14 June, 2024

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the new academic year of 2024-25!

The first week was fun, as we were meeting after two months. Lots of stories of our travels and adventures were waiting to be told. Many kids had not joined by then, so we were a small group listening to elaborate stories, some very eloquently told. That week we also did a lot of cleaning and setting up of the house. The roof was cleaned and we had a heap of dry leaves to handle. With the help of kids we stuffed them into our composter. We removed the pile of rubble from the corner of the compound, gave away piles of paper, washed our curtains, etc. We also decided to get rid of the jungle gym for this semester. Actually it was already dismantled, since LC was an election booth and our play zone was the action room. After we came back we asked everyone let’s rebuild it, barring one or two everyone said that they don’t want it this semester. Everything looses lustre eventually! This came as a shocker, since jungle gym is the favourite of all LCians (coinging a new word here!). If you ask anyone here, what's your favourite time pass? They will all say that it's to swing from the jungle gym. 

Second week, we tried to steer ourselves on the track of routine on the backdrop of moanings and sighs like arre yaar!!. The time table was put up and rules of LC were reiterated and discussed. Body awareness session was taken and new responsibilities were distributed.

This time we have tried to put more hands-on activities in our schedule. We were able to get volunteers who had come for Repair Cafe to facilitate a session. Our goal at the end of the semester is that kids will be equipped to fix electrical and electronics gadgets of their household (or atleast identify the problem). The goal of these facititators is to generate enough curiosity in the kids that they will want to pursue electronics engineering! That is a very high expectation (as you and I know!), but he doesn’t know what he is up against…hehehe!! 

We will also be able to arrange for a carpentry/woodworking session which will alternate with Shri’s workshop on fridays. We have also started with B’boying with Sai, whom you all met at Dhamaka day. So overall there is going to be a lot of fun planned for this sem.

Except one of adolescents, everyone has opted for giving some kind of formal exams, at least for now, either NIOS or SSC. So we are conducting weekly tests for them on different subjects. It is usually a half an hour test. The hope is that they will understand the nuances of writing and the speed with which they need to write etc.

This time onwards ministers are on a rotational basis, everyone has to become a minister some time. So Pups are in charge this semester.

Thats all for now,

Will be back to report more action as our weeks progress….