30 July 2021

Dear Parents,

This week has been relatively better since we were almost close to full attendance. We had a lot of fun. Read on to know more...

Welcome!

With great pleasure let me introduce you to our newest family members. Jinaya is 4 years old which makes her the smallest amongst us and she is the biggest fan of LC. Limangi is already leading an alternative lifestyle and is an environmental enthusiast. Her greatest asset (which we are secretly eyeing) is that she is a trained classical singer. Palak is an engineer and runs his own garment business. Welcome to chaos!

Judiciary

This week’s judiciary’s hot topic was the discussion on safety. Otherwise it does not require compulsory attendance but now onwards it is compulsory for all to attend if it concerns the safety of oneself and others. Facilitators expressed their fears and possibilities of danger which the children listened and empathised. They definitely didn’t want any more mishaps. They could see for themselves how restrictive it would feel. We asked them three questions:

What should we do collectively to stop something like this from happening?

Kids suggested we should get more mats and also softer ones. So we have put that in the process.

What will you do at an individual level?

All of them agreed that they will put adequate mats all the time and will also make sure to check if others are doing the same. We told them to observe their limits and call for adult help if they want to up their levels.

What will you do if you see someone else got hurt?

Immediately approach them with help. Call the facilitator and get first aid. If the person is badly hurt, ask them to lie down and not move.

There are some ongoing discussions on how to celebrate birthdays at LC. Decision is pending on the proposal of combining birthday celebrations in case multiple birthdays fall in a month. But all have come to an agreement of not exchanging any gifts.

Creative Writing

Shilpa is leading the creative writing pursuit at LC. It has stirred some enthusiasm among a few kids. They have decided to come up with a weekly newspaper which will be written, designed and edited by kids. The first edition will be delivered into your inbox soon. 

Emergency Meeting

This week we had an emergency meeting. Though it wasn't compulsory, all of us attended. This is a meeting that is called by the victim who underwent medium to high physical or mental distress. The case revolved around bullying and disrupting the free space of others who largely were minding their business. The issue was resolved by understanding each other and talking about issues openly and what it made all realise. Basically coming to terms with expressing the feelings and accepting in front of others.

Space Management

We are striving hard to make our place better, cleaner and more inspiring. In this endeavor we have created a pantry/storage space for kids to explore baking and cooking. 

Games

We had a football match and apparently we were called Portugal and France. I guess we discussed the rules of the game more than playing the game. We also haggled when the referee was partial to his friend’s team. Uno, the card game is also gaining popularity among few boys. Gymnastics as usual has become an A+ session.

Sessions and Workbooks

We had geography, object discussions, body systems, shading-drawing, problem solving, finance, hindi and grammar sessions. This week onwards we also saw that kids are getting into the routine of finishing and bringing back workbooks for our observations. Let us know your thoughts on how kids are taking it at home.

Friday Food

There wasn’t any because no one came forward to take the responsibility on time. 

Movie Club

We saw an hour of तारे ज़मीन पर movie. Rest of it we will see when time permits. Given the restricted time, play and sessions take so much time during the day that there is hardly any left for different activities. 

Food for thought

We would like to share a blog written by one of our friends. She is a mother of a four year old unschooler and has written very simply about how she arrived at the decision of taking this path of alternative education. Here’s the link...

https://jinalgada.com/how-and-why-we-decided-to-unschool/

Alright, that’s all for this week. Take care and stay safe.