Pema and Sangita

Pema Chodron

SMD SENIORS

We came to experience different stages of life in SMD School and Senior life is one of them. Seniors are those who stay a part of the school after finishing Class 10. We provide services to the SMD family according to Rinpoche’s aims. There are certain criteria to becoming a Senior. Every senior is chosen according to their performance during school time and how much dedication they show for the improvement of the school. The main aim of giving us an opportunity to be Seniors is to teach us the skills like cleaning, cooking, paying bills, taking responsibility, and learning to communicate well and get along with other, making our own decisions. This is to help make us think like an adults.

We Seniors have got our own duties and responsibilities. Each Senior has their own jobs, like working as the director’s assistant, or as a class aide, or in the library, or working as a “reading angel”. We do many other tasks, too many to mention here. The interesting thing is that we get circulated...each job lasts for three months. This is so we can experience many different tasks instead of just one. We Seniors need to be present in four classes every week: meditation class, leadership class, dharma class and T.O.K. class.

Right now we have around 19 seniors including dad and mom who look after all the Seniors. “Dad” and “mom” are students who have finished the IB certificate and who have come back to volunteer for a year before going overseas to university. Among the 19, 7 are continuing their high school and rest of them are on gap years. After giving service for a year most (we hope all) will get scholarships overseas for Grades 11 and 12. This is really a great opportunity for the children like us. Till now there are about 2 dozen SMD students overseas fulfilling their aims, so that they could come back and help their communities.

By Sangmo Sherpa B343a

Lhakpa Sonam

Mingyur Dorje