Science and Computer Lab - Day 0

A big thanks for all the donors who have encouraged me to take up this project.

The project has kicked off, and these are some of the pics from day 0.

more pics to come soon.

An earnest plea!

Dear All
Hope this message finds you in your best form!
Our past interactions made me send this message to YOU, and YOU are the receiver of this message because I feel YOU do understand the need and make conscious decisions and YOU, at some point have been a source of motivation and inspiration, to be what I am today.
In the belief of the power of YOU, I am asking you a big favor of helping me succeed in the final quarter of my fellowship at Teach For India.
As you know I teach in a low-income municipal school in Pune working with Grade4 students, to reduce the achievement gap existing between them and their rich peers. With the help of a couple of friends and ex-colleagues I was successful in creating a better learning environment for all those wonderful students in my classroom, who feel the need of studying and dreaming BIG. Now, they have taught me what it takes to dream BIG and achieve it.
With less than 6 months remaining in the fellowship, I am bestowed with a mission of doing something more to the School as a part of my Leadership Project. My aim is to build a Science cum Computer Lab for the under-resourced Municipal School in which I work. Here is where YOU can be a part of this cause. I urge you with the utmost passion that I carry to make this happen, for the benefit of 400 odd students studying here, to help me in this endeavor.
The Science lab will be equipped with different apparatus and models which will give the practical exposure to the students who have not seen it since they were born. The computer lab which will be integrated with English Literacy and History will expose the students to a whole new global content which they thrive to read. This will change the way they used to look at Science, it will change the way they will operate on a computer, this will change the way they LEARN and it will change the way they THINK. Being in my classroom how much I dream about my kids being the future leaders of this country, this is one step closer to my dream!
Help me get closer to my DREAM by donating what you think is the best for the project. My estimates and the details for being a prt of this project are below:

All donations are subject to 80G for tax saving.

Estimates:

Science Lab:
Working Models: 15,000 INR
Experimental Apparatus (Microscope/Telescope/Burners etc.) : 20,000 INR
3 Cupboards: 5,000 INR
Computer Lab:
Repairing of 10 donated Computers: 15,000 INR
Computer Tables and chairs: 10,000 INR
Computer Stabilizer Unit (for 10 units): 20,000 INR
Software and LAN for computer integrations: 5,000 INR

Ways to send in your money:

CHEQUES - INR
Cheques should be drawn in favor of Teach To Lead. Do not provide cheques in my name as TFI would not be able to provide an 80 G Tax exemption certificate to you in such a case.

TRANSFERING FUNDS ONLINE
In case (within India) wants to transfer the funds directly to the account , the details are as under:

CREDIT IN INR

Name of the Account : TEACH TO LEAD
IFSC Code : HDFC0000357
Account No. : 03571450000143
Bank Name : HDFC Bank Ltd.
Branch Address : Shapoorji Pallonji Building, Dr. Shirodkar Marg, Near KEM Hospital. Opp. BATA showroom, Mumbai – 400012.

Please send an email to me once you have done it, so that I can follow up for the same so that funds reach me appropriately.

In case you are out of India and needs to transfer the money then the same has to be routed through Akanksha Foundation.

Details of Wire Transfer are as under.:

CREDIT IN FOREIGN CURRENCY ( USD ) ONLY

JPMorgan Chase Bank, New York FED ABA 021000021 SWIFT CODE CHASUS33
For credit to HDFC Bank Ltd., Mumbai A/c No. 001-1-406717 SWIFT HDFCINBB
For further credit to HDFC Bank Ltd., Parel Branch.
Ultimate beneficiary (The Akanksha Foundation), A/c. No. 03571170000028
Please mention the company address: Voltas House, ‘C’ Block, T.B.Kadam Marg, Chinchpokli Mumbai 400033.

CREDIT IN FOREIGN CURRENCY ( EURO ) ONLY

JPMorgan Chase Bank, Frankfurt IBAN No. DE26501108006231602308 SWIFT CODE CHASDEFX
For credit to HDFC Bank Ltd., Mumbai A/c No. 623-16-02308 SWIFT HDFCINBB
For further credit to HDFC Bank Ltd., Parel Branch.
Ultimate beneficiary (The Akanksha Foundation), A/c. No. 03571170000028
Please mention the company address: Voltas House, ‘C’ Block, T.B.Kadam Marg, Chinchpokli Mumbai 400033.


Hope to see you be a part of what I think is the best work I can ever do in my entire life.
Have a wonderful day!

cheers,
--
Madhukar Reddy Banuri
Mob:+91 99674 85428
Teach For India Fellow - 2009

madhukar.bhanuri@gmail.com
madhukar.banuri2009@teachforindia.org

PS: The project status will be tracked on http://mightysailors.blogspot.com

Figures Talk - Part 2

My class is done with their first year! Grade 3. Here are the results.

Subject From Beginning-of-Year to Present to End-of-Year

Englsh-RC From 18% to 45% to 59%
English-Reading fluency From 45wpm to 65wpm to 74wpm
English-Writing From KG level to KG 0.5-level to Grade1.24 level
Math-EI From 33% to 63% to 75%
English SSC From 35% to 35% to 60%
Math SSC From 65% to 70% to 71%


I cannot tell how happy I am my students cracked things! #awesome

When Mighty Sailors became MIGHTY LEADERS

My vision for my classroom "Mighty Leaders" is that
"We will become MIGHTY LEADERS by working hard and being more stronger than ever with the five guiding principles:
- Love
- Respect
- Working hard
- Responsible
- Asking Questions

Inspired by K'Naan, we will all sing "When I get older, I will be stronger. They’ll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag."

This year the MIGHTY LEADERS will have 3 differentiated big goals (for Reading fluency, End of year assessments and Grade-4 Scholarship Test). They will all be publicly tracked and each and every LEADER will SHARE and HELP each other to reach the goals.
Apart from these 3 goals, there will be an emphasis through the Writing workshops, Elocution, Cultural events and Leadership Forums on Speaking Listening and Writing, where the LEADERS push themselves to grow more in speaking and writing English, to be GLOBAL.

My motive behind setting vision for my class is to instill in them the basic values needed for life apart from the regular academics, whilst being independently responsible for their own academics and character building.

TFI exams starting tomorrow!

Finger crossed, anxious and excited about the exam series starting tomorrow.
All the very best for the mighty sailors! :)

Class picnic to CHOWKI-DHANI

More madness at : http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3442695&l=c1de60c621&id=765119706

School Holi celebrations!

More pics at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152591&id=765119706&l=e664967a62

Press coverage of our Holi event!

School had a wonderful and superthrill holi event on Feb 27th. Organized in collaboration with eCoexist . We had a press coverage in DNA-pune newspaper. Here is the link.

A big THANK YOU

A big thank you for all the donors :) Today I could realize the importance of monetary help, when I distributed a RC book packet for the all my students in class. One should see their happiness when I gave them in their hands. They surely love doing RC :)

But they still have long way to go.

Cost of RC book packet (Xerox and binded book of 3 different RC books of different authors):
Rs. 2000.

Thank you all for the support once again!

After Break

School opens tomorrow after a 4-day break due to all the events coming together and the weekend. Awaiting kids and their "pretty good" completed homework.