Asha Torczon

Indelible Memories in the Mountains with the Duke of Edinburgh International Award

Experiential learning is one of the many aspects that sets Woodstock education apart, as students awake every morning nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. The annual opportunity of Activity Week allows students and staff alike to venture across foreign and familiar landscapes, encountering learning in the real world. In October of 2022, this tradition […]

by Asha Torczon

Mr. Akshay Shah: Bettering Our Future From the Hillside

“I’m very passionate about my mountains,” says Mr. Akshay Shah, director of the Hanifl Centre for Outdoor Education and Environmental Study. When you speak with him, that passion, and how it has manifested in his actions, is unquestionably evident. From environmentalist projects with NGO Lok Chetna Manch to advocacy for wilderness medicine and first aid […]

by Asha Torczon

CFI Greenhouse Plant of the Month: Rosemary

The plant of this month at the CFI Greenhouse is rosemary (scientific name Salvia rosmarinus). Head over to the Greenhouse to see the rosemary plants growing there and explore the sprawling greenery on display. Take a peek around your garden, and you’d be surprised with the depth of possibility infused into every shoot and flower […]

by Asha Torczon

Reflections from a Mountain Run

“Asha, the alarm’s just gone.” The voice of my roommate, still heavy with sleep, woke me at 5:30 on Tuesday morning. At the moment, I couldn’t help but wonder why I decided to sign up for running passage: an entire semester of early morning chill through the open window seemed far from inviting. But, upon […]

by Asha Torczon

Better by Atul Gawande: A Surgeon’s Notes on Humanity

In a stunning collage of metaphor and medicine, seemingly unrelated vignettes of consultations, treatments, and surgeries are woven together to create conclusions that reflect upon human nature and the state of medicine. Atul Gawande’s breathtaking sophomore work, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, is infused with countless insightful lessons on improvement, shaped by his personal […]

by Asha Torczon

The Revival of Woodstock

As the semester comes to a close, we wanted to reflect on some of the events in these past few months that have helped bring back a sense of normalcy to the Woodstock community. Coffee House At Coffee House, organised by CFI, students got the chance to express their creativity through music and poetry. Goal-A-Thon […]

by Asha Torczon

Holistic Learning with Outdoor Ed Fridays

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”– John Muir Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Woodstock School has nature at its fingertips. On the walk up to campus, students have become accustomed to the rustle of green leaves, bright, clear views, and […]

by Asha Torczon

Resilience and Innovation with the Personal Project

“Students of this age are very adaptive and very intelligent,” Personal Project Coordinator Ms Nidhi Shekhawat says on the challenges that Grade 10 students have faced regarding the online nature of the personal project this year. This is only the third year that Woodstock students in Grade 10 are working on personal projects that will […]

by Asha Torczon

World Animal Day: Why we need to conserve the diversity of marine life

For almost 100 years, World Animal Day has been observed on October 4th with the goal of bringing focus to the issues that animals face globally and mitigating them with compassion and affection. Those of us who live in India are no strangers to stray animals. Cows are often found wandering through streets alongside traffic, […]

by Asha Torczon

A Captivating Exploration of Humanity, “The Memory Police,” by Yoko Ogawa

Yoko Ogawa has been recognized worldwide for her vivid writing, which manages to naturally depict everyday life while also confronting more omnipresent social issues so effortlessly that it almost feels unintentional. Her most recent book to be translated into English, The Memory Police, was originally released in Japanese almost 30 years ago and resonates with […]