August 2007

A regular e-zine from the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education  www.ssehv.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1118625

 

Dear Readers

Welcome to the August 2007 issue of the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values UK email newsletter.

This month:

Updates from Morocco
Translating Teaching Materials into Hindi
Half-Term Volunteers Needed
New After-School Club Starts in Shrewsbury
Global Overview of Sathya Sai Education Published
Manchester's First Taste of SSEHV
Good Values Club Children Perform for Mayor's Appeal

Story: The Jar
Training Update

If you have any feedback, or would like to share your experiences of SSEHV, please write to us.

Kind Regards,
The Edito
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Updates from Morocco

In July 2006 a training session on SSEHV was held for school teachers in Morocco. Since then, BISSE has been working to translate teaching manuals into French (available to download on www.ssehv.org.uk) so that schools in Morocco can start using them on a regular basis.

Seminar and Workshops on SSEHV in Casablanca

Exactly one year on from last year's SSEHV training course, a follow-up two-day seminar was held on 2nd and 3rd July 2007 at the Casablanca American School. It was attended by 136 teachers from schools in Casablanca and Rabat. The conference was organised by the Sathya Sai Centre of Casablanca and was led by three trainers from the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education (Christina Wilson, Pamela Nash and Carole Alderman) who conducted the training in French.

The schools which have been using this programme over the last year wanted further training for their teachers, particularly for those who had not attended previously.

On the first day, lectures introducing the five values and components focused on the 'direct method' which was demonstrated through the acting out of stories. This brought a light-hearted atmosphere to the event. Songs which had been translated into French were popular as the Moroccans love to sing. In the afternoon, the teachers were given copies of lesson plans from the BISSE manuals to present to each other. Some schools chose to present aspects of lesson plans that they had prepared in advance.

On the second day, more training on the values was given, clarifying any errors in understanding picked up by the trainers from the teachers' work the previous day. A further lecture on how to integrate values into curriculum subjects prepared the teachers for the afternoon's workshop.

The reflective exercise on peace was well received and brought about a calmer atmosphere. This was noticeable during the teachers' group work in the afternoon when they wrote down ideas on how to integrate values into the curriculum subjects of literacy, numeracy and science.

The following day the organiser, Mrs. Chitra Mirpuri, together with Mrs. Bouchamama (an educationalist who is promoting the programme locally) and the UK trainers went to visit three of the schools in Rabat. They met all the teachers and were enthusiastically treated to refreshments in each school. The British visitors were delighted to see that the symbol with the five values was displayed on each of the classroom doors and that the posters and other SSEHV materials, including the UK lesson plans, were being used with the children. One teacher said that since the training she realised that she had been rather harsh, not only with the school children, but also with her own children in the past.

Later in the day, an orphanage in Casablanca was visited where the director reported that since last year's training some of the teachers were even kinder and gentler with the children showing a more open-hearted attitude towards them. One example of this was that they no longer minded getting wet when taking the little ones to the paddling pool.

SSEHV Programme Performed to Parents
By Chitra Mirpuri

Since last year's seminar in July 06 on SSEHV, BISSE has been working to translate lesson plan manuals into French so that schools in Morocco could start using them with their children, with the idea that these manuals would be used on a regular basis in school.

A four-hour long programme on the five values was performed in French, Arabic and English by the children of a school called Madaris Assalam. Parents were invited. The programme included poems written by the children, songs, choir, skits and stories enacted by the children on love, peace, non-violence, right conduct and truth. Posters of the five values and the associted values were put up on this ocassion for the parents. A book about the programme was compiled by the teachers of the school.


French Language Board Games Sent to Orphanages

'Quotations', the human values children's board game created by Dipak Fakey, has been translated into French. A number of games have been distributed to orphanages in Morocco. For more information about the human values board games available in both English and French, please contact Dipak.

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Translating Teaching Materials into Hindi

We are currently looking for Hindi speakers who would like to help translate and proofread SSEHV lesson plans so that they can be made available to an even wider international audience. Lesson plans are currently available to download in English, French, Spanish and Arabic from the Learning Zone area of our website.

The Hindi translation project is being lead by Rajni Gupta who is currently recruiting translators and proofreaders to help with this extremely valuable work. A sound understanding of English, excellent Hindi writing skills and enthusiasm for SSEHV are essential! If you would like to get involved, please contact Rajni.

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Half-Term Volunteers Needed

Joyce Power is organising a five-day SSEHV event at a school in Harrow, North West London, from 22nd to 25th October. SSEHV trained teachers and teaching and assistants who would like to volunteer should contact Joyce. Volunteering opportunities are also open to non-trained people who would like to take part in supporting activities.

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New After-School Club Starts in Shrewsbury

Margaret Harris, SSEHV county coordinator for Shrewsbury, who has been volunteering at a local primary school for several months, has been invited to start weekly SSEHV classes after school. Classes will start on the 4th September from 3.15 to 5.45pm. The club will also be attended by children from another primary school in the area that does not have an after school club. 15 to 20 children are expected in total.

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Global Overview of Sathya Sai Education Published

A publication entitled ‘Global Overview of Sri Sathya Sai Education’ has just been issued by the Sri Sathya Sai World Foundation, the most senior SSEHV body globally.

Michael Goldstein, chairman of the SSSWF, describes the 100-page book in its introduction as "...the most comprehensive attempt to elucidate the origin, development, history, philosophy, pedagogy, accomplishments, current status of programmes all over the world and future plans for this great and most needed programme of education."

The publication's intended readership includes educationalists and members of the public as well as practioners of SSEHV.

For more information on how to access a copy please email the editor.

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Manchester's First Taste of SSEHV

By Sheila Swift

Human values organisation Peaceful Solutions held a five-day SSEHV holiday school in Rusholme, Manchester during August. This was the first one in Manchester. Prior to this ten holiday schools have been held in nearby Oldham.

Eight of the children were from the immediate local community. Others included those that had attended previous programmes held in Oldham and children of a newly trained SSEHV teacher. The teachers were Barbara Edmondson, Julie Bennett, Naresh Shori, Sheila Swift, Allison Ferrier and Bharthi Patel. We worked together very well practicing our commitment to be examples of the values we were promoting.

The children were a broad spectrum of ages and from diverse backgrounds and cultures. We thought of separating them into age groups but a beautiful relationship immediately developed between all the children making this unnecessary. The group immediately became one, looking out for each other. One of the local children was very shy and sulky when she arrived and within two days she was happy and outgoing, participating fully and answering many questions with wisdom. At the end of the week, many of the children spontaneously gave speeches about how much they had learned and thanked us. The introverted little girl expressed her gratitude for being invited to attend and said she would miss the group. Many said they looked forward to a holiday school next year.

It was the very best group of children we have experienced. There was only love and harmony between us all. The programme itself is the stage that allows us to be the examples; creating a safe, loving, harmonious environment for the children to blossom.

The main aim in all the holiday schools we have run has been to build self-love and self-esteem. Our pre-holiday school training day prepares the staff for this and is an essential part of running a holiday school so all the staff are aware of what is required of them regarding being with the children.

The main aim should always be to raise self-esteem and self-love of the children so they go home loving themselves.

Barbara Edmondson has been the guiding light and teacher for all of this. All this is a result of Barbara's love and dedication to the children.

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Good Values Club Children Perform for Mayor's Appeal


Girls from the Good Values Club in Leicester prepare to perform a dance for the Mayor's Charity Appeal Fund in July.

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Story

The Jar
By Kay Challenor KaiAmea

Values:
Respect for all things, perseverance, understanding that we create our own limitations

'What are you going to do with those?'

The boy looked down at the jar he was holding and at the beetles and spiders that he had collected.

'Dunno' he lied.

In truth he knew exactly what he was going to do with them. Kill them as he usually did, after he had pulled off their legs. But he wasn't going to tell the lady that; for some reason he didn't want to.

The lady looked at him with her big blue eyes and smiled. Peter smiled back, a little uncomfortable. He felt as though the lady knew what he was thinking and what he intended to do with the bugs, even though he hadn't told her.

'Let me look.'

As the lady held out her hand, Peter passed her the jar over the garden wall.

'What have we got?' said the lady. 'Two ladybirds and three spiders - super beasts!' she added.

Peter was suddenly interested. 'What do you mean 'Super beasts? '

'Well' said the lady, 'these creatures are pretty amazing. Look at how small they are and yet they can vertically scale walls and buildings. Their size isn't a problem they simply walk up whatever they need to. And if they do lose their footing and fall; the ladybird opens its wings to break its fall so that it doesn't get hurt and likewise the spider spins its web. Then what do they do? Once they are on the ground they start all over again, they just don't give up. That is pretty amazing isn't it! We could learn a lot from them.'

The lady handed the jar back to Peter.

'I don't see how the ladybirds and spiders can teach me anything.'

'Don't you?' replied the lady. 'What were you doing before you came out into the garden with that jar?'

Peter thought of how fed up he had been. There were tests going on at school and he didn't feel that he was good enough to do them. The other children he knew seemed to be much better than he was. So, he had given up looking at his books and had come outside.

'Do you mean that the ladybirds and spiders are telling me not to give up with my school work, but to keep having another go?'

'Yes! Even if at times you feel that you aren't getting anywhere. Eventually, if you keep trying you will succeed, just like the ladybirds and spiders eventually succeed in climbing to the top of things, even if it seems to be impossible at first.'

Peter looked into the jar again. The creatures were trying their hardest to climb the glass sides. Even though the surface was too slippery they did not give up.

'Wow, they are pretty amazing when you think about it,' he said.

'So I'll ask you again. What are you going to do with those?'

Peter looked up, but the lady had gone. Puzzled, he looked up and down the lane, but she was nowhere to be seen. She had simply disappeared. He felt a little sad. He had liked the lady with the smiling face. Still Peter knew what to do and gently put the jar onto the ground. He felt a nice warm feeling inside and found himself smiling as he watched the creatures scuttle free.

Questions
1. How did you feel when you heard this story?
2. Would you have liked the lady? Why?
3. How did the lady's manner help the situation?
4. Would it have helped Peter if the lady had simply told him to let the bugs go?
5. Why not?
6. Why do you think that Peter didn't want to tell the lady that he intended to kill the bugs?
7. Do you think that really he knew that it was cruel and wrong?
8. Was Peter happy before he went outside to collect bugs? Why not?
9. If he had killed the bugs do you think that it would have changed how Peter felt about his schools books?
10. How did not killing the bugs help Peter?
11. What have you learnt from this story?
12. Why is it important to keep trying even if things sometimes seem impossible?

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Training Update

Lark Beecham writes of a recent Intensive Foundation Course:

An intensive course in SSEHV took place over eight days in August at the home of Carole and Robert Alderman at Pegwell Bay, Ramsgate, Kent.

Participants came from London, Madrid, Ontario and Nova Scotia, as well as Sussex and the local area.

Carole and Bob opened up their home, situated on the cliff top overlooking the bay, and surrounded by natural beauty. We were treated to long, hot, sunny days with shimmering sea views and glowing sunsets. Some stayed in the house, some in a hired caravan nearby, and myself in a tent in the garden.

Everyone joined in taking turns to shop and cook, and a happy and lively group atmosphere filled the house with fun and laughter. This was a group of predominantly young people, and their enthusiasm and energy inspired us all. There was never a wasted moment as everyone applied themselves to the full time intensity of it ; lectures, group exercises and sharing, storytelling and acting, singing, silent sitting, studying and homework, as well as cooking, gardening, walking and visiting the town. Our human values were drawn out of us and celebrated throughout the whole experience.

Some of the participants travelled great distances for this opportunity to learn and share how to take SSEHV into schools and communities. I am now confident and happy that there are true ambassadors for the values who will be living and teaching SSEHV, with many children and parents and communities looking up to them.


Forthcoming Training Courses

All SSEHV courses are free to attend, although a refundable deposit of £10 may be required at registration (this is to cover photocopying costs of the extensive handouts provided at the course for you to keep). Details of all our training courses, together with contact information and dates can be found on our website at www.ssehv.org.uk, in the Training section.

The next course is:

Cheam, Surrey - Foundation Course - Contact Lark Beecham
Sept 22nd, 29th; Oct 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th; (optional) Nov 3rd & 4th

If there is no course scheduled in your area but you would like there to be one, this can be organised, as long as there are a minimum of ten people who would like to attend. Please contact the editor for more information.

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Copyright © 2007 British Institute of Sathya Sai Education (BISSE). BISSE is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting human values in education.
Registered address: The Glen, Cuckoo Hill, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 2BE United Kingdom
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