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A teacher in heaven

Hello from Chettipalayam! I have settled into a lovely guest house which I am sharing with a 20 year old U of Toronto student, Kevin. He is a Loran scholar, and is preparing the medical records in a database for the doctors that care for the students here at Global Pathways School. He's a wonderful person and has made my transition here very pleasant.                  Loran Scholars 2021

Our neighbours include cows, dogs and chickens. We are down the road from the police station and the local government school. Though Chettipalayam is called a "village", I think a population of 20,000+ makes it a city! There are many, many motorcycles traveling around the neighbourhood, sharing the roads with pedestrians, cars, trucks and buses as well! 

I have spent two busy days at school now. It is such a wonderful place and I want to stay forever. The children look so happy all day long. I feel grateful to the Mersky family that started this school. Their loving gift has improved the lives of hundreds of families.

Village Community Foundation

The children receive regular dental and medical care, nutritious food and a good education. All the teachers, staff and children eat the same good food in the "canteen" each day. Some children receive iron supplements. The statistics are very high for changing the circumstances of children that were underweight or malnourished. Everybody washes their own dishes and children take turns wiping the tables and chairs after lunch. (The adults also get a cup of delicious chai in the morning and at the end of the school day. Delicious!) I also was delighted to learn that GPS is an eco school (designated by the Indian government). They have reduced paper use, plastic use and food waste, and re-use water. They have a vermi-compost and grow vegetables for the canteen in the school garden. A number of years ago, Leah Mersky led a group of women in planting the "forest" of trees on the playground.

The Monday morning assembly was a delightful way to start the week. Children sang and teachers acknowledged some of the children for their good leadership in the classrooms. The student leaders for the year were introduced, the flag raised, the national anthem sung and announcements were made. I would have paid for a ticket to this event! 




I have had the pleasure of working with Maria, the carnatic music teacher. I have been helping "newcomers", children that didn't start in kindergarten, with their letter sounds (phonics) to help catch them up to their peers, which I will be continuing to do during my time here. I will help Raymond, the other music teacher, write the school anthem, starting tomorrow. I will be helping where I can in the kindergartens, especially with the newest teacher. There is a kindergarten child that will be coming back to Canada in my suitcase--I know my suitcase is small, but so is she.



Comments

  1. Cathy W5 July 2023 at 14:10

    A wonderful adventure, Lynne! And a great team of advocates for this cause. So enriching for everyone. Thanks for sharing with us! xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5 July 2023 at 15:03

    So great! I’m hanging on every word and photo. So glad you’re on another adventure and sharing it with us. Looking forward to the next update. DK

    ReplyDelete
  3. Denita M.6 July 2023 at 11:21

    Can't wait to hear more of your fabulous adventure!! They are so lucky to have you! xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6 July 2023 at 17:46

    Delighted to hear that you are able to work directly with the students and the teachers. They're going to benefit from your knowledge and kindness and you'll all have great memories of each other.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous9 July 2023 at 05:22

    Your work continues, Lynne. You are an inspiration to kids both in Canada and India. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11 July 2023 at 17:53

    This is so great Lynne! I love reading about your adventures :) Bonnie

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous17 July 2023 at 09:19

    Awwwwww Lynne. So glad you’re having the best time xo Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kim18 July 2023 at 12:48

    What a wonderful experience for you, the students and the staff! An eco-school, too! Do they know that you're a hippy eco-freak!? 🌳 Keep posting your photos and blog so we can live vicariously through you. 💕

    ReplyDelete

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