February 2009 Newsletter

Newsletter - February 2009

Message From The Director by Visvambhara das It is hard to believe that we are already well into the second half of the school year. We have just finished up the second quarter and our teachers, administration, and students are diligently focusing on everything that needs to be accomplished by the end of the school year. Christmas Fundraising I want to take a minute to sincerely thank Padmaksi (congratulations on the birth of her new son, and hopefully future Bhaktivedanta Academy student!), and Sabrina for spearheading the Christmas fundraising effort. Through their tireless organization and contributions from many parents and New Raman Reti community members, the effort was a great success! We sold out all the fudge and cookies that were produced for a total profit of almost $2,000. This money has been put into our school expansion fund, which now has over $3,000. Yadu (Anasuya's Mother) was the winner of a Krishna.com gift certificate. I also want to thank Krishna.com for contributing a $50 gift certificate that we raffled off at the prasadam sales table. Special Guests Prior to the Christmas break we had the distinct pleasure of welcoming Advaita Acarya and his wife, Sarad Bihari, along with Tamohara and Mantrini to the school to present gifts to all of our students. Advaita Acarya conceived of and solicited support from others to give children $30 gift cards ($20 for Target and $10 for Krishna.com) as an expression of affection from the elders of the New Raman Reti community for the holidays. Needless to say, the gifts were very well received by all students. We hope that this was just the first of many visits from estemed elders in our community to the Bhaktivedanta Academy. Thank you to Advaita Acarya and Sarad Bihari for setting such a fine example of lovinging exchanges between devotees. Strategic Planning Over the holiday break we took an opportunity to envision the future development of Bhaktivedanta Academy via a strategic planning process. Prema Caru, a business-planning consultant, flew out from California and facilitated many intensive sessions where members of the board, administration, and teaching staff, along with some parents, evaluated where we are at today and where we want the school to be in the next 3-5 years. It was a very powerful and enlivening experience. Presentation of gifts to students in Audarya Bhavan by Advaita Acarya, Sarad Bihari, Tamohara, & Mantrini. Much of what was done over the holiday was preliminary but through this process we will be finalizing a vision and will define specific objectives in four areas: curriculum, operations, facilities, and finances. Our goal is to have an initial draft of the plan complete sometime in March. This plan will then become our roadmap for the future growth and development of Bhaktivedanta Academy. If anyone has any interest and/or expertise, particularly in the areas of operations, facilities, and finance/fundraising, please contact us. We would greatly appreciate your input. Spring Fundraiser Our annual spring fundraising event is quickly approaching and we need all the help we can get to make it a great success. We are depending on the proceeds from this event to help fund the much-needed expansion of the Audarya Bhavan (Grade 1-3) classroom. As in previous years, Jahnava Hausner has taken the responsibility for organizing the event, but is counting on the assistance of our parents to make this the most successful fundraiser in the history of the school. Specifically, we are looking for a highly skilled entertainer/performer to headline the event. We will also need assistance in organizing ticket sales, prasadam sales, sponsorships, and an auction. Please let Jahnava know what you can do to help. Summer School I am happy to announce that we are currently in the process of organizing a summer school/camp for this year. Satyaki and Radha Kunda Rico will be leading this project. Details are still being sorted out but it promises to be a fun and enriching experience. I am grateful that Krishna has blessed us with a wonderful year so far and look forward to everything he has in store for us as we head toward the summer! Your servant, Visvambhara das Director Bhakti Bhavan - Pre-K/Kindergarten by Nataka-candrika dasi In the months of December/January we introduced our students to the continents of Europe and Asia. (We will continue our study of Asia into the month of February). Along with map making, students have been learning about the animals and cultures of these two continents. They especially enjoy making their own animal books and the Kindergartners had an opportunity to research the animal of their choice. After learning about their chosen animal, each Kindergartner student gave an oral presentation to the rest of the class, much to the delight of their younger classmates. At the end, the Kindergartners even fielded questions from the audience. Vrindavanesvari gives Shyama a lesson using sandpaper letters For Biology, students learned about the parts of a bird and a turtle. They explored the varieties of each and put a lot of energy into making their own booklets to take home. In practical life, one of the most popular choices was the nut cracking work on the shelf. Little hands and fingers were daily strengthened as many varieties of nuts were cracked (on a manual nut cracker) and served out to friends. Wood polishing continued to be a popular choice as well. Isha distributes prasadam to his classmates for his birthday To help students better understand a time line, we talked about the life of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura. (They also had a lot of practice with time lines as six of their classmates had birthdays over the last two months!) Since there were several religious (and non-religious) holidays during December and January, students had an opportunity to try their hand at making such things as colorful paper chains, snowflakes and mandalas. Art projects are definitely something they all enjoy! Finally, the students of Bhakti Bhavan have had daily practice in chanting the maha mantra, offering obeisances to their Deities and the vaishnavas, taking caranamrta, and hearing about the wonderful pastimes of Krsna. For Lord Nityananda's Appearance Day we have been practicing a song called “Jai Nitai” (written by Mrgaksi dasi) which will be sung for His pleasure at the temple. We will begin hearing soon about Lord Caitanya's pastimes since Gaura Purnima is just around the corner. With all the wonderful spiritual festivals coming up, we have a lot to look forward to! Audarya Bhavan - Grade 1-3 by Satyaki dasi In January Audarya Bhavan discussed voting, our nation's capital, our presidents, and national and local governments. On January 20th we watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama. We also took the opportunity to talk about Florida's governor and our local mayor. Audarya Bhavan students at Alachua City Hall Concluding our study, we took a tour of Alachua City Hall and the police station at the Alachua Municipal Complex. The children were able to see the council chamber, where Alachua's City Council makes local ordinances. They also had the special privilege of viewing the secret vault where Alachua's records are stored. At the police station children were shown the evidence room and the jail cells. We concluded our tour with Officer William Baldry showing us his motorcycle and speed gun. Officer Baldry shows his police motorcycle to Audarya Bhavan students Also this month we studied haiku poetry and onomatopoeia. We combined the two elements of literature and created our own haiku with onomatopoetic words. Here is a poem we wrote together: Rain All is very wet. Rain is falling very hard. Drip, drip, dribble, drop! This next haiku was written by Madhuri, and is entitled "The Wind:" Whoosh, whoosh, the wind blows. The wind is blowing hard now. The leaves are spreading. January was an exciting month and February promises more of the same. Madhurya Bhavan - Grade 4-6 by Krishna Priya dasi Krsna Cranium board game In Bhagavada Gita class we are creating a board game on the three modes of material nature. As we learn and read about each mode, the students create cards that will bring them two steps closer to Krsna, keep them in the material world or even land them in the lower planets for one turn. A sample mode of passion card from Nityananda is "You wanted praise for playing a soccer game. Go back one space." Or a card from Aravind, "You just ate a rasagulla offered to Krsna. Go forward two spaces." Creating the cards helps students apply the modes to the choices they make in life and it drives home the point that the mode of goodness is conducive to Krsna consciosness, the mode of passion binds you in the material world and the mode of ignorance can have extremely negative consequences.      In social studies the students have just started to create an almanac for a state or country of their choice. Each week they research a flower, an animal or even a famous person in their state or country. They write a paragraph or draw a picture for each of these, and at the end of the year they will bind it into a book organized alphabetically. This project brings together skills from across the academic disciplines. Students are focusing on expository writing and reading and simultaneously learning about both science and history in their chosen state or country. Aravind represented our school at the Alachua County Spelling Bee The last week of January was a special week for two students: Aravind and Vishaka. Aravind won first place in the  Madhurya Bhavan class Spelling Bee and Vishaka won second place. Aravind went on to compete in the Alachua County Spelling Bee. His first word was "servant" (which every Vaisnava knows how to spell) and his second was "tithe" (which he knew because of the temple tithing campaigns). But alas, he stumbled on the word "etymology." Vrnda was the winner amongst the fourth graders and Vishnu was the winner amongst the fifth graders.

Dedicated to the the service of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Important Dates Mon., Feb. 16: Holiday - President's Day Wed., Mar. 4: Grandparent's Day Tue., Mar. 10: Holiday - Gaura Purnima Fri., Mar. 27: Pupil Holiday - Teacher Workday Mahajan Corner Current Mahajans Thanks to the following "Mahajans" for volunteering their time, talent or treasure to the school: Bali: The Givers of Charity Adi Kavi for donating a tool box and kid-friendly tools to Audarya Bhavan. Advaita Acarya Prabhu and Sarad Bihari Mataji for leading the effort to provide Target and Krishna.com gift cards to the children of our community (including all of the students at our school) as a loving exchange from its elders. Karuna's family for a month's supply of crackers and butter for practical-life work, as well as pretzels for a bonus snack. Krsnaya and Harini's family and Shyam's family for providing nuts for nut cracking work. Node's family for a calendar and flags from his trip to New Zealand. Bhishma: The Dutiful Bhaktas All the parents who helped cook, package and distribute cookies and fudge, including Ekadashi (Abhay and Vishnupriya's mother) and family, Govinda Mohini (Radhe's mother), Jahnava (Braja's mother), Kanchambala and Hanuman (Shyam and Vishnu's parents), Krishna Dhama and Gaura Sakti (Krishangi's parents), Lalita Sakhi and Jonathan (Karuna and Haridas's parents), Maliti (Kalyani's mother), Navina-Shyama, Nila Lenna, Radha Kunda (Nadia's mother), Radhe and Roy, Raina (Tulasi's mother), Krishnadas (Vishaka's brother), and Yadu and Param (Ana's parents) among others. Brahma: Getting Things Started Padmaksi (Naya's mother) and Sabrina (Ross's mother) for spearheading our winter fundraiser and organizing the cookie baking and fudge making. Kumaras: Assisting the Instruction of Your Kumaras and Kumaris Vishnupriya for coming from Jacksonville to assist in Madhurya Bhavan. Krishna Bhava Mataji (Krishna Priya's mother) for assisting in Madhurya Bhavan. Tulasi Granofsky for volunteering to assist in Madhurya Bhavan throughout January. Narada Muni: The Visiting Teachers Jagannath for sharing stories from the Mahabharata with Audarya and Madhurya Bhavans during the anniversary days of the battle of Kuruksetra. Kripamaya Prabhu (Krishna Priya's father) for helping the students of Madhurya Bhavan create songs from the lyrics they had written based on the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna Bhava Mataji for speaking to Madhurya Bhavan about mandalas and helping them create their own. Madhava Pandit (Madhumati and Venu Madhava's father) for reading to Bhakti Bhavan. Nila Madhava for teaching Madhurya Bhavan about astrology and helping them create their own zodiac wheels. Siva: Keeping Ignorance Under Control Mahakirti (Abhi's father) for fixing the Audarya Bhavan computer. Yamaraja: Supervising the Students Padmaksi and Yadu for taking some of the students to a couple friendly businesses in Gainesville and around the temple property to distribute cookies and fudge. Pradyumna (Radha Kunda Rico's fiancee) for coaching Madhurya Bhavan students in various sports during recess. Future Mahajans We need the following services for the upcoming month: Bali: The Givers of Charity For physical education, we could use: Play parachute Six Frisbees Several paper towel rolls Four 1-gallon milk containers Kapila: Parents and Children Helping Each Other Learn Beginning February, Bhaktivedanta Academy will be choosing a specific quality/virtue to focus on each month. At school, we will relate stories and encourage thinking and discussion on the quality during the morning assembly and in the classroom. At home, we ask that parents also discuss the quality with their children throughout the month, as well as modeling it for them and helping them apply it. The quality for this month is compassion, in honor of the appearance of Lord Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityanada. Some ideas for engaging children in being compassionate include discussing why devotees are vegetarian and going out with them to distribute Krishna Consciousness in the form of public chanting and book distribution. Prahlada: Creating the Right Conditions to Learn REMINDER: Please send your children to school in simple and sturdy, closed-toed shoes so that they may safely engage in sports and playtime. Appropriate clothing for physical activity is also strongly encouraged.

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