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turning the
wheel |
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siddhartha school project newsletter |
issue #2 |
september 1997 |
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J. R. Briggs Elementary: Siddhartha’s
Sister School Steven Gould, the principal of J. R. Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham, Massachusetts learned about the Siddhartha School Project from an SSP Advisory Board Member, and he took the initiative to invite Geshe Tsetan to visit Briggs and to consider forming a sister school relationship with the Siddhartha School.
Ms. Sharon Brault of Briggs Elementary has been corresponding with Siddhartha School head teacher Tsewang Dorjay, who is thrilled with the new sister school relationship. The Siddhartha School children are every bit as curious about students in American schools as the Briggs Elementary students are about their peers in Ladakh. The Briggs second-graders recorded an audio tape of their impression of life at their school and sent it off to the Siddhartha School. They have also made a quilt, displayed at their multi-cultural fair wherein each of the children designed their own patch; Geshe Tsetan has brought this quilt to the Siddhartha School for the nursery school-age children to sit on when they do quiet activities on the floor. The principal of Briggs also arranged for a donation of several children's magazine subscriptions, including Ranger Rick and National Geographic World, which is a criterion used by the Indian government in ranking the quality of schools. Briggs has also donated a couple dozen excellent children’s books to add to the Siddhartha School library. Mr. Gould and Ms. Brault in conjunction with the Ashburnham high school media department are also helping Siddhartha School Project with editing a new informational video tape about Siddhartha School based on the latest footage brought by Geshe Tsetan from Ladakh. We are deeply grateful to Mr. Gould, Ms. Brault, and the students and teachers of Briggs Elementary School and the Ashburnham high school for their generous initiatives and accomplishments. This sister school relationship is working to foster mutual awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the children of Ashburnham, Massachusetts and Stok, Ladakh. Parents Come Out to Beautify the Siddhartha School Grounds
(index) This past November, Siddhartha School parents and family members came out to volunteer on two consecutive Sundays to help level the school grounds, clearing away the many stones that cover the forty acres of Siddhartha School land. Now trees and grass can be planted to beautify the setting for their childrens' learning environment. In addition to trees and extensive gardens in the future, the Siddhartha School family hopes to provide its children with playground equipment. Tsewang Rigzin, (a Siddartha School Board member) organized the stone clearing project. He estimates that it saved the School 7,000 rupees. Seven thousand rupees, roughly two hundred U.S. dollars, may not seem like much money from an American's perspective--but the sum goes a long way in Geshe Tsetan's Siddhartha School budget. Two hundred U.S. dollars covers the cost of tuition and books for three children for an entire school year. Two hundred dollars covers the salary of one of our dedicated teachers for two months. Two hundred dollars can buy all the bricks needed for one school room, twenty five steel bars, or twenty bags of cement towards the construction of the school library. Tsewang Rigzin and the rest of the Siddhartha School family worked very hard to ensure that the children can walk into a clean and pleasant environment each and every day. If you would like to match their efforts with a donation towards the construction of new classrooms or purchase a tree for the grounds, your help is greatly appreciated. Fundraising Update
(index) Thanks to the generous contributions of nearly 200 SSP donors, 19,300 dollars was raised for the Siddhartha School Project Building Campaign goal -- the completion of the three room kindergarten class block. The class block was completed last fall, and opened this past March for the new Siddhartha School year (in Ladakh, classes begin in March and go through mid December). And yet, our work has only just begun. To date, Siddhartha School has 4 class groups--nursery, lower and upper kindergarten, and our graduates to first grade. At this point it is difficult to accept new children as we only have three rooms--and four classes! The total remaining cost for supplies and labor is $10,355.00. This estimate includes a twenty percent contingency for materials, as the prices of supplies are often inflated by road and weather conditions in their transport from Jammu and Kashmir to Stok. Any help towards providing these classrooms is gratefully accepted. SSP is also pleased to report that operating costs for staff salaries, school supplies, electricity and office expenses have been met for the 97-98 school year through tuition earnings and scholarship donations, and unrestricted gifts. Each year, Siddhartha School comes closer to self sufficiency as the building campaign progresses and the facilities are developed; the Siddhartha School Board is carefully striving to build an endowment and groom the school for government assistance. The Indian government envisions supporting private schools by providing them with funding for teaching and curriculum costs, while honoring their unique curriculum requirements as Ladakhi run institutions with specific cultural needs. Geshe Tsetan, Sonam Wangdu (mayor of Stok Village, Siddhatha School board member) and Tashi Yangskit (Zonal Officer of the Education Department, Siddhatha School board member) are working hard to position the Siddhatha School to take full advantage of this unique opportunity. As the School Board works with Geshe-la to secure a self sufficient future for Siddhatha School, our help is vitally important. Please give if you can.
Letter from His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama
(index) As promised, Turning the Wheel is delighted to publish the letter of support from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in support of the Siddhartha School Project. Readers of the first issue may remember that this past September, Geshe Tsetan, Founder and Director of the Siddhartha School Project went to Dharamsala to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness praised Geshe Tsetan's work and that of the many American donors and volunteers in partnership with the Stok village community for their dedication to the new school. Demonstrating his personal commitment to SSP's mission to offer a superior education for Ladakhi children that honors their unique cultural heritage alongside of a curriculum of international standards, His Holiness also gave a donation of 50,000 rupees
(approxiametly $1,470) and a new thanka for the school.
Secretary to Padma Dorjay
(index) Part of his job is to keep track of and report to the U.S. all of the developments on the Ladakh side of SSP. He keeps up on developments in construction as well as the work of the staff an the Ladakh board meetings. He is also in charge of financial record keeping and escorting visitors to the school. In addition, Padma acts as a liason between SSP and the parents of students. He has been doing an excellent job! Padma tells us he is excited with his position. He enjoys the challenge of working for a new and growing project which promises to improve the lives of so many village children. He finds the staff easy to work with and the task extremely worthwhile. Padma recently returned to live with his family in the village of Shey after having graduated from Jammu university this year. In college he studied education, philosophy, English, and political science. Padma just completed his college exams in April. We are very proud of him! He is currently studying for his M.A. in Buddhist studies, also through Jammu University. Congratulations to Padma Dorje, Project Coordinator for the Siddhartha School. We are so lucky to have him on the team! Tsering Dolkar
(index) Mrs. Dolkar is enthusiastic about the new facilities being built and is very pleased with the extent of family involvement at the school. She lives in Choglamsar, a village near Stok, with her parents, sister, husband, four year old son, and new baby. Thondup Tsering
(index) Thondup Tsering has been doing a wonderful job. One of the reasons for his dedication, he tells us, is that his five year old son, Lobsang Angdu, is a scholarship student in kindergarten at Siddhartha School. He appreciates the help SSP is giving his son and is glad to be part of the team at Siddhartha School. We are glad to have him aboard! Ladakh E.V. Incorporated in Germany
(index)
“Whatever happens to the world we have to protect the children and give them as much attention as possible. The best thing you can give them is a good education to make them ready for this world and for the world to come. At the same time it is very important that they always remember where their roots are and what their traditions are. It is not only the duty of the parents but also the duty of the teachers to transmit this knowledge to the children. They should be proud of their country, their language and their traditions.”She saw that the Siddhartha School was working to fulfill this vision for the children of Ladakh. During her subsequent visits to the Siddhartha School, most recently in the summer of 1996, she was so impressed with the excellent and rapid progress of the Siddhartha School, with the construction of the new building, growth of the classes, and the commitment of Geshe Tsetan, the teachers, and administrative staff, that she was inspired to establish a non-profit fundraising organization in Germany.
“Of course I could sponsor a child or give some money for the building materials but this, however, would not be more than a drop of water. Therefore, the project should be made known to more people. The best thing to do is to create some kind of a group on a non-profit level which would enable me to collect money, find sponsors and issue receipts for the donations.” She promised Geshe Tsetan that she would work to establish an organization in Germany during the coming year. (index) The Siddhartha School Project |
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The
kindergarten is composed of three magnificent, spacious rooms, each
with a glass north wall of solar windows, overlooking the Stok mountain
range and historic royal palace. Through the support of our donors,
volunteers, and the community of Stok village, the 46 Siddhartha School
children started school this year in this beautiful new facility. 
Tsewang
Dorje, Siddhartha School's head teacher manages to accomodate for this
space restriction by conducting nature classes and singing period outside,
rotating the rooms for lessons. Siddhartha School's Ladakhi architect,
Mr. Anis, states that there is enough stone aggregate left over from
Phase II construction to build these additional rooms. 
Padma
Dorjay is the Siddhartha school's dedicated new Project Coordinator.
Having begun whis work for the project in September as shool secretary,
Geshe Tsetan recently appointed him Project Coordinator, a title which
more appropriately describes the multitude of responsibilities Padma
shoulders in Stok. Padma has been quick to to pick up the work in all
aspects involved in establishing the new school. 
Tsering
Dolkar is Siddhartha School's newest teacher. She is a talented woman
who brought with her five years of experience teaching children from
nursery age through class five. Siddhartha School counts on her experience
to provide new ideas and insight into curriculum developement and the
growth of the project. 
Thondup
Tsering is the Siddhartha School security guard and grounds keeper.
He spends the night at the newly completed kindergarten class block
to make sure the building is safe and sound. He also puts in an extra
effort to clean the office and class rooms and make them comfortable.
The staff comments that it is a treat to enter the building in the morning
and find it all set for the new school day, complete with fresh flowers
on the office desk!