With a motive to create awareness among the students about disaster management, fire-fighting techniques and the ways to respond swiftly in times of such emergency situations, a fire mock drill was conducted by Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur.

The mock drill was carried out in the school to prepare students and teachers for any such eventuality under the fire risk reduction programme. The purpose to organize the mock drill was to check the readiness of the school to face any such fire emergency and also to make the students and staff aware about the Fire Fighting Rescue Operation.

A group of teachers and non teaching staff positioned themselves at vantage points to guide and assist the students in the mock fire and evacuation drill. The students were escorted by their subject teachers to the assembly area after the fire alarm. Once all had assembled on the ground, they were advised not to panic in case of any disaster, instructed to be with teachers at the time of disaster and follow the instructions given to them by their teachers. Keeping all the safety measures, the entire building was successfully evacuated within 3 minutes.

The authorities from the 'Classic Fire Services' explained the functioning of a fire extinguisher and laid a flash upon Do’s and Don’ts regarding possibilities of fire. Some student representatives were even given an opportunity to operate the fire-extinguishers independently. The Principal, Ms. Shilpa Kapoor addressed the assembly, interacted with students regarding their perception of this drill and certain precautions to be taken care of at the time of emergency.

The session proved to be informative and an imperative lesson on life-saving skills.

Father’s Day is a celebration honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

A father is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and let you try again. A father is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead let you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt. A dad is someone who holds you when you cry, scolds you when you break the rules, shines with pride when you succeed, and has faith in you even when you fail.

The Fathers' Day was celebrated in Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur with a great pomp. The school ground thronged with dads enthusiastically involving themselves with their kids in a special drawing activity. The enthusiasm of students and exciting expressions of their fathers could be noticed in a salad decoration competition held for Grade IV. The fervour was electric when the dads got engaged with their kids in a photo frame activity to preserve the special memories with their children. The ambience was fun filled with smiles stretched wide everywhere. The fathers appreciated the efforts of school authorities for this unique idea of involving Fathers in such celebrations and said that these types of events help them to know their children better and also help them to nurture their relationship with their children. It was a memorable event for the fathers and children to cherish for their lifetime.

A Parent Orientation Programme was organised in Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur for the parents of Grades I to V on Saturday, June 10, 2023. The parents were able to acquaint themselves with the environment their child is walking into. It was a productive day for the parents and the teachers, who interacted with each other in the initial phase of the new session.

The Principal, Ms. Shilpa Kapoor, warmly welcomed the parents and assured them of the school’s commitment in ensuring their child’s holistic development. She spoke about the school rules and the assessment scheme in detail, to ensure that the parents are suitably informed. All class teachers and subject teachers of the various Grades were introduced to the parents during the sessions. An innovative concept of 'Canteen Debit Card' was launched to make the children aware about cashless transactions and to learn financial and numerical literacy.

The parents were guided during the sessions about the latest communication tool named 'Loop Learning' for hassle free communication. The schedule of the events, celebrations, co-curricular activities, school uniforms, school timings and extra sports coaching sessions were discussed in the meet.

The goal of the Orientation Programme was to ensure that the parents are at ease about the transition of the students and a healthy interaction between the parents and the school.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur always aims at holistic development of its Podarites. With a motive of developing leadership skills and personal integrity, demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others, understanding value of individual responsibilities and hard work and advancing international understanding, the school officially formed its ‘Interact Club’ in collaboration with the Rotary & the Rotaract Club of Kolhapur.

The installation ceremony was held in the school campus wherein the interactors of PIS, Kolhapur were acquainted with the objectives of the Interact Club and roles and responsibilities of each interactor as the member of the executive body. The President of Rotaract Club Mr. Atharv Dhanal addressed the gathering with an Invocation Song and Four Way Test. The newly elected President Ms. Gargi Kale was honoured with collar, gavel, bell and the club charter. Ms. Gargi Kale, in her address, expressed her gratitude and ensured devotion towards her duties. The other executive body members were handed over their official appointment letters with a warm welcome. The Chief Guest DG Elect. Rtn. Nasir Borsadwala appreciated the efforts of the school for such a great initiative that encourages and fosters advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of youth united in the ideal of service.

Within the interact programmes, the students will be undertaking activities to enhance leadership skills, serve their community and expand international understanding to provide crucial experience and opportunities for personal development of each interactor.

Art strengthens focus, improves hand-eye coordination, and helps teach problem-solving. It also supports emotional intelligence and helps us express complex feelings. Art reaches across racial stereotypes and religious barriers and helps to build communities. It builds self-esteem, increases motivation, and improves holistic health.

With the above objectives, World Art Day was celebrated in Podar International School and Jr. College, Kolhapur with great joy and enthusiasm. Several hands-on art activities such as colouring, clay making, pot making & T-shirt painting were the attraction of the day. These activities were all about creating new experiences for the children and designating a space for creativity and art in their hearts. It was a fun filled day stimulating creativity and imagination among the Podarites.

"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."

Podar International School and Jr. College, Kolhapur welcomed the students from Grade I to IX with open arms and hearts full of love and affection for the new Academic Session 2023-24. The students of Grades I & II were escorted to their classes by the student volunteers. A special assembly was planned to revive the atmosphere after a long and rejuvenating session break. The prayer accelerated the whole atmosphere. The Principal, Ms. Shilpa Kapoor, in her address, interacted with students telling them about the importance of discipline & wished a very happy prosperous & successful year ahead to all. She also insisted on developing a healthy student-teacher communication to have a positive development of the students. The class teachers introduced themselves and students looked charming with their new school bags and were seen exchanging pleasantries with their classmates. They conducted several indoor games which made the classrooms lively and enthusiastic. Movie screening was also carried out to make the first day memorable.

The day brought back the charm of the school with chirpy corridors, noisy playgrounds and blasting laughs.

Technology doesn't determine what we can do, it merely creates a platform for imagination.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur was glad to host the '3D Designing and Printing Competition 2022-23' on Saturday, February 25, 2023 with a motive of providing a platform for young Podarites to display their creativity and become promising designers of future India! Young 3D Designers of PIS, Kolhapur, PIS, Sangli and PIS, Ichalkaranji showcased their skills through art & creativity, communication skill, time management, computer skills and ability to work as a team. The competition was conducted in four groups namely 3D Toy Arena, 3D Automotive Modelling, 3D Architectural Models and 3D Modern Farms respectively for Grades V to VIII. Mst. Varad Vibhute & Ms. Rajnandini Gavali from Grade V & Mst. Purushottam Tengshe & Ms. Prutha Ghosalkar from Grade VIII brought laurels to the school by bagging the first position in their respective groups. Adding colourful feathers in the cap, Mst. Darsheel Kayande & Ms. Sharyu Patil from Grade VI & Mst. Atharva Joshi & Mst. Rajveer Medhe from Grade VII secured the second position.

The winners and the participants were felicitated in the Valedictory Ceremony with mementos and certificates. It was a day aimed to stimulate curiosity, creativity, imagination, computational thinking, adaptive learning etc.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur celebrated its 11th Annual Day 'Coming Alive' - a saga of varied dance forms and cultures around the globe. The programme commenced by kindling the auspicious lamp at the hands of Guest of Honour and Principal. The Guest of Honour Mr. Vilas.V. Karjini, the Executive Director of KIT College, Kolhapur, in his address, mentioned that no matter how diverse we are, we all belong to one human race. He also shared the key of a successful life which will surely help students to focus on their goal. The event was followed by the cultural programme. The students enthusiastically participated and showcased their talent. The students presented a splendid show displaying the famous dance forms of the various countries. They tapped to the tune of Michael Jackson, Rasputin and also presented Hat Dance, African Dance, Salsa, Tap Dance ,Tarantella, Ghoomar and many more. The cultural programme made us all realize that even though the traditions and cultures are different at each corner of the globe, we are still united with humanity and brotherhood.

The event also heard the Annual School report presented by the young leaders of the Student Council. The report was clear evidence of how the school is reaching beyond the textbooks to shape the future of its students. The event concluded with the culminating dance spreading the message of 'Vasudeva Kutumbakam'.

Annual Day is an occasion of celebration, felicitation, feast and festivity when students present not only their wonderful performances but also receive honours for their curricular and co-curricular achievements. The Primary Annual Day 2022-23 was woven around the theme ‘KRISHNA KATHAYEIN’ followed by the Prize Distribution Ceremony. Lt. Col.M.C.Muthanna, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest for the Annual Day 'KRISHNA KATHAYEIN'. Dr. I.C. Sheikh, the Principal of District Institute of Education & Training (DIET), Kolhapur was the Guest of Honour for the day. The function was presided over by Col. Shirish Kulkarni, the General Manager of Kolhapur Hub, Mr. Gajanan Shinde, the Principal of College of Education, Panhala and the Principals of Podar International Schools, Kolhapur Hub as the Special Guests for the evening.

The function commenced with the auspicious lamp lighting ceremony followed by a melodious prayer by the school choir. A rhythmic tabla performance and a stupendous jugalbandi marked the grand opening ceremony of the Annual Day 2022-23.

The Annual Prize Distribution function was a moment of pride and honour for all the winners and achievers of the school. The Homi Bhabha Balvaidyanik Exam Achievers as well as the Sports Champions at CBSE & National levels were awarded for their hard work and excellence. The Principal Ms. Shilpa Kapoor, in her address, extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries and shared the awards conferred on the Podar Group of Schools. The Jr. Head Boy and Jr. Head Girl of the school presented the Annual Report. The Sports Captain and the Vice sports captain threw light on the young sports champions of the school who brought laurels at State, National & CBSE levels. The Cultural and the Vice Cultural Captain acquainted the audience with the events and celebrations of the Academic Year 2022-23.

The dignitaries also enlightened the students on how to prepare themselves for the challenges ahead and also encouraged them to participate in such events that will help to build their personality. The evening witnessed a mesmerizing show depicting the life stories of Lord Krishna.The main attraction of the event was the dance drama set up by the primary students in perfect coordination with the school choir team. The primary students danced on the melodious singing of the school choir group. The drama showcased all the prime scenes of Lord Krishna’s life which included Krishna's Birth, Kaliya Mardan, Rasleela, Playtime with friends, Makhan Chori, Govardhan Leela etc. Students dressed up and performed as Krishna, Radha, Kansa and many more characters of the skit. The drama concluded with a message of triumph of good over evil. The closing ceremony was marked by praising and worshiping the supreme God Lord Krishna.

Education is not just about learning facts, but more so about learning how to think. It is learning to make good choices. It is learning to act with purpose.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur received an overwhelming response for the first phase of 'Podar Inspiring Excellence Olympiad 2022-23' organised on Sunday, December 18, 2022.

The olympiad was conducted with the aim of providing an opportunity to the Pre School children to display their talent & explore new arenas. Total 141 students from all over Kolhapur city appeared for the olympiad. The welcome at the gate with chocolate & biscuits distribution at the hands of Abidoo and Jumbo spread beautiful smiles on the innocent faces of the children. The entire campus of the school reverberated with chirping of children as it filled the entire atmosphere with joy and excitement.

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

Podar Volunteer Program is an event that is observed at our School with a lot of enthusiasm, reflecting the spirit of empathy and generosity of the students, teachers and parents alike. This gives us an opportunity to reach out to less privileged people with our acts and words of kindness.

As part of the celebration of Podar Volunteer Program, the school donated a few essential utilities which included rice, pulses, clothes, stationery, toys and many such things, to the needy people in the city.

The preparation for the event started a few weeks prior to the day. Even a food drive was conducted at three prime locations around the city. Teachers, students and parents came together for this noble deed realizing that love and care are the only essence of a human life. Teachers motivated their students to donate essentials for the needy people. Students learnt the value of giving and truly celebrated the joy of sharing.

"There are a lot of things in the world that can make us smile but nothing beats the invaluable joy of making someone happy."

If there is one aspect of life which teaches us the most valuable lessons about perseverance, patience in fact what constitutes a perfect character, it is sports.

With immense pride and gaiety, Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur celebrated its 11th Annual Sports Meet 'Lakshya' Reviving Conventional Games, on Sunday, November 27, 2022 at Police Ground, Kolhapur. The day witnessed a plethora of events which included vibrant displays, yoga, physical fitness activities and track events.The most anticipated event of the year commenced with the arrival of the highly distinguished Chief Guest, 'Maharashtra Kesari' - Shri Pruthviraj Patil who is also an International Wrestler and Shri Sonba Gogane, an International Wrestler as the Guest of Honour. The school was elated to have Brigadier Dr. Bhalchandra B. Patil, Col. Shirish Kulkarni, the General Manager of Kolhapur Hub, Mr. Bipin Mahajan, the Senior HR Manager & Mr. Raj Hulamani, Principal of Podar International School, Belgavi as the special guests for the day.

Highlighting the theme, students displayed breathtaking displays of Shiv Kalin Yuddha Kala performing aerial yoga. Students of Grade VI displayed the asanas of the Surya Namaskar spreading the importance of Yoga and its role in remaining healthy. Young Podarites also highlighted India's forgotten of conventional games like kho- kho, chess, wrestling, marbles, hop scotch and many more.

Students participated with full zeal and enthusiasm which was evident not only during the drills but also during all the track events such as Relay, 50mtrs to 400mtrs, fun games for Primary etc.

After the track events, it was the time to appreciate the students for their determination and the willingness to win. The award for The Best Drill was bagged by Shivkalin Yuddh Kala, the award for The Best Troop was bagged by the Aqua House. Mst. Hassnain Ansari won the award for Best Athlete - Boy and Ms. Nandini Vasker won the award for Best Athlete -Girl. As the scoreboard displayed, Terra House was awarded the Best House in Sports for the year 2022-23.

The day culminated with the PODAR formation by the four houses and the entire school team.

The event turned out to be wonderful with proper planning, timely execution, teamwork and collaboration of the entire Podar team.

Every child is a different kind of flower and they are beautiful in their own way.

On this wonderful day, Podar International School And Jr. College, Kolhapur assured to make the ambitious Podarites feel special. The school observed the day as ’Bagless Day’ ensuring their memory bag to be filled with love, care and laughter. To make the day more fun filled, the teachers organized the spectacular special assembly which included an array of programmes. The students were more joyous to see the talents of their loving teachers. The assembly began with the auspicious lamp lighting followed with a medley of songs sung by the melodious teachers. The programme aroused the curiosity and enthusiasm in the children when their favorite cartoon characters walked on the stage. Teachers presented an informative skit on the famous Walt Disney and his most loved creations- Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie. The air was filled with thunderous applause of claps. The power packed dance performance by the teachers added glamour to the event. All the students cheered and clapped with the song and the appreciation for all the teachers kept pouring throughout the event. Besides, these teachers gave a creative and personalized bookmark to each student which they can utilize in their life.

Students were also engaged in handkerchief painting activity along with a detective movie screening. Face Painting, Tattoo Making, designing their palms with henna and food stalls were the other major attractions of the day. Children enjoyed the school with unlimited fun, games and frolic. It was, no doubt, a day to remember as one of the memorable days of school life.

Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to heart.

Diwali is the festival of lights, colour and happiness which symbolizes hope, unity and victory. It’s a season to rejoice and spread love to the world.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur organized 'DEEPOTSAV', a musical concert of all the most loved devotional songs. The school choir led the event by singing the prayer during lamp lighting. The young Podarites synchronized rhythmically with their voice and tune. Following them, various classes presented the devotional songs with full feel and in one tune. Everybody dressed up in the traditional attire which added more glam to the event. It was a perfect event which soothed the audience's mind and body. The ambiance was well created with beautiful and colourful rangoli designs created by the parents in a specially organised 'Rangoli Competition'. The winners of the competition were felicitated in the event.

May the divine light of Diwali shine with peace, prosperity, happiness and good health in your life. Happy Diwali!!!

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur organised a special assembly to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi & Lal Bahadur Shastri with patriotic fervour. The assembly emphasized upon their inspiring lives and the sacrifices for the freedom of the country. With the motive to imbibe the true meaning of the day and follow glorious trails of the noble souls towards evolving a peaceful and prosperous country, the students presented a mime act depicting significant moments of Gandhiji's life. The students in their speeches, reminded the importance of kindness, truth, non-violence, resilience, simplicity and peace - all the concepts Mahatma Gandhi emphasized upon. They also added the contribution of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the 2nd Prime Minister of Independent India, who called the people of the nation to support farmers and soldiers through his statement ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ and helped our country to grow towards the path of development and progress. The assembly concluded by chanting Gandhiji's favourite prayer 'Vaishnav Jan To'. Getting inspired with Gandhiji's values and thoughts, all students of the school pledged to become better citizens following Gandhiji's principles.

Podar International School & Jr. College, Kolhapur organised the first phase of Navratri Celebration wherein students & parents of all Grades 1 and 2 participated with great enthusiasm. The students and parents attired in traditional dresses added glory to the festive mood. Invoking the blessings of divine deity, the programme commenced with the lamp lighting and a melodious prayer presented by the school choir group. Podarites of Grade 8 created a vibrant and exuberant show by performing the dances on the beats of live singing of the school choir. The students and the parents enjoyed the mellifluous music, rhythmic beats and matched the mood of festivity. Their joy knew no bounds as they entered the fun zone, food stalls and stalls of accessories prepared by students such as chocolates, soaps, earthen lamps and lanterns. The parents were honoured with special awards - 'Best Dancer' and 'Best Attire' to appreciate their support and love towards the school. The entire campus was a huge family tapping their feet to match up the festival spirit.