Birthday Message from GSA Principal

Dear My Good School, 

I wish you a very Happy Birthday. I hope you have an amazing year and the happiest of birthdays. The time spent with you is akin to discovering oneself and connecting it to one's potential. All it takes to make any of us smile is your presence. We appreciate you being here and motivating us.

On this special day, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the participation of our beloved GSA member schools. School leaders, parents, and my dear students. Last but not least our beloved Sandeep sir, for his motivation and passion towards bringing all of us together and igniting the spark of light towards a common goal #Joy of Learning. 

Your presence contributed immensely to our success story, and we truly appreciate your support. We truly appreciate your thoughts and recommendations as we think about and anticipate improving our upcoming experiences.

On behalf of GSA, I would like to thank each one of you, and invite you to the GSA retreat from 13th to 16thNovember. It's going to be a memorable experience for all of us. Our vision is to create #JoyofLearning focusing on reading, reflection, and building relationships.

Once again, a very Happy Birthday. Continue to rise and shine.

Warmly

Manisha Khanna

GSA Principal

My Good School Retreat 2024

My Good School Retreat 2023

Reflections 

“ Like every chapter in the book has its own ending, our Retreat also ended with memorable experiences and friendly relations. But the chapter containing our memories will be the best I have read and experienced.” Tenzin Nyingsel

“Seeing all the teachers and friends leaving with whom I spent an excellent time for four days, I almost cried. After spending four days together, I felt like we had been together for a very long period, and during this time, I became very close with them; I suppose that we all became so close that we were much more than best friends and because of this bond I emotional when everyone was leaving, the only thing which  I could say was " goodbye " and " best wishes ahead " I wanted to say many things, but the words were not coming from my mouth, one after one everyone started leaving and only HPS (Hyderabad Public School) group were left, for few minutes we talked and after a while, they were also nowhere to be seen.” - Tenzin Jambey

‘I have got many great opportunities in my life. The excellent My Good School Retreat is one of the best opportunities, giving me many life lessons. This will be an unforgettable part of my life. I had never been so excited about many things, but this was the opposite. I have described below my experiences and what I learned during this retreat” Nishan Karki

—-

Dear Teachers,

Hope you had a nice day.

When I got a chance to attend the My Good School Retreat in the Doon Girls School, first l was very excited to see the people from various parts of India whom I had only heard or seen on the screen. On the other hand, I needed clarification about interacting with them. But who knew that I would talk to everyone and enjoy with them. 

On the first day, we walked to Khalanga War Memorial, Nalapani, accompanied by Col Vikram Thapa and two more people. One of them was around the 70s and was very kind and friendly. We learnt many things from him, like about the Khalanga War etc. After the walk, we returned to The Doon Girls School, where we had the Icebreaking session, held after the tasty lunch in the school. In the evening, we had presentations by various schools which were knowledgeable, but at the same time, I was scared too, as it was my first presentation in public.

            

We left for The Doon School the next day, which was a great life opportunity for me. There we had our breakfast, and I liked the school system as it was different from regular schools; all the activities done in the school were looked after by the students and even the school assembly. After the walk in the school, we went forward to Khan Farm, Biharigarh. We had a nature walk and played many games, including the talent show, team building and leadership activity. Through those games, we learned how a leader should act.

It was the second last day when we returned from Biharigarh. Then back in school, we had to reflect on our two-day journey. And I had many things to say, but couldn't I be nervous to say things in front of others. When it was my turn to speak, I said something funny, which made everyone laugh. After that, we had our friendly basketball match between the retreat team and the Doon Girls School. Fortunately, we won the game by one point. There was a situation when I snatched the ball from a girl, but later in the game, she took revenge, which was fun.

On the last day, it was Earth Day celebrations in which many schools came and sang songs based on nature, and we also sang the song "Somewhere In The World".

I am very thankful to the Director of Pesstalozzi for giving us such a great opportunity, Shelja Ma'am, and Minaxi Ma'am for supporting us.

Thanking you 

Yours faithfully,

Monika Singh Pundir 

Pestalozzi India Children’s Village

Check out the Retreat 2023 Album

https://photos.retreat.2023

My Good School - Pragyan Prashast

My experience at My Good School was wonderful this Sunday. In our session, we had the opportunity to read and discuss two stories.

Kabir and Guru Nanak

The first story we read was about Kabir and Guru Nanak, written by Sanvi Rai. The story provided us with insightful lessons and a deeper understanding of their teachings and journey.

The Brahmin's Spell

The second story was "The Brahmin's Spell." Through this story, I learnt several new and interesting words. Here are some of the words I came across:

• Confederates
• Identical
• Dwelling
• Marvellous
• Peerless
• Ignorant 
• Asseveration

Pragyan Prashast

Sunbeam School, Lahartara 

My Golden Journey With My Good School and more from Sunbeam Hostel Lahartara

My Golden Journey With My Good School

At first, I wasn't interested in reading. I thought that it was only a waste of time. Still, at the age of 12, my grandfather recommended a book. He said that if you like to study political science and history, you should read "Why I Assassinated Mahatma Gandhi" by "Nathuram Godse." I gave it a try, and I loved it. After that, I read more and more books, but when I joined My Good School, I felt that this was the place for me. Like we say, 'Birds with the same feather flock together'. For readers, My Good School is a paradise from my perspective. A famous quote by Fran Lebowitz that I carry in my mind is, "Think before you speak and read before you think." Every Sunday, I learn a new perspective to go with. A huge thanks to My Good School for this because the school teaches me values to live by.

Shaurya Chaturvedi VIIIB

How Learning Can Happen

Learning happens when we start experiencing. The learning process begins when we start experiencing things in our surroundings. Whether through reading or listening. When we read it, it is the biggest weapon to win all the battles of life. Listening to TED talks and podcasts increases our learning, and we learn new words.

Learning always makes a change in oneself, so never stop reading, writing, and listening.

"Learning is never done without mistakes and passion".

Diyanshu Agarwal IX-D

 

No one has achieved success in the past or present and has not done any hard work. Also, they had yet to achieve success on their first attempt. Success comes to those who find out their mistakes and improve on them. They take the time and opportunities to come; they create the opportunities and manage the time to do so. This is the best and easiest way to achieve good things in their lives. 

Anmol Kashyap VIII-B

There are many dimensions to every person - Tenzin Jambey

Picture Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Dimension

"We people don't look at the things how they are but we look at them how we think". An object or a thing stays how they are! But people look at them from a different perspective. 

Once, a teacher asked two students while showing a picture of a mountain - "What do you see?" The first one said, "It's just a mountain." The other one said, "It's not only a mountain but also a home for the birds that sing and the animals that spend their time playing around." The teacher was surprised to hear about the two different thoughts. 

We humans have the same physical attributes. We all have two hands, two legs, one heart, etc. But the brain, being one, has a different way of functioning. And everyone on this earth has a different mentality. The good thing is that everyone has special knowledge, which will make the future a better place. 

If we look from a positive side, we will see that having diverse dimensions in every person has resulted in the working of our society. Neither every person wants to become a doctor, nor every person wants to become a pilot. 

Therefore, our dimensions have led to the development of our economy and society. Our different thoughts and views are different from each other but not separate. They are inter-connected with each other. 

Finally, it is always a great experience to listen to the other people. And it also helps us to understand the working system differently. We all get different knowledge from different fields of science, art, music, politics, etc.. Interacting with the new people with new thoughts is always a wonderful experience.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India.

Reflection on my experience of new school - Akanksha Panwar

My experience of the new school could have been better. I was happy because it is good for studying and brightens my future. I was also unhappy because I was leaving all my previous teachers, classmates and friends. It was really different from my last school. The first day was not good because I was so nervous about how the new school would be. But after that, I interacted with classmates and teachers and made new friends. It is going really well in school, and I am happy to be there. 

Akanksha Panwar

The dilemma between the heart and the mind - Shristi Khulal

A dilemma is a difficult situation in which we must choose between alternatives. We have to make many choices between many things, which can also change our lives. It can have both positive as well as negative impacts on us.

When it comes to the dilemma between heart and mind, I experience it every day. My heart usually tells me to enjoy and do fun things, but my mind tries to tell my heart to do those things at the right time and not to get away from my studies. Recently I experienced a dilemma when I needed to feel like studying. My heart said to me, "Let's sleep. I'm not in the mood to study." But my mind said," No, no study, don't you want good marks?" In which mind is correct, we should make the balance between the heart and the mind to live a good life.

The heart is sometimes wrong and leads to the right path. So we should also listen to our hearts sometimes to lead a happy life.

Shristi Khulal Pestalozzi Children's Village India We are reading the book with Jugjiv Sir at The Sunday School.

An example where I have shown patience - Sunday School Reflections 12th March 2023

Patience is the ability or quality of a person to bear and accept the delay of things without becoming angry or upset. It is a possession that every human has and resides in. But the thing is, we have to implore and find or discover it within ourselves. 

Music has its own way of convincing and pacifying others. It has always been my source of comfort, relaxation and calmness during life's hardships and stressful times. A moment in my life where I showed true Patience was when I had just started learning guitar. I struggled to play and hit the right chords and notes initially. I started taking learning guitar as a burden as it consumed most of my free time and prevented me from giving more time to my studies. But I still needed to drop it halfway. Eventually, in a few months, I felt more comfortable and enjoyable whenever I played my guitar. I learned from this event of my life that not only hard work, Patience, and determination are keys to success, and the result you get when you put all three together is always fascinating, magnificent, extraordinary and exceeds your satisfaction.

Tenzin Norsang

"To lose patience is to lose the battle."- Mahatma Gandhi.

Patience is the ability and capability of anybody to prevent anger and accept calmness when something takes place after a long time. It is the ability that everyone must possess and use at the right time, place and moment.

Patience is essential because we need to use it in our daily life. If we have the Patience to do things, it will be helpful for us, and if we do not acquire enough Patience to do something, we may face many troubles in our life.

These troubles may create barriers and problems in our daily life. I am a person who possesses many good qualities and abilities. One of ability is Patience. I use my best Patience at the right place and time for my benefit. I have shown my Patience many times. I am one of the incidents in my life where I have demonstrated Patience.

Before coming to Pestalozzi, I studied at a school popularly known as Umling School. I had many good friends there. One day my friend and I were coming back from school. On the way, my friend said he had some work in a nearby shop. He requested I wait for some time. I did as he told me to do so. I waited for a long time seeking his arrival. Finally, after half an hour, he came back from the shop. He requests my apology for being so late. He told me a long queue at the shop prevented him from doing his work and returning quickly. Without any delay, we continued to walk home after this. This was one of the parts of my where I showed Patience.

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children's India Village

Is it important to have a purpose in life? - Reflections 19th Feb 2023 Sunday Reading

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience." Eleanor Roosevelt.

Life without a purpose can not be called life. No one may have no meaning in their life. If we have a purpose in life, we should fulfil it with great focus and deliberation. It is essential to have a purpose in life. We need to achieve our goal of being better and more successful people in future. If we have a purpose, we have to move with it and complete it. Carrying a sense makes our life interesting, simple and peaceful. Hence we should have a purpose in life.

- Nishan Karki

A building would be incomplete even if any one piece of brick is missing. All the bricks of different sizes are equally crucial for constructing the building. Similarly, every person in this world has a purpose in life. Many people together form a society; one individual can never create a community like one flower doesn't make a garden. Looking around our society and environment, we see many people doing different things, working and doing jobs.

When you wake up, you find your breakfast ready on the table, and then you go to work, school, college, or office through various modes of transportation, and you buy items and products from the market. People are serving us, and directly or indirectly, we also have value in society. We all should have a purpose to create a happy community without having any goals in life. We are like damaged roots that can't support or assist plants.  

- Tenzin Jambey

Oh teacher, I salute Thee - Tenzin Nyingsel

"Teacher, a person who awakens joy in creative expression and knowledge," said the great scientist Einstein. They might indeed scold us or punish us, but that has always been what is done well for us. Whatever the teacher has always done for me has always been perceived as a valuable learning experience and never as an arduous duty. Teachers have always been the person in my life who've guided me on the right path of my life and have always encouraged me to move forward in my life.

 At last, I want to say to teachers that whatever you've taught and have given lessons will always be walking by my side on my life path to which I salute you.

Tenzin Nyingsel
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Pain Is Compulsory But Suffering Is An Option - Rishona Chopra

Pain is compulsory, it is a part of life and can't be changed, but do we let that pain affect our mind and turn it into suffering? Pain is the truth of life. It is something we can't change. There is a term that is used in Buddhism that is - 

Dukkha: Life is painful and causes suffering. Many people might say that Buddhism is pessimistic or negative.

The challenge is dealing with the pain. We let the pain get to our minds and convert into suffering. Suppose a person regularly has negative life experiences from a series of body illnesses. In that case, that means she has negative energy inside her due to some adverse action of her immediate or far-off past. This negative energy is at the present moment coming back to her in the form of negative scenes in her life. 

                             "We are healed of suffering only by experiencing it fully."

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

The World of Television - Simar Kaur

Hey, 'how you doin'?'. This infamous dialogue, iconic, I might add, is a signature of Joey from the hit sitcom 'Friends'. I honestly couldn't count how many times it had made me laugh, even when I was at my lowest.

The perfect life of cinema where everything seems to lead to a happy ending is the perfect run-away for me when my life seems shattered. Whenever my life seems too much to handle, I run away to my imaginary friends, with whom I can share everything. The amazingly sarcastic Chandler, the hopeless romantic Ted dedicated to finding 'The One', the motherly nature of Lily, the overprotective Finn, the 'drowning with creativity' Barney, the 'smart guy' Sheldon, they all are the friends I never had. I get scolded every single day for watching television way too much. But the truth is that I love to live another life, and coming back to my regular boring, uninteresting life just seems hectic.

Even if they are just a figment of someone's imagination, they bring joy to me, and I feel happy spending my time with them. Watching television always brings me joy, and I would like to thank them through this article. I am tremendously confused about what I want to do when I grow up. But a part of me wants to pursue the arts – acting, singing and dancing. But um, I am a terrible dancer, but I got a good throat, and over the years, after watching shows, I can somehow cry on cue. So, let's focus on the first two arts that I mentioned.

Don't you want to pursue a more professional career? Nobody asked you, Patrice! That's precisely how contradicting the voices in my heart are. While one part of me wants to become a professional employee with an acclaimed job like a doctor, accountant, lawyer, or engineer, the other part wants to spread the joy I experienced while watching my favourite tv shows and movies. So, frankly, I want to be an actor. But I don't know if I'm down for it, especially considering my stage fear.

When I lost my grandfather, these TV shows and movies helped me in the magnitude of words I cannot express. WandaVision may not be the kind of TV show that teaches you a life lesson, but the line that stood by me was 'What is grief if not love persevering?'. That changed my perspective, and I want this grief to stay with me for years to come.

So many dialogues changed my perception of life and helped me while still giving me joy. 'The biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake because then you'll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not.' 'It's one thing to not want it. It's another thing to be told you can't have it.' These are a few of the most tear-jerking lines spoken by the characters. But the line that I relate to now is 'I realized that I'm searching for what I really want in life. And you know what? I have absolutely no idea what that is.' Maybe I'll study to become a doctor or engineer in a few years. But perhaps, just possibly, I might be spreading the kind of joy I grew up experiencing.

But I will realize that I can't run to the past just because it seems familiar and because I'm comfortable with it. I will never be ready to face these obstacles, but life goes on, and you have to catch up with it one way or the other. This stuff is more straightforward said than done. So, I am aware there will be a day when I feel happier and satisfied. There will be a day when I'll share that happiness with people I will love while growing up. But just not today, just not right now…

And that is friends, how I met the world of television.

Simar Kaur from Gyanshree School, Noida 

What water would do? - Nibbrati Rathore

How do we find fulfilment in a world that is constantly changing?

Nibbrati Rathore, a mathematics teacher, struggled with these questions until she came across the ancient Chinese philosophy of Tao Yep Ching. In it, she found a passage comparing the goodness of water, an idea she is now applying to her everyday life. In this podcast, she shares- “Philosophy of water” and “What water would do”?

Quality is the mother of all values, and how it is the most essential of all. 

Do you have a similar story?

Do share with us and let the world learn from your experience.

Happy Teachers reside at the heart of My Good School; if you would like to experience 

the joy of learning, you are most welcome to join us at www.GoodSchools.in.

Real World Learning - Yashraj Sharma

Learning is a lifelong process. In books, classrooms and word-of-mouth, all we can learn is theory. But, the real learning comes from application and not just by memorising theories…..Like Issac Newton discovered gravity by merely watching an apple fall from a tree, with no aim or goal to find something.
 

Let me give you an example from my life - When I was in the 3rd standard, for classes 3 to 5 a ‘Rock sports camp’ was organised by our school. There were many activities, like zipline, Burma bridge, rock climbing etc. For the first time in my life, I got to experience walking over a Burma bridge. I was so hyped, and it was a much more thrilling experience than I had imagined. I also got to experience zip-lining over a bottomless, large pit. I was terrified and excited at the same time. After these two activities, I did rock climbing, and that was the part I was most scared of.

But, the important thing is that until that time, I had only heard of these activities and heard other people’s experiences. When I finally got to actually do and experience these activities in real life, I understood why people always said, “Rock climbing is very scary” or, “Zipline is breathtaking!”. I also learned that all these activities require spot-on hand and eye coordination.

No matter the situation we face in our lives, be it good or bad, we can always learn something new from our experiences. All of it depends on the individual’s personality, intellect and capabilities. Therefore it is rightly said that “When there is rain, look for the rainbow; when there is night, look for the stars”.

So, in conclusion, I would like to say that no matter how many books we read or how many videos we see or how many articles we read. We can only experience authentic learning by doing what we have seen, heard or read.

Yashraj Sharma

Grade: VIII-D

Gyanshree school 

Joy of Learning For Me - Aanya Kumar

The book My Good School reminds us that no school is perfect. Students receive more appreciation for past achievements. Educators will have to understand the pupils and plan interactive activities to raise the enjoyment level of learning. We must find our true identity because that is what truly matters. 

Deciding for ourselves and learning while experiencing real-life instances will help our holistic development. Often, fun examples given by mentors may not clearly tell us that they are related to studying topics, but as we grow up, we seem to understand that what our teachers have taught us stays with us our entire life. Understanding topics with fun and learning to the fullest is the Joy Of Learning.

Aanya Kumar, 

Grade 6B, Podar International School.

Happiness - Asmi Patankar

Happiness does not have any material value. It is priceless. I feel happy when I have fun, read books, dance, talk with my friends, see new places, and much more. Whenever I do any of these activities, I feel happy. For one thing, whenever I see dogs, I feel thrilled. Since I feel so glad, I remember those experiences. And when I think about the memories, I feel happy. 

Name: Asmi Patankar

Grade: 5A

Billabong High International School, Thane

My life is beautiful - Gratitude!

Gratitude 

My life is beautiful because of my connection with God. He probably thought I was a bit stubborn but could quickly learn, so he gave me a happy life with few challenges! 

Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School

I have much to thank my parents and God for doing so much for me and guiding me in the right direction. Because of that, I am living this beautiful life happily.
Arav Agrawal
Grade V
Billabong High International School

My life is beautiful because of the little things. It may be a simple dinner with my family or seeing the flowers in my garden grow that might lift up my spirits. Each new day brings the opportunity to do something different and unique. We all are so trapped in this vicious cycle of work and pressure that we often miss out on those little things that matter the most. It doesn't count whether you can go to your child's graduation ceremony or not, but what makes a difference is if you can guide your child when he is lost in the sea. Little needn't always mean happiness; it might be your breakdown before a big performance or your tears when you recall old friends. I have learned that the little things help us define ourselves, and when we look back on them, they just remind us how truly blessed we are. Enjoy the little things because one day, when we look back, we will realize that they were the big things.
Anvesha Rana
Grade IX
Gyanshree School

My life is beautiful because of many things. My parents are always loving me and taking care of me. My friends are my companions and never hesitate to help me or share something. My life is beautiful because of my other family, including my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. Along with this, the daily everyday items that I own make my life colourful and beautiful.
Vihaan Mittal
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

I have much to thank my family for everything because of what they have done for me. No matter how many ups and downs we have faced, they have always been there for me. Before I make decisions, I go to them for my advice. They have always been there to support me in every step of my life.
Anoushka Vinod
Grade 6
Gyanshree School 

My life is beautiful because of my lovely family and everything I own. I am also grateful to my friends because they have always been by my side and supported me.
Yashraj Sharma
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

I feel blessed to have caring parents that give so much love and think for me all the time. My little sister loves me so much that she only cares for me. I feel like I have the best family. Loving aunts that adore me so much. Grandparents that give me my favourite books all the time. I am fortunate to have a sweet family.
Ahlcon Public School
Aayan Biswas
Grade 6

Life is beautiful because of tiny and small things we ignore sometimes. It can be a family dinner or dinner with our friends. It can be a morning breakfast or a delicious lunch. But there is one thing I love to do every day: playing. Though my hobby is sports, I love to play with my friends. All the screen times and quality times with my family is beautiful.
Pravar Kasma
Grade VII
Gyanshree school

My life is beautiful because of my friends and family, as they have done a lot for me. If they weren't supporting me, I wouldn't have achieved much. I wish my family and close friends live with me for many more years to keep supporting and standing with me.
Vernica Wadhwa
Gyanshree School
Grade 6

Life is beautiful just the way it is for me. I need nothing more and nothing less.
Avni Kochhar
Grade IV
Gyanshree School

My life is beautiful because I have children of all ages interacting with me every day of my life!
Brinda Ghosh
Principal Gyanshree

On Sunday mornings at 11.00 AM, you can join us for live reading sessions. Best you attend with a copy of the book and experience the Joy of Reading.  #ReadToLead

Friendship - Rishona Chopra & Aanya Kumar

Rishona Chopra and Aanya Kumar share their life experiences and the true meaning of friendship.

Rishona Chopra & Aanya Kumar
Grade V
Gyanshree School

Friendship - Anoushka Vinod

Play the Story

Anoushka Vinod
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Friendship - Paavni Gupta

Friendship is just not shaking hands and saying, "will you be my friend ".Friendship is to help, stay together, play together and support each other. For some people, friendship is just for their advantage. I had one friend who used to play with me only because I had many toys, lovely jewellery and many more things. She used to come to my home and start taking out my items. I told her not to do it. She went home and stopped talking to me. Then I made another friend who did become my friend, not because of the things I had but because I was friendly and polite to her. 

Friendship is essential for us. We always should be friends because of our personality, not because of our things.

Paavni Gupta 

Grade V

Gyanshree School