Ashraya Initiative for Children - The Blog

Old Mac Donald and the lemurs

2012-02-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

YESSS. This is the photo I was wishing I had gotten way back when. Turns out our lovely volunteers Kathy and Sophie did manage to get a picture of the lemur eye rings. Yey!

Learning to love

2012-02-14T18:44:00.006-08:00

Several weeks ago, we had a little "incident" involving the newest addition to the AIC Residential Program, Rahul. To make a long story short, Rahul did not come home from school with the other kids, and after much searching and worry, was located six hours away, on a train heading to Goa, by a good Samaritan who was suspicious that a young boy in a school uniform was riding the train to Goa by himself and thought to look in his school books for a phone number to call (good Samaritan, whoever you are, we are forever grateful). Rahul was left in the hands of the railway police until he could be retrieved, and when questioned about his actions, became angry and defensive and said that he had run off because he had recently gotten a haircut and some of his AIC siblings had teased him by calling him "taklu" (bald man).

[Yes, really. Rahul was so upset by a particular instance of lighthearted teasing and banter that is a constant among the kids that he decided to jump ship. Forever? Just until he cooled off a bit and spent a weekend at the beach in Goa? It is unclear what was going through his mind at the time.]

The deeper issue here is that Rahul, having lived by himself on the streets for more than half of his life, had never had to learn to resolve problems. He had never had to learn to compromise, make peace with others or sort out his differences. Consequences meant nothing to him and his future was never clearly defined enough to bank on. He had no particular investment in any particular place and no strong ties to anyone.

Adrift on the streets, if Rahul became angry about something his friends said or did, he had the freedom to walk away and never come back. If he got into an argument with those he was sharing a shack with, he moved on and found someone else to bunk with. If he burned his bridges in Mumbai, he moved to Pune or Goa or somewhere else for a while.

This isn't just about Rahul, of course - so many of the kids who come to AIC's programs react to conflict in similar ways in the beginning. Even though Rahul has been at the AIC Residential Program for a year now, this situation is a reminder to us all that it takes time to learn to be a member of a family, to put your trust in others, to cherish deeper bonds with other human beings, even though they sometimes entail conflict and anger and sadness and other unpleasant emotions that must be worked through. After a lifetime of neglect, heartbreak and hurdles, it takes time to learn to love.

Today was a day full of love at the Residential Program - special snacks, heartfelt notes about love and appreciation for each other adorning the walls and a family game of soccer to round out the evening. The perfect opportunity to take some time out of the daily grind to remind and be reminded of how important we are to each other.

The AIC family is a work in progress, as are all families, I think. Reminding each other that we care, and assuring each other that every single member of the family is cherished, loved and absolutely irreplaceable, is an ongoing effort. And although it is time-consuming and sometimes challenging (heck, I'm pretty sure we've all contemplated jumping on a train to Goa at one time or another out of frustration, Rahul's just the only one who had the guts to actually do it!), ultimately, these kids are developing bonds of family and friendship that will last them throughout their lives.

A challenge

2012-02-06T17:12:00.001-08:00

I am very excited to be able to share news about a fundraising opportunity for AIC this year!

We have been offered a challenge.

An extremely generous donor has come forward with the offer to match, dollar for dollar, contributions raised by AIC's global fundraising efforts after an initial $50,000 fundraising goal has been met. So, once we have raised $50,000 this year, every additional donation beyond that will be matched one-to-one, up to a maximum of $80,000 in potential matching funds in 2012.

[EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!]

This means that this year, your donations to AIC will have more of an impact than ever before: $130,000 in donations will be increased to $210,000 for the AIC children and community members through the matching funds.

This is a tremendous opportunity, particularly in a global climate of economic hardship, and we feel very fortunate. Now, let's take advantage of this gift and get the word out! Please help us by sharing this post, retweeting/sharing/linking/whatever-you-do-best and encouraging those you know to become AIC supporters as well. Donations can be made in the US, Canada, the UK, Austria, India or from anywhere in the world online - all go toward the matching funds project. Let's make this happen.

Thank you from all of us at AIC ♥

Luckysingh and Sahil (who is now a happy, healthy student in AIC's nursery school, post-heart surgery)

An adventure

2012-01-31T07:55:00.000-08:00

Last week, three of our Education Outreach Program girls - Anu, Pooja, and Rajni - took their first trip to the mall! Now, you might ask - why the mall? It seems like an odd place for an outing, but malls and shopping complexes are coming up all over Pune, including FOUR expansive, modern malls within walking distance from the Waghri/Sikligar slums that have opened within the last year alone. Many of our Education Outreach children (like Anu, Pooja and Rajni) or their family members can be found begging outside of these sorts of shopping establishments when they are not in school, but due to heavy mall security, are never permitted inside to see for themselves what all the fuss is about.

So when the girls' school teacher heard about a company-sponsored drawing competition taking place in the nearby Phoenix mall one afternoon, she jumped at the chance to take them on an adventure for the afternoon. With a little help from Claudia didi, the girls were thrilled to meet their teacher for a day of drawing, exploring, and even a bite to eat.

Claudia didi accompanied Anu, Pooja, and Rajni into the mall, and the girls were absolutely in awe of their surroundings; they kept looking up at the lofty ceilings and shiny, bright lights and almost falling over backwards. Once they met up with their teacher, the girls rode an escalator for the first time, which you can imagine was quite a thrilling experience for all three!

Left to right: Poonam (Res Program), Anu, Rajni and Pooja

The girls were registered for the competition and received their drawing kits. They were so excited to have their own sets of crayons and pencils that they almost forgot to start drawing when the contest started! Competing children were given two hours to draw, and our girls drew their school and the Indian flag.

The girls received certificates for their participation in the drawing competition and then headed to the bathroom, where they had a blast using automatic sinks and paper towel dispensers and the bathroom attendant got a kick out of showing them how to use everything. Finally, they were treated to a veggie burger and soda at McDonalds! While they were eating with their teacher, their other teacher showed up and joined them. The girls were so excited to have all three of their didis (two teachers and outreach director) sharing lunch with them that they were almost too distracted to eat. After lunch, all three girls - balloons and goodie bags in hand - piled into a rickshaw and headed back to the slum, where they showed their new toys to their friends.

All in all, it was a successful, eye-opening adventure for the girls, and a fun afternoon for the adults who got to share in their wonder and excitement.

A safe place to play

2012-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

This week at AIC, we launched a playgroup for children aged 2-3 years and their mothers! The playgroup eliminates a gap that had previously existed in AIC's services for this particular age group: children from 0-2 years attend regular Mother-Baby classes, but after graduating from that program, are not eligible for admission into the AIC Nursery School until they turn 3. The playgroup provides mothers with the opportunity to continue to learn about critical areas of childcare, including health and hygiene, nutrition, and the role of play in stimulating brain development, and allows toddlers the space and resources to fine-tune their motor skills, social development and independence.

We are proud to say that, with the creation of this playgroup, children of the Waghri and Sikligar slums are now completely covered by our tightly-woven net of interconnected, age-appropriate services and program, beginning before they are even born (through our comprehensive antenatal care services), and continuing until they reach adulthood.

Walking through the Waghri and Sikligar slums, it is glaringly apparent that none of the children have safe play areas or toys to play with. It is not uncommon to see little ones toddling along busy roadways, playing with an exposed wire dangling from the web of cables through which the communities tap their (illegal) electricity connections, playing with (and putting in their mouths) glass bottles, metal cans, sharp/rusty/filthy/choking-hazard-sized items, playing dangerously close to open fires, peeking down from open rooftops, etc. Once they stop nursing, many toddlers are left to be supervised by their well-intentioned-but-easily-distracted older siblings, who are often barely even school-aged themselves.

The children are completely in awe of the shiny, colorful toys that our local supporters have generously donated; watching them play and discover new objects is a treat for their mothers and the AIC staff!

Will this playgroup solve all of those problems overnight? No, certainly not. However, for one hour every morning, the children and their mothers now have the chance to gather in a safe, clean, comfortable space for the little ones to play with toys and make friends while their mothers connect with other mothers and receive the support and guidance of our trained staff.

And while it may not alleviate the crushing poverty into which these children are born, a safe place to play goes a long way toward giving them a shot at a brighter future.

[To our friends in Pune - if you have gently-used toys that you are interested in donating to help us keep the playgroup well-stocked with fun, engaging materials, please email samantha@ashrayainitiative.org. Thank you, thank you, thank you!]

India's 63rd Republic Day

2012-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Republic Day!

(You're looking at the future of the sovereign, democratic Republic of India. Brace yourself, world; they're a rowdy bunch!)

Back from the blogging hiatus

2012-01-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012, everyone!

You may have noticed that our blog has been rather inactive for several months. We have a lot of catching up to do - everyone has been so busy doing what we do that there just hasn't been enough time to write about the doing, if that makes sense.

But it's a new year now - what better an opportunity to dust off the blog and get everyone up to speed on life at the AIC projects in Pune, right? To get started, here are a few things - big, small, festive, random - that have been going on since the last blog entry:

First off, there are new didis in Pune! And while they've been posting updates and photos on Facebook and Picasa, for months now, they've never really been formally introduced on the blog. Meet Samantha didi, Residential Program Director.

Aaaand Claudia didi, Education Outreach Program Director (with a silly Ashwini and a coconut).

Diwali diya (earthen lamp) painting - an AIC Residential Program tradition!

The Diwali party at the Education Outreach Centre

Arts and crafts on the Education Centre terrace!

Excellent turnout at the Annual (second year in a row means we can call it "Annual," right?) Holiday Party!

(Many, many thanks to Denise, Annie, Melanie, Sherry, Sue, Julie, Linda, Carrie, Jenny, Christy, Rohit, Poonam, Daniella, Debbie, Patty, Martha, Mary, Vijay, Naina, Sharan, Matthew, Sunita, Tony, and of COURSE, Idania and family!)

The nursery class students and their very festive Christmas tree

And another nursery class photo (I can't resist) - chalk drawing on the terrace

Masti (mischief) in the schoolyard - Karan, Sahil and Sanjay

Ramu, no caption necessary.

Our student, Bhavana, at the top of her class for the second year in a row - we love seeing report cards like this!

* * *

There is much more to come, including an exciting announcement about fundraising this year. More soon!

Ganpati Chaturthi

2011-09-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend marked the end of a big celebration here in Pune called Ganpati Chaturthi. During this two week festival, many families in Maharashtra bring home statutes of Ganpati (Lord Ganesh). Ganpati stays in the home for anywhere between one-day and two-weeks, and during that time, is carefully decorated with flowers and colors. Here at AIC, we had our very own Ganesh, which we decorated over the course of the holiday. At the end of the holiday we took our Ganpati to the river for a traditional visurgen. During visurgen, a big procession follows the Ganpati to the river, complete with music, dancing, and colors. Then, once at the river, the Ganpati is submerged, taking away all the problems and troubles of his generous hosts.

It is such a festive time here in Pune! There have been fireworks nearly every night. All over the city, there are beautifully decorated Ganpatis and many, many traffic-stopping processions!

This weekend, we said good bye to our own Ganpati. The kids had a great time, and after the visurgen we all enjoyed mithai, traditional Indian sweets.

A little gem of an anecdote that I had forgotten about

2011-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

While sitting downstairs in the main office a couple weeks ago, I overheard singing from the nursery classroom on the first floor of our new Education Centre:

"Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O...And on that farm he had a...lemur! E I E I O...With a...(silent pause) here and a (silent pause) there..."

Context: The kids read about lemurs in one of their books that week, which is why there were lemurs living on Old MacDonald's farm. And the silent pauses were the kids making lemur eye rings with their hands. Now if you can just imagine a classroom full of 3-year olds making lemur eyes while singing Old MacDonald Had a Farm, you'll understand why I was really kicking myself for not having brought my camera that day.

BUT - I will compensate by sharing this photo of one of our nursery classes lining up for snack time yesterday. It's not as cute as lemur eye rings but it'll do:

In case you were wondering - there are also tigers, lions and monkeys living on this particular farm belonging to Old MacDonald. Chickens and cows are so boring!

Sunday afternoon at the Education Centre

2011-07-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

200 school bags arrived today from the bagmaker...

...which means...

...school bag distribution tomorrow!

Kindergartener Extraordinaire

2011-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like it was just yesterday he was learning to crawl...

What happened to the baby of our family?!

Going Pro

2011-07-17T04:56:00.000-07:00

I've written about him before and he's been featured in newspaper articles, but I wanted to (re)introduce you all to Mayur, one of the boys from our Sikligar community. Not only did he just pass his 10th standard board exams through the external learning class we started at AIC last year after dropping out of school many years ago (!!), but he is also a very talented golfer who wants to go pro. He started working as a caddy when he was just a kid, and now plays in tournaments around the country, despite the fact that he doesn't have his own set of clubs and didn't even have real sports shoes until we bought some for him for a tournament in Delhi in September! Mayur's father is not in the picture, so he is the primary breadwinner for his family, which is why Mayur started working as a caddy at a young age. He also sleeps outside near a temple every night, and has done so for the past several years, because there is no room for him in his relatives' one-room shack. Last fall, the 10th standard external learning class teacher approached me about sending extra food home with Mayur after class, since she had observed that he usually went hungry at night.

Mayur, showing off his 10th standard board exam results

Despite the challenges that he faces, however, Mayur is always upbeat and optimistic. We are in the process of helping him with college admissions, and, 10th standard certificate in hand, he is looking forward to continuing his education while simultaneously pursuing his luck on the golf course. Mayur has a tournament coming up in the next two weeks and is hoping to dominate the qualifying rounds so that he can go to Delhi again to compete. This represents his best chance of being picked up by a sponsor so that he can afford to play more seriously, so keep your fingers crossed for him!

Off to school

2011-07-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of our new school admissions from last month. These kids have been a part of our program for between 1 and 3 years, and we've been slowly and steadily prepping them for admission into better schools around the city. We've been pretty successful this year, despite intense (and in some cases, illegal) pressure/retaliation from the students' previous schools to retain these students, as they are, of course, the best and the brightest in the school.

[But more about that later - I have a FULL post about the nearby government schools and the public education sham, despicably self-serving attitudes and outright laziness, already in the works! Just a little something to look forward to, because I am so thoughtful like that...J]

Their only complaint about their new schools: "Our teachers there give us so much homework!" (They are used to the nearby government schools where teachers only show up 50% of the time...)

Waiting for their rickshaw ride to school, as their new school is a 45 minute commute from our centre!

(Cutest sisters ever? I think so.)

Weekly installment of photos

2011-07-10T01:20:00.000-07:00

(Or is it instalment? I never really know.)

Here is a round-up of some photos from the last month...I'm trying to get caught up!

English lessons with volunteer Jeffrey prior to moving to our new Education Outreach Centre (more photos of that coming soon!).

School's started, back to work!

Hanging out with volunteer Christian.

Our chicken-pox-y little Poonam.

Two of our 10th standard Waghri boys, showing their (passing!) board exam results. Three years ago, not a single Waghri from our community had passed 10th standard. Now these two are college students!

Volunteers Andrew and Christian, hard at work covering school books in the new Education Centre office (note that there is already mold on the walls - yeyyyy Indian monsoon). I am pretty sure that these two single-handedly covered at least 1,000 notebooks and textbooks that week.

Jeffrey, our security guard extraordinaire. (It looks pretty quiet in this picture, but during admissions week there were pretty intense crowds of parents and kids trying to come in and inquire about admissions, so our volunteers took shifts as bouncers for the times when parents weren't supposed to be coming in.)

First day of school!

End of the tailoring/jewelry-making class for the Education Outreach and Residential girls. Here they are, proudly showing a few of their creations (cushion covers and cloth files).

Group photo on the last day of class.

One of our original twelve outreach girls, making a speech on the last day of tailoring class.

Thanking our awesome (and very patient) tailoring teacher on the last day of the girls' class.

Hanging out at Chowki Dhani for Jim dada's goodbye dinner.

Paint tattoos at Chowki Dhani.

Posing with the Rajasthani statues at Chowki Dhani.

Geeta in front of the Taj hotel in Mumbai on the day of her US visa interview. (Thought we'd throw in a little sight-seeing while we had the chance...)

Home visits

2011-07-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Last month, we conducted home visits for the new applicants to the Education Outreach Program.

Those tin sheet/tarp/wood/cardboard structures are the homes.

Chatting with one of the mothers.

New applicant to the program (center).

Sikligar mothers, eager to discuss their children's admission in the AIC Education Program.

* * *

One end result of the home visits last month? Naseem starts in our Ed Program tomorrow. Her two youngest siblings started in the nursery school a few weeks ago and she has been hanging around outside our gate every day waiting to pick them up. I have a good feeling about this girl. :-)

Sibling love

2011-06-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

Skyping with their Geeta didi (in the US)!

The new school year in numbers

2011-06-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a little snapshot of life at the AIC Education Outreach Program since school started one week ago:

# of AIC students newly transferred to private or semi-private schools around the city this school year: 58 (English and Marathi-medium)

# of AIC students who require transportation to and from schools around the city every single day: 99, which means a LOT of rickshaw/van coordination!

# of notebooks distributed to students: 1,962 and counting

# of pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners distributed to AIC students: Ummm, approximately a million?

# of new AIC nursery school students: 32, ranging in age from barely 3 to 6 and a half!

# of children on the waiting list to join the program: About 80 and increasing by 3 or 4 every day...

Geeta is stateside!

2011-06-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

This just in from AIC Marketing Director, Mariam Subjally, at the Newark Airport:

Now, Geeta is headed home with Mariam to shower, sleep, eat and kick off her US adventure!

T minus zero

2011-06-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

We are currently in the car on the way to Mumbai to drop Geeta off at the airport for her flight to the US - hooray for mobile technology!

Geeta, ready to leave!

Sangeeta's farewell puja for Geeta's journey

Saying goodbye to Aakash (the other kids were still at school and had said goodbye in the morning)

In the search for something to distinguish Geeta's black suitcase from the 5 million other black suitcases at the baggage claim, Eric had the interesting idea of using stickers. Stickers left over from Rahul's "Living/Non-Living Things" homework, to be exact. Though initially skeptical, I am fairly certain that Geeta's bag will be the only one in the Newark airport plastered in Living/Non-Living Things stickers, so I suppose he has a point.

Driving to Mumbai

Safe travels, Geeta!

Just because...

2011-06-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

...there's no such thing as a bad time to share a silly Ramu (and Rahul) dance video.

(This video is from a recent trip to Chokhi Dhani, a farewell dinner arranged by an AIC family friend, Jim dada, before he left Pune. The kids had a fantastic time, but were sad to say goodbye...)

Six days and counting

2011-06-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember this girl?

Well, this little Geeta of ours is not so little any more. In fact, in the 5 and a half years since she arrived here, we've been pretty blown away by how incredibly mature, compassionate and insightful she's become.

And those days of speaking broken English? LONG over.

After much running around to government offices, Geeta is now the proud owner of a brand new Indian passport:

AND, after a harrowing few days at the US Consulate in Mumbai (seriously, I don't know that I've ever bitten my nails so much in my life), last week Geeta received a student visa that will allow her to attend the Phillips Exeter Academy Summer Program, where she has been granted a full scholarship (!!) to attend the five-week program this summer.

I am so, so excited for her, and extremely grateful that the stars aligned to make this happen after our disappointment trying for Aakash last year. We've been so fortunate that everything was able to come together this year - government officials agreed to issue necessary documents, the passport came through in record time, the visa interviewer was compassionate and truly wanted to see Geeta have this opportunity, the Phillips Exeter Academy administration has bent over backwards to help us through this process in addition to giving Geeta a full scholarship, a very generous supporter stepped up to arrange for Geeta's flight, volunteers and supporters around the US have come out of the woodwork upon hearing about the trip, offering to do anything they can...

[And for those wondering about what Aakash is feeling - you'll be happy to know that he's handling this well and is very excited for Geeta. He very graciously came to Mumbai for her visa interview, and has been supportive of her and helpful throughout this process. He has elected to skip 9th standard and take the 10th standard board exams externally this year, so he is knee-deep in studies at this point, and recognizes that it wouldn't have been possible for him to try again this year anyway. We'll see what kinds of opportunities come his way after his exams are over next spring, though...]

There is still much to do, and her departure date is THIS COMING FRIDAY. Oh yes, you read that right: in a mere SIX DAYS we will be putting Geeta on a transcontinental flight by herself. I feel like I should be nervous, or apprehensive, or something...but somehow, I'm not. I know that Geeta can hold her own and handle any new adventure that comes her way. Of course, I'll still probably tear up a bit when the time comes to drop her at the airport, but only because I am incredibly proud of her and can't wait to see how she takes this new experience and runs with it.

Six days and counting...

Mid-week photo blitz

2011-05-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the tailoring + jewelry-making class that we started for the older girls in the Education Outreach and Residential Programs during their summer holiday. The girls have been having a great time learning to use the new sewing machines to make an assortment of mini sewing projects, as well as really incredible jewelry (see photos below). But perhaps the coolest aspect of the class - at least from my perspective - is the friendships that are developing between the Residential girls and the Education Outreach girls. In the month since the class started, they've become quite a tight-knit group!

Naseem

2011-05-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Day #2 of admissions at AIC. It was also probably one of the most exhausting days we've had in a while.

We had (foolishly) assumed that upper standard (non-nursery) admissions wouldn't take too long, and had planned to set up camp in the Health and Community Centre from 1-3pm to take down information about children seeking admission into our program for all standards higher than nursery. [Ha. Hahahaha...]

By the time we arrived at 12:30 to set up our computers and meet with Rashmi to review the procedure, the entire 2-story stairwell was completely packed with parents and children, many of whom had been waiting since early morning for their spot in the line. By the time we started calling the parents and children in at 1, the line was out the door and filling the alley next to our building.

Needless to say, we quickly realized that there was no way that we were going to be finished by 3, and we were right - we said goodbye to the last sets of parents at 7pm. Over the course of our nonstop-six-hour-long admissions marathon, we talked with and took down information about a dizzying assortment of children and their parents. Sadly, there will not be space in our program for most of them, so we will soon begin reviewing the list and paring it down to the neediest and the most likely to benefit from our programs, with preference given to girls.

One girl whose situation truly broke my heart yesterday was that of 11-year-old Naseem, the oldest of her parents' five children.

Naseem is not enrolled in school (nor are her 9-, 8-, 5-, or 3-year old siblings) and spends her days helping her mother with roadside metalwork. In the Sikligar community, it is exceptionally rare for women to work outside of the house due to strict cultural taboos, but Naseem's mother explained (through tears) that her husband is an abusive alcoholic who stopped providing for the family years ago, and she has had to take over the traditionally male-oriented occupation of metalwork to support her children. She earns, at best, Rs 1,500 ($35) per month, which her husband also dips into to pay for his alcohol habit.

Going through the typical admissions questions for Naseem and her younger siblings, it became apparent just how heavy the burden that Naseem carries truly is, as her mother detailed Naseem's role working alongside her in a dangerous, often injurious trade, taking care of the younger children and helping with the housework. When we asked who would pick up and drop off the four younger children from the AIC Education Centre each day, Naseem's mother said that Naseem would do it, as she (the mother) cannot take time away from working, and her husband cannot be trusted with the children. When we asked about medical problems, Naseem's mother mentioned that Naseem often suffers from dizziness and faints. When we asked how many meals the family eats per day, the mother confided quietly that there had been no food in the house all week, and the last time any of them had eaten was two days earlier. When we offered the children food, Naseem's younger siblings ate the chapatis and bhaji hungrily, but Naseem hung her head in shame and wiped back tears, while insisting that she wasn't hungry and gave her portion to her baby sister.

We see poverty and desperation on a daily basis in this line of work - heartbreaking stories, inconsolable tears, medical conditions could have been prevented - you name it, chances are good we've been confronted by it. And yet somehow, this girl and the weary, downtrodden look in her eyes struck a unique chord with me. While we haven't narrowed down the admissions list yet, I will certainly be advocating for Naseem's spot on the list, because I see so much potential in her uncomplaining selflessness, hard work, self-discipline and sacrifice. And although she'll be getting a late start to her education, I believe that, with our support, she will go far.

Admissions

2011-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday marked the beginning of AIC's nursery school admissions process...

Rashmi, Aakash and Eric, discussing a child's application with his mother

There is more admissions excitement still on the horizon, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peak of some of our possible upcoming nursery students:

More updates soon!

An Earth Day Creation

2011-05-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

[Erm, yes, I am aware that Earth Day was LAST month. Ooops. Hoping I still get points for better late than never?]

Lots of more recent things to post, but I wanted to get these gems up on the blog first, even though they're a tad late. Partly because they're just nice pictures, and partly because - wow - can we talk about how adorable/awesome it is that our soon-to-be-16-year-old, Sanjay, spent his afternoon creating an Earth Day watercolor painting on canvas for the occasion?? It seems like so many kids his age, especially boys, wouldn't be into Earth Day, and wouldn't think it was "cool" to paint a picture about taking care of the Earth...I don't know, maybe I'm just jaded about "kids these days," but all I can say is that I love that Sanjay is so earnest and enthusiastic about everything that he does.

Sanjay with his masterpiece. He's been really into watercolors recently.

A close-up of Sanjay's painting.

And another close-up.

May I take this opportunity to mention that, in addition to being an aspiring artist, Sanjay is also an excellent student, inordinately athletic, an awesome big brother to the littler ones? He really gives "well-rounded" a whole new meaning.

He's also probably going to be totally embarrassed to read all of the mushy things I'm writing about him (he is almost 16, after all...), but oh well. Sanjay, you're great.