SAIIER Annual Report 2014-2015: Future School
 Dehashakti Sports |
 |
 House of Mother’s Agenda |
| Future School | ||
Introduction
Entity::Future School seeks to provide an environment in which Auroville youth and those dedicated to their education may reach their own unique potential through a balanced development of body, mind, emotion and spirit. Inspired by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the school aspires to create a platform for self-discovery. Students are encouraged to follow a value-oriented approach to life in which they have an opportunity to create a deeper understanding of their responsibility to self, community and the world.
The school reflects the international character of Auroville, bringing together students and teachers from many different nationalities, cultural and ethnic backgrounds in a spirit of openness and harmony. The diversity of the school community creates a very special opportunity to be immersed in a rich and positive sharing of experiences.
Activities of the year
The Program
Future School offers a high school equivalent education to primarily Aurovillian students. This year there were 91 adolescents and young adults of 15 nationalities enrolled in the school.
Subjects offered at Future School:
- Languages - English, Tamil, Hindi, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian
- Mathematics
- Pure Sciences - Physics, Chemistry, Biology
- Social Sciences - History, Geography, Economics, Psychology
- Extra-curricular subjects - Information Communication Technology, Fashion Design, Photography, Film, Art, and Theatre
Where suited, we also offer the possibility of practical training with Auroville units, making use of the diverse possibilities offered by Auroville at large. Through our mentoring program we also assist the students in making good individual choices that help them to explore and discover, progress and grow.
Teaching and learning methods
The school incorporates many different teaching/learning methods and environments including projects, tutorials, independent research, traditional lectures, small and large groups, one-on-one mentorship, peer teaching, work experience, and self-study. In this way we hope to meet the needs of each individual.
We feel that the combination of required areas of study and chosen subjects gives students a balanced experienece, allowing them to get in touch with new areas of knowledge and well as explore their own interests and needs.
Evaluation
Reflective assessments are shared during mentor meetings and other conferences. We also use school seminars to engage the students and teachers in reflective assessment. Skill-based assessment include the following:
- Internal tests, assignments and journals of activities and progress
- Project work with presentations, internal and/or public
- Written progress reports
- External examinations (UK IGCSEs and A-levels) if requested by the students
Outcomes
All-school activities
Open House and Fundraiser: In September we hosted an Open House organized by the Student Council and with help from the student body. There was plenty for the visiting friends and families to take in: demonstrations in the Chemistry laboratory, a flea-market, music and dance performances by the students. The students ran a lively kitchen, serving snacks prepared by them with ingredients donated generously by local Units. With the help of the students and the community Future School was able to raise a significant amount of funds to help it to keep its activities on track.
Potluck and Open-mic Night: This year, triggered by a request made by an anonymous student in the suggestion column of our the student newsletter Future Scribbles, the Language Arts class organised a Potluck and Open-mic Night. On January 23rd, students and teachers gathered together for a delicious dinner with a wide variety of mouth-watering dishes from all over the world. Then everyone gathered in the Multi-purpose Space for an evening of performances by the students: dancing and singing, poetry, a humourous speech and a 'Wacky Awards' ceremony. The evening was a great success, and we hope it will become an annual tradition.
Graduation: This year 21 students graduated from Future School. As per tradition, on the last day of school their fellow students, teachers, staff members and parents gathered to honour the accomplishments of these students. The program opened with melodious strains of the Veena played by two talented students, and continued with songs, speeches, and poetry readings. The now-traditional powerpoint presentation compiled by Angela, with photos of each of the graduating students at different stages of their lives was, as always, most touching. Each student received the gift of a Goodbye Book and a personalized poem. The event concluded with another tradition: the planting of a tree by the graduating class. This event has become a very important one in our school and is always filled with laughter and tears, joy and some sadness; it reminds us that we are a family.
| Weekly Seminars at Future School |
|---|
These have been an ongoing feature of our school for many years and are open to all students and teachers. This year we explored:
|
Field Trips
An important element in any learning program, field trips connect classroom topics to real world experiences. They create an opportunity for closer bonding within the school 'family' and provide a break from routine. This year our field trips included the following:
Petrified Forest: After a scientific talk in a seminar, Jeff Goodchild accompanied several students and teachers to see this geological phenomenon. The park visited, only 50 minutes away, is near Tiruvakkarai village on the road between Tindivanam and Pondicherry. It contains petrified wood fossils approximately 20 million years old, scattered throughout the park, which covers about 250 acres. The fossils were formed during massive flooding that occurred millions of years ago.
Chemistry Field Trips: Three field trips were organised for the students of different Chemistry classes.
- Teacher Evgenia organized a visit to The Colors of Nature, an Auroville research and development unit focusing on natural dyes. The Colors of Nature is one of the few remaining natural dyeing units in the world using entirely environmentally-friendly, vegetable-based dyes. The students were given a tour around the unit by its founder Jesus, during which they learned about the process of extracting indigo dyes from indigo plants. They also studied chemical procedures for the production of indigo dye, its storage, and its use for dyeing clothes.
- The next trip was to the Water Laboratory (Environmental Monitoring Service - EMS) in Aurobrindavan with teachers Sergei and Evgenia. Igor, the head of the laboratory, showed the students around and demonstrated the work of the flame chromatography apparatus, the variety of equipment in the lab for testing water and food samples, and the bacteriology facilities of the laboratory.
- Evgenia, Sergei and Tapas later arranged a visit to Pondicherry University’s Chemistry department. There the students checked out the laboratory facilities, visited several research laboratories and had a talk with the dean of the faculty, Dr. Anbalagan, about study opportunities at Pondicherry University.
The Hindu: In March the Language Arts Class and members of the “Future Scribbles” editorial team went to The Hindu newspaper's headquarters and printing press in Chennai. They spent a some hours at the offices where friendly and welcoming members of the editorial staff explained the workings and history of the newspaper, shared experiences, and fielded questions. This was followed by a visit to the printing press where the students could witness the impressive sight of hundreds of thousands of newspapers being printed on a Japanese assembly line.
Rocket Launch: In March, 23 students and a teacher went to witness a rocket launch in the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The rocket launched was India's Fourth Navigational Satellite. The students traveled in a convivial atmosphere for ten hours, then observed the event 20 kilometers away from the launch site. The trip was deemed a great experience by all.
| The most interesting moment was when the rocket started off from the ground, in a blaze of red flame and smoke. All was silent until the wind carried the sound and vibrations of the rocket towards us. We could feel the energy of the rocket and the power that was used to push off from the ground. It was breathtaking feeling. |
Workshops and Extra-Curricular Activities
Community Service: For the past eight years, Future School has been participating in a Community Service program that allows new students joining the school to participate in a unique experience. During the three weeks before a new school year begins, each student works in three different Services, Units or ongoing projects in Auroville. We find this important as students learn to adopt a sense of commitment and responsibility. They also get to experience working with and around different people. This activity has been an integral part of the school program and has been well received by the students and the community.
Medical Clowning: Two Aurovillians, Fif and Hamish, offered a Medical Clowning course to our students for the second year. The students met once a week and learned a great deal about human behavior through exercises of play and theatre, how to actively listen, how to create a sense of trust, and how to handle ethical issues that they may be presented with.
Pillar Painting: One of the Art classes lead by Sasikanth was assigned a project by the school to paint the new dining area pillars. The project was led mainly by Karen, a visitor from Sweden studying to be an Arts and Psychology teacher. Eventually the project was opened to the wider student body, and everyone came together to enhance the space, creating a harmonious design that combined individual designs. The colour palette was selected based on the colours of the surroundings. The project began in November and was completed in April.
Future Scribbles: “Future Scribbles”, a monthly student newsletter, was launched by the Language Arts class in December. Run by a student editorial team, it serves as a platform for both school and community news. It provides students with opportunities to create and present a wide variety of work including art, announcements, news, poems, comic strips, stories and commentaries. “Future Scribbles” is sent by email to everybody who is part of the school, and a few print copies are circulated as well. It is both an entertaining and an intellectual project which is appreciated by the whole school.
Art Exhibition: In November the students shared their art with the community through a two-week exhibition, titled 'Artsea', at Pitanga.
Course Spotlights
Reading Sessions for Transition School: As a part of the Language Arts activity, students visited Transition School for a series of story reading sessions spread over several weeks. They were warmly welcomed by the students and teachers of Transition. When sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds read aloud to eigh-year-olds, magic happens.
Alternative Living Spaces Project: The advanced Geography class comprising of 5 senior students started a hands-on project aimed at creating a model for an alternative living space. Early tasks included tree cutting, wood peeling, granite pillar fixing, leveling. The project underwent a few changes as the students revised their targets based on their growing experience. They are continuing to work on the project and plan to complete it next year.
Reflections
A noteworthy point is that our student body increased by 20% this year, and we were able to absorb this large increase well. We were able to successfully raise funding for, and execute to completion, the expansion of the outside dining and study area. This space is now able to accommodate our larger student body, and allows us to enjoy the outdoors during meal and study times.
Future direction
While we are happy to have made some additions to our teaching team this year, we continue to look for creative and committed individuals to grow the team so as to meet the educational needs of Auroville youth. We would like to be in a better position to address the different academic needs of our growing student body with high standards and a wide perspective. In addition, we would like to be in a place where we are not required to turn away students for lack of space in the classrooms.
In keeping with our aim to honor self-motivation over academic achievement, we would like to create an environment where self-motivated students are encouraged and supported. We also intend to actively work to strengthen the feeling of identification with the school amongst the students and the teachers.
Conclusion
Future School seeks to balance independence and freedom on one hand with respect and responsibility on the other. Students are supported in an interactive and open communication environment, while being encouraged to be aware of their choices and to forge their own path for growth and progress. We hope that this environment and educational program helps the students become self-aware, self-motivated and self-controlled. Our primary goal continues to be the development and implementation of an integral education that is deeply rooted in the ideals of Auroville.
| Dehashakti Sports |
House of Mother’s Agenda |