Hurricane Damage Construction Update

Dear Families,

First of all, I would like to apologize for not being in communication with you before now regarding the progress of the repairs to the Krishna Bhakti Bhavan classroom and office building. My new full-time teaching responsibilities this year have significantly impacted my available time and energy. Although my additional teaching service has been necessary, it has made it very hard for me to keep up with communications. Nonetheless, you fully deserve, and have the right to expect, better communication from us on a significant matter such as this, and I am sorry it has taken so long.

After an extensive evaluation of various approaches to getting the classroom and office building usable again, we ultimately settled on hiring an experienced restoration contractor, R&R Construction, to handle the repairs of the building. Since obtaining permits, R&R have been very diligently working through all of the issues that needed to be addressed, including some significant mold abatement, before starting the reconstruction in earnest.

The following external work has been completed:

• Repairs to all of the exterior decks and classroom overhang;

• Resurfacing of the roof with new sheathing as needed and a full new roofing membrane that is more energy-efficient than the prior one.

 
For all affected areas inside the building, the following has been completed:

• Moisture testing of the entire building, followed by removal of drywall, sheathing, and insulation along the walls and subfloor where excessive moisture was detected;

• Roof truss repairs, as outlined by the engineer we engaged to guide the process;

• Repairing of the HVAC trunk lines crushed within the roof;

• Testing and rewiring of all electrical circuits damaged by the roof collapse;

• Reframing of damaged interior walls;

• Replacement of insulation;

• Installation of new ceiling and wall panels; 

• Installation of new subflooring;

• Rewiring of the fire alarm system. 

We are currently in the process of finishing interior painting, and are scheduled to install new flooring towards the beginning of next week. What remains to be completed is some trim work and final electrical work, at which point we will be ready for a final inspection of the repairs.

We anticipate being able to move back into the office and classroom building at the end of the month, and are hoping to resume classes in the Krishna Bhakti Bhavan classroom at the beginning of April.

Additionally, we have taken the opportunity to hire a certified arborist to perform an inventory and review of all the trees across the entire campus. The arborist has provided us with a comprehensive report, detailing some mitigation efforts that we need to undertake to ensure the safety and integrity of the trees on our campus. We will be working with a qualified tree company to perform the recommended work.

Once the reconstruction work has been completed, we will share a complete financial breakdown of the costs that have been incurred throughout the course of this entire process.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has donated to help us get to this point, and also for the patience of our families with students who have been affected by the loss of the classroom. We also greatly appreciate our Bhakti Bhavan teaching and office staff for their flexibility in working through these circumstances.

We look forward to resuming normal class and office operations very soon.

Yours in service,

Visvambhara Dasa
Head of School

Important Dates for March

Grandparents’ Day Invitation - March 7

We are pleased to announce this year's Grandparents' Day event, which will be held on Thursday, March 7.

Each class has special activities planned for students to share their school experience with their grandparents (a significant family friend or relative is welcome if a student doesn't have a grandparent who can attend).

If your child has a grandparent or family friend who would like to participate in Grandparents' Day, please RSVP using this form:

Grandparents’ Day RSVP

Please RSVP by Thursday, February 29. There is a maximum of two guests per student for each class event.

The schedule is as follows:

• Radha/Krishna Bhakti Bhavan - 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
• Audarya Bhavan - 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• Madhurya Bhavan - 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
• Krishna Sharanam - 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

VPK Students: due to the available timing for Bhakti Bhavan classes to take part in Grandparents’ Day, our VPK schedule will start an hour earlier on March 7th so that our VPK students can participate. Please plan to bring your child to school at 9:00 am.

We look forward to seeing our students' grandparents here!

Bike Week - February 26 - March 1

Bhaktivedanta Academy's annual Bike Week starts Monday, February 26 for all students in Audarya Bhavan and Madhurya Bhavan, and for 9th/10th graders in Krishna Sharanam.

To participate, students need to bring a bicycle in good working order and, most importantly, a helmet. Please examine and test ride your child's bike before bringing it to school. In particular, check to make sure that:

● tires are fully inflated and are not leaking air;
● chain is not loose and remains on while riding;
● brakes are working;
● training wheels are removed;
● seat is set to the appropriate height.

Please leave your child's bike and helmet when you drop them off on Monday (Feb 26) morning. The bikes will stay at school until Friday afternoon pick-up.

Unfortunately we are not able to train students to ride a bicycle as part of Bike Week. Not all students are required to participate (they will stay back and have free play with other students until the riders return).

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the office at 386-462-2886.

Returning Students: Re-enrollment for 2024-25 Now Open

Dear Bhaktivedanta Academy Family:

Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is now open. We would like to extend the opportunity for you to secure your child's placement for next year by submitting their enrollment form online. You should have received an email from TADS on February 1st with your re-enrollment link, please contact the School Office as soon as possible if you did not recieve it. 

In 2022 we instituted a two-tier tuition schedule based on which year your child initially enrolled at Bhaktivedanta Academy. Tuition rates for the 2024-25 school year are linked below:

• Students who enrolled in the 2023-24 school year or later.
• Students who have been continuously enrolled since the 2021-22 school year.

As in prior years, we will continue to offer financial aid via the following programs:

• In-School Tuition Grants
• Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program
• Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK)
• School Readiness

Further information on all of these financial aid programs can be found at http://www.bhaktivedantaacademy.org/financial-aid. Please note: in-school financial aid submissions must be completed by March 1 to be considered for a tuition grant.

To secure your child's placement for the 2024-2025 school year, please complete the online enrollment form and submit the non-refundable registration fee no later than February 15. 

We certainly hope that you are pleased with the experience your child is having as a student at Bhaktivedanta Academy and that you will choose to re-enroll. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We are looking forward to another great school year together with you.

Yours in service,

Visvambhara Dasa
Head of School