News letter Fall 2009

Fang Ze, Chin B.com University of Windsor
Tenali School has provided shelter for many children that were homeless. Along with accommodation, the school provided education, entertainment, health care, human values and vocational training. After serving so many children by the school its buildings and the space have reached their maximum limits. In order to continue to provide minimum facilities and recreation to the children, continuous support is needed from supporters like you in future to acquire 5-10 acres of land for expansion. This edition of the newsletter contains the progress of school buildings, the training facilities, and the recreation the school provides to children. It also lists some of the repairs which are in progress and also the future plans of the school which are intended to provide good living conditions to the children and to protect the planet from destruction through conservation of rain water, recycling of waste products, and organic farming.

Founder's Message:

newsletter is dedicated to the progress of the School buildings and teaching facilities which have been added at Tenali to enable children receive quality education and to compete with the private schools in the province. The school has constructed several rooms to accommodate the increased enrolment from 20 children in grade one in 1992 to 135 children in grade 10(equivalent to grade 12 in Canada). The school has added 12 classrooms, separate dorms for girls and boys, guest house, medical clinic, vegetables garden, in-door children's recreation centre, and7ft high compound wall around the school complex and children's dorms to provide security to the children to prevent stray animals from destroying the vegetation.

School Buildings Training • 1992-2009:

Currently Tenali School has a total of 10 semi-finished temporary buildings and a small garden for growing vegetables and fruits.

1994: A dorm to house the children and a medical clinic were constructed.
1996: Two rooms for vocational training and two room guest house were opened.
1998: Library with 300 books was opened; a nurse-cum teacher was hired to look after the clinic.
2003: Fencing around the school premises and five classrooms for grades 1-5 with semi-permanent structures were completed.
2005: Compound wall, 200 ft long and 6ft high was constructed and the rest of the area was protected by fence; 5 class rooms for grades 6-10 were constructed.
2006: Computer Basics course was introduced; the unfinished, compound wall around the hostel and the clinic were completed
2007: Child recreation Centre was built to commemorate the memory of Uma, founder's wife who passed away in June 2006. The centre is equipped with different kinds of toys, board games and video tapes as an entertainment for the children during recess time.
2008: Rainwater water conservation project was established to provide water supply to children.
2009: Vegetable garden was enhanced with top soil and fertilizer. English medium classes from LKG, UKG to grade, 1, 2, and 3 were started.

Facility:

Hostel - there are two hostels one for girls and one for boys, the current capacity of the hostel in total is only 40.
Since 1998, the school library has been added with 1000 books and magazines.
Child Recreation Building - during physical education classes all children will have opportunity to play inside the building. Small children can watch children's TV programs, and older children play karams and chess.
Clinic-first aid and emergency medical help. It is equipped with vitamins, eye drops, and band-aids', medically trained teacher to help these children was hired to give first-aid treatment and to give vitamins and immunization shots.
45 x 1100 sq ft land to grow vegetables and fruits to feed the children.
Guest House - there are two rooms, one is given to the caretaker of the school and the second one is kept vacant to provide accommodation to volunteers from out of town or Canada.

Letters from Alumni of Tenali School:

2009image Respected Sir,
Venkateswarlu garui!
You established this school, named after Ramaiah Orphans and Handicapped Children’s School in 1992. I am (G. Yodu Kondalu) Studied at your school up to 10th grade I passed with good marks in final exam. Because of good teaching by teachers, I got good marks in public examination. I got first class in 10th grade (high school diploma). The school provided us free books, medicines and clothes.
I learned vocational skills in carpentry, chalk manufacturing and candle making. I also learned how to grow vegetables in evening gardening classes. You organised free eye medical camps and arranged free cataract surgeries to my old grandparents, I am thankful to your kindness. I am now studying 2nd year undergraduate program at T.J. College Tenali. I would like to study M.B.A after my B. Com degree completion. I request your financial support and guidance in future.
Namasthe!
Yours faithfully
G. Yadu Kondalu
T.J college, 2nd year, B.Com, Tenali

2009image Respected Sir,
I am one of the old students of your esteemed school in Tenali and have studied up to grade 10. I have passed 10th grade high school diploma with flying colours at the school. Teachers were kind, dedicated and disciplined. They taught me and other children high quality education. That is why I passed high school diploma with top grades in the Guntunr district. In future also, I will study with dedication, hard work and discipline. In addition to studies, I learned vocational training like candle making, tailoring and chalk manufacturing. When we were studying here, we used to do gardening in afternoons as part of physical education and relaxation. I am very thankful to you for having given me this opportunity in my life to learn vocational skills.
By studying in your esteemed school, we have acquired a lot of good behaviour and discipline. Besides the provision of free education, books, clothes, public exam fees and medicines were provided to us and created an interest to pursue higher studies in colleges. At present, I am studying, B.SC degree in computer science, at A.S.N College, Tenali. I intend to study Engineering after my computer science degree in one of the prestigious Institutions like I.I.T, and N.I.T. in India.
I request you to kindly offer your full encouragement as well as financial help, for my higher studies, in future. I shall ever be grateful in my life.
Namasthe!,
Yours faithfully,
L.ANUSHA
B.SC. Computer Science (1st year)
A.S.N. college, Tenali

Highlights of the School January, 2008-Decmber 31st, 2008

July 20th, 2008, Sri Satya, Saibaba, devotees distributed refreshments to children.
July 19th, 2008, a local businessman donated 95 note books and 50 pens to the school.
July 20th, 2008 local, welfare society donated 163 notes book.
July 21st, 2008, A businessman donated some food items and clothing to children
September 2, 2008, Sri SatyaSai Trust donated a few blankets to children.
August 31, 2008 A religious scholar donated schools bags, pens for 60 children.
January 4, 2008 Tenali Cloth Merchants association donated fruits, cookies and a few chesses to children.
All Grade 7 and 85 percent of grade 10 children (equivalent to grade 12 in Canada) passed the pubic examinations conducted by the department of education, A.P. government.

Entertainment:

Besides study, the school also provides some entertainment to the children.

Picnics - once in 3 months, the school organizes trips to historical places for both education and recreation.
Talent testing-every year the school conducts talent testing contest in math and science for children from different schools in the county; first, second and third prizes are given to winners.
Celebration - the school children celebrate the anniversary of the school, Independence Day, New Year and Christmas days and perform skits on stage.
Television - during recess time, children can watch educational movies in the Child Recreation Centre.

Academic

English learning - since 2008, the A.P government instructed all schools to teach the children in English from grade 1 to grade 10. The Tenali school from academic year 2009 will be starting English medium instruction from LKG, UKG to grade 3
Human Values - in addition to academic training, the school also expects children to be proficient in compassion, caring, sharing, and community service. As a result the school offered yoga and meditation every morning for 20 minutes.

Future Plans:

As financial resources are available, we hope to expand accommodation capacity, fruit and vegetable growing area, medical facilities, hiring full-time vocational teachers, add laboratory facilities, 4 rooms for vocational training and physiotherapy, construct permanent buildings, updated machinery for sewing and carpentry, computer and internet facilities, and a separate audio-visual room to offer instruction and to improve teaching methods.

Volunteers visited the Tenali School since1992-2009:

Professors Melinda, Rias-Tims and Odette Furois, University of Tours, France – 2005 and 2009
Ms. Joanne Sabourin, Windsor, Canada -2004
Mr. C.Formagin and Ms. Amy Farkas, Windsor, Canada -2003
Ms. Shazhan Amed, Montreal, Canada - 2002
Ms Sholesh Koorjee, Vancouver, Canada -2002
Mr. Fayaz Ahmad, Kingston, Canada - 2002
Ms. Amy Stapleton, Brisbane, Australia - 2000
Ms K Chang and Ms Kelly, New york, USA - 1997
Ms.Maya Primorac, Windsor, Canada - 1997
Professor Dan Boles, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada- 1995 and 1997

Trying to find 5-10 acres of land near Tenali suburbs for purchasing and constructing new permanent buildings which was estimated to cost around $130,000 to $150,000. Once the permanent buildings are constructed, the School Trust will be created to run the school out of the yield of investments. Besides that, the school would like to create a scholarship fund for helping graduates with high school diploma to finance their post secondary education.

The philosophy of the Tenali School and of the Educational Organization for Orphaned and Handicapped Children is:

To continue the success of this venture, your support is needed. All contributions are tax deductible.

Please send your support by cheque or draft payable to The Educational Organization for Orphaned and Handicapped Children or EOOHC and sent to the following address:
T.Venkateswarlu, Founder and President
P.O.Box 7311, Sandwich Post Office Windsor, On, Canada N9C 4E9
Email: tvenkat @uwindsor.ca
Tel; 519-253-3000 ext. 3183