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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.  

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.

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.

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