Sunday School
To read and discuss two books, focusing on themes of ambition and school life.
Key Takeaways
Low Attendance Due to Exams: Final exams for classes 9 & 11 (home) and 10 & 12 (board) significantly reduced student attendance.
Dual-Book Format: The session featured two books: a Japanese novel, What You’re Looking For in the Library, and a Hindi story, “The Whistling Schoolboy” from Kabhi Kabhi School Masti Ka Adda Lagta Tha.
Core Themes: The English novel explored ambition vs. responsibility through protagonist Ryo’s dream of opening an antique shop. The Hindi story used humour to highlight the fun, non-academic parts of school life, like plays and food.
“Parallel Career” Concept: A key idea from the English novel, a “parallel career” (coined by Peter Drucker), was introduced as a way to pursue two complementary careers without one being secondary.
Topics
Context: Low Attendance & New Participant
Low student attendance was attributed to ongoing final exams across many schools.
Shailaja from Holi Sai International School (Chennai, IGCSE) joined for the first time to observe the session.
Jugjiv Singh provided an overview of the program’s goal: using books to spark dialogues on life skills and socio-emotional learning.
English Book: What You’re Looking For in the Library
Recap: The session began by reading student blog reflections to recap the story.
Plot: Ryo, stuck in a finance job, dreams of opening an antique shop.
Librarian’s Role: Ms Komachi gives Ryo a book on worms and a felted cat, prompting him to discover a cat-themed bookshop, “Cats Now Books.”
Reading & Discussion:
Ryo’s Work Stress: Ryo is burdened by his boss’s lack of software skills and an unmotivated assistant.
Hina’s Family Pressure: Hina’s parents see Ryo as a “steady chap” and hint at marriage, creating pressure that conflicts with his dream of running an antique shop.
“Parallel Career” Concept: Ryo learns this term from Peter Drucker, defined as two complementary careers in which neither is secondary.
Hindi Book: Ekanki Swang - Natak
Pre-Reading Quiz: A quiz on “fun school moments” served as a warm-up, with students identifying activities like sharing jokes and playing during free periods as key to enjoyment.
Reading: The story, read by Manisha Khanna, used humour to describe the author’s experiences at boarding school.
Plays: Rehearsals were a fun escape from mandatory study.
Food: The author would intentionally finish last in races to stop at a tikki/samosa stall, highlighting the importance of food in school life.
Library: The library was a favourite place, made lively by the senior master, Mr Knight.
Discussion: The story sparked a discussion on the importance of food in boarding schools, with participants sharing anecdotes about hunger and the quality of school meals.
Program Calendar & Logistics
Manisha Khanna shared the March calendar to provide context for new participants.
Weekly Schedule:
Sundays: Dual book readings (English & Hindi).
Saturdays: Professional learning for teachers and a masterclass for students.
Fridays: “Brewing Knowledge” meet-and-greets with published authors.
Upcoming Event: A retreat is scheduled for April 10–14 at Mayoor School Jaipur.
