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All classes are functioning again even though some classrooms are still being repaired. Following the loss of furniture and educational resources, there is much ‘making do’ until funding becomes available to complete the re-equipping.
 
Against this background, it was nice for students and staff to be able to celebrate Founders Day on 24th September, marking the 9th anniversary of the opening of the school.  The event was celebrated in a quiet way out of respect for those who lost homes and loved ones.  The children sang, danced, performed plays, enjoyed samosas, and took part in competitions.  Each class prepared a display on a given topic - such as nomadic life, or the costumes or food of Ladakh.  The nomads won!
 
Everybody was so enthusiastic and involved that sports day and prize-giving had to be postponed until the next day.  All this was a great way for the school community to come together in celebration after the traumatic events of early August.
During the summer of 2010, a volunteer group of US architectural students from BaSiC Initiative came to the school. One of their projects was to design, fabricate and erect a large canvas tent structure from recycled parachutes. The structure was then taken to London and re-erected in the garden of Marlborough House as the Commonwealth Pavilion during The Earth Awards and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales' START garden party in September 2010.
 
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The Pavilion will return to Ladakh and take its place on the Shey campus once again in 2011.

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Illuminated Model School

 
During September 2010 the Royal Academy of Engineering hosted an exhibition about Druk Padma Karpo School as part of the London Design Festival. Arup Associates prepared a stunning display of school images before and after the mudslide damage, and built an illuminated model of the Master Plan showing how the campus will be when complete. The exhibition was open to the public.
 

 

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Books, books and more books

Most of the books on the campus were destroyed in the August mudslide.  Members of the Arup Design Team visited Shey in September 2010 and brought 80kg of reading books collected by Darrick Wood School, London, and Pilgrim School in Bedfordshire, UK.  The Druk Padma Karpo children were very excited to see so many books and were soon engrossed.

Thursday, 02 September 2010 15:35

Four weeks on ... - Latest news 02 September 2010 17:00

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Four Weeks On …

DukpaTrust_schooltent
17h00 London time, Thursday 2nd September 2010


The disaster occurred during the night of 5th-6th August: four weeks ago.  All classes are now functioning again at Druk White Lotus School – some in recently cleaned classrooms, others in tents and dormitories.  Staff managed to salvage some furniture, but a huge amount remains to be done to provide furniture, learning materials and equipment to restore the school to a fully functional level.

12h00 London time, Tuesday 24th August 2010

DrukpaTrust_IMG_0543Back to School

All day pupils appear to be safe.  Two DWLS day-pupils who are currently in a relief camp will be moving into the school hostel for 2 months while their homes are rebuilt.

Thursday, 19 August 2010 13:29

Aamir Khan visits the school

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Bollywood star Aamir Khan visited the school yesterday in the company of the school’s founder, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa.  The school was the location of several scenes in ‘The 3 Idiots’ movie.

Aamir said, "All is not well.  But for the sake of humanity one should help others.  One should raise the morale of others." He asked people to “reach out and help the people of Leh and Ladakh.”

Thursday, 19 August 2010 11:19

Flash floods - Latest news 19 August 2010 12:00

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12h00 London time, Thursday 19th August 2010

DrukpaTrust_DSC1896“All is not well” says Bollywood star Aamir Khan


Bollywood star Aamir Khan visited the school yesterday in the company of the school’s founder, His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa.  The school was the location of several scenes in ‘The 3 Idiots’ movie. 

We are very grateful to the HCC (Hindustan Construction Company Ltd) for their rapid and solid support. They responded in August to a request and mobilised 55 staff on the Druk White Lotus School campus in Shey to help with the cleanup. The team includes labourers, electricians and plumbers.
Sunday, 15 August 2010 14:50

The junior courtyard after the flood

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The junior courtyard and, in particular, the ground floor of the junior block suffer the brunt of the mudslide. One of photographs below shows one of the junior classrooms, with waist height mud, just before HCC started the cleanup.