My Good School - Sunday 20th September 2026

 Exploring Corfu, Civilisational Identity, and Industrial Vision: Sunday Reading Session Recap

Our latest Good School Sunday Reading Session was a vibrant celebration of literature, history, and cultural reflection. Bringing together diverse narratives—from the sun-drenched shores of the Mediterranean to deep-rooted reflections on Indian heritage—the gathering showcased our students’ keen analytical skills and love for reading.

Here are the key highlights and discussions from the session.

1. Adventures on Corfu: Gerald Durrell’s My Family and Other Animals

Brinda opened the session with a delightful journey through Gerald Durrell’s classic work. Focusing on the family’s expedition to Corfu, she brought to life anecdotes about their famous boats, the Bottlebum Trinket and the Sea Cow. The reading captured the island’s lush natural beauty and offered a lighthearted exploration of human and animal nature.

2. India as a Civilisation vs. a Nation: Bharavi Jani’s Insights

Jugjiv transitioned the reading to Bharavi Jani’s impactful work, prompting an engaging discussion of India’s core identity.

Key themes included:

• The Symbolic Significance of the Ganga: The group reflected on how the river shapes both geography and spirit.

• Democracy vs. Republic: The group examined the conceptual distinctions between political structures and legal foundations.

• Living Unity in Diversity: Grounded in travel experiences spanning Nagaland to Karnataka, this session illustrated how distinct regional cultures weave into a single national tapestry.

Multilingual Student Reflections

Our students enriched the discussion with reflections across multiple languages, including Hindi and Assamese:

• Salah highlighted why India’s identity extends far beyond its status as a political entity.

• Rishika shared an evocative comparison between the energetic, youthful flow of the Ganga in Rishikesh and its solemn, spiritual rhythm in Varanasi.

• Shivangi summarised the text’s broader impact on how we understand our national heritage today.

3. Historical Insights: The Gandhi-Tata Connection

Neenu presented a thoroughly researched historical account detailing the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and the Tata Group:

• Early Support (1909–1912): The session highlighted Sir Ratan Tata’s crucial financial backing during Gandhi’s early struggles against apartheid in South Africa.

• The Jamshedpur Visit (August 1925): Details were shared about Gandhi’s historic visit to Jamshedpur, where he publicly commended Jamsetji Tata’s vision for industrial and social development.

• Modern Leadership: A profile of Xerxes Desai illustrated his visionary leadership at Titan Company, which revolutionised the Indian watch market starting in 1987.

4. Interactive Learning & Vocabulary

The session concluded with an interactive Q&A addressing vocabulary and language nuances from the readings. Key words discussed included:

• Acquaintance: A person one knows slightly, rather than a close friend.

• Faithful: Firm and unwavering in loyalty, allegiance, or duty.

Thank you to all the readers, presenters, and participants who made this Sunday reading session enlightening! Join us next Sunday as we continue our journey through great books and ideas.

Learning, Leadership and Community - Sunbeam School Ballia

The Good School Alliance has helped me understand that a good school is not only a place where students learn from books, but also a place where they develop confidence, responsibility, kindness, and respect for others.

Being part of a school community encourages students to work together, share ideas, support one another, and take responsibility for making their surroundings better. The Good School Alliance also highlights the importance of creating a positive and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and has opportunities to grow.

Taha

I’m Riddhi Sharma, a student of Class 5 C, and I am here to share my reflection on the Good School Alliance. It was a real pleasure for me. As a pet lover, I really enjoyed the session with Brinda Ghosh Ma’am.

It was about Dodo. He was a bit silly, and the book we were reading was My Family and Other Animals. I really loved this book.

Riddhi Sharma,5C

Reading the biography of Jamsetji Tata in today’s reading class by the Good School Alliance not only improved my reading skills but also taught me the values of leadership and vision through the life of a great personality.

I felt deeply inspired after reading Jamsetji Tata’s story in today’s reading class. Understanding the meanings of difficult words and reading them in their correct context during the class really helped me grasp the story in depth. He taught us how, with the right mindset and vision, one can contribute to the development of society and the country. Practising reading while understanding the meanings in this way has strengthened my vocabulary, comprehension, and command of the language.

Dhairya Agrawal, 5A