IDay at Bellur Nagasandra School

In this academic year, this was my first visit to the school. But the recognition and pleasure of the chlidren at seeing their dear "aunty" was instant.

The festivities began with the children walking the area carrying a Gandhiji photo and to the accompaniment of the drums beating.


The mood just got more festive when the children were back at school. They all danced to their hearts content to the beats of the solo drum.

Finally they settled down, wondering what all the fuss was about (especially the anganwadi kids - they were so lost that they looked cute... )



This was followed by ample poojas of Gandhiji and Nehru, a rendition of Vande Mataram (Akash still thinks its a torture to his kids, but my kids dont seem to think so ;-) ), the flag hoisting and finally the rendition of the national anthem.



Shekhar, one of the two teachers at the school for the last 13 years, has been transferred from school to the main BEO office in K.R. Puram. There was a tear-filled felicitation ceremony for Shekhar and it is sad to see him go..


The day ended with chocolates for the children, and that had the children overjoyed. But yesterday also got me thinking. Is this education going to improve the lives of these children in anyway? If not, what are we achieving from this whole drill of making them mug to pass exams? Are these children going to grow up to be daily-wage labourers with children studying in this very same school? Are their grand-children going to have a better standard of living, better food, better infrastructure?

60 years under the national flag, and we still have so many open questions. Is there anything we can do to answer any of them?

English B5

Most of the kids in the school are learning words by rote. When told to read, they guess the words instead of reading them. Except for Chetan who puts in some effort into really reading the words, all the others find it difficult. One possible cause is that these kids dont know the small case alphabet.

Also, Madhu is very restless and seems totally uninterested in learning or questioning about anything at all. :(

Eng c4 Bellur

Bellur school, following kids in 4th std are bad at English alphabets - can't write -

- Vidya
- Lingaraju
- Suhaas

Shud teach them b4 schools close.

-A

An extraordinary experience...

I've been contemplating this idea of joining an NGO since long...am glad that I could finally move one step ahead & get associated with the Dream School Foundation...

There goes a saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side"...My experience at the school has only reinforced my realisation that I am one of those lucky ones to have my foot on the greener side...
I have read quite a few articles about the under-privileged sector of our society, but it's nothing close to experiencing the veracity in person...Come face to face with the kids & you sure will be left rapt !! It's amazing that even though they are deprived of the very essentials, that every child has a right to, they radiate so much of exuberance & are so eager to learn...These kids so convincingly portray all the rare qualities that maybe even I, as a child, might have been nervous about; then why must they be deprived of their right to chilhood ? Just a thought to ponder...

Am sure it's only the beginning...I hope to make a positive difference...

Ganarajyothsava

India's Republic day means & doesn't mean a lot of things to people. But to school children, itz fun time again. Marchpasts, community processions, speeches, flag hoisting, songs, skit, dramas & chocolates!!! It was 9ish in the morning, when I reached the Chalghatta school. For a change, all the kids were neatly seated, and awaited the proceeding to start. The chief guest was to arrive, and there was no sign of him. And soon, there was these colorful distant objects in the sky that got the kids excited. Parachutes, balloons ? None of us cud make them out.




The 6th std kids rehearsing

Shivaji & a look-alike!
Awaiting the chief guest.

Finally, we decided to go ahead.
The culturals started, but we guyz had to move to the Bellur school.


Initial photshot with Chetna & Hena.

' Bharath Matha ki Jai'

The Anganwaadi kids.

The Vande matharam song. Chetna & Hena had trained these kids for it. One complicated version, with tounge twistors galore.......I regarded it as pain & torture to my kids.......but to my surprise they pulled it of with aplomb.

Loose control... One more time!

Man...now for THE skit. The 'Punyakoti' song. Chethan, who sang was running away with the song. I barely managed to click a few snaps.

We had wonderful masks for the cows & tiger, but the one for the calf wasn't available, and we had to make do with a rabbit mask!!! Here Punyakoti is talking with her calf....'bout her impending surrender to Mr. Tiger.

After sentimental scenes, Punyakoti goes to Mr. Tiger, who for reasons I haven't fathomed all my life, feels sorry for wanting to kill her and instead of sending her back & going home, jumps from a cliff, and ends life!!!!

Teaching with my 5th std kids goes like this....45 minutes of English...restlessness.....and suddenly they jump and say 'Uncle, we will dance'......and thats it...they have their 'n' dances...that includes Dhoom machale!!! Here, we have them as Gopika's cribbing 'bout Krishna!!!

Speech in English. Chetna came with a simple written speech, and thrust it in my hands. None of the 4th & 5th were ready to speak it out, for they can't read it in the first place. Shocked. Well, thats the way it is. And, as I loudly contemplated writing the English in Kannada, and getting it read. Manjunath, a 3rd std kid, jumped, and forcefully said, he wud do it, and did a wonderful job of it. Long way to go for us.

3rd std kids singing the poem 'Bannadha thagadina thuthuri'

Man...this song has climbed up to the top of my charts. Something like 'Jannadha pannadha mangagallee'......Monkeys... please don't see, speak & hear evil! A dance, that evokes lot of laughter amongst kids.

End of celebrations. Lots of volunteers missed. Sunand, Dharin & Ami joined. And, the best part was the culturals at the Bellur school. Last Independence day, the kids just watched as Pooja & speeches took the centre stage. But this time it was the otherway.

After we left the school, came across this injured Brahminy kite. It may have done well with some attention & care, we left it to nature & moved away. And, so are these govt. schools ?

First experience at teaching

My first day at the school was pretty confusing & also extremely memorable.. I didnt know what to expect, and I guess the kids were finding my Kannada funny (I dont speak very good Kannada :p)

But once I started teaching them the English alphabet, the kids were so keen to have me teach them that even those whom Akash was teaching (those of them who were familiar with A-B-C) started pretending that they dont know the A-B-C.. :)

Most of the children were extremely concerned about me. So, they got me a chair to sit on, and then when I sat on the floor, they kept warning me that i was not sitting on the mat and my clothes may get dirty!! I guess this is what touches the heart......

When I go now, they still find my Kannada funny, but I guess now they understand better what Im trying to say and its fun teaching. These are the best two hours of my week.. :)

5 5 3

Well, my 5th std kids....perhaps the last few saturdays I teach them....and then the summer holidays...and they become too big for our school.....and would have to walk upto the Chalgatta school for their 6th std.

We were seated on a 'jumkhana'....I hate indoors....so I always take them out....we sit on the cement floored corridor.....the sun is bright....the aeroplanes so close.

Me: Naayee..
They: D..O..G....dog....
Me: Naay chitra bidsee

That was it.......


The dogs came alive!!!!

Namma Shaaley

Our School

Yes, itz our school.

The little school beyond Bangalore Airport. Its called the Bellur-Nagasandra Govt. Primary school. It has very bright & cheerful kids. First std to fifth std. Around 40+ totally. And, also an anganwaadi (creche) for the babies ;-))

What I really love 'bout this school is the numbers.....almost single digit kids in each class.....and that means soon you get to know ALL the kids.....and that you can teach ALL the kids............wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of DSF volunteers reading this would surely feel envious of us ;-))

Yes, now the challenge is to make this school, a wonderful place for education.

Dream School Foundation has adopted this school, and Santosh Kumar & Preethi Ramesh have been the prime numbers ;-)

We would like to see a whole lot of volunteers coming in, and contributing.

We visit the school on saturday mornings.

Interested, dash us a mail or write to our DSF boss Mrs Maitreyee.