As we continue to honor the three-year period of mourning for our beloved founder, Kyabje Yongzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, this Losar is a time of reflection and remembrance for us. Though we are not celebrating this year, our heartfelt prayers and best wishes remain with everyone – for peace, well-being, and prosperity in the year ahead.
SMD is closed for Losar holidays until March 9th. This break gives some of our boarders a chance to spend time with their families, though we usually have around 100 boarders staying with us during long holidays. Some children remain at SMD for up to ten years before they get an opportunity to visit their villages.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Our New Hostel and Classrooms
On February 18, 2025, we held the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the construction of a new hostel, including classrooms and essential facilities, to support our growing student community.
Our beloved founder, Kyabje Yongzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, established this school in 1987 to provide modern education to Himalayan children from remote areas. His vision was to equip them with the knowledge and skills to support their communities while preserving their culture, language, and Buddhist way of life.
Choje Lama Wangchuk Topden, Thrangu Rinpoche’s regent, kindly officiated the groundbreaking prayers for the upcoming new “D Block,” which will provide dormitory, classroom, and activity spaces. Choje Lama attended SMD and was the first monk to earn an SLC certificate (awarded at the end of Grade 10). The design for D Block is being done pro bono by Building Bureau Inc. See some of their other projects, including five in Nepal: https://buildingbureau.org/projects. We want to thank our Thrangu Family, supporters, and friends around the world for making this meaningful project possible. May this new building provide our future students with greater access to education and opportunity.
Watch the Video from the Groundbreaking Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Z2ogHz4b4&t=302s
Karma Tshering in the centre (tall, grey top) with his arm around Gyaltsen Lama B5199a
Our Valentines in Bar Harbor, Maine
Students at the College of the Atlantic held a benefit lunch and raised enough funds to sponsor three day scholars. Spearheading the initiative was Karma Tshering from Bhutan, who learned about SMD from Davis Scholar Gyaltsen Lama. Karma Tshering faced many hardships in his youth, but his life changed when his American ‘godmother’ sponsored him. Karma explained, “My group from the Business class and a lot of friends have come together to make the benefit lunch a big success. Our initial goal was to help a day student at SMD, however, we received so many donations that we could actually help three. Our community rendered immense support and donated to this great cause.”
Principal Dr. Lama Karma Sangbo, Jocelyn Kissenpfennig (Saathi Project Coordinator), Frances Tanel, Brian Weisenstein, James Forsythe
THE SAATHI PROJECT
SMD has collaborated with the Inter – Community School Zurich for almost twenty years. More than two dozen SMDers were given the opportunity to complete Grades 11 and 12 with ICS support, and ICS assisted with reconstruction efforts following the M7.8 earthquake in 2015. Last year, our two schools formalized our friendship through the Saathi Project. Learn more: https://www.icsz.ch/community-life/saathi-project. This month, several staff members from ICS visited.
Jocelyn notes, “The staff from ICS had a rewarding and productive time at SMD these past two weeks, where we worked closely with teachers, exchanged ideas with staff, and engaged with students in meaningful ways. The visit helped solidify the partnership between our two schools, strengthening our collaboration and shared goals.
Frances Tanel, Brian Weisenstein, James Forsythe and Jocelyn are incredibly grateful to SMD School for hosting such an insightful and enriching visit. The experience provided valuable learning opportunities and deepened the understanding of both schools’ shared vision. We are excited to continue building on this partnership. Plans are now underway for a group of ICS students and staff members to visit in June, further deepening the connection and fostering continued growth in both of our communities.”
The Manangi Mums’ Group has Sponsored Momo Again
Mothers from Manang sponsored momos for our kids for the second time. They visited our school and organized the entire momo-making event by themselves. Our kids absolutely loved the momos they made, and we want to thank the entire group for their kindness and support.
SMD Boys’ Team: Runners-Up in the Inter-School Basketball Tournament
Our school basketball team finished as runners-up at the First Ward President Inter-School Basketball Tournament 2081 in Boudha. Their hard work and teamwork truly paid off, and we couldn’t be prouder. A special thank you to our coach, Tsering Thinley, a proud school graduate, for his dedication in training our students and teaching them valuable skills.
Our Grade 8 and Grade 10 students have completed their Pre-board Examinations
Board exams for our Grade 8 and Grade 10 students are fast approaching. The Grade 8 students will be taking the Basic Level Examination (BLE) from Chaitra 7 to Chaitra 14, 2081 (March 20 to March 27, 2025), while the Grade 10 students will be sitting for the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) from Chaitra 7 to Chaitra 15, 2081 (March 20 to March 28, 2025). We wish all our students the best of luck and are confident that their hard work and dedication will shine through.
Toxic Air – By mid-month, Kathmandu ranked second in the world for air pollution. You can monitor the air quality in real time at https://www.iqair.com/nepal/central-region/kathmandu. IQAir is monitored by the Australian and American embassies, among others. The Kathmandu Valley is bowl-shaped, surrounded by hills and the high Himalayas in the distance. During winter, dry weather—this year marked by 5–6 months of drought—combined with particulate matter from brick kilns, dirty fuel, and forest fires, produces world-class pollution.
Junior Rhymes Competition – This month, we also held The Junior Rhymes Competition/Recitation. Click on the video to enjoy delightful rhymes performed by our young students!
Join The SMD Family: Help us widen our impact on Social Media
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/smd_school/
Linkedin (Shirley) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-blair-06229281/
Linkedin (SMD) | https://www.linkedin.com/company/smd-school/?viewAsMember=true
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ShreeMangalDvipSchool