Physical Classes have started again!
The Junior Grades (KG – 4), as well as Grades 8 and 10 have come back into the hostel and physical classes have finally started again after three and half months of online education – the day students come and go under the supervision of our medical officers. The older kids (Grades 5, 6, 7, and 9) continue with online classes for now because the COVID-19 cases are still on the rise. Nepal: COVID-19 pandemic situation – https://covid19.mohp.gov.np/
School monks taking their midterm exam.
Exams for SMD Monks
The school monks have been living at SMD since April 2020. This month, after finishing their exams, they moved back to Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery so we could bring our SMD boarders back.
Students getting Vaccinated against COVID-19. Nelha Sangmo (Our Healthcare Assistant) at center helping with the vaccination programme.
Vaccination Programme at SMD
On January 17th, the Boudha public health officials came to the school to vaccinate everyone 12 years and older currently living at the school (we made sure to seek permission from all the guardians). Any of our online students currently living in the Kathmandu valley came to get vaccinated, too. So far, our children have stayed well.
Lamu Sherpa with her New Kits .
New Kids
After the monks left, we took in the new children – some had been waiting two years. Lisa Elser – Custom Cut Gems had offered 10,000 US as a match challenge in memory of her husband Tom Schlegel. We topped the match! Happily we were able to refurbish and paint the Girls’ dorm, inside and out, and every new child was welcomed with a full kit – everything they need in the hostel including a big warm quilt (we have no central heating at the school – in the winter it gets cold enough in Kathmandu that you can see your breath when you’re inside the hostel rooms).
LR: Karma Nangsal, Youden Lhamu and Tsewang Bhuti. Their childhood photo before being admitted to SMD School.
Brand New Health Assistants
Youden Lhamu, Tsewang Bhuti and Karma Nangsal have just finished three years of intensive training as health assistants, which equips them to run remote health posts which are so badly needed in Nepal’s mountain districts. Nangsal already has a job offer – she will intern at The Compassion Health Post in the Tsum Valley. The girls must wait half a year for their certification.
Chantal with SMD kids.
SMD website
SMD’s sleek website www.himalayanchildren.org was designed and has been maintained and sponsored for years by Chantal Schauch. Chantal has been our school strategist, visionary and mentor. She enabled SMDers to take our web destiny into our own hands and has enriched the children, and the school in countless ways. A deep bow of gratitude to Chantal (who continues to sponsor the site) and to David and Verotika in Victoria BC, for web development and years of technical website maintenance and support.
Happy Lunar New Year!
All of us at SMD School hope you and your families are healthy and staying safe during these difficult times. We want to let you know that everyone at SMD School is wishing for your good health and happiness.
In Case You Missed It…
Video: Meet some of our new kids – Watch on Youtube
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.