siddhartha school project newsletter

issue #7

December 2002

Index to Issue #7
Auspicious summer in Ladakh SSP USA - "makes it happen" Classroom construction complete My visit to Siddhartha School New computers	High lama performs puja Maine volunteers A sweet thank you From the principal SSP news briefs

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A very auspicious summer in Ladakh      (return to index)

by Geshe Tsetan

This summer in New York everyone was worrying about war between India and Pakistan. I almost tried to change my ticket,- but it was too expensive. So I went to Ladakh in June as planned. When I got to Leh. no one was worrying about war. All Ladakhi people were busy preparing for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit. The Hill Council was fixing up the area where he was going to give the teachings, and the army was paving the road from the airport to Choglamsar so his trip would be very comfortable.

Aerial view of Stok Village

On August 7th, 2002, His Holiness arrived in Leh. People lined the road from the airport to his palace. Each village had its own welcome gate set up across the road. Everyone was singing songs of welcome and long-life prayers for His Holiness. Not only Buddhists were there, but Muslims and Christians, too. Each school had its own section and all the children were in their school uniforms. The Muslim private school and the Moravian Christian school were there with the Buddhists. All the adults were wearing traditional Ladakhi dress. When His Holiness arrived, as he passed in the car, everyone bowed down to him. People were very happy.

His Holiness gave three days of public teachings in Leh and three days initiation and teaching in Nurna, near the Chinese border. His visit blessed both the environment and living beings.

Although the weather was very dry prior to the arrival of His Holiness, during his visit we had rain. We considered this a very auspicious sign. Because of the Dalai Lama’s visit, many high Ladakhi and Tibetan lamas were also in attendance.

Although the world worried about nuclear war, for all Ladakhi people, and myself, this was a most peaceful time.

Geshe-la, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and volunteer Jessica Trudeau

On August 9, school volunteer Jessie Trudeau and I had an audience with His Holiness. Although the Hill Council had made a rule that there would he no visits for the first three days. I made a special request because I knew Jessie was leaving on the 10th. When we arrived, we tried to bow down to His Holiness, but he stopped us, and asked us to come and sit down. We talked for about 20 minutes. His Holiness talked to Jessie about how important it was to help the school and said that the most important thing we can do is give education. Then he asked me how the school was going and I told him everything was going very well largely as a result of his blessing. Then he told me "If you teach at the school the viewpoints and ideas of other religions, it will be good for the children in the future to understand each other better. This is my suggestion”. Then His Holiness went outside to take a photo and he put a big white scarf around our necks. He was patting me on the back and pinching my cheek.

Before His Holiness left Ladakh, he had separate audiences with both Buddhist and Muslim leaders. He gave both groups advice about how important and necessary it is to live harmoniously, like brothers and sisters, in order to build our country and help bring peace in the world. After His Holiness left Ladakh, Buddhist and Muslim leaders all left their different political parties and joined together to form a Union Territory party. They decided the most important thing was to get Union Territory status for Ladakh, so that Ladakh would still be part of India even if Kashmir becomes independent or joins with Pakistan. So they literally took his advice. Also when Jessie and I had a private audience with him he advised me to teach about other religions at Siddhartha School, so the children would grow up to be comfortable with people who follow other religions and respect their beliefs.

For me, I feel this was a very auspicious time and my decision was good to go there instead of changing my ticket. I had the opportunity to visit with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I want to share this wonderful experience with our friends and all Siddhartha School supporters.

How SSP USA -      (return to index)
An all-volunteer organization - helps "make it happen"

by Kathleen Kernell

When I began writing the Turning the Wheel newsletter three years ago, I had no idea how my life would be enriched by the many wonderful people I would come to know, and the many inspiring stories I would hear. Of course there was the benefit of working closely with Geshe-la plus the thrill of visiting the school and seeing first-hand the difference our donors’ generosity makes in the children’s lives. But even more than that. I’ve come to value the close connection to a group of dedicated and generous people and the constant awareness of their kindness.

I’ve had the opportunity to see the dedication and hard work that underlies this all-volunteer organization. When I finish writing the newsletter, it goes to Oklahoma City where it is edited, designed and produced by a loyal friend of Siddhartha School. (Some supporters, noticing the polished presentation of the newsletter, have asked if we had started paying for the layout design. In fact, we have stopped paying for the design!)

The generosity of Dan Wooliver and Sherry Upton cannot be overstated. Not only do Dan and Sherry address envelopes, they also donate the cost of postage. Richard Herrington, also of Oklahoma City, makes certain that the newsletter is printed at the highest quality while keeping the printing costs at rock bottom.

Sonya Quintanilla, founding board member of SSP USA handles the daunting task of bookkeeping. Joli Greene manages the SSP bank account and most of the correspondence, and Margot Jarrett handles the sponsorship program. Thus the newsletter printing costs and the management fees of our umbrella organization (Friends of Tibetan Women’s Association) are the only expenses SSP USA incurs in the United States. Volunteers do all the other work and all other donated money goes directly to the school.

This newsletter focuses not only on news about Siddhartha School but also on a few of the many people who have helped “make it happen,” from the local board members in Ladakh, who negotiate the bureaucracy in Srinigar, to the enthusiastic volunteers across the United States. I have heard so many of these people express the deep sense of joy and satisfaction that comes from their close connection with the school.

I write this because I suspect that there are some among our readers who would genuinely enjoy a deeper involvement in this common effort. If you have a special skill or talent—or simply a little free time—that you would be happy to share with the children of Siddhartha School, please contact us.

Perhaps you could get friends involved by organizing a “movie party,” making some popcorn and showing the two wonderful documentary films about Siddhartha School. Both are entertaining films filled with spectacular images of Ladakh—its mountain vistas, its culture, and its children (see p. 8).

Or perhaps you could organize a spare change drive or penny harvest. A discarded bottle from the water cooler and a sign with some pictures of the school might be all it would take to raise a significant sum of money toward the construction of a new library or science lab.

Or are you skilled at researching and writing grants, or organizing raffles and bake sales? Whatever you can think of, we’re there to help you with films and pictures and press packs. Joli Greene, one our most tireless volunteers, is on hand at 207-865-0744 or e-mail her at joli@gwi.net.

Please write or give us a call. Contact information.

Construction Completed     (return to index)
on classrooms serving grades 7 and 8

Thanks to generous grants from the Weatherspoon Charitable Foundation and from a family foundation that prefers to remain anonymous, construction was completed this year on the ground floor classroom blocks, adding two classrooms, which will serve grades seven and eight. Now the school needs only two more classrooms, then Siddhartha School can begin plans for the additional spaces needed to meet the more complex curriculum requirements of the higher grades.

The least expensive way to add most of the needed space is to build a second story atop the two newer classroom blocks, bridging the space between the two buildings This second-story addition will eliminate the expense of laying another foundation. The second story would accommodate the two remaining classrooms, an Upper School library, the computer lab, a meeting room for teachers, and the principal’s office. The present principal’s office, which has been blessed by so many high lamas (including HH the Dalai Lama and HH the Karmapa), would become a room for prayer and meditation.

Construction costs are rising so rapidly in India that it is advisable that we move ahead as quickly as possible. For example, cement, which cost about 50 rupees per bag when construction began on the school in 1995, rose to 250 rupees per bag in 2002. Other materials have increased proportionally, leading to a cost increase of roughly 500 percent since 1996. Geshe-la had estimated an annual increase of 30 percent, but current prices are outpacing even his most liberal estimates.

Since 1995, the school has built two classrooms every two years in order to keep up with the student’s most basic needs. This year we would like to do more. Our heartfelt thanks go to both of the foundations that helped with last year’s construction and have renewed their support for this year. Thanks to their generosity the building fund is off to a very good start and with your help we can make great strides again this year. Please consider a special gift to the construction fund to help us finish these most essential facilities.

My Visit to Siddhartha School     (return to index)

by Robert L. Brown

After teaching an art history graduate seminar on Tibetan art at UCLA. I made the decision to travel to Tibetan monasteries in India to view art treasures. Before leaving on my journey, Dr. Sonya Rhie Quintanilla, a colleague, gave me the name of her teacher and friend, Geshe Tsetan, whom she suggested I contact while in Ladakh.

For all of you who know Geshe Tsetan, you won’t be surprised to learn that once I arrived in Ladakh. Geshe-la took my two traveling companions and me into his care and became our guide for the days we were in Ladakh.

Our introduction to Geshe Tsetan was at Siddhartha School. My friends and I were taken to each of the classrooms and the students presented us with either a song or a lesson. We also were shown the brand new school bus and an upper-level classroom still in the process of construction.

Our big surprise was during the recess. The students, so formal and proper in their classrooms, surrounded us in the schoolyard. They were filled with energy and good humor, laughing, running, and playing. The smiles on their faces made us smile as well.

Although Mary, Guy and I were in Ladakh primarily to look at art, we were all very impressed by the spirit and self-confidence that these children displayed and the obviously exceptional education they are receiving.

Parents’ wish for new computers comes true    (return to index)

This year at Parents Day, the number one concern expressed by the parents was the establishment of a computer program at Siddhartha School. Geshe-la put computers on the wish list for a future year, but then in October an unusual opportunity presented itself. A local entrepreneur had opened a computer training center in Leh and had overestimated the demand. He wanted to sell three of his new computers at vastly reduced prices in order to cut his losses.

Siddhartha School Parents

Board member Tsering Angdu went to see the business owner and determined that his overstocked computers would be perfect for the school.

The computers are all identical, which of course is a requirement for classroom use, and they are made in India, so it will be easy to get service and parts. Since the computers are the same as those used in the training center in Leh, it will be easy to get training for the teachers.

Class VI has already begun learning, and the children and their parents are very excited. Information technology is growing rapidly in India and offers real opportunities.

Computer communication is especially important for people living in isolated places. Ladakh’s economy suffers because its mountain roads are impassible six to eight months a year. Trucks can’t get in and out of Ladakh in the winter, but computer generated information can.

Rizong Rimpoche, one of the many high lamas visiting Leh this summer, performed fire puja at Siddhartha School to clear away obstacles and bring good luck. Rizong Rimpoche has always acted as a spiritual advisor to the school. Before construction began on the school, he blessed the ground. He consecrates new school buildings. Two years ago he performed a ceremony to bring prosperity to the school. Whenever Rizong Rimpoche comes to Siddhartha School, the school environment becomes peaceful and joyful. After the fire puja, there was a sogs offering. The following day, volunteers used the new school bus to take the food to all the villagers.

Maine volunteers still             (return to index)
growing after all these years 

Maine volunteers gather with Geshe-la to celebrate continued success of Siddhartha School

Joli Greene had known Geshe-la for almost ten years when Laura Kogonis called her in 1995 to invite her to join the board of the newly-formed Siddhartha School Project. As a board member she knew it was important to establish the financial foundation of the school. Joli knew little about grant writing but as a professional artist she had strong skills in organization and promotion and did know how to set up and promote a business. It was a simple thing for her to apply that knowledge to Geshe-la and SSP. Dana Sawyer, a professor of Asian religions, worked with Joli to bring Geshe-la to Maine to teach on a regular basis.

They organized weekend workshops at the Portland Yoga studio, where owners Elaine and Francis McGillicudy donated space free of charge.

Many of the students who have come to the workshops have become strong supporters of the school. They have formed a core group of fundraisers and friends, each of whom has discovered ways of using his or her unique talents and situation to benefit the school. Their efforts, varied and imaginative, have been bedrock of support upon which Siddhartha School has been built.

In addition to arranging most of Geshe-la's’s university teaching engagements, Dana gives 10 percent of the profits from his recently published biography of Aldous Huxley to the school. Aldous Huxley was one of the first thinkers to introduce Buddhism to the West.

Ray Cooper, a social studies teacher, came up with a novel way of raising funds for the school. When his students kept showing up to class without pencils, he told them that they could buy a pencil for 25 cents and all proceeds would go to the Siddhartha School. At the end of the year he would match the money raised. All went well until the money was stolen. Two students decided to try to replace it and ended up raising even more money than had been lost.

Oilier students got excited and started coming up with their own fundraising ideas. Once father donated two laptop computers to be raffled. Ray is happy that his students have not only become such successful fundraisers, but have started thinking beyond the U.S. and have begun contributing to the global family.

Zoe Croft, age 10, Is Siddhartha School’s youngest fundraiser. Zoe brought Geshe-la to her school, and she and her friends collected money to buy colorful pencils, erasers and stickers for the children at Siddhartha School. Other key Maine supporters include Cynthia Symonds, who coordinate teachings in mid-coast Maine; June and Bill Lawless, who bring Geshe-la to Ellsworth for weekend workshops; Stephanie Briggs, a jeweler who donates a percentage of her profits to the school; and Martha Slocum, whose great generosity made the purchase of the school bus last year possible.

Other members of the Maine group contribute their skills and talents. Bahia Yackzan, a film artist, received funding from the JKW Foundation of New York and traveled to Ladakh in 1999. With the donations and support of many other media friends, she created ‘The Siddhartha School: Culture Based Learning,” a 17 minute digitally mastered video. Brace Nichols, who comes from Connecticut to attend Geshe-la’s classes in Maine, redesigned the Siddhartha School website. Bruce has also volunteered to research foundations and corporations who might make donations to Siddhartha School.

This group of friends in Maine has been brought together by their common commitment to Siddhartha School. Joli Greene says that working the school creates a sense of purpose and spiritual connection. She feels that her study of Buddhism has benefited greatly from her involvement in this effort. She says, “It’s one thing to sit in class and listen to the teacher talk or to read a book, but when you’re working together you get to put the teachings into practice, and that’s how you really learn. That’s how you create a community."

Siddhartha School supporter Nancy Sargent surprised Geshe-la this Fall with a check for $1500 from the “Candy Store” at Agere Systems. Nancy relates how the candy store started years ago: “Someone got tired of paying the high cost of candy and snacks from the vending machines and started buying stuff from the wholesale club. They kept a tin out and people shopped on the honor system. They charged 6 to 12 cents over cost - where else can you get a Snickers for 40 cents? When the savings account got over $500, they donated it to charities.”

A big thank you to Nancy, co-manager Charles Bealer, and to the patrons of The Candy Store, as well as to its founders. Their idea has benefited many worthy causes, and their donation to Siddhartha School will certainly be put to good use.

From the Principal - Tenzin Namgyal     (return to index)
Siddhartha School 2002 study, sports, and scholarship

Siddhartha School Principal Tenzin Namgyal

Talent Contest On a Saturday in October the talent contest was held. About 25 students took part in the contest and fifteen of those won prizes. It was the first time such an activity was organized and students participated in dance, drawing, song, acting, story-narrating and joke-telling. Students were encouraged to perform on their own without the help of a teacher in the hope that the exercise would bring out the hidden talents of the children. It was a greatly successful event, much fun, and the students did an outstanding job of performing.

Cricket Match
A cricket match was organized between Siddhartha School staff and students. The children played like pros and took over the staff team easily. The purpose of the match was to bring cooperation between the staff and children. Also it gave the children an opportunity to practice so they can compete with other schools.

Field Trip
During a holiday, students of six classes went on a field trip to an air field. They studied aeroplanes, and how they fly. They also observed Bernoulli’s principle, an important principle involving the movement of a fluid through a pressure difference which causes acceleration of the fluid.

Admissions
New admission began in October. This year we have given admission to 20 children for class nursery and several children were admitted into the higher classes.

Faculty Development

Last year Siddhartha School’s English teacher, Rigzin Tsomo, attended a 30-day workshop in Dharamsala, India, for Tibetan students of English. The workshop is organized by the English Language Scholarship for Tibetans (ELST), based in Cambridge, England. ELST sponsors two scholarships a year for Tibetans. Since ELST cannot incorporate all of the scholarships in Cambridge itself, workshops in India have been organized so more Indian students may be served. This year there were about thirty participants, all professionals-most of them serving in the Tibetan community.

The workshop was titled “English Skills and the Communication World.” A team of ten professors from Cambridge University, all volunteers covered a wide range of subjects from literature, web design, science and technology to body language and philosophy.

In between class sessions, participants held seminars in which all were expected to actively participate on the topics assigned—which included globalization, political conflicts, and development.

“The workshop stressed the importance of building confidence,” said Tsomo. “By the time we departed, my confidence had soared. This is a real benefit of this wonderful workshop.”

Intramural Competitions

Each year Siddhartha School holds several intramural competitions. Following the British public school model, SS is divided into “houses.” At Siddhartha School, the children are separated into competitive groups depending on their size and talent. Each of the groups includes children from all grades. Competitions in singing, poetry recitation, running and cricket are held throughout the year.

In June, Siddhartha School held its first chess competition. Rigzin Angmo, Class IV, won the championship.

During the second annual marathon race, held in July, students in grades one through six ran four kilometers, while those in Lower and Upper Kindergarten ran two. Rigzin Angmo and Tashi Gyaltsen, both fourth graders won the girls’ and boys’ divisions respectively.

Ladakhis excel at distance running, drawing on the superior stamina they develop running at altitudes between 11,000 and 12,000 ft. (The altitude at Stok is ll,500 ft.). India’s national marathon champion is a Ladakhi woman.

SSP News Briefs     (return to index)

turning the wheel
is a publication of the Siddhartha School Project.

Geshe Lobzang Tsetan,
Founding Director

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Siddhartha School Project
P0. Box 524
Freeport, ME 04032-0524

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Freeport, ME 04032-0524

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P.O. Box 524
Freeport, ME 04032-0524
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