Introduction of New School Heads at Upper TCV

1^st May, 2024: The school hosted a special function in the afternoon to declare the new school heads and bit farewell to the retiring heads at 2.30 PM. The event was attended by students and entire faculty members at Hermann Gmeiner Hall.

The function began after the arrival of TCV Head Office managerial staff led by the President Mr. Sonam Sichoe and the members of Village Management Committee headed by the Director, Mr. Tsultrim Dorjee and the outgoing Principal, Mrs. Nawang Lhamo.

After the introductory speech on the event, the General Secretary Mr. Choenyi Dhondup announced the new Education Director, the Principal, the Headmaster and the assistant Headmaster of Senior Section and introduced them briefly. He further elaborated the selection process which began in TCV executive meeting held last year.

 Ven. Tenzin Tsenlek, the outgoing Education Director of TCV served TCV for thirty-eight years at various capacities from a science teacher to a Principal and later as an Education Director. Mr. Secretary applauded his commendable leadership especially in TCV Selaqui school and highlighted some of his achievements.

Mrs. Nawang Lhamo, the new Education Director is no different. She joined Upper TCV as a PGT Geography teacher and later served the school as an assistant Headmistress, later as Headmistress and finally as a Principal.  In total she served the school for thirty-two years. Mr. Secretary complimented her leadership quality and things achieved during her tenure.

Mrs. Tenzin Choekyi is the new Principal of the school. She served the exile community at various capacities before joining TCV in 2009. She joined TCV Gopalpur as a PGT Political Science teacher and later got transferred to Upper TCV at the same post. Mr. Secretary praised her efficient leadership quality and praiseworthy work experiences.

Mr. Dorjee is appointed as the new Headmaster of Senior Section, as Mr. Wangchuk is retiring from the service. Mr. Dorjee too served TCV for twenty-eight years as a TGT Math teacher first in Ladakh and later in Upper TCV. He was then appointed as the Headmaster of Junior section and later as Assistant Headmaster of Senior Section till date.  Mr. Secretary applauded his energy and efficiency which is reflected during his long years of leadership.

Mr. Tenzin Wangchuk is the new assistant Headmaster of Senior Section. He is one of the most dedicated Senior TGT Social Science teachers of the section. Mr. Secretary appreciated him for accepting the appointment.

Mr. Secretary congratulated all the new heads on being appointed as new leaders in the school and thanked all for the acceptance. He further wished them all success and luck. He also thanked Ven. Tsenlek la for his long years of service and wished him a meaningful retirement.

There was farewell speech by the Ven. Tenzin Tsenlek followed by the acceptance speech by the new Education Director and the new Principal.

Addressing the gathering Mr. Sonam Sichoe acknowledged the difference made by Ven. Tsenlek and Mrs. Nawang Lhamo during their long years of service. He illustrated how successful the school has been in educating thousands of Tibetan children.  He further talked about his overseas visits and meeting with the former students and the recognition and appreciation they have for the work TCV does and their love and concern for the school which is very encouraging and jubilating. He appealed all staff to keep the spirit alive and continue to shoulder the assigned responsibilities to live up to the expectation. He expressed his concern over the deteriorating character of students, urged all to build their personality and positive character while attaining knowledge in classroom which ultimately paves way for overall holistic development of every individual.

He congratulated the new heads and wished them good luck.

Anti- bullying Month (April 2024)

We dedicate the month of April as Anti-Bullying Month in our school. The objective of observing Anti-Bullying Month is to raise awareness about bullying, eradicate it in the school, and promote a culture of kindness and empathy among students.

Mrs. Tsering Chodon, the school counsellor, discussed bullying in detail with students from classes IX to XII during their guidance period in the first week of April. Furthermore, the counsellor provided an opportunity for Class X students to participate in an anti-bullying awareness program. The campaign program was funded by TCEWF via Department of Education, CTA.

Students from classes X D and X P initiated a peer support program aimed at engaging with junior classes to address bullying. A total of 55 peer volunteers participated in this initiative. The counsellor provided them with a week-long training to conduct interactive sessions with junior students. During the training, the counsellor introduced classroom norms in the first session, followed by an ice-breaking activity and a demonstration to help them establish connections with their peers. Subsequent sessions focused on discussing bullying, culminating in classroom activities that included songs and dances. The peer trainees also brought charts and pledges with them when they visited classrooms and displayed them in their respective classes.

On April 27, 2024, peer facilitators visited their respective classes during the morning study hour to discuss bullying. On this day, our volunteers covered 23 classes ranging from Class I to VIII and OC, engaging with a total of 551 students.

A group of students from Class XB organized a poster competition for students from Class IV to XII. Upon their request, the headmaster made an announcement about the competition during the morning assembly. The organizing team also prepared separate announcements for the senior and junior sections, displaying them in various locations around the school campus. They categorized the poster competition into four groups with four different themes, collected participant names, and distributed drawing sheets. There were seventy participants. The drawings were then reviewed by the art teacher, Mr. Tashi Topgyal, to select the top winners from each category.

The conclusion day program, held on May 4, 2024, at Hermann Gmeiner Hall during the morning assembly, was attended by students from Class VI to XII, the school Principal Mrs. Tenzin Choekyi and staff from the senior section. The school principal presented awards to the winners of the poster competition and certificates to 62 volunteers for the awareness program. The program commenced with an introduction by Miss Lobsang Younten from Class X S. Tsering Dolkar from Class X S then provided further details about the program. Miss Tenzin Kelsang from Class X D, representing the peer support initiative, shared their journey, accompanied by a short video clip documenting their efforts, prepared by the Upper TCV Photography Club. Additionally, Miss Tenzin Tsomo from Class X S shared her personal experience of being bullied. Miss Aastha Bauddha, from Class X B on behalf of the poster competition team, shared their journey, reports of the poster competition, and announced the winners. Finally, Miss Tenzin Tsephel from Class X S concluded the event with a vote of thanks.