Mount Litera Zee School

Mount Litera Zee School sits out in Vpo Bakhalag, which is up in the Arki Shimla Hill area. If you’ve ever driven through Arki in Himachal Pradesh, you know the roads are narrow and wind around the mountains. It takes some time to get here from the main part of Solan. The school building is surrounded by trees, and you can see the hills stretching out for miles. Mornings start with the sound of buses climbing the steep incline. The staff usually gets here early to prepare before the kids arrive. It’s a lot of work maintaining a place this size in the mountains. We deal with monkeys on the roof sometimes, and the winter fog makes it hard to see the front gate. The classrooms have big windows to let in the light, but they also let in the cold during December. We have a small staff room where we sit and eat lunch, usually talking about the local news or the weather. The playground isn't perfectly level because of the terrain, but the kids don't seem to mind when they’re running around. It’s a simple setup, really. We focus on getting through the daily lessons and making sure everyone gets on their bus safely at the end of the day. By the time the sun sets behind the hills, the place is quiet again and we can finally head home.