Honorable Dasho Dzongdag visits Tsirangtoe Central School

Honorable Dasho Dzongdag of Tsirang Dzongkhag visited Tsirangtoe Central School on August 17, 2018. Meeting with the students and teachers, Dasho narrated a series of stories and anecdotes to reach his profound messages to the audience of all kinds.

Dasho emphasized the importance of hard work to materialize ones beautiful dreams. He said that the beautiful dreams belongs to those who light midnight candle. He added that, without putting in heart and soul in their studies, there is no alternative to shine in life. “Living with a beautiful dreams without taking a step to achieve it is just like waiting for a lottery win without even buying a ticket,” he said.

While Dasho praised the youths for their exceptional intelligence level, especially in terms of operating latest technologies and applications, he urged students to develop “social responsibility” as a core of their character. He mentioned that from taking care of our aging parents at home to thinking about our benevolent country are all emblems of social responsibility.

“Thinking out of box” is another message that Dasho underlined throughout his speech. He inspired students and teachers by stating that there is always a solution, and that the solution can be at times buried beyond the six walls that bar our imagination. “Think out of box and go beyond where your imagination can reach,” he insisted. He set an example saying that there are easy choices even for some of the hardest options in our life, only if we are bold enough to think out of box and go beyond.

As an educational institution, Dasho mentioned that school must produce citizens with “emotional intelligence”, with an ability to think about the present and future of our country. With this, he also meant that students must learn to think rather than merely memorizing the facts and figures from the texts.

Further, he cited some insightful acronyms like RACE (Relevant Attractive Competitive Education) and CARE (Culture Agriculture Relation Economic) from the royal addresses. Dasho shared that the above abbreviations contain deep insights that are indispensable for a landlocked country like Bhutan.

         

Most important of all, Dasho made an extensive talk about the journey of our country through the path of undulating history. He traced the identity of country “Bhutan” to the times of 8^th century Indian Buddhist master Guru Padmasambhava who visited Bhutan in 746 A.D. He also expressed his sincere thanks to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal – the founder of Bhutan.

Dasho shared some peerless insights and wisdoms of our monarchs. He said that each of our monarchs struggled and scarified much to make our country “the land of happiness”. The bounty of happiness that we enjoy today is all due to the sweats that they shed in their entire life. He over and again advised the students and teachers not to forget the benevolence of our selfless Kings and Queens. What is more to this, he advised all to have strong faith and respect for the Jekhenpo (The Chief Abbot) who prays for wellbeing of our country and the world at large day and night.

   

Hon’ble Dasho Dzongdag also conferred the Royal Certificate for Academic Excellence for eleven students. Tshering Samdrup topped in grade six from Sergithang Primary School in 2015 and also topped in grade eight from Tsirangtoe Central School in 2017. In 2015 Bir Bdr Subba topped in grade six from Phuentenchu Primary School and Sajan Bista from Semjong Primary School. Gopal Subedi topped in grade six from Tsirangtoe Central School in 2016 while Tulasha Tiwari and Pema Dorji topped from Phuentenchu Primary School and Sergithang Primary School respectively. In 2017, Phuensho Choden topped in grade six from Phuentenchu Primary School, Manisha Sanyasi from Sergithang Primary School, Naina Kala Rai from Shemjong Primary School, and Subash Mothey from Gosaling Primary School. Pratika Rai topped in grade seven from Tsirangtoe Central School in the year 2017.

His Majesty the King granted Dhar to newly appointed Dzongdag of Tsirang, Dasho Pema on July 18, 2018. He officially joined the office on July 31, 2018 and currently he was on his familiarization tour across the Dzongkhag.   

Tsirangtoe Central School Observes Teachers’ Day

The otherwise unkempt Tsirangtoe playfield was a riot of colour on May 2, 2018 – the venue for Teachers’ Day Celebration. Bright sleekly flags ruffled in the gentle irregular spring northern breeze. Dazzling balloons soared high up in the air like birds of paradise. A blanket of emerald pine needles was a sight for sore eyes. 

Teachers were received with scout procession to the decorated tent, embellished with beautiful mosaic of words and pictures. A chorus of greeting speeches harmonised with the splendour of the day, bringing incessant emotions and inspirations.       

The day started with the lighting of butter lamp by the teachers. It was exactly a metaphor to the common dream and aspiration of all teachers, where they glow with such brilliance just to eliminate darkness in student’s early journey of their life. 

The symbolic teachers’ day cake cutting was the core of the celebration. It symbolizes the extraordinary bond between the teachers and students of this school. It is also a symbol of hundreds of gratitude from the students conjoined together on this special day. 

The festive ground was filled with strains of melodies and angelic dances. In addition, there were also some exciting games that amplified excitement on the day. The joy on the day was beyond bound, and it stimulated both the teachers and students with instinctive indelible commitment to be an ideal teacher and student.   

The formal ‘teachers’ day’ in Bhutan was first observed on May 2, 2003.                         

Inter-House Declamation Contest

Tsirangtoe Central School witnessed a dramatic literary activity – Inter-House Declamation Contest on April 14, 2018. Declamation is a strong speech filled with emotion.

Contestants brought in speeches with wide range of emotions: anger and anxiety, fear and frustration, hope and happiness, shame and sadness, rage and remorse and much more. For a while, the atmosphere in the school was filled with the air of mixed sentiments.

The contestant from Taag House declaimed on the agony of a “Poor Man”. With his creative and humorous costume of half rich and half poor, he was able to amuse the crowd beyond expectation. The contestant had the audience roll in the dusty ground.

Singye House’s “Emotional Story of a Paralysed Pakistani Girl” was the saddest story ever told on the soil of Tsirangtoe. The contestant put herself deep into the shoes of paralysed girl and shed much tears as she declaimed. Many thoughtful spectators cried with the speaker, while heartless spectators turned withdrawn and pensive with the power of her speech.

Popular declamation piece, “Bad Girl” was from Chung House. The contestant used varieties of props to supplement her speech. She acted from the point of view of a rebellious teenager and deep down, crying for help. She brought bittersweet feelings for all with the shift in mood in her speech from rage to remorse and anxiety.

“Am I To Be Blamed?” was declaimed by Druk House. With her exotic expression and action, she disseminated the powerful message that, “there can be a touching story behind a crazy thief.” In her declamation, stealing was her way to buy medicine for her ill mother.

Such literary activity created wide platform to showcase the thespian talents of the students. It also made students and teachers feel the power of words, actions and expressions. Above all, such activity also imbedded timeless lessons of life and living for all dazzling hearts.     

Tsirangtoe Central School Observes World Health Day – 2018

Tsirangtoe Central School observed World Health Day on April 7, 2018. The School Health Club members displayed the theme of the World Health Day 2018 – “Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere”, and explained its meaning and significance, with special reference to the distant peasant communities like Tsirangtoe. Such theme would help ensure that everyone, everywhere can access essential quality health services without facing financial hardship.

The School Health Club also threw light on the health slogan “Health for All”. This timeless slogan has been a guiding vision for more than seven decades, and it helps in materializing the dream of universal health coverage. Such themes and slogans only indicate that the world health system cares everyone including pastoral communities in the western countries, and peasant communities in countries like Bhutan.

  

Towards the day, students participated in mass cleaning campaign (within the school campus). “Health must begin from home!” the club supposed. The hygienic practice in the school would undeniably help in disseminating the importance of Health and Hygiene as far as to the orthodox communities who still dwell with jungle beliefs. The School Health Club believes that a hygienic child in each household would make a significant difference in realizing their dream of crafting clean and hygienic community.

Dzongkha Storytelling Competition

To greet April – the Month of Poetry, the School Literary Club at Tsirangtoe Central School organized interclass Dzongkha Storytelling Competition on March 31, 2018. Five sections of seventh grade students participated in this age-old tradition of storytelling.

The participants brought in some rare folktales from far and wide. Some narrated cautionary tales while others chose to tell ghost and horror stories. There were also some groups with fables and parables. One thing common with them all was, they narrated in a tune of primeval mouth, letting the curious spectators bask in the paradise of primitive folks.

The enactment on the remaining portion of the stage added weight to the splendour of their story. A well apt costumes and well taught characters amused the spectators beyond bound. Much literary styles like allusions, allegory, stream of consciousness etc. were deployed either by the narrator or the thespian.

Such literary programme was organised to help preserve the dying art of storytelling. Even when the tastes of stories were in no way comparable to that of listening from the wrinkled mouth of our grandparents, students knew that storytelling is a beautiful art passed down through generations. The programme also created a platform for aspiring artists to take the stage.   

School Literary Festival - 2017

A celebration of art, culture and literature 

As the hills and vales of Tsirangtoe bejeweled with golden leaves – the autumn flower, creating it an ideal panorama for a poetic soul and literary aficionado, the School Literary Club organized a “School Literary Festival” on October 14, 2017. A festival to greet the onset of pleasant autumn and bid farewell to the glorious summer! A celebration of art, culture and literature!  

The festooned auditorium greeted the crowd of curious onlookers – Gewog officials, teachers, parents, and students. Behind the curtain were people of all expertise (in a little way though), raring to swing themselves into action. Everyone jumped for joy as the beat and rhythm of signature music floated in the air.  

The aspiring poets and little readers climbed on stage to great applause. The poets recited the melodies of their soul melodramatically. They resonated on the theme surrounding life and living as a mere vale of tears, the impermanence and fragility of life, and pain of living a solitary life. The little readers inspired and stimulated the spectators, young and old, to dip themselves deep into the beauty of words and phrases.  

Lozay and Tsangmo are the two items brought mist over eyes at some points, and wild laughter on other times for the spectators. The Tsangmo singers exhibited varieties of tune and tone to sing Tsangmo. Lozay, often referred to as “a battle of verse”, is easier said than done to battle with, but really, a bundle of laughs to watch at. Two students, school’s treasure trove of Lozay, came close to blows with their weapon of verse. Everyone burst into laughter, but understood what Lozay really is and what Lozay eventually means. 

Theatrical treat like “monologue” and “pantomime” broke the mould, at least for the young audience. A student with most innate humour performed a Shakespearian monologue featuring Trinculo from the play “The Tempest”.  A funny musical play, pantomime on the stage brought gales of laughter in the auditorium. The theme of “the unpleasant side of using cellphone” was well embedded and imparted.    

Most importantly, the aspiring antiquarians and historians shared the stories surrounding the mystical Khar of Sangsung Gyelpo of Tsirangtoe. Perhaps, Tsirang is the only southern Dzongkhag with a tinge of spiritual and historical significance, which made a glorious page in our country’s history. The listeners attended the talk thoughtfully, and got gory details of the Gyalpo, Khar, and the war.  

The closure curtain descended with the participants contented and the spectators inspired. Everyone in the auditorium celebrated our rich art, unique culture and significant literature with audio-visual feast and an interlude of traditional melodies. The day remained imprinted deep in the heart of each and everyone present. May our art, culture and literature flourish in all times to come!           

Tsirangtoe LSS observed National Disaster Mock Drill Day

In line with the circular from Department of Disaster dated 5^th September 2017, Tsirangtoe Lower Secondary School observed the National Disaster Mock Drill on 21^st September. The purpose of the mock drill was highlighted by the school disaster focal person to make students, staff and parents understand the necessity of the disaster preparedness activities in the educational institutions where hundreds and thousands of children flock to receive education. Furthermore, such programme must also act as a springboard to educating the village communities on the indispensable need for being physically and mentally prepared to respond to any kind of natural disaster that not only destroy the properties but the reason for loss of many precious lives.

The warm afternoon air saw the blending of the musical siren that penetratingly pierced through the raucous classroom environment where hundreds of innocent children awaited the siren to drop, cover and hold as their instant reaction to the occurrence of earthquake. Briefly, the entire classrooms went quiet and calm. Every child sought shelter from the seemingly protective shield of the furniture. With the siren for evacuation, every child in the class walked out towards the evacuation areas in a long queue with books and bags on their heads. The assemblage of the children was administered by the incident commanders (Upper block and lower block) taking attendance of each class and section to calculate the injured children groaning of excruciating pains who were checked out by the search and rescue members and handed over to the first aid team fully equipped with  necessary tools and treatments.

Meantime, the fire team took charge of monitoring the fire mishaps in the structures and the site security members demarcating the evacuation areas from the trespassing of the parents whose distractions would retard the smooth necessary service deliveries of the different response groups. The first aid team referred five of the 20 injured students to the nearby health centre for further medical support for the victims who suffered serious injuries. Fortunately, with timely and efficient response activities, we could save the precious lives of every individual in the school campus. The structures withstood firm and resilient without any damage. Everything happened straight and strong- the only disaster mitigation measure in place that assures everyone of undeviating safety.

In the end, the feedback session applauded everyone of the desired disaster response standards put up to make the National Disaster Mock Drill a success.  If there is any effective disaster mitigation measure, it is only the PREPAREDNESS. Hence it is deemed so intrinsic to remain alert and responsive to any unforeseen natural calamities that are beyond the control of mankind.        Reported from School Disaster Club