Leadership - Tulsi Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/leadership-definition-2948275

If you have worked in any successful groups, whether you have led them or participated in them, you have experience as a leader. You contribute to the team, ensure you have met the deadlines, and build strong teamwork and communication skills. 

Being a prefect, I had the opportunity to show that I am responsible, reliable, and capable of taking on leadership roles. I have gained confidence in fulfilling the role successfully. I have realised that I could make contributions to my school. It demonstrated that I can be a role model to others. 

Gain achievement points for completing duties and maintaining discipline. I have learned that we had to be cooperative, helpful, well-mannered, trustworthy and responsible. 

Be respectful towards teachers, peers, and the school environment. Display leadership qualities: confidence, initiative, and problem-solving skills.

Tulsi Karki

Pestalozzi Chldren's Village, India.

My First 'Venture' to 'My Good School'...- Unnati Dabral

Did I call it a 'venture'?

Indeed yes.

You might be thinking, "Why I wrote venture instead of putting 'visit'?" Of course, to make my readers wonder why? And to make them curious.

I was a creative and rough-tough kid since I first started schooling. But that doesn't mean I was confident back then. When it comes to vivas, although my 'Know it All' attitude used to kick in, I used to get nervous. I still do.

So, the first fellow to join 'My Good School' happened to be my friend, Geetankshi. She told me about this opportunity at 'The English Book Depot'. She told me to write about 'What it takes to spread the joy of learning at schools?', mail it, and then wait for the reply. At first, I procrastinated on the task for a few days. My friend told me to visit the place and meet the founder. I thought it was a good idea. I wrote a mail to the head body before leaving for the visit.

The moment I reached there, I fell in love with the place.

I pondered, "What a wonder it would be to work in such a peaceful and calming environment!"

I went straight ahead towards our founder to greet him. With the intention of an intellectual chit-chat as I go. Alas! I end up giving an interview for the post. I was in bewilderment. Sandeep Sir asked me about learning; how do children learn?; what is the joy of learning; what can we do to spread it in our schools?

Amidst answering a few of them, I went blank for a few minutes. Firstly, I had no clue that I would be at the trigger point for the interview. Geetankshi told me otherwise. Secondly, It was an interview. Jeez, my heart was palpating. I was feeling so nervous. One could have seen my arm-hair twitch. 

The interview was over. I felt the sluggishness under my skin. Sir told me about 'My Good School', its vision, Learning Forward India, etc. And soon after, I found my heartbeats slowing down and healing. It was Sandeep Sir, and what he said at the end, "So, this is what we do. Now you are a Fellow at My Good School. Welcome. अब तो मुझसे डर नहीं लग रहा, ना?"

I called the visit 'A Venture'. 

And what a venture it was!

Have you ever 'Bungee Jumped'?

The nervousness and the feeling of hollowness in your stomach you get before jumping off the cliff is what I felt during the interview. And the power you have felt in your gut after accomplishing the task, that same power I felt after his words. And thus, I felt at home at that moment. The acceptance I got as an individual on my own was so pure. I was so happy, felt so content and thankful to god. The feeling was unforgettable.

I have always thought of being a part of such a generous vision. And getting an opportunity to work for 'Joy Of Learning' at 'My Good School' with such a fabulous team is the most 'beatific feeling' I had in so long.

I feel I am in the right place. 

Thank you so much, Sir. 🙏

~Unnati Dabral 🌻

(Fellow at My Good School)

My Graduation Day Speech - Aria Gupta

I stand here to give my speech on this momentous day. This school has given me several opportunities to learn and express my skills. 

When a school year ends, we always find joy in the little things we didn’t see before. The fun of chatting happily during the lunch break, talking to our friends before class starts, the relief of exams finally getting over, telling everybody about our plans when vacations are near, and so much more are some memories we will keep throughout the years.

I would like to thank all my teachers and parents who supported me in every step I made. I would also like to thank the rest of the school staff who kept all the classrooms clean and gave us food in the cafeteria. I would like to apologise to them if we created a mess in the class.

I wish all graduates the best of luck for the upcoming year.

Aria Gupta 

Grade VI

Gyanshree School

What I value the most in life - Monika Singh Pundir

Many things have their own value in my life, like the opportunity I have got and will get only once. For now, as a student, earning a scholarship and going to the best colleges and universities are valuable to me. Every single person values their parents and time because, without parents, we could not make it possible, but being happy and being treated equally is also valuable. 

The most valuable thing for us in this life is happiness because we get only one life, so we should enjoy it. 

Monika Singh Pundir
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

How I am preparing to face the world - Tenzin Jambey

Everyone will come across people stronger than them in their lives. The day will come when we must look after our family and ourselves. Nothing is permanent in this world, everyone will have to leave this world behind, but we can have a good, memorable time by preparing ourselves right now to face the world in future.

Like everyone else, I am also preparing myself for the future. No one will do it for me; I will make myself ready for this world. The thought of how my future would look often comes to my mind, but that is the most exciting thought. Everything will turn out fine if I manage to prepare myself.

The outside world is both different and challenging. I am presently studying in a hostel where I am protected and in a safe environment and provided with all the necessities for which I am really thankful. I don't know about the difficulties faced in the outside world. You have to fight tough to get an opportunity, and you might fail when you get it. There will be times when you might be betrayed by your own people, so you must be extra mindful about all such things.

Therefore, I am preparing myself, observing things by interacting with many people, noticing what others think, trying to understand their mentality, being strong and tough and avoiding distractions. As I had mentioned, everyone is different, so my way of preparing myself is also other.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

When I see a glass half-full… - Shambhavi Nautiyal

It makes me think about who drank the first half and then thought of wasting the rest, but then it comes

to mind that it could be that someone would drink it later on. If that’s not the case, it makes me think of the quote, “Look at the glass half full, and not the glass half empty.” We must focus on what we have and try to make the best of it.

If we concentrate all our incredible and precious energy on the glass half empty, meaning what we don’t have, then all our time will be gone, and ultimately, we will be left with nothing. So, it’s of utter significance that we never stop trying, and we are aware that the most opportune moment is now. It is the only thing we can be sure of having, so it’s essential to strike a balance, to know what we must do and what we need to do, appreciate what we have in life, cherish it, find our calling and invest our time in it.

Thinking of the glass half-full gives us hope in life, hope that we can manifest, whilst wasting our time thinking about the glass half empty, only discourages us. This what I feel is that whenever we think about the lucrative opportunities and possibilities we could grab in the past, thinking of it to be a perfect time, we must remind ourselves that the same could be happening to us right at the present moment and use our anxiety the right way, by striving for it in the present.

Even if it didn’t turn out the ‘right’ way, we could still make it right because God is always with us. This way of thinking makes our minds bend to different conditions without getting anxious.

Hence, when I see a half-full glass, it assures me that everything is going to be alright.

Shambhavi Nautiyal

Grade VII

Ahlcon Public School

Slooh - Arav Agarwal

I would like to thank My Good School, Sandeep Sir and Sukhpreet Ma’am for allowing me to explore space through Slooh. It has been an exciting experience exploring Slooh through live telescopes. It is like a dream come true for me.

I learned many different things about stars, galaxies, nebulas and planets. I have many interesting observations, and one of the exciting observations is about Neptune. This planet has winds reaching 1300 mph, an extensive storm system similar to Jupiter's GRS, and a faint ring system. Neptune's largest moon Triton is sometimes visible.

We can go on missions and explore specific celestial objects through the live telescopes in Slooh. Slooh also helps us to know more about space through guides and quests. By exploring directions, we can know more about a particular celestial object, and through quests, we get tasks to capture and explore space. After completing that task, we reflect on our findings and learnings and earn a badge!

I have earned three thousand three hundred gravity points and fifteen badges. Oh! What a journey it has been. So, if you are inquisitive about knowing more about space and astronomy, join the incredible journey of Slooh with My Good School.

www.Slooh.Org.IN

Thank you.

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade: 6A

Billabong High International School, Thane

Honesty - Arav Agarwal

Honesty for me means being authentic and being who I am.

Whenever I feel that I should not tell the truth, I just ask myself, do I want to live peacefully or in fear. If we say a lie, we feel regret, and then our minds cannot live peacefully. Being honest has helped me get many opportunities for my growth because of my teachers, coaches, friends, and parents' trust and confidence in me. I also get a good feeling and calmness in my mind by being honest.

I have listened to many stories on honesty since my childhood and many parents' experiences where being honest has helped them in life. Even my experience of being open and getting appreciation from my teachers and parents has made me more confident and courageous to always be truthful and honest in life.

So, we should always keep in mind that practising honesty will take us ahead in the future. By being honest, we are only being true to ourselves.

Name: Arav Agarwal
Grade: 5C
Billabong High International School, Thane

Annual Day at School - Arav Agarwal

After reading the chapter The Annual Day At School from the book My Good School: Where Passion Meets Education by Sandeep Dutt, I just flashback, remembering my annual days and the joy and happiness everyone used to get after participating in the Annual Day. 

We all love annual days, and so do I. We, as children, wait eagerly for such fun-filled events. We have skits, voiceover, dance, music band, and speeches on our yearly days. Also, the students get the opportunity and have fun organizing and planning the annual day along with the teachers. 

I still have memories of my Annual Day when I was in Senior KG. I was given the role of Narendra Modi and was to give a speech of Narendra Modi, and the theme was women empowerment. I still remember that parents were clapping in between the lecture. I also remember that after the Annual Day, when I went to School, a few children and parents used to ask me that are you, Narendra Modi. Also, a few parents asked my mother if, are you Narendra Modi’s mother. So, this was my memorable experience of my Annual Day.

We used to have a theme each year for our annual day. I am also missing my Annual Day for two years. As mentioned in the book, Annual days help us identify our skills and strengths, and I was able to identify my skills and strengths through my annual days. Also, it is mentioned in the book that students should get the rightful opportunity to showcase their creativity and talent, which everyone does beautifully on our School’s annual days. 

Annual Days were so much fun for my friends and me, and we used to enjoy them a lot.

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane

Responsibility - Dhawan Choudhary

When you do what you have promised, people see you as a responsible and reliable person. This is quite admirable, as many people won’t deal with irresponsible individuals. They will give their trust to friends they can count on, and give their business to companies they admire. A responsible person can be trusted to act without needing strict supervision because they are accountable for their behaviour. 

During this pandemic time, we were allowed to learn through an online platform that was Google Classroom. This kind of study was new for all of us, even for the teachers & also for the students. In online learning, we were supposed to stay at home and study. But most of the students did not take the responsibility to utilize this golden opportunity to learn. In beginning, I was also not taking the classes regularly. But then I saw the hard work of teachers who made so much effort to send us the work subject-wise and that too regularly. Then I decided to take the responsibility for my learning. After that, I always attended the class on time. I also submitted the projects, homework to my teachers and I also took responsibility to tell my friends to attend online classes. I enjoyed learning at home. I also attended some webinars & participated in quizzes. It was a new learning experience for me.

So, in the end, I want to say that, you can only take the responsibility of others when you, yourself are disciplined & honest in your work.

Dhawan Choudhary

Class IX

The Fabindia School

Hardwork - Vinita Sirvi

Vinita Sirvi

A dream doesn't become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination, and hard work. Hard work is the most important key to success. You can never gain anything if you just sit and wait for a better opportunity to come. Poverty is not a curse but yes idealness is.

Since childhood and even now, I always remember what my parents used to tell me, "To be a better person and to get success, you need to work hard and the fruits of hard work are always sweet". I was a shy person till my 6th class, later I started preparing myself and started working hard and finally, I have reached the level where I can stand in front of the whole school and give a speech. My marks have also increased to a higher level. While studying, a student should engage in some skills development and should do some hard work. 

There is a well-known proverb, "Hard work never goes wasted". Impossible can be turned into possible only by hard work. Always remember 'The harder you fall, the heavier you lift, the stronger you climb, the higher your pedestal is'. To develop the value of hard work, parents and teachers should tell the children the stories of successful people. The children should choose a role model for their life. 

"A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become the porcelain".

Vinita Sirvi

The Fabindia School