Reflection Sunday 10th November 2024

Reflection of the week 

-From My Name Is Cinnamon- 

1. What was your takeaway from the session today?  

2. What were the key points in the chapter? 

3. Journey of self-discovery

4. Being honest with ourselves

5. Importance of reflection and clear thought 

6. When you write a poem how do you feel? 

7. How do you think Cinnamon would feel if he met his birth parents

8. Between the head and the heart

- From The Hidden Life Of Trees –  

1. Why is the chapter named "Not just a commodity?"

2. What is your takeaway from today’s session? 

3. What did you learn from this book?

4. Do trees have a life of their own? How can humans learn to respect that? 

5. Life from the eyes of trees

6. Taking care of trees and nature with dignity

7. We aren't a part of nature, we are nature

8. Lessons from this book

"I think writing a poem is oddly fulfilling and a unique art itself. Its unique how we're able to express our thoughts about something in a set of lines. I think it brings us to think deeper about what we're writing because we aren't just writing a paragraph but writing about our feelings and ideas about something in a few lines, choosing the right words at every step. And when you're done writing that poem, there's a sense of fulfillment when you read it again because it just opens a new perspective about it. 

I don't write blogs that often now but when I'm bored at home, I take out a paper and pen and write poems because it truly is something that's so unique." - Rishona Chopra

These are some suggestions you can choose from. Looking forward to seeing your wonderful and thoughtful reflections!      

      

You can email your reflections at -      

mk@learningforward.org.in

My Good School 10th Nov 2024

Reading My Name Is Cinnamon - complete the chapter 8; and complete reading the book "The Hidden Life of Trees" by Peter Wohlleben, as well as plan for an upcoming retreat and initiate an "Impact Study" project.

Key Takeaways

• Trees are highly interconnected through underground fungal networks, forming a "Wood-Wide Web" that allows them to communicate and support each other. 

• Helping children like Cinnamon from the book deal with difficult emotions requires providing a supportive environment, encouraging reflection, and engaging them in enjoyable activities. 

• The upcoming retreat will involve spending time in a forest, connecting with underprivileged children, and continuing the group reading experience. 

• The "Impact Study" project aims to assess how the Teacher's Academy program is developing students' 21st century skills like critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. 

• Practices like writing poems, maintaining reading logs, and reflecting on readings can enhance personal growth and reading comprehension. 

Topics

Reading and Discussing "The Hidden Life of Trees"

• The group continued reading and discussing chapters from the book, exploring how trees communicate and support each other through underground fungal networks. 

• The discussion focused on understanding Cinnamon's emotional journey and ways to help him deal with his feelings in a healthy manner. 

Upcoming Retreat

• The group discussed the plans for an upcoming retreat, where participants will spend time in a forest, connect with underprivileged children, and continue their group reading experience. 

• The retreat will also involve a visit to the "My Good School" studio and a city tour. 

"Impact Study" Project

• The group initiated an "Impact Study" project to assess the impact of the Teacher's Academy program on the development of students' 21st century skills. 

• The project will involve gathering feedback from teachers and students, and analyzing data to understand the program's effectiveness.

 

Next Steps

• Gurdeep will connect with Kunal to obtain the data from the previous impact study and use it as a starting point for the new project. 

• The group will work together to develop a set of questions to gather feedback from teachers and students on a monthly basis. 

• The findings from the impact study will be shared and discussed in future meetings, and the next meeting will be on the 24th of November 2024.

The Impact Study by Kunal Rajpurohit

Three Impactful Years and three cheers to our Fellow Analyst Kunal and the intern's team #JoyOfLearning #MyGoodSchool #GoodSchoolsAlliance #HappyTeachers

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

Let’s Talk Exam Stress

Let’s Talk Exam Stress by Sandeep Dutt

2 Girls 1 Mic Episode 15

Read on Substack

Join Simar and Oshi as they dive into the highs and lows of dealing with exam stress in this lively episode of 2 Girls 1 Mic. Drawing from personal experiences—like Simar’s impromptu dance sessions to clear her mind and Oshi’s love for colour-coded notes—they offer practical tips and strategies to help you stay calm and focused during exam season.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by endless study sessions? Or perhaps you need a fresh perspective on tackling that dreaded pre-exam panic? Simar and Oshi have got you covered, sharing breathing techniques, study hacks, and ways to take care of your mental health. So, this midterm season, remember to take it easy and work towards being more productive with these tips and tricks!

Tune in for a fun and relatable conversation to confidently crush those exams. And don’t forget to leave your tips in the comments—we’d love to hear how you conquer exam stress!

A cause that is dear to me - Aria Gupta

Parents often make their children study in school and get into a prestigious college so that they become successful. Initially, it might not seem much of an issue, but they pressure children to study in school and ace all exam papers. If the child fails one exam, it’s game over for them. They are probably also judged like this regarding their other skills, such as sports. This can affect youngsters’ mental health and make them feel worthless because they think their parents will never be proud of them even once. They’re also compared to other children like ‘The three - year old living nearby who has supposedly already completed college in IIT and runs a business with his left leg and another business with his right leg’.

Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating.

But you can’t deny that children are compared to other children by their parents. “Why can’t you be like him?” and “Learn something from her” are some statements that can shoot a bullet straight into a child’s mental health. Then they start trying harder than ever to avoid failure at all costs.

We all can agree that failure is inevitable. I don’t need to write an entire paragraph on that, right?

Returning to the topic, it’s okay if a child fails one exam; it doesn’t define their entire life.

Boy: Dad…

Dad: You got your exam results today, right?

Boy: Yes, Dad.

Dad: C’mon, spill it out

Boy: I failed my maths exam 😭!

Dad: WHY DID YOU FAIL? YOUR LIFE IS RUINED NOW!

That is not how life works; your future isn’t something you can determine based on a couple of tests.

To sum it up, the cause that is dear to me is that parents shouldn’t force their children to become Albert Einstein at age 13, which can significantly affect their mental health.

Albert Einstein only said, “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid.”

Aria Gupta
Grade VIG
Gyanshree School

I am responsible for - Tenzin Jambey

As we grow older and older, responsibility and jobs come on our shoulders. Responsibility is not easy to handle.  Along with responsibility, risk also comes. The day will come for every person when they must take greater responsibility. I  believe that we should only do such actions for which we can take responsibility. 

I have many responsibilities upon me, but my most significant responsibility is to study and do well in other activities and to develop myself to become a better version of myself. With time am also getting older and now I can take many responsibilities and I can look after myself when I am traveling and I can make my own decision for the betterment of myself. 

Tenzin Jambey

Pestalozzi Children’s Village India

The dilemma between heart and mind - Tenzin Jambey

"Good evening, sir. How is everything and hope you are all good, me waiting for Sunday's Good School and will see you in Sunday's Class. This is my reflection on ( SHARE A DILEMMA OF HEART AND MIND). It took me almost an hour to write , and I guess  not everyone has the courage to share the dilemma experience which I have shared. Hope you would love and feel good after going through my reflection." Tenzin Jambey

Our minds and heart ask and wish for many things, but sometimes we come across such situations that our minds and heart don't agree to perform a task together. When the brain says 'yes', the heart says 'no' and when the heart says 'yes', the brain says 'no'. In this situation, we need clarification. I have also experienced the dilemma between my brain and heart, and the dilemma I faced is also faced by others.

1) "Being a student, our main purpose is "studying" every student is expected to learn good values, life skills, good morals and at last, they are expected to become a good human being". It has not been a long day since I last experienced this dilemma. My exams were near, and I had a lot to cover up; my mind would always tell me to stay focused on my studies and prepare for exams, or else I wouldn't be able to complete the syllabus. Still, my heart told me, "Don't take the pressure. You can cover up the whole syllabus before exams". When I used to sit studying, my mind and heart would fight for a few minutes, and every time my mind used to win. In the case of studying, I always listen to my mind. This time, I could only secure a good percentage in my finals because I listened to my mind.

2) The dilemma between heart and mind, which I am now going to share right now, is a Universal truth, and it is experienced by almost all human beings, including you and me. " FEELING ATTRACTED TOWARDS SOMEONE" means having a feeling of love for someone or having a crush upon someone. When we fall in love with someone, a powerful dilemma develops between our minds and heart. We still can't escape even after knowing that this would take us nowhere and is just a short-term distraction or an attraction. Our mind says that we try to forget the one upon whom we have the feeling of love or crush, but our heart doesn't agree with the decision of our mind. These feelings and attractions can last for a  few days or more. Still, it remains for a very long time for some, so even a more significant dilemma is developed between mind and heart, much like a" SMART EDUCATED  PERSON TRYING TO TALK IN ENGLISH WITH A INNOCENT UNEDUCATED PERSON ". This dilemma puts extreme pressure upon people and can lead a person to perform activities which he/she might not have ever dreamt of; they end up being bad cold-hearted people, and they remain in depression; they are often found sad, and at last,,, they ruin their own life. It is sad thing that many people commit suicide, and they prefer to kill themselves when they fail in love or when they fail to impress the other person. Still, we must understand and develop self-control to overcome this challenging and complex dilemma.

At last, dilemmas can come and get into our life from anywhere, so we have to be very mindful of the decision we are to make. It would be better to listen to " FIFTY - FIFTY " of both mind and heart rather than listening to the heart or mind altogether. As for me, our mind always thinks of our future and our results. In contrast, our heart would show the way to happiness, and by listening and following the instructions of both of them, you would indeed become HAPPY (which is a contribution of the heart) and SUCCESFUL (which is a result of listening to our mind) man, A HAPPY SUCCESSFUL MAN. 

Reading at the Sunday School

Did you ever experience the dilemma between the heart and mind? - Smriti Rai

A dilemma means when you have to make a different choice between two things. This situation is something which we all face in our daily life. We have to face a dilemma when we have two options.

The dilemma between the heart and mind is a common experience in our daily life. The brain always wins, even if it gives more challenging and complicated options. It takes a more extended period to believe as the heart is always soft, so it provides more accessibility, making us regret it later.

Recently I experienced a situation where I faced a dilemma. Before my exams started, my brain told me to study from the beginning and complete the syllabus before the exam, but my heart said to go out and play and enjoy. It told me that there was still more time to study and even I could learn a month before the examination, then I chose my heart's advice, then later, even when I looked till late at night, I could not finish the syllabus, and I regretted the choice which I made.

Smriti Rai

Pestalozzi Children's Village India

We are reading the book with Jugjiv Sir at The Sunday School.

Slooh’s metrics - students in India at the top of the leaderboards.

Please take a quick look at Slooh's metrics and see students in India at the top of the leaderboards. 

https://vega.slooh.com/docs/2022Sloohinfographic_Medium.jpg

Here is this case study about one of our students getting into Stanford 

https://www.slooh.com/post/michelle-park-s-journey-from-high-school-to-stanford-with-slooh

We have another school in Germany, the Sorbonne testing it, Harrow using an account.

We're looking for a European edtech to help take Slooh to market in Europe.

Join a global community, and explore space via a network of robotic mountaintop telescopes. Live online telescope feeds unique astronomical events from Slooh's observatories in the Canary Islands and Chile. School Space Program makes learning a fun process.

Visit www.Slooh.Org.IN

Student Community Leaders and School Leaders are from India.

- Michael Paulucci
Founder/CEO of Slooh.
Learn to explore space via online telescopes.

SLOOH.COM
We have democratized school space access through innovation. 

A Miracle In The Sky - Rishona Chopra

Miracles are those little blessings God showers on us. It is that magic in our life that protects us. 

While sitting on my balcony, I saw the sky and thought maybe it was a miracle in heaven. Perhaps something good is on our way. If we fall off a swing and get a fracture but heal soon, that is a miracle. Not everybody heals soon and lives their life, but some do, and those who do have a miracle in their life. Perhaps your life was sad, but a strange, cute puppy made you happy. That puppy is a miracle. 

If you didn't study for an exam but passed, that is a miracle. (Do study for your exams, though)! Miracles may come as challenges, but miracles make us stronger. There is always a miracle in one's life. Maybe it is really small; you just need to have the courage to see it.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI

Gyanshree School