Honoring new session and the continued mission of our founder, Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche
The new academic year for students from Nursery through Grade 10 officially began on April 30. (Please note that Grades 11 and 12 follow a separate schedule as mandated by the government.)
We are pleased to see our students settling in smoothly, welcoming new classmates, and reconnecting with friends. At SMD, we place great value on community, and it is heartwarming to see our new students already forming meaningful connections – with senior students offering support and friendship like family.
We successfully completed the admissions for the 2025–2026 academic year, and we are excited to officially begin the new school session. Our dedicated teacher, Acharya Mingmar Tsewang, and Registrar Niraj Chitrakar led the formal registration process, which included the careful verification of birth certificates and other official documents.
We share the vision of our founder, Kyabje Yongzin Thrangu Rinpoche, who founded Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School in 1987 to help Himalayan children from the most remote areas preserve their language, culture, and Buddhist way of life – and to give them the tools to build a better future so they can support their families and communities in turn.
This year, we are honored to welcome 71 new students ( 51 boarders and 20 day scholars) into our SMD family. We also begin this year with 88 unsponsored children, a significant increase from 17 unsponsored boarders last year. Your support can make an incredible difference in their lives. Our Nursery teacher is leading expert placement testing to ensure each child is placed in the learning environment where they are most likely to succeed. We extend our sincere thanks to ICS teacher Heather Moore and SMD alumna Tsering Dekyi for training Sonam Dolma and our Junior Section team. Their support ensures we identify both student strengths and areas where additional help may be needed.
As we welcome our new students for the 2025-26 academic year, nearly 90 children are still in need of sponsorship. Would you like to make a difference in a child’s life? Write to us at himalayanchildren@gmail.com to learn how you can help. Your sponsorship does more than cover school supplies or meals – it offers hope, opportunity, and the tools for a brighter future.
To learn more about sponsorship options and how your support can transform lives, please visit:
👉 https://himalayanchildren.org/how-to-help/make-a-donation/
Please note: The photos above were taken in the children’s home villages and are not recent.
Meet Some of Our New Students
In these uncertain times – with rising costs and fluctuating currencies—we’ve chosen to keep our sponsorship rates unchanged for the eighth consecutive year. While these rates no longer fully cover the increasing needs of our students, every additional contribution you make helps us bridge the gap and continue providing holistic care and quality education.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we can help children from the most remote corners of the Himalayas grow, thrive, and dream big.
Photo collage from our Support Staff Training Session.
Our Annual Support Staff and Teacher Training Session
Before the start of each academic year, we traditionally hold training sessions for both our teachers and support staff—one day for support staff and three days for teachers. This year, the support staff training was held on April 25, followed by teacher training from April 26 to 28. Our support staff, whom we affectionately refer to as our Amalas and Palas (meaning “mothers” and “fathers,” with la being a Tibetan honorific), participated in a training session led by Mr. Mahesh Raj Dahal. The session focused on improving communication with students, fostering teamwork, and enhancing time management skills.
Mr. Dahal shared an inspiring quote: “Lost wealth may be replaced by trade and industry, lost knowledge by study, lost health by medicine – but lost time is gone forever.” He kept the session lively and engaging with a variety of interactive activities and games.
The training began with a fun exercise where participants paired up and gave each other opposite names, such as “Sun–Moon” or “Fire-Water.” Another highlight was the “train game,” where groups of three formed a train, with the middle person acting as the passenger. If a passenger missed the train, they had the opportunity to catch the next one when it stopped. Through practical examples, role-playing activities, and meaningful games, our support staff gained valuable insights and skills. Each activity was thoughtfully designed to convey a specific lesson or goal, and our team quickly grasped the underlying messages.
Group photo of our teachers on the final day of the three-day training session.
We also held our annual three-day teacher training session from April 26 to 28 in preparation for the new academic year. The sessions were led by Dr. Balaram Timalsina and Mr. Dinesh Kumar Shrestha, both of whom bring a wealth of experience in education and classroom practice.
The training focused on reinforcing school culture, reviewing administrative practices, aligning on our goals for the year, and setting clear expectations for all teachers.
Some of the key topics covered included:
– What makes a school effective
– Using AI in education
– How teachers can support parental education
– Active learning strategies
– Career counseling and guidance
– Emotional and spiritual development
– Helping students become self-directed learners
– Leadership in education that supports learning
At the end of the training, we also discussed our Focus for the Next Academic Year (FTNA) to ensure everyone is aligned and working toward a shared vision. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Mahesh Raj Dahal, Dr. Balaram Timalsina, and Mr. Dinesh Kumar Shrestha for leading the sessions with such passion and expertise. We’d also like to thank Hotel Tibet International for their warm hospitality and for hosting us in such a welcoming environment. Watch a Short Video of the Session from our Facebook Page: https://youtu.be/DI5yuLnlYoQ
In case you missed it…
Boys Pledge To Run 40 K To Help School Mates Fly Home
Ukesh Magar and Choegyal Dorje, our graduates and passionate marathoners, are running 40 km to support their schoolmates at Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School (SMD) for Himalayan Children in Kathmandu, Nepal. SMD provided them with the education and opportunities to reach high school, and they are deeply grateful. To give back, they have chosen to channel their passion for marathons into a cause that helps their fellow students. “Education Changed Our Lives – Now We’re Paying It Forward with a 40km Run!”
Their campaign also helps Susmita and Tsering Dolkar, our overseas alumni, fly back to Nepal. The girls are studying in Canada on generous high school scholarships but need financial support for their flights. They have already raised $845. You can help – please share this link!
👉 [https://gofund.me/971f9fd5]
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