Anti-Bullying Month

Anti-Bullying Month

Bullying in schools and institutions are very common but unfortunately the victims dare hardly speak out for the fear of being bullied and ridiculed again. This silent trend is like a killer disease CANCER keeping the victims withdrawn and down affecting their studies and growth adversely. These incidents become very emotional when the victims share their experience with chocked throat and wet eyes. This happens only when everything is over and when they feel safe and secure.

In order to rid of these very serious trends in the school we have declared AUGUST as the month of Anti-Bully month. Management committee members visited homes to have family meeting over their dinner and shared experience where children were intimated or ridiculed by bully. Children were encouraged to open up and share their personal experience where they felt being bullied. This has no doubt created a very cordial atmosphere and all the children and grown-ups were made aware of menaces of such bad habits in the homes and schools.

The month long program created awareness though various activities like essay writing, poster contest and beautiful skits.  Our school counselors Mrs. Choezom Tsering and Mrs. Tsering Dolkar took lot of initiatives to comb the entire area where such incidents occur. Anti-Bully month was concluded with presentation by both the counselors and skits by senior, middle and junior schools. This campaign did make a difference and all the students signed a declaration pledging:

I will not bully

I will not let anyone bully me.

I will stand and speak up for the victims.

Indian Independence Day Celebration

Indian Independence Day Celebration

The 70th Indian Independence Day was celebrated in TCV in Hermann Gmeiner Hall simultaneously when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the nation from iconic Red Ford ramparts. To honour and express our gratitude to India we invited Assistant Commissioner of Block Development Officer Mr. Dharmesh to be the guest of honour. The program started in very simple yet fitting decoration of the hall done by the Middle school. Mr. Phuntsok Namgyal – Tibetan language teacher of middle school after welcoming the chief guest began series of programs depicting the national pride of India from Rio Olympic medal aspirants and national sport icons. Each section presented suitable cultural items and kept everyone in the hall fully occupied for about an hour and half.

Whenever we celebrate the Independence Day of our host country it instills in us a sense of urgency and hope for our situation. We wait for the day when His Holiness the Dalai Lama returns back to our country, when there is reunion of Tibetans in Tibet and outside and when His Holiness addresses from POTALA PALACE.

Cooking lesson for home mothers

Cooking lesson for home mothers

While nurturing our children under our care, our primary concern is children’s health. Besides numerous activities focusing on the health and hygiene of our children our main focus is on children’s dietary. Several nutrition experts   including VTC Cookery trade and institute’s director Mr. Lhakpa Dhondup and Home Mothers’ director Mrs. Kalsang Choedon Sharling were consulted to plan out a menu in our schools that would be affordable within our set budget. They took lot of initiatives to have our children a balanced diet with sufficient calories for their growth and that too within our shoe string budget on boarding.

The first step was training to the catering personals in VTC which was organized immediately after our administrative meeting in January when we had minimum number of children staying in the Villages because of winter holiday. They worked out a menu that can be prepared from our normal dry ration and vegetable.  Mr. Karma Richoe from our kitchen went for a ten day intensive cooking training at the institute.

On his return further training to our home mothers and catering staff was arranged in small units consisting of five mothers at a time. With whatever provision was provided, Karma along with our home mothers learnt the trick to provide a best combination. They particularly took an alternative move to prepare food without onion and tomatoes when the price of these items sky rocked so much so that these would not be within our reach sometimes.  No expensive ingredients were used. They made full use of the ingredients and provision that were in supply. The training by Mr. Kartma Richoe did make a difference in our children’s menu.

 

The 100th working day of 2016

The 100th working day of 2016

Our tiny toddlers in the Infant school celebrate their 100th working day every year with very special program capturing their interest and making them glued with rapt attention to the activities they are engaged in. The idea of celebrating the 100th day was brought to us after our heads visited US Embassy School back in early 2000s. Every working day is accounted for and makes special cumulative event like drawing a design every day, planting 100 seeds or learning to count up to hundred with different combination and with practical examples of beats in unit, tens and hundreds. It is indeed very encouraging to hear our students count very confidently at the top of their voice. Children in the age range of 3 to 4.

Our children turned up in their best attire and awaited the conclusion with a big treat of games and eateries.

Geshe Thupten Jinpa talks to the teaching faculties.

Geshe Thupten Jinpa talks to the teaching faculties.

The principal interpreter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama Geshe Thupten Jinpa La is currently in Dharamshala in connection with some book project in the private office. While he is here we took full advantage of his presence and requested him to spare some time to be with our staff and children. This is no doubt such a rare opportunity to be in the presence of highly educated Tibetan Geshe who is not only well versed in the Buddhist studies but also in modern philosophy with his Ph.D. credential from Cambridge University.  Among the educated youngsters it is rare to find such a person who is on the top of his academic pinnacle in both western and eastern philosophy with excellent grasp of language skill in Tibetan and English.

Geshe Thupten Jinpa is the principal interpreter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama since 1985 and now with over 30 years of his selfless service to His Holiness he is widely known for his wide range and depth of his learning with very good command in English as well as in Tibetan. He has several bestselling books to his credit and has translated several books of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is a visiting fellowship scholar at Stanford and McGill University.

We are very fortunate to have in depth discussion with Geshe La on the wide range of topic starting with our teaching methodology and instilling in our children self-confidence based on our understanding of compassion and Buddhachitta. Several of our doubts are very explicitly cleared by Geshe La.  Listening to such a highly self-taught scholars make us proud to be Tibetan who is a product of century old system of our education in our monastic institutions which stood the test of time and has not affected the actual learning with the glow and glisters of modern education.

Geshe La also spent some quality time with our Amalas and encouraged them to practice compassion while they are on the job of nurturing children. Their very nature and job is compassion in action.

Geshe La very kindly agreed to be with our senior students on August 3^rd when they finish their SA examination. Children are eagerly looking forward to be in his presence.

81st Birth day celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama – 6th July, 2016

81^st Birth day celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama – 6^th July, 2016

The 81^st birth day celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was organized with involvement of all our staff and students.  The day coincided with Lhakar and every one turned out in traditional dress. We assembled in Dekyi Tsering Hall offering prayers for long life of His Holiness and had special Sangsol for the occasion. After the prayers we formed a big circle of students and staff on the main basketball ground with incense burning at the center and every one with a handful of Tsampa concluded the morning prayers by throwing tsampa in the air to ward off misfortune and evil spirit and to wish for all the fortunes and luck. Of course so long as His Holiness is healthy and strong we literally believe that nothing untoward will ever happen to us. That’s why His Birth Day celebration is participated with all our hearts and souls.

Normally when senior students attend public function at main temple the remaining students in Middle, Junior and Infant remain in the school with no organized functions. This year the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama was celebrated with festivity and joy. Senior students took active participation in the official function at Tsug-lag-Khang.  The remaining students had a festive celebration in the main hall with power point presentation of the life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and reading of quotes of His Holiness by some students followed by open quiz. Children were served special lunch and shared birth day cake.

Dance troupe from our school presented a beautiful dance from Kongpo region and everyone in the temple square applauded with much appreciation.  In the evening we had a very wonderful event: “Middle Idol 2016”. The program started way ahead of time enrolling students with singing talent. After several rounds of elimination we had finally the ten best singers from Middle section who participated for Middle Idol. All of them sang beautifully and each appealed to the whole crowd for their support. The event was very lively and participative. Besides judges’ marks, the voting by all our students and staff was also considered for final placement. Finally considering the public votes and judges’ marks we came up with five best singers. They will have another final round sometime in August for the grand finale.

Summer teaching June 1-3, 2016

Summer teaching June 1-3, 2016

Tibetan Children’s Village is very fortunate to have been blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama with a life changing program to have direct inter-action with His Holiness to learn about various tenets of Buddhism. This is the tenth year in succession where the youngsters get the golden opportunity to learn about basic Buddhist philosophy direct from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. All the senior students from various schools in the vicinity of Dharamshala including Mentse Khang, Sarah College and Sherab Gyasel Ling attend the program. We have huge number of participants from college going students from different colleges in India. We are very happy to have TCV Selakui class XI and XII students attend the program. This unique program is co-organized by TCV and Dharamshala Organization for the Introduction of Buddhism.  As the number of attendants increase every year, TCV is becoming little too congested to fit in all the interested participants for the summer teaching program. As per the wishes of His Holiness, this year the venue for summer teaching was moved from TCV to the main temple in Thekchen Choling. About three thousand students were fitted in the main temple and another few thousand attendants occupied the main square in the temple. Three day teaching from 1^st June to 3^rd June by His Holiness the Dalai Lama was blessing for the students and ideal coincidence to start their summer break.

This year the teaching was on Domthonpa’s A Tree of Faith – A self-Exhortation from the Book of Kalam. His Holiness emphasized on the importance shedding ignorance by proper learning habits. Our normal mode of learning is through reading or from the words of teachers which has a shallow understanding of just the description or the meaning of words that will eventually fade with the passage of time. The time tested century old learning in our great monasteries is not only through listening to the teachers but consolidating your understanding with investigation and finally applying in your real life. His Holiness emphasized on the importance of learning through investigation and  through application of logical deduction.

2016 summer teaching concluded with the initiation of Budhicitta and Jamphel Yang the Buddha of wisdom. As an expression of gratitude for completing the ten consecutive years of summer teaching for the youngsters the co-organizers TCV and Dharamshala Organization for the introduction of Buddhism offered Long life prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Everyone present rejoiced when His Holiness announced that same summer teaching will be continued next year: 2017 summer.