Good Schools of India
Joy of Learning Weekly #72
Bumper Issue of the Weekly #MondayMotivation
Village Ways Charitable Trust
The Trust enables the last-mile rural communities of the remote mountainous areas of Uttarakhand to access preventive and primary health care.
Over the years, the Trust has been working to empower families, especially women, in remote rural areas by providing health care knowledge to encourage the adoption of healthy behaviour, reduce the risk of disease and malnutrition, and thus improve health status at the individual and community levels. To ensure comprehensive primary health care, the Trust also provides primary health services in these remote areas through sophisticated, sustainable telemedicine solutions.
We are delighted to welcome them to the Good Schools Alliance! As part of our Special Projects Program, we’ll happily support them with quality learning opportunities. They’ll actively participate in our weekly Zoom sessions for My Good School and The Teachers Academy, using their community learning centre infrastructure. Additionally, their community health workers will warmly encourage the villages to join our online sessions, fostering a stronger connection and engagement.
Literacy Project for Educators
Date: July 4, 2026 Time: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Welcome to Sunbeam School, Ballia.
Today is not an ordinary Saturday.
Today — for the very first time — this school, this city and these teachers become part of something much larger than any one of us in this room.
We gather here today for the Inaugural Chapter of the Literacy Project for Educators — a nationwide initiative by the Good Schools Alliance under the Learning Forward India Foundation. This movement has spent over four decades asking one simple question:
Who invests in the teacher?
Today — we answer that question.
Through sessions on Financial Literacy and Food Literacy — led by some of the finest minds in their fields — we begin a journey that will take us from Ballia across India.
And it all begins here.
It all begins today.
It all begins with you.
We are grateful to be a part of the inaugural session of the Financial & Food Literacy Project for Educators at Sunbeam School, Ballia—a nationwide initiative by the Good School Alliance in association with Learning Forward India.
The session offered valuable insights through two enriching segments:
💰 Prof. Dr Asha Ram Tripathi of the Department of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), delivered a talk on Financial Literacy, highlighting the importance of financial awareness and informed decision-making for educators. He represented the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) at the event.
🥗 Food Literacy by Ms Preeti, Assistant Director, Food Safety and Standards Association of India (North Zone), who emphasised healthy food choices, nutrition, and food safety as essential life skills.
It was an honour to have Mrs Amrita Burman, Director, Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions and Chairperson, Good School Alliance, as the Chief Guest. Her inspiring vision for empowering educators through such meaningful initiatives made the occasion even more special.
The session reaffirmed that educators play a vital role in shaping financially aware and health-conscious future generations, and I look forward to applying these learnings in the classroom and contributing to a more informed and responsible society.
Vishal Kumar Singh, Sunbeam School Ballia on LinkedIn
Sandeep Dutt led an intro session on the Emerging Literacies Program, focusing on Yuval Noah Harari’s “21 Lessons for the 21st Century. “It began with a recap of morning workshops on financial and food literacy in Ballia, part of a nationwide initiative by the Good Schools Alliance under Learning Forward India Foundation. Dutt explained the program aims to prepare teachers for future challenges by emphasising communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking over traditional academic subjects. The group discussed the book’s introduction, covering topics such as technological change, political shifts, truth in the digital age, and the societal impact of emerging technologies. The session ended with plans to read the book chapter by chapter and an invitation to join a WhatsApp group for ongoing discussions.
Interview with author Bhagwant Singh Rawat on his post-retirement literary career.
Key Takeaways
Career Transition: After retiring as a DRDO scientist, Rawat pursued writing, a lifelong passion. His debut novel, Quarter Moon, Full Moon, was self-published after a decade of on-and-off work.
Debut Novel: Quarter Moon, Full Moon weaves three threads: a young woman’s unrequited love for a senior officer, the politics of a large office, and a dangerous project in the land of the mysterious “Mafi Tribes.”
Early Validation: Key early encouragement came from Ruskin Bond, who called a story a “worthy endeavour,” and from local newspapers such as Doon Darpan and Doon Classified, which published his work.
Advice for Youth: Rawat offered two core principles: prioritise health for a long, fulfilling life and cultivate belief in a higher power to navigate life’s stresses.
Books of the Week
Read. Read. Read. But Why?
Since my childhood, I’ve been hearing the same wise advice: Life is too short to learn only from your own mistakes. Learn from other people’s experiences by reading. It’s been with me all these years. And each book you open gives you the opportunity to talk to someone who has lived, has made mistakes, has succeeded and has finally learned something. Why shouldn’t our kids have that knowledge too?
Anurag Khanna, passionate educator at Sunbeam Suncity School
The Teachers Academy
Learning Forward’s Saturday reading session for the Teachers Academy focused on the book “Wanted Backbencher and Last Ranker Teacher” and the chapter “Heart versus Mind.” Brinda led the session with Sneha as co-host, reviewing key takeaways from the previous session on overcoming fear and leadership, including Roma’s teaching strategies and the importance of helping all students succeed. The group read the new chapter, which explored teenage relationships, psychology, and the challenges teachers face in dealing with adolescent behaviour. Sandeep provided commentary on the chapter’s relevance to understanding adolescent development and the importance of handling teenage issues in schools. The session concluded with an announcement that future meetings would be held at 3:30 p.m., and participants were encouraged to attend an upcoming webinar at 5:30 p.m. on Emerging Literacies, which had registered 350 people and would feature sessions on financial and digital literacy.
Joy of Learning Diaries
Reading in Sunday School is always enjoyable because every story teaches us something valuable. Through reading, we gain knowledge, improve our imagination, and learn new words and ideas. The lessons we read often relate to real life, helping us understand people, nature, and the world around us.
Good reading habits also improve our thinking, concentration, and communication skills. Every Sunday session reminds us that reading is not just a hobby—it is a lifelong habit that helps us grow into thoughtful and informed individuals.
My Good School Session on Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is open to all. We focus on Reading, Reflection and Relationships. #JoyOfLearning
The meeting was a book reading session for “My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell, led by Brinda Ghosh and hosted by Manisha Khanna and Jugjiv Singh from Good School Alliance. The session covered Chapter 12, “The Woodcock Winter,” where the family’s dramatic attempts to separate Gerald’s sister Margot from her tutor Peter culminated in a chaotic scene involving fake burglars and gunshots. During the reading, participants learned about Sirocco winds, Corfu’s natural beauty, and the family’s eccentric behaviour, with Brinda ma’am providing detailed explanations of the text and encouraging students to take notes on new vocabulary and natural phenomena. The session also included readings from “What You Can See Is In The Library” by Jugiv Singh and a Hindi story from Ruskin Bond’s Time Stops at Shamli, with students sharing reflections on how the descriptions helped them visualise nature and understand abstract thinking. Manisha Khanna emphasised the importance of critical and creative thinking, encouraging students to ask questions and research the topics covered. At the same time, Jugjiv stressed the value of self-learning and reflection through their Joy of Learning Diaries.