“I am myself and what is around me; and if I do not save it, it shall not save me.” – Jose Ortega y Gasset

The week has been filled with amazing collaborative projects between our students and local non-profit organizations. The Middle School is collaborating with Yayasan Multispecies Education International to collect community data and create a video documentary on the Balinese community in Banjar Saren; while, Grade 1 collected and donated used clothes, books and household goods to Yayasan Senyum Bali, a non-profit organization that provides healthcare to people with craniofacial disabilities.

The photo above is the release ceremony of Kacamata Birds by Grade 8 and Geckos on Thursday. Together with the Begawan Foundation, Grade 8 rescued 22 Kacamata birds from the bird market. You can read more about the project here. Go, Go, Green School! Together we can make the world a better place!

In this issue:

Green School News

Upcoming Events.

Next Green School Family Day, Time to Reserve Your Spot!

Ongoing Events

Weekly Sports Update

Media & Links.

Also in the Green School Community

Green School News

Parent Information and Events Calendar

bird-release-2

January:
Jan 24: High School Evening of the Arts 4:00pm in the Mepantigan
Jan 31: No School, Chinese New Year

February:
Feb 3 : No School, Professional Development Day
Feb 7-9 : Green School Educator Course: Click here for more details
Feb 12 : Parent Education Offering with Robert Lonsdorf 9:00am at the Merrangi Bale
Feb 14 : Valentine’s Day Assembly 02:15 pm in the Mepantigan
Feb 15 & 16 : Green School Family Day to Munduk Mountains & Bali Treetop
Feb 21,22, 24 : No School, Professional Development Days
Feb 27 : Parent Meeting with Principal, Head of School & General Manager, 08.30am in the Mepantigan

Parent Reminders:
Lunch Program: Please contact Ibu Nia (nia@greenschool.org) in the finance department to register for lunch prepayment. Price is Rp. 1,900,000 each child for 2nd semester.

Enrollment Commitment: It is the last week before enrollment deadline, please respond to secure positions for next year. Deadline for response is January 31st, 2014. (click here for detailed info)

Make sure to check our Lost and Found for missing hats, water bottles, etc..

Here’s an important link to our school calendars: http://www.greenschool.org/calendar/

From the Head of School

john Two and a half weeks in and I have to marvel at this amazing school and the opportunities it offers for all learners – here, I include myself. There are not many places where one day you can be having lunch discussing sustainable schooling with Pedro Diniz – the former formula one driver; then heading straight into a meeting with Master Udut, principal of a sustainable school in Nepal with ideals similar to our own; then rushing off to listen to Bill Bailey discuss his documentary on Alfred Russel Wallace and the Wallace Line – the forgotten hero of the theory of evolution; while on the way being asked if it is okay for a popular Indonesian cooking show to film on the school grounds with pupils. This was in just two days!

I have also had the opportunity to meet so many other amazing and creative people, external, internal, parental and students. This is a hub of learning. As the new Head of School, a new position, I have been able to really listen and look. My ideas are formulating.

I shall try to use this newsletter section as a way of exposing, explaining and communicating my findings and my thinking, both as an educator and as a parent. There is so much running “under the hood” at Green School. I think there are aspects of operations here that are not always clearly related, or understood, by external eyes and ears. The goose is baking in so many creative juices!

I know there is much that I can bring to champion this school’s potential and talents, but a lot of my focus will be on adoption, organization and refinement. The challenge is to organize without destroying the creative and ‘fun’ factors, while ensuring the core of our business is always based on learning. My mission will be to develop truly individual learning programs, track progress, engage our amazing community, and champion the need for authentic child-centred learning. A big task but an exciting one – and I believe this is achievable with good planning, mindful support and an openness to review.

green-school-classroom Change must have a sustainable focus: I shall be reviewing curriculum, implementing organizational considerations, celebrating the learning of children, diagnosing our strengths and challenges, while continuing to refine the creative aspects being undertaken here.

The 3 Frame Learning focus offers so much – but we need to be aware of all three frames: the thematics, and how these engage as well as synthesise different disciplines of the mind much needed for success in the 21st Century (incorporating Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future will be important). As Churchill so aptly stated:

“The empires of the future will be empires of the mind”

The proficiency frame (which I refer to as Grit) is about conceptual confidence. Very significantly, the proficiency frame should define skill and effort. Angela Lee Duckworth refers to these two keys in her Theory of Achievement: Achievement = Skill x Effort. Effort is the time you spend on a task. The sheer time you spend on a task multiplies how much skill you have in achieving your goal. Also the more time spent, the more knowledge and skill that accrete, or stick with you. I believe this needs to be considered in light of the level of schooling: be that early primary, primary, middle school or high school. We need to have flexibility. We also need to be acutely aware of the upper end of cognitive talent, an area often missed in many schools, as well as the area of remedial support and early intervention.

The experiential is when big ideas should be constructed socially so the conceptual understanding is reinforced, understood, and practiced in context. This frame for adolescents is crucial – it allows the learner to see the purpose and remove the reaction – what’s the point? This is where excitement at seeing a task through to completion creates pride and promotes an industrious will to succeed.

I love the theory and I am much more aware as to the scale of work committed to implement this bespoke curriculum – the teachers have been building this pedagogy from the ground up. There is no plug-and-play at Green School: we are all part of a significant change cycle.

Staff are developing curriculum documentation, homework structures, creating the programs as well as working towards accreditation in the Round Square Schools community as well as the Combined International Schools, via the Journey to Excellence program. This is a happening place. It is liberating.

The programs we are offering our children are intentional, are professional, are very progressive and are flexible. The great catalyst for success, which has major ramifications, is our community’s support – please be involved and share your skills via the GSCA Green School Community Association. I praise all involved – this is a noble, exciting and very achievable proposition but let’s not forget the learning is not in the finished product, it is in the process. It just needs time, steering, organisation and reflection. As Ronald Stone OBE stated, Bali is a place where you can – sin kan kan kan kan.

Last Week to Secure Your Place for Next School Term

together-we-can-green-school-bali Dear Parents,

While August 2014 may still seem like a long way off, in Admissions we are seeing a steady stream of inquiries and applications for the upcoming school year. Given several of our classes are either at or reaching capacity, we will need to secure your commitment to return for the 2014-2015 academic year.

In order to indicate your commitment for next year, please complete this short and simple online form: http://goo.gl/EC4kz

We would encourage you to respond as soon as possible to secure positions for next year, but the deadline for a response is January 31st, 2014. By committing to enrol your child(ren) for the 2014-2015 school year, your existing US$1,000 deposit (per student) will be held as security for that enrolment period. This deposit will be kept by Green School if you decide not to enrol your child after having made the commitment to do so for the 2014-2015 school year. If we have not received your commitment by January 31st, we will open enrolment to new students currently inquiring, applying or on waiting lists.
Please come and speak to us in Admissions should you require any clarification.
We hope to see you all back, learning and growing with us at Green School next August!

Green School Admissions.

Counselor Note: Online Support for Parents and Students

suport Parents are more and more interested in online support and resources for emotional and behavioural concerns while trying to support their children. Here is a great website that I have used in Canada and now here in Bali. It has excellent advice and information about topics that parents are often asking for. If you browse the link you will also find it is divided into three categories; one for kids, one for teens and one for parents. At Green School, students in Grade 8 and the High School are already using this site. Have a peek! Hope it is useful.

Jackie Pye, Counselor

Please Bring Hat and Water Bottle Everyday

team-GS Warmest Greetings from the First Aid Clinic,

With the hot, humid rainy season upon us, sending a friendly note from the nurse’s office to remind your children to bring a water bottle and hat to school each day. Learning at Green School often takes place outside of the classroom and it is our policy to employ a ‘No hat, No play’ rule to protect the health and safety of the children (see our Handbook for Families at http://goo.gl/2wXyRy, page 15)

Many of the children who I see in the clinic each day come to see me with complaints of a headache after playing outside without the protection of a hat, and are suffering from mild dehydration. Since Green School presents many opportunities for exposure to heat and sun during outdoor experiences, the importance of using a hat and maintaining fluid levels is stressed as dehydration is a common contributor to headache and mild dizziness.

Teachers are quite vigilant in reminding students to wear hats and use and refill their water bottles and your support from home in supplying hats and bottles for water is greatly appreciated as the use of individual water bottles also helps to prevent the spread of germs & viruses.

Together, we can keep our community safe and healthy.

Green School Students visited The School for Street Children

green-school-students Last week, 16 students from the High School travelled to Denpasar to visit The School for Street Children, one of the projects started by the Safe Childhoods Foundation. The trip was part of an ongoing service project, which all of the high school students are partaking in.

We went there with two different objectives: plant a garden and create a mural. For the mural we decided to paint a tree on a blank wall at the back of the school. We added all of the students’ handprints, along with our own, to make the leaves and they had a great time helping us paint all the flowers around the tree and also getting dirty in the paint. Most students ended up with two or three handprints on the tree instead of just one. The planting presented a challenge for us as the garden in the back was pure rubble and unusable. We decided to plant our garden at the front of the school instead, but unfortunately the thick clay broke most of our tools! We did our best to plant as much as we could but we did have to leave some plants there for them to do themselves.

gs-art As a group we had a great time and would love to go back to clean up the rubble in the back and make the school a more inviting place for the students to attend. We will continue to work towards these goals and we are still accepting donations in the form of gardening materials and tools, children’s books in Bahasa Indonesia, and money to facilitate these trips and give to the organization. Donations can be dropped at the Welcome Desk. Many thanks to High School mum Ibu Anne Hockett, High School teachers Ibu Emily, and Pak Joel for organizing and and special thanks to Green School dad Pak Kadek Gapura for donating gardening supplies. You can visit the Safe Childhoods website to learn more about their work at www.safechildhoods.org

Grade 8 Rescued and Released 22 Kacamata Birds

green-school-bird-release Green School’s 8 graders took a trip down to the bird market last Monday to procure birds and begin enhancing the biodiversity of the avian life on campus. With the guidance of Pak Mehd, the Head of Begawan Foundation, the students decided to purchase 20 Kacamata birds; they did the bargaining and earned two bonus birds, bringing the campus total of these beautiful insect-eating birds up to 22. These birds will thrive on our campus where they’ll be safe from hunters and where they will help ease the transition to life in the wild for our Bali Starlings.
The students fed and monitored the birds in the classroom for a few days before releasing them on Thursday after a blessing from a local priest. Geckos were also invited to the release ceremony so that they can get to know the birds and be able to help spot them around campus in the coming weeks and months.
See the birds release ceremony video here.

Introducing Irma Sitompul, Green School’s new Communications Manager

irma Irma brings to the team a broad experience in the field of Communications, from project and brand management to integrated advertising campaign development in Indonesia. In addition to that, Irma’s personal passion is the environment and in sustainability, which inspired her postgraduate study at The Australian National University, and earned her a degree in Environment with a focus in Human Ecology. She is looking forward to integrate both her skills and knowledge in communication and sustainability into Green School’s forthcoming communications strategic planning. She is an active member and volunteer to several international environmental initiatives such as WWF Marine Buddies, The Nature Conservancy, and The International Ecotourism Society. She also loves scuba diving, photography, and is excited to be a part of the Green School community!

Upcoming Events

Next Green School Family Day, Time to Reserve Your Spot!

Bali-land WHEN : February 15 and 16
WHERE: The beautiful mountains of Munduk, on Saturday with an overnight stay at Puri Lumbung Cottages. Sunday it will be off to Bali Treetop for a day in Bedugul.

We will arrive by 10.00am on Saturday morning to Puri Lumbung Cottages. We will get checked into our rooms. Then we will hike to waterfalls through beautiful country side with coffee plantations and rice paddies. This walk to and from the hotel will take about 2 hours with fun in between exploring the waterfalls.

In the evening we will enjoy our beautiful hotel and have a buffet dinner together.

bedugul-bali The next day we will wake up and go to Bali Treetop in Bedugul. This is one of Green School’s favorite activities. Treetop is set in a pristine park, you thought it did not exist, well it does. There are all levels of challenge here from zip lines and obstacles for the little ones to very challenging zips for those that are brave.

If you would like to join this adventure please let me know by emailing me that you would like to attend at slavinfrasher@yahoo.com, but also you must call Puri Lumbung Cottages and reserve your room. We are getting the Green School deal 500,000 Rupiah per room (if you need and extra bed then it will be 600,000 Rupiah). Breakfast is provided. This area tends to be cold, so you get to sport your fleece wear in the evening.

Contact Puri Lumbung Hotel at +62-362-7012887 (try to talk to Putu, she speaks good English and is our contact person).

If you just want to come on Sunday to Tree Tops it is important to show up early by 10.00am, as they have a limited number of kids harnesses. You must wear shoes, wear long pants so the harnesses don’t rub, and bring your rain gear, it tends to rain a lot. Also bring a picnic lunch and snacks to Tree Tops, there is no food in the park. Everyone is responsible for their own transportation.

This is a really fun way to get to know other families and Bali. Please come and join us!

Ongoing Events

Weekly Sports Update

green-school-tram-bali

BSSA Basketball:
Here is the practice schedule after school 03.15-04.30pm:
Mondays: 9/10 mixed teams
Tuesdays: 11/12 and 13/14 boys
Wednesdays: 15+ girls
Thursdays: 11/12 and 13/14 girls
Fridays: 15+ boys

*Wednesday matches start 5 February (not 12 Feb) and details on times/venues will be with coaches very soon as well as in next week’s newsletter!

Soccer Clinic with Pak Eduardo:
Practices continue on Mondays and Thursdays after school, 3.30pm start.
There is also availability for older students on Fridays after school
Please contact petta@agenciatie.com.br for details.

Ultimate Frisbee:
Tuesdays 3.30-4.30 pm on the field

Media and Links

Hello World! Introducing Green School’s Primary Art Students

green-school-art-students

Hello World! Check out this short video, and meet us – the primary art students at Green School! In the art studio, we’re asking each other: What does it mean to be green? What positive message do we want to share with young students around the world? And how can art make a difference? This brief video is a fun way for us to introduce ourselves!
Huge thanks to Pak Ira and Ibu Sharon for the photo, and also Pak Marc for editing the video.

A recap on Green Waveriders Academy last term’s activities

green-school-team

Check out a cool video recap of last term’s afterschool & weekend surf coaching from Green Waveriders Academy by clicking here.

Also in Green School Community

Green School Family Snapshot

Nita Green School interviews Bruce Sherratt about his family and Bali Center For Artistic Creativity and Gallery (BCAC)

GS: Please tell us a bit about how your family moved to Bali?
BS: My wife Nita and I and our son Joey moved to Bali from Penang Malaysia five years ago in 2008 to establish Bali Center for Artistic Creativity & Gallery – BCAC, in Andong, Ubud.

GS: How did you interact with GS?
BS: Green School had just opened and at that time was planning to establish a Rudolf Steiner inspired school and curriculum. With my extensive background in anthroposophy and Steiner education I volunteered to undertake professional development in Steiner education with the first generation of GS teachers, both at the school and at BCAC. Our son Joey was enrolled and proudly included in the first generation of GS students.

GS: How is your son Joey doing at GS and what is your experience at GS?
BS: Joey is currently in class 3B. He’s incredibly happy to be back “home” at GS and is flourishing far beyond our expectations on every possible level. Nita was recently appointed as GS Executive Assistant for GM and Special Project Manager at the School. We have seen the entire school, especially the curriculum and school ethos evolve in an extremely interesting and dynamic way since its foundation and I must say we consider ourselves to have been privileged to participate in this process.

GS: Please tell us more about your art studio and your activities at BCAC
BS: I am a practicing artist and long-time visual arts teacher at numerous international schools around the world. I founded BCAC with a simple idea: “Come and paint with me at my studio”. At BCAC we believe anyone can develop the artistic skills to express themselves and produce quality art and we invite people to do just that. Housed in a massive studio with soaring ceilings, BCAC hosts art classes, courses, seminars and workshops for groups and individuals looking to tap into their artistic side and develop their technical skills. BCAC hosts regular ‘Outreach’ and ‘Extended Studies’ programs for international schools from around the world. In addition, BCAC also makes a huge effort to assist young Balinese artists, as well as orphans, street children and physically and mentally challenged youth. In this way, BCAC aims to create a Mecca of creativity and inspiration where artistic expression is available to anyone and everyone.

GS: How do you contribute to the GS and the GS community?
BS: We are liaising with the GS Principal for groups of GS students to visit BCAC for creative enrichment experiences commencing this school year. These experiences will be directly linked to the GS curriculum and represent an important feature of our voluntary parental involvement in the life of GS. Every last Thursday of the month BCAC has an ‘OPEN STUDIO NIGHT’. This is open to everyone. We extend a special welcome to all GS parents and members of the GS community at large. On these nights we set up a very large canvas and invite all to participate in the creation of a collaborative painting. These nights are always great fun and are completely free of charge. The next OPEN STUDIO NIGHT is at 8pm on Thursday, January 30. We hope to see you there.

Bruce Sherratt – Founder & Director – BCAC.
Details including map on contacts page – BaliArtCourses.weebly.com
or call Bruce 081 246 527 362.

Head lice treatment is now available at The Green School Shop

hair Green School Shop is now selling Quit Nits, a natural head lice treatment from Australia that is made from native Australian plants. Quit Nits is proven to be:

Non-toxic, no chemical pesticides
Low allergy formula
No combing of hair required
Safe for use in pregnant and nursing mothers

With certified natural active ingredients originating from the Australian outback, including: Quassia Amara 2X HPUS for lice and egg treatment, Staphysagria 6x HPUS and Sabadilla 6x HPUS for treating head lice. Inactive ingredients including: Aqua, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, fragrance, cetrimonium bromide, and citric acid.

One application kills lice and eggs, and simple to use: apply to dry hair and make sure all areas are saturated. For best results, keep moist and leave overnight. Then rinse. The hair will be surprisingly soft. From experience for short and thin hair half a bottle is sufficient, thick or shoulder length hair approximately 1 bottle. Long thick hair may require up to 2 bottles.

Any further question to Kerri Barrie at Green School Shop, experienced mother and hairdresser.

Please read Green School’s Head Lice Policy here.

Birthday Celebration at GreenCamp

green-camp-bali

Last Sunday we welcomed Maia Vincent and her friends to join us here at Green Camp to celebrate her 8th birthday! Maia and her friends arrived at noon and enjoyed a jam-packed, fun- filled afternoon of laughter, song, games, races, water fights, piñata surprises and yummy Green Camp treats. A big thanks to Maia’s parents for coordinating this with us, and to all the families and children who joined us on Sunday. We couldn’t have asked for a more energetic, fun and creative group to join us!

Come celebrate your child’s birthday, a day of smiles, laughs, energetic play, and memorable fun!

To book a birthday adventure with GreenCamp email us on info@greencampbali.com

Mei Yayasan collaborates with Green School Middle Students

community-@-GS Thanks to the support and enthusiasm of experienced Green School teachers, Pak Sal and Pak Noan, the Yayasan Multispecies Education International (Mei) is currently collaborating with the Middle School students on a Community Data Collection & Film Project in the area of Banjar Saren, Bali. This is the Balinese community immediately surrounding Green School.

This project is enabling the mei yayasan to gather valuable information which will shape their community education and development program. It is also deepening the understanding of, and connection to, the local community for Green School students.

Pak Mo, our Green School expert in the field of filmmaking, is also assisting with the project, by helping the Middle School students combine their data collection activities with the production of a documentary film about the daily activities of the Balinese people living within Banjar Saren.

A sister Community Data Collection & Filming Project is also being planned for Bogor, West Java, where the mei yayasan has recently rebuilt their original Multispecies Education Center. If you are interested in getting involved with this project, please contact Pak Yoga, multispecieseducation@gmail.com. The mei yayasan is currently expanding the Center land in preparation for the construction of simple buildings from bamboo to accommodate volunteers, as well as eco-tourists from overseas. The Center is located in beautiful countryside, surrounded by mountain scenery and the friendly smiles of the local Javanese community, who are always willing to stop by for a chat and a joke. The local children are daily visitors to the Center where they happily participate in lessons on sustainability with the Center staff.

The mei Yayasan sincerely hope that in the future the students of Green School and members of the Green School community will join with them and participate in the comparative Data Collection & Filming Project at their center in Bogor, West Java. Their door is always open for you!

Submitting Newsletter Items

We welcome you to submit your own news updates for our weekly newsletter. To submit, send your news update to communications@greenschool.org by 12 noon each Wednesday. Please follow the instructions below to make it easier for us to publish your news:

1. Please add “NEWSLETTER” in the title of your email.
2. Please write a concise (2 to 6 paragraphs, more or less) blurb describing your news.
3. Please attach a photo that illustrates or accompanies your news.

* We are open to publishing projects connected with Green School, however please be sure to include “Green School” in your title and or the paragraphs below.
** We cannot always guarantee that we will publish your submission and when we do, we may need to edit it a bit before publishing & sometime may need a week or two before we include your article.

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