Nursery Class - Morning Batch

Nursery Class - Afternoon Batch

LKG Class

UKG Class

1st Standard Class

2nd-3rd Standard Class

2011-2012 BSES Teachers and Staff

We would like to say “Thank You!” to all our supporters, friends, volunteers and staff who made this a great school year. You have made the lives of these children and their families so much brighter!

Shaheena is in 2nd standard. She likes to concentrate on her work, especially for math. Too many things in the class distract her from her work.Multiplications are difficult for her. She needs a quiet place to study.

Because I am an assistant in the class I wanted to help Shaheena with this problem.

Next to Shaheena’s classroom is a small room. It is a room for the children who have finished their work early and want to play games or read books.

I asked the teacher if I could create a special work place for Shaheena in that room. She liked the idea. I made a multiplication tables certificate for Shaheena, some colourful strings made of paper, numbers from 1 till 20 to stick on the wall and last of all I placed a table and a chair in the corner.

Shaheena was surprised. She loved her study place. When she wants to work alone on her math she is allowed to go to her special study place. Every school day after lunch we practice tables together without the other noises from the class.

For months, Shaheena has struggled to memorize her multiplication tables. But guess what: within two weeks Shaheena knows the tables of 1,2,3,4,5,10 and 11!

Shaheena is very happy and is motivated to learn more because of her special study place!

 

Another hallmark of learning at Bright Star Education School is making the ordinary extraordinarily fun.  Teachers and interns are constantly working together to create meaningful connections for the students; taking otherwise dull or difficult subject matter and teaching it in a memorable way. This month our 1st-3rd standard students have been learning about materials and how things are made. Our interns, Sanne and Hanneke organized a field trip to D-Light Decoratives’ candle factory. After learning in the classroom about how candles are made, the students were able to experience the candle-making process first-hand. Lots of fun was had by all!

Candle demonstration

Students watch as the staff level the candles.

Setting the wick for the candle

Daniel Eichelberger, D-Light Director shows some sample candles to the students.

Prasanna holding a candle that was made in the D-light factory.

BSE students and D-Light staff - what a great day!

Bright Star students may not get to see much of the world outside their slum, but thanks to the many wonderful books that are available in our library, they can “visit” lots of different places and learn from the wisdom and experiences of so many others around the world. Nothing stops these students from “going places!”
Our 2nd and 3rd standard students love the time they spend in the library each day. In addition to learning so many new things, it also gives them an excellent opportunity to practice the English language and grammar they are learning in class each day.

Reading allows students who may otherwise never have a chance to travel to “go places”. It is also an engaging way to reinforce important daily life skills and values they will need for the future!

Nearly all of our books have been donated! We are very thankful for those who have contributed so generously to our library.

Shivam, 3rd standard, really enjoys reading about animals.

Our intern, Sanne reading a story to the primary students

Comfortable beanbags in the library make for a great story time

E. E. Cummings

In many traditional Indian schools, the common sounds in school are usually a teacher shouting at students to pay attention, the noise of a stick hitting a desk, and students shouting at each other.  At Bright Star Education we encourage learning through play, especially in the pre-primary classes. The sounds of laughter, joy and singing are often heard throughout our school. We aim for more smiles and less tears among students so that learning can be an enjoyable, stimulating experience. Here’s a look at some recent scenes from aroudn our school…

The joy of learning!

It was also a big week for the 2^nd and 3^rd Standard class! With the help of Paula Stolk, they were able to  have a Skype conversation with a school in Holland. They will continue to Skype with and learn about each other’s cultures for the next few weeks.

Indian students Skyping with Dutch students for some cross-cultural learning!

Only 6 more weeks of school left till summer holidays. We are very pleased with the progress of our students and teachers this year. There is definitely lots to smile about at Bright Star!

Sumit is a student at Bright Star Education School and will be in 1st grade next year. He lives in a very rough slum area with his mom, dad and sister. Two years ago, his mother could never have imagined that her son would be receiving a quality English education. Like so many other mothers living in slums, her only response to her son’s lack of education was, “What to do?” But then she heard about Bright Star, took a chance, and enrolled him in this new school. Now, he is reading, writing speaking and singing in English, excelling in math, and receiving a daily healthy meal. He’s still very small and has a lot of life ahead of him, but our teachers and staff are investing in him and 130 other children every day to help guide them on the right path.

We keep our school fees very low (about 3USD/month), so that children from slum areas can receive an academic education on the same level as children coming from wealthier families. We want our students to be equipped with a solid academic education so that one day they can overcome their socio-economic status. In addition to academics, we provide students with a daily meal, uniform and transportation. Value education is also taught in every class. Our goal is to not just impart academic education, but to guide our students on a path towards a successful, purposeful life.

Although they may live in a slum, every student in our school has a great potential within them – the potential to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, business professionals one day. If their potential and natural talent is left untouched then a life is wasted and society suffers. However, when an individual realizes his or her potential and is given the opportunity to develop his talents and abilities, he or she can be equipped to live a purposeful, meaningful life. This is an enormous task and we cannot do it alone. Will you consider investing in the life of one child for the upcoming school year?

The actual costs for providing education, food, uniform and transportation for each child is $30/month – barely the cost of a cappuccino per day, but far more than what the parents of our students can afford. Next year, we plan to have 165 children in our school. They are all from slum areas, ranging in age from nursery to 4th standard. We need sponsors who can donate $30/month so that we can continue to provide quality education for our students. Sponsors will receive a picture and regular updates about their student’s progress and development. If you want to make a difference in the life of a child for one year (June 2012 – May 2013), please contact:kristina@brightstareducation.org. Thank you for your support!

This past week three new interns arrived from America and the Netherlands. The American intern is a trained teacher and will be doing some teacher training – especially in the art of story telling and creative lesson planning. Our Dutch interns are studying at Hoornbeeck College. This internship is part of their course to become teacher assistants. They will be paired with our primary teachers to help daily in the classrooms. The girls are already adapting quickly to Indian culture and really enjoy being with the students at Bright Star. We are very happy they are here to serve with us!

Sanne meeting some of the nursery students.

Hanneke swinging with the nursery students.

Fiona with a lot of new little friends.

If you are interested in being an intern at Bright Star Education and want to expand your worldview of education, please contact Kristina Ogren: kristina@brightstareducation.org.

We are in the final 3 months of our academic year and our senior kindergarten students are now starting to read 3-4 letter words, build sentences and read small stories on their own. Click HERE to watch a video of one of our young students reading. We are very proud of Deepti Ma’am and our kindergarten students!