Shishuangan Prospectus 2009 - 2010

PROSPECTUS 2009 - 2010

HEAD AHEAD FOUNDATION a Registered Public Charitable Trust

Head Ahead Foundation crystallizes an urge and a quest - the urge to combine creative and critical thinking, and the quest for the infinite wonders of life. The importance of cerebration in perceiving and conceiving the live cosmos and the aheadness involved in this realization are the cornerstones of this initiative. board of advisors PROF. SAKTIPADA PATRA Officer in Charge, Govt Teacher Training College; Council Member, Gour Banga University, Malda

SRI PRABAL DATTA Secretary, Nehru Children's Museum, Kolkata; Executive Committee Member, Indian Council for Child Welfare Zonal Convenor, National Bal Bhavan Editior, Shishu Bhavan Patrika

JIBAN JYOTI MISTRY Artist Inventor

SRI TAPAN JOARDAR Senior Advocate, Malda

SRI KAJAL MUKHERJEE Deputy General Manager (Manf. & Project), MRO-TEK Ltd. Bangalore

SRI ACHINTYA KARMAKAR Asstt Head Master, Malda Umesh Chandra Bastuhara Bidyalay (H.S.)

SOUMITRA MAJUMDAR Railway Employee

the units of the foundation

Subansiri

a unit that seeks to preserve and promote folk culture, art forms and artists

a unit that intends to raise awareness of the basic & burning issues facing us

http://www.aantorjaatikjyotirbigyanbarsho.info an initiative in response the joint call by the UN and the IAU, with a view to promoting the common man’s inquisitiveness about space and his/her place within that ‘space’

K - IV educational unit

VISION STATEMENT VISION STATEMENT To teach the three R’s has never been the main object of Sabuj Abujh Shishu Angan. Under and amidst the vast sky, the open air and the bright rays of the sun a child is like a young sapling eager to grow. Our Joie de vivre lies in the making of a free and fearless atmosphere in which the fresh feelings and keen instinct may be tapped and enhanced. We shall head ahead with this goal in mind.

While we take pride in having a child-centric environment we would like to offer an education that fosters a creative zeal, encourages an enquiring spirit, and helps develop an emotionally intelligent mind. we provide A caring environment, conducive to cultural awareness Individual care Low Teacher: Student Ratio Open space to run around and shady tree to sit under Observance of significant National and International Days and the Birth Anniversaries of the eminent personalities Annual Cultural Program, Annual Craft Exhibition, Book fair and Majaar Asor -a 3 day inclusive joy-meet Annual Sports Meet Inclusion of ICT in the curriculum Result neutral Annual Gift for each child Alternative Power Supply during power cuts Half or full free studentship for children from financially weak background

current stress Logical Thinking Interpersonal Skills Language Skills Activity Based Curriculum Communicative approaches in 2nd Language learning

medium of instruction Medium of Instruction is Bangla, though the use of English as the medium of instruction in case of a few subjects is on the cards.

A LOOK BACK On the 4th day of February 1975 Sabuj Abujh Shishu Angan started its journey from two little rented rooms in a bye lane opposite to Malda Zilla School. Founder Headmistress Smt. Swapna Ray and Founder Director Dr Pushpajit Ray had to go door to door requesting parents to send their wards to this new pre-school. Twelve kids turned up, two classes were commenced and Sabuj Abujh Shishu Angan - the third institution of its kind in the then Malda was on its way. By the end of the first academic year the student strength increased from 12 to 25 and the school relocated to its own and present address. A new beginning lent new hopes, new goals, new potentialities and newer challenges. THE FIRST 20 YEARS saw at once a grim struggle for survival and a brave bid for progress. The resource was scant but the dream was big. Persistent financial problems, and doubts about means and end often threatened failure; but the vision of the director, the leadership of the headmistress, the dedicatio n of the team and the cooperation from the parents meant that the mission was not aborted midway through and the roll strength grew to about 400 learners. IN 1995 Unman Ray joined the school as the Administrator. For the institution, this change was characterized by innovative ideas and newer direction in both academic and administrative spheres. The stress on the holistic development of the learners began to bear rich fruits; for the shishuangan products went on proving their mettle in academic, cultural and social events, activities and achievements. Of course, the root cause for this was the school's unwavering allegiance to its vision statement that had sought to project the institution as an emotionally intelligent school and foreground EQ (emotional quotient) in preference to IQ (intelligent quotients). The introduction of ICT for and among both teachers and students brought both better vibrancy and efficiency to the school's workings. 2008 WAS TO PROVE another annus mirabilis for the school. Thanks to an ever increasing roll strength and the ever changing demands of a fast moving academic institution it was realized that the school need a structural overhaul. Consequently, an approach was made to HEAD AHEAD FOUNDATION and the school was taken over as one of its unit w.e.f. October 1, 2008.

The Shishuangan Team We pride ourselves for having a team that is loving, efficient, innovative, daring and ever-eager to embody the vision of Shishuangan and Head Ahead Foundation under the stewardship of DR PUSHPAJIT RAY, Director The poet and retired Reader of Bangla Language and Literature, Dr. Ray is the author of HEAD AHEAD FOUNDATION. He is advisor to and State Committee member of various bodies like Nikhil Bharat Shishu Sahitya Sammilan etc. His poem was included in Alor Fulki, the collection of children literature published by Govt of West Bengal in 1979, the International Year of the Child. A grass root level activist, collector and researcher of Folk Literature & Folk Culture he is currently a member of the Centre for Studies in Culture and Languages of North Bengal, under the University of North Bengal. Dr. Ray was felicitated by Bangla Academy, Govt of West Bengal in the year 2000 for his editorship of Joar, the reputed Bangla literary journal published from Malda since 1970. The founder director of Shishuangan, Dr. Ray designed the school logo and composed the Shishuangan oath. Currently he is a guest lecturer in the Dept of Bangla, University of Gour Banga. SMT. SWAPNA RAY, Headmistress Smt. Ray is the founder headmistress of Sabuj Abujh Shishu Angan. A much loved writer of child literature Smt. Ray is at the present chairperson of Nikhil Bharat Shishu Sahitya Sammilani (Malda District Committee). Currently she is working on framing a child centric curriculum commensurate with the vision statements of both Sabuj Abujh Shishu Angan and Head Ahead Foundation. SRI UNMAN RAY, Administrator Sri Unman Ray has been working in the field of education since early 90s. His innovative ideas encompass the domains of mentoring, class room management, use of ICT in teaching – learning, print publication and electronic media presentation. Ray's translation and interpretation of Percieval Wilde's play Refund at once encapsulate the banalities of the present career oriented education system and the need to devise its alternative imaginary. His present concerns include the importance of parenting, place of emotional intelligence, nature and process of cognition and the building collaborative communities in education. SMT. UDITA PURKAYASTHA, Organiser Smt Purkayastha who holds a P. G. Degree in Sociology & Social Anthropology and Bachelor's Degree in Education has active experience in teaching under-graduate students. Currently she is doing her Master's in Education from Indira Gandhi National Open University and applying her knowledge and ideas of parenting and human development.

STEP UP Head Ahead Foundation plans to introduce secondary level classes from 2010 - 2011 academic session

The proposed secondary unit will carry on with the original vision in mind. Head Ahead Foundation firmly believes that this will liberate the learners from the constrictive environment of cut-throat competition and mindless mugging, and help promote the creative zeal, the enquiring spirit and an emotionally intelligent mind.

other projects As a unit of Head Ahead Foundation, Shishuangan undertakes and participates in various topically and thematically relevant projects that centre round the teaching learning eneavour.

Languages Matter

On Thursday 12 February, we celebrated 200 years since Charles Darwin, one of the world's most creative and influential thinkers, was born.

a NBT initiative

SABUJ ABUJH SHISHU ANGAN PROSPECTUS 2009 - 2010 SABUJ ABUJH SHISHU ANGAN (K - IV educational Institution of HEAD AHEAD FOUNDATION) Vivekananda Pally, Post & Dist: Malda, West Bengal, India. PIN 732 101. Telephone: +91 3512 266067, e-mail: [email protected] website:http://shishuangan.headaheadfoundation.org