Category: freesia


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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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 »



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



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 »



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 »