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.

My Good School 15th March 2026

Sunday School 

To discuss student reflections and read from two books, focusing on character decisions.

Key Takeaways

• The Power of Reflection: Reading student reflections on past sessions (e.g., Kartik’s review writing) demonstrated how writing solidifies learning and inspires others (e.g., interest in Atomic Habits).

• Principle vs. Pragmatism: A 10-yen expense dispute in What You’re Looking For... highlighted a conflict between Ryo’s strict adherence to principle and Ms Yoshitaka’s pragmatic view of a minor error.

• Managing Stress: Ryo’s failure to communicate his work stress to Hina led to a personal conflict. The group discussed strategies for separating professional and personal life, such as making a plan to tackle problems.

• School Environment: A discussion on The Whistling School Boy concluded that a mix of indoor and outdoor learning is ideal for holistic development, combining academic focus with nature-based exploration.

Topics

Reflection Review & Program Overview

• Student reflections from previous sessions were read to illustrate the program’s value in reinforcing learning and improving written communication.

• Key Themes:

  • Curiosity and observation in nature.

  • The impact of small, consistent habits (Atomic Habits).

  • Essential elements of review writing.

  • Communication skills (body language, listening, confidence).

• Program Pillars: Reading, Reflection, and Relationship Building.

• YES Program: Monthly Youth Engaging Society sessions on communication skills.

  • Next sessions: March 29 and April 12.

Book 1: What You’re Looking For Is in the Library

• Context: Ryo, an accounts clerk, dreams of opening an antique shop but feels stuck in a job he dislikes.

• Conflict 1: Principle vs. Pragmatism

  • Ryo found a 10-yen discrepancy on an expense report.

  • Ms Yoshitaka dismissed it as an "easy” amount not worth the trouble.

  • Ryo insisted on accuracy, regardless of the sum.

  • Outcome: Ms Yoshitaka filed a false power-harassment complaint, threatening RRyo’s job.

• Conflict 2: Professional Stress Affects Personal Life

  • Ryo, overwhelmed by the complaint, failed to communicate his stress to Hina.

  • He lashed out at her for her successful online shop, dismissing it as a “hobby.”

  • Outcome: Hina left, leaving Ryo feeling “so low.”

• Group Discussion → Managing Stress

  • Problem: Carrying work stress home.

  • Solutions:

    • Talk to a trusted person (e.g., Hina).

    • Divert the mind temporarily to allow logic to take over.

    • Make a concrete plan to tackle the issue.

    • Focus on the present moment.

Book 2: The Whistling School Boy and Anir Kahania

• Context: A school in a remote, hilly village.

• Discussion → Ideal School Environment

  • Question: Should school be indoors or outdoors?

  • Conclusion: A mix of both is ideal for holistic development.

    • Indoors: Academic focus, protection from weather, and technology.

    • Outdoors: Connection to nature, fresh air, exploration, fun.

• Plot Summary:

  • The village is abuzz with news of a leopard sighting.

  • A teacher, Shri Man Mani, goes missing, causing panic.

  • Resolution: Shri Man Mani returns, having simply gotten lost. The “leopard attack” was a false assumption, a key example of irony.

  • Subplot: Shri Man Mani is stressed by a new, younger teacher (Tania Romola) being assigned to a senior class. This stress manifests as forgetfulness and “stress eating.”

  • Climax: On the walk home, the children are warned by the postman to hurry because of the leopard. This fear causes Sonu to forget his foot pain, highlighting the power of external threats to override personal discomfort.

Next Steps

• All Students:

  • Write and submit reflections on today’s session.

  • Consider presenting a book review or a creative work (drawing or interview) in a future session.

• PYDS Students:

  • Send a group photo to Manisha Khanna.

• Jugjiv Singh:

  • Continue reading What You’re Looking For Is in the Library next week.

• Manisha Khanna:

  • Continue reading The Whistling School Boy and Anir Kahania next week.

    
    

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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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