Thank You to Our Work Day Volunteers

We had a very successful work day on Sunday.  WIth the help of our enthusiastic volunteers we were able to spread fresh mulch in all the play areas; demolish the old swing set and benches; pressure wash the decks, eating benches, and buildings; weed and prune the landscape areas; and mostly complete our new fence. Best of all we got a chance to spend time together in a spirit of community.  Thanks to Saradiya, Lalita Sakhi, and Nataka-chandrika, we also enjoyed a wonderful lunch.  Thank you to the following volunteers who labored for many hours in the hot sun:

• Adi Gopi
• Anuradha
• Babhru
• Gopi Prema
• Govinda
• Hanuman
• Jamuna Prasad
• Jaya Govardhana
• Jvalamukhi
• Mahakirti
• Nagaraja
• Narada
• Raghunatha 
• Ramachandra
• Rashikpriya
• Saranga Thakura
• Shantipur
• Yamuna 

I want to offer a special thanks to Saranga Thakura, our community's master carpenter.  He donated a full day of his expertise, labor, tools, and materials to help us install over 450 feet of fence board.  The end result is beautiful and it certainly wouldn't have been possible without him.

We still have a few projects left to finish.  If anyone has a few hours to spare and are inclined to help out, please call the school office at 386-462-2886 or email me at visvam@bhaktivedantaacademy.org.

Parent and Student Work Day Help Request

We have been working hard over the summer to prepare the school for the upcoming school year. A lot has been accomplished but we need all the help we can get to finish up some of the bigger tasks. Thank you to the following parents for committing to help so far:

• Babhru and Satyaki Reed
• Radha Dainton
• Nitai-lila and Nimai Chandra O'Connor

If you have not done so already, please consider signing-up to help this Sunday. Lunch will be provided for everyone, but we need to know how many to expect, so please call the office at 386-462-2886 or use the online form to tell us if you are coming.

Thank You!

Beginning of School Year Update

I hope that you have all enjoyed a great summer break.  It is hard to believe that we are only 2 weeks away from the start of the 2011-2012 school year.  We are all looking forward to welcoming our new and returning students on Tuesday, August 23rd.

Campus and Technology Improvements

A lot of preparations are underway for the start of school.  Thanks to the hard work of our parent volunteers and generous donations from our supporters, we are making several campus improvements and adding new technology to our classrooms:

• A new perimeter fence is being installed which will define and protect the school property.  Once complete we will install a shade tent, soccer goals, and basketball hoop.

• A small deck and shade structure are being added to the Bhakti Bhavan playground that will shelter our youngest students from the weather and allow for more varied outdoor activities.

• An awning has been installed at the front entrance of the Audarya Bhavan classroom to allow for outdoor storage of student's personal belongings and shoes.

• Outdoor drinking fountains and wash stations are being added to the Bhakti Bhavan and Audarya/Madhurya Bhavan play areas with large cement pads to help guard against ant bites.

• New high resolution presentation screens have been installed in the Audarya Bhavan, Madhurya Bhavan, and Multi-Use room.  

• New computers are on order for Audarya and Madhurya Bhavan and we are getting ready for a limited rollout of our student iPad program.  Teachers will receive them first and once comfortable with the technology, we will begin making them available in the elementary classrooms for student use.

Overall, we are very excited about all the enhancements to the school and are hurriedly working to get everything done before the start of the school year.

Parent and Student Work Day

We still need lots of help sprucing up the school and invite you participate in our parent and student work day on Sunday, August 14th starting at 8:00 a.m.  We need lots of help to install fence boards, spread mulch, pressure wash, landscape, paint, and many other tasks. I encourage all of our families to attend.  Please let us know if you will be coming via the online sign-up sheet so we can plan enough lunch for everyone.

Aftercare, Studio, and Tutoring

We will be offering aftercare for students from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on school days.  In conjunction with the aftercare, we will also be offering various studio programs like sanskrit, music, photography, chess club, etc. at various times throughout the school year.  Additionally, with the new federal funding we are receiving via Title I, we will be offering after school tutoring for some of our students who may need extra help with language and math.  Stay tuned for details on this new and exciting program.  

New Teacher's Assistant in Bhakti Bhavan

I am happy to announce that Amanda "Mandy" Howard  will be our new teacher's assistant in Bhakti Bhavan.  Any of us who have had an opportunity to spend time with her have been very impressed by her wholesome nature and enthusiasm for Krishna consciousness and are looking forward to having her as part of the teaching staff.  

Supply Lists and Calendar

Student welcome letters and supply lists were all emailed out last week.  They are also available on the school website - www.bhaktivedantaacademy.org.  The school calendar is also available online.  Printed copies are available in the school office if you are unable to print at home.

Parent Orientation

Our annual parent orientation will be held at the school on Friday, August 19th. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Attendance at this very important meeting is required for parents of new students and highly recommended for parents of returning students, so please plan on attending.

Stay tuned for additional updates and information as we get closer to the first day of school.  I look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Bhakti Bhavan Welcome Letter & Supply List

Dear Parents,

Hare Krishna.  I am happy to welcome you to the Bhakti Bhavan preschool/kindergarten class for the 2011-2012 school year!  

For those of you who have not had me as your child's teacher, I'd like to tell you a little about myself.  My name is Vrindavanesvari Aguilera (please feel free to call me Vrinda). I possess an Early Childhood credential from the American Montessori Society (AMS) and have been working with children in various capacities for 16 years. 4 of those years have been in the Bhakti Bhavan class at Bhaktivedanta Academy.  I am originally from California where I was raised by parents who are  practitioners of Krishna consciousness and who inspired me to do the same.  I have had the opportunity to travel to India and to spend several years living in a temple ashram in Laguna Beach, California where I was formally initiated by His Holliness Bhakti Charu Swami.  I am married to Visvambhara das, the director of Bhaktivedanta Academy, and have been part of the Alachua community for 14 years.  Together we have 3 children: Krishnadas, 17, Vishaka, 13, and Isha, 8.  

The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time for all but this is especially true for those children and families who are beginning their school experience for the first time. This is a time of much change and growth and I am looking forward to working with you to create a positive beginning to your child’s journey in formal education. I am also excited to welcome back the returning students who were with me last year.

There are several other adults who will be working with your child this year, as well. Nataka Chandrika, an experienced teacher of many years, is the school’s reading instructor.  She will work with the Kindergartners in guided reading groups and with the VPK aged children in phonemic awareness and pre-reading activities. Additionally, she supplements our class with spiritually themed stories and activities. Nila Raisz will be continuing from last year as an assistant teacher in the class. 

Please find the Student Supply List outlining which materials to purchase for your child for the school year. Please let me know if you have any questions concerning this or anything else. I can be reached by e-mail: vrinda@bhaktivedantaAcademy.org or by leaving a message at the school’s office phone number - 386-462-2886.

I look forward to getting to know and working with you and your child and to a successful year together.

Yours,

Vrindavanesvari d.d.

Audarya Bhavan Welcome Letter & Supply List

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a new and exciting school year!! It’s a year with new beginnings—new surroundings, new friends, new experiences, new skills and new challenges. It will take time to get to know each other and to learn the rules and what we expect from one another. Together we will help our children learn many things, and we will see them grow and mature all year long.

I would like to introduce myself to all the new parents.  My name is Satyaki devi dasi. I joined ISKCON in San Diego, California in 1971, and in 1972 Srila Prabhupada accepted me as his disciple.  I served in San Diego as a pujari and book distributor until I married Babhru das in 1973. Over the years I have served at gurukulas in Honolulu, Hawaii, at Bhaktivedanta Village in Three Rivers, California, and San Diego, California, where I was the director. I hold a BA in elementary education from San Diego State Universtiy and a Montessori elementary certificate from the American Montessori Society.  I have two grown daughters, Krishnamayi and Lalasamayi, and have several grandchildren.  

We have a great team this year that will provide each child with valuable learning experiences. Radha Kunda Dainton will also be teaching in the classroom.  Nataka Chandrika will continue teaching reading this year. Last year the children loved her reading program.  Radha Kunda will be teaching Spanish and cooking. Ultimately, you, the parents, are your child’s first and greatest teacher. Working together, we will help your child learn many things about the world. 

Of course, our main goal at Bhaktivedanta Academy is to teach our students about spiritual life and vaisnava etiquette. In Audarya Bhavan, which means the place of generosity and giving, students will learn spiritual principles and behavior through a wide variety of activities such as Bhagavad-Gita classes, kirtans, arotiks, japa, temple attendance and performing plays, to name a few.  We know everyone will be spiritually enlivened. 

Along with this letter is the 2011-2012 school year supply list:

• Grade 1 Supply List
• Grade 2-3 Supply List

Please choose the list specific to your child's grade and read it carefully, and if you have any questions call me at (386) 266-9254. I will be happy to assist 

Sincerely,

Satyaki devi dasi