Literature and meaningful lessons - Sunbeam School Lahartara

Sunbeam School Lahartara

“My Good School session with Brinda Ghosh on My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell was a rich and engaging example of how literature can bring together humour, observation, and meaningful life lessons. The episode of Larry inviting guests without planning highlights a familiar and relatable family conflict: his carefree, impractical attitude contrasts sharply with Mother’s sense of responsibility and concern. This dynamic not only adds humour to the narrative but also reflects how different personalities coexist and adapt within a family.” Samriddhi Banerjee

Read the wonderful reflections from Sunbeam School, Lahartara, where the students share their joy of reading the book My Family and Other Animals with Brinda Ghosh. Literature can bring together humour and lead us with meaningful lessons. 

My Good School 19th April 2026

PLEASE NOTE, FROM NEXT WEEK WE WILL HOST MY GOOD SCHOOL IN WEBINAR MODE AND THE RECORDING WILL BE SHARED ON YOUTUBE AS ALWAYS.

Sunday School for Reading and Reflection

To read and discuss two books, “My Family and Other Animals” and “Time Stops At Shamli (Hindi).”

Key Takeaways

• “My Family and Other Animals” Reading: The Durrell family moved to the “Daffodil Yellow Villa” to accommodate unexpected guests. Gerald’s observations of swallows and an oil beetle (Melloproscarabeus) highlight the book’s core theme of nature discovery.

• “Antim Sanskar” Reading: A boy processes his father’s death, feeling isolated from the adults. His unique coping mechanism—imagining becoming a flower to help new life grow—was praised for its maturity.

• My Good School Retreat: A recap of the Jaipur retreat showcased its focus on reflection and community building. All future My Good School sessions will be held in webinar mode to increase capacity and improve YouTube recording quality.

Topics

My Good School Retreat Recap

• Manisha Khanna shared photos and a video of the recent Jaipur retreat, which hosted 11 schools.

• Key Activities:

  • An art exhibit where participants turned line drawings into full artworks.

  • “Discovery of India” session based on a book about travelling across the country.

  • Talent night for student performances.

• Reflection Method: Participants used flip charts (“joy of learning diaries”) to document their experiences, prioritising human intelligence over electronic media.

• Resources: All retreat photos and flip charts will be posted on schooleducation.com.

Program Updates

• Webinar Mode: All future My Good School sessions will use webinar mode.

  • Rationale: To increase capacity, reduce interference, and improve recording quality for the My Good School YouTube channel.

• Program Overview: Sandeep Dutt reviewed the My Good School ecosystem.

  • Sunday: My Good School sessions.

  • Saturday: Teachers Academy & Youth Engaging Society (YES) master classes.

  • Retreats: Held twice annually (April & October).

  • Membership: Open to schools and individuals (via a small donation).

Book Reading: “My Family and Other Animals”

• Brinda read from Gerald Durrell’s memoir, set on Corfu Island, Greece.

• Plot Summary:

  • Larry’s unexpected invitation of 7–8 guests forced the family to move from the “Strawberry Pink Villa” to the larger “Daffodil Yellow Villa.”

  • The new villa was a decaying Venetian mansion with an overgrown garden.

  • The new maid, Lugresia, was a hypochondriac who constantly detailed her ailments, causing the family to avoid her.

  • The family was swept into a festival for Saint Spiridion, the island’s patron saint.

    • Ritual: Kissing the mummified saint’s feet.

    • Outcome: Margot kissed the feet and contracted influenza, while Gerald feigned it.

  • Gerald observed swallows nesting under the eaves, noting the distinct personalities of the male birds.

  • He found a flightless oil beetle (Melloproscarabeus) with shrunken wing cases.

    • Life Cycle: Its larvae prey on a specific bee species.

    • Significance: This discovery was identified by Gerald’s biologist mentor, Theodore, who visits weekly to help with specimens.

Book Reading: “Antim Sanskar” (The Last Rites)

• Manisha Khanna read a Hindi story by Ruskin Bond about a boy at his father’s funeral.

• Plot Summary:

  • The boy felt isolated from the adults, who were focused on their own grief and social etiquette.

  • He reflected on his father’s lessons about nature during their walks.

  • Coping Mechanism: He imagined that after death, he would become a flower, and a bird would carry his seeds to help new life grow.

  • Final Thought: He recalled his father’s words, “The strongest person is the one who stands alone,” as he walked home through the fog, feeling alone but determined.

Next Steps

• Manisha Khanna: Post Jaipur retreat photos and flip charts to schooleducation.com.

• My Good School Team: Transition all future sessions to webinar mode, starting next Sunday.

• Participants:

  • Use a notebook to record new vocabulary and concepts from the readings.

  • Join the next session in webinar mode.

Exploring Nature and Beliefs: Reflections on “Sweet Spring” My Godd School Session- Lotus Petal Foundation

Today’s session was very educational and engaging. We read Chapter 6, “Sweet Spring”, from Gerald Durrell’s book, focusing on the meeting of Theodore Stefanides, his second important teacher after George.

Today’s session mainly focused on the following:

1. We discovered the fascinating trapdoor spider (Teniza) and learned how it creates silk-lined burrows with camouflage doors to catch its prey.

2. We understood that Theodore’s character is calm, patient, and knowledgeable. He treated young Gerald with respect and spoke to him as an equal despite the age difference.

Also, Bindra Ma’am asked us all to collect some superstitions:

1. Sneezing twice before leaving the house is considered bad luck.

2. An itchy left palm signifies losing money, while an itchy right palm means you will receive money.

3. Crows cawing near a house is believed to indicate that guests will arrive soon.

Special thanks go to all the teachers who gave us their precious time. I am grateful for today’s session and am looking forward to the next one.
Yuvraj Negi – Grade 5

Today’s session was very engaging. Today we dived into Chapter 6, “Sweet Spring”, from Gerald Durrell’s book and met Theodore Stefanides, Gerald’s teacher.

Highlights:

1. We discovered the interesting trapdoor spider (Teniza) and its amazing silk-lined burrows.

2. Theodore’s calm, patient, and knowledgeable nature was inspiring. He treated Gerald like an equal.

Bindra Ma’am also asked us to collect some superstitions, which made the session more interesting.

Examples include:

• Sneezing twice before leaving the house is considered bad luck.

• An itchy left palm means losing money, while an itchy right palm means gaining money.

• Crows cawing near the house means guests may arrive.

A big thank you to all the teachers for organising the session. I am grateful for today’s class and look forward to the next one.
Thank you.
Disha, 5A

Today’s session was truly amazing and full of excitement. We explored Chapter 6, “Sweet Spring”, from the book My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. In this chapter, we met the wonderful teacher Theodore Stefanides, who guided Gerald with patience and kindness. His calm nature and deep knowledge were truly inspiring. What made him special was the way he treated Gerald like an equal and encouraged his curiosity about nature.

One of the most fascinating things we learned about was the trapdoor spider (Teniza). It was incredible to discover how it builds a silk-lined burrow with a hidden trapdoor and patiently waits for its prey. Nature is truly full of wonders.

Another interesting part of the session was when Bindra Ma’am asked us to share different superstitions we know. That made the discussion enjoyable. Some examples were:

• Sneezing twice means bad luck.

• An itchy left palm means losing money, while an itchy right palm means getting money.

• When crows start cawing, it means guests might be arriving.

Overall, the session was engaging, fun, and full of learning. A big thank you to all our teachers for making the class lively and enjoyable. I am truly grateful for today’s session and already excited for the next one.
Thank you.
Aditya Yadav – 5/C 

The Power Of Reading

My Good School

To read and discuss two books, focusing on themes of nature, friendship, and history.

Key Takeaways

• “My Family and Other Animals” (Gerald Durrell): Gerald’s plan to get food from shepherd Yanni during siesta backfires. Yanni, a deep sleeper, only wakes after Roger the dog’s barking accidentally sends a cat fleeing up a grapevine, making the trellis shake.

• “The Whistling School Boy” (Ruskin Bond): The story details Bond’s friendship with Umar at Bishop Cotton School, formed over shared experiences and a secret, satirical manuscript. Their Bond is tested by the 1947 Partition, which forces Umar to leave for Pakistan.

• Reading as Reflection: The session opened with a discussion on reading’s power to cultivate patience and reflection, citing Manisha’s blog on libraries and Brinda’s reference to Barbara Kingsolver on how reading shapes temperament.

• Next Week’s Special Session: Kartik Bajoria will lead a session on writing effective book reviews to help students share their reading and encourage others to read.

Topics

The Power of Reading

• The session began with a reading of Manisha’s blog post, “Championing Readers,” which reflected on students talking in the library rather than reading.

• The post questioned if reading has become a “leisure activity” and argued it requires patience, attention, and imagination.

• Brinda connected this to Barbara Kingsolver’s view that reading changes temperament and is a source of hope for humanity.

• Jugjiv Singh added that reading cultivates self-reflection, citing the example of Eichmann’s unthinking obedience during the Holocaust.

“My Family and Other Animals” (Gerald Durrell)

• Context: Brinda introduced the book about naturalist Gerald Durrell’s childhood on Corfu Island, Greece, providing background on his family and passion for animals.

• Plot: Gerald and his dog, Roger, are hungry after a swim. Gerald avoids Leonora’s house to escape her daughter’s health updates and Taki the fisherman’s siesta.

• The Plan: Gerald decides to visit the shepherd Yanni, a light sleeper who rests under a grapevine trellis. He instructs Roger to bark loudly to wake Yanni.

• The Outcome: The barking fails to wake Yanni. However, it startles a cat, which flees up the trellis, causing it to shake violently and finally waking the shepherd.

• Hospitality & Lore: Yanni offers Gerald food and wine. He then shares a local remedy: a scorpion steeped in olive oil to cure stings, and a cautionary tale about a shepherd who died from a scorpion bite in his ear.

“The Whistling School Boy” (Ruskin Bond)

• Context: Manisha Khanna read the story in Hindi, noting that it is autobiographical and provides a historical lens on the 1947 Partition.

• Friendship & Shared Experiences: Bond, a quiet boy, befriends Umar, another quiet student. Their Bond strengthens as they play hockey together (Bond as goalkeeper, Umar as fullback) and share a secret manuscript.

• The Manuscript: Bond writes a satirical manuscript about school life and teachers, with Umar as his first reader. It includes a poem mocking Mr Oliver.

• Discovery & Discipline: Housemaster Mr Fischer finds the manuscript under Bond’s mattress. Bond receives six cane strokes but becomes a temporary “hero” among his peers.

• The Partition’s Impact: Lord Mountbatten’s visit to Bishop Cotton School, where Bond’s father was an alumnus, is followed by the devastating 1947 Partition.

• Separation: The school announces that Muslim students must vacate the hostel and be escorted to the new border. Bond and Umar meet one last time in a tunnel, discussing their uncertain future before Umar leaves for Pakistan.

Next Steps

• All Participants:

  • Submit reflections (write-ups, drawings, role-plays) on today’s stories for publication on the “Joy of Learning Diaries” website.

  • Prepare for next week’s session with Kartik Bajoria on writing book reviews.

• Students:

  • Keep notes on characters and vocabulary from “My Family and Other Animals” to aid recall.

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Rediscovering the Magic of Reading - Garima, PYDS

Today’s session was genuinely engaging and enriching. During the English class, I observed how vividly a character can be brought to life through words, much like Gerald Durrell does in his writing. One of my favourite characters was the Rose Beetle Man, whose description left a lasting impression.

The highlight of the session, however, was the reading of the chapter Glacier Par Chadhte Chaar Ladke. This chapter felt incredibly powerful and close to my heart, as it is deeply connected to my region, surroundings, and way of life. Moreover, the approach Manisha ma’am chose to introduce the chapter was both thoughtful and beautiful, making the experience even more memorable. The story also inspired me to dream of climbing mountains in the future, awakening a sense of adventure.

Today also helped me rediscover the magic of reading. I finally understood why books matter so much to me—because they inspire me to imagine the future, reshape stories, and create new ones by drawing on the ideas I gather from everything I read.

Garima
PYDS Learning Academy