INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

The India’s 69th Independence Day was celebrated on August 15, 2015 evening with the presence of guest of honor Mr. Sharma ASP from the police department, Dharamsala and local Indian brothers and sisters. Prior to the start of patriotic Hindi song competition from students of VI through VIII, students sang the national anthem of both the nation. The M.C for the program was done Mr. Ram Chand who is our Hindi teacher in the school. Mr. Kalsang Tsewang the counselor of the school presented a speech in which he mentioned how hard the Indians had fought for the achievement of freedom and independence of the country. After having made supreme sacrifices by many Indian individuals through national movements, India managed to get back its freedom from the colonial power. He further said that we Tibetans too need to learn a lot of lessons from Indians to get our country freed from the Chinese rule.

The inter-class patriotic song competition got started thereafter. The eminent judges for the competition had been Mrs Payal Dhar, Mrs. Sarita Patyal and Mr. Sonam Sangpo. The first position was taken by class VI S students, second in position was class VI D and the third position was bagged by VII B students. The chief guest honored the winning classes with prizes. The chief guest said that he would like to visit the school on coming Wednesday to have an interaction program in relation to topics like drug abuse, traffic rules, etc. but to our sheer despair, he could not make to the school on the appointed day. The Indian guests were served with dinner party in the school staff mess. Somehow, it was a wonderful evening for all.

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PTA Meeting

At 10 am, parents from Mecleodganj and neighboring areas came to attend the PTA scheduled on August 7, 2015. The opening address was made by the school Principal. The principal was gladden to see a huge number of parents presence in the PTA meeting and expressed his strong feeling of happiness and thanked them for having made to the meeting despite their tight schedule in daily chores. He pointed out the purpose of PTA meeting. Why the child is being sent to school and what support the child is needed from the parent and staff members in order to make the child go on the right track and don’t fall off the track.
The second speaker was the guest of honor from the TCV Head office, Mrs. Kalsang Choedon Sherling. In her address she pointed out what the TCV has been doing for the overall personality development of a child. Keeping our motto of the TCV “Others Before Self”, we the staff members in the Tibetan Children’s Village Schools have been following the policy of (བོད་ཕྲུག་བརྩེ་སྐྱོང་དང་གཅེས་སྐྱོང) rather than (བོད་ཕྲུག་བལྟ་སྐྱོང་དང་གཅེས་སྐྱོང) the chief guest quoted the speech given by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on making endeavor to make every single Tibetan individual into a good human being with warm heart.  For cultivation of good future citizenship of Tibet, support from parents is indispensible and undeniable. We as parents care our child/children very much since the day break until the day ends. If you really want your child to grow into a good human being, parent and teacher bridge has to be built for collaborative work for the common cause in upbringing of the child. When you take your child for overnight outing, please don’t spoil the child by providing with expensive gifts like technological instruments including mobiles. Instead what you can do is, tell the past history of our motherland Tibet which in turn helps to develop the sense of nationalism. She also pointed out that TCV is trying the level best for the provision of food of nutrition and as a coordinator of TCV home mothers, they focus on 3 G. the first G is Go (which needs energy and energy comes form nutritious food, the second G is to Grow and third G stands for Glow. Therefore, parents are requested not to buy junk foods and drinks when you take your kids for outing.

The third speaker was parents’ representative from Dharamsala Mr. Jampa Thiley. He too in his speech, laid importance on parents’ involvement in the child’s education and their collaboration with their child’s teachers. Many contemporary parents lack in providing good guidance and counseling from their ends, their way of guidance and counseling also differs from the parents of yester years. Many parents of today ask their kids to be clever; don’t be humble when someone is forcing you to do something. Parents have been telling their kids to phone if the teachers resort to the corporal punishment.
Word of thanks was given by the school director Gen. Tsultrim la. He thanked all the three invited guests and the parents for having made to the programs. The director made clarification on special leave. Furthermore, he said that if the student’s parent could not come to take their ward for special leave permission, the parents have to issue authority letter to the person on behalf of parents representing for taking student on special leave. The parents are urged not to give mobile to their ward/s, because once given it takes away student’s study time and spends too much time on mobile behind the scene and never have time for study and also urged the parents not to spoil the child by giving too much money. It has been noticed by the school teachers and authorities that if a student is caught smoking, when we say we’ll inform his/her parents, they get scared and we observe the difference that students are afraid of getting informed parents and not afraid of staff members. That means they value their parents and obey you. Parent’s advice is influential and effective and so, time and again, your wards need guidance and counseling on smoking, drug abuse and on other major issues if your ward is engaged in.
Finally he thanked all the parents who have shown concern and given due importance to our PTA meeting and come here. It is not like yaks are left grazing in the wilderness, every one of us has to shoulder in upbringing and education of the children.

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His Holiness 80th Birth Day Celebration

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is now turned into 80 years old by July 6, 2015. In order to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th Birthday, it was resolved in the management council meeting that this year’s birth anniversary (Trungkar) will be celebrated in a grand manner with great joy and jubilation.
In the morning, incense-burning and Songsol prayer was held for the long life of His Holiness organized by cultural committee with assembly of senior students and staff members in their best traditional attire. During the interval period before the start of official function, staff members performed traditional songs and dances. The official function was started at 9.30 am with the presence of guest of honor Geshe Lobsang Dawa.

There was recitation of Gyalwai Shapten led by religious instructor Geshe Lobsang Khedup, followed by scarf offering to the seat of His Holiness by the Chief Guest, staff members and school captains and prefects. Then Tibetan tea and Drasil were offered to all. Students and staff also enjoyed video clips shown after the official function. Students from hostels and homes with their home mothers, matrons and warden hoisted new prayer flags near the Stupa early in the morning. This was a special occasion for all the Tibetans living in and outside Tibet to celebrate the 80th birth anniversary of HH the Dalai Lama. After the official gathering and function, basket ball match was arranged between the students of class X and XI girls ‘team.  The winning team was class XI girls and trophy was awarded to the winning team. Thereafter, whole school (students and staff members together) had joined in a very specially arranged luncheon called ‘Dham’ in local language and everyone enjoyed a lot. Home mothers, matrons and warden have been instructed to make special either vegetable momo or vegetable bhaklab in dinner for the students. The evening self study period has also been cancelled on July 6, 2015 on account of 80th birth day celebration of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

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Tibetan Patriotic Song Competition

For the first time in TCV School Gopalpur, Tibetan patriotic song competition was held between students of class VII and VIII on the evening of June 25 in the school auditorium. The program was witnessed by the staff members and senior section students. The purpose of holding such competition is to retain the spirit of freedom struggle among the students and to inculcate the sense of affiliation and belongingness toward the motherland. It was an exciting evening and every one present in the assembly enjoyed every moment of competition. The winner of the competition was the students of class VII B.
So, class VII B students also got chance to make presentation of their song during the long life prayer offered to Dozong Rinpoche on July 1, 2015 at Dozong monastery.

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June Teaching By His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Around 172 students from class XII got the golden opportunity to attend two days religious teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama from May 27- May 28 at TCV School Upper Dharamsala. The students were accompanied by their class and subject teachers in addition to hostel warden and matrons.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s discourse was in the morning while in the afternoon, students have to attend the debating session with senior monks (Geshe) about various tenets of Buddhism. For all the students it was a great opportunity and helped a lot in understanding tenets of Buddhism. It was a great learning experience, thanks to the kind hospitality shown by the host school and organization committee for such an arrangement.
On May 29th TCV schools offered a special prayer of long life (Tenshug) to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. During Tenshug, of total 60 members from Tibetan Children’s Village Gopalpur, 15 members were staff and the remaining 45 members were students. The students who had been in the June teaching had been made to stay until June 30 to enjoy the cultural programs to be performed by Tibetans from in and around Dharamsala. On June 30, students wishing to go for 10 day summer vacation with guarantors will be sent for the vacation directly from UTCV and the remaining students had to come back to school.

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Poetry Recitation by Phakay Danglang

Members of volunteer club (Phakay Danglang) for preserving Tibetan language have organized individual poetry recitation competition on June 13 in connection with a Tribute being paid to the His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on His 80th birth anniversary and for His tremendous contribution for the genuine cause of Tibet in particular and World Peace at large in general. The guest of honor for the competition was Rev. Kirti Rinpoche accompanied by eminent Tibetan writers in Tibetan community in exile. The essence of holding such competition in our school is to let our students know about the richness of poetries in our heritage. Prior to the contest, Master Lobsang Dawa, introduced the judges and another ex-member of Phakay Danglang master Drugthar gave a brief introduction on aims and objectives of founding of Phakay Danglang in TCV School Gopalpur. Thereafter, some members gave an exemplary poetry recitation and then the actual individual poetry recitation competition got kicked off. The first position was taken by Miss Dakar Tso of VIII C, second position was bagged by Tsetan Wangchuk class X D and followed by Master Lungrig of XII C in the third position. The winners were given away prizes by the guest of honor. Thereafter, the chief guest addressed the audience and the guest of honor was happy to see that younger generation is taking the responsibility of preserving our culture and language. Furthermore he said that younger generation is held responsible for the continued existence of Tibetan rich cultural heritage. So everyone is urged to pay attention to our culture and language and make optimum use of our language without getting mixed up with international languages wherever you are. Rinpoche has kindly made a cash donation of INR 15000/ toward the Phakay Danglang for their good job. The club members had held session of brain storming with a group of students in the afternoon. There was poetry recitation and presentation of Tibetan songs by ex-students in the evening as well.

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