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

Madhurya Bhavan Welcome Letter & Supply List

Dear Parents and Families,

Welcome to a new school year at the Bhaktivedanta Academy! As you know, my name is Shantipur Day and I have lived in Alachua, Florida, for the past eighteen years. In that time we have seen the community grow from a few dozen devotees to the grand proportions we see today. We all know why Alachua, an insignificant town in North Central Florida, houses one of the largest Krsna Conscious communities in the world: the vast amount of devotee association available, especially through the schools set up for our youngest members. I look forward to working with you this coming year in helping to maintain and develop the ideals that have built our community.

Over the summer I started training with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, so we will be gradually integrating more Montessori methods and materials into the curriculum. I am excited to bring some new ideas and inspirations to the classroom and hope that this helps to facilitate holistic learning for our students. We will continue to have Spanish classes with Radha Kunda Dainton, and she will also begin cooking lessons with the students of Audarya and Madhurya Bhavans. Nataka Chandrika will be leading a class on making good choices and decisions when faced with peer pressure, media influences, etc. 

Again, I look forward to working with you all in the coming year. I’ve included the Madhurya Bhavan student supply list for 2011-2012. Please feel free to contact me through the school office if you have any questions. I am also available by email:shanti.day@bhaktivedantaacademy.org.

Your servant,

Shantipur dasi

End of School Year Reminders

It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of the 2010-11 school year. Below are a couple reminders about our end of year events:

Kurukshetra Field Day
Our annual Kurukshetra Field Day is Monday, June 6th. We have a lot of fun activities planned, including a pizza and pasta lunch for all students. This is a free dress day (no uniforms). We recommend that students wear tennis shoes and clothing they can be active in. We are still in need of a few more volunteers from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. If you can help, please call the school office at 386-462-2886.

End of Year Ceremony/Graduation
Tuesday, June 7th is our end of year ceremony and graduation. It will take place in the Audarya Bhavan classroom at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude at 10:00 a.m. This is a uniform day, so we ask that all students come looking their best - pressed uniform, tilak, and nicely combed hair. We have some special performances planned and the kindergarten, 3rd grade, and graduating students will be receiving certificates. The 2010-2011 school year will officially end at the conclusion of the ceremony.

We look forward to seeing you!