Dear Parents,

This newsletter is coming to you after two weeks. Here’s an update…

Complaints

Every week there is someone who is getting “the” consequence of LC, which is sitting at home for a week. Is this becoming normal? Mostly everyone is scared of getting that consequence. Meanwhile let me explain how this has been functioning. We have made a consequence review committee which has six children and they are responsible for dispensing this verdict. 

But before that, this how our complaint box works. Incase you didn’t know…If you are involved in any conflict or witness any conflict which violates any of the LC rules then you can write a complaint. These complaints go in a box on the carpentry table. Now this is read once in a week after the judiciary meeting is over. The JC chair reads the complaints in front of everyone. The person who the complaint is against has the full right to contest and disagree. In case of any misunderstanding, things are sorted. If the offence (like hitting, pushing, etc) is proven then we start counting the offences against the person. The offences pile up, if it reaches 5, then the person has to finish his/her individual consequence. Just to give a few examples, these are some of the consequences like, writing essays, reading aloud, doing homework, making food, maintaining silence for a day, working on a project, etc. Everyone gets a day or two to finish the consequences, if they don’t finish within that time then they will be notified by the consequence review committee and their parents will also be notified. 

SSC Exams

So there is some good news on this front. The news is that our children when they decide that is, can appear for the SSC exams as students of Sadhana Vidyalaya. Our kids will have to take admission in their school and get on their attendance roll. They will do practicals and get access to all the other things like any other SSC class students. The only issue is that this comes with all the other qualms of SSC which is appearing for three language exams. There is a total of 6 subjects which is spilt into 9 papers (Math 1, Math 2, Physics, Political Science, etc.) spanning across 3 weeks during the exams. If the child is uncomfortable to give 3 languages then there is always the option of NIOS. 

Football Fever

The world cup is over, but the football fever is not gone yet from LC. Initially kids were playing inside the play zone, now they play outside in the compound. This has come with its own challenges. The football has hit people in the adjacent premises often times. Yesterday it created some problem, since it hit the watchman in the neighbouring compound on the face. Not just once but twice that day. He was furious, anyone would be. But he demanded to meet the principal and gave her an earful. Kids did interfere in the matter and asked for forgiveness from the person etc., but it didn’t seem to make any difference to calm him down. It ensued into calling an emergency meeting and we discussed about natural consequences of our actions and also the blame facilitators have to take when something goes wrong. That brought us to the question who is responsible for this place? Anyways, football didn’t get banned and children have decided to play “low” so that the ball will not bounce over the wall. Let’s see for a week, if they are able to control themselves.

Sevas

Everyone is doing their sevas, albeit after a few reminders. In fact one of the days our Mausi came late and the job was done, before she entered. Kids are also helping each other out, when their partners are absent. There is a 5 yr old who loves doing seva. She goes around asking everyone if she can mop the floor. She calls herself the floating seva person. 

Friday Food

Dabeli, the spicy street snack was made in our pantry today. The food managers wrote the elaborate list on the blackboard with all the nitty gritty ingredients. They also made an attempt to get the ingredients without any plastic packaging, especially the pav. It was a big hit. Kids didn’t even eat their lunch tiffins. 

Adolescents

Can you remember how it was when you were 12? When you were that young and your hormones were roaring. Plus if you happened to be in a free place like LC, think of the possibilities. Hard to imagine? Well we are unable to imagine it either. That is why we can’t make sense of what our adolescents are upto these days. They are constantly seen gossiping among themselves. They assemble in the compound in one of the corners where others can’t see them and chit chat their way to glory. Obviously, we can’t hear them but from the window we watch a highly animated silent movie. With facial expressions of ohh, aahh, please, oh yes, oh no..and we facilitators roll our eyes. They talk about who has a crush on whom and who has revealed their crush to the group, etc. Why doesn’t he/she have a crush on me? Is there a love triangle or a quadrilateral? 

After any session or whenever they get 5 minutes they will re-convene and do this comedy business. Sitting besides each other during sessions also works in certain permutations and combinations. Otherwise they will be teased. During the sessions a sly comment towards a specific person is responded with them getting paired up with someone else. Immediately after they reach home, they are seen chatting with each other on Google hangouts. They send fancy emojis and GIFs to each other. I ask, what’s so much to talk about? Didn’t you just reach 5 mins ago? 

If you have an adolescent and want to figure out if they have this fever. The symptoms are: First, if they are smiling while (pretending) working on the laptop. Obviously, history/math homework are not so amusing. Secondly, they might all of a sudden be interested in the most bizarre things like, for example noses! Yes, our nose, how the sizes of noses are and how they are shaped and how that makes one look, etc. Looks are very important. Thirdly, they might giggle all of a sudden completely out of context. They might spend an increased amount of time in front of the mirror. 

Either ways, I have a first row seat to all this development and will keep you updated. Meanwhile, if you find anything interesting do let me know. Maybe this will become our secret!

Reminders:

19 Feb: 8.30 am LSH, all 10 + yr olds are supposed to come for this meeting. Later from 9.30 am till 11.30 am we can have all parents meeting

21 Mar - 28 Mar: LC is going to LSUC

8 Apr - Last day of semester

That's all for now, until next week!