Our School Year Finishes Soon
COVID-19 protocols are still in place: temperatures are checked morning and evening, everyone is masked and washing their hands like crazy.
SMDers are studying very hard, especially the Grade 8s and 10s who are facing Board Exams. The Grade 10 exams for the SEE certificate (secondary education examination) is crucially important in Nepal. The exams are notoriously difficult, dubbed ’the iron gate’. SMDers are conscious of the obstacles that the pandemic put in their study path and perhaps more anxious than usual.
Lhakpa Gyaltsen (Class 2)
Year End Schedule
Finals are from April 8th to the 18th. The smallest children (Nursery and Kindergarten classes) do not write exams but everyone else does.
Many of the children will go home for the Spring Break. The Annual Mani Droubchen (prayer festival) will be held at SMD from April 20th until the first days of May. The children who are staying in school will help say the mantra OM MANI PADME HUNG, to create the conditions of peace and happiness world wide.
Our new principal Acharya Lama Karma Sangpo (L) and former principal Acharya Wangchuk Tenzin (R).
The Buddha Taught That Everything Changes
Our beloved Acharya Wangchuk Tenzin, who has served for five years has been given the chance to do the traditional three year retreat. Thrangu Rinpoche’s nuns and monks usually do four years.
Acharya Karma Sangpo pictured above with ceremonial scarves (‘khatas”) has joined us in the new role of SMD School’s Principal. He finished four years of retreat last year. Prior to that, he was the Vice Chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust. “Acharya” = Master’s in Advanced Buddhist Philosophy.
Acharya Tenzin Norbu.
Our Vice Principal Is Also Leaving
Acharya Tenzin Norbu is working on another degree, this time, a non-Tibetan degree. He’s working toward a BA at Lumbini University – more Buddhist Philosophy.
GDR at SMD School.
Look For The Helpers
Choegyal (Top Right) with other SMDers.
In Case You Missed It…
Leadership: Choegyal Lama placed 13th in a field of 3000 in the 10k Kathmandu Marathon. He encouraged other SMDers to compete, helped them do the paperwork and coached them for a month. That’s leadership!
Child Protection – We ask your cooperation: SMDers may not have contact with adults on the via digital media. SMDers may not ask sponsors for anything. This also affords protection for sponsors from desperately poor family members who may see you as a meal ticket and may coerce the child into demanding things.
No outgoing mail: The Nepal Postal System cannot handle outgoing mail. Incoming mail is ok. Please remember to use children’s admission numbers in all correspondence — it really helps us.
Illustrator graphic of SMD main building by Tenzin Norbu, SMD senior.