Category: newsletter


Freesia School Graduation Ceremony

Posted on December 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia. 1 Comment

Celebrating another great academic year with 103 children enrolled at our Freesia School in India.

Celebrating yet another 17 Students Graduating to 1st Grade, plus 21 advancing to UKG Grade, plus 15 After School Program graduates, a great school staff, 100,000+ times our students washed their hands at our school this year and surpassing 95,000+ nutritious meals served at Freesia in last 3 years. We are happy to host the graduation ceremony for the first time in the new school campus this year. Celebration was well received by all students, parents and school staff.

We are also celebrating that 6 of our students have been accepted upon graduation, to attend the leading primary school for 12 years, free of charge and celebrating ALL of the 17 graduates taking admission into English medium schools.

Special thanks to our local partner in India, Building Blocks … Read more »



Edelweiss School Graduation Ceremony

Posted on December 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss. 1 Comment

Celebrating another great academic year with 140 children enrolled at AlphaBet Club Building Blocks Edelweiss in India.

Celebrating 46 Students Graduating to 1st Grade, plus 20 advancing to UKG Grade, plus 36 After School Program attendees, a great school staff, 110,000 times our students washed their hands at our school this year and surpassing 299,000 nutritious meals served at our schools these last 5 years.

We also celebrated that 46 students (11 of our graduating students and 35 of our …past graduates) have been sponsored by private individuals to get next 10 years of their education sponsored.

Special thanks to our local partner in India, Building Blocks India whose expertise make our Edelweiss, Freesia and Gardenia School projects possible, and we thank all the teachers and staff for another great year full of education, nutrition, fun, love and growth for these children. Special thanks also to AlphaBet Club donors, … Read more »



Gardenia School April 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on May 30th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 4 comments

This being the last month of the school year 2015-16, teachers took lot of effort in reviewing all the subjects taught to the children over this year.  Children also had the final assessments done by the curriculum heads at Gardenia School on April 12th.  New parents for the next academic year 2016-17 had an orientation program on April 19th.  We are also proud to mention that we will have a good increase in student strength to 61 children for 2016-17 academic year and for the first time since we opened this school in July 2015 we will have all three levels, K3, K4 and K5 in the next academic year!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 41

Total number of meals served this month: 1,142

No. of school days: 16

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 41

Average attendance: 38

Attendance in %: 93

Total breakfasts served: 607

Total … Read more »



Freesia School April 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on May 29th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Highlight of the month was the graduation day celebration on April 24th with a total of 17 kids graduating from K5 level on April 24th from Freesia school.  It was a great day watching the tiny tots receive their ‘Kindergarten Diplomas’ in front of their parents!  The day started off with a welcome dance by the After School Program (ASP) children followed by lighting of the lamp by the Founder of BB, James Ambat, Founder of ABC, Troy Swanson, local funding partner, Mrs. Preeti Rawal and Project Manager of ABC, Meena Gupta in the presence of many guests and parents.

Children were overjoyed to receive diploma certificates and certificates for special achievements!  Both the K5 and ASP children performed dances on stage for some very popular item numbers.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 103

Total number of meals served this month: 2,356

No. … Read more »



Edelweiss School April 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on May 25th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

46 students from K5 level graduated in April and are moving over to other neighborhood schools.  A gala graduation ceremony was arranged in the GD Mara slum for our graduating children and their families. The program started with the lighting of the lamp by ABC Founder, Troy Swanson, Building Blocks Founder, James Ambat and ABC Project Manager, Meena Gupta and with a welcome dance performed by the After School Program children at Edelweiss.

Kindergarten diplomas were handed over to all the 46 children.  Special awards in various categories were also given out. Over 300+ people attended this ceremony and it turned out to be a great day of celebration for our graduating class and their families!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 140

Total number of meals served this month: 2,994

No. of school days: 16

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 89

Attendance in … Read more »



Gardenia School March 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 28th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Kids from the Gardenia School benefited in March with free Medical Check-ups, an initiative of The Alphabet Club to screen children from any illnesses. This project was done in partnership with several local non-profits and hospitals at Freesia School and it was successfully completed for all children. Furthermore, the students received multi vitamin supplements and parents were advised on all the findings from this medical camp.

Holi, festival of colors was celebrated with children, parents and staff and everyone thoroughly enjoyed playing with colors on this day!

Also, screening test for children seeking new admissions for the 2016-17 academic year has been successfully completed!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 41

Total number of meals served this month: 1,683

No. of school days: 24

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 41

Average attendance: 36

Attendance in %: 88

Total breakfasts served: 907

Total lunches served: 776

Total number meals served since opening … Read more »



Freesia School March 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 27th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Over a 150+ children got a comprehensive health checkup for both general health and a dental screening this month of March.  Proud that two of the very popular institutions, RV Dental College and St. Philomena’s Hospital joined forces with the local Soroptimist International of Bangalore team to conduct this successful medical drive for our schools.

Holi, the ‘festival of colors’ was celebrated with all the children, staff and parents with a great joy!  No doubt that children enjoyed this thoroughly as it was distinctly visible to see those colorful smiles on their faces!

Also our K5 children had a final assessment for them as they get ready to leave our school and move ahead to other schools for 1st grade education

Attendance and Nutrition                             

No. of students enrolled: 103

Total number … Read more »



Edelweiss School March 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 26th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

In the month of March, Edelweiss has seen a lot of progress in academics to complete and revise their curriculum portions.  K5 Children also went through a final assessment in March to assess their learning outcome from the entire year.

Parents meeting was conducted for the After School Program parents and for the seven newly sponsored kids.  This year again, the sponsored children along with the previously sponsored children (ASP) will attend the Ankita School in the GD Mara slum neighborhood.  In this meeting they were informed about the fee structure for Ankita School and the parents contribution towards the fee payment.

Holi the ‘Festival of Colors’ was celebrated in school with children and their parents all participating with a lot of joy.  Needless to say, children were very happy to wear different colors on this day of celebration!!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of … Read more »



Gardenia School February 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 16th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

K3 and K4 having done extremely well in the 1st assessment conducted in the month of February, Gardenia School is proud to mention its accomplishments in academics!  This is what the curriculum supervisors, Meher and Selvi had to say: Children are good in literary and math, they act confident and are able to work well independently.  Also, they have excellent communication skills and their classrooms are well organized with all the required study materials.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 41

Total number of meals served this month: 1,659

No. of school days: 24

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 41

Average attendance: 38

Attendance in %: 92

Total breakfasts served: 900

Total lunches served: 759

Total number meals served since opening at Gardenia: 8,829

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 283,208

Curriculum

Math

Patterns was the theme of the month for K3.  Many activities related to patterns like – twin towers, … Read more »



Freesia School February 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 15th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

The K5 students of Freesia had a fantastic field trip to the Planetarium this month on February 19th. They watched a movie about the Solar System and it was a super hit amongst the K5 kids!  All children were thrilled to watch the movie and learn about the planets in an easy and fun educative way. This trip was sponsored by LinkedIn. Volunteers of LinkedIn welcomed the children, distributed snacks and watched the movie together with them.  Also in this month, our K3 kids have fared well in the second round of school assessment conducted by the curriculum supervisors.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 104

Total number of meals served this month: 3,477

No. of school days: 24

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 88

Average attendance: 79

Attendance in %: 90

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP):  15

Total breakfasts served: 1,884

Total lunches served: 1,593

Total number meals served … Read more »



Edelweiss School February 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 14th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

With 90% attendance and school in operation for 24 days, February month has progressed very well academically!  Children are reviewing concepts learned in the beginning of the year and preparing them for assessments that are due in the month of March. K3 and K4 also had a second round of assessment in all the schools. Social workers are busy with house visits for new enrollment in K3 for the next academic year.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 140

Total number of meals served this month: 4,751

No. of school days: 24

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 95

Attendance in %: 92

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 36

Total breakfasts served: 2,286

Total lunches served: 1,931

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 534

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 171,305

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 283,208

Curriculum

Math

Writing practice of numbers by K5 children

Patterns … Read more »



Gardenia School January 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 3 comments

January was filled with important trainings for the school staff.  Enfold – an organization focusing on empowering children and adults to recognize, resist and report sexual abuse held a workshop on awareness for this matter. James Ambat, Founder of Building Blocks (BB) gave a training on sharing importance of maintaining hygiene in all BB schools.  He thanked the support staff for maintaining a high level of hygiene in all the schools.  Year 2016 will be dedicated to further increasing awareness for all BB parents in keeping higher hygiene standards in their homes. This is planned to be achieved through community meetings organized by local social workers together with the parents for stressing the Importance of Hygiene through power point presentations and video demonstrations. All staff took a pledge in supporting this and signed the pledge with “I will wash my … Read more »



Freesia School January 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Building Blocks’ theme for the year 2016 as announced by James, the Founder, is dedicated to hygiene and best practices of hygiene in all BB Schools. This month in Freesia, the staff of Building Blocks underwent two important training sessions for their professional development. The main focus with the support from Enfold organization has been on empowering children and adults to recognize, resist and report sexual abuse by conducting an awareness seminar for teachers and all school admins.  Mr. James conducted an interactive seminar with video demonstrations of the importance of hand washing and following the best practices of hygiene to all the staff of Building Blocks.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 104

Total number of meals served this month: 2,890

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 88

Average attendance: 80

Attendance in %: 91

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP):  15

Total … Read more »



Edelweiss School January 2016 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

There is a lot to look forward to as we step in the second half of the academic year! This second half is more rigorous as compared to the first half as we have more working days and a lot of teaching material. K5 children will concentrate on learning a lot of new things required for them to be ready to face the challenge in a new school when they leave us in end of April this year. K3 and K4 will face less difficult challenges than K5, they will also meet their goal and be ready to move on to the next level.  All children will take an assessment test in April and will be promoted to the next level depending on their performance.  January month had a lot of visitors following up the Christmas and the vacation holidays … Read more »



Gardenia School December 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Year 2015 has brought a great achievement for the AlphaBet Club!  ABC takes pride in mentioning that the 3rd school launched in June 2015 in partnership with Building Blocks India is another successful project. There has been a constant increase in the enrollment since the opening of the school. We started out with 35 children at K3 and K4 level. Today we have 41 children attending Gardenia School which is a 17% increase in enrollment since the opening.  With the support of the School Manager, Teachers and Social Workers, the goodwill and support in the community is constantly growing and we are looking forward for higher enrollment in the next academic year.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 41

Total number of meals served this month: 1,106

No. of school days: 16

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 41

Average attendance: 36

Attendance in %: 92

Total breakfasts … Read more »



Freesia School December 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 18th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

At the end of 2015, we express happiness in sharing that Freesia School has progressed well in all aspects despite many challenges of moving the school into another building, two months into the academic year. The new building was setup quickly and the children, teachers and support staff adjusted fairly easily to the new environment. In the new school building, there is a good quality lighting and ventilation system, two large halls that are used either as classrooms or as a meeting room for all children to gather for special occasions, a huge open area for children to play in and a total of 6 rooms used as classrooms.  ASP classes with 15 children with a very regular attendance and steady performance in their respective schools is also commendable.  Team Freesia’s efforts needs a special mention here in the progressive … Read more »



Edelweiss School December 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 18th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

2015 started off with a bright spark and ended with the same joy and happiness at Edelweiss. December marks the end of the year and is the most joy-filled month for everyone as we move on and celebrate the achievements from this year and look forward to starting fresh in 2016. Edelweiss had a lot to celebrate when stepping into the second half of the academic year. Enrollment has been steady with very few drop outs, maximum number of children benefitting from this program. We also celebrated the reaching 250,000 served meals since the opening of the school.  We are expecting all 46 children from K5 classroom to graduate in April 2016, wishing and hoping the best for these children in continuing their education in English Medium schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 142

Total number of meals served this month: … Read more »



Gardenia School November 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Building Blocks celebrated both its 11th anniversary and Children’s Day on November 14th with a fabulous dance show put on by the kids of Building Blocks schools! The theme for the Children’s day was Colors of India.  Since Gardenia School opened this year in July and the children are very young, they couldn’t participate in the dance program this time.  But several of Gardenia students joined the celebration.  Gardenia also organized an own smaller scaled celebration at their school to include all children for this special day!

Like always, Leela Palace, Bangalore served 450 delicious meals to all the children, staff and guests for the occasion.  A total of 700 winter blankets were distributed to all the students of Building Blocks as gifts for Children’s Day.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 37

Total number of meals served this month: 1,335

No. of … Read more »



Freesia School November 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 9th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

November has been a great month of celebration!  After Diwali, the 11th anniversary of Building Blocks was celebrated on Children’s Day on November 14th with a glamorous dance show put on by the kids of Building Blocks school!  Students were excited to perform dances on stage. They danced to the beat of popular Indian Cinema songs in front of a large crowd.  The theme for the Children’s day was Colors of India.  Both K5 and ASP students of Freesia School performed dances from the top billboard songs from this year. As always, Leela Palace Bangalore served 450 delicious meals to all the children, staff and guests for this occasion. 700 blankets were distributed to all the students of Building Blocks as gifts for Children’s Day!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 104

Total number of meals served this month: 3,270

No. of school … Read more »



Edelweiss School November 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 8th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

The 11th anniversary of Building Blocks was celebrated on Children’s Day, November 14th with a gala show put on by the students from the Building Blocks schools!  Nice to see the children dance on popular Indian Cinema songs and entertain the crowd.  The theme for the Children’s Day was Colors of India.  Both K5 and ASP students of Edelweiss School performed dances from the top billboard songs from this year.  Like always, Leela Palace in Bangalore served 450 delicious meals to all the children, staff and guests for this occasion.  A total of 700 blankets were distributed to all the students of Building Blocks as gifts for Children’s Day.

 

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 142

Total number of meals served this month: 4,324

No. of school days: 22

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 93

Attendance in %: 89

No. of Students Enrolled … Read more »



Gardenia School October 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 23rd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. No Comments

Teachers carry the responsibility of shaping students’ future – the leaders of tomorrow!  With this in mind, our Teacher Training Program makes a constant effort to improve the skill levels of teachers.  This month as well, the teachers of all Building Blocks Schools took part in workshops on Phase One Jolly Phonics Aspects.  Each school was given a topic and had to present the topic in front of all the other teachers; Gardenia school gave a presentation on the topic of Environmental sounds.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 36

Total number of meals served this month: 1,031

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 36

Average attendance: 32

Attendance in %: 89

Total breakfasts served: 546

Total lunches served:  485

Total number meals served since opening at Gardenia: 3,352

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 249,841

Curriculum

Math

Activity on’Sinkers and Floaters’

This month, children learned to … Read more »



Freesia School October 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 23rd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

ABC Freesia team has made us proud by winning the second place for their superb demonstration of musical instruments and how to use them. It was done in an engaging story form using homemade puppets. Our Teacher Training Program makes a constant effort to improve the skill levels of teachers! This month too, all the teachers of Building Blocks Schools had workshops on Phase One Jolly Phonics Aspects and were also given a topic on which the teachers had to make lesson plans, demonstrate and present the topic in front of all the other schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 107

Total number of meals served this month: 2,756

No. of school days: 20

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 92

Average attendance: 83

Attendance in %: 90

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP):  15

Total breakfasts served: 1,501

Total lunches served: 1,255

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia:  91,029

Total … Read more »



Edelweiss School October 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 23rd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

We take pride announcing and congratulating ABC‘s Edelweiss School team in winning the first place for their effective presentation on ’Usage of Alliteration in Phonics!  Way to Go Edelweiss!  Throughout the year there are several training sessions which help in meeting their goal. This month too, all the teachers of Building Blocks Schools had workshops on Phase One Jolly Phonics and were also given a topic on which the teachers had to make lesson plans, demonstrate and present the topic in front of all the other schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 142

Total number of meals served this month: 3,651

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 92

Attendance in %: 88

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 38

Total breakfasts served: 1,763

Total lunches served: 1,594

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 294

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 155,460

Total … Read more »



Gardenia School September 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 29th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Education is the key to a successful development and teachers have a lasting impact in the lives of their students. On September 5th, Teachers Day was celebrated at Gardenia school. A day to express gratitude for the great work teachers do at the school all year long.  Building blocks organized a memorable outing for them at the Garden Asia Resort on the 7th September.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 36

Total number of meals served this month: 1,031

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 36

Average attendance: 32

Attendance in %: 89

Total breakfasts served: 546

Total lunches served: 485

Total number meals served since opening at Gardenia: 2,321

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 242,403

Curriculum

Math

Children learned numbers orally from 1 to 50 and counting by 10’s/100’s. In Fun with Math class, they learned the key words big/small/thick/thin/rough/smooth/hard/soft/fast/slow etc.

English

K3 Jolly Phonics – … Read more »



Freesia School September 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 27th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Freesia School celebrated Teachers Day on September 5th, the students lovingly wished their teachers a “VERY HAPPY TEACHERS DAY!” This is an important day at Freesia for students and teachers alike. Teachers enjoyed a wonderful time at the Garden Asia Resort that was planned by Building Blocks on the 7th of September.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 107

Total number of meals served this month: 2,756

No. of school days: 20

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 94

Average attendance: 83

Attendance in %: 90

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 15

Total breakfasts served: 1,501

Total lunches served: 1,255

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia:  88,273

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 242,403

Curriculum

Math

Activity for Order of Numbers

This month they learned about even and odd numbers. They also learned to write numbers from 1-100 and fill in missing numbers. They were also able to read and circle … Read more »



Edelweiss School September 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 26th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

“On September 5th, Edelweiss celebrated Teachers Day to express gratitude for the wonderful work that teachers do all year long. Edelweiss takes great pride in their staff and students look up to their teachers as their role models.  Parents of students participated in this celebration feeling thankful towards the good level of education their children receive here. On the 7th of September, Building Blocks organized a memorable day out for the teachers at the Garden Asia Resort as a sign of appreciation.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 142

Total number of meals served this month: 3,952

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 92

Attendance in %: 88

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 38

Total breakfasts served: 1,763

Total lunches served: 1,594

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 595

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 151,809

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since … Read more »



Gardenia School August 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 30th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Students were happy to take part in many Indian Independence Day programs that were arranged at Gardenia..  National flag was hoisted and Tri-color sweets and chocolates were distributed to them.  With an average attendance at 86% and enrollment at 36 children Gardenia is slowly creating new records every month.  Happy to also share that the Nutrition program kick started and children are now given breakfast and lunch free of cost to them.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 36

Total number of meals served this month: 1,290

No. of school days: 23

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 36

Average attendance: 31

Attendance in %: 86

Total breakfasts served: 691

Total lunches served: 599

Total number meals served since opening at Gardenia: 1,290

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 234,644

Curriculum

Math

K4 children learned to tell numbers 1-50 orally

English

Language enrichment cards were used to teach the words and meanings for it.  Words … Read more »



Edelweiss School August 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

August 15th marks as the Independence Day for India and all our ABC schools celebrated 69th Indian Independence day by hoisting flag, singing national anthem, children dressing up as various historic characters and feasting on a special lunch.  A lot of art activities were arranged to entertain the children.  Parents too joined the children in this celebration.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 141

Total number of meals served this month:4,448

No. of school days: 22

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 104

Average attendance: 94

Attendance in %: 90

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 37

Total breakfasts served: 2,064

Total lunches served: 1,802

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 582

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 147,857

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 234,644

Curriculum

Math

I can count!

This month K4 learned, one on one correspondence.  Activities included snow man, pairs, matching game, where is thumbkin, find a friend, … Read more »



Freesia School August 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

India celebrated the 69th Independence Day on August 15th and on the same day Freesia School hosted the inauguration of its new school building.  Freesia school has moved into a new location.  ABC Freesia moved out of the previous school building as the building owner was selling the property.  The new school is large enough to add an additional classroom for the next academic year.  The Founder of Building Blocks School, opened the school to its students with a ribbon cutting and lighting of the lamp ceremony.  K5 children participated in the opening ceremony.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 107

Total number of meals served this month: 2,886

No. of school days: 18

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 92

Average attendance: 85

Attendance in %: 92

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 15

Total breakfasts served: 1,526

Total lunches served: 1,360

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 85,517

Total … Read more »



First Gardenia School Monthly Newsletter Update – July 2015

Posted on September 2nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, gardenia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Welcome to the first newsletter of Gardenia School!  With a jubilous opening ceremony on June 20th the school was unveiled to K3 and K4 children of DJ Halli area of Bangalore city.  This is the 3rd school of AlphaBet Club in partnership with Building Blocks India (BB).  With a month into the new school, children are seemingly settled and good progress happening in the path of learning!  We now have 35+ children enrolled in Gardenia in K3 and K4 levels.  Our in-house kitchen is almost ready and we are looking to serve two meals a day from August onwards.

Opening Ceremony

On June 20th AlphaBet Club in partnership with Building Blocks India celebrated the opening of new GARDENIA School for 40 to 60, three to five year old children living in the DJ Halli Slums in Bangalore. This is AlphaBet Club’s 5th … Read more »



Freesia School July 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

With attendance at 90% and school operating six days a week, we have yet another successful month this school year!

As we leap forward into the next month we see children hopping and running into the school every morning.  Things have calmed and settled down with the new children.  No more tantrums to throw, no more crying to say good bye to their parents – what a change in just one month into the school year!  Focus is back into learning for all K3, K4 and K5 kids.  ABC is very happy to announce that we served record high meals for this calendar year at 8,700 meals through both the ABC schools in Bangalore, India.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 106

Total number of meals served this month: 3,950

No. of school days: 24

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 91

Average attendance: 82

Attendance in %: … Read more »



Edelweiss School July 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 19th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

No more tantrums to throw, no more crying to say good bye to their parents – Just one month into the school, what a change in the 3 and 4 year olds for being first time away from their parents!

As we leap forward into the next month we see children hopping and running into the school every morning.  Things have calmed and settled down with the new children.  Focus is back into learning for all K3, K4 and K5 kids.  After School Program (ASP) enrollment has gone up by 85% from the last month.  A total of 37 students from 1st to 4th grades taking advantage of this ASP program! We also have few visitors coming to the school and appreciating the teachers’ effort in sharing their love, knowledge and time with these poor children.  ABC-BB youngest volunteers celebrate their … Read more »



Freesia School June 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Maybe one of them will rock the world!  With a dream set in their minds to overcome poverty, these children come running happily into the school to start yet another new academic year.

ABC Freesia School started of its new academic year on June 8th, 2015 with a jubilant start.  A whopping number of 106 children are enrolled at Freesia school this year and more children are joining as we write this newsletter!  ABC is very happy to share that we have a new program for 3 year olds – K3.  A total of 51 in K3, 22 in K4, 18 in K5 and 15 in After School Program (ASP) seems to be very successful enrollment to begin with! The school will be open six days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  ABC welcomes all the children and staff … Read more »



Edelweiss School June 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 21st, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

“A fresh start….”  A time, when one can put their best foot forward! Each student is determined to make this year a better one. With their minds set ablaze with this dream, who knows? Maybe one of them will be ready to rock the world!

ABC Edelweiss School started its new academic year on June 8th, 2015 with a jubilant start.  A whopping number of 102 children are enrolled at Edelweiss school this year!  ABC is very happy to share that we have a new program for 3 year olds – K3.  A total of 36 enrolled in K3, 20 in K4 and 46 in K5 – A big achievement to the previous academic year!  The school will be open six days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  ABC welcomes all the children and staff to the 2015-16, a … Read more »



Freesia School April 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on May 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

A total of 59 children graduated, a record high since AlphaBet Club started Freesia in 2013!  AlphaBet Club Building Blocks is proud to have completed another impactful academic year!  A total of 31,104 MEALS for the academic year, 76,648 MEALS since opening of Freesia and 211,970 partnership MEALS were served!  Kindergarten diploma certificates were handed to all the graduates. Academic excellence certificates were handed over to outstanding children for many categories.

Learning came to an end with an official final assessment for all K5 kids in all the Building Blocks Schools with children performing much better than the previous years.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 92

Total number of meals served this month: 2,204

No. of school days: 14

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 85

Average attendance: 69

Attendance in %: 81

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,102

Total lunches served: 1,102

Total meals served at … Read more »



Edelweiss School April 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on May 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

AlphaBet Club Building Blocks is proud to have completed another impactful academic year.  A total of 37 children graduated this year from K5 in Edelweiss. A total of 33,695 MEALS for the academic year, 135,322 MEALS since opening of Edelweiss and 211,970 Partnership MEALS were served!  Kindergarten diploma certificates were handed to all the graduates. Academic excellence certificates were handed over to outstanding children for many categories.

Learning came to an end with an official final assessment for all K5 kids in all the Building Blocks Schools with children performing much better than the previous years.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 113

Total number of meals served this month: 2,159

No. of school days: 14

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 87

Average attendance: 74

Attendance in %: 85

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 26

Total breakfasts served: 1,038

Total lunches served: 1,038

Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 83

Total … Read more »



Edelweiss School Graduation Ceremony 2015

Posted on May 1st, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss. No Comments

Celebrating another great academic year with 114 children enrolled at AlphaBet Club Building Blocks Edelweiss in India.

Celebrating 37 Students Graduating to 1st Grade, plus 51 advancing to UKG Grade, plus 26 After School Program graduates, a great school staff, 110,000+ times our students washed their hands at our school this year and surpassing 200,000+ nutritious meals served at our schools.

We also celebrated that 39 students (20 of our graduating students and 19 of our …past graduates) have been sponsored by private individuals to get next 10 years of their education sponsored.

Special thanks to our local partner in India, Building Blocks India whose expertise and professionalism make our Edelweiss and Freesia School projects possible, and we thank all the teachers and staff for another great year full of education, nutrition, fun, love and growth for these children. Special thanks also to … Read more »



Freesia School Graduation Ceremony 2015

Posted on May 1st, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia. No Comments

Celebrating another great academic year with 92 children enrolled at our Freesia School in India.

Celebrating a record 58 Students Graduating to 1st Grade, plus 27 advancing to UKG Grade, plus 7 After School Program graduates, a great school staff, 100,000+ times our students washed their hands at our school this year and surpassing 75,000+ nutritious meals served at Freesia in last 2 years. We are happy to host the graduation ceremony in the Chinnappa Garden slum for the f…irst time this year. Celebration was well received by all students, parents and school staff.

We are also celebrating that 12 of our students have been accepted upon graduation, to attend the leading primary school for 12 years, free of charge.

Special thanks to our local partner in India, Building Blocks India whose expertise and professionalism make our Freesia School projects possible, and we … Read more »



Freesia School March 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 29th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

AlphaBet Club Building Blocks is proud to have surpassed 200,000 meals this month!  With Troy Swanson and Danielle Smissaert visiting ABC Freesia, this month has been a thrilling month for all at school!

Learning came to an end with an official final assessment for all K5 kids in all the Building Blocks Schools.  K5 children had their last field trip for the year to an “Old age home” where they sang and told stories to the residents and shared some snacks and fruits with them.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 92

Total number of meals served this month: 3,420

No. of school days: 22

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 85

Average attendance: 78

Attendance in %: 91

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,710

Total lunches served: 1,710

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 74,444

Total ABC-BB School partnership … Read more »



Edelweiss School March 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 23rd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

 

Month of March has been an exciting month at Edelweiss.  AlphaBet Club Building Blocks  is proud to have surpassed 200,000 meals this month!  With Troy Swanson visiting ABC Edelweiss and with many of ABC volunteers and friends visiting, this month has been a busy month for all at school.

Learning came to an end with an official final assessment for all K5 kids in all the Building Blocks Schools.  Edelweiss also had a fabulous HOLI – “festival of colors” celebration with many friends.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 116

Total number of meals served this month: 3,893

No. of school days: 22

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 87

Average attendance: 77

Attendance in %: 89

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 29

Total breakfasts served: 1,702

Total lunches served: 1,702

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 489

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 133,163
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since … Read more »



Freesia School February 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 17th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

As we get close to the end of 2014-15 academic year, reading, writing and learning at ABC-BB Freesia School is at full swing.  Children of K5 are being tested every Friday in English and Math.  They seem to be doing very well like all students of other BB schools.  Come April, it will be a sad but a proud moment for all the teachers to bid these children adieu as they move out of Freesia and start another remarkable journey in other English Medium schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 91

Total number of meals served this month: 2,912

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 84

Average attendance: 77

Attendance in %: 90

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,456

Total lunches served: 1,456

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 71,024

Total ABC-BB School … Read more »



Edelweiss School February 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 17th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

As we get close to the end of 2014-15 academic year, reading, writing and learning at our Edelweiss school is at a full swing.  Children of K5 are being tested every Friday in English and Math.  They seem to be doing very well like all students of other BB schools.  Come April, it will be a sad but a proud moment for all the teachers to bid these children adieu as they move out of Edelweiss and start another remarkable journey in other English Medium schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 118

Total number of meals served this month: 3,357

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 78

Attendance in %: 88

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 29

Total breakfasts served: 1,493

Total lunches served: 1,493

Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 371

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 129, 270
Total … Read more »



Freesia School January 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 18th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

2014 has gone by and we at Freesia School have smoothly transitioned into 2015.  2014 saw great accomplishments!  K5 children are almost ready to exit our schools   With only few months left in the current academic year, curriculum coordinators and teachers are working very hard to finish out yet another successful year for all our children at our ABC Schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 92

Total number of meals served this month: 2,462

No. of school days: 15

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 85

Average attendance: 77

Attendance in %: 91

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,231

Total lunches served: 1,231

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 68,112

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 194,025

Curriculum

K4 Math

Children practiced writing numbers and writing missing numbers from 1-50.  They were also tested orally for even and odd … Read more »



Edelweiss School January 2015 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 18th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

2014 has passed and we at Edelweiss School have smoothly transitioned into 2015.  2014 saw great accomplishments!  K5 children are almost ready to exit our schools.   With only few months left in the current academic year, curriculum coordinators and teachers are working very hard to finish out yet another successful year for all our children at our ABC Schools.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 118

Total number of meals served this month: 2,456

No. of school days: 15

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 74

Attendance in %: 83

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 29

Total breakfasts served: 1,120

Total lunches served: 1,120

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): 216

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 125,913

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 194,025

Curriculum

K4 Math

Children practiced writing numbers and writing missing numbers from 1-50.  They were also tested orally for even and odd numbers.

K5 … Read more »



Freesia School December 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 30th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

ABC Freesia children had grand Christmas celebrations!  With decorations of crib, Christmas tree, stars, balloons, bells, color papers, gift boxes, our expert carol singers (Freesia children) and an onboard Santa Claus (Madhuri, Freesia teacher) there was nothing left in mesmerizing these kids!  Christmas games were conducted by our dedicated volunteer – Sue Griffiths. They were spell bound by the month long happenings at the school.  Children also enjoyed good ten days of holidays for Christmas and New Year.  Year 2014 went by smoothly at Freesia with many scholastic goals achieved and learning reaching its summit as we go past the mid academic year now!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 92

Total number of meals served this month: 2,500

No. of school days: 16

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 85

Average attendance: 78

Attendance in %: 92

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,250

Total lunches … Read more »



Edelweiss School December 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 30th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

ABC Edelweiss children had wonderful Christmas celebrations!  With Christmas in the air, our expert carol singers (Edelweiss children) and an onboard Santa Claus (Mary, Edelweiss teacher) to bring in gifts there was nothing left in mesmerizing these kids.  They were spell bound by the month long happenings at school.  Children also enjoyed good ten days of holidays for Christmas and New Year.  Year 2014 went by smoothly at Edelweiss with many scholastic goals achieved and learning reaching its summit as we go past the mid academic year now!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 118

Total number of meals served this month: 2,982

No. of school days: 16

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 81

Attendance in %: 92

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 29

Total breakfasts served: 1,303

Total lunches served: 1,303

Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 376

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: … Read more »



Freesia School November 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 24th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

A mega Children’s Day event and 10th anniversary of Building Blocks Schools was celebrated on Nov 15th with about 400 children and a total of 600 people attending this event. This was a huge success with brilliant performances from students which completely mesmerized the audience asking for more!  Guests danced till their feet ached, clapped until their hands turned sore and sang with the children.  This lifted the spirit of the kids and left them performing at their best.  This yearly event drew a big crowd along with the newspaper media wanting to publish an article for Children’s Day!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 91

Total number of meals served this month: 2,790

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 84

Average attendance: 74

Attendance in %: 88

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,464
Total lunches served: 1,326

Total meals served at … Read more »



Edelweiss School November 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 12th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

A mega Children’s Day event and the Tenth Anniversary of Building Blocks Schools was celebrated on Nov 15th at Primus Public School with about 400 Building Blocks children and a total of 600 people attending this event. This was a huge success with brilliant performances from BB kids which completely mesmerized the audience asking for more!  Guests danced till their feet ached, clapped till their hands turned sore and sang their voices out with the children.  This lifted the spirit of the kids and left them performing at their best.  This one time yearly event drew a big crowd and the newspaper media to the event wanting to publish the article for Children’s Day!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 118

Total number of meals served this month: 3,254

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 80

Attendance in %: … Read more »



Freesia School October 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 27th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. 1 Comment

Fifty eight of our Freesia K5 students visited the Aerospace Museum. Children saw Airplanes, Helicopters, Jet planes, Parachutes, Fighter planes, and Rockets.  Diwali festival was celebrated in glamour with all children participating in school round activities held for this special occasion.  Preeti, Sonali and Sue, along with a few children fired the crackers.  Yummy sweets and fruits were distributed by them to all the children.  The celebration was very colorful and children enjoyed it thoroughly!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 92

Total number of meals served this month: 2,454

No. of school days: 17

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 85

Average attendance: 72

Attendance in %: 85

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,227

Total lunches served: 1,227

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 60,360

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 177,581

Curriculum

K4 Math: This month they … Read more »



Edelweiss School October 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 22nd, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

Visiting the Hindustan Aeronautical Museum (HAL) in Bangalore was a life changing experience for Edelweiss students as all experienced planes for the first time!  Children were thrilled to see full size planes and helicopters up close. Their imaginations have expanded by visiting this museum!  Diwali the “Festival of lights” was celebrated in October with great pomp and honor and all the ABC-Edelweiss kids enjoyed feasting on the special lunch that was arranged on Diwali day.

 

 Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 119

Total number of meals served this month: 2,460

No. of school days: 17

No. of Students Enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 75

Attendance in %: 85

No. of Students Enrolled (ASP): 30

Total breakfasts served: 1,206

Total lunches served: 1,124

Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 130

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 117,221
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening:  177,581

Curriculum:

K4 Math – Numeration 1-5, plus … Read more »



Freesia School September 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

The month of September at ABC Freesia School has leaped forward in academics, co-curricular, fun and frolic, and renewed enthusiasm among teachers after the “Teachers’ Day Celebration”.  With our curriculum coordinators testing K5 children in English scholastics and our teachers advancing into their Nursery Teacher Training Program (NTT), we welcome our members to enjoy every bit of this newsletter!

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 95

Total number of meals served this month: 2,958

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students enrolled (Day): 88

Average attendance: 78

Attendance in %: 88

No. of students enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,479

Total lunches served: 1,479

Total meals served at ASP

(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 57,906

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 172,667

K4 Math

Children learned addition, subtraction, addition symbol (+), subtraction symbol (-) and equals (=), writing numbers from 1 to 10.  The concept … Read more »



Edelweiss School September 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 20th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

September has been an exciting month at ABC-Edelweiss. We have seen a lot of events, activities and a wide range of learning by children at our Edelweiss School.  Join us as we share these moments with our ABC members!  Volunteers from Blue Jeans Co. have given our school a face lift by painting the school.  Sandra from Action Care Dubai visited our center.  Teacher’s day was celebrated on 5th September with all the students and teachers.  Also, September born children celebrated their birthdays with their friends at school.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 117

Total number of meals served this month: 3,447

No. of school days: 19

No. of Students enrolled (Day): 89

Average attendance: 75

Attendance in %: 86

No. of students enrolled (ASP): 28

Total breakfasts served: 1,503

Total lunches served: 1,503

Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 441

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: … Read more »



Edelweiss School August 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 2 comments

August has had many extraordinary events at our ABC sponsored Edelweiss school and we are eager to share the news with all ABC members.  August 15th, 68th year of Independence is a memorable day in the history of India.  ABC Edelweiss and Freesia Schools had the opportunity to celebrate the Independence Day in great glamour.  Children also have had a fun filled field trip to Pizza Hut. For many, it was the first time having Pizzas in their lives! 

Our K4/K5 children are progressing well in academics and ASP children getting benefitted with our After School Program.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of students enrolled: 124

Total number of meals served this month: 3,000

No. of school days: 21

Number of Students Enrolled (Day): 93

Average attendance: 77

Attendance in %: 83

Number of Students Enrolled (ASP): 31

Total breakfasts served: 1,388
Total lunches served: 1,388
Total meals served at … Read more »



Freesia School August 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

August has had many extraordinary events at ABC Freesia School and we are eager to share the news with all ABC members.  August 15th, 68th year of Independence is a memorable day in the history of India.  ABC Edelweiss and Freesia Schools had the opportunity  to celebrate the Independence Day in great glamour.  Children also have had fun filled field trips to Pizza Hut, War Memorial and the Planetarium. For many it was the first time having Pizzas in their lives!

With our K4/K5 children progressing very well in academics and ASP children getting benefit from our After School Program.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 95

Total number of meals served this month: 2,916

No. of school days: 19

No. of students enrolled (Day): 88

Average attendance: 77

Attendance in %: 87

Number of Students Enrolled (ASP): 7

Total breakfasts served: 1,458

Total lunches served: 1,458

Total meals served at … Read more »



Freesia School July 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

July is the 2nd month of the current academic year.  Children are well settled and are marching ahead into our renewed curriculum.  This newsletter you would note the emphasis on the remarkable education that we provide at ABC Freesia School.  AlphaBet Club like to brag about how we provide these impoverished children with world class privileges and make them a global citizen of tomorrow.  Sharing these proud moments from this month with you all!  Please accept a big thank you from AlphaBet Club Foundation to all its supporters.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of students enrolled: 97

Total number of meals served this month: 3,318

No. of school days: 21

No. of students enrolled (Day): 87

Average attendance: 79

Attendance in %: 90.8

No. of students enrolled (ASP): 10

Total breakfasts served: 1,659
Total lunches served: 1,659
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): NIL

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 52,032
Total ABC-BB School partnership … Read more »



Edelweiss School July 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 8th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

A lot has happened in July!  Here is a peek into the activities that the children of Building Blocks Edelweiss School ventured into.   With our regular stream of activities that we do in Math, Social Science, Value Education, Health and Hygiene, this month’s prime focus was K5 children’s visit to the planetarium.  Children were able to connect their classroom exploration of solar system and universe to the models on display and the film on constellations.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of students enrolled: 115

Total number of meals served this month: 3,558

No. of school days: 21

No. of students enrolled (Day): 93

Average attendance: 78

Attendance in %: 84

No. of students enrolled (ASP): 22

Total breakfasts served: 1,639
Total lunches served: 1,639
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 280

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 108,314
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 160,346

Academics ran in full swing with … Read more »



Edelweiss School June 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

June 2014-15 marks the beginning of the new academic year for ABC Schools.  With notable rejuvenation from our K5 children, hustle and bustle of the first timers (K4) and with lot of anticipation and expectation from teachers for the new academic year, the school started off promptly. With great many planned activities, lots of action and with a renewed vision, there is a lot to look forward to this academic year!

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of students enrolled: 114

Total number of meals served this month: 3,129

No. of school days: 20

No. of students enrolled (Day): 93

Average attendance: 76

Attendance in %: 81

No. of students enrolled (ASP): 21

Total breakfasts served: 1,511
Total lunches served: 1,511
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 107

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 104,756
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 153,470

Education is of utmost priority at all our ABC Schools.  There … Read more »



Freesia School June 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Welcome to the June newsletter – beginning of the new academic session!  Freesia in no time kick started with all the activities planned for the month. K5 children looked refreshed after the month long break.  Teacher and staff too were energized after that much needed break.  With the feedback from the feeder schools, ABC schools have a modified curriculum to match the need of the feeder schools.  KUDOS!!! to Mrs. Selvi Joseph and Meher who have worked very hard to make these changes.  Children will now have lot more worksheets, Math activity books and writing practice to enable them to compete as they enter other schools.  Also, Freesia had visitors, who shared their love and fortune with the kids.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 98

Total number of meals served this month: 3170

No. of school days: 20

No. of students enrolled (Day): 88

Average … Read more »



Giles reflects on his visit to ABC School Projects in India

Posted on May 21st, by ABC admin in charity, newsletter, testimonials. No Comments

“I discovered that these school projects are a ray of hope, a beacon of light, and an oasis of happiness in the midst of some of the most extreme living conditions on Earth that I have ever witnessed.”

Giles Bones is an AlphaBet Club (ABC) volunteer in Madrid, and is also member of the ABC Global Content Team, and has been closely associated with ABC since it began in 2006.

How it all began

Back in 2006, around the same time as the AlphaBet Club was born, I coincidentally took my first steps in India, backpacking around the north, and discovered this vast, amazing and eye-opener of a country, with its generous and kind-hearted people, incredible (and at times shocking) sights and smells,  and with its rich spicy food. At the same time I discovered the complicated and harsh realities of poverty-stricken developing … Read more »



Freesia School April 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 28th, by ABC admin in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

 

This month was very special for Freesia, the first ever graduation ceremony was held on the 26th April. 16 students graduated this year, all of whom have been admitted in English medium schools for their first grade. 

Attendance and Nutrition

 

No. of school days:                                                16
No. of students enrolled:                                      108
Average attendance:                                             100

Attendance in %:                                                     92%

Total breakfasts served:                                        1,373

Total lunches served:                                             1,220

Total number of meals served this month:     2,593

Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 45,544

Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 147, 171

 

Freesia students also attended their final examinations from the 2nd of April and individual attention was given to each student. The curriculum supervisor also helped the K5 teacher, in conducting the exams as this was the first time exams were being held at Freesia.

 

 

 

 

The graduation ceremony was equally special as the students were taken … Read more »



Freesia School March 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 28th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

March was a month that saw the one year anniversary celebrations at Freesia that had many special visitors too – ABC volunteers – Giles, Diego, Laura, Yana and Troy with many other guests.
Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 108

Total number of meals served this month: 4,260
No. of school days: 24
Average attendance: 100
Attendance in %: 92%
Total breakfasts served: 2,305
Total lunches served: 1,955
Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 42,951
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 142,444

The students at Freesia were in for a surprise – Toys!! ABC Madrid Lead Volunteer – Diego had brought toys donated by the Moraleja Green Shopping Center in Spain and boxes by Smurfit Kappa. The children were thrilled to receive their toys and were very happy!

ABC Volunteer, Yana also visited the school and the slum and spent a good day with the kids in their … Read more »



Edelweiss School March 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 25th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

March has been a very exciting month for the Edelweiss School. Not only has the school been visited by special friends but a new play area has been added  for the kids. AlphaBet Club volunteers – Giles, Diego, Yana and Laura along with Troy visited the school and were overwhelmed at the students’ performances and the organized structure of the school.  They were thrilled to see the maintenance of the school environment compared to the slums the children came from.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of students enrolled: 123

Total number of meals served this month: 4,073

No. of school days: 24

Average attendance: 80

Attendance in %: 83%

Number of Students Enrolled (ASP): 29
Total breakfasts served: 1,992
Total lunches served: 1,630
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 451

Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 99,493
Total ABC-BB School partnership meals since opening: 142,444

 

 

Our friends from the AlphaBet Club … Read more »



Freesia School February 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 12th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

A chorus of “I am good” with a thumbs-up sign can be heard and seen when we ask our student “how are you?”  When asked “how old are you?” answers range from “I am 4 years old” to “I am 5 years old”.  It’s very rewarding to see them learn daily and thoroughly amazing when you see how much they advanced after not seeing them for an entire year.

February is the ninth month of the school year. The K5 students are being prepared for their further primary education in different schools. They are now very fluent in English compared to when they first started school last year, March 2013. The K4 students have also kept up with the English language and other curriculum like Math, Cultural and Geographic environment.

The K5 students are doing very well in their extended hours of … Read more »



Edelweiss School February 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 12th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

February has been a fun packed month of learning at Edelweiss.  We  have had some exciting training sessions, refreshing the vision of the teachers and staff to continue their efforts to help make a difference in the lives of the children.  We also have had a re-envisioning parent-teacher meeting to help inspire the parents to continue the journey of training and educating their children for the future and to instill in them the importance of education.

February is the ninth month of the eleven month school year. Students in Edelweiss are fast progressing in their academics as well in other aspects of their daily lives such as hygiene, safety, health and nutrition.

Attendance and Nutrition  

No. of students enrolled: 93
Total number of meals served this month:  3,294

No. of school days: 21
Average attendance: 75
Attendance in %: 82%
No. of students enrolled … Read more »



Freesia School January 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 13th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Freesia’s first January being in operation and a month full of new curriculum, extended school hours and 4,247 meals served.

Attendance and Nutrition

Total Number of Students Enrolled: 115
Total number of meals served this month: 4,247

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled (Day): 115
Average attendance (Day): 100
Attendance in % (Day): 86.9%
Total breakfasts served: 2,300
Total lunches served: 1,947
Total number meals served since opening at Freesia: 29,609
Total # of meals served at ABC-BB Schools: 125,980 meals

School re-opened on the 2nd of January and its curriculum is in full swing. The K5 students are being prepared for their primary school admissions. Since, the curriculum in the normal English medium schools, is different to what is taught in Building Blocks Schools, the teachers are putting in extra efforts to teach the K5 children the local language of Karnataka, Kannada, the alphabet and also the numbers in the numerical … Read more »



Edelweiss School January 2014 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 10th, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

The new year of 2014 started off well, with fresh vision and fresh inspiration, and never a dull moment!  We have had some exciting training sessions, refreshing the vision of the teachers and staff to continue their efforts to help make a difference in the lives of the children.  We also have had a re-envisioning parent-teacher meeting to help inspire the parents to continue the journey of training and educating their children for the future and to instill in them the importance of this, to bring them a new and bright future.

Although January is the first month of a brand new year, the children at Edelweiss School are starting the eighth month of their 11 month school year. Children are back after an enjoyable and well deserved winter vacation.

Attendance and Nutrition

Total Number of Students Enrolled: 126

Total number of meals served this month: 3,762

No. … Read more »



Freesia School December 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 23rd, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Take a peek into a month at our Freesia School. December was an exciting month for the 115 students at Freesia.  3,022 meals served, Christmas celebrations, 100,000th meal celebrations and special visitors made it a fun month for our students.

December is the 7th month of the 11 month school year. Freesia has shown a lot of progress since its opening and the children learn new things through various new methods of teaching being implemented at school by the Curriculum Designer, supervisor and the teachers.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of students enrolled: 115
Total number of meals served this month: 3022

No. of school days: 16
Average attendance: 100

Attendance in %: 84%

Total breakfasts served: 1603

Total lunches served: 1419   

Total # of meals served since opening 3/2012: 28,993 meals

Total # of meals served at ABC-BB Schools: 118,190 meals

Learning Focus:

The kids learn about basic hygiene everyday in their classes. The K4 children have now started learning … Read more »



Edelweiss School December 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 22nd, by AlphaBet Club - ABC in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

December was a month full of many celebrations at Edelweiss – 100,000th meal celebrations, special visitors and Christmas celebration and gifts at the school.

December is the seventh month of the 11 month school year. Children at Edelweiss enjoy coming to school and learning new things everyday in their Circle Time. The teachers are also using new and interesting techniques to teach concepts to children.

Attendance and Nutrition

Total Number of Students Enrolled: 126
Total number of meals served this month: 2,915
No. of school days: 16    
Number of Students Enrolled (Day): 106
Average attendance (Day): 90
Attendance in % (Day): 84.9%
Number of Students Enrolled (ASP): 20
Total breakfasts served: 1441
Total lunches served: 1281
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 193
Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 77,730
Total # of meals served at ABC-BB Schools: 118,190 meals

LEARNING FOCUS:

The kids learn about basic hygiene everyday in their … Read more »



100,000th Nutritious Meal Celebration at ABC Schools in India

Posted on January 17th, by ABC admin in charity, edelweiss, freesia. 3 comments

As the proverb goes – “A hungry stomach has no ears”. Join us in reliving the celebration with our students at the Edelweiss and Freesia Schools in Bangalore, India. Thanks to all ABC donors, partners and Building Blocks staff for providing nutritious meals, 100,000+ times, for these children, with two meals a day, 6 days a week.

The children attending these schools are from impoverished families with many siblings, where often times if it weren’t for school nutrition programs they may not even get 1 square meal a day. Over the last years, with funding support from the AlphaBet Club, Building Blocks has opened two schools near large urban slums in Bangalore, India. Edelweiss (currently with 127 children enrolled) in Tilaknagar area and Freesia (currently with 118 children enrolled) in Chinappa Gardens area of Bangalore.

In October, the Building Blocks Edelweiss … Read more »



Celebrating ABC Edelweiss School’s 3rd Year Anniversary Today!

Posted on December 11th, by ABC Marketing in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. 1 Comment

We’re happy today, to celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of ABC’s Edelweiss School!

Enjoy watching the Launch Video and TV 9 News Video (BELOW) from our opening day ceremonies in 2010.

We’re pleased to share that our school now has 128 students that attend daily, up from 45 students when we launched 3 years ago.  Children attend school 6 days a week, with instruction only in English, and approximately 30 children graduating each year.

Each student receives 2 nutritious meals a day, free of charge as well as periodic medical check ups and gifts at Children’s Day.  Edelweiss School has served at total of 80,000 nutritious meals to students since it’s opening 3 years ago.

An After School Program (ASP) was implemented last year giving the graduated 6 year olds the opportunity to come back for 2 hours of free instruction … Read more »



Edelweiss School November 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

November is the sixth month of the 11 month school year. We had grand celebrations this month. We celebrated the 9th anniversary of Building Blocks on the 9th of November and also the Children’s Day. All the children going to Building Blocks had a gala time on the special day, they also gave us many wonderful performances. Each child was also given gift of magic slated, school bags and stationery

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of school days: 20
No. of students enrolled: 107
No. of students enrolled for ASP: 24
Average attendance: 86
Attendance in %: 80%
Total breakfasts served: 1766
Total lunches served: 1628
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 345
Total number of meals served this month: 3739
Total number meals served since opening (including ASP): 81904

LEARNING FOCUS:

The K4 class children are having fun learning about baby monkeys, winter weather and winter clothes. In Genki English, the children … Read more »



Freesia School November 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

November is the 6th month of the school year. All of us at Building Blocks had a big celebration this month. We celebrated the 9th year anniversary of Building Blocks on the 9th of November along with the Children’s Day in one big occasion.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of school days: 20
No. of students enrolled: 118
Average attendance: 100
Attendance in %: 81%
Total breakfasts served: 1996
Total lunches served: 1670
Total number of meals served this month: 3666

Learning Focus:

The K5 kids are learning the alphabets of the local language – Kannada. They are progressing well in that. The K4 class children are having fun learning about baby monkeys, winter weather and winter clothes. In Genki English, the children learned about ‘How many?’ and ‘How much?’.

The K5 students also are being given writing practice of tricky words such as – I, To, Are, Was etc. The K4 … Read more »



Freesia School October 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

October is the 5th month of the school year. Freesia has progressed a lot from the past months academically and the children are learning new things through the new Montessori methods being implemented at school.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of school days: 20
No. of students enrolled: 119
Average attendance: 100
Attendance in %: 84%
Total breakfasts served: 1921
Total lunches served: 1670
Total number of meals served this month: 3591

Learning Focus:

The kids are learning about basic hygiene in their classes. The K4 class children are having fun learning about siblings, blowing bubbles, inside outside and hidden objects.

In Genki English, the children learned animal voices and creatures under the sea. The Community Helper for this month was Doctor and Nurse.

Nutrition: 

The children were served 3591 nutritious meals this month.

Visitors:

Rajiv Mehra from the Rotary Club Amsterdam International and his friends visited India and both the schools of Building Blocks that … Read more »



Edelweiss School October 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

October is the fifth month of the 11 month school year. Children here at Edelweiss are having a fun time coming to school and learning new things everyday in their Circle Time.

Attendance and Nutrition
No. of school days: 20
No. of students enrolled: 107
No. of students enrolled for ASP: 28
Average attendance: 89
Attendance in %: 83%
Total breakfasts served: 1785
Total lunches served: 1565
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 373
Total number of meals served this month: 3350
Total number meals served since opening: 78165

LEARNING FOCUS:

The kids are learning about basic hygiene in their classes. The K4 class learned about mannerisms, how to be well-mannered.

In Viva Science, the children learned about Weather and the different seasons and also various outdoor activities.

The kids love doing activities in fun with Math. They did many activities like Play with dough numerals, fun with math sweet sets, clothespin … Read more »



Freesia School September 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

September is the 4thmonth of the school year. Having started new things at school, like the circle time and Montessori time, the students have learnt new things fast and are progressing every day. Circle time – The Circle Time is a chart which has various topics all together in one place. The children can learn about the weather, days of the week, month, words, date, colors, shapes and counting numbers.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 126
Average attendance: 100
Attendance in %: 79.3%
Total breakfasts served: 1924
Total lunches served: 1924
Total number of meals served this month: 3848

Learning Focus:

The kids are learning about basic hygiene in their classes. The K4 class learned about mannerisms, how to be well-mannered.  We have also started Jolly phonics for the K4 and K5 classes, where they learn alphabets by their sound.

The students make good use … Read more »



Edelweiss School September 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

September is the fourth month of the 11 month school year. Children here at Edelweiss are having a fun time coming to school and learning new things everyday in their Circle Time. The Circle Time is a chart which has various topics all together in one place. The children can learn about the weather, days of the week, month, words, date, colors, shapes and counting numbers.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 21
No. of students enrolled: 107
No. of students enrolled for ASP: 21
Average attendance: 92
Attendance in %: 85.9%
Total breakfasts served: 1922
Total lunches served: 1771
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 346
Total number of meals served this month: 4039
Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 74815

Learning Focus:

The kids are learning about basic hygiene in their classes. The K4 class learned about mannerisms, how to be well-mannered. They also learned about the role … Read more »



Freesia School August 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

August saw many reasons to celebrate; we celebrated India’s 66th year of Independance and an Islamic Festival – Eid-ul-fitr.  The Freesia school has introduced Montessori time in their new curriculum, which allows the children time to settle into the school environment when they arrive at school in the morning.  They are allowed to play and experiment with all the play and activity material provided to them, satisfying their natural curiosity.

Attendance and Nutrition:

The total enrollment of the school is 127.
The average attendance is 100 per day.
Total number of meals served this month were 3742.

Learning Focus:

Students are being introduced to new activities and topics in the Montessori and Circle time in their classes. The learning focus for this month was on the writing skills of the K4 and K5 students.

Nutrition:

The K4 kids are learning about Health and Safety, which includes eating healthy food. … Read more »



Edelweiss School August 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

August is the third month of the 11 month school year.  The children are being introduced to new activities and topics in the Montessori and Circle time in their classes. The children were taught about the Indian Independence and celebrated the 66th Independence Day on August 15th.

Attendance and Nutrition:

The total enrollment of the school is 96.
The average attendance is 93 students per day.
Total enrollment for ASP for this month is 20
Total number of meals served in this month were – 3,316.
The total number of meals served at Edelweiss since the opening are – 74,469.

Learning Focus:

The students of class K4 are being taught cleanliness and hygiene – washing hands and brushing teeth. The kids are also learning about the body parts and the five senses in their Viva Science.

Genki English is used to teach thekids English in a fun way through entertainment like … Read more »



Freesia School July 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

July is the second month of the 11 month school year.  The children continue to make progress in important aspects of education, nutrition, health and safety, and hygiene.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 26
No. of students enrolled: 126
Average attendance: 110
Attendance in %: 87.3%
Total breakfasts served: 2778
Total lunches served: 2538
Total number of meals served this month: 5316



Edelweiss School July 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

The Edelweiss school has a brand new location!  Due to the unfortunate removal of the BTM Layout slum where the school was initially situated, it was decided to relocate the school as the attendance at Edelweiss would eventually have dropped. Edelweiss is now located in Tilak Nagar where it will continue to provide its services to bright and eager children.

The “Re-launch Ceremony of Edelweiss School” was celebrated on the 8th of July 2013 and was attended by  many people, known to the AlphaBet Club and Building Blocks.  The ceremony was simple, with the ribbon cutting and the traditional lighting of the lamp.  Everyone attending wished us success for the future!

July is the 2nd month of the school year. Children will receive 9 more months of fun-filled education and nutrition. The total enrollment is 96 and average attendance per day is … Read more »



Freesia School June 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on June 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

June is the first month of the school year. 10 months remain of the school year. Many new faces were welcomed at Freesia, both students and Teachers.The children love spending their time here and enjoy their daily lessons and activities.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 126
Average attendance: 100
Attendance in %: 79.3%
Total breakfasts served: 1836
Total number of meals served this month: 1836

As part of the curriculum, the kids are learning the basics like days, dates, months of the year and the name of the founder. They also have been doing physical activities during their play time and in the circle time of their classroom with their teachers.

Although the full curriculum has not yet started, fine and gross motor skill development activities are being held for them. The teachers and children have fun doing these activities.

We also had … Read more »



Freesia School April 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

April being the second month since school opened, the children have accustomed themselves well to the school atmosphere as well as the teachers.
Classes are being conducted regularly and the children love spending time at Freesia. They are exposed to new things and are learning things well.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 82
Average attendance: 60
Attendance in %: 73%
Total breakfasts served:1439
Total lunches served: 1215
Total number of meals served this month: 2654

Although the full curriculum has not yet started, fine and gross motor skill development activities are being held for them. The teachers and children have fun doing these activities. Few of the activities that were done are –

Sorting beads, beans
Sand painting – basic
Vegetable printing
Sticking pulses – color coordination

Nutrition:

Celebration at Freesia

April 10th – Ugadi

Yugādi or Ugadi is the New Year’s Day for the people of the Deccan region of India. The name Yugadi or Ugadi is … Read more »



Edelweiss School April 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on April 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

April is the 11th month of the school year. The last month of the academic year.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 90
No. of students enrolled at ASP: 20
Average attendance: 87
Attendance in %: 88%
Total breakfasts served: 1,833
Total lunches served: 1,524
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 51
Total number of meals served this month: 3408
Total number meals served since opening: 68,614

Learning Focus:

Since, April is the last month of the year, before school shuts down for summer vacation; the entire curriculum was reviewed for the final examinations. The students were also taught music with the Brillkids Little Musician.

Physical Education:

The kids learned fundamental body movements like Walking, Running etc. They also enjoy playing in their play area.

Character Development:

The character development card for the kids in this month was ‘Being Respectful’.

Nutrition:

The academic year of 2012-2013 saw the nutrition program at … Read more »



Freesia School Opening – March 2013

Posted on March 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, freesia, newsletter. No Comments

Freesia was inaugurated on the 2nd of March, 2013. The Chief Guest was Mr. BNS Reddy, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East Bangalore, India. Present along with him were  other important people related to the school’s opening – James Ambat, Founder of Building Blocks, India, Troy Swanson, Founder of the AlphaBet Club and the Rotary Club Bangalore Chapter.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 82
Average attendance:50
Attendance in %:56%
Total breakfasts served: 732
Total lunches served: 650
Total number of meals served this month: 1382

Freesia is sponsored by the AlphaBet Club, Rotary Club Amsterdam International and Wilde Ganzen. Rotary Club Amsterdam International and AlphaBet Club Charity hosted a Gala Formal Dinner Event called “Bangalorious Night” in October 2012 with funds going to this school launch.  Wilde Ganzen Charity has partially matched funds for infrastructure costs for this project.

The objective of this school … Read more »



Edelweiss School March 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on March 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

Edelweiss was colorful this month, with the celebration of Holi festival and also because of the visitors that came in! The students had a great time at the Edelweiss. March is the 10th month of the school year, 1 month remaining.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 20
No. of students enrolled: 95
Average attendance: 79
Attendance in %: 86%
Total breakfasts served: 1,657
Total lunches served:1,575
Total meals served at ASP
(After School Program): 238
Total number of meals served this month: 3,470
Total number meals served since opening at Edelweiss: 65,206

Learning Focus:

English:

The K5 kids are reviewing their Tricky words, Sounds, Formation, Blending and Dictation in their Jolly Phonics class. In Genki English class, the children were taught “Where do you live?”, “Where are you from?” etc. The kids also enjoyed learning music through Brillkids Little Musician.

Math:

The kids had fun learning Math through ‘Big and Little Animals’. The … Read more »



Edelweiss School February 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on February 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

February is the 9th month of the school year, 2 months remaining.

A good start to the month! We had many visitors who spent the day with the kids, had fun and were happy to see the kids moving forward in their lives at Building Blocks Edelweiss. Many fun and exciting activities were planned for our classrooms. The children learned a lot of new things in their academics.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 24
No. of students enrolled: 96
Average attendance: 79
Attendance in %: 83%
Total breakfasts served: 1,905
Total lunches served: 1,604
Total number of meals served this month: 3,509
Total number meals served since opening: 61,736

Learning Focus:

English:

The K5 kids are reviewing their Tricky words, Sounds, Formation, Blending and Dictation in their Jolly Phonics class. In Genki English class, the children were taught “I’m thirsty”, “How much?”, “How many?” The kids also enjoyed learning music through Brillkids … Read more »



Edelweiss School January 2013 Newsletter Update

Posted on January 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

January is the 8th month of the school year, 3 months remaining. A warm welcome to all the kids and staff at Edelweiss and to all those associated with this learning center, best wishes for a healthy, happy and fun-filled 2013! January saw the Edelweiss learning center being painted with vibrant colors and beautiful murals on all the walls. The kids surely enjoy their time here, amongst beautiful paintings in their classrooms.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 21
No. of students enrolled: 97
Average attendance: 81
Attendance in %: 83%
Total breakfasts served: 1,691
Total lunches served: 1,625
Total number of meals served this month: 3,316
Total number meals served since opening: 58,420

Learning Focus:

English:

Tricky words, sounds and word formation were reviewed by the K5 kids in their Jolly Phonics class.  The kids learned ‘Doctor, Doctor’, ‘How much?’, ‘How many?’ and ‘I’m thirsty’ in the Genki English class.

They also learned music through the … Read more »



Edelweiss School December 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on December 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

2012 was an excellent academic year for Edelweiss, so many things seen and so many things learned. There has been an immense advancement and much has been accomplished on all fronts, by the students and staff at Edelweiss. December was a thrilling month for the kids at Edelweiss. They were invited to many Christmas parties. They enjoyed themselves very much. They received many gifts and loads of love was showered on them by everyone they met. December is the 7th month of the school year, 4 months remaining.

Attendance and Nutrition

No. of school days: 18
No. of students enrolled: 98
Average attendance: 89
Attendance in %: 91%
Total breakfasts served: 1,609
Total lunches served: 1,345
Total number of meals served this month: 2,954
Total number meals served since opening: 55,47

Learning Focus:

English:

The children can now recognize all the 42 sounds of the English language. They have learned 40 tricky words out … Read more »



Edelweiss School November 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on November 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

There was never a dull moment for Carnations in November! It was packed with loads of fun activities like the Diwali celebrations, visitors, special events and a lot of “School” too. The teachers put their best into keeping the children happy, healthy and growing.

Attendance and Nutrition:

Attendance : 88%
Meals Served : 3510

Learning  focus :

In math, the K4 children are learning the concepts of over, beside, down, on, in front of, behind, forward, top, middle, bottom, first–next- last, start & finish and back-to-back through fun activities.

The K5 Children are practicing writing 1-50, ordinal numbers 1st-10th, concepts of before after and in- between, counting up to 100 and counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s.

In phonics, they are practicing reading sentences, recognizing capital letters, identifying short vowels and tricky words in the given sentences.

Children’s Trip To Shoppers Stop

The children were invited to go to the … Read more »



Edelweiss School October 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on October 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

The children of Building Blocks Edelweiss had a very exciting month. It was filled with colorful activities, special guests visiting, celebrating festivals and some holidays too. Here is the news of what the children are learning at school and the different activities they are doing.

Attendance and Nutrition:

Attendance was at 84%
Number of meals served : 3038

Learning Focus :

After exploring different materials in the previous classes the children are now learning about spatial relationship.

They are having fun understanding concepts like left -right, above-under, high-low and inside-outside through activities like stackable snacks, bubble blowing and positional I spy.

The children had a lot of fun and educative activities this month. They had Prewriting skills like scissor activities, fun with paper and tracing activities, making a fruit rainbow and paper snipping collage work.The children look forward to these fun activities.

October Happenings

Mr Reddy and his family visited … Read more »



Edelweiss School September 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on September 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

Parent Teacher Meeting – 

The first PTM for the academic year 2012-2013 was conducted in all the five schools. It was well organised. The teachers introduced all the activities and curriculum to the parents.. They were very happy and satisfied with all that the school is giving their child. They expressed their gratitude towards the sponsors’ and Building Blocks for providing such an opportunity for their children.

Inter School Teachers Meet

The inter school teachers meet was held on the 1st of September 2012. Teachers and managers from all the five schools attended the meeting to discuss and share various operational experiences. Curriculum supervisors shared important observations and opened the floor for discussion and input. The meeting equipped the teachers with better classroom control plans as well as effective lesson plans.

Attendance and Nutrition:

No.of children:  101
Attendance: 87%
Meals Served:  3394

Learning Focus :

The children are learning … Read more »



Edelweiss School July 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on July 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

Attendance and Nutrition:

This month with a total strength of 97 students.
We had an attendance of 95%.
Total number of meals served: 2056

Learning Focus:

At  the Senior KG  level our children are learning  the concepts of  numbers  16  -­‐ 19 and  phonetics “ai”,  “j” through  songs  and activities. They are also  learning the amazing  “My  World”  in science.

Nutrition:

Moral science:   Children    are  learning  “Diligence”    through  stories    and  activities.    They    are    also    learning    to  keep  clean,  brushing    teeth  and    washing  hands  regularly.

A new syllabus in Math has been introduced for the four-year old children:The Big Book of Fun With Math, by Pam Shiller and Lynne Peterson. We are into the first chapter, called “Exploration of Materials” with lot of activities for the kids like sand- table fun, play-dough squeeze etc. The children also had a fun activity … Read more »



Edelweiss School August 2012 Newsletter Update

Posted on August 10th, by AlphaBet Club in charity, edelweiss, newsletter. No Comments

Building Blocks Celebrates Independence Day!

On the 14th of August the children celebrated the 65th Independence day. The event started with the lighting of the lamp by Dr. Kavitha Reddy. Mr. Senthil Kumar, Mr. Alok Mohanty and Mr. Praveen Kumar from the MedPlus company also joined the ceremony.

Different game stalls and two huge bouncing castles were set up.  The children played at all the stalls and danced to some foot thumping music. It was fun!

Mr. BNS Reddy IPS hoisted the Indian national flag and the children sang the national anthem. This was followed by a special yummy meal. The children received a gift hamper each sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, Heinz, P & G, Wipro, Colgate, Palmolive, HLL, and Nestle.

Learning Focus :

Children of the four years age group (K4) are learning math through fun activities-exploration of materials, experimenting and making their own discoveries. They … Read more »