“The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.”
Moliere
Dear Green School,
Happy Friday! The week really seemed to rush by here. We are gearing up for lots of big events here over the next ten days, including the High School Greenstock Carnival and Cabaret Evening on Friday, 19 April and a big Earth Day celebration on Monday the 22nd. We’re hoping to see a big turnout for these, and also looking forward to seeing all the Greenest Student on Earth entries (if your child is waiting until the last minute to apply, our very talented new videographer Mauricio will be leading a workshop this coming Monday on how to make a simple video). Details on all of this and much, much more are below. Terima kasih and thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
In this issue:
Green School News
1. Greenest Student On Earth: The Clock is Ticking!
2. Monday, 15 April at 3:30: Learn How to Make a Video with Mauricio!
3. Greenstock Carnival: Friday 19 April After School. Bring Us Your used Clothes!
4. Monday, 22 April: Green School Celebrates Earth Day
5. High School Enterprise: Credit Card Debt Calculator
6. Green School Pool, Refreshed and Refreshing
7. BSSA Sports Update from Pak Colin
Upcoming Events
1. Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 12-5: Pak Nick the Insurance Guy Visits GS
2. Save the Date: Wednesday, 12 June 2013: First Annual Green Stone Project Conference
Media and Links
1. GS in Green Teacher Magazine
2. TEDx Talk on Cleaning the Oceans
3. The Importance of Outdoor Play
4. Email of the Week
Also in the Green School Community
1. April 26: Kartini Day Fundraiser for Women’s Health
2. Our own weekly news
Green School News
Greenest Student On Earth: The Clock is Ticking!
Kaia updates us on the Greenest Student on Earth award. Applications are due in ten days:
Last week, we posted a great example of a Greenest Student on Earth video entry from Grade 8 student Louis Robinson. He is designing a body board bag from recycled materials in Bali to raise money for homeless youth. Within 3 days of Louis’s video being online, a designer approached him with an offer to produce his bags in her factory.
Here is Louis’s video:
There are so many other inspiring stories to be told…this contest is an amazing opportunity for kids to tell the world what they are up to, and get support. The deadline is April 22.
All of the details are available at www.greenschool.org/greeneststudentonearth
Don’t think you are “green” enough? Our search for the “Greenest Student on Earth” is a direct response to the “Greenest School on Earth” award we received last year. We know we’re not better than all of the schools in the world, we’re just one example of many schools making a difference. Similarly, we’re not expecting any student who enters this competition to be better than all the other students. Just that they are an example of the many children making a difference. We want to put a spotlight on all the amazing students out there – both those at Green School and others all around the world – doing something positive for the environment.
Entrants have been as simple as caring for the compost heap, or writing a song about the environment, and they are all inspiring! All entries will be featured on the Green School website between April 22 and June 5, when three will be selected to receive one-year scholarships for next year.
Monday, 15 April at 3:30: Learn How to Make a Video with Mauricio!
As the contest deadline approaches, we are hosting “HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO” session on Monday after school at 3:30 in Heart of School with resident Green School documentarian Mauricio Camacho for all students and families interested. You must bring a smart phone, camera with video, or a laptop (or share with a friend).
Come see how easy it is to make a video in 5 minutes or less.
Greenstock Carnival: Friday 19 April After School. Bring Us Your used Clothes!
The High School Greenstock Carnival is taking place next Friday. As a reminder, there will be a wide range of activities and musical performances (the Gypsy Cavemen have just been confirmed to play; we’re still trying to line up Janis and Jimi…) and it should be a great afternoon, followed by our second annual Cabaret Evening at 6:30 PM. Greenstock tickets are Rp. 20,000 for adults, Rp. 10,000 for kids. Cabaret tix are Rp. 50,000 apiece. Our Balinese neighbors get in for free. Please help us spread the word! Meanwhile, the High School is requesting donations of used clothing for a groovy Greenstock project. See the details below:
We are now gearing up to Greenstock. we want to build a huge peace symbol on the field on the day. To do this we would like everyone to bring in used clothing that they no longer want and we will use the clothing to create the symbol. All clothing will then be given to the Smile shop in Ubud and resold for charity. We will accept any used clothing – children, women, mens clothing – that you are happy to donate. There is a collection box at the bottom of the stairs into High School in the Heart of School. Terima kasih for your help!
Monday, 22 April: Green School Celebrates Earth Day
Earth Day is always a big event at Green School of course, and this year is no different. We’ll be making a full day of it, with a variety of programs and activities. We’d love to see as many parents here as possible. Although this probably isn’t set in stone, here’s the current schedule for the day:
8:15-9:00 – Morning assembly featuring Balinese welcome dance, significance of Earth Day, poetry recitals, New Earth day song
9-10 – All school Community cleanup Snack
10:30-12:30 – Earth friendly activities rotation
12:30-1:15 – Lunch
|1:15 – 2:15 – Movies in the classes and getting ready for the afternoon assembly
2:15 – 3:15 – afternoon assembly featuring poetry recitals, songs, animal parade, performances, videos, HS carbon calculator, and introduction to local NGOs
High School Enterprise: Credit Card Debt Calculator
The indefatigable Ibu Nikki informs of us some valuable real world learning taking place in the High School Enterprise class:
This block we are covering Consumerism in one of our Enterprise courses. We are exploring whether or not it is a good thing, the impact it has on individuals, family. the environment and society, and alternatives to consumerism. On Monday we covered credit card debt and how consumerism influences this. Students looked at credit card statements and then calculated how long it would take for a person to pay off a credit card debt if they just paid the minimum balance – fascinating and scary! Parents might like to try out the calculator for themselves: http://student.greenschool.org/tailored/creditcard/creditcard.php
Green School Pool, Refreshed and Refreshing
If you’ve been down to the bridge lately or regularly cross over from the other side of the campus, you may have noticed that our natural spring pool just above the east bank of the Ayung River is looking especially beautiful these days. Thanks so much to Ibu Nina and her team for giving it a thorough cleaning and fixing a few leaks. Chances are we’re never going to hold Olympic time trials or a swim meet down there, but it’s a really lovely spot for a dip. Since the clean-up various Bamboo Villagers have been spotted there and there’s even been a pool party. Feel free to bring your bathing suit to school one day and take the plunge!
BSSA Sports Update from Pak Colin
BSSA Cross Country at Green School!
We’ll be hosting the annual Cross Country meet at Green School on Wednesday 17 April.
Start time 9am!
Could I ask that all spectators(parents and non participants) remain in the warung area side of the field. The gym will be for the competitors of the 10 schools participating plus coaches and officials.
BSSA Athletics:
Athletics training for Primary and Middle School students who’ll be participating in the BSSA event on 4 June will start on Thursday 25 April, 3.30-4.30pm.
We’ve already begun practice with all students in PE lessons.
Community Sports:
Monday and Friday after school: Senior Basketball with Pak Jade
Wednesday after school: Senior Volleyball with Pak Dan
Monday and Tuesday after school: Junior Brazilian soccer with Pak Edurado
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, 23 April 2013, 12-5: Pak Nick the Insurance Guy Visits GS
Once a month Green School’s insurance rep, Pak Nick, visits to process claims with staff. He is also available to meet with any parents who have health insurance questions. He’ll be in the staff area on Level 2 of HOS on the afternoon of Tuesday, 23 April. You can learn more about his company here: www.bhfinancialservices.com
Save the Date: Wednesday, 12 June 2013: First Annual Green Stone Project Conference
The end of the school year is not so far away, and that means we are getting close to graduating our first high school class. Very exciting! Our Grade 12 students are busy working on their Green Stone Projects, a Final Capstone Project Experience that will be presented in a format similar to TED talks on 12 June here at Green School. Below, Ibu Leslie and the HS team explain what the aim of the projects is. What a great way for these students to close out their time at GS.
The Green Stone Project encourages students to dive deep into their passions and interests, and turn these into authentic real world experiences. This is not only a time for students to make personal intentions, but also a time to act on intentions, giving back to their community. Through this project, students focus on individual interests, demonstrate mastery of core skills and gain awareness of their own potential.
Students will observe and analyze an area of academic or personal interest, and translate their ideas into a short presentation, which will be filmed. These productions will stay at Green School, and with the student to take with them into the next phase of their life. Paths that students have chosen are already taking shape and include topics such as “Education Without Institution: Breaking Down the Walls”; and “Wonder Matters: The Forgotten Remedy, Seeing Through the Eyes of a Child”. Students will bring life to their ideas, achieving project goals such as developing project proposals, having an involvement in challenging exciting activities, reflecting on personal strengths and weaknesses, planning and coordinating a conference, and preparing a final presentation, a process preparing them for professional experiences of their future. After months of effort and preparation, students will present their final pieces all day on Wednesday June 12, 2013 at Green School. An exact schedule of which students/projects are in what order is forthcoming.
As part of the Green School community, we encourage our students to embrace this exciting Green Stone Project as a final opportunity to build on their strengths and deliver on what they have always dreamed of doing.
Please join us to celebrate the first annual Green Stone Project and the final academic requirement for our soon to be graduating Grade 12 class.
Media and Links
GS in Green Teacher Magazine
If you haven’t already seen the latest issue of the magazine “Green Teacher”, below you’ll find a link to two articles featuring Green School: http://goo.gl/vaqTU
TEDx Talk on Cleaning the Oceans
GS parent and soccer and surf coach extraordinaire Eduardo Pette sent in this inspiring talk by a young man on how the oceans can clean themselves:
The Importance of Outdoor Play
Pak Andy sent along this interesting article about outside play and children’s behavior and happiness from Positive News: http://goo.gl/kUR78
Email of the Week
Our general tour this past Wednesday had over 50 guests! One of them wrote the following very thoughtful response to her experience at Green School:
Hi there,
Just wanted to say thanks again for a great tour yesterday. I was the Cambodian who spoke briefly to you at the end, with my friends from Indonesia and Philippines. Visiting Green School was meaningful for two reasons:
First: I’m an international school graduate, and have just been hired as the first Alumni officer at my former school – International School of Phnom Penh. I was one of the school’s first students when it started, and became the first student to go through all pre-K to grade 12. Growing up in Cambodia as it came out of conflict meant school was basically the center of my life. No cafes, malls, parks for us. School was the safest place. Having seen the school grow and been there so long, the international school experience means a lot to me. Which is why the Green School was so inspiring in its thoughtfulness and truly empowering learning experience. While I felt successful at graduation, I feel deeply incomplete not ever having grown my own food or mud wrestled. Further, while school provided safe space, it was a bubble, and we grew up very disconnected from our community.
Second, Alumni Officer is my part-time role, but social justice activism is my life’s work. I am a women’s rights activist and came to Bali for a collective learning experience with three other activists from Southeast Asia. Two of us met for the first time on this trip and none of us have ever really worked together. But we found each other at a time when we are all in transition and in search for something we felt was missing in our movement- and that was the freedom to learn (and unlearn), break down, and rebuild our activism all in the pursuit of greater understanding and meaningful social change. During our time together in Bali, we decided we would create a learning institution in the form of a living museum. We are very interested in the story of Green School and the philosophy of Alan Wagstaff, and will be drawing back to it as we continue on this journey. Without our own financial fortunes, we do feel we might a bit bold, but we took away that ‘bold’ was the most essential characteristic of Green School’s founders and builders.
I did ask about the school’s hiring situation for more selfish reasons since my partner is an international educator… we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the School.
Thanks again for a great experience and good luck. You may hear/see us again… Sorry this turned into quite an email!
Devi
Also in the Green School Community and Beyond
April 26: Kartini Day Fundraiser for Women’s Health
Green School parent and activist Amy Cardamone is organizing her annual fundraiser for women’s health issues. Please see flyer and support this worthy cause! http://eepurl.com/xR3iz
Our own weekly news
To submit your own news updates for inclusion, please send it to communications@greenschool.org by 12 noon each Wednesday.We cannot always guarantee inclusion and we may have to delay for a week at times.
Visit the Green School Website: http://www.greenschool.org
Visit the Green School Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/greenschool