My Good School, Sunday the 6th July 2025

Weekly "My Good School" session focused on reading, reflection, and personal growth for students.

Key Takeaways

1. Discussed the importance of resilience and a positive mindset when facing challenges, using Steve Jobs' life story as an example
2. Explored the value of reflection vs. note-taking for deeper learning and personal growth
3. Introduced internship opportunities for students to gain practical business experience
4. Emphasised the importance of focused reading and listening for developing intelligence and leadership skills

Topics

Book Discussion: "The Door-to-Door Bookstore"

• Continued reading Chapter 5, focusing on characters Carl and Schascha
• Explored themes of friendship, misunderstandings, and helping others overcome challenges
• Discussed how Carl and Mrs Longstocking devised a plan to help Hercules learn to read

Personal Growth and Resilience

• Examined Steve Jobs' life story as an example of overcoming setbacks and persevering
• Discussed the concept of "blessing in disguise" - how apparent setbacks can lead to positive outcomes
• Encouraged students to develop a growth mindset and view challenges as opportunities for learning

Reflection vs. Note-taking

• Explained the difference between taking notes (recording information) and reflection (processing and applying information)
• Encouraged students to practice reflection to deepen their understanding and personal growth
• Introduced the Joy of Learning Diaries as a platform for sharing reflections

Internship Program

• Announced internship opportunities for students to gain practical business experience
• Explained the program structure: weekly meetings, hands-on projects, exposure to business operations
• Discussed fees and scholarship options for eligible schools

Additional Learning Opportunities

• Introduced "Brewing Knowledge" Friday evening book reading sessions
• Highlighted the importance of focused reading and listening for developing intelligence

Next Steps

• Students are encouraged to write reflections on the session and share them on the Joy of Learning Diaries.
• Interested students should explore the internship application process on schooleducation.com
• Participants are invited to join Friday evening "Brewing Knowledge" sessions for additional reading practice.
• Next week's session will follow a similar format, combining reading and reflection. 

Determination - Rishona Chopra

Determination is the quality to do something and the ability to face all obstacles bravely without giving up. It enables you to achieve the goal you have set, no matter how hard. 

Steve Jobs (CoFounder Apple) was fired from his own company but still managed to fulfil his dreams. We can learn from his life how determination can help us achieve the impossible. I would like to share a short story about validating my point.

When I was in medical college, I usually studied while my other friends were busy partying. I felt pressured to have fun with them instead of learning. Although partying looked fun, I knew if I didn't study, I wouldn't achieve my goal, and if I failed, I would be disheartened, and my dreams wouldn't be fulfilled. I ignored them. It was difficult. It was soon time for my final paper. Luckily, I did well! My hard work had paid off. If I had spent my time partying like the other students, I would have indeed failed. 

And this is how determination allows us to fuel our dreams!

Rishona Chopra

Grade V

Gyanshree School

Determination - Anvesha Rana

         
"Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting."

Life is about success, failure and more success. The key to facing all of it is the determination to rise after one falls and start right from square one. We may receive awards or we may not, but definitely at some point in life we will receive failure and when we do, we all should remember to embrace it. Failure is not the opposite of success, it is a part of success. Only after you fail, you succeed and only after you succeed, you fail but what matters most is that you continue your quest of accomplishing your dreams. 50 years down the lane you will be more disappointed about the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do and when you start fulfilling your ambitions, you may even realize that life is too short for everything. 

An ordinary person who demonstrated extraordinary determination was Steve Jobs. He dropped out of college and started Apple Computer, Inc. with Steve Wozniak in his parent's garage. At twenty-five, Steve was worth USD 100 million. Seven years after this John Sculley became the CEO of Apple, due to the difference in the work styles of Jobs and Sculley, Jobs was fired from his own company. This was one of the most creative periods in the life of Apple's creator, during this time he started a company NeXT and also bought a computer animation studio named Pixar, he played a hand in the success of Toy Story, Ratatouille, The Incredibles and Cars. Jobs was then approached to rejoin Apple, he made radical changes at the company and hired Tim Cook. This was very different from a younger Jobs. The employees were now excited and they felt a sense of pride in their daily work. The results were a host of innovative products and Apple not just being a company, but a legacy.

We all respond to failure negatively but in reality it is an awful tasting medicine that the patient needs. Rather than regretting failure, we should assess what went wrong and improve our chances the next time. No matter how many times we lose, we should not let loss undermine our strength or our determination in fact, failure should only make our will stronger.

Anvesha Rana,

9-B,

Gyanshree School.