By Sangeetha, Student (16) While the junior and middle school children were off to kodaikanal and Sahyadri, we, the senior school we given 10 days of ‘freedom to explore whatever enthused us’   So, we made a list of things we wanted to do which included fantasies (like archery, setting up a photochemical lab, a day-trip to keystone etc).     But here are the things I did end up doing:   Baking – Though it was something I had never tried, the thought had always fascinated me. Gayathri, Shreesha and I attended two wonderful classes by Shruti- Ved’s aunt. Shruti was extremely sweet and warm. We started off with chocolate chip cookies .In half-hour’s time we were busy measuring, sieving, kneading, cracking eggs and happily chattering away! (I made a point to taste everything I came across). The hard part was, having to wait for the cookies to bake, as their fragrance teasingly trailed across the room. Finally, they were done. Although they were abnormally large and irregular i...

By Vasudev, Student (14)   When the teachers in school said that we had ten days off when the juniors were away, to explore things we enjoy, I really could think of nothing. I knew I had to study a lot, because of my exams this November, but other than that I had nothing much. I decided to continue my normal routine of studying, cycling, listening to music etc. Just that I would study a lot more.   Usha aunty had suggested that I should learn to play Table Tennis as it’s a game that can be played alone without a team, as there aren't any other boys my age in Shibumi. She knew of a class in Jayanagar (4 th Block). As a result of this I found myself playing TT every day for an hour and a half. I wasn't too enthusiastic about it on the first day but after a bit I found myself enjoying it quite a lot. The classes were at 5:30 and went on till 7:00. This used up most of my evenings (as I had to leave at 4:00 and was only back at round 8:00) and I suddenly found myself strug...

By Gayathri, Student (17)   [This is a very summarized passage on some of my experiences in Gudalur. If I wrote about everything I would be writing forever!] During my O levels I was really fascinated by and interested in the “pregnancy and birth” section of Biology. Thereafter I understandably became more interested in the subject “Child Development”. My parents suggested that I visit the Adivasi Hospital in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu. They had started the hospital years back and for them, it was like sending me to a second home. Five weeks away from school, during one’s A levels would be unheard of in any other school, well thanks to the understanding teachers in Shibumi and all the very kind and tolerant people in Gudalur, this amazing trip was made possible! Excitement was added by the fact that this would be my very first trip alone, even without my brother! When I reached at 4 30pm I was warmly welcomed by a very worried Shyla Aunty. (One, of the 3 doctors in the hospital no...

By Anu, Student (15) During the ten-day break senior school had, due to the fact that our teachers were out on excursion, I went to a farm for six days, to learn about organic farming. I've been interested in organic farming for a while, having visited a few organic farms when I was very much younger. I wanted to learn about farming methods---mulching,organic pesticides---that consumed few resources,and did not use chemicals. The farm I went to was recently set up, around four months ago, by a couple---Swetha and John---who live on the farm itself. Among some of the many things I learned, was how to make Deepika's beds; Deepika being the organic farmer who showed Swetha and John this method for improving soil. The idea is to convert dry soil lacking in nutrients to fertile soil. The seeds are sown only to fix nitrogen,which is good for plants,and are uprooted in a month. After you uproot your seeds,you can grow the plants of your choice in these beds. How to make Deepika'...

Jaidip, Parent Parents and teachers getting together to talk about a common concern: the child. At school, at home and in the wider world. The hope being that, together, one arrives at some measure of insight into the Childs life, which could help everyone. How then, should we as parents approach these meetings?   I would think that objectivity and a certain absence of identification with the child would be very important. An ability to see ‘a’child and not’My’child. We have just been to the meeting and I’m sad to say the above is much easier said than done.   I was frankly astonished at the extent of my perception of Sagar as an extension of myself. To say I preened every time I thought of an observation as ‘positive’ and was pretty downcast (or felt argumentative) when the opposite happened would not be entirely untrue. In short: Sagar was Me. Does it not then follow that I was talking about myself most of the time and not about Sagar at all?   If one says that the be...

Viji and Kumaran   This is Viji & Kumaran (parents of Tejasvi & Srishti), and this is our roller-coaster experience over the last week.  Over the last few weeks the excitement level kept going up for Tejasvi, who was getting more excited and animated whenever she talked about her school excursion to Sahyadri.  She told her awe-stuck friends at home that she is going for one week [yes, ONE WEEK] to Sahyadri.  Sure, unlike her seven year old [kid] friends, she is SEVEN years old, and, yes, it is normal that she goes on week long trips.  Not that she knew where Sahyadri was, but she knew that it entailed a train ride with her class mates, and she knew that it meant no amma or appa to nag for a sometime.  Overall it sounded like a happy proposition…  Srishti was in a dilemma - the norm demanded that she follow the suit and insist that she goes as well; but she was not up to staying without amma and appa for any length of time (nagging or not), but more importantly, she was down...

The darlings of Shibumi! They bear all the scratching, squeezing, lifting, rough-play and baby-talk they are subjected to without complaint. Many morning assembly announcements have had to do with them -- their recent sterilisation after which they were treated with extreme care, other small injuries they have sustained, building a house for them, feeding during the holidays. I can't think of a child who does not interact with them. We hadn't planned to have dogs at Shibumi -- we were worried about long holidays when nobody would be at the house. We started feeding these dogs (and their sister, Rosebud) when we noticed how thin and starved they were. Pingu and Butty followed us home and refused to go back. I suppose that was partly because none of children wanted them to go back! We have, so far, been able to work things out in holidays. And the dogs are, we think, still capable of finding their own food. These are Adi's drawings of the dogs: