Friday, 24 April 2026
Learning Beyond Walls - My Good School Retreat
Together We Grow - My Good School Retreat
Sunday, 19 April 2026
My Good School 19th April 2026
PLEASE NOTE, FROM NEXT WEEK WE WILL HOST MY GOOD SCHOOL IN WEBINAR MODE AND THE RECORDING WILL BE SHARED ON YOUTUBE AS ALWAYS.
Sunday School for Reading and Reflection
To read and discuss two books, “My Family and Other Animals” and “Time Stops At Shamli (Hindi).”
Key Takeaways
“My Family and Other Animals” Reading: The Durrell family moved to the “Daffodil Yellow Villa” to accommodate unexpected guests. Gerald’s observations of swallows and an oil beetle (Melloproscarabeus) highlight the book’s core theme of nature discovery.
“Antim Sanskar” Reading: A boy processes his father’s death, feeling isolated from the adults. His unique coping mechanism—imagining becoming a flower to help new life grow—was praised for its maturity.
My Good School Retreat: A recap of the Jaipur retreat showcased its focus on reflection and community building. All future My Good School sessions will be held in webinar mode to increase capacity and improve YouTube recording quality.
Topics
My Good School Retreat Recap
Manisha Khanna shared photos and a video of the recent Jaipur retreat, which hosted 11 schools.
An art exhibit where participants turned line drawings into full artworks.
“Discovery of India” session based on a book about travelling across the country.
Talent night for student performances.
Reflection Method: Participants used flip charts (“joy of learning diaries”) to document their experiences, prioritising human intelligence over electronic media.
Resources: All retreat photos and flip charts will be posted on
schooleducation.com.
Program Updates
Webinar Mode: All future My Good School sessions will use webinar mode.
Rationale: To increase capacity, reduce interference, and improve recording quality for the My Good School YouTube channel.
Program Overview: Sandeep Dutt reviewed the My Good School ecosystem.
Sunday: My Good School sessions.
Saturday: Teachers Academy & Youth Engaging Society (YES) master classes.
Retreats: Held twice annually (April & October).
Membership: Open to schools and individuals (via a small donation).
Book Reading: “My Family and Other Animals”
Brinda read from Gerald Durrell’s memoir, set on Corfu Island, Greece.
Plot Summary:
Larry’s unexpected invitation of 7–8 guests forced the family to move from the “Strawberry Pink Villa” to the larger “Daffodil Yellow Villa.”
The new villa was a decaying Venetian mansion with an overgrown garden.
The new maid, Lugresia, was a hypochondriac who constantly detailed her ailments, causing the family to avoid her.
The family was swept into a festival for Saint Spiridion, the island’s patron saint.
Ritual: Kissing the mummified saint’s feet.
Outcome: Margot kissed the feet and contracted influenza, while Gerald feigned it.
Gerald observed swallows nesting under the eaves, noting the distinct personalities of the male birds.
He found a flightless oil beetle (Melloproscarabeus) with shrunken wing cases.
Life Cycle: Its larvae prey on a specific bee species.
Significance: This discovery was identified by Gerald’s biologist mentor, Theodore, who visits weekly to help with specimens.
Book Reading: “Antim Sanskar” (The Last Rites)
Manisha Khanna read a Hindi story by Ruskin Bond about a boy at his father’s funeral.
Plot Summary:
The boy felt isolated from the adults, who were focused on their own grief and social etiquette.
He reflected on his father’s lessons about nature during their walks.
Coping Mechanism: He imagined that after death, he would become a flower, and a bird would carry his seeds to help new life grow.
Final Thought: He recalled his father’s words, “The strongest person is the one who stands alone,” as he walked home through the fog, feeling alone but determined.
Next Steps
Manisha Khanna: Post Jaipur retreat photos and flip charts to
schooleducation.com.My Good School Team: Transition all future sessions to webinar mode, starting next Sunday.
Participants:
Use a notebook to record new vocabulary and concepts from the readings.
Join the next session in webinar mode.
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Inme: The Art of Becoming
Where the outdoors is not an escape, but a return
It begins, as all meaningful journeys do, quietly.
A bus pulls away.
A city fades into the background.
And somewhere between the noise and the stillness, something shifts almost imperceptibly.
No one announces it.
No one points it out.
But it’s there.
A beginning.
The Classroom Without Walls
In a world that has long confined learning to four walls, Inme gently dismantles the idea altogether.
Here, the classroom stretches as far as the horizon allows.
A mountain trail becomes a lesson in persistence—not because someone said so, but because your legs insist on stopping and your will refuses to.
A river crossing becomes an exercise in trust—quietly asking you to rely on strangers who, moments later, no longer feel like strangers.
Even silence has a role to play.
Because in the absence of constant noise, something rare happens:
You begin to listen.
Not to instructions, but to yourself.
Curriculum of the Wild
There are no textbooks here.
And yet, the learning is undeniable.
Leadership is not explained: it emerges.
Confidence is not assigned: it is discovered.
Resilience is not measured: it is lived.
Each experience is carefully designed, yet never feels imposed.
Each challenge is intentional, yet deeply personal.
Inme does not teach lessons.
It creates conditions where learning becomes inevitable.
The Quiet Work Within
Perhaps the most profound transformations are the ones no one sees.
Away from familiar identities—student, friend, sibling—participants encounter a rare kind of space.
Unstructured. Unfiltered. Honest.
And in that space, questions arise:
Am I capable?
Can I lead?
What am I afraid of, and why?
The answers don’t come all at once.
But they come.
In steps. In moments. In quiet realisations that stay long after the journey ends.
Of Strangers and Shared Skies
There is a certain alchemy to shared experience.
What begins as polite introductions soon transforms into something far more meaningful.
A shared struggle becomes a shared story.
A fleeting moment becomes a lasting bond.
Under a sky scattered with stars, conversations deepen.
And somewhere between laughter and silence, a sense of belonging takes root.
Not forced and not manufactured. … found.
The Moment of Realisation
There is no fixed point at which transformation occurs.
No ceremony. No announcement.
And yet, it happens.
In the steady rhythm of a climb.
In the courage to speak.
In the instinct to help someone else before yourself.
A quiet recognition emerges:
I am more capable than I thought.
Beyond the Journey
When participants return, they carry little that is visible.
No grand trophies. No obvious markers.
And yet, everything is different.
A little more confidence in their voice.
A little more clarity in their choices.
A little more belief in their own potential.
Because Inme was never about the mountains or the rivers.
It was about what those places revealed.
Inme
Infinite Me
Not an escape into the outdoors, but a return to oneself.
Follow us:
Instagram: @inme.in
Website: www.inme.in
Thursday, 16 April 2026
MGS Retreat 2026: Nurturing Learning, Reflection, and Relationships
Enjoy the Photo Book courtesy Varun Arora of Mayoor School Jaipur.
The retreat focused on the 3R’s—Reading, Reflection, and Relationships—providing students with a holistic learning experience. The four-day camp included enriching book-reading sessions led by eminent authors, including Ms Bhairvi Jani and Mr Jugjiv Singh, during which students explored excerpts from inspiring works such as Highway to Swades.
Each day began with engaging sports activities, including basketball, badminton, swimming, tennis, and indoor games like chess and carrom. A special art session by Prenita Dutt introduced students to creative techniques using various art media. Interactive sessions by INME encouraged teamwork, critical thinking, and emotional awareness.
Students also enjoyed an educational excursion to the City Palace, where they experienced its rich heritage and architectural grandeur. The retreat featured a vibrant talent show where students showcased their skills through music, dance, skits, and cultural presentations.
FLP for Educators at Jaipur by Learning Forward India FoundationThe closing ceremony included an insightful session on financial literacy led by Mr Manoj Kumar (Executive Director, SEBI), Mr Venkat Chalasani (CEO, AMFI), and Mr Suryakant Sharma (Sr. Consultant, AMFI), emphasising the importance of financial planning and investment.
The event concluded on a positive note, fostering unity, learning, and inspiration, while opening new avenues for future generations.
Regards
Team Mayoor School Jaipur 🦚
Their creativity knew no bounds, and the results are there for all to see!
Discover the Artist in you!
The simple yet powerful artworks created by the participants during the Art Workshop at The My Good School Retreat.
The Retreat opened with an inspiring interaction with Bhairavi Jani, author of Highway to Swades. The students and teachers chose one word that the reading session evoked in them.
Inspired by their choice of words and with that feeling in mind, each individual worked on one piece of paper with an identical line form drawn on it. They were free to move the paper around and choose an angle that could best express their thoughts.
Their creativity knew no bounds, and the results are there for all to see!
The Retreat was such a wonderful joy of learning—a journey that has left an indelible mark on my life.
Thank you,
Prenita Dutt
Artist-in-Residence
My Good School Retreat 2026
Mayoor School Jaipur
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Reflections That Changed My Thinking - Sunbeam School Ballia
Today's session of My Good School was engaging and interactive. It began with the reading of reflections from our school, Sunbeam Ballia, where students from different schools read reflections written by our students. It felt nice to see our work being shared and appreciated.
Many new students joined the session. Jugiv Sir introduced them to the Good School Alliance and gave a brief overview of its purpose.
Later, Sir read a story titled “What You Are Looking For” in the library. The story showed how Ryo reflected on his behaviour and eventually understood the negative impact of his pride and male ego. In the end, he apologised to Hina.
One line from the story that really amused me was when Hina said, “The owner of a handmade object is decided even before the object is made.” I found this thought very meaningful.
Sir also discussed the significance of Easter. During the discussion, I shared that people celebrate Easter with activities like egg hunts. Overall, the session was enjoyable and meaningful.
Ishika Singh, Class 10-B
Ishika Singh, Class 10-B
The reading sessions so far have taught me many valuable lessons and made me reflect on my own thinking and actions. One of the strongest learnings for me has been the importance of trust—in people, in situations, and in oneself. It made me realise that many times we assume the worst outcomes, but things can actually turn out positively when trust exists.
Another important idea I understood is that no work is small or less important. This changed my perspective on how I see different roles in life. Also, the concept of parallel efforts, like the unseen part of a plant, helped me understand that not all hard work is visible, yet it still plays a crucial role in success.
Hina’s character made me reflect on how age does not define maturity. Her confidence, clarity, and belief in her ideas showed me the importance of standing by what we believe in and expressing it effectively. It also made me realise how communication and understanding can resolve conflicts better than reacting emotionally.
From all the readings, I also connected with the idea of turning doubts into plans and having the courage to face situations instead of avoiding them. These lessons feel practical and are things I can apply in my own life.
Through the Hindi reading sessions, I have developed a strong sense of curiosity. The setting of a school near the hills makes the story interesting and unpredictable. I always find myself wondering what will happen next, especially with the presence of nature and animals. The lives of the students and teachers feel simple yet engaging, and the humorous and joyful moments make the reading even more enjoyable.
Overall, these sessions have helped me not only understand the text but also think more deeply about life and my own mindset.
Akanksha Rai, Class 10-B
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