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Welcome to the May 2004 issue of the email newsletter. This month:
If you have any feedback about this newsletter, or if you'd like to share your experiences of SSEHV, please write to feedback@ssehv.org.uk. Kind
Regards, |
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The next annual forum for SSEHV practitioners and those interested in the programme will take place in Stanmore, North West London, on Saturday September 11th 2004. Further details about speakers and registration information will follow in subsequent newsletters.
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Bina Valsan is organising a three day Values Alive Event for children from Tuesday 1st to Thursday 3rd June at a school in Dulwich, South London. The Event is taking place from 9.00am to 4.00pm each day. For more information, or to offer your services as a volunteer, contact Bina.
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Dipak Kumar Fakey has been running a Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Club for local children in Leicester for four years. The Club, which takes place every Saturday, is called the Good Values Club, or GVC for short. More than 120 children between the ages of five and 14 attend, and while it continues to expand as new people join, it has a number of long-standing members who have grown up with the club. The oldest children are now into their third year of secondary school, but far from outgrowing the Good Values Club, they have been given responsibility to help look after the younger children and participate in running the activities. Here's what some of these young "trainee volunteers" have said about their experiences: Somaya writes, "Good Values Club has made me feel much more calmer and I have less tension for everything…Thanks to Mr Kumar we are now like helpers. I feel so grown up and like an adult. Even though it's only Saturdays, everyday I feel like it is a Good Values day. I feel so confident and I handle stuff very well. Every Saturday is so special for me. I feel so proud when Mr Kumar mentions my name to everyone." Monika says, "When I come to GVC I get to meet lots of my friends. I'm a trainee volunteer in GVC. I've been coming to GVC for two years. I have learnt lots of good values and I'm still learning more! We are examples for the little children, whatever we do they copy us, so we are kind, helpful and confident." Sonal and Henna comment, "The Good Values Club is a fantastic place to be and it is good fun too. We have been split up in different groups: group 1; group 2; group 3 and group 4, and the children who are in secondary school and have been attending for a long time are given a chance to be trained as volunteers, which is great!" As
well as gaining hands-on experience from working with the adult volunteers,
the trainee volunteers have attended an introductory SSEHV training course
provided by BISSE. Dipak is convinced that the trainee volunteer scheme
is a success. "The number of secondary school children has increased,
and they have expressed an interest in getting involved in a wider range
of activities," he said. "They derive a great deal of self confidence
out of the fact that we trust them to take responsibility and look after
others."
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Michele White recently trialled a new approach to supporting SSEHV volunteer teachers in Leicesterhire. She writes here about the experience. "Feedback from many volunteers over the last few months lead us to understand that many, particularly those who work in [Values Alive] clubs on a weekly basis, were finding it difficult to come up with new ideas. On Sunday 9th May we held an all day workshop for active volunteers from around the region to 'brainstorm' lesson plans. The aim of the day was to share experiences and materials, address and find solutions to common problems, and to generate fresh ideas for lesson plans which could be put into practice straight away. The morning consisted of presentations given by: - Prabha Govindji on various ideas for introducing silent sitting to children (and teachers) who are not always receptive and open to the idea. Prabha also presented ideas for conducting school assemblies. - Manisha Neilan on creating 'story sacks'. - Dipak Fakey on the many values games he has recently created. All the talks were interactive. People were encouraged to look through the materials, ask questions and express ideas throughout. In the afternoon, participants were asked to break up into smaller groups and create story sacks using a selection of children's books which they were asked to bring with them. Then the group came together and presented their ideas. This in turn lead to more feedback and discussion. Story
Sacks It was very easy to incorporate values into this idea, but at the same time important to keep the numeracy, literacy and PSHE elements and so maintain its cross curricular links which make it very user friendly for teachers. In this way values education may be incorporated into specific subjects, at least at primary school level. For SSEHV volunteers, just one story sack can provide a club with ideas and materials for many weeks. Prior
to the workshop, Manisha had prepared four story sacks for the representatives
of each club and county to take away with them so that they could feedback
to volunteers who were not able to attend the day. The workshop was a
great success, the ideas generated were excellent and all participants
provided valuable input. Finally, each group has agreed to prepare the
materials based on their ideas from the day and bring them along to the
next workshop which will be in September. The aim is to build up a library
of materials which may be used throughout the region."
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The following training courses and workshops are scheduled to take place in the coming months: SSEHV
Foundation Course, Leicester SSEHV
Foundation Course, Coventry Parenting
Workshop, West Sussex
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Once there was a market trader named John who lived with his wife, Joley, in a small town. They had married when John was 23 and Joley was 19. They wanted to start a family, but it just didn't happen for them. They had begun the process of adopting a baby when Joley discovered she was pregnant and in due course she had a baby boy. They named the baby David. John and Joley doted on their only child and worked very hard so that they could buy him all the latest toys and fashionable clothes. David grew up to be a spoilt young man who had no concept at all of the value of money. He would spend his parents' hard earned funds without a second thought. John tried to curb his son of his extravagant ways, but he found it too difficult to say no to him. At last he decided to take a firm stand. "Son," he said to David, "Whatever I have earned all these years will be yours some day, provided you prove to me that you too can earn money and stand or your own two feet. Unless you do so you will not get one penny." David realised that his father meant what he said. He decided to show his parents that he too could earn for himself. So the next day he set off looking for work. After many failed attempts and rejections, David at last found a job as a driver at a local carpet wholesaler. He had to load and unload the heavy items all day. At the end of the first week, his whole body was aching and he was very tired. But he was also happy because he had earned his first wage packet. To show his appreciation to his parents he gave half the money to his mother towards the housekeeping and half of what was left to his father. "Here, Dad. Please buy something for yourself from me." Without even looking at it, his father took David's arm and guided him into the backyard. He deliberately flung the money down the drain and went inside. David was stunned and upset at his father's strange behaviour. He had worked hard to earn that money which his father had casually dropped into the drain. The next week too David worked hard and brought home another pay packet. Again his father took what David gave him and threw it down the drain. David felt really angry, but he did not say anything. This continued for several weeks until one Friday evening, as his father was about to throw the cash into the drain, he stopped him. "Dad, why are you doing this? Don't you realise how hard I work everyday to earn that money? I thought you knew the value of money. Why are you simply throwing it away?" John looked at his son and smiled. "My dear David, I purposely threw it down the drain to make you realise the value of money. It's so hard to earn it, but so easy to lose it. You have always spent our money wildly without giving a thought as to how hard we worked to earn it. Now that you yourself have worked hard from morning to evening to earn a few pounds you have come to realise its worth. So shall we both agree to look after it in future?" "Oh Dad!" said David hugging his father. Questions
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Copyright
© 2004 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 Tel: +44 (0) 20 8429 2677 Email: enquiries@ssehv.org.uk |