Honesty - Khushi Badgeri

Honesty, for me, means to be truthful, authentic and genuine to yourself and to others. It's like the foundation base of any relationship. 

Being honest makes us feel mature and responsible person. Let me share a minor incident. 

While playing with my friends in our living room, I accidentally broke a photo frame. I did not know what to do. Seeing the broken frame pieces on the floor, all my friends disappeared. I quietly cleaned all the mess and quietly went to my bed with tears in my eyes. That photo frame was my mom's favourite piece. I felt very guilty. When my mom returned home from the office in the evening, she noticed something was missing from the corner table. But she didn't say a word. After dinner, I quietly went to her and confessed to her what had happened and said sorry. She looked at me and gave me a tight hug, and said she appreciated me for being honest and taking responsibility for the mistake. I promised her that henceforth I would be more careful. 

Admitting my mistake and getting forgiveness gave me internal satisfaction and pride, to be honest with myself.

So, my friends, I realized that it takes a little courage to be honest, and admit to our mistakes, knowingly or unknowingly. 

There is a saying, "Honesty is the best policy." Just believe it.

Khushi Badgeri

Grade: 2A

Billabong High International School, Thane

The Best Element Of School - Rishona Chopra

The best element of School is the teacher. The way each teacher manages the class is remarkable. Every single teacher has several qualities. Along with taking care of students, they ensure that they are comfortable; when one does something very naughty while the class is studying, they are firm with that student. 

No matter how firm the teacher is, with most teachers, you will get this sense that you are safe and you can trust our teacher because she is a teacher; when mother and father are gone for the day, she becomes both!

Teachers are parents, and we must never disrespect them. They are always there for you and to help you out.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

'If I'd Known It Then' poem by Malvika Mishra

'If I'd Known It Then.'

When midnight dawns and I lie in my bed,

When all is quiet, safe yet dark,

I travel to places near and far

But perhaps my favourite is a land called 'The Past',

Where there are no deer, no ponds, no trees,

Many and much has been lost here, for here it floods memories.

And as I swim my way through the past, I wish I'd known it Then

That a merry day too shall face an end,

For Fate and Time will take it away

That later, I'll wish but every day

'If I'd known it Then ….'

And I think how selfish of Time it is,

For it keeps what is gone, all to itself

And what is to come, it refuses to tell

And yet how generous of Time it is,

To give us what we have Now, to provide us with what we have in hand,

We can choose to make it a mere 'now' or decide to make it grand.

And this I shall not forget,

So, for now, I'll be happy, I'll smile,

I'll take a step down a road that is long a hundred miles,

For I know, I'll wish I'd been happier Now,

When I'm on my last step and in pain,

But, alas, I can not do that now; for now, I wish I'd known it then.

To whosoever is reading this,

This poem is incomplete; I did all that I could do,

But although I poured my heart out, there's not much a poem can hold true…

Malvika Mishra, 9F,  Ahlcon Public School

Sibling's Day - Anvesha Rana

A Sibling is a lens through which we see our Childhood,

Today, April 10, is national Sibling's Day, and I bet that most of us were not even aware of it. Siblings are those special friends that God has selectively chosen for you, and I believe there are no better friends than your Siblings. 

Siblings are the people we practise on, who teach us about fairness, cooperation, kindness, and caring - often the hard way. I don't have any siblings, but my cousins are just like my real sisters, and I can't imagine how boring my life would be without them?

Like Sugar and Spice, your siblings make things extra nice. All the mischief, damage and devastation that I have ever caused is on the compulsion of my siblings. So wish your brother or sister this sibling's day and thank them for all the notorious stuff because, like they say, it's better late than never. 

Anvesha Rana, 
Grade 10-B, 
Gyanshree School

Honesty - Avni Karmarkar

The Honest Boy
Once, there was an impoverished boy named Paul. He lived with his family. His parents worked hard to raise their son. Paul was a very good boy and always spoke the truth. His parents taught him that "Honesty is the best policy!"

One day, the King visited Paul's small village, and all the villagers came out to greet the King. The King was giving away cookies and candy. Paul and the villagers crowded near the King's carriage to try to get some gifts from the King. Finally, the King got to Paul and gave him a box full of cookies and candy. Paul was so excited that he immediately rushed home to share the candy with his family.

When Paul returned home, he noticed a beautiful ring among all the candy. He thought to himself that this ring could make him rich. And he and his family no longer had to worry about having enough food to eat. After thinking about what to do all day, Paul decided to return the ring to the King.

Paul went to the palace and returned the King's ring. The King was very thankful to Paul and said to him, "Son, this is my favourite ring! You are a sincere boy, and I want to reward you with lots and lots of gold coins!" When Paul's parents learned about his honesty, they became delighted.

When Paul came home, his parents hugged him. Paul was a wealthy boy from that day, and his family never went hungry again. 

Name: Avni Karmarkar
Grade: 5C
Billabong High International School, Thane

Teachers Travel with You All Your Life - Anvesha Rana

        " A Good Education can change anyone, but a Good Teacher can change everything. "

When we go to school, we go with the mindset to learn whatever is taught but seldom do we ponder upon the lives of those who come with the vision to give others as much knowledge as possible, our teachers. A Teacher is a crucial part of any child's development, and they play a vital role in success. Wherever I am standing today, it is all because of my parents and teachers, who never gave up on me and constantly encouraged me to walk forward and never look back again. 

Since childhood, I have always felt connected to all my teachers and share a special moment with each one. I cannot describe it accurately in words but simply say that My Teachers are the Best. A few instances where my teachers are still travelling with me are: 

When I was young, I loved art and would almost draw anything in sight. One day when I went to the fruit market with my mother, I had set my eyes upon a green apple, and it was the first time that I had seen an apple other than red, so this was really amusing for me. The next day at the art class, when we were asked to draw an apple, I drew a Green Apple! All the other kids were doing red, but I was confident that Apples were also green. When our art teacher came to inspect our work, she looked at my drawing and asked about it, so I told her that I had seen green Apples. To my surprise, my teacher agreed and even praised me for my creativity; a phrase that she had said at that time makes sense to me now 'Art Has No Rules.'

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Many other occasions have taught me lessons for life, and those are the learnings that I carry forward. Teachers are critical to me because I am who I am because of them.

Thank You, Sandeep Sir, for being the most creative teacher I have met.
Thank You, Brinda ma'am, for being the most dedicated educator.
Thank You, Sunita ma'am, for motivating me to indulge in language.
Thank You, Mahvesh, ma'am, for laying the foundation stone and constantly guiding me.
Thank You, Akanksha ma'am, for making lifelong geography learning.
Thank you, Supriti ma'am, for always being there no matter what.

Thank You to all my teachers who have always promoted Learning for Life!

Anvesha Rana
Grade 10-B
Gyanshree School
Intern at My Good School

A unique tree - Rishona Chopra

Hi! I am Lily. I am a tree; I don't have leaves, just me and my children (the branches). My best friend is the snow. It's always around us; never have we felt the loneliness with her. Just because we don't have the definition of beauty people want doesn't mean we are not beautiful. We are just what being pretty means. It means that the happiness in our life shines in you, authentic beauty.

Just because we don't have leaves and flowers doesn't mean that we are not worthy. We are just as good as other trees but are just different and unique. 

Like we say, equality in humans, shouldn't there be equality in trees?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Just Dance! - Anvesha Rana

Anyone who meets me probably knows that Dance has a special place in my heart. I don't think there was ever a time when I wasn't dancing, and I can't imagine how my Life would be without Dance. I started learning Dance at the age of 6; initially, I used to learn Kathak, and after completing Kathak, I pursued another classical dance, Bharatanatyam. Both Bharatanatyam and Kathak are ancient classical dances with diverse backgrounds and styles. I love all types of dances, be it western or classical, because Dance is one of those ways through which I can express myself freely. To Dance is to be out of yourself. Be Larger, More Beautiful, More Powerful, and this is the power; it is glory on earth, and it is yours for the taking. All of us need to dance; it is a true joy. Dancing takes place not only on the stage, but it actually takes place in Life, as we dance and leap through all the problems we face. When we dance, our purpose should not be that we are seen; instead, it should be to enjoy each step along the way. 

Dancing has changed my Life; it has enabled me to look beyond academics and explore new things. Dance really interests me; it helps me out when I am stressed and uplifts my mood after a bad day. When we do something different from what most others do, we unlock a path of creativity that is only known to us. Dance is much more than a hobby for me; it is the fire that keeps me burning and the zeal that keeps me ignited for trying out something new. Dance is a way to have fun for me; it is a method to connect with the Indian heritage and relive history in a few moments. Through dancing, I have also learned the importance of hard work and discipline. Learning any skill or art form is not easy; all Classical dances are extremely technique-driven, and technique has to be mastered before moving on and learning more complex pieces. When I started learning Dance, I wanted to grow to the best of my potential and practised well to learn more. At the end of the day, it didn't matter what level I would reach. I just wanted to know other complex pieces that challenged me as a dancer. When the waters get testing, I recall how I had worked for Dance and how my hard work has paid off; this thought sparks the trigger in me to continue hard work and discipline. 

I simply love Dance, and my emotions when I dance cannot be accurately described in a few words. Don't dance for anyone, Dance for yourself and Dance as if no one is watching you. Dance with Life, Dance with laughter, Dance with sadness and a little bit of joy. Replace the heaviness of Life with the lightness of a free-spirited dancer. When you dance for a moment, keep aside all your worries, concerns and problems, enter the stage with a focused mind and a light heart and after that, let the music take you forward. Dance is just following the rhythm to the beat, and once you know how to do that, you have mastered Life.

Dance with the waves, 

Move with the sea, 

Let the rhythm of the water, 

Set Your Soul Free. 

Anvesha Rana 

Grade 10-B

Gyanshree School

We learn from Nature - Rishona Chopra

We learn almost everything from nature. The way trees sway, we might learn a dance move from them. Some birds even dance in coordination with their very own dance teacher! ( I am not joking) . The way the weaver bird weaves its nest is so mesmerizing, and if you observe them closely, we humans knit the same way as them, except we use needles, and they use their beaks! 

Noticing the movement of birds, we made aeroplanes. We learned about hibernation because animals don't move or eat much in winters. 

Nature gives us education and other necessary things we need to live. When nature is so kind to us, why are we so rude to it? Why don't we care for the outdoors the same way nature cares for us?

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Happiness @ My Good School

My Good School Season 2, Episode 2

Happiness is perhaps the most multi-faceted feeling. The most fundamental aspiration in the hearts of all human beings is to be happy. We all want to be satisfied, but we are not! But what is happiness? Happiness is an emotion, a feeling of contentment. The most trivial things can brighten our day, bring us joy and make us happy! May it be good weather, a good grade in an assessment, being able to befriend a stranger, calling a friend or a relative, looking at the stars, playing a sport with someone, listening to music, and the list goes on.

Happiness is not something that we can achieve with various materialistic items. True happiness comes from within. If we are not happy where we are, we won't be satisfied anywhere. Happiness is the first step of the ladder as we climb up to peace, sanguinity, sagacity, and finally, equanimity. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, only if one remembers to turn on the light!" So join us in unfolding the mystery behind the happiness of human life with Aarav and Rishona. Few of our friends will also join and share their experiences.

Tune in to the podcast to listen to Saima, Arindita, Anishka, Sakshi, Kritika and Sunita ma'am talk about the proper form of happiness. Let us revisit the cheerful and lively moments filled with joy and laughter!

Comment below and let us know if you liked our podcast. If you want to be a part of similar podcasts, join us. We hope to meet you soon again when we are back with a podcast on the 2nd of May 2022!

Our team:

Hosts- Rishona and Arav

Editors and creators- Moksh, Simar, Anvesha, Anusha

www.GoodSchools.in