“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” – Albert Einstein
Green School wrapped up the week (& the term) with parent teacher conferences and a chance to touch base about student progress. The end of term also saw the completion of another round of thematic units, with kids learning about everything from Balinese heros, human rights, global health, native plant adaptations and the 5th graders topping it all off with a play about Greek mythology!
In this issue:
Green School News
- Parent Information and Educational offerings
- New After School Activities
- Parent, Principal, and Directors Morning on Friday, 31st October at 8:30 AM
- Yoga Schedule
- Green School Students report on APEC 2013
- Students in Grade 6 & 7 start a ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags on Bali’ Campaign
- Welcome Charris Ford, Green School’s new Head of Communications
- Green School Public Tours Moving to 4pm
Upcoming Events.
- Award winning BARAKA filmmakers bring next masterpiece to Green School
- What Do Green School Students Do After Graduation?
Ongoing Events.
- Grades 9 and 10 Orphanage Fundraiser Update
- Bamboo Gallery’s Second Photography Challenge Winners
- The “Trash Class” Reports on our Food Waste Challenge
- Green School Halloween
Media & Links
Also in the Green School Community
Submit future Newsletter items here
Green School News
Parent Information and Educational offerings
Be sure to check out the school lunch menu at: http://www.greenschool.org/community/student-catering-menu/
October:
Oct 19-27: Mid Semester Break, No School
Oct 31st: Parent, Principal, and Director Meeting. Grab a coffee or green juice and bring all your questions and concerns to Pak Andy and Pak Chris in the Mepantigan. 8:30 am
November:
Nov 1: Halloween Lasso. Kids can come to school in Costume on Friday. Please keep costumes school appropriate: No weapons, play or otherwise. No provocative, risqué, or grotesque costumes. Starting at 1:30 we will have healthy trick or treating, a costume contest, and dancing. See article below for more details.
Nov 15 : Middle School Thematic Showcase
Nov 15: Mindfulness Workshop. Come join Pak Yeshi and Ibu Nicola for an introduction to Mindfulness; learn about the benefits of Mindfulness and how it can deeply impact the lives of young children. Tues, November 15th, 9-10:30am in the Meranggi Bale.
Nov 22: High School Showcase
Nov 29: Indonesian Celebration of Art and Culture! Grade 4 Gamelan Performance!
December:
Dec 3: Bamboo Tour. Come learn about the amazing properties and uses of bamboo as well as get a look at an extraordinary bamboo house built right next door to Green School. Tour includes visit to PT Bamboo Pure and will begin at 9am (approximately 2 hours long). Cost is 160,000rp for one person or 240,000rp per couple (120,000rp per person). Please contact the following email address to reserve your spot :tour@greenvillagebali.com Please include the name/s of their child/children and which class/grade they attend at Green School.
Dec 6th: Bamboopalooza. With class stalls, games, vendors (jewelry, home decor, clothing etc), food, drink, live music and a silent auction, this fantastic community building event is a really excellent opportunity for families to come out, socialize and have fun, all for a good cause: our scholarship fund. Volunteers needed! Please contact rachel.glitz@greenschool.org
Dec 10: Insights on Crystal and Indigo Children with Arno Colin, starting at 2pm. Arno is a French healer, naked hand surgeon, full trance medium and spiritual teacher. At the age of five his spiritual life started, at nine he was taken to India to meet spiritual masters, and by the time he turned twelve he was channeling and teaching. Today, at age 47, he is focused on group healings (up to 400 people at a time) and Indian fire purification ceremonies which he performs regularly. He has taught naked hand surgery and healing arts in Brazil, Argentina, Philippines, Ukraine, Belgium, Spain, Canada, and France. His talk will focus on Crystal and Indigo children, who they are, and how best to comprehend and support them as parents, caretakers, and teachers.
Dec 13th: End of Term Musical Performances
New After School Activities
Green School Families,
Our first 6 week cycle of After School activities ended last week and we will begin our next 6 week cycle following the upcoming mid-term break. This next cycle runs from October 28 through December 6, with the exception of the Piano Lessons (see note below for more info). Please note the days, locations, and age restrictions associated with each activity. Unless otherwise noted, these activities are on a drop-in basis.
Mondays
- Piano lessons for 11 and under with Pak John (HS music teacher). *See note below for details.
- Brazilian Soccer Clinic for Grades 4, 5, 6. This started October 7 but you can still join. **See details below and contact Eduardo: petta@agenciatie.com.br
Tuesdays
- Garage Band with Pak Adam in Mepantigan–Primary only
- Balinese Green Craft with Ibus Yulie, Yulia, Neni, Chandra, Darmini in HOS–Primary only
- Mask Making in the art studio (additional class on Thursday)–for students in Grade 2 and up. This class is one time per week for 6 weeks and is limited to 3 students. Cost in 150,000Rp for the 6 sessions. Email Pak Andy to reserve a spot: andys@greenschool.org
- Clean Up The World village project with Ibu Muria by the front gate–all ages welcome including parents!
- Brazilian Soccer Clinic for Grades 1, 2, 3. This started October 7 but you can still join. **See details and contact Eduardo: petta@agenciatie.com.br
- Computers in the Computer Lab–Space to work or engage with educational games
- Open Library–A quiet place to explore new books, read, and relax
Wednesdays
- Graphic Design and Blogging with Pak Noan in the Computer Lab–Grades 5 and up only. Must be willing to commit for the 6 week session in order to maximize learning!
- Suessville with Pak Jerry in Grade 1 Classroom–Grades 1 and 2 only. Come read, write, draw, paint, share and create!
- Come and Create Art with Ibu Melissa in the Art Studio–Primary
- Computers in the Computer Lab–Space to work or engage with educational games
- Open Library–A quiet place to explore new books, read, and relax
Thursday
- Multi-Species Club with Ibu Muria-A group of students to look more closely at biodiversity within the school grounds, auditing and developing it, and creating information to share with others. All ages welcome, meet in HOS
- Mask Making in the art studio (repeat of Tuesdays class)–for students in Grade 2 and up. This class is one time per week for 6 weeks and is limited to 3 students. Cost in 150,000Rp for the 6 sessions. Email Pak Andy to reserve a spot: andys@greenschool.org
- Computers in the Computer Lab–Space to work or engage with educational games
- Open Library–A quiet place to explore new books, read, and relax
Friday
- Piano lessons for 12 and up with Pak John (HS music teacher). See note below for details.
*Note about Piano classes: Green School’s High School music teacher, John Schroeder, will be offering piano class on electronic keyboards for beginning students. Mondays 11 and under, Fridays 12 and up. Participants will begin to learn to read music, scales, improvise and play rhythm with others. The series of 8 lessons will run October 28- Dec 13 and cost 800,000rp. Electronic Keyboards provided. Enroll by emailing johnny@greenschool.org. Space available for 6 students in each class
We look forward to another great series of after school activities! Please contact me if you have any questions. Pak Andy
**Brazilian Soccer Clinic with Pak Eduardo– Extra Activity
From 3:30pm to 4:45 pm
Grades 1,2,3: every Tuesday
Grades 4,5,6: every Monday
No skill is necessary. Just to have fun! Boys and Girls are Welcome. Kids must wear shoes!
Price is Rp 600.000 per Kid for 8 classes. No free drop available. Must pay the 8 classes in the front desk before practice first time.
Dates: October 7 & 8; 28 & 29 – November 8 (replacing a Monday-Tuesday Holiday – both group together); 11 & 12; 18 & 19; 25 & 26 – December 2 & 3; 9 & 10.
As a friendly reminder, those students not involved in an after school activity should be off campus by 3:45 unless supervised by a parent.
Parent, Principal, and Directors Morning on Thursday, 31st October at 8:30 AM
On October 31st, beginning at 8:30 am you will have an opportunity to meet with the Principal, Andy Slavin, and the School Director, Chris Thompson.
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!
Yoga Schedule
Yoga will restart yoga Monday 28th, 9.15am, and Tuesday 29th, 9am,
There will be no yoga the Wednesday after the break, Oct 30th.
http://www.greenschool.org/calendars/green-school-calendar/
Green School Students report on APEC 2013
Alicia Misaki and I attended APEC Voices of the Future last week, joining the plenary sessions of the APEC CEO summit. We helped to create a Youth Declaration at Green School with 130 18-24 year olds and around 30 Green School Students that was given to the President of Indonesia, SBY. We had a lot of fun meeting with world leaders and were very happy to be ambassadors of Green School. For me, one of my favourite speeches was by John Kerry, Secretary of State USA, where he focused mainly on sustainability and the changes that the world needs to make for the future of our planet. I am currently working on a film that I am putting together on this whole experience. – Toby King
You can read the youth Declaration here:
http://www.slideshare.net/gigihseptianto/apec-youth-declaration-2013
or here: http://tinyurl.com/kt559n9
Students in Grade 6 & 7 start a ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags on Bali’ Campaign
Isabel and Melati Wijsen, in grades 6 and 7 respectively, have started a petition to urge the Governor of Bali to sign a law banning plastic bags on Bali. They presented it at the GIN conference a few weeks ago. They are already at almost 3000 signatures. Please support their cause!
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Byebye_Plastic_Bags_On_Bali/?dsvyJfb
Introducing Charris Ford, Green School’s new Head of Communications
Charris and family moved to Bali to join the Green School community when his eldest son Kashius won the “Greenest Student on Earth” scholarship competition. In step with family tradition, Charris has (since 1988) been devoted to the work of advancing appropriate technology, renewable energy alternatives and promoting the values of environmental stewardship.
Charris got his start as an organic farmer in the hills of Tennessee, living off grid since the age of 18 and went on to become an international biodiesel pioneer and a professional sustainability advisor. Drawing on 25 years of focused work in the eco sector and by specializing in green project design plus media campaigns aimed at achieving maximum environmental benefit, Charris has worked with numerous progressive organizations and influential individuals.
Charris is also a seasoned eco emcee, enviro rapper & international speaker, who is dedicated to making green education fun and has appeared in many magazines, enviro-themed films & TV shows over the years. Green School is sending along an official warm welcome to Charris and his family… We’re glad to have you all aboard!
Green School Public Tours Moving to 4pm
Our public tours, which are an instrumental part of sharing the Green School vision with visitors who come from all over the world to see our school as well as supporting our Scholarship fundraising efforts, will have a new start time of 4pm, beginning November 4th. This will allow for less overlap of students and visitors and make for less traffic around the 3:15 pick- up time.
Upcoming Events
Award winning BARAKA filmmakers bring next masterpiece to Green School
Prepare yourself for an unparalleled sensory experience. SAMSARA reunites filmmakers Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, whose award-winning films BARAKA and CHRONOS brought a new visual and musical artistry to theaters.Filmed over a period of five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, SAMSARA transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Join Green Camp and Green School for an extraordinary screening with the producer, Mark Magidson, on the evening of October 30th. Tickets are Rp150,000.
All proceeds go to the Indonesian Scholarship Fund. Reserve your ticket today by emailing info@greencampbali.com
What Do Green School Students Do After Graduation?
Green School High School graduated its first class of students in June 2013. These students were accepted to higher education at the following universities:
- University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
- International Business Academy, Kolding, Denmark
- Quest University, Squamish, BC, Canada (2 admitted, including one full-tuition scholarship)
- San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, USA
- Udayana University, Bali, Indonesia
- Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
- University of Europe, Barcelona, Spain
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA
- Puget Sound University, Tacoma, WA, USA
- Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA
Other students are engaged in gap year programs that include:
- A 3 month long program at the Zanzibar African Guitar Academy followed by touring with his band, Nasi Campur, in Bali and India
- Green School internship as Model UN and Green Stone Project Coordinator
- Accepted to the Sustainability Institute Explorers Global Leadership Year in S. Africa and Nepal www.sustainabilityinstitute.net
- A year-long paramedics training course at the College of the Siskiyous in Mt. Shasta, CA, USA
- Founding and designing an art and music studio in Bali
- A 3 month long music management course in Jakarta, Indonesia followed by a 6 month long French language program in Montreal, Canada
Ongoing Events
Grades 9 and 10 Orphanage Fundraiser Update
The grade 9 and 10 Green School students’ service project with The Jodie O’shea Orphanage in Denpasar is making fantastic progress. We have currently raised over 1.6 million rupiah and a bunch of different donations from their list.
Last week on Thursday, the 10th of October, we had our first trip to the orphanage. We left The Green School at 1:15 and go to the orphanage in Denpasar around 2:30. Once we arrived, the staff and a few of the children gave us a “grand tour” of their home, showing us their kitchen, music/computer room, reading/art room and their meditation place. Afterwards we interacted with the children and played some games. Pak Kyle (the High School maths teacher) taught them some capoeira, which was already one of the orphanage’s afternoon activities. We also brought them some shuttlecock rackets and showed them how to create bubble mixture. Before we said goodbye we had some fun blowing some bubbles with the kids and taking a group photo.
We are still having our Wednesday bake sales and collecting more donations to bring to the orphanage on our next trip. Once again here is the list of Items the orphanage has asked for:
- Toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, soaps, deodorant spray, body lotion etc.
- Indonesian Reading books
- Musical instruments
- Non-perishable food
- Guitars (2)
- Blankets
- Art supplies
- Shoes
- Soccer equipment
Thank you to all the people that have donated thus far, the children of The Jodie O’shea Orphanage and us are incredibly grateful for your generosity and kind hearts. Your donations will go to great use!
Bamboo Gallery’s Second Photography Challenge Winners
The photography challenge for October was to take a “silhouette photograph”.
This month’s competition attracted 17 entries from both staff and high school students. To view the entries simply visit our online gallery at www.bamboogallery.com or come and visit our Bamboo Gallery near the art studio.
I am very happy to announce that the votes have been counted and 1st and 2nd place go to two of our high school students.
In 1st place is Shanti Pockell
and in 2nd place is Natasha Ahman
Congratulations to these two very talented photographers and a big thank you to all our photographers for their entries! Next month’s theme is “Portrait”… so get clicking over the holidays and hope to see some exciting photos in November!
Ibu Jen
The “Trash Class” Reports on our Food Waste Challenge
Thanks for your waste!
The results have been grafted and have been included in reports. The first day of the challenge was last Monday, and we found that there was a 12% decrease of food waste on Monday from our control last Friday. However, overall, there was a 15.78% increase in waste over the week. The information breaks down to about 10kg/day of post food waste, not including any leftovers that the staff may either add to the garbage or take home. The largest waste day was 14.6kg, which was on the day when we had spare ribs, and lots of bones.
Our objective was never to reach zero waste, as this would leave no food for the pigs to eat, but to inform YOU and the Green School community of how much food waste we produce in a week (on average). We hope that we have informed you on the subject that you will be more aware of the amount of food waste you produce at home, or wherever your travels may take you. Thank you for your cooperation.
Talking trash,
The Trash Class
(aka: Garbage Spelunking Class)
Green School Halloween
For Halloween, the High School student council is organizing an event to take place on Friday, November 1st. There will be a “spooky” trick-or-treating line-up in the Heart of School’s high school classrooms from 1.30-2.10pm for the elementary students to enjoy a fun Western tradition! Parents not to worry! The High School will not be handing out packaged or processed candies, but instead, homemade treats, fruits, and vegetables. After passing through the High School, the students will continue on to the Mempantigan for a crazy costume competition beginning at 2.15pm! Costume categories such: Most Original, Greenest, and Most Hilarious. Please: No weapons, play or otherwise.
No provocative, risqué, or grotesque costumes. Read more
Media & Links
New Yorker Bamboo Architect
Ibuku, the ground breaking design & build company behind Green School’s amazing Bamboo buildings has been prominently featured in this week’s edition of New York magazine.
Read about them here http://nymag.com/homedesign/urbanliving/2013/bali/
Green School, original thinkers & emerging markets
Following graduation last year, Green School was featured on “Arise XChange”, an international business news show offering perspective on emerging market trends. The Green School reference occurs 3 minutes & 45 seconds into the clip and offers another great example of Green School’s impact around the world.
CCTV Link
CCTV is China’s predominant state television broadcaster has more than one billion viewers. During the APEC Youth Delegation’s visit to Green School they filed this report. “This may look like your average school playground. But this school is anything but average.” http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20131006/101056.shtml
Also in the Green School Community
Green School Family Snapshot
Vismai & Jyoti Schonfelder and their two children Finn (Grade 4) and Dali (Grade 7) recently moved to Bali to experience the Green School, as they make their way from Holland (where Jyoti is from) back to Vismai’s home country of Australia. The family was drawn to Green School by the opportunity to live in a more natural & holistic way. They moved to the wonder-filled wilds of Green Village & love walking to school each day, far away from the cars & commotion of the modern day world. The kids have also really been enjoying Green School, with Dali totally getting into surfing with the Green Wave Rider crew and Finn really loving to learn playing guitar with Pak Paul.
Vismai & Jyoti are both Chiropractors who’d been based in Amsterdam for 13 years, with Jyoti still carrying on with her practice right here on Island in Sanur. The couple is also committed to teaching kids about health & well being and have been sharing what they know around the world with schools throughout Amsterdam, India & now Bali. The education program they developed is called Innate & teaches kids about their bodies natural intelligence, to help prepare them to make healthy choices throughout their lives. They are beginning to offer Innate here at Green School and will even be offering something similar for the parents called the Shift Program (starting Feb 1st), designed to transform poor health habits into good ones in under 30 days. They are also developing a healthy lifestyle app and you can find out more about their non-profit organization by visiting www.gokisstheearth.com
Campout for Kids
Parents and children from various schools around Bali island visited Green School for Dr. Arne Rubinstein’s Campout for Kids in October. Parents shared they had a great time connecting with their child. Highlights include the singalong around the Campfire, fun games, good food and lessons in parenting. We are looking forward to hosting more Campouts in the future.
Submit future Newsletter items here
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.
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