“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” – Carl Rogers
Welcome Green School Families,
What a nice start to the year with the New Parent Orientation program on Monday and the beautiful Balinese ceremony on Tuesday. We have already had the pleasure of speaking to so many of you and once again we can say that we have added another incredible group of families to the Green School community.
We still have a few buildings that we are completing which will be done very shortly: kitchen, music studio, drama studio and Welcome Center. None of these hold up any excellence in the classroom as we have facilities where these programs already take place. The new Welcome Center at the West Entrance will be done in the next two weeks and then we will complete the layout for seating, table and chairs. We want this to be a community center and a place of relaxation (as well as productivity for some). We will also have other places being developed around campus which we will update you on as they materialize.
Please enjoy our first newsletter of the year and please try to have a read each week so you can see the experience your children are getting here on campus.
We look forward to a great year ahead together. And we genuinely thank all families, new and returning, for entrusting us with your children and being part of this special community.
Thank you.
In this issue:
Green School News
- Green School Heartbook Now Available at Welcome Desk
- Green School Students and Staff Participate in Sulawesi Development Project
- Important information
- Clover Hogan’s BAWA Video: Engaged and Inspired Learning in Action!
- Heart of School: Students and Teachers Only Please During the School Day
- Green School Teachers Show Off Their Creative Talents
- GREEN SCHOOL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (GSCA) UPDATES
Upcoming Events
- Back to School Seminyak Beach Party Tomorrow: August 24!
- GS Yoga Studio Classes Begin Monday, 26 August
- John Hardy’s Living in Bali Course Begins Next Thursday, 29 August
- Parent Information Sessions Begin Thursday, 28 August at 9:00 AM
- Parent Mornings Begin Friday, 30 August at 8:30 AM
- After-School Activities to Begin on Monday, 2 September
- Guitar Lessons with Pak Paul
- Back to School Picnic, Thursday, 5 September
- Sports Update from Pak Colin
- Second Green School Educator Course Scheduled for 27-29 September
- Soulshine Festival to Rock Green School: December 27 and 28
Media & Other Links
Also in the Green School Community
- Living Food Lab – Deals and Programs
- Hubud Presents Pecha Kucha!
- Goodbye from Ben Macrory
- Our own weekly news
Green School News
Green School Heartbook Now Available at Welcome Desk
This year we are very please to offer instead of a school handbook the Green School Heartbook. It’s an informative document that gives all of the vital information about the functioning of the school, but we have also designed it to be a tool that helps to grow the sense of community that we cherish so much here. We encourage all Green School parents, teachers, students and staff to read it! Copies are now available from Yani at the Welcome Desk in the Heart of School. We request that each family pick up one copy from her to study carefully. We’ll also get an online version up on the website soon.
Green School Students and Staff Participate in Sulawesi Development Project
While school was not yet in session, a few Green School students met up with students from Big Mountain Youth Society (BMYS) to work on a development project in Sulawesi. With representatives from Grade 6,8,9, and 10, the Green School youth set out to the town of Ara, in South Sulawesi. With 2000 locals, Ara has many kids, but very few resources for them. It was our goal to create a media lab that the community could use to develop IT skills. Since the area has no wired internet, the first challenge was to equip the computers with enough resources to ensure they would provide value to the community members.
BMYS worked in cooperation with several NGOs in Canada to acquire 20 second hand laptops. After installing Edubuntu Education Suite on each of these along with Indonesian language packs, they were ready to visit the small seaside town. After several days of collecting desks, setting up power supplies, and networking the laptops, our students successfully looked upon a complete computer lab that any school could be proud of. It also brought a lot of fanfare from local officials, with the head of education for the region dropping by for the inauguration. He told me that he loved the project, and had 19 more regions in which he would love to see computer labs set up. Whew… there is some work ahead of us.
Another aspect of our experience in Sulawesi was to look after the environment. For several mornings we did an intensive beach cleanup on the 50 meters of beach directly in front of where we were staying. On the third day, when all the students had already had enough nitpicking through plastic debris, we were joined by SMA 12, a local high school that has been acknowledged as the greenest school in Sulawesi. Together, we were able to remove all rubbish from between the high and low tide marks. Alas, there was much much much more to get, but that may be a better job for an entire village (insert project idea here!). We also taught the students ultimate frisbee or the beach, and they taught us traditional dances.
In 10 days our group accomplished a surprising amount. We had established a computer lab, and taught both teachers and students the fundamentals of the system. We left the village with a wealth of interesting media, and a slightly cleaner beach. We also established a connection with another school that shares a vision of a greener future. What a trip!
To read a full account from the students, check out the blog BMYS created!
Pak Noan
Important information
Here are a few of the nuts and bolts that went out in Pak Andy’s welcome letter a few weeks ago. Just in case you missed any of it:
The School Day
We begin at 8:15am each day and end at 3:15pm (Early Years will send additional information about pick up time). Please plan to have your child at school before 8:15am so that s/he can be present when class starts. The beginning of the day is an important time for students to connect with their classmates and the teacher, and to be part of the morning rituals that set the tone for the day.
After school pick up: School ends at 3:15pm and pick up should be planned for this time. All students who are not engaged in a structured after school activity should be on their way home by 3:45 each day. We do not provide after school supervision outside of organized activitities and we ask that you support us by making sure transportation arrangements are made so that students are picked up by 3:45. Students not involved with a structured activity, but who are accompanied by a parent who is providing supervision, may remain on campus as long as they are under the supervision of their parent. Students may not remain on campus past 3:45 under the supervision of a driver or pembantu. In the past this has proven to cause significant supervision issues for the staff on campus. Thanks for your support!
School Supplies
All students should have the following items:
- a bag or backpack to carry their belongings
- good supply of pencils
- erasers (rubbers)
- colored pencils
- sharpener
- 30cm ruler
- glue stick (optional but always helpful)
- pencil case
- scientific calculator (Grades 6 and up)
- reusable water bottle (new students will be given a new bottle)
- hat—essential!
- small bottle of sunscreen
- PE kit and tennis shoes/runners on PE days (teachers will let you know the days)
- High School and Middle School only: Computer or tablet
Your child’s classroom teacher may request particular items in addition to this list and they will contact you with their requests.
Dress code
At Green School we want our students to be cool and comfortable, but not to be overly-casual. We politely ask all students to be sensible and to use discretion with attire. We appreciate your support in sending your child off each day dressed appropriately for school, particularly making sure that clothes are not excessively dirty and/or torn (though we reserve the right to send them home dirty!). Additionally we ask that you send your children to school in clothes that are free of media images or advertsising. A few additional notes:
- Footwear – Given the rugged nature of the campus, we recommend shoes with closed toes and backs. Though students do wear Flip-flops, they are not recommended for running around and outdoor use.
- Students must wear shoes at all times when walking around the campus, except in classrooms and Heart Of School.
- Physical Education Class (PE) – a change of clothing is essential for every PE lesson. Sun hat, PE shirt, sports shorts, and sports shoes are required.
- Hats – It is a requirement that hats are worn for outdoor activities including break times.
- Clothing advertising alcohol, cigarettes, and/or drugs are not permitted
- Special note for girls: Any female student dressing in excessively short shorts, thin strapped or low cut shirts, and/or any clothes that are unnecessarily revealing will be asked to change or put on a shirt or sarong provided by the school.
**Please label your children’s clothing for easy return! Each year we donate large amounts of “lost” clothing to a local charity. While we feel good about donating to this charity each year, we’d prefer to return items to their rightful owners.
Lunch coupons
For those new to Green School we use lunch coupons when paying for lunch. Lunch coupons are available for purchase at the welcome/concierge desk and cost 20,000Rp for Indonesian menu, 25,000Rp for International menu per meal. You may purchase them individually, on a daily basis, or in larger quantities.
PE and Sports Kits
You may purchase PE kits (300,000) and/or sports uniform (350,00Rp) from Novi who will be stationed by the concierge/welcome desk for the first two weeks, or she can be found on the 2nd floor in Heart of School near the library. All new students will be assigned a house color during the first week or school and new families should wait to buy a PE kit until the house color is known.
Communications
If you are not already familiar with our School Blog I’d like to share the on-line address. We use this blog to communicate weekly classroom updates, share important information and upcoming events, request items for the classroom, and to make you aware of assignments that your child may need to work on at home. Teachers are expected to post weekly and we rely on these posts to stay in contact with you. http://blog.greenschool.org/ Have a look and sign up for automatic updates.
We also use email! Teachers will frequently send email reminders or will contact you to check in about something specific to your child. Teacher emails can be found with teacher profiles on the Green School Website: http://www.greenschool.org/staff/
An important link to our school calendars: http://www.greenschool.org/calendar/
Clover Hogan’s BAWA Video: Engaged and Inspired Learning in Action!
Those of you here last year might remember the Grade 8 Quest Projects, a semester long exercise in academic research, creative expression, and social action. We got this great email from the parents of current Grade 9 student Clover Hogan, who did research into the plight of Bali dogs (not a very happy one– as I sometimes like to say, Bali is the place to become a cat lover…) and whose video is now being used by the Bali Animal Welfare Association
“ It’s just been released on BAWA’s facebook page and already has over 50 shares and quite a few likes (you’ll know what all that means!); also we just found out that a writer friend on seeing the video has committed all the profits from her just released book to BAWA; the Canadian TV producers who were here before the break want to screen it; it’s also being shown at a big animal fundraiser in Australia and Janice the founder of BAWA said it’s the best video that’s ever been produced for them.
Heart of School: Students and Teachers Only Please During the School Day
Green School has to be one of the most parent-friendly campuses in the world, with FREAK Coffee, the Living Food Lab, Green Warung, Parent Yoga (see below), and any number of other ways to be involved and around. However, based on growing student numbers in the High School, we have decided that starting this year that except for lunch time, walking through, or conducting business at the Welcome Desk, parents spending all or part of their days on campus need to generally steer clear of the Heart of School. We are expanding the cafe area to allow for more parent seating, and will also be moving the Welcome Desk out there in the near future. Please do help to ensure that the Heart of School is used primarily as a place of learning for our students and teachers. Terima kasih and thank you for your cooperation!
Green School Teachers Show Off Their Creative Talents
Nature is the best artist and a limitless source of inspiration! And what better place to be inspired than here at Green School! Last week as part of the teacher orientation, all staff were invited to wander around our amazing campus and take a photograph from an alternative viewpoint. What evolved was a collaborative art project that allowed for each of us to view our campus with ‘fresh’ eyes. Here is a sneak preview of the work produced…
GREEN SCHOOL COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (GSCA) UPDATES
Dear Parents
Welcome to the Green School Community Association (GSCA). This is where parents come to support the school and community initiatives. If you see a need at the school, this is where you come to make it happen. Help Green School continue to create a culture of service and appreciation!
Some of you may have had a chance to fill the following survey out on the ipads on Monday at Orientation at the GSCA booth. If you did not we would be most grateful if you would click on the link and spend 5 minutes completing.
The survey includes areas you might be interested in volunteering as well as asking for your background, experience and areas of expertise.
We are aiming for 100 completion by our parent body so please assist our class in achieving that goal.
Class Ambassadors are a parent network with the purpose of building community and connection across all areas at the school.
Meet your Class Ambassadors for 2013/2014
Gecko’s: Dimple Shah
Starlings: Vera Ilyasova
Kindy: Stacy Porteus
Grade 1: Dulcie Ford
Grade 2a: Jean Christophe (JC) & Sophie Gabler
Grade 2b: Zoe Coyle Beeche
Grade 3a: Lili Tan & Derek Montgomery
Grade 3b: Blaire Ripple
Grade 4a: Putu Parwati & Wen Ayers
Grade 4b: Michelle Frasher
Grade 5: Maureen Gilbert
Middle School Team:
Insook Park, Joanne Guelke & Michaela MacDonnell
High School Team:
Anne Hockett, Michelle Newton, Erika Carpenter, Shigeko Gentry & Lisa Bell
Sincerely,
Jo Guelke
Parent Ambassador Coordinator
joguelke@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Back to School Seminyak Beach Party Tomorrow: August 24!
Dear Families,
This Saturday, August 24, is the Back to School Beach Party at Double 6 Beach in Seminyak. The event will begin at noon and we will gather in front of Crystal Palace restaurant. Below is a map link to the Double 6 area:
On the map you will notice a pin with the letter A–this is Cocoon Beach Club, a very easy to find restaurant and club at the entrance to the beach. From this spot you will head North West (to the right if you are facing the ocean) along the beach. As you walk along the beach you will notice a string of restaurants on your right, one of them is a white building and is called Crystal Palace.
Hope to see you all there on Saturday!
GS Yoga Studio Classes Begin Monday, 26 August
One of the many highlights of last year was the opening of our incredible yoga studio, perched high above the Ayung River with beautiful breezes flowing through. I’m feeling more calm just thinking about it. We start Monday with three morning classes per week that are open to parents, friends, visiting family, whomever! You can see the schedule below, along with a nice review of the studio here. (Granted, it may be a bit biased as the Yogi Times publishers are GS parents Sophie and JC– but we’ll take what we can get!) http://www.yogitimes.com/review/green-school-yoga-studios-ubud-bali-classes/
Classes cost IDR 80,000 per session on a drop-in basis or IDR 600,000 for a
- Monday 9.30am-10.15 Heart of Yoga with Naren
- Tuesday 9.00am-10.30 Hatha/Vinyasa Flow level 1/2 Sub teacher (Janet)
- Wednesday 9.00am-10.30 Yoga in motion with Satya (August 28th only, Heart of Yoga with Naren, 45 mins)
- Friday 9.15am-10.45 Vinyasa flow level 2 Jo
John Hardy’s Living in Bali Course Begins Next Thursday, 29 August
Parent Information Sessions Begin Thursday, 28 August at 9:00 AM
For those new to Green School (and anyone else interested) who are interested in learning more about our Pedagogy, the Three Frame Day (Three Frames of Learning), and student-centred learning we are offering two informational sessions (repeat sessions) on August 28th at 9am, and Sept 4 at 2pm. Pak Shaun will present.
Parent Mornings Begin Friday, 30 August at 8:30 AM
The last Friday of each month beginning at 8:30 am you will have an opportunity to meet with the Principal, Andy Slavin, and the School Director, Chris Thompson.
The first session is Friday, August 30. This will be a great time to ask questions about the school and the educational program and to share thoughts and ideas. We hope you will join us!
After-School Activities to Begin on Monday, 2 September
We’re hard at work putting together a great roster of after-school activities for students of all ages. These will begin on Monday, September 2.
Look for the details in next week’s newsletter please!
Guitar Lessons with Pak Paul
In the meantime, here is info on Pak Paul’s guitar lessons. Both his group and individual classes were well subscribed last year, and based on the music emanating from the classroom, highly effective!
Back to School Picnic, Thursday, 5 September
Please join us on Thursday, September 5 for our Back to School Picnic. We will begin at 3:45 with a short gathering in the Mepantigan (or another venue as there is currently a major upgrade underway) followed by individual classroom meetings. We’ll end the afternoon with a picnic dinner on the field at 5:15. Please bring yourself a picnic dinner and join us on the field! Ibu Kadek will also be providing food for sale as will the Living Food Lab. Stay tuned for menu options! Supervision for your children will be provided on the field and in the gym during the presentations. We hope to make this event a zero waste event–please minimize or eliminate any potential waste including packaging, plastic wrap, and anything else that will need to be thrown away. We request that you bring utensils, as well as cups and plates, from home that can be taken with you when you leave.
Sports Update from Pak Colin
Dear Parents
BSSA Soccer:
Football(Soccer) season is upon us and practices start next week!
Students have already been signing up in the gym.
Practice days:
Monday: 9/10 boys: Pak Eduardo and Pak Peter
Tuesday: 11/12 boys: Pak Sal 13/14 boys: Pak Kyle
Wed: 6-8s with Pak Yeshi, Pak Mark and Ibu Janaina
Thursday: 13/14 girls: Ibu Jackie G, 15+ girls: Pak Colin
Friday: 15+ boys: Pak Jade
Training starts next week of Monday 26 August and are 3.15-4.30pm
Round robin matches will be on 4,11 and 18 September and coaches will send details on exact times and venues out shortly!
Important things:
-Kids have to wear their green and white Green School kit for matches.They don’t have to wear boots but but have proper trainers at least. Unfortunately we had a supplier problem so sports kits are late this year. Please see Ibu Novi in HOS for these on Monday 2 September.
Please fill in the BSSA Permission form which coaches will either e-mail or send to you with your child. Students cannot go offsite to matches until these are returned.
Teams will travel in bemos with coaches. They leave 2pm and return by 5pm. Please inform coaches if you’re collecting your child from the match venue. 9/10s-13/14s will be palying in the Canggu/Seminyak area and 6-8s in the Sanur area.
- Behaviour on the bemos, sportsmanship on and off the field(players, parents and coaches) are very important at Green School.
- Team selection: At GS we like to give all players a fair go, however when it comes to close games, semis and finals, we play your best side. At GS we want to win, but we also try give all players a fair go. Participation is very important to us and in the BSSA, and the emphasis is on fun and games played in good spirit!
PE and SPORTS Kits:
Due to problems with our supplier, kits will arrive late so there may not be sizes in all house colors available right now. Please check with Ibu Novi in HOS by Monday 2 September. In the mean time kids can wear any sporty clothes to PE and need to bring a change of clothes. Proper footwear, hats, sunblock(Middle and High School only) and water bottles are a must. Apologies for the delay and inconvenience!
Parent Vigilance:
After school all students need to be waiting at the Warung or Field(except soccer season) to be picked up, unless they have an organized after school activity. No students are allowed in the gym after school unless they have after school sports. Students not doing an after school activity need to be off campus by 3.45pm.
Due to construction work near the gym and team sports on the field, please keep children away from these areas.
Soon to come, details on volleyball and basketball community games….Please check the Weekly newsletter regularly for Sports updates!
Many thanks!
Pak Colin
Second Green School Educator Course Scheduled for 27-29 September
This September, we will be running our 2nd Green School Educator Course, which will be specifically tailored for Early Years and Primary School teachers and administrators from around the world. Participants will spend 3 days learning about the Green School pedagogy while staying overnight in our Green Camp accommodations. The course will be led by Green School teachers, providing our participants with an enriching educational experience. Through this engaging, experiential course, participants will not only learn about the theory of our pedagogy but also experience it in practice. Each participant will leave with an understanding of our Early Years and Primary School programs as well as with their own toolbox of innovative teaching strategies to bring home.
Dates: September 27 – 29, 2013
Location: Green School, Bali
Cost: $497 – Price includes the workshop materials, meals and accommodation
Please note: We will be offering 5 scholarships to Indonesian teachers.
For more information about the course and to register, please visit; www.greenschool.org/greeneducator
Soulshine Festival to Rock Green School: December 27 and 28
Michael Franti and Green School are hosting a benefit festival for Bumi Sehat Natural Birthing Clinic and Green School’s Indonesian Scholarship Fund on December 27 and 28. The Soulshine Festival is a family-friendly music and environmental festival, taking place over 2 days on the Green School campus from 11 am to 2 ameach day. Tickets went on sale online on August 1 at Early Bird prices and the Early Bird price is being extended until Sept. 15 only!!!! After September 15, ticket prices will go up. Space is limited and this festival WILL SELL OUT!!! All of the details are at www.soulshinefestival.com
The main stage of musical acts will feature performances by Michael Franti and Spearhead as well as many more amazing artists including Nahko, Trevor Hall, Ethan Tucker and many, many more. In addition, the Soulshine Festival will also feature an environmentally-themed series of award-winning speakers and films, morning yoga, an EcoKids Zone, hands-on workshops, vendors and food booths, and social and environmental organizations tables and forums. Please see the Soulshine Festival website for the full lineup.
We are offering a very special ticket price for the Green School community of families, teachers and staff– those who can buy tickets in cash and in person at Green School. Please see Yani at the Welcome Desk and buy your Early Bird tickets before September 15. This will be a paper-free ticket process, so each person with a ticket will need to have a name on the “Will Call” list. Yani will take your email address and you will receive an electronic ticket confirmation. Adults will need to present ID at the festival for admission.
Green School Community Soulshine Festival General Admission tickets will be available at the following Early Bird prices (going up after September 15):
Adults: 450,000 rp. per day/800,000 rp. for both days (must specify which day)
Kids under 5: free
Kids age 5-12: 150,000 rp. Kids Festival Pass good for either 1 or 2 days
Kids over 12: Adult price
There will also be special VIP areas at the festival available at a premium price, with tickets available online at www.soulshinefestival.com. Remember, this is a fundraiser for 2 great causes, so you can feel great about having a great time : )
Media & Other Links
GS in the Media
Green School continues to attract an extraordinary amount of media coverage from around the world (case in point: today alone we have film crews from Bali and Brazil visiting us!). In this week’s newsletters you’ll find Parts 1 & 2 of a MakeChange TV documentary on GS, as well as a case study on our innovative architecture that was published by one of China’s foremost bamboo specialists. (This would be a good time to brush up on your Mandarin…)
Social Media Reminder
Although we’re located in the middle of the jungle, Green School tried very hard to keep up with the rapidly changing social media environment of the 21st Century. Among other channels of communication, we encourage all parents to join the GS Parents FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenschoolparents/
We’d also be really grateful if every parent “liked” our Green School public FB page: https://www.facebook.com/greenschool, and helped us to continue sharing the GS story by sharing our posted with your own social networks.
GS Participates in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge
We entered, but didn’t advance in, the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, an annual competition focused on game-changing innovative projects around the world. If interested, you can see our application below, along with those of many other great initiatives: http://goo.gl/cG6xQ3
Also in the Green School Community & Beyond
Living Food Lab – Deals and Programs
Hi All! Hope you are as excited as we are at the Lab for the beginning of the school year. Welcome to all the new families joining the community!
If you have not yet met us, the Living Food Lab is a teaching kitchen which serves raw, organic food with no store bought ingredients, no wheat and no dairy.
As the year starts, we wanted to tell you about a few programs we run at the Living Food Lab to help getting good food into your learning little ones.
1) Smoothie Club
Every morning, there will be a small smoothie waiting for enrolled students as they walk into school in the morning. Every day is a bit different, but the morning smoothies always have at least one fruit, one vegetable and a superfood. And they are a different colour each day!
(25,000/week, 90,000/month – If you are new to Rupiah, that is around $2.5 a week, $9 a month)
2) Snack Wheel
Every day at snack time (10am) there will be a snack wheel ready for the students that have seven things…some fruit, some veggies, a dip, some raw crackers, a sweet treat, etc) For the kids in kindy and younger, we deliver them to the classes during snack time!
(100,000/week, 375,000/month)
For both the Smoothie Club and the snack wheels, it is 450,000/month). Sign up at the Living Food Lab.
3) Tab System
We run a tab system, where you can prepay an amount (ex. 300,000) and you or your children can order and we deduct the amount from your balance. No more lost lunch/snack money! Talk to us about starting a tab anytime.
4) Take Away
All of our drinks are available by the bottle so you can take them with you, and any of our food can be ordered for take away. Just ask!
Looking forward to a great year!
In health,
Living Food Lab Team
Hubud Presents Pecha Kucha!
Hubud is a community coworking space based in Ubud and started by three Green School families. It is a collaborative workspace with over 100 members, including freelancers, coaches, tech startup teams, filmmakers, NGO’s and dreamers. Come check us out at www.hubud.org, or get in touch at team@hubud.org.
Next Tuesday is Pecha Kucha night, our marquee event that we hold at Betelnut once a month. PK is a rapid talk format (think a mini-TED talk) with a tight format of 20 slides, 20 seconds for each slide! Talks are snappy, visually amazing and always conversation provoking!
Join us next Tuesday night (27 August) for the 11th in the series, and meet some of the 250-300 people typically coming out for one of the best nights in Bali!
Hope to see you there.
Goodbye from Ben Macrory
This really does seem to be the end for me– this will be my last newsletter and I’m about to attend my final GS assembly (and MC my final Mepantigan Festival) in an official capacity. It’s been an amazing nearly six years at Green School– thanks to all of you and terima kasih for everything. Charris Ford steps in as my most worthy successor, and I know that this community will show him all the love and support its given me here. I’ll be in Bali for at least a few more months, so no doubt you’ll see me once in a while sitting in forlornly at FREAK Coffee and maybe even jumping in to lead just one more tour of the Campus. But I will miss this place and all of you immensely!!!!
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