Neelbagh Rural Residential School

Ashraya Neelbagh School and Ashraya Crèches continue to provide opportunities to underprivileged children from below poverty line families; Out of the total of 351 children studying at Neelbagh, we currently have 177 girls and 174 boys studying.  Currently, the hostel has a total 101 children, out of which 90 are children of migrant laborers.

The School closed on October 17th for Dussehra holidays. The children were very excited to finish their exams on 17th and leave to their homes for a ten day long break. A Parents’ teachers’ meeting was called for on the last day of School i.e. 17th October 2012. The meeting helped to update the parents on the performance of their children and improve their awareness on various subjects. The highlights of the meeting were:

• The parents were educated about the RTE Act, under which their children have the ‘Right’ to good education in any school/college and how it could be utilized in order to continue their education in colleges after schooling at Neelbagh.
• Cleanliness and hygiene issues were addressed with parents. They were also advised to keep their homes and their surroundings clean to prevent infections and illnesses, such as dengue, etc.
• A separate meeting was held with the parents of slow learners who were told about the importance of their participation, to help the child grow and learn better. They were advised to be present with the child when they are doing their home work, to motivate them, even if they are unable to help them. The parents were counseled to make the environment peaceful and conducive for their children to help them do well in School and for their overall well- being.
• A meeting with Grade 10 students was held along with their parents in order to motivate them to work hard for the final SSLC exams. The students were given a time table, to follow, during the break and the parents were informed about their schedule so that they enforce it in their homes.

The School reopened on 28th October and the campus was bustling with noise and activity, as the teachers and children were back to the grind. The month of November and December were filled with activities and workshops for seniors and juniors likewise. Art, Yoga, Dance and Theatre workshops provided an opportunity to explore students' creative and artistic interests, hone their talents, and develop self-management and interpersonal skills.

On the academic front, the senior (10th grade) children have been busy preparing for the preparatory exams in January and remedial classes are being conducted after regular school hours to help students with difficult subjects. Teachers spend time after school hours to help slow learners. Day scholars of 10th Grade joined the boarding in early January to benefit from special classes. Children are seen studying very hard for the upcoming final exams in January and March.

The New Year's eve was celebrated with great pomp and show. The evening had special cultural programmes such as singing, dance and drama by our talented children. They enjoyed themselves and welcomed the New Year with great enthusiasm.

An interesting collaboration with Adelphi University is being considered, through the volunteer organization, ‘Leave Your Mark’, to strengthen Ashraya’s Volunteer Program, in which their internship students, with a passion to teach, can volunteer with the children at Neelbagh School.

Cultural, Sports and events

The kids had a great time at the Cultural and Sports events that were held in this quarter. It included competitions in various sports such as kabadi, throwball, cricket, basketball, long jump and baseball. In cultural programmes children actively participated in folk singing and dance competition and free style group dance competition. These various events helped to bring out their hidden talents.

The ancient Greek philosopher, scientist and physician once said that individuals are known by what they repeatedly do – and if this is true, excellence and achievement are not an act but a habit.

Yet again, students from Neelbagh school participated in the annual inter school essay competition held on 14th of December 2012. Around 62 schools competed but Neelbagh transcended others. The topic given was “The importance of Ozone”.  Three of our high school students participated and are the winners of this year’s Kolar district level essay writing contest.

The first, second and third place was bagged by Ashraya Neelbagh School.Jayasree of 10th grade won the first place, followed by her classmate Manikanta - second and their junior Beemanandha of 9th grade won the third place.

Kolar district’s senior officers, Mr. Jalaluddin, C.E.O- Zilla Panchyat,Mr.Padmanabh, Deputy Director Public Education Institute, Mr. Md. Kalil, Block Education Officer and Mr. Vishwanth ,District commissioner distributed Certificates of commendation to the winners.

The entrants enjoyed researching, reading for and writing their essays as much as their science teacher enjoyed mentoring them.

Workshops and Enhanced learning opportunities provided by the School:

1. Yoga Workshop – From 5th to 8th November the workshop was conducted by              Ms. Sukanya from Art of Living gave senior students the practical knowledge and techniques to unlock their deepest potential and bring fullness to life. Whether happy and successful or feeling the stress of poor health, disappointments, or fear, every student was cared for and came away lighter, with effective techniques for releasing mental and physical stress and increasing his or her health, energy, peace, self-knowledge, awareness, and joy.

2. Art Workshop – on 2nd and 3rd November the workshop was conducted by Mr. Umesh Kumar taught the students that ART, wherein ‘A’ stands for building ATTENTION, ATTITUDE and AWARENESS,‘R’ stands for creating ‘Response’, and ‘T’ takes them TOWARD awareness  of  Self and Surrounding. Students were made aware about the dynamism in the creation of art that is fuelled by factors such as medium and techniques of art.

3. Career Counselling workshops – on 28th November and 4th of December the workshop was for the ninth and tenth grade students respectively. It provided an understanding to the students the importance of one’s academic potential, attribute, personality, talents, interest, expectation, resource, strength and weakness while choosing a course for a right career at the right time for a bright future.

4. Dance and Theatre workshops – Students from 5th to 10th grades are encouraged to participate in these workshops. It’s a source of fun and entertainment for the children. This workshop was conducted by Mr. Anand on 30th November and on 1st December. The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshop.

Crèches

The crèches at Shivajinagar, Yelahanka and Sidapura have been running in an efficient manner. The Social worker made three visits in this quarter to monitor and evaluate the functioning and maintenance of the crèches. The doctor also paid monthly visits to the crèches to monitor the general health of the children. Progress in health and nutrition is evaluated and he also advises the teachers on nutritional requirements so that they can inform the families.

•       The Shivajinagar crèche had a total strength of 50, 50 and 52 children in the months of October, November and December, respectively.
•       The Sidapura crèche had a total strength of 25, 25 and 27 children in the months of October, November and December, respectively.
•   The Yelahanka crèche had a total strength of 20, 20 and 21 children in the months of October, November and December, respectively.

An average of about 98 - 101 children attended the three crèches in this quarter.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors and want to reiterate that you are making a huge difference to the lives of these children.