English Week 2019

English Week 2019

English Week 2019 reached its exciting finale on Thursday 24 October with a Gala event showcasing the many talents of IHSB senior students.

The afternoon event attended by all staff and students along with our Chairman and our Principal, was opened by the head of the English Department Mr Mohammad Shah Alam. In the space of a short opening address he managed to encourage the students in their English studies, indeed to inspire them to reach for the stars, as well as to remind them of the importance of being well-rounded and humble people who practice kindness in their everyday lives. He even managed to light the students’ imaginations with a humorous reference to popular television series ‘Game of Thrones’. The students were enthralled.

Following his opening address, Grade 6 finalists were first to take to the stage, to present posters celebrating the lives of renowned authors. Afia Zahin and Sumiya Islam Neha’s combined effort on the life of Jane Austen secured first place in the competition, with Sameer Siddique’s combination poster featuring the lives of three literary luminaries, Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson and Chinua Achebe, achieving first runner up position. Contemporary author J.K. Rowling was the subject of Sarika Saad Rushnan Dighi’s poster, chosen as second runner up on the day.

Grade 7 participated in a ‘Dress As You Like’ competition in which notable persons from both history and fiction featured. Azwad Abrar’s impressive depiction of the Marvel Comics superhero Thor, a character based on the Norse god of thunder, secured him first place. Samir Nasir who achieved first runner up position both looked the part and offered a deft performance as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed detective Sherlock Holmes.  Zulquarnain Mustafa Rhythm achieved second runner up position for his portrayal of infamous wartime leader Adolf Hitler.

A keynote speech competition was held for class 8 students, with this year’s theme being the successful TedTalk format widely featured online. As such, students were asked to choose a topic arising from personal experience. On the day, Samiha Tasnim Khan was chosen as the champion for her moving speech about stress. Maleesha Wihangi Jayasundara’s sophisticated speech on insecurities achieved runner up position, while Rakesh Mahmud Ridom with his unique show-stopping presentation style scored the second runner up position for his talk on the topic of sadness.

Students of class 9 were asked to showcase their singing talents in a competition that featured both self-composed songs and songs with newly composed lyrics. Mushiqur Rahman, Azman Alam and Shadman Zubayer Bhuiya combined to reach the second runner up position with their entertaining vocal and ukulele performance, while Faiza Fatema Monzur was awarded the first runner up spot. The day however belonged to Shamila Nomani who impressed both judges and audience with her a cappella singing.

Not to be outdone, class 10 students took to the challenge of creating their own dramas.  First to perform and achieving second runner up position were Iyman Zaman, Ishraqur Rahman Ador, Hasin Ahbab, Mansib Farhan and Aga Kashshaf Raza, who combined to stage a detective drama with a twist. Also of note and securing first runner up position was the gripping and complex monologue performed by Sadia Akhter about the ongoing tribulations of a Californian woman. Yet the day belonged to comedy, with the hilarious ensemble performance of Wasif Rahman, Alvee Taqi, Intisar Mahmood and Mohammad Rejoan Ahmed taking the champion’s spot.

Heartfelt appreciation also goes to class 6 students Arien Reza Mavir and Sarika Saad Rushnan Dighi who ably hosted the Gala, most importantly all English teachers from the department who worked throughout the week from selection round till the end, and of course to our many student volunteers, to the music and art department and especially to the school’s dedicated English teachers who went the extra mile to ensure the event was a great success.

Beyond the award-winners, however, English Week 2019 offered all students the chance to participate, and to celebrate their passion and skill for English literature and artistic expression. The high standard set not only by those who were ultimately successful at the Gala event but by participants in general serves as encouragement and inspiration to all at IHSB in pursuit of excellence in the study of English.