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Welcome to the September 2003 Issue. We have an extra long special Issue this month, in order to share with you news and events from the National SSEHV Day, which was held in mid-September Contents:
Finally, a reminder that previous month's Newsletters including 24 cross curricular lessons plans are available in the newsletter section of the SSEHV website. Please do send us an email if you have any feedback about this newsletter, or if you'd like to share your experiences of SSEHV, to: feedback@ssehv.org.uk. Kind
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The third annual National Sathya Sai Education in Human Values Day took place in Stanmore, North West London on Saturday 13th September. Over 140 people came from all over the UK and even further afield to meet with and listen to talks from other SSEHV practitioners and visiting dignitaries. As well as watching numerous informative and uplifting presentations, delegates were entertained by music from Zita Starkie and Richard Braithwaite performing songs from the newly produced CDs to accompany Teaching Workbooks 3 & 4. The compère for the day was Rolando Ciaravaglio, BISSE's National Training Co-ordinator. Special guests included Cllr Jane Avis, Mayor of Croydon, Cllr Mano Dharmarajah, Mayor of Harrow and Dr Teerakiat Jareonseetasin, known as Dr Judo, who is Deputy Director of the Institute of Sathya Sai Education, Thailand and a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK. Both Mayors, who had not previously met each other, joined together to open the proceedings by jointly lighting a candle, before each expressing their delight at being able to attend the National Day and find out more about SSEHV. The Mayor of Croydon spoke about her own views and experiences of the Croydon summer camp which she had attended in July. Carole Alderman, Principal of the British Institute of Sathya Sai Education gave the opening address, providing an update on activities that have taken place since BISSE's inauguration at the beginning of 2003, and a roadmap for the year ahead. Cyrano Ugarow, a graduate of both the Thai and British Institutes of Sathya Sai Education, gave a heart-warming and inspiring account of his own experiences of teaching SSEHV to abused children from the slums of Bangkok, and from all walks of life in Thailand and the UK. This was followed by a lively and amusing talk from Deepak Fakey - known to children around the country as "Mr Smiley" - the inventor of the SSEHV values board games, who spoke about the Saturday morning values club he set up in Leicester which is now attended by over 170 children. Later in the day, Lark Beecham, Area Co-ordinator and Trainer for the South East, who has been teaching SSEHV in her local primary school for the past three years, spoke of her personal vision of SSEHV and the impact it has had on her own life. This was followed by an update on Public Relations activities for SSEHV in the UK from Jo Pratt. After a vegetarian hot lunch, prepared and served by attentive young volunteers, the principal organisers of each of the eight summer camps that have taken place so far this year, reported on the camps they had organised, illustrating their talks with pictures. Sheila Swift, who has founded a charity called Peaceful Solutions with the sole purpose of taking SSEHV out into her local community in Oldham, then shared her knowledge and experience of navigating the funding application process. It was stressed that only ethical funding which in no way jeopardises the principles of SSEHV is acceptable. The day was rounded off by a lively question and answer session, followed by a closing address from Carole Alderman in which she thanked everyone who works tirelessly throughout the year in their local communities to bring SSEHV to children. The event was closed with music from Zita and Richard. Thank
you to everyone who worked hard to organise and bring to fruition the
National Day both in the planning stages and on the day itself, and thank
you to all the speakers, volunteers and delegates, many of whom travelled
great distances to attend. Many of the talks given will be published in
this newsletter over the coming months. |
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For the benefit of those who could not attend on the day, we reprint below the opening address by the Principal of BISSE, which gives a general update on the progess of the Sathya Sai EHV Programme. Welcome You will notice our new logo. The British Institute of Sathya Sai Education (BISSE) was formed this year - in January. I was asked to become the Principal. There are also other BISSE personnel, such as Rolando Ciaravaglia here, who are taking on specific aspects of the operation. We have Area and County Co-ordinators representing BISSE throughout the UK. The main progress in the UK, in our experience, has been in spreading SSEHV through schools adopting the programme. A particularly effective way has proved to be Holiday Schools, or "Summer Camps" which we run around the country. These are increasing in number annually and this year we held eight Holiday Schools, in Harrow, Stratford, Tottenham, Milton Keynes, Farnham, Croydon and two in Oldham. They were all a tremendous success and a future weekend one is planned at Oxford in the coming half-term. We will be hearing more of these later in the day. Here is an example of the kind of comments we receive about the Holiday Schools: Hazel Yeoman, Head Teacher of a Primary School in Harrow said, "The Summer Camp has begun a revolutionary change in our community by teaching our children how to live the values that they learned. I have seen quite a change in the children who attended - they are calmer and more reflective in their way of being in school. I look forward to having an after-school club here". At the Tottenham Camp, Melisha Trotman, Deputy Head and parent of two children at the Holiday School, said, "I feel that the Camp has been a positive opportunity for children to think about right and wrong. The classes were pitched at appropriate levels for the age ranges and all the children I have spoken to have thoroughly enjoyed their week". Both these schools are now taking on the SSEHV programme; one as an after-school club initially and the other has arranged an INSET day for the teachers. So you see we have a system whereby a range of options is offered to schools. This can be either presentations or INSET days. At a presentation to a primary school in Neasden last week, Rolando Ciaravaglia and Pamela Nash received an enthusiastic standing ovation at its conclusion. The Deputy Head said it was an INSET with a difference. The effectiveness of SSEHV is shown by the many recent testimonials written by teachers. A Roman Catholic Primary School wrote in June this year, "Since Year 2001 the school has had valuable input in the teaching of good values through the Sathya Sai curriculum. The staff received an overview of the materials at an INSET day later that year and a lunchtime club was initiated. "Since 2000-2201 when the behaviour in school was poor, we have noticed a steady ongoing improvement. We were able to develop a peer mediation system because the children became ready to appreciate that conflicts could be resolved without recourse to physical confrontations. Now in 2002-03 there is a huge reduction in incidents which need head teacher intervention. Children are more considerate and caring of each other. The school community is a much happier place. "I have no doubt that the input from the Sathya Sai team has contributed hugely and we are very grateful for this wonderful support." How much time and money can this programme save teachers and schools! Of all the work we do, our contact with schools continues to be a priority. At the back of the hall you can see for yourselves resources we have created which enable schools to take up the SSEHV programme very easily. Please do find time during the break to take a closer look. For those of you who are already familiar with the materials, there are some interesting new items to be seen.
Parenting
Programme The Parenting programme can be delivered either over seven sessions of 2.5 hours each, or over three full days. Please let us know if you have an interest in this course. In conclusion, the past 12 months have been extremely busy. Volunteers have worked really hard and have come up with really innovative ideas. The outcome, in terms of resources and recognition from government officials, schools and the community are ample reward for our efforts. |
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We are delighted to announce that the Sathya Sai Values in Parenting Programme is now up and running and open to all. This is a course for parents and parents-to-be consisting of seven sessions of 2.5 hours each, or three full days. It is designed to provide practical values-based skills to make the home a happier and more secure place. Through a mixture of presentations and experiential activities such as role play, discussion, inner reflection, games and silent sitting, participants are encouraged to explore their inner motivations and the forces which influence the behaviour of their family members. Students are able to experience each of the five Human Values and gain an understanding of their fundamental importance for parenting, and indeed for all human relationships. The workshop is carried out in a non-threatening environment where participants are encouraged to participate to the extent they feel comfortable. Frequent breaks and group activities enable every participant to interact and establish strong personal relationships. The
Parenting Course will in future be offered to parents of children attending
Holiday Schools, so that parents are able to attend while their children
are at the School. It can also be held at any time if a group of ten or
more parents come together and request a course. If you would like to
organise a Parenting Course in your area, please contact Rolando Ciaravaglio.
For more information about all the courses offered by BISSE, please click
here. |
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Three people have recently successfully completed the SSEHV Advanced OCN Level 2 course, and were awarded their certificates at the National SSEHV Day on September 13th. Michele Elisa White, Dr Suresh Nesaratnam and Rupert Harding Ward were applauded for their efforts by the 140 delegates attending the annual event. OCN stands for the Open College Network, one of the leading accreditation bodies for adult education courses in the country, which accredits the UK SSEHV Training Programme. Students of the Advanced OCN Level 2 Course are required to:
Graduates of the SSEHV Advanced OCN Level 2 Course are qualified to teach SSEHV classes. Congratulations to Michele, Suresh and Rupert! For
more information about the courses offered by BISSE, please click
here. |
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It
was just before eight o'clock in the morning on the 21st July 2003 that
I first walked through the doors of Devonshire Hill Primary School. I
wondered if my sense of trepidation was noticeable. I had first heard about the camps from my colleague, Shumi Somasekeran, the organiser of the Devonshire Hill camp in Tottenham, and I found her enthusiasm when she spoke of them infectious. I had to see one for myself so I decided to volunteer my assistance. Shumi
had told me, "Your mission, should you choose to accept, is to do
three assemblies; one on Love, one on Peace and one on Non-Violence."
Ok, I'm exaggerating, it wasn't an episode of 'Mission: Impossible', but
I was still nervous, to put it mildly. But, walking into a place full
mostly of strangers, I was greeted warmly by everyone, and that warmth
lasted the whole week. Not everybody knew each other but there was a real
sense of camaraderie from the outset. I won't go into too much detail about the assemblies I performed, but on a purely personal level, I learned an awful lot about myself and what I'm capable of. During all the assemblies and all the lessons I was privileged to sit in on, I saw children being entertained and informed. Furthermore, they were being encouraged to think for themselves. It was obvious they understood. Through the sounds and laughter and the boundless energy and good intentions of those assembled, there was a glimpse of a world that could be and should be. The Five Values are common sense, and yet, flicking through the newspaper on any given day, you could easily believe this common sense has got lost somewhere along the way. Happily, that's not the case. It's still there, waiting to be heard. The children did hear it, I am certain of that, and they are the future. With more of such camps around the future could be very bright indeed. Two months later, one memory stands out for me. It is seeing a young girl crying because she had had such a great time and didn't want the camp to end. It may sound strange that a child's tears could be a good memory, but it was obvious that her experiences at the camp were too much fun to let go of. I know how she felt. As Shakespeare said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." |
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Scratchy
Bear's Dust Storm "Well," thought Mrs. Beech Tree, "Not much happening today in the wood, is there? Normally Scratchy Bear would have been through on his scratching business by now and so would Pip, Pop and Poo, the hedgehogs, snuffling through the leaves at my roots for bugs and worms. All very quiet," she thought. "Strange. Something must be up." How right she was. Out on the plain, beside a newly built anthill, something was definitely up - mostly dust, for there was a great rumpus going on and Scratchy Bear was right in the middle of it all. Through the rising cloud of dust it was just possible to make out a large bear scratching for all he was worth. But this was not the usual scratching associated with Scratchy Bear, the cool dude of a bear who enjoyed leisurely scratching sessions against the trees in the woods. This was frantic, desperate scratching with lots of unrepeatable, as well as some new and previously unheard, sound effects, and all surrounded by a rising cloud of dust. It was very dramatic. Well worth a ringside seat. Now
if you could drag your eyes away from the Scratchy Bear action and look
to the ground around him you would notice three little hedgehogs whizzing
around coughing and spluttering and sneezing and almost making as much
noise as Scratchy Bear, except they were an octave or two higher. Pip Pop and Poo being young hedgehogs and adventurous too, thought that ants might be good for breakfast or even tea perhaps. Of course we could all have told them that ants were not to be messed with unless you were an anteater, like Hooper, who lived down in The Thickets. The Ants were very resourceful and organised. They lived in a big community where everyone looked after each other. Each ant had a particular job that contributed to the smooth running of the whole community. They did not make honey as Scratchy Bear thought, they gathered leaves and sticks and sometimes crumbs left by picnickers and carried them back to the anthill. They were very strong for their size and could get very angry for their size too, and if you really upset them they would sting you too. This is what had happened to Scratchy Bear and Pip, Pop and Poo. They had REALLY upset the ants this morning. And who wouldn't be upset if a very big hairy bear had tried to get inside their home, demanding "Your honey or your lives!"? That had been at the Upper North entrance, while at the Mid West, Lower East and Due South entrances three hedgehog noses had pushed in the wrapper doors and tried to snatch the guard ants who were, at that very moment in the middle of conducting the Changing the of Guard Ceremony. The Sergeant Major Ant in charge had never seen anything like it. In fact, once he had got over his astonishment and retrieved his jaw from the floor, he sounded the full alert throughout the anthill. Full alert meant every ant to action stations, immediately, with stingers primed. If Scratchy Bear and Pip, Pop and Poo had known that there were over two thousand ants living in this new anthill they might have been a little more cautious. The ants had poured out of the anthill like streams of…like streams of… well…like streams of ants really! And before any of them could run away the ants were all over them. Pip, Pop and Poo thought they would eat their way out and Scratchy Bear thought he would scratch them all off easily. Not a chance! Two thousand ants don't need a battle strategy, they just swarm all over you. And if you try to eat them as Pip, Pop and Poo were trying to do they just sting you all over your mouth and nose. So
this was why the dust was rising out on the plain. Meanwhile Mrs. Beech
Tree had sent messages down her roots to the other trees on the edge of
the plain to see if they could see anything of Scratchy Bear out on the
plain. Suddenly from out of the rising dust came the words, "Ok, Ok! Ouch, sorry, ouch! Ouch! Sorry, I surrender, ouch! Promise, I surrender, sorry, sorry!" and then three little squeaky voices squealed in unison, "So do we, so do we, really sorry, really really sorry. Won't do it again, promise, promise." And they all sneezed again and again. At this the Sergeant ants drummed their feet and ordered the attack to halt. Once the Sergeant Major saw their pleas were genuine he called off all the troops. That was quite a sight too, two thousand ants emerging from the dust storm. In fact it took quite a while for over a thousand ants to get out of Scratchy Bear's fur and the hedgehogs prickles. Now, just imagine, if each ant had six legs, that was maybe twelve thousand legs all running through his fur. Scratchy Bear just couldn't help himself, it was tickling him and he started to laugh and wriggle. Pop and Poo were still sneezing and a few ants got blasted into the air, tumbling back down at the Sergeant Major's feet in a bit of a tangle. He raised an eyebrow at them, "Joined the flying squad have we now?" And with a smile, said "On your way then." Then climbing to the top of the anthill, the Sergeant Major ant turned his attention to one disheveled bear and three very dusty hedgehogs. "And what do you have to say for yourselves?" he asked, not waiting for an answer. "You there bear, since when did ants start making honey?" Then he glared at Pip, Pop and Poo. "And, you three, when did ants appear on the hedgehog menu, I ask you?" Scratchy Bear and Pip Pop and Poo all felt very embarrassed and agreed that they had been mistaken in both cases. "Well, so be it," said the sergeant Major. "Now there is a lot of repair work to be done here, and I think you lot can get to work for the builder ants who are otherwise going to have to work nonstop for days patching up the mess you've made. This is a big anthill and many ants live here in peace. Living here requires right conduct at all times, something you four are sadly lacking." He eyed them woefully. "So you can now show a little helpfulness, good manners, and responsibility," he emphasized the word, peering at them meaningfully from under his antennae, "And get to work collecting all the materials the builder ants are going to need." So after a quick consultation with the builders Scratchy Bear, Pip, Pop and Poo headed for the woods and soon returned with bark buckets full of everything the builders wanted. It took all day but finally the anthill was back to as near normal as can be expected after such an assault and Scratchy Bear and the three hedgehogs, still looking very disheveled, were relieved of their duties by the Sergeant Major. He said that if they promised not to attack them again they were very welcome to call in from time to time and they might even get an invitation to the Ant Parade as they had been so helpful today. All four of them headed straight for Mrs. Beech Tree. Scratchy Bear wanted to have a really good scratch where he had been stung and Pip, Pop and Poo were hungry and knew they'd find lots of food around her roots. Mrs. Beech Tree had already been told by the other trees that they were headed her way and so when they appeared around the corner of the wood looking like survivors of a flour factory explosion she burst out laughing. "Well, what a sight you lot are!" she laughed. "Come over here and tell me all about it." So they all sat down, except Scratchy bear who went straight into scratching mode against Mrs. Beech Tree's trunk. After a while they all agreed that in future they would try to be more responsible, have much more respect for other people's property and ask before trying to help themselves. After all, as Mrs. Beech Tree pointed out, if Scratchy Bear had just asked the ants if they made honey it would have saved him a whole lot of trouble. She did concede however that if Pip, Pop and Poo had asked the ants if they were good to eat, that might have been quite a different matter! Questions: |
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Copyright
© 2003 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 |