Our Boarding Programmee – November 2021
SMD has mostly been closed since March 2020. Our students have been attending online classes with full support including rations, clothing and learning materials, as needed.
We’ve just admitted new students at the end of November (some still to arrive). They have been waiting since normal intake times April 2020 and 2021. The newbies join the school monks who’ve been living at SMD since the start of the pandemic. Most of the new children have had no previous education so they cannot learn online and need in-person instruction.
For the first ten days, the children will be isolated – we have a safe outside play space and a schedule of activities so they children can start their learning at Thrangu Rinpoche’s school having fun together. In-person instruction will start after the isolation period.
Click on the link to see film of new admissions: Watch Film
Girls’ hostel.
Matching Challange – A Warm Welcome for the New Kids
Lisa Elser – Custom Cut Gems donated 10,000 USD as a matching challenge. Our amazing supporters matched the challenge! We’ve been able to make it a bright welcome. The first job was to refurbish and paint the Girls’ hostel inside and out.
L- R: Niraj, Principal Wangchuk Tenzin, Nyerpa (manager) Tashi Gyatso, Vice Principal Tenzin Norbu.
Meet Our Staff : Niraj Chitrakar, Registrar
Niraj is one of SMD’s Adminstrators. He has served for 16 years. His remit is accounting, taxes and the annual audit. He often handles legal matters and is skilled at counselling. He is the very proud dad of Tenzin, a five-month old girl, and is married to our Early Childhood teacher Miss Sonam. From Niraj, “Gratitude to all the sponsors, donors and supporters for your continuous help. You are all in our thoughts.”
Yangchen Dolma.
Yangchen Dolma Meets The Pacific Ocean
Yangchen Dolma Tamang is our fourth scholarship student at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island (A very happy school!). Yangchen is loving her time at SLS and was delighted and relieved to discover Srirjacha (chili) sauce on every table in the dining hall. However, she declined to comment on West Coast winter weather.
In Case You Missed It …
Winter is coming: Monsoon slammed into Nepal early this year, and dumped unusually heavy rains that unleashed landslides, floods and crop failures. Crops in the mountains, in Sindhupalchok, Nubri and Tsum failed.
Food relief near SMD: With funding from Global Dental Relief, and logistics by SMDers Lopen Palden Tashi, Nelha Sangmo and Pasang, 300 families nearby the school have been receiving rations every week since late spring 2020. We hope we will be able to continue the programme and hope to see GDR personnel back at SMD (their home base) very soon.