Shah J G Sarvajanik High School

Our school, Shah J G Sarvajanik High School, is located down in Umbergaon, which is part of the Valsad district. It’s right near the border and we get a lot of kids from all sorts of backgrounds coming through the doors every morning. The building has been standing for many years and you can definitely see the age on some of the walls, but it has a lot of character. We don't have those big fancy glass windows or air conditioning, just ceiling fans that hum all day long while the teachers are talking. Umbergaon can get pretty humid because we are so close to the coast, so the windows stay wide open to catch any breeze we can get. The students here are mostly from families who have lived in Valsad for generations. There is a lot of chatter in the hallways between periods, and the playground usually has a game of cricket or something going on if the weather is okay. We just try to keep things running smoothly and make sure everyone has a seat and a desk. It is a busy place, especially during exams when everyone is a bit more stressed than usual. We don’t really have a big office or a polished reception area, just a desk where people come to ask questions. It’s a very grounded, local school where the focus is just on getting through the school year. There’s no secret to what we do, we just show up and teach.