School in Chetpet opens its gates for residents to meetup

Residents gather under a Copper Pod tree on the campus Every Friday, between 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m., the play area at the entrance of Sherwood Hall Senior Secondary School at Harrington Road in Chetpet morphs into a meetup space for those in and around the neighbourhood. After-school activities scheduled to be held in the playground are set aside for the benefit of a small circle of people. They gather under a Copper Pod tree on the campus. They bond over a cup of tea, a few activities, laughter and meaningful conversation. Many of them are seniors, and this initiative is tailored for residents of Harrington Road.This November, ‘Under the Copper Pod Tree’, as this initiative is fondly called, will turn one. It was envisioned by Shree Vidya, correspondent of Sherwood Hall Senior Secondary School, along with her friend Kavitha Ray, an independent educator. From a previous meetup. For an institution that does not boast a huge space this gesture is noteworthy. According to the school management, the Copper Pod Collective is a space that members co-create. It is a place where people can gather, talk, slow down, and simply be present. Everyone is welcome. No one is outside the circle, and no one has to fit a mould or live up to expectations.From 10 members at its early meetings, the community has grown to more than 50. Manjula Rajesh, admin manager at the school who is involved in all the nitty-gritty, says they have a WhatsApp group with close to 60 people.“Before every meetup, we take a poll to see how many will turn up and if they have some expectations. Accordingly we arrange the logistics including chairs, table, green tea and some snacks,” says Manjula.Members take turns to conduct an activity or open up conversations on a topic. Old residents of Harrington Road, talk on food, art therapy, travel tales, a soulful veena recital and so on. Storytelling is a key component of the initiative. Once, members even tried their hand at basketball at the court dedicated to it.“There is no agenda as such. We just want this to be a place where conversations happen and every individual feels seen, heard and valued,” says Manjula, happy with the rich experience she has gained being part of the meetups. Published - September 07, 2026 12:12 pm IST