Step Up For Students - Scholarship Overview Zoom Session: April 16th at 6:00 pm

Dear Families,

We would like to invite you to attend a Scholarship Overview Zoom session for Bhaktivedanta Academy families on Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 pm, led by our Step Up for Students Regional Manager, Laurie Baluyot.

This session will provide you with:

• Information about the Step Up for Students scholarship program;
• Updates on recent legislative changes to the program that all scholarship families (new and renewing) need to be aware of;
• Real-time support with the application process.

If you would like to attend, please fill out the RSVP form below:

Scholarship Overview Zoom Session RSVP

**The link to join the meeting will be sent to you via email once your RSVP is received.

Additionally, for your information, attached is a Scholarship Application Checklist for 2024-25, for both application renewals and new applications.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Fathers' Day Invitation: Friday, April 12

We are pleased to announce this year’s school Fathers’ Day event, which will be held on Friday, April 12. 

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

Please RSVP using the form below by Monday, April 8. There is a maximum of one guest per student for each class event.

Fathers’ Day 2024 RSVP

The schedule is as follows:

• Bhakti Bhavan (Pre-K - Kindergarten) - 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• Audarya Bhavan (Grades 1 - 3) - 9:35 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
• Madhurya Bhavan (Grades 4 - 6) - 10:25 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
• Krishna Sharanam (Grades 7 - 10) - 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing our dads here! 

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!