Ashraya’s annual New Year party for all the crèche children and staff was held on January 7th 2017 at Ashraya’s office premises in Indiranagar-Bangalore. Children and staff from the 5 crèches, volunteers and committee members were invited.
A total of 157 children and 16 staff members, four volunteers and committee members attended.
The New Year party this year was sponsored by-
The Day’s Program included:-
i. Dance and music program
The crèche teachers and children started preparing for this program in December-2016. The children were very excited practicing their songs and dance items.
The children from all the 5 crèches put up a great show. All the children were beautifully dressed; they were excited and very energetic.
Each crèche got 10 minutes to perform.
Shivajinagar crèche children did 2 dance items to Kannada ad Hindi songs and the children also sang a Kannada song.
Indiranagar children did a dance to ‘Jai Ho’ song using a variety of accessories and a fun dance.
Avalahalli crèche performed 2 dances to 2 Kannada songs.
Banaswadi children also danced to 2 different songs.
Siddapura children sang a prayer song.
ii. Lunch:- A special lunch was catered for all the children and staff. The menu included Vegetable Pulav, Raita and potato finger Chips ordered from Subramanya Catering. Sweets were ordered from Kanthi Sweets . Everyone enjoyed the food; the children enjoyed the crispy finger chips.
Overall it was great show. The entire programme went as per the schedule which ensured that everyone relaxed and enjoyed every bit of the programme.
The New Year Party was a great success because of the children, teachers and staff’s co-operation. A special thanks to all our crèche children for beginning the year with great energy and excitement.
iv. Doctors Visit:- Every month the doctor visits the crèches. The children in the Banaswadi crèche were diagnosed with Vitamin A deficiency and the doctor prescribed the supplement which was then bought and distributed among the children.
In Indiranagar 2 children were diagnosed with a skin infection, medication was prescribed and the children were asked to return to the crèche after the rashes had healed as it may spread to the other children.
Apart from these minor health issues the children in the crèches are all well.
v. Height and Weight :- Every month a regular height and weight check is done for all the children in all the crèches. Increase in growth parameters is a clear indicator that the nutrition provided is a very important component of the crèche services.
vi. Trip to Neelbagh:- On the 1st of March 2017 the entire staff from Ashraya- (admin, crèches and women’s centre staff) went on a trip to Neelbagh School. This is the first time all the teachers were visiting the school project which is also run by Ashraya. On the way to the school the group also visited two beautiful temples Kaivara and Kailasagiri.
Kaivara is a famous temple located in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka ;7 kms away is a beautiful temple named Kailasgiri with 5 different gods that is carved inside a big cave. It was a wonderful experience.
The next stop was Neelbagh School where we were warmly received by the Principal Mr. Manjunath. A delicious lunch was prepared by the staff which we all enjoyed. It was an opportunity for the Neelbagh staff to meet the rest of the staff of Ashraya. It was an enjoyable trip and everyone headed back to Bangalore to reach their homes by late evening.
vii. PTA Meeting:- This round of Parent Teacher meetings are the last for this year as most of the children are applying to join regular, formal school.
The parents were informed about the RTE (Right To Education) criteria and regulations and the necessary documents that are required while filing for the RTE.
The teachers will be helping the parents in filling the forms for RTE and school application. The teachers will also be coaching the children on how to conduct themselves at the school interviews.
The parents are very happy to see a change in their children. They have appreciated all the hard work put in by the teachers ; the parents have stated that their children blossomed in the stimulating environment, gained good health and learned manners and good habits and were coached well to join formal schools. .
We wish the children all the very best in their formative years.
Quarterly Report October to December 2016
October 2016 was a month of festivals- Dussehra and Diwali- the festival of lights. The crèche children enjoyed a few holidays and treats from donors.
Ashraya hosted the annual Diwali party for all the crèche teachers and helpers at the end of October 2016. The staff was given lunch and a few of them exhibited their talents with singing and reading a poem.
The annual New Year party for all the crèche children is being held in January 2017. The children from each crèche perform group items – song or dance; as the children are in the age group of 2 ½ to 5 years the teachers start practice sessions early. The last month has seen a flurry of activity with practice sessions etc.
Along with these activities the regular routine of teaching, creative work and play time has been continuing. Many children have moved on to writing alphabets and numbers on slates. With improved fine motor co ordination they will move on to writing with pencils.
This quarter, numerous volunteers have been spending time at the different crèches and this has enhanced the quality of the creative art, craft and other activities that they have introduced for the children.
At the Indiranagar crèche the volunteers organized a sports day for the children and gave them special gifts.
Nutrition: an important aspect of the crèche program has seen the children gain weight and height. The regular doctor’s visits has ensured that apart from minor colds and coughs the children have been in good health.
Parent Teachers Interaction- this quarter the meeting with the parents has helped parents understand the importance of giving the children good nutrition at home and also maintaining hygiene in daily living. The parents were appreciative of the nutrition given to their children.
The parents were encouraged to follow through on the daily routine set in the crèches.
The creches continue to be a safe haven for the children ensuring that they spend the early formative years in a stimulating environment and have access to a healthy nutritious diet.
A big thank you from all of us at Ashraya to all the donors supporting this project- we could not have done this without you.
SEASONS GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE DONORS AND MEMBERS OF GLOBAL GIVING
Current strength of the crèches
Shivajinagar - 46
Banaswadi - 36
Indiranagar - 32
Avalahalli – 36
Siddapura – 30
Nelamangala - 21
Report for the Quarter June2016 to September 2016
Ashraya’screches for children two and half years to 4 years of age reopened in June 2016 after a short summer break. The 6 creches saw a large no of new admissions and a few of the older children also returned for another year before they join regular school.
All the children settled into the routine fairly quickly. Below is the details is the total number of children in each creche.
Avalhalli Creche - 33
Banaswadi Creche - 36
Shivajinagar Creche - 45
Siddapura Creche - 27
Nelamangala Creche - 22
Indirangar Creche - 33
In the first two months the children are engaged in learning colours, picture reading with flash cards and picture charts, orally, to help them recognize and verbalize. Alphabets and numbers are also taught orally during this time.
The children do various activities like coloring, drawing, dancing and singing new rhymes; they also play outdoor and indoor fun games. Some of the activities include playing with building blocks, beads etc. These activities help the children to be creative and also help them understand the basic concepts of letter numbers coloursetc more easily.
All these activities help the children to learn thing with fun and creates eagerness in them, hence making it easy to help them understand the concepts faster.
Children are taughtboth English and Kannada rhymes with lots of action. Story telling is engaged in once a week ; these stories are simple with a value highlighted in it.
In the month of August and September the children start learning to writing on slates with chalk . The children start scribbling first and slowly the teacher starts teaching them to write letters and numbers.
The older children write in notebooks and are made to practice numbers and alphabets. A wide variety of resource material is used to work with the children and this makes the learning more enjoyable.
Each month the teachers pick a topic - animals, shapes, transport, colours and help the children learn more about these by using drawing, charts, picture books and other activities .
Doctors Visit:- Once a month the doctor visits the crèches and checks the children. Due to the inclement weather the children have coughs and colds and the doctor prescribes medicines accordingly.
Health: Immunization details are checked and parents are encouraged to get them done if not done. All the children get a nutritious mid day meal and a snack before leaving for home.
Height and Weight:- Every month the children’s heights and weights are checked to ensure that their general health is steadily improving.
Parents Teacher Meeting:- Every Quarter Parents Teacher meetings (PTM) are held where the children abilities and potential are discussed be it play activity, oral recitation, confidence . The parents are encouraged to follow some of the good practices learnt at the creche at home as well such as hygiene, eating habits etc. The parents in turn give their feedback be it appreciation on how well their children are doing -health wise and in terms of new things learnt.
Volunteers: Many volunteers spend time with the children in the creches and bring with a varied no of ideas and activities for the children.
Sports Activities:- Volunteers Ms. Sinchana and Ms. Prathima along with the teacher and assistant teacher organized a fun filled sports day on 24th September 2016 for the Indiranagar Creche Children. They ensured that all the children got a turn to play in different games. They also invited afew of their friends to volunteer and help in organizing the sports day for the children. The children enjoyed the sports activities and each child was given a gift and a well designedcertificate for their participation.
The festival season has started in India and the children will enjoy Dussehra and Diwali in the coming month.
GLOBAL GIVING REPORT FOR APRIL TO JUNE 2016
ASHRAYA NEELBAGH SCHOOL
The school re-opened on 15th May 2016 for the new academic year after a 2 month summer break.
Results
2015-2016 Class X board exams were held in April 2016 and the results were announced in May 2016. Once again the students of Class X scored cent percent results with all 30 students having scored 1st classes with 12 students scoring distinctions-(above 85 %). Two students are Kolar district toppers in Kannada medium SSLC board Examination- Divya 96.3% and Nagarjuna 96.1 %.
The students of all the other classes have been promoted to the next class.
New Admission
In May 2016 , 67 new admissions were taken – 35 in the Lower Kindergarten and 2-5 extra in each class- the strength of each class in now 35. This was done to provide opportunity for more needy students to get an education.
Total strength - Girls 210; Boys 218 - Total 418 ( 100 students in the hostel)
Rain Rain...
Neelbagh School has received very good rains during the last 6 months and replenished all the water sources - tanks and bore wells. The school will not face a water crisis this year.
Vocational Training
A series of dance and vocational training workshops are being planned for the current academic year.
Parents Teacher Meeting
The first Parent Teacher Meeting for the academic year was held in June and it was well attended by majority of the parents. They were oriented to the various facilities available to the students, rules and philosophy of the school, child protection guidelines were discussed with the teachers and parents and parents were encouraged not to use harsh punishment with the children at home.
The new students were assigned respective houses and the first monthly drawing competition was held.
Class X students presented a cultural program –drama “health is Wealth”, folk songs, group dance and Kolata were appreciated by all.
ASHRAYA CRECHES REPORT FOR THE QUARTER APRIL TO JUNE 2016
During the months of April and May the children in the crèches were preparing to start their summer vacations and also join formal schools.
The crèches were closed for a two week summer break.
Happy and Sad Moment
The month of May was mixed with happy and sad emotions. Many children were leaving and an equal number were joining as well.
The older children left us with a happy note. The parents thanked Ashraya and the teachers for doing a commendable job. They appreciated the efforts of the teachers in enabling a positive and stimulating environment in the crèches and allowing the child to learn and develop through a holistic approach. The children gain good nutrition, hygiene habits and discipline in daily activities. Overall this year we had 144 children join regular schools from al the crèches .
New admission
New admissions are accepted in the month of June. ( Children are 3-5 years of age ). Applications are screened for the appropriate age and criteria and admissions are finalized. This year we have enrolled 158 new children. Currently we have a total of 206 children in all the creches.
The first two weeks the crèches function for half day to allow the children settle down. Third week onwards the crèches are functioning for the fll day as the children have settled down. The teachers make the children play with toys and sing rhymes to distract the children.
All the children get a nutritious meal in the afternoon. The first lessons taught are on personal hygiene – washing hands before a meal, eat neatly without spilling etc
Doctor’s Visit
Regular doctor’s visits were started.
Parents Teacher Meeting
The first parent teacher meetings were held , the parents were given an opportunity to express their views, a majority of the parents were happy to see how cheerful and happy the children were. They were briefed on importance of maintaining hygiene and regular attendance etc.
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