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Welcome to SILC
Outline
• Introduction to SILC• Typical Day• What to expect in each class?• What do we expect from students, parents, volunteers?• SILC Calendar• Outline of major events• SILC in the community• Volunteering• Introduction to Teachers (Will NOT be covered)
Welcome to SILC• Interested in learning about India's rich diversity, languages, culture, cooking,
arts and dances? If so, then SILC is the place for you.
• More than just a weekend school– Learn about India in a fun filled way – what’s the 'dot' on the forehead– Also take the opportunity to learn of the highly evolved thoughts from India including
historical and other significant events, geography, natural resources, festivals, games, food, art, dance, music and more!
• Strives to develop well-informed individuals in a non religious setting.– Plays pivotal role in bridging the cultural gap and enhancing mutual understanding of
foreign origins and cultures which are vital for strengthening ties between cultures & nations.
• Welcome to the SILC family and enjoy India's rich experiences! – Listen to stories, anecdotes, epics, and great literary works that inform and inspire us
all.
History of SILC• Started in 1979 as Bharat School and then morphed in SILC.• Run as a non-profit by volunteers for its entire history• Enrollments ranged from 15 students in its first year to 200
students last year• Languages: Bangla (Bengali), Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada,
Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
• Electives: Art, Yoga, Sports/Cricket, Cooking, Special Achievement Project, AP, General Knowledge, Literature, dance, music (tabla)
Secret of SILC’s longevity: Dedication and Passion of our volunteers.
SILC Board (2011-12)
Office NamePresident Erin Oberdorfer Principal Shiv Bhatia Assistant Principal Sunita Mankunath Treasurer Mangala Achar Secretary Lakshmi Buddhavarapu Director-Volunteering Natarajan Raman Director - Cultural Activities Neelam Malhotra Director - Curriculum Divya Karan Director - Pulications Krishnan Nambudiripad Director - Registrations Rajesh Gupta Member-At-Large Raj Menon Director-Communications; Former President Siva Jasthi
Baiju Sadanandam -Gurukul support
SILC website silcmn.comand www.silcblogs.com
GURUKUL• Starting the academic year 2011-12, registration to SILC is done
through “GURUKUL, the SILC Online Registration System”.
• Link to GURUKUL can be found at http://www.silcmn.com
• Paper-based registrations are no longer entertained.
• All the volunteers and teachers are also required to register in GURUKUL.
• All the communications will also be managed through GURUKUL.
GURUKUL contd.
GURUKUL contd.• Please ensure that you are registered through GURUKUL• It helps us to reach out to you and to better run the
school
Language Count
Hindi 52
Telugu 12
??? 9
Nepali 9
Kannada 8
NA 7
Gujarati 5
Tamil 3
Malayalam 3
Bengali 2
(blank)
Grand Total 110
Elective CountDance 28??? 25Tabla 10Cricket 10Art 9NA 9Yoga 6(blank) 3Adult Dance 2Cricket/Cooking 2Yoga/Tabla 1Cricket/Tabla 1Dance/cooking 1?? 1Cooking 1Yoga/Dance 1Grand Total 110
Location CountSt Paul 19Minneapolis 19Woodbury 16???? 6(blank) 5Blaine 5Shoreview 4St. Paul 3Arden Hills 3White Bear Lake 3Maplewood 3Duluth 3Little Canada 3Eagan 2Lakeville 2Eden Prarie 2Maple Grove 2Edina 1Cottage Grove 1New Brighton 1Roseville 1Vadnais Heights 1Brooklyn Park 1Inver Grove Heights 1St Louis Park 1Plymouth 1Coon Rapids 1Grand Total 110
Want to carpool?Contact the Director-Registrations for info
Refund Policy
SILC refund policy is as follows:• SILC will refund 100% of the fee during the first 30 days
after opening• SILC will refund 50% of the fee, after the first 30 days
and before the end of December• SILC will offer no refunds after December• Refund will be through check only, irrespective of the
mode of payment of the registration fee• 3 to 4 weeks to process a refund request
How the money is used?
• SILC is a non-profit organization• Completely run by unpaid volunteers• The registration fee (that is the only annual fee; it is not
weekly or monthly) is primarily to offset the cost of renting the school
• Remaining fee is used for:– School supplies– SILC Yearbook & Newsletters– To maintain the web site & GURUKUL– To support field trips– To purchase the capital equipment– To maintain the SILC library
SILC Scholarships• SILC strives to be a school that is open to all. We have students and parents
from various parts of the world. Our instruction is inclusive to all faiths and traditions. Anyone interested in learning about India is welcome to attend and explore its rich language and culture.
• As such, SILC is proud to offer a scholarship to those who would like to attend but may find it difficult to pay for the yearly fee.– SILC will waive 50% of the fee for students who qualify. – To apply, the parent(s) must write a paragraph demonstrating need. Please explain
why the SILC fee is excessive for your family.– We do not require income information. – Applications are due by first Saturday of October, though exceptions can be made
for students who start later in the year.
Send a mail to [email protected] if you are applying for scholarship
Typical day
• 10:00am to 10:05am - Invocation10:05am to 10:50am - Language 10:50am to 11:00am - Recess
• 11:00am to 11:45am - Social Studies/Literature/Adult Dance
• 11:00 am to 12:00pm - Preschool• 11:45am to 12:30pm - Electives
Visit http://www.silcmn.com for any announcements,schedules, contacts
Starting the day withVande Mataram
• 10:00am to 10:05am –InvocationSILC family sings Vande Mataram at the start of the school day.
• It is expected that all members of SILC, parents & children, should stand at attention when these are being performed and join in, if they can.
• Lyrics & transliteration of this song is in SILC folder
• You can also find the video on YouTube or on http://www.silcblogs.com
Click on the picture To play the video
Language Classes(10:05 to 10:50)
• Languages Offered this year: – Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali,
Tamil, Telugu
• After Vande Mataram, students go to the language class.
• For the first few weeks, you can see the name of the class hanging on the classroom door.
• Please make a note of the classroom on your SILC folder
• Please note that some languages have multiple levels (especially, Hindi)
• Parents: If you are interested to start teaching a new language at SILC, please let us know
RespectThe Class
AndThe Class Room
Snack Break(10:50 to 11:00)
• Students then take a snack break for 10 minutes
• During the break, students will have snack and juice/milk. This is provided by families each week
• Please help setup and clean-up the SILC Commons area after use.
• If you spill juice/milk OR leave a mess, please ensure that you clean up.
• It is an expectation on SILC that we handover the rented space (classrooms, halls, cafeteria) all in good condition at the end of SILC session.
• We need all your help to ensure that the school is in neat condition after our use.
Social Studies and Literature classes(11:00 to 11:45)
• After the snack break, students go Social Studies class. • Note that there are multiple levels in Social Studies (Level 1, 2
and 3). (look for Syllabus in your mail)• Literature class will also be held at the same time; • Literature class is open to students who have completed 3 levels
of Social Studies.• Please ensure that you go to the level assigned to you
Dance Class (Adults)(11:00 to 11:45)
• The most popular class - the dance class for adults will also be held at the same time.
• Dance students perform at various events and festivals through out the year and in summer -Festival of Nations (30+ yrs), IndiaFest (15+ yrs), Dragon Festival (10+ yrs), Burnsville International Festival (4+ yrs)
• Dance students are our ambassadors who show case SILC in the community
Dance Class (Adults)(11:00 to 11:45)
SILC Adults Rajasthani group at the Festival of Nations, RiverCenter, St Paul
Dance Class (Adults)(11:00 to 11:45)
SILC Adults Koli dance at the Minnesota History Center, St Paul
Dance Class (Adults)(11:00 to 11:45)
Click to watch the video (Festival of Nations 2008 – Adults Dance)
SILC Adults Garbha dance at the Festival of Nations, RiverCenter, St Paul
Dance Class (Adults)(11:00 to 11:45)
SILC Adults Kai Kotti Kali group at the Festival of Nations, RiverCenter, St Paul
Preschool(11:00 to Noon)
• Preschoolers are children from 4 to 6 years of age.
• For preschoolers, that is the only session.
• All the topics (language, art, music, social studies) will be covered through activities rather than formal studies.
• Please ensure that preschoolers donot sit in other classes before or after their session.
• It is expected that the child will continue in the preschool through out the year if he/she starts the year at preschool.
Elective - Yoga(11:45 to 12:30)
• Yoga class is held in the gym• Taught by Punjabhai Patel, SILC
volunteer for over 25 years.• Parents are encouraged to join the
yoga class.
Elective - Tabla(11:45 to 12:30)
• Tabla class is held in the gym• Students should get their own Tabla
(Tabla teacher will provide guidance).• Students perform at various festivals
(Dragon Festival, IndiaFest)
Elective - Dance(11:45 to 12:30)
• Dance classes are held in the SILC Commons• There are three levels in the dance class
– Youth / Teens– Tweens (Elder children)– Kids (younger children)
• Except for the Dance students perform at various festivals (Festival of Nations, IndiaFest, Dragon Festival, Burnsville International Festival)
• Dance students are our ambassadors who show case SILC in the community
• All the dance students may not get an opportunity to perform at the festival.
• Their eligibility is decided by their attendance and performance;
• Decision of the dance director in this regard is final.
Elective - Dance(11:45 to 12:30)
Click to See theTweens
Practicing their dance
Elective - Arts(11:45 to 12:30)
• For the artist in your child…• Go beyond crayons• Art activities are connected with
Indian themes, culture, festivals.
Elective - Cooking(11:45 to 12:30)
• Cooking class will be held in the kitchen / Home Economics room• Only students 10 years and older can register for Cooking class.• Please ensure that the kitchen is clean after use (dishes are cleaned, spills
are cleared).• It is very important to keep the kitchen ready for use when the regular
teachers come on Monday• Cooking classes are run by the parents (please sign up); They prepare a
dish, share the recipe and dish with their class mates (and some folks like me who magically appear in the kitchen at the end of the cooking class)
What is cooking at SILC?
Visit silccooking.blogspot.com
Elective – Sports/Cricket(11:45 to 12:30)
• Sports/Cricket class is held in the gym.• It is popular class for some kids as a
weekend escape from the week long academics
Elective – Special Achievement Project (11:45 to 12:30)
• Under the guidance of SILC teachers, some students may opt to do special projects covering the topics / people related to India.
• If you have opted for this elective, please contact the principal
Closing the day withJana Gana Mana
• 12:30 pm to 12:35am –InvocationSILC family sings Jana Gana Mana – National Anthem of India at the end of the school day.
• It is expected that all members of SILC, parents & children, should stand at attention when it is being performed and join in, if they can.
• You can find the lyrics and transliteration of this song in SILC folder. Please contact the SILC Principal or President to get a copy of the translation.
• You can also find the video on youtube or on http://www.silcblogs.com
Offerings this year• Languages offered this year:
– Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Nepali
• Social Studies, Preschool, Literature, Adult Dance
• Electives offered this year– Art, Yoga, Tabla, Cooking, Cricket/Sports, Children Dance,
Youth Dance
Communications• Emails from President, Principal, Assistant Principal• All important announcements will also be published to
silcblogs which you can navigate from • The class teacher will also be sending any emails to
their respective students.• Announcements during the assembly, first and second
breaks• In general, we will try to keep all your contacts
confidential and will not distributed to anyone
School Closure• If SILC is being cancelled due to bad weather, the SILC President will
send an email by 8.00 am to all SILC families whose email IDs have been provided to SILC.
• SILC closure message will also be posted on the SILC website on the home page (www.silcmn.com).
• SILC has put in place an Emergency Phone tree, which will be activated in case of any kind of school closure. You will be contacted by your student’s language teacher.
• If you have not been contacted and you have doubts, please reach out to any of the following members of the SILC Board: SILC President, SILC Principal or the SILC Assistant Principal.
Best Attendance Award
• We encourage regular attendance to get best out of SILC and also to maintain the continuity of the programs (ex: dance)
• Attendance will be tracked by the language teachers. • At the end of the year, during the graduation
ceremony, 5 best attendance awards (a certification + $10 gift certificate) will be given to students
Best Attendance Award
Tony Kanwar (Principal 2008-09) giving out best attendance award
SILC Calendar
• Runs from September to May • Just like regular school, but only on Saturday mornings.• 30 weeks of instruction • Includes the celebration of festivals, field trip days
Registration for 2011-2012 opens on 13th August 2011
SEP3 10 17 24
No SILC Orientation First Day of Labor Day Classes
OCT1 8 15 22 29 No SILC MEA
NOV5 12 19 26 Diwali No SILC
Celebration Thanksgivin
g
DEC3 10 17 24 31 SILC No SILC No SILC
MelaWinter Break
Winter Break
JAN7 14 21 28
FEB4 11 18 25
MAR3 10 17 24 31 No SILC Social
Spring Break Studies Day
APR7 14 21 28
MAY
5 12 19 26
No SILC Holi Graduation No SILC
Festival of Nations
Celebrations Summer Break
School Calendar for 2011-12
Halloween..• Though not related to Indian Culture, we all just want to have
fun• We encourage SILC community (students, parents, teachers,
volunteers) to come in Halloween costumes on Saturday prior to Halloween.
• We will give out candy at the end of the day (after ‘Jana Gana Mana’)
Diwali Celebration• We celebrate Diwali on November 12th
• Pot luck• Picture Day• The entire SILC family picture• Arts and classes on Diwali theme• Parents talk about Diwali experiences• Don’t miss it!
Diwali Celebration (Pics)
SILC Mela• Only fund-raising event• SILC families donate India-related
items (books CDs, clothes, gifts)• SILC families donate their services
(tax services, photography, book writing, etc.)
• SILC families contact businesses and get the gift certificates from hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
• Children will play games (tokens)• Don’t miss it!
SILC Mela (Video)
Social Studies / Literature Day
• On this day, our social studies and literature students exhibit their talents and knowledge acquired
• This event will be held in the auditorium• The event will be followed by pot luck lunch• Don’t miss it!
Social Studies / Literature Day (Pics)
Holi Celebration• On this day, we celebrate – Holi –
festival of colors• Event held (in mid-May due to
weather) outside on the school grounds
• Have fun; Don’t miss it
Graduation Day / Annual Day
• On this day, all language students and elective students will show what they have learned during the academic year
• The year book will also be released on this day• Please participate in contributing to the year book• Event will be followed by potluck / catered lunch• Certificates (for students and volunteers) will be
distributed.• Don’t miss it !
Graduation (Pics)
Graduation (Video)
Field Trips
• SILC takes it students to one or two field trips during the year
• The field trips can be to a play or exhibition or event related to India.
• Depending on the cost, SILC will pick up the tab for the event or share some part of the expense.
• Please watch out for the announcements and signup for the field trips
Visitors / Speakers• Sometimes, SILC invites distinguished speakers / performers to SILC• SILC parents and students will also chime in to share their knowledge of
Indian culture, arts,
Click on the pictures to see the videos
SILC Publications:News Letters and Year Book
• SILC publishes 3 news letter during the calendar year• SILC also publish a year book around graduation time in May• Visit silcmn.com for the earlier news letters.• Contact SILC board if you want to see a copy of the year book• Please participate in contributing to these news letters and the year book• We are looking for Student Reporters and Volunteers for contributing to the news
letters
• You can write about– Your trips to India– Your experiences with SILC as a parent, student, teacher, volunteer– Review of any Indian movie, book– Cooking recipes– And why you love SILC– What you or your child have done in the community to share Indian culture, arts– Or submit any photo /painting related to India
SILC Publications:Handbook and Directory
• Handbook contains the general information about SILC, operating guidelines, contact information. (Sent a Electronic copy)
• Directory contains the information about the registered students (only printed copy will be distributed)
• Directory also contains the profile of the SILC teachers and board members.
Library
• SILC also maintains a library• Its collection includes – books
related to India, music CDs and movie DVDs, games
• Contact the Principal if you wish to checkout from the library collection
Lost and Found
• At the end of SILC session, please ensure that you pick up your jackets, folders and all your belongings.
• If you have found something at the end of the session or in the classroom, please hand it over to Asst. Principal; or keep it with you and bring it back to SILC the next class
SILC: Outreach
• SILC regularly participates in fairs and festivals
• Dragon Festival, IndiaFest, Vibha, Telugu Association of MN – are some such events
• If you are part of any Indian association and would like to share information about SILC, please contact the President
Do’s and Don’ts• Please arrive on time (to participate in the assembly or to attend the class
you have registered) • Please ensure that children are not running in the hall ways or beyond the
SILC area• Please ensure that you clean up after the snacks• Please do not leave your winter coats and jackets on the tables• If you signed up for an activity (snacks, cooking class, substitute teaching,
etc.) and are not able to make it to SILC on that day, please inform us as early as you can so that we can find a replacement
• At the end of SILC session, if you find any item (bags, books, jackets, etc.), please ensure that you hand that over to SILC board members to be placed in ‘lost & found’. If you don’t find any one, please take the item with you and bring it to next week’s class
• PLEASE do not disturb the class rooms. The classroom layout should be the same BEFORE and AFTER the class.
Non-Profit Organizations
• SILC is a voluntary organization; It has been thriving for over 30 years in that spirit
• For any India related cultural and educational events, SILC will share these details with its community during its invocation and through its websites
• We also support other non-profit organizations (Camp Masala, India Association of Minnesota, Vibha)
• However, we do not solicit or seek any commercial interests. Such activities are discouraged at SILC.
• To offset the cost of year book and news letters, we may seek sponsorship sometimes.
Supporting SILC• You can support SILC in many ways:
– Some companies, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and 3M will donate cash to SILC if an employee from BCBS volunteers for 50 hours or more a year. If you work for such a company, do let them know about your volunteering at SILC.
– Several companies add to and even double the charitable donations of their employees. If you work for such a company, do consider making donations to SILC.
– SILC is registered with the online fund raising site: www.razoo.com. On certain days donations to SILC via RAZOO are doubled by the site.
Vibha and SILC
• Vibha is volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to creating brighter futures for underprivileged children.
• SILC participates in two of their events – • Vibha Kalakaar and Taal (participating in short story
writing, essary writing, photography, art/painting contest; SILC students usually leave a mark in this event)
• Dream Mile
IAM and SILC• India Association of Minnesota (IAM) is a non-profit organization
whose aim is to build a strong and cohesive community of Asian Indians in the state of Minnesota, USA. IAM also seeks to represent the Asian Indian population to the society at large
• SILC and IAM have strong association going back several years. When SILC faced challenges in the past, IAM stepped forward to help us, and we have done the same for IAM afterwards
• Many members of the SILC family have gone on to become IAM Presidents & Board Members
• SILC participates in Festival of Nations event – as one of the groups exhibiting Indian culture and heritage on invitation from IAM.
Three Circles…
Vision and ideas Available timeHow volunteersmake it happen
Volunteer Participation• Volunteer
– To teach a new language– To assist another teacher every week– To substitute in a given week when the primary teacher is not able to take a
class– To help in many SILC events (SILC mela, diwali program, Festival Of Nations,
Field trips)• Participate
• To improve the functioning of SILC• Provide ideas, suggestions and encouragement (movie club, book club)• Take up a cooking class and show your cooking talents• Attend SILC events to encourage SILC students (vibha kalakaar, festival of nations, dragon
festival, etc.)• In SILC events held in house (diwali festival, social studies day, holi, silc mela, graduation
ceremony)• Contribute to SILC news letter and SILC year book
Uma Namboodiripad Volunteering Award
THE AWARD• This permanent annual award was instituted in March
2008 to honor the memory of Uma Namboodiripad, a dedicated volunteer at SILC, who demonstrated immense commitment to its students and its mission. It was given out for the first time as part of the SILC Graduation event in May 2008.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION• The candidate should be a present member of SILC in
good standing, whether a Student, Volunteer (parent/non-parent) or Board Member
• The candidate must have volunteered significant time (30 hours or more) for SILC during the past academic year. This will qualify all the teachers at SILC.
• Some of the factors you can consider while nominating a volunteer can be – his/her longevity of service, the difference he/she is making at SILC and in your / child’s life, the enthusiasm, passion and inspiration he/she brings to SILC.
Teachers: our heart and soul
• SILC is run by volunteer teachers; SILC can be an addictive experience!• We have teachers that started this year (ex: Vidya, Geetha)• And we have teachers that have been teaching for over 25 years (ex:
Punjabhai Patel – yoga)• And we have teachers who are former SILC students (Aishwarya Menon,
Vishnu Nambudiripad, Maulika Kohli, Mary Kate)
Have fun at SILC
• For any further questions, please email and call
• Let us have another great year
• Now off to your classes
Questions…?
• Reach out to any of the SILC board members via phone, email or in person
