Shazammal Vidyashram International School

Shazammal Vidyashram International School sits out on Chengam Road in Ottakudisal Village. It is a bit of a drive from the main Tiruvannamalai town, but the air is a little clearer out here in the country. Most of us get here before eight to get things ready for the students. The village life goes on around the school walls, and sometimes you can hear goats or cows while a lesson is happening. Our classrooms have the basic stuff like tables, chairs, and charts pinned up on the walls. Some of those charts are starting to curl at the edges from the heat and age. The office is usually busy with people coming in from the village to talk about their kids or the bus timings. We spend a lot of time sorting out schedules and making sure the water tanks are full for the day. Lunch breaks are short and usually spent in the shade because the sun gets quite strong out this way in the afternoon. We do not have many fancy gadgets, just the usual books and some sports gear that gets used every single day. It is a lot of work keeping a school running in a place like this. The road outside can get dusty when the big trucks pass by heading to the city. We just try to keep the floors swept and the kids focused on their work until the bell rings.