"Oneness" to Me: Tenzin Chonzom

Oneness shows us the meaning of connection, in every sense of the word. Oneness is a feeling of interconnectedness. It is usually experienced as an intense heart-opening and awareness of the goodness in all beings

Once Guru Nanak said, "God is neither Hindu nor Muslim”. He emphasized that there is only One God who has created the entire universe, including human beings. According to me oneness means unity of thought, feeling, belief, aim, etc.; a strong feeling of closeness and union.

Oneness is a usual attitude towards life, and it's the belief that everything is connected in the natural world.

Tenzin Chonzom, Grade 9
Pestalozzi Children Village Society, India  

Letter to Amardeep Singh co-creator of Allegory - A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels

https://thegurunanak.com/

Respected Mr. Amardeep,

We at My Good School are forever grateful for the bundle of knowledge that you have given us. The Guru Nanak docuseries carries priceless learnings and intriguing stories to tell that we will carry in our hearts forever.

We now watch one episode of the docuseries in our Sunday sessions monthly. They have indeed made our sessions much more unique and brighter than ever!

We have celebrated the first session of 2024 with the first episode of the Guru Nanak docuseries. Each episode has remarkable stories, and we unfold extraordinary monthly messages for reflection.

Learning about Guru Nanak’s selfless, humble and kind personality has warmed our hearts and, in fact, shows us the aim and purpose of one’s life. To do good.
This docuseries is the perfect start to 2024! With each episode, we carry something with us, and those learnings are the ones that will help us throughout our lives.

I only knew a little about Guru Nanak Ji and his life, and learning more about him has yet to appeal to me. But seeing the episodes you make has not only developed my interest but also made me more eager to learn more about him and his travels.

On behalf of our school, I thank you for creating a meaningful documentary series that makes our day more meaningful and worthwhile.

Without you and your team, we wouldn’t have access to this knowledge in such an easy and straightforward way.

Thank you so much for all you do!

Warm Regards,
Rishona Chopra
School Captain, My Good School

--- ‘Lost Heritage Productions’ is a Singapore-based visual media production house led by a Singapore-based couple, Amardeep Singh and Vininder Kaur. It is focused on research and documentation of forgotten legacies.

Classics or present-day creations? - Rishona Chopra

 

Graphic by Rishona Chopra

Are oldies better than the music and movies of today?

That is one of the biggest debates today. Both of them are unique in their own way but I believe that there is something special about classics and oldies. As intriguing and modern the latest creations are, oldies seem to bring family together. As a millennial of Gen Z, I usually watch/listen to the latest creations but watching classics is a refreshment for the mind. It reminds one of the time when things were simpler and life was less hectic. 

The past can be a great source of inspiration and old music is a wonderful way to access it. Moreover, old music has stood the test of time. It has been around for decades and even centuries and it popularity is a testament of how great it is. Yes, there are changes in the world but that doesn't mean we forget the past and the old. Old is NOT gold. It's vital to accept and look at latest creations too but immediate dislike for the classics isn't great either. 

Labeling classics as "boring" is completely one's choice but often we just neglect it directly without even taking a look at oldies. The most popular songs today are in fact remixes of earlier classics. Popular artists have taken inspiration from several classics such as "These are a few of my favourite things" , "Do re mi fa so la ti" and literature pieces like "The Great Gatsby". 

One of my favorite classics is definitely Mary Poppins. I honestly haven't watched that many classics but 1964 Mary Poppins tops for me. It is a fictional story but it indeed has a lot to teach. First of all, it teaches us to live life. Life is a gift and even despite the tough and rough times, it's always good to keep a positive attitude in life. It also teaches us to be kind and not judge people. Mary Poppins did receive a little opposition from the children's father but that didn't bring her down because she was confident and did what was right. One of my favourite parts about it is the unique use of words. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is that word that brings a smile to my face when I say it. For me, it carries a cheerful vibe all together.

As interesting and full of mystery and excitement the  new creations are, I don't believe that they carry some meaningful lessons with them but of course if we are young teenagers who are combating other evil people and plan on saving the world then sure they do have some advice. 

To conclude, I would say that its good to sometimes look back and see some interesting and appealing classics like "Mary Poppins" or "Sound Of Music". Their simple stories stirred with a drop of magic are heart warming. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Importance of Mathematics in our life- Nishan Karki

 We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.

                                         — Katherine Johnson 

Mathematics is one of the subjects that we study in school. It is crucial in every field and career of work. It is followed by many professions. It is important for everyone to learn Basic mathematics. 

People buy different things from shops and supermarkets, and if they do not know how to calculate the amount of money spent, they may suffer financial loss. People get exploited if they do not know how to read and calculate the prices of products. 

Basic maths is important here. People must know basic maths so that they do not get exploited or suffer loss, while purchasing things.  

It is not convenient to carry a calculater when we go to buy things. In business firms, mathematics becomes crucial for the people who control finance and accounting module. Even a small change in numbers or symbols can cause a major problem. Experts in mathematics, along with commercial experts, can handle this job

Mathematics also helps to improve our analytical and logical thinking skills. It helps us to solve problems easily. 

Nishan Karki 
Pestalozzi Children's Village India
 

Reflections for 2023 - Tenzin Jambey

The Sunday School Session on the 31st of December by My Good School was an exciting session for students and teachers as they spent time reading, reflecting, and looking back on how their relationships deepened in 2023. They focused on improving their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Tenzin Jambey, a dedicated student who attended every Sunday School session in 2023, is eager to share how it has transformed his life, what he has learned, and his plans for the future. Be sure to tune in and listen.

2023 and all it had to give - Rishona Chopra

2023 has been a fantastic year for me! There were lots of ups and downs and lots of learning to take away!

The start of the year was rather bumpy. It started with annual exams which weren't the best so that was a letdown for me.  But then the fact that I was going to another higher grade made me quite cheerful and excited. I must say, the new semester was a fresh start. It allowed me to improve from my past mistakes and learn from them. 

The first day of school was a new door. It was the day when I met a lot of new people. New students and teachers too. I did have some negative perceptions about a few people but now that I think about it those perceptions have changed drastically. I suppose you can't assume things without knowing someone first!

Then there were exams. I had mathematical formulas, equations and a ton of nervousness rushing through my mind but we did make it through the exams too. 

I can't go on about 2023 without mentioning my journey with My Good School. It was a fantastic year! From Meet and Greets with several authors and entrepreneurs, I not only expanded my collection of books but also expanded my learning by miles. Each Sunday session was valuable and priceless. There was something new to take away each time. 

Another highlight of the year was My Guide Inside. The sessions I did with Ms. Christa Campsall were invaluable and being able to conduct similar sessions with younger grades was the icing on the cake. MGI has been a huge part of 2023 and it's all thanks to the mentors who work hard to give us this meaningful bundle of learning and joy. 

My most trustworthy and silent companion was with me throughout this journey; That companion is a book. Books were a crucial part of 2023. I explored new genres and read some amazing books that are indeed no less than a treasure. I dived into the world of polar bears and dogs and some very touching stories of families. Books just take me to another world and make the year more memorable. 

I wouldn't have made it through the year without my family. They are the ones I do have disagreements with but also the ones most dear to me. I believe sometimes we take the gift of family for granted but it's important to realize that having parents to hold on to is a blessing. It's perhaps the greatest gift in the world and they are what made my year better than ever. 

There were a lot of highlights of 2023 and these are just a few of them. There were a lot of times in the year when my behaviour was rather negative and I will try to improve upon it. Of course, you can't permanently remove negative feelings from your life but it is vital to work towards positivity. 

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School

Get to know more about Mr. Shivpreet Singh - Saikiran Sahu

We are delighted to announce that Mr. Shivpreet Singh will join us at My Good School in 2024. We are honoured to have him with us, and we would love to embark on a spiritual journey of finding Oneness together.

Shivpreet Singh is a California entrepreneur, philanthropist, and multimedia artist. He founded the Dhun Anand Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that supports artists serving the planet. He is the founder and CEO of BioRamon Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company involved in discovering and researching oncology medicine. He is also the co-founder of Stonegate Healthcare, an advisory services firm based in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Shivpreet has a bachelor's from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Mr Singh pioneered a new genre of Indo-American music that brings together melodic intricacies of Indian classical music, instrumentation and harmonic elements of Western music, contemporary musicians from around the world, as well as the philosophy and poetry of diverse traditions focused on Oneness. Over 25 million minutes of Mr. Shivpreet Singh's videos are viewed annually by audiences worldwide.

Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, in March 1975. He has been trained in Indian classical music since the age of 5. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in music in 1996. EMI launched Shivpreet's first CD, Ardaas, in the US in 1997, making him the first South Asian musician to land a major record deal. He continues researching Indian Classical Music Ragas and is a famous niche blogger on Ragas. The melodic variant components of his music rely primarily on his significant vast knowledge about conveying specific emotion through melody cascading particular ragas.

His famous projects include the DhunAnand Foundation, Bhagat Sant Namdev, and Guru Nanak. 

Illustration from the website of Shivpreet Singh: https://www.shivpreetsingh.com/.

The toughest challenges humanity faces today include maintaining peace and tackling climate change. This is what we are focused on through Mission #BlueDove and Mission BlueHeart. Artists have the unique ability to change people’s hearts and save our planet by inspiring people to take positive action. 
Shivpreet Singh
AMBASSADOR OF ONENESS, DHUNANAND

To learn more about DhunAnand, check https://dhunanand.org/