Matheran

Every year, the middle school students and staff here at the American School of Bombay participate in a "Week Without Walls" experience. I had the opportunity to spend a few day with the ASB grade 6 students at a nearby hill station called Matheran. 

• Hill Station: "The term was used mostly in colonial Asia (particularly India), ...  for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler." -
  "Hill Station." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_station>.

Matheran is located in the Western Ghats at about 2600 feet, which makes the evenings and mornings a little cooler and more pleasant, and is unique in that no automobiles are allowed, so the main forms of transit are walking and horse riding. The importance of the tourist trade with shops and restaurants and hotels make the place a sort of Indian "Mackinac Island". They are even known for their fudge !

We saw this view while doing a little pond study ;-)  By Gaurav Raval (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

With 55 sixth grade students and a bunch of adults enjoying a variety of hiking, adventure activities, good vegetarian food and teachable moments, a good time was had by all. Of course, there was also plenty of drama from boy/girl relationship issues, girl/girl relationship issues, boy/boy relationship issues and kid/monkey relationship issues.  While monkey troubles were a new one for me, it really is not much different than the kid/raccoon issues I used to have with Quest camp.  Anyway - i had a great time getting to know the kids and the other staff members - great team!  I am such a believer in the value of experiential education and we all had formative experiences. Working on problems and activities with other kids and then reflecting on what we've learned. Doesn't get any better.

By Dr. Raju Kasambe (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Ganesh Chaturthi Observations #1

Ganesh Chaturthi has begun: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesh_Chaturthi

Finished Ganesha

The 10-day festival is a celebration of the birthday of Lord Ganesha, (also known as Ganapati) the elephant headed God who, among other things,  is the god of new beginnings and wisdom.  We first heard about the upcoming festival at our new staff orientation meetings before school started when his help was invoked on the start of this new venture. Our observation of the festival began a week or two ago as temporary shelters began to appear around the city to house the elaborate sculptures of Ganesha that are created and painted in bold colors (or colours if you prefer).  We went for a walk to see what if we could see some the work in progress.

Older Brother - proud of his work

Younger brother - blowing silver glitter on wet paint

Three very nice young men were proud to show off their work and to practice their English on us.  We were struck not only by the color and careful technique, but also by the great variety of poses and attendant objects and animals, each with it's own story.

Adding finishing touches

Ganapati - each one different

to be continued ...

Community and Social Responsibility

One of the things that our school is intentional about is being aware of, involved in, and a positive presence to our community.  Two staff members are hired to lead the school in community and social responsibility. Part of our growth and learning as individuals, both staff and students, is to be aware of how privileged we are and to be aware of those around us who are not as privileged.  In a country like India there is such an incredible range of socio-economic situations.  On Sunday we went for brunch at a Luxury hotel nearby - The Leela Mumbai. The place was incredible - huge gardens and pools, marble and gold decor everywhere, great service and delicious food.  Opulent and elegant.  
Today we visited an Indian school that ASB partners with for both community service and professional development. The school is similar to a charter school in the states - partly funded by the Indian government and run by an NGO (Non Governmental Organization). The majority of the students are from 2 extended, interrelated families (about 80% of the kids share 2 common surnames) that have been street cleaners for 5 generations.  It currently has students from PreK to 6th grade and is adding a grade per year as the first cohort of kids age.  Instruction is in English, and the teachers we met were dedicated, caring professionals, most with masters degrees, eager to interact with us and learn together.
Reflections on the experience:

• Dang these kids are cute!
• There is so much hope and potential in the world.
• Education is so important and can make such a difference in people's lives.
• Kids are kids the world over - excited and eager to learn and playful and shy.
• Teachers are teachers the world over - caring and dedicated and eager to share and wanting the best for their students.

We are planning to continue our connection with these good people over the year, with some staff development activities with the teaching staff and additional visits in both directions.