Launch your child into Space with Slooh

In season 10, episode 11, Anna Paolucci is in conversation with Sandeep Dutt, the Founder of the Learning Forward India Foundation. 

Slooh has democratized school space access through innovation, and in association with the Learning Forward India Foundation, Slooh is spreading the joy of learning in India #JoyOfLearning. 

Space Program Technology: From backyard telescopes to networked mountaintop observatories, 15 online robotic telescopes, including a flagship observatory at a top site in the world U.S. Patent 7,194,146 B2, issued in 2006 for instant imaging via networked telescopes, 18 hours of live feeds per day, 1000 plus daily "Missions" to space 

Community: From a solitary experience to a social one Student communities sharing control of the observatories Live Star Parties syndicated to the media attract millions of viewers Education: From textbooks to experiential learning Gamified, asynchronous STEAM curriculum from elementary to college Fulfils NGSS requirements by enabling the capture of phenomena for analysis Join a global community, and explore space via a network of robotic mountaintop telescopes. 

Live online telescope feeds unique astronomical events from Slooh's observatories in the Canary Islands and Chile. School Space Program makes learning a fun process. My Good School curriculum focuses on service, skill, sport and study. The Slooh program adds value to the school curriculum. 

The Learning Foward India Foundation through My Good School encourage schools and students to become involved in activities beyond study; this helps develop confidence, knowledge and networks.

To discover more, please visit www.Slooh.org.in.

School, school, school chale hum...

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Thank you, iro 2023 & Food4Thought Foundation

Greetings from Sandeep Dutt at The English Book Depot, the bookshop that won the Award for Best Book Store of the Year Category in IRO 2023. Getting the prestigious Award in our 100th year of service at the Hyderabad Literary Festival 2023 is a big honour for us. Thank you, F4TF, for conducting IRO 2023 and recognising individuals and organisations promoting reading habits. I also thank all Sponsors, Aurobindo Pharma Foundation, Amadeus Labs, Odessa Technologies, Signode India Limited and Greengold Animation Pvt Ltd, for supporting F4TF and helping in organising IRO and, most important, identifying people from PAN India and appreciate their work. india reading olympiad® is a platform which enables, encourages, and endorses an ecosystem which creates functional reading spaces & joy for Reading and appreciates the efforts towards igniting a reading revolution across 13 categories, i.e. Life Time Achievement, Reading 4 Pleasure-School, Reading 4 Pleasure- NGO, Reading 4 Pleasure-Institute, Innovative Library Format, Innovation 4 Reading, Best Reading Club, Best Book Store of the Year, iambond Under 18, iambond Above 18, Joy of Reflection(Students), Best Library (F4TF) and Caught Reading. The three broad objectives of the india reading olympiad® are Encourage Reading habits and enable Joy of Reading at large, Encourage and appreciate individuals, groups and institutions which promote Reading and Inspire citizens to become lifelong readers & book lovers.

Oh teacher, I salute Thee - Tenzin Nyingsel

"Teacher, a person who awakens joy in creative expression and knowledge," said the great scientist Einstein. They might indeed scold us or punish us, but that has always been what is done well for us. Whatever the teacher has always done for me has always been perceived as a valuable learning experience and never as an arduous duty. Teachers have always been the person in my life who've guided me on the right path of my life and have always encouraged me to move forward in my life.

 At last, I want to say to teachers that whatever you've taught and have given lessons will always be walking by my side on my life path to which I salute you.

Tenzin Nyingsel
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Road Ahead with Sandeep Dutt

 The show first aired on 28th January 2023 at 4.30 pm on 90.0 FM.

Sandeep Dutt carries a huge legacy - Owner of Tne English Book Depot - Dehradun's Century-old bookshop - he has turned his passion for books into sharing his knowledge with the world - an author, mountaineer, Chairman of The Fabindia School as well as a School Improvement Coach with 200 podcasts in his kitty - his practical knowledge is gems for those who are seeking paths for self-improvement. Hear him on our programme Path Pradarshan as on Saturday - 28 January 2023 at 4.30 PM only on Radio Gham Chhaya at 90.0 FM #learningforward #joyoflearning #mygoodschool Radio Ghamchhaya is a Nepali Community Radio which is the first ever radio station established by the Gorkhali community, broadcasted in 3 languages, the radio station itself has a story.

Play and experience the joy of learning!

A brief history of our time - The English Book Depot at 100

Best is quite unreal, as better is the only way ahead! This debate about rewards, awards, and PR is never ending and will raise many hackles. The only single truth is there is no more immense exhilaration than the #JoyOfLearning - reading, writing and speaking.

Back from the Hyderabad Literary Festival, I am convinced that stories alone make us, and we are a story! We had storytellers, booksellers, librarians, artists, activists, sponsors and young people. A beautiful milieu to spread the joy of reading. Books in print, digital form, oral rendition and choreography. We are celebrating 100 💯 years of the Bookstore and have set up a social space above the Bookstore. The Learning Forward India Foundation works to support schools and schooling with reading, writing, speaking and learning. 

#MyGoodSchool My Good School - above The English Book Depot at Dehradun, visit this social space when you visit the city next city.

A brief history of our time

100 Years of The English Book Depot, opened at Ferozepur in 1923, moved to Dehradun post partition of India to finally call it curtains down at Ferozepur in 1989 when we exited. The place was then filled in by one of our long-serving stalwarts at the bookshop Sh Kewal Ji, who decided to run it for his family and livelihood as Kewal Book Depot at the exact location.

Message from respected Lila Dhar Dewan to Sandeep Dutt.

Your eldest uncle and my eldest cousin, the late Sh. Rattan Lal and I had decided to open our book shops in Dehradun and Pathankot, respectively. So we both selected books for our shops in 1948 from The English Book Depot Ferozepur Cantt on the same day. Both the parcels were booked by train the next day. My younger brother Radha Krishna had joined Army and, as such, was to stay far away from us. I would name my shop The English Book Depot as that would have benefited me financially. However, I sacrificed my financial benefits by calling my shop Krishna Book Depot so that his name remained with us throughout our lives.

Late L. Narain Dass, the founder of The English Book Depot, was a native of Jampur District Dera Gazi Khan, situated in the southwest end of Punjab (now in Pakistan) on the other bank of river  Sindh. A vegetarian wearing a simple dress of kameez pyjamas and enjoying a simple life. He was fond of taking fruits. Always baskets full of various kinds of fruits were there in his house. He was not only the founder of The English Book Depot Ferozepur Cantt and ran the shop to earn but made it a training centre in BOOK TRADE. He used to call youth from his native town and get a room on hire for their stay. He stood guaranty with the hotel for payment of their bills for the food taken by the trainees.

There was a small sale of school textbooks only at that time. Very few Indians read other kinds of books, such as novels etc. The customers of general types of books in English language only were British soldiers stationed at various cantonments all over India. Hence scope and demand for bookshops to sell such kinds of books were in Cantonments only.

Late Lala Narain Dass Ji used to select a cantonment for his trainee. He should have done so to earn money permanently from them by importing books from the U.K. to supply those to bookshops. But he was providing them with the supplier's addresses. He stood as a guarantee with the suppliers for the payment of their dues. Thus natives of Jampur spread all over India and established their bookshops. Later, such shops were opened in cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur etc.

All of them are financially sound and enjoying respectful life in their cities. The members of the third generation of the founders of those shops are running all those bookshops. I am skipping names of towns and cantonments for want of space. I was his last student learning book trade under him at his shop. Not only that. He kept me in his house, showering his (and my Massi jee) blessings, love and affection at par with their children. I opened my shop at Pathankot in December 1948 when The English Book Depot at Dehradun was also opened.

I knew Massan ji resigned from his Govt job in Lahore and founded The English Book Depot Ferozepur Cantt in 1923. However, I need to find out the name of the book depot. He learnt the art of book trade and got addresses of suppliers of these in U. K. as I needed help finding the name of any bookshop in North India during those days. He during his later age engaged himself in the service of humanity through Arya Samaj. He was honoured as the permanent President of Arya Samaj Ferozepur Cantt and Manager of Arya School Ferozepur Cantt. Smt Snehlata has been the humane face of the bookshop for over 50 years.

Shri Narain Dass had another quality and far-sightedness. He ensured Jampuri booksellers were financially sound and enjoyed a monopoly in his business at his station. He did not allow his trainees to open his bookshop in Cantonment, where a Jampuri was already running his bookshop. I felt proud of being one of the Jampuri running their bookshops in Cantonments all over India. I used to tell Army officers who were liable to be transferred to some other Cantonments someday by telling them that I could make them an astrologer. Please visit a bookshop in that Cantonment. Ask the owner to show his palm to you. On having a look at it, tell him the following. The owner of this shop is a Jampuri. He received his training in this trade at The English Book Depot Ferozepur Cantonments. The owner of the shop would give you a surprising look!

Courtesy Lila Dhar Dewan, my father Dev Dutt's first cousin, has showered his immense blessing on us.

The writer Sandeep Dutt is an author, School Improvement Coach and third generation at The English Book Depot.

Best Bookstore Of 2023 by Food4Thought Foundation at the Hyderabad Literary Festival.

Dear Life - Rishona Chopra

 
Dear Life,

Is your path too difficult to drive?

Does it hold happiness?

Or sadness?

Is it full of bundles of joy?

Is it fun, like a playing toy?

Does it hold success for me?

Or will it be full of glee?

I ask these questions to dear Life,

I hope it helps me decide.

It answers,

You could suffer from Cancer.

You could be successful,

You could be distressful.

You may find a lot of joy,

The path may be destroyed.

Neither do I, Neither do you,

Know if you might fall through.

It is in your hands, she says,

It depends on the way I sway.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI

Gyanshree School

Goodbye 2022! - Rishona Chopra

 
2022 was a year full of joy, 

 Some were days to enjoy.

The year when we started offline school,

The year of playing in the pool!

The year of friendships,

It was better since,

We had new experiences!

Some days were sad for all,

We felt small.

Broken friendships,

Drowned ships.

Endless fights,

Sleepless Nights.

Some trouble all of us faced,

But they can be replaced,

 I believe that the next year could be better,

If we don't become forgetters.

Improve our mistakes from the past year,

And make our minds clear.

Some mistakes we made,

Some difficulties we faced!

But let's learn from the last year,

And improve this year!!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Internship Program - Shilpika Pandey

It is spellbinding to see that Internship is no longer limited to working professionals; at My Good School, the Internship Program facilitates the schools with an exclusive internship opportunity for children. It’s a niche creative learning and growing environment comprising Values and virtues as an integral part.

The Program is one of a kind ever in the education sector. It is an excellent opportunity for children to acquire soft skills and visualise themselves as future editors, writers, authors, podcasters, bloggers, and other creative individuals by having hands-on experience while working on projects and networking extensively with professionals beyond the schools.

This is a wishful ladder of opportunities where each child picks up skills and values step-by-step and comes out with a confident, abled, skilled and complete personality.

#InternsMatter

"Future belongs to the young. We must not only trust them with responsibility but must thrust it upon them whilst they are still young and full of energy, zest, hope and even illusions". JRD Tata

Joy of learning - Shilpika Pandey

The Joy of learning is an atmosphere. 

Learning becomes easy and a pleasure to pursue when the atmosphere is brimming with Joy! 

A student and an educator grow together in this journey of joyful learning. 

We are happy we have been given a chance to contribute our bit to this incredible journey called the Joy of learning!

Shilpika Pandey

mgs@ebd.in

1st Birthday 🎉 Celebration @ My Good School

A special podcast to celebrate Children's Day at My Good School

Release Date: 14th November 

Recording Date and Time: 13th November at 5 pm

Hosts: Anvesha and Simar

Guests:  

• Students:

1. Rishona Chopra, Gyanshree School

2. Arav Agarwal, Billabong High International School Thane

3. Yashraj Sharma, Gyanshree School

4. Vani Pandey, Gyanshree School

5. Arfa Khan, Ahlcon Public School

6. Reveda Bhatt, The Aryan School

7. Shambhavi Nautiyal, Ahlcon Public School
   

• Teachers: 

  Sandeep Sir; and Jugjiv Sir, Governing Council members at My Good School.            

The Script 

No story is ever complete, so with this script!

Anvesha: It's crazy how fast time flies and how things progress around us. We are new to My Good School, but a year has passed. We just didn't realise that. 

Simar: That is very true. My Good School has been a milestone for me. It has taught me so much, and I will forever be grateful. 

Anvesha: This journey has been incredible, full of learning and love. So today, I Anvesha

Simar: And I Simar

Anvesha: Welcome all of you to the one-year Podcast at My Good School! This celebration would be incomplete without all the interns and our mentors who are a part of this beautiful journey, right?

Simar: Truly, so I invite my friends and interns at My Good School, Rishona, Arav, Yashraj, Vani, Arfa, and Reveda, and we also ask Sandeep, sir.

Anvesha: Hi Rishona, How was my Good school? It has been quite a journey, right?

Rishona:  I absolutely agree. From "Is Your Child Ready To Face The World" By Dr Sibal to Totto-chan, Swami, friends, and now Hari Ghass Ki Chappar Wali Jhopdi aur bona pahad. It has been a journey full of learning, writing, reading and, of course, reflecting. Each of these stories carries its beauty and never fails to leave us with food for thought. I am sure we all agree that My Good School is perhaps unique and has so many outstanding memories! The most memorable part is how we all make the team and work together in coordination.

Simar: I couldn't agree with you more, Rishona. I would like to invite my friend Arav to talk about his experience. 

 

Arav: It has been an amazingly fulfilling experience at My Good School. This 1 year has helped me to explore, learn and know myself better. The books we read together helped me reflect on and taught me how we can inculcate life values in our everyday life. I think somewhere we all could find a part of ourselves in Totto Chan, Swami and Bolu. From reading to working together, My Good School has helped me experience the absolute joy of learning. I am grateful for this beautiful platform. 

Anvesha: Thank you for sharing that with us, Arav. The Hindi session is essential in The Sunday School, doesn't it? Let's invite our host for the Hindi session, Yashraj, to answer that. 

Yashraj: Yes, indeed. It is an honour to be a part of the Hindi session and, of course, to host it. Yesterday, I was self-assessing and noticed how much I've improved since the Hindi sessions started. I'm sure everyone who has participated in the sessions has benefited in some way or another from our Hindi sessions. Every Sunday, we try to make our sessions more joyful and exciting by adding short trivia and quizzes. In fact, we have decided to write a play based on the book we're reading, with everybody taking up different characters and working together!

Anvesha: Thank you, it was beautiful to hear you say so.

Simar:  What about you, Anvesha? What have you learnt from your one year at My Good School? 

Anvesha: My Good School has been a beautiful journey. All of us, the interns of My Good School, have been planted here at the Garden of Learning with so much love and compassion. Every new task is an opportunity to learn, do, and be more. There are numerous things that I have learnt from My Good School that will be impossible to put into a few words, but some of the most important lessons have been: Team Work; I learnt to work with others, collaborate and create. The stories read at The Sunday School left a deep impression on me and made me wonder whether Swami conquered another problem or what Totto-Chan did? I just love it! My Good School is a school we go to every day; it is the school of life, learning and love. 

Simar: That's great. For me, my journey at My Good School has been quite exciting. I was very keen to experience real-life work. My Good School has been helpful to me in many ways. It helped me improve my confidence level and my speaking and writing skills. Furthermore, I was introduced to so many others like me! It was a fantastic experience, one I shall never forget and will look back on in the future. But now, living it is beautiful, and I treasure all that I have been taught here, all the people I have been introduced to, and all the insightful books we read together every Sunday! 

Anvesha:  Wonderful; now let Reveda and Vani share their experiences at My Good School. 

Reveda: My Year at My Good School was great, exciting, significant, fantastic, outstanding, incredible, excellent. I would have put more words into it but let's talk ahead. So, it's brought so many changes in my personality. I can now speak in public fearlessly, yeah, right? It is totally a different concept, I wouldn't call it a School but a Freelancing Group where we can express ourselves in any way we want, and it totally brings my mind out of the box. 

Vani:  Definitely. For me, My Good School has been an outstanding learning experience. I love how we all come together from different schools, read, and share our experiences with each other, which in itself is marvellous. This has been an excellent platform where I have encouraged myself to speak out and write poems and stories. It is a perfect place for every young mind to join, and I have been telling my friends to think about it.

Simar: Thanks Reveda and Vani; now let us invite Arfa and Shambhavi to share their learnings over the past year at My Good School. 

Arfa: 

My time at my good has been fantastic, and I can see how it helped me. When I read in the reading sessions, I increased my reading skills and vocabulary. I was also able to do what I like, writing! I learnt new values each month and improved myself in a good way. In My Good School, I experienced the joy of learning and improved and made myself a better person.

Anvesha: Thank you, Arfa. After hearing you speak, I am sure that all of us love My Good School, but what is your favourite part of My Good School? 

Rishona: For me, the favourite part of the session in The Sunday School is the reflection. After the exquisite reading session, it gives me immense pleasure to reflect, share my experiences and write, speak or draw about them. As Claude Monet said, "It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly".

Arav:  My favourite part at My Good School has been exploring different things, from reading to working on podcasts and comic strips and creating posters. I loved working with the podcast team, and with the help of my mentors, I learned to do Podcast and video editing and found my joy through speaking. As rightly said, "The best education does not happen at a desk but at hands-on exploring and real-life experiences".

Yashraj: I, too, love to reflect and share my experiences with everyone! Reading everybody else's articles daily motivates me to work on my articles more and reflect every week!

Vani: My favourite part is the Joy Of Learning Diaries, where we can post our experiences and facts in the form of stories, poems, articles, drawings and even letters! It has helped me a lot in gaining confidence in writing.

Arfa: My favourite part is the reading session of the book 'Art of Focus' in The Sunday School. It is fun to learn new morals through intriguing stories and uplifting quotes!

Simar: My favourite part is making the Podcast. Podcasts are an engaging and fun way to inculcate all we learn in Sunday School. I always enjoy recording and making podcasts as they reflect everything I know. It is such a pleasure for me!

Anvesha: That's great, and the best part about My Good School for me is the Sunday School. We learn much at the Reading sessions, from Swami and Friends to the Art of Focus; all the handpicked tales flow with love and values. Sunday School is a beautiful experience and definitely, my favourite! We invite Sandeep sir and Jugjiv Sir to share their knowledge and favourite part about My Good School? 

Sandeep Sir: My first year at My Good School was like starting again from Early Years, from Nursery! New school, new friends and an unknown curriculum added to the excitement. I cannot believe how much we can learn from each other, and a classroom has been flipped from the traditional teacher-led to a comfortable space with students at the centre. This really challenges the conventional schooling system. Reading was just the beginning. What followed was pure joy in reflections through blogs, podcasts, meetings and the internship program. Our school is one living example of spreading the joy of learning. As we move to year, too, it seems excellent times ahead as the students lead, and we add to the curriculum programs like Well-being, Space, using edtech and maybe end up with a virtual school for the world! Thanks to each of you for all the joy you spread, and may you always be the young learners at heart.

Simar: Thank you so much, Sandeep, sir. 

Anvesha: With that, we come to the end of our Podcast. Comment below and let us know if you liked our Podcast. If you want to be a part of similar podcasts, join us. That's all for us today. Thanks for tuning in. 

Life is a journey with problems to solve and lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to share and experiences to enjoy. 

We at My Good School come here today to celebrate our learnings and lessons as a beautiful year passes. 

Join us in celebrating our school as we laugh at Totto-Chan's tactics, learn from Swami's mistakes, realise the road from the Art of Focus and improve from each session hereafter. 

Anvesha Rana and Simar Kaur - Hosts from Gyanshree School

Rishona Chopra, Yashraj Sharma and Vani Pandey - Gyanshree School

Arav Agarwal, Billabong High International School Thane

Arfa Khan, Shambhavi Nautiyal -  Ahlcon Public School

Reveda Bhatt, The Aryan School

Sandeep Sir, Jugjiv Sir - Mentors at My Good School

Comment below and let us know if you liked our Podcast. If you want to be a part of similar podcasts, join us. That's all for us today. Thanks for tuning in. 

             

- Scripted by all the Interns as one joyful 👥.

Letter To The President Of India - Nishan Karki

Nishan Karki

My Good School 

www.GoodSchools.in

1st November 2022

To

Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu
President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi - 110 004

Dear Madam 

I would like to draw your kind attention towards the children who want to participate in an online program like 'My Good School'.

My Good School is a program run by experienced and well-educated people. Here children are free to freely share their thoughts, opinions, incidents and feelings about themselves. Children here learn,  read and write with joy and enjoyment. That's why it is also called the joy of learning diaries. 

We should encourage children from different parts of India to attend or participate in the My Good School program. We can put up advertisements explaining the advantages or merits of the My Good School program to the children. We also can collaborate with other schools to inform their students about the My Good School program. For all this work, we need your maximum effort and help to cooperate with us to encourage children to attend the My Good School program.

I hope my concern towards the children attending My Good School program will be looked into by you.

Looking forward to a favourable response.

Thanking you 

Yours sincerely,

Nishan Karki
Student
My Good School 
Pestalozzi World India

Letter to the President of India - Tenzing Dhekyong

Tenzing Dhekyong
My Good School
www.GoodSchools.in

Date: 30/10/22

To

Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu
President of India

Rashtrapati Bhavan

New Delhi - 110 004

@MurmuDraupadi via Twitter

Dear Madam

Don't you think our children in this society are not so good and confident in communication skills?.

I would love to introduce "MY GOOD SCHOOL". I am still a student here and liked it very much since I learned many things through this. So I wish all could come and learn something on this platform. It improves the skills of listening, reading, writing and also speaking.

If everyone joins this session every Sunday from different places and shares their thoughts, then everyone will get distant and even better new ideas. It is open for all ages, especially ages 9 to 90!

I would love to ask if you can help us raise this organisation.

With deep regard and respect, we look forward to your support.

Yours faithfully,

Tenzing Dhekyong,

Student of My Good School & Pestalozzi India

Letter to the President of India - Rishona Chopra

Rishona Chopra  
My Good School
www.GoodSchools.in

Date: 30/10/22

To

Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu
The President Of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi - 110 004

Dear Madam,

Subject: Bringing the Joy Of Learning in every classroom.

I am an intern at My Good School, where we spread the joy of learning. Learning is an art that must be experienced by every individual. As Henry Ford said, "Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." Children find joy in everything they do in a classroom where the joy of learning exists. They make their own decisions and, when faced with difficulties, can solve them themselves. 

Learning doesn't mean learning to read and write; it means understanding life, instilling values, and making the world better. Children are the future, and it all starts with the joy of learning. We want to make this possible for every child in the world. The joy of learning isn't something special but something every individual deserves to feel.

Thank you for your consideration. Waiting for your response.

Yours sincerely,

Rishona Chopra
Student from Gyanshree School, Noida