Is Kaira's Bamboo School in Bali a Fairy Tale?

A peek into my youngest daughter's fourth grade classroom at Green School, Bali.

My daughter is in fourth grade at Green School Bali. If Rapunzel were to let down her hair from the bamboo balcony, it would be infested with lice (they love bamboo), caked with mud from the playground pit, and a cozy home to geckos, rats, snakes, dogs, and roosters—the real meaning of outdoors in Bali. Rapunzel would not be smelling like night-blooming jasmine, but would be hot, stinky, and sweaty. Sorry Prince Charming! And if Rapunzel’s witchy godmother were to make it past the security guards, the parents would form a WhatsApp group to discuss therapy options for this unbalanced woman: ice water immersion therapy, ginger-turmeric shots, and of course yin yoga. 

But I think Rapunzel would end up having a grand old time outdoors, just like Kaira has.

Take a Peek

 Kaira’s classroom is wall-less and constructed entirely of bamboo.

Project Based: Her school aims to be project based with a focus on nature. On the left, the students are making plant-based pink paint out of dragon fruit. In the middle, Kaira is making a bamboo table for the classroom.

Balinese Culture: Each month the students dress in Balinese attire to attend the new moon ceremony.

 Porta-Potty Woes: Kaira does not like to use the compostable toilet at Green School. She says it smells, and she sees cock-a-roaches.

Meet the Teacher:  Pak Michal uses his free time to surf and play the guitar. When Kaira has struggles with her friends he takes out the time to help her work through her emotions and understand that imperfections are opportunities. He is a kind, gentle, and attentive teacher. The children report that he claims to have a wife with 3 butt cheeks, 6 legs, and 4 arms. I imagine she looks like this:

So is it a fairytale?
Overall, I would say my younger daughter is happy. Today is Halloween. To prepare, I sewed a black cape for her from my tattered scooter- accident pants. She can’t attend the celebration because she has a tropical fever.

(P.S . Please know that I am honored you are reading this and am not seeking monthly pledges.)