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.
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.
