Dear Readers

Welcome to the December 2003 Issue.

This month:

• Looking back on 2003...
  We review progress made this year in promoting human values in education through the Sathya Sai EHV Programme.
  
  
• Training Update
  Latest news on future courses and a brief review of the first ever Parenting Course which was held this year.
  
  
• Oldham's third SSEHV holiday school sees in New Year
  An update on the excellent work being done in and around Oldham, North West England.
  
  
• Story: "Becky and the Monster"
  A short story on the value of 'Truth' which we hope you and your children will enjoy.

As always, please do send us an email if you have any feedback about this newsletter, or your experiences of Sathya Sai EHV, to: feedback@ssehv.org.uk.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to send season's greetings to all our readers and wish you all a very happy new year.

Kind Regards,
The Newsletter Team:
Jo Pratt, Carole Alderman, Rolando Ciaravaglia, Sundeep Nayar

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Looking Back on 2003...

2003 has been a very good year for Sathya Sai EHV in the UK. During the past twelve months, since the official formation of BISSE in January, ten holiday schools and nine training courses have taken place around the country.

The number of schools that decided to incorporate SSEHV into their term time activities also increased greatly during the year. Many schools contacted BISSE directly to find out about SSEHV, having heard about it via word of mouth from other schools, teachers and parents who had come into contact with it, often through holiday schools, and been impressed by its effectiveness.

SSEHV was also endorsed by members of the UK government and local authorities this year. Representatives of BISSE met with a junior minister with responsibility for schools, who was extremely interested in SSEHV and subsequently arranged a meeting with Department of Education and Skills Citizenship specialists, and himself visited an SSEHV holiday school to demonstrate his support for the Programme. He has since written a letter of support, as has a city mayor who also attended a holiday camp in her region.

A fourth Teaching Manual was published this year, as well as two new song CD's to accompany Manuals 3 and 4, and an introductory booklet about SSEHV that is issued with each manual. A new Parenting Programme has also been introduced, following many requests from teachers and parents who had seen their children benefit from SSEHV. The Parenting Course was piloted in March, and then refined over seven sessions in October and November. It includes a session on the impact of diet on the way we feel and behave.

Around 150 people attended the SSEHV National Day in September, including volunteers, supporters, officials and a number of professionals.

It's impossible to know how many children and adults have benefited from SSEHV during the course of the year, but the feedback and the smiling faces speak volumes. Comments from schools this year include:

"…an invaluable addition to our curriculum… the Programme has a considerable effect on improving the behaviour of our pupils"

"…there is a huge reduction in incidents that need head teacher intervention. Children are more considerate and caring of each other. The School Community is a much happier place…"

"…[The children] felt valued because they could share things they may have otherwise felt unsure about offering (our school is 98% Muslim Asian)…SSEHV gives us an opportunity to tackle their monocultural experience of life."

"…I wholeheartedly recommend the Programme…"

But it is perhaps the feedback from children that is the most telling and heart-warming. Every volunteer that has helped to run a Values Club or Holiday School, or taught SSEHV in a school this year will no doubt have many incidents to recount of seeing first hand the impact that the programme has had on the children they worked with. There are too many instances to record here, but perhaps a remark by a little boy who attended the Oxford weekend camp can sum it up. At the end of the first day, he said, "It was the best day of my life ever."

We would like to extend a heart-felt thank you to everyone who has helped to bring SSEHV to children, schools and parents during 2003. Many people have worked exceptionally hard to make a difference in their local communities and nationwide through SSEHV. This has brought joy to countless people, and helped them to understand, practice and experience Human Values, and spread that experience to others. Thank you!

We look forward to continuing this excellent work and progress in 2004 and beyond.

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Training Update

First Parenting Course comes to a close in Oxford
The first SSEHV Parenting Course has now come to an end. Feedback from participants has exceeded expectations. During the last session, participants were able to relate specific events as evidence that the course had made a positive impact on the way they interact in the family. Another noticeable feature of the course was the amount of fun that was had throughout, while the learning was taking place.

Forthcoming training courses
A six-day intensive SSEHV Foundation Course is taking place in Pinner, North West London, from 27th December '03 to 2nd of January '04, with an optional 7th session on 3rd or 4th January. For further information, please contact Pamela Nash.

Three further SSEHV Foundation Courses are so far planned for the first part of 2004:

Arundel, West Sussex: on January 10th, 11th, 17th, 24th, 25th and 31st. For further information, please contact Bob Jarrett.

Headington, Oxford: consecutive Saturdays from February 14th to March 20th. For further information, please contact Meena Paplomatas.

Ipswich: on consecutive Saturdays from 17th April to 22nd May 2004. For further information, please contact Pamela Nash.

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Oldham's third SSEHV holiday school sees in New Year

Oldham's third SSEHV holiday school is taking place from 29th December '03 to 2nd January '04 in Fitton Hill. As with the two previous camps that took place there in the summer, activities will include puppetry, singing, group discussions, story telling and silent sitting. Up to twenty children are expected, some of whom attended the schools earlier in the year.

Anyone who has been involved in staging an event such as an SSEHV holiday school will know the amount of preparation and energy that goes into it, so we are tremendously grateful to Sheila Swift and Barbara Edmonson for running three such schools this year.

If you would like to get in touch with Sheila or Barbara, please email feedback@ssehv.org.uk and we will put you in touch with them.

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BECKY AND THE MONSTER

by Ann McMail

VALUE - Truth: Face your fears and they will disappear.
RELATED VALUES - Intuition, self awareness, self analysis, trust.

National Curriculum - Key Stage 1
4d - That family and friends should care for each other

Becky was eight years old and sometimes she would go to stay with her Auntie Joyce who lived in a big old house at the sea-side. Becky loved her auntie and she loved to walk on the beach and throw pebbles into the water. Sometimes, when it was warm and sunny, she would go swimming with her auntie, but never on her own.

Becky only had one problem and that was the big old house. It was creaky and had strange dark corners, which Becky was sure were hiding scary monsters. At night Becky would sleep in a big comfy bed with her teddy by her side. She often couldn't get to sleep because she just knew that there was a monster with big shiny eyes, long fur and scary teeth just waiting for her to close her eyes. When she did, he would come out and go BOO!

Becky tried to be brave but she was very frightened. Her stomach felt funny, like butterflies were flying inside it and when she tried to breathe, her breath got stuck somewhere. Although she felt like this, she would still manage to sleep eventually and knew she would feel better in the morning. But one night the afraid feeling just wouldn't go away.

This particular night she was absolutely sure that the monster was coming through the cupboard door! Becky held her breath, then hid herself under the blankets. She started to cry. Then the crying wouldn't stop. She was so frightened.

"Please go away monster! Please go away" she whispered.

Her bedroom door opened slowly.
"NO!" cried Becky "A monster!"
"I'm not a monster, Becky," said Auntie Joyce, smiling.

Auntie Joyce sat on the bed and asked Becky what was wrong. Becky pointed to the monster in the cupboard. "Be brave," said Auntie Joyce. "Get out of bed and let's say hello to this scary monster." At first Becky was afraid, but then she decided to be very brave. Holding her auntie's hand, she walked slowly towards the monster.

Becky put out her hand to touch the monster and what do you think she felt? It was not a monster but a cosy, warm, furry coat that Auntie Joyce had hung on the cupboard door.

"You silly sausage!" said Auntie Joyce. This made Becky giggle. "If you had told me that you were scared, I could have helped you face your fears and make them go away. It was very brave of you to get out of bed when you thought the monster was still in you room." Becky felt very proud of herself. She felt brave, her tummy felt warm and quiet.

"I'm not afraid any more!" she said, really loudly.

"Back into bed now." said Auntie Joyce. Becky was soon snoring gently and if you had been in the room you would have seen that she had a smile on her face.

QUESTIONS
1. Why do you think Becky was so afraid?
2. Do you think Becky was brave?
3. Did she feel better when she told her auntie?
4. How did you feel when you heard the story?
5. Does this story make you think of a time when you felt scared?
6. What lesson did Becky learn?

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