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Sunday, 8 March 2026
"Sunday School" concept, emphasising curiosity and creativity without exams
Sunday, 1 March 2026
What You’re Looking For in the Library, and a Hindi story from, “The Whistling Schoolboy”
Sunday School of 1st March 2026
To read and discuss two books, focusing on themes of ambition and school life.
Key Takeaways
Low Attendance Due to Exams: Final exams for classes 9 & 11 (home) and 10 & 12 (board) significantly reduced student attendance.
Dual-Book Format: The session featured two books: a Japanese novel, What You’re Looking For in the Library, and a Hindi story, “The Whistling Schoolboy” from Kabhi Kabhi School Masti Ka Adda Lagta Tha.
Core Themes: The English novel explored ambition vs. responsibility through protagonist Ryo’s dream of opening an antique shop. The Hindi story used humour to highlight the fun, non-academic parts of school life, like plays and food.
“Parallel Career” Concept: A key idea from the English novel, a “parallel career” (coined by Peter Drucker), was introduced as a way to pursue two complementary careers without one being secondary.
Topics
Context: Low Attendance & New Participant
Low student attendance was attributed to ongoing final exams across many schools.
Shailaja from Holi Sai International School (Chennai, IGCSE) joined for the first time to observe the session.
Jugjiv Singh provided an overview of the program’s goal: using books to spark dialogues on life skills and socio-emotional learning.
English Book: What You’re Looking For in the Library
Recap: The session began by reading student blog reflections to recap the story.
Plot: Ryo, stuck in a finance job, dreams of opening an antique shop.
Librarian’s Role: Ms Komachi gives Ryo a book on worms and a felted cat, prompting him to discover a cat-themed bookshop, “Cats Now Books.”
Reading & Discussion:
Ryo’s Work Stress: Ryo is burdened by his boss’s lack of software skills and an unmotivated assistant.
Hina’s Family Pressure: Hina’s parents see Ryo as a “steady chap” and hint at marriage, creating pressure that conflicts with his dream of running an antique shop.
“Parallel Career” Concept: Ryo learns this term from Peter Drucker, defined as two complementary careers in which neither is secondary.
Hindi Book: Ekanki Swang - Natak
Pre-Reading Quiz: A quiz on “fun school moments” served as a warm-up, with students identifying activities like sharing jokes and playing during free periods as key to enjoyment.
Reading: The story, read by Manisha Khanna, used humour to describe the author’s experiences at boarding school.
Plays: Rehearsals were a fun escape from mandatory study.
Food: The author would intentionally finish last in races to stop at a tikki/samosa stall, highlighting the importance of food in school life.
Library: The library was a favourite place, made lively by the senior master, Mr Knight.
Discussion: The story sparked a discussion on the importance of food in boarding schools, with participants sharing anecdotes about hunger and the quality of school meals.
Program Calendar & Logistics
Manisha Khanna shared the March calendar to provide context for new participants.
Weekly Schedule:
Sundays: Dual book readings (English & Hindi).
Saturdays: Professional learning for teachers and a masterclass for students.
Fridays: “Brewing Knowledge” meet-and-greets with published authors.
Upcoming Event: A retreat is scheduled for April 10–14 at Mayoor School Jaipur.
Next Steps
Saturday, 28 February 2026
Learning to Write Book Reviews - Lotus Petal Foundation
In today’s session, Kartik Sir taught us how to write a book review. He explained that a good review should clearly explain what the book is about, including both facts (what actually happened in the book) and opinions (what we think about it). Sir told us that a review should not leave the reader confused and that it should help the reader understand the story better. We learned that facts and opinions are different, and our opinions should be expressed clearly without being mistaken for facts. This session helped me understand how to write my thoughts more confidently and clearly. I enjoyed learning and will use these tips in future writing.
Thank you ๐
Akrit Tiwari – 5C
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Today’s session with Kartik Sir was very interesting. He taught us how to write a book review. We learned that while writing a review, we should be careful that the reader does not get confused about what is fact and what is our opinion. Sir told us that a good review contains both a clear summary of the book and our honest views about it. We also learned how to confidently express our opinions without confusing them with facts. This session was very helpful and enjoyable, and I learned how to write better feedback on stories.
Thanks ✨
Disha – 5A
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In today’s session, Kartik Sir explained how to write a book review correctly. He told us that when writing a review, we should be clear so that the reader does not misunderstand our writing. We learned the difference between fact and opinion — facts are information from the book, and opinions are our personal ideas about it. Sir also encouraged us to express our thoughts confidently in the review. The session was fun and useful, and it helped me understand how to think and write more clearly.
Thanks ๐
Vansh – 5C
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Today’s session with Kartik Sir was very informative. He explained how to write a proper book review. I learned that a book review is not just about saying whether we liked the book or not, but also about explaining why. Sir told us that we must clearly separate facts from opinions so that the reader does not get confused. Facts are true details from the book, while opinions are our personal thoughts. This session helped me understand how to think carefully before writing. I really enjoyed learning this new skill.
Aditya Yadav – 5C
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In today’s session, we learned about writing book reviews. Kartik Sir guided us step by step and told us that a good review should have a short summary of the story and our honest opinion about it. He also explained that there should not be any ambiguity in our writing. Readers should clearly understand what fact is and what opinion is. I learned that expressing opinions confidently is important, but we should not present them as facts. This session improved my writing skills and confidence.
Adarsh – 5B
GSA Reflections – 15th Feb
Today’s session was very knowledgeable and interesting. Brinda Ma’am read a chapter from My Family and Other Animals titled “A Treasure of Spiders.” The story is about a boy named Gerald who lives in Corfu, Greece. He goes swimming with his dog Roger in a beautiful bay. After swimming, he feels hungry and decides to visit Yanni, an old shepherd. Gerald cleverly wakes Yanni by making his dog bark.
Yanni warmly welcomes him and offers him food and wine. He shows Gerald a scorpion preserved in olive oil and explains that the oil can be used as a remedy for scorpion stings. He also shares a frightening story about a shepherd who died due to a scorpion sting in his ear. The chapter encourages critical thinking as Gerald observes nature and reflects on Yanni’s traditional beliefs about scorpions.
After that, Manisha Ma’am read a Hindi story titled “Shimla Mein Khel Ka Maidan.” The story is about a boy’s experiences in a boarding school in Shimla. It describes the house system and mentions a character named Moni Baba. The narrator talks about his school life and playing football as a goalkeeper.
Thank you ๐
Aditya Yadav – 5C
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Today’s session was very knowledgeable and engaging. Brinda Ma’am read a chapter from My Family and Other Animals titled “A Treasure of Spiders.” The story describes Gerald’s life in Corfu. After swimming with his dog, Roger, he visits an old shepherd named Yanni, who warmly welcomes him and offers him food. Yanni shows Gerald a preserved scorpion in olive oil and explains its medicinal uses. The story also promotes critical thinking, as Gerald balances folklore with observation and reasoning.
Later, Manisha Ma’am read the Hindi story “Shimla Mein Khel Ka Maidan.” It talks about a boy’s boarding school life in Shimla, the house system, and his experience as a football goalkeeper. The story highlights teamwork and discipline.
Thank you ๐
Disha – 5A
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Today’s session was very interesting and enjoyable. Brinda Ma’am read the chapter “A Treasure of Spiders.” Gerald explores life in Corfu, Greece. After swimming with his dog Roger, he visits Yanni, an old shepherd, who warmly welcomes him. Yanni shows him a scorpion preserved in olive oil and explains how it is used as a remedy. He also shares a frightening story that made the chapter memorable.
Later, Manisha Ma’am read the Hindi story “Shimla Mein Khel Ka Maidan.” It described a boy’s boarding school life in Shimla, the house system, and his experience playing football as a goalkeeper. The story highlighted teamwork and discipline.
Overall, the session was fun and helped us learn through stories.
๐
Adarsh – 5B
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Today’s session was very interesting and enjoyable. Brinda Ma’am read the chapter “A Treasure of Spiders.” After swimming with his dog Roger, Gerald visits an old shepherd named Yanni, who warmly welcomes him. Yanni shows him a scorpion preserved in olive oil and explains how it is used as a remedy. He also shares a frightening story that made the chapter memorable.
Then Manisha Ma’am read the Hindi story “Shimla Mein Khel Ka Maidan.” It discusses life in a boarding school in Shimla, the house system, and the narrator’s experience playing football as a goalkeeper. The story emphasised teamwork and discipline.
Thank you ๐
Akrit Tiwari – 5C
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Today’s session was very interesting and enjoyable. Brinda Ma’am read the chapter “A Treasure of Spiders.” After swimming with his dog Roger, Gerald visits an old shepherd named Yanni, who warmly welcomes him. Yanni shows him a scorpion preserved in olive oil and explains how it is used as a remedy. He also shares a frightening story, which made the chapter memorable.
Then Manisha Ma’am read the Hindi story “Shimla Mein Khel Ka Maidan,” which is about life in a boarding school in Shimla.
Thank you.
Vansh – 5C
Reflections on Dreams, Learning, and Meaningful Teaching- Sunbeam School Ballia
This write-up thoughtfully presents the narrator's inner feelings and struggles in a simple yet meaningful way. It shows how he feels stressed while dealing with people at his office job, even though he was lucky to get his first-choice posting. His true dream is to open his own antique shop, where he can live peacefully and do what he loves. However, due to financial problems and lack of time, he feels stuck in his present situation. This part beautifully reflects the reality of many people who have dreams but feel trapped by responsibilities.
The second part introduces Hina, his girlfriend, and shows a warm family interaction. When he visits her house, her mother welcomes him kindly and invites him for dinner. This shows respect, hospitality, and family values. It also contrasts his stressful office life with a more caring and homely environment.
Overall, this write-up teaches us about ambition, responsibility, and the importance of human relationships. It reminds us that while life may feel difficult at times, kindness and support from loved ones give comfort and hope.
Chirag, Class V
Today I attended a session at my school where Sir read the story "What You Are Searching For Is in the Library." We had a thoughtful discussion inspired by the story, touching on ideas from Japanese culture and the concept of minimalism. It wasn’t only about lifestyles, but about reflecting on choices, perspectives, and the meaning behind everyday actions.
The session was engaging and enjoyable, and listening to different viewpoints made it even more interesting. Overall, it was a meaningful experience that gave me something new to think about.
Ishika Singh, 9th A
In today’s session, Mr Jugiv Singh Sir first introduced a very famous personality, Mr Kartik Sir. He told us about communication. Some of the important points about communication are:
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Balance
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Honesty
He wants to teach us the format of writing. He always shares information in a fun way, which helps both students and teachers.
This session with Mr Kartik Sir was very interactive and interesting, and I enjoyed it a lot.
The next session with Mr Jugiv Singh Sir was also interactive and enjoyable, as he read the story "What You Are Searching For Is in the Library." It was a very curious and suspenseful story. This session was very knowledgeable and informative.
Remember, this class is not just about reading; it is more about learning informative things in a fun and beautiful way.
Monday, 23 February 2026
GSA Calendar March 2026
March 1, 2026
Book Reading - What You
Are Looking For Is in the Library
Book Reading - เคฆी เคต्เคนिเคธเคฒिंเค เคธ्เคूเคฒเคฌॉเคฏ เคเคฐ เค
เคจ्เคฏ เคเคนाเคจिเคฏाँ
March 8, 2026
Book Reading - เคฆी เคต्เคนिเคธเคฒिंเค เคธ्เคूเคฒเคฌॉเคฏ เคเคฐ เค เคจ्เคฏ เคเคนाเคจिเคฏाँ
March 15, 2026
Book Reading - เคฆी เคต्เคนिเคธเคฒिंเค เคธ्เคूเคฒเคฌॉเคฏ เคเคฐ เค เคจ्เคฏ เคเคนाเคจिเคฏाँ
March 22, 2026
Book Reading - My Family and Other Animals
Book Reading - เคฆी เคต्เคนिเคธเคฒिंเค เคธ्เคूเคฒเคฌॉเคฏ เคเคฐ เค
เคจ्เคฏ เคเคนाเคจिเคฏाँ
March 29, 2026
The YES workshop on Communication with Kartik Bajoria. We aim to inspire young minds, helping them navigate their dreams and aspirations as they embrace their goals
Book Reading- What You Are Looking For Is in the
Library
The Teachers Academy
Learning Forward Saturday
The Professional Learning Program (PLP) with Sandeep Dutt and Brinda Ghosh, ‘Wanted
Back Bencher Last Ranker Teacher’ by Kavita Ghosh. Read Chapter 2 and write reflections for The Teachers Academy Blog. Last Saturday, a workshop to show new innovations that the GSA Partners bring to the Alliance.
Sandeep Dutt’s Masterclass
Every Saturday at 5:30 PM: We are reading The Courage To Be
Happy by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi, a dialogue between a young teacher and a philosopher.
GSA Meetings and Events
GSA Squad
We review programs and plan for the coming week at 5:30 PM every Monday on Zoom - GSA Coordinators, Volunteers, and Mentors. #JoyOfGiving
My Good School Retreat
April 10th -14th, 2026, at Mayoor School Jaipur.
Find out more at www.inYouth.in
Brewing Knowledge Fridays @ The English Book Depot
Join us in celebrating Literature, Art, and Culture at The English Book Depot! Immerse yourself in the magic of reading through our cosy Book Cafe, where unforgettable experiences await. Whether visiting in person or joining via Zoom, connect with a vibrant community of book lovers, authors, and educators—all passionate about the joy of Reading. Come, brew your knowledge with us! #BrewingKnowledge
March 13, 2026 - Priyannsha
March 20, 2026 - Chandra Jain
March 27, 2026 - Mahesh Wanole
Sunday, 22 February 2026
A structured approach for writing effective book reviews
Kartik Bajoria at the Sunday School
We discussed the impact of the AI Summit in Delhi, which affected traffic and hotel prices. Kartik, a communication expert, led a session on book review writing, emphasising the balance between facts and opinions. He shared a detailed structure for writing reviews, including context, premise, characters, conflict, plot, language, resolution, themes, and conclusion. Participants discussed an excerpt from a book about Rio, highlighting the author’s dream of opening an antique shop and his relationship with Hina. The session also covered the importance of dreams, practical steps for starting a business, and the role of libraries in supporting such endeavours. Ms Brinda Ghosh and Ms Manisha Khanna led a session about learning through stories. Maira Jalan 8th shared her reflections, highlighting the engaging storytelling by Ms Brinda Ghosh and the informative session by Ms Manisha Khanna, which included a story by Ruskin Bond. The discussion emphasised the importance of personal takeaways from reading and reflection, as outlined by James Clear in \” Atomic Habits.\” Maira was encouraged to review the book and share insights. The session concluded with well-wishes for upcoming exams and a reminder to apply the lessons learned.
Key Takeaways
Balance Fact & Opinion: A good review combines objective facts (plot, characters) with subjective opinions (pacing, style), clearly signalling the latter with phrases like “in my opinion.”
Uncover Deeper Themes: Look beyond the surface story for the author’s underlying commentary on society, politics, or human nature.
Use a Standard Structure: Follow a logical flow: Context → Premise → Characters/Conflict → Plot → Execution → Resolution → Themes → Conclusion.
Title Last: Write the review first, then craft a short (1–3 word), catchy title that teases the content without spoiling it.
Topics
The Why & What of Book Reviews
Purpose: Deepen personal understanding and help others decide if a book is worth their time.
Core Principle: Balance fact and opinion.
Facts: Objective details (plot, characters, setting).
Opinions: Subjective judgments (pacing, style, themes).
Signal Opinions: Use phrases like “in my opinion” to avoid ambiguity and prevent readers from feeling judged by your views.
A Standard Structure for Reviews
1. Context & Premise
Context: Brief author background or series history.
Premise: A one-sentence summary of the story.
2. Characters & Conflict
Protagonist: The main character.
Antagonist: The opposing force.
Conflict: The central challenge (internal or external).
3. Plot & Execution
Plot: The sequence of events.
Execution: Analysis of writing style, language, and pacing.
4. Resolution & Themes
Resolution: The story’s ending and character outcomes.
Themes: The author’s deeper messages (e.g., social commentary, mental health).
5. Conclusion
A final summary of the book’s value and target audience.
Live Application & Feedback
Case Study 1: “The Bushel Days” Reflection
Feedback: Good factual summary, but lacked personal opinion and analysis.
Case Study 2: “Talat’s” Reflection
Feedback: Overly general praise (“super amazing”) without specific examples or details about the story.
Case Study 3: “My Good School” Reading
Plot: Ryo, an accountant, dreams of opening an antique shop.
Conflict: Ryo’s inaction vs. Hina’s proactive ambition (taking classes, planning sales).
Catalyst: Librarian Sayuri Komachi challenges Ryo’s “one day” mentality, providing resources to turn his dream into a plan.
Next Steps
Students: Write a book review using the structure you learned.
Students: Email reviews (text or photo) to Karthik for feedback.
Maira Jalan: Prepare a review of James Clear’s Atomic Habits for a future session.
Kartik: Explore a children’s review section or contest with The Book Review journal.
AI-generated notes by FATHOM, please excuse names and spelling errors.
Saturday, 21 February 2026
Learning Through Reading and Reflection - Sunbeam Lahartara
A LIFETIME OF LEARNING
“Reading can teach you the best of what others already know. Reflection can teach you the best of what only you can know.” — James Clear
Reading opens the mind to the wisdom, experiences, and ideas of others, while reflection turns that learning inward, transforming it into personal insight. Together, they help a learner grow not only in knowledge but also in self-awareness and thoughtful understanding.