GSA Calendar December 2024

My Good School every Sunday

1st December 

Lina Ashar

Dreamtime Learning
- My Name Is Cinnamon reading by Jugjiv Singh

8th December

Amardeep Singh

Screening of Episode 12
Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels
- The Inner Life Of Animals - reading by Sandeep Dutt

Sunbeam Schools #JoyOfLearning

Varanasi YES Workshop for students and Joy Of Giving for teachers from 12th December to 16th December.

15th December

My Name Is Cinnamon - Jugjiv Singh

The Inner Life Of Animals - Sandeep Dutt

22nd December

Meeting with Anika Singh of VOYCE, a Social Artist.

https://www.voyce.in

The Inner Life Of Animals - Sandeep Dutt

28th December 

The Impact Team Meeting at 7:00 pm

WhatsApp Group Call

29th December
My Name Is Cinnamon - Jugjiv Singh
The Inner Life Of Animals - Sandeep Dutt
Reflections for 2024 - learning outcomes from the YES Workshops at Varanasi.

Good Schools India Journal

2nd December

Reading for a Living

Sandeep Dutt
15th December
2 Girls 1 Mic - Oshi and Simar 
27th December 
Where Passion Meets Education

The Teacher's Academy

Masterclass every Saturday at 5:30 pm
7th, 14th, 21st and 28th December

Book reading:

Shomie Das, The Man Who Saw Tomorrow

Masterclass by Sandeep Dutt

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

Happy Teacher's Day 2024

On Teacher's Day, Tanmay Gupta, a seventh-grader from Sunbeam Suncity School, and Naitik, a seventh-grade student at the same school, both express their gratitude to their teachers. They believe that teachers play a crucial role in shaping their lives and want to genuinely thank them for their patience and the knowledge they have shared. They also acknowledge their teachers' countless hours in helping them grow. They urge everyone to take a moment to remember their teachers' impact and express gratitude by genuinely thanking them. 

Yashraj, the Head Boy of the High School at Gyanshree Noida, is an intern at My Good School.

#HappyTeachersDay

GSA Calendar September 2024

My Good School on Sundays

1st September 2024
Christa Campsall 

My Guide Inside

My Name Is Cinnamon

8th September 2024

My Name Is Cinnamon
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

15th September 2024
Amardeep Singh 

Screening of Episode 9 Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels 

The Hidden Life Of Trees

22nd September 2024
My Name Is Cinnamon

The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

29th September 2024

My Name Is Cinnamon
The Hidden Life of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

Good Schools India Journal
2nd September 2024
Student Agency - Sandeep Dutt

5th September 2024

Health Is Wealth - Kunal Rajpurohit

9th September 2024

Hanoi - RP Devgan

Masterclass - The Teacher's Academy

7th, 14th, 21st and 28th 
Chapter 9 Wanted Back-bencher Last-ranker Teacher.

GSA Monthly Meeting 

28th September 2024 at 4 pm.

Please visit our website www.schooleducation.com 

Email us at mk@learningforward.org.in. 

YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@MyGoodSchool 

Good Schools India Journal https://gsi.in

Student Agency at My Good School

Student Agency by Sandeep Dutt

The Making Of My Good School

Read on Substack

The Making Of My Good School

In October 2021, we witnessed a turning point, with teachers focusing on other priorities of returning to school post the COVID19 pandemic, we turned our attention to the students and set up My Good School.

The students took charge of their learning, leading to a crescendo of #JoyOfLearning. 12 years old Rishona, our School Captain is a shining example of student agency. She manages My Good School with remarkable skill, making her the perfect mascot for the student agency.

In 2023, the challenges of fatigue and work pressure for teachers brought us back to a new normal at schools. Teacher’s needed to adapt and learn, the Schools formed an association and we started the Masterclass 2024 for Teachers.

Today, we feel a sense of fulfilment and joy, as interns and fellows take the lead in strengthening The Teacher’s Academy learning programs. Anoushka, helps manage The Teacher’s Academy. In addition, Kunal heads The Impact Project and monitors the learning and assessment process. We thank Rishona, Anoushka and Kunal, they significantly help manage the operations and offer online support to our community of passionate educators.

GSA Calendar August 2024

Good Schools India Journal
2nd August 2024
How do we encourage the Art of Writing? - Sandeep Dutt

8th August 2024
The ALIVE Test - Kunal Rajpurohit

15th August 2024
2 Girls 1 Mic - Oshi and Simar

22nd August 2024
Where Passion Meets Education - Dr Charu Mathur

My Good School on Sundays - ZOOM Sessions

4th August 2024
Christ Campsall - My Guide Inside

Jataka Tales
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

11th August 2024
Jataka Tales
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

18th August 2024
Amardeep Singh - Screening of Allegory: A Tapestry of Guru Nanak's Travels Episode 8. 

Jataka Tales
The Impact Team Meeting

25th August 2024
Vikas Prakash Joshi - My Name is Cinnamon

Jataka Tales
The Hidden Life Of Trees
The Impact Team Meeting

• JOL Diaries Newsletter - 14th August 2024

- Website www.JoyOfLearningDiaries.com

Masterclass - The Teacher's Academy*

3rd, 17th, 24th and 31st 
Chapter 8 Wanted Back-bencher Last-ranker Teacher 

*There will be no Masterclass on 10th August 2024. We are all in Jaipur to attend the Global Edfest 2024 

Please visit our website www.schooleducation.com 

Email us at mk@learningforward.org.in. 

YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@MyGoodSchool 

Good Schools India Journal https://gsi.in

4th August 2024 will be the last Zoom Meeting for My Good School; from 11th August, only My Good School will move the Zoom Webinars.

The subsequent shutting down of our My Good School at Dehradun, which transformed into Learning and Coworking, means we no longer have an office or a team. We are now indeed a 'School In The Cloud! '

Appreciation - Nishan Karki

 "When you don't come from struggle, gaining appreciation is a difficult quality." ― Shania Twain.

Appreciation means expressing our gratitude to others or praising, admiring and complimenting others. We appreciate people by saying phrases such as You have a friendly personality, you are very respectful, etc. Appreciation is one of the great values which we possess. Appreciating others also shows our respect for them. We take and give Appreciation to many people such as our parents, teachers, elders, juniors, seniors, relatives, youngers, neighbours, etc. If we appreciate people positively, we, in return, will also get a positive response like thank you. We will get adverse reactions if we disrespect or say wrong about people. It means that Appreciation is one of our positive values.

At Pestalozzi, we all respect and appreciate every staff including Cheme Ma'am, office staff, housemothers, cooks, drivers, guards, cleaners, and our friends. We understand the work which they are doing for us. Pestalozzi provides us with every best thing possible such as education, food, clothes, entertainment, etc. Its main motive is to provide us with good education to improve our future. Pestalozzi encourages, helps and supports us to exceed our potential. It prepares us to face the world, its challenges and difficulties. Pestalozzi doing all these things for us, deserve respect and appreciation for their work.

Nishan Karki
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

What it takes to spread the joy of learning at schools - Unnati Dabral

Children and Young Adults tend to spend their joyful yet crucial years of life in school. School days are the precious years of a student's life. 

The joy of learning in schools may be defined in numerous ways. Learning something new with fellow mates always has its charms and challenges, whether in the classroom or on the playground. 'Finding Joy' is seeing oneself grow little by little, learning, growing, falling, escaping, again coming on the loop, trying and experiencing unusual things in those marvellous hours at school.

Have you ever thought about our adrenaline rush while reading a thrilling novel? Oh! And how just a mere acknowledgement of the fact that its sequel might be available in our school library in the coming month excites us? What a relieving thought with an inexpressible enthusiasm.

An infusion of joy with learning helps a learner to feel less stressed. It motivates positive learning experiences. Children are more eager to learn when handled with care and happiness.

To understand what it takes to spread the joy of learning at schools, we need to know what actually brings joy to the students?

The answer is:-
∆ Games
∆ Toys
∆ Colours
∆ Artworks
∆ Cartoons
∆ Adventures
∆ Jokes
∆ Celebrations

And for these to take place, a teacher should have the listed qualities and thus qualifies his/her limitations to strengths:- 
∆ Passionate towards teaching
∆ Caring
∆ Kind
∆ Able to create a flowing atmosphere
∆ Introducing egalitarianism among students
∆ Humourous
∆ Knows his/her students

There is much more to learn, give, write, do, and thus explore. Looking forward to spreading the joy of learning at schools and worldwide.

- Unnati Dabral 
Fellow at My Good School for the year 2023-24

Appreciation - Rishona Chopra

Appreciation is to appreciate, as in to be grateful and thankful for something. 

Most of us have so much to appreciate, but we still take time to find mistakes and need to remember to embrace all the privileges we have and don't appreciate. There shall always be greed for more, but it's on us to know how to control it, appreciates what we have, avoids finding what we don't have and stop this greed for more.

Finding out mistakes is easier and more catchy to talk about. I faced this problem myself! Although I have a lot to appreciate, I used to find what I didn't have. I have worked on that mistake and have stopped complaining and enjoying what I have. It's a little tricky, but when you think about your home, good clothes, and education, most people might not even have you feeling happy and grateful for what you have. 

Apart from appreciating the little things in our life, appreciating someone can fill a heart with joy. It can motivate someone to work harder and strive for more. 

Just clapping for someone, giving them a thumbs up, or even smiling at their work can bring a smile to someone's face. 

Appreciation is also a vital quality. Appreciating the little efforts done by our peers and students is essential. We each have something special about us, and instead of thinking just about ourselves, we should take the time to appreciate others. Who understands that better than our teachers? Teachers take particular time enjoying, helping, and thinking about their students. And I am sure we all can appreciate our teachers for the time they took to think about us.

At the same time, Appreciation for others shows your modesty and humbleness. Instead of thinking about ourselves, we appreciate other person's efforts. Humility and Appreciation build a good relationship between peers, two base values of a healthy classroom. Values like cooperation and respect come in when we have the base of humility ready.

Rishona Chopra Grade VII Gyanshree School

A trip to SchoolEducation.Com - Veda Varshita Marrivada

It was a fun and knowledgeable trip visiting the SchoolEducation.Com. It is a website created by the Good School Alliance program. It was an outstanding experience with many things to know about. As I scrolled through the web pages, I came across many other programs held by the Good Schools Alliance. There were many informative videos. Some programs were Happy Teachers, Sunday School, My Good School Retreat etc.

The school song of My Good School was melodious and splendid. It was soothing, lovely, and relaxing to hear. Also, many takeaways from the reflections given by many students were creative and helpful. Coming to the Internships, the reviews provided by the interns made me determined to become an intern in the future.

The various programs listed on the website gave me a sensation of excitement. The website also gave me the curiosity to learn many more things. The Meet and Greet podcasts were fascinating. It was a unique website because it was like an online school. There were several books to read. I could not notice how fast the time passed by just scrolling on the website for half an hour. The various programs also help us to build our vocabulary.

The My Good School Program focuses on the 6 C's, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, character, and citizenship, which are very important to success in our life and career. There is also a facility to buy many exciting books, such as:

Live Life In Crescendo
Blue Sky, White Cloud
Ratan Tata Ek Prakash Stambh

My Good School
Where passion meets education
And many more are based on our daily life and have many things to learn. This website is very inspirational for me as I could understand there are "No limits to knowledge and learning". It was a spectacular trip visiting the SchoolEducation.com website.

In conclusion, we have many things to learn, and what we know today might help us tomorrow, and whatever we learn is a drop or a pond compared to an ocean. The trip to SchoolEducation.Com will allow us to learn many new things and succeed in our life.

Veda Varishta Marrivada
Grade 5 Hyderabad Public School Begumpet

Please listen to my blog post.

Vist to SchoolEducation.com - Aria Gupta

I’ve loved reading for a long time, so I chose to join the Sunday school. We read every week, every Sunday, which might sound boring, but it’s actually quite fun. Schooleducation.com is My Good School’s website meant to tell more people about it and its programs. Scroll down, and you’ll see what affordable education is to My Good School.

Then, as you scroll down, see the Happy Teachers section. This section is for all the teachers. Last but not least comes the Joy of Learning fund. You can donate there to ensure good quality education for more children. 

Click here if you want to visit too.

As a bookworm, I recommend you join it. You can think of it as a ‘special book club’ where we discuss the story and its hidden meaning.

Aria Gupta
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

My Graduation Day Experience - Tenzin Jambey

Middle School Khremeteng Tawang is located in a lovely place in Tawng district in Arunachal Pradesh, and it was a government school still; I never felt it like some people say about government schools. My old school was one-tenth of my Ann Mary School at Dehradun.

Middle School Khremeteng is a small school with a playing ground in the middle; during assembly hours, the rising sun scene used to be much like Paradise. The total strength of the students there was less than 100, and here in one class, students exceeded more than 100. I was so attached to my school, the teachers, friends, seniors, peon aunty and other staff. My love for my old school can not be expressed in words, people love thinking of the future, but it makes me feel good when I think of my past time. The school here at Dehradun is different from my old school in the way of teaching, the school environment, people's way of speaking, rules and regulations, and almost everything else. After seeing this week's reflection topic, the happy memories of my childhood in my old school flashed back. The name of my school is Govt. 

I hated the word Sunday and holiday then, but now I wait for Sunday; it proves everything changes with time. The starting time of school was 8:30, but I would reach at 7:00 and wait for everyone to come; it used to be fun spending time alone at school in the winter morning, and the cold breeze would make my body shiver. I would often take a page from my notebook and make an aeroplane out of it and watch it flying into the air; I still remember my math teacher, Rai sir, who would pull my ears till they turned red in colour for taring pages he would tell me the value of paper. Yes, it was a valuable lesson for me. 

The total strength of students at my new school is 1000+, and it is difficult to know and make everyone my friend, but I still remember the names and qualities of each student of my old school. Sometimes I feel like hugging my childhood friends and shedding happy tears. It was them who made my childhood days Wonderland. I will never forget the games we used to play marbles, matchbox cards, coins, 7 stamps, gilli danda, chor police, cock fight, hopscotch, hoop rolling and many more. At that time, we knew very little about mobile games and entertainment. We would entertain ourselves by saying filmy dialogues. It was a government school, as I said, that's why we used to get lunch meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and eat food with friends on the same plate friends in the same plate with raw chilli and chips packet was what I enjoyment really meant for me. 

Every teachers and peon aunty had a great love for us, and I loved the way they used to love and care for us. During those time, time really flew like a kite in the sky, and I didn't even realise that I had reached class 5 after the finals were over; one of my teachers told us that we needed to give a test and the students who will pass in an exam would be taken for a trip to Shillong, but this wasn't the actual case it was actually the selection test, the selection of students for Pestalozzi. After one month or two, I got a message that I got selected and had to say goodbye to my friends. 

On the last day, they all hugged me with all their power and strength as nobody knew whether we would meet again or not, and yes, it did happen; I still didn't get to contact my few friends. 

Their last word was, " Jambey make a cut in my hand, and it would serve as a friendship mark", and I told them ", it's not always necessary to let the world know how much you love somebody " I told them I would miss them and promised to never forget them.

This is the story of my graduation day experience at my old school. On the last day of school, all these memories kept distributing me till late at night; even now, when I see the word friends, their faces come back to my mind.

Tenzin Jambey, Pestalozzi Children's Villiage India