Three of our trustees, Ann (CEO), Brian and Jenny have just gone out to Happy Days Nursery.

I will let you know how they got on when they come back.

 They have a lot planned to prepare for the start of the new school year on 2nd March.

 They are currently helping to ready the classrooms. Brian is constructing some additional classroom furniture and building and installing a water play station for the children. He will also check our School Bus and the logs of its use.

 They have taken out a lot of equipment: puzzles; puppets; balls; whiteboards; chalkboards; magnetic boards; art & craft and all manner of other materials. This will help our teachers provide many different ways for the children to learn, allowing for a choice of interesting activities.

 They have also taken with them 2 manual sewing machines for the “Connect” group of mothers (Previously called “Empowering Women Project”.)  Another 17 machines to follow! We are hugely grateful to Keith Goddard who did a magnificent job in collecting and renovating the machines and to Madventure Travel for taking these 17 out for us. They leave the UK on 15 March and arrive in Kalimpong in August 2020. The load also includes a Brio railway set for the children (donated by Keith Goddard’s Grandchildren) and also a large box of sewing cottons donated by Work Aid, 71 Townsend Road, Chesham, HP5 2AA. who donated two of the machines and all the cotton reels.

 During their stay, in the classroom, the trustees and teachers will have a chance to observe and learn about different teaching methods from each other.

 An important part of the visit is for the trustees, teachers, parents and our expected 28 new pupils to meet and become comfortable with each other. This year, the teachers themselves will be filling in the administration forms as this helps them to link child with parents and remember their names.

 While networking with the community there, Ann hopes to find a mentor/administrator for the school and some new potential trustees for RTLK and also to progress our DFID small charities bid.

 Towards the end of their stay, Ann and Brian will arrange meetings with the trustees of RTLK, the teachers, mums, grandparents, guardians and facilities owner Manju Lal.  During these meetings, they aim to observe and understand the interplay between the different stakeholders in order to plan for future expansion of Room To Learn’s work in India.