A new horizon for the Tibetan school

We have recently started distributing Tibetan school textbooks to the children. Textbooks are loaned against a deposit of $20 and workbook (where available) and handwriting books are provided as compliments. Textbooks are to be returned at the end of the academic year to claim the refund of the deposit. Damages will be charged.

Some students have already received these textbooks. Teachers are developing syllabus and lesson plans based on the recently drafted curriculum. The academic year, hopefully will commence from Saturday July 12, 2008. Textbook is compulsory for every student. So please send $20 with your child during the next Saturday.

Sixth TPA members and the teachers have spent almost a year to accomplish the drafting of a curriculum for the school. Now it is upto the parents of the children who are currently enrolled and the next administration of the school to start from where we have left. Parents cooperation and support is vital to this initiative to take root.

All current students have paid their dues and advance fees. Those students who do not pay fees will not be admitted to the classes.

Fundraising Lottery Plan Cancelled

Due to the lack of response from the public to the announcement of sponsoring prize monies, we are forced to cancel the planned lottery to be drawn on July 6, 2008. Instead, TPA has passed a resolution to hand over the administration of weekend school to CTAO. Please read the news section for further details.

Tibetan Language, Music and Dance Classes at Gangjong Choedhenling, 40 Titan Road

Beginning Saturday January 5, 2008 and every Saturday thereafter:

10:00 -11:00 AM Prayer Session and Lecture on the prayers by Geshe Jigme Lodoe

11:00 - 11:45 AM Tibetan Classes

11:45 - 12:00 PM Break (TPA provides a drink)

12:00 - 1:00 PM Tibetan Classes continue

1:00 PM - bagged Lunch from Home

1:30 - 4:30 PM Tibetan Music and Dance Classes

Tibetan Parents Association
CTAO

TTC Directions are as follows:

From Dundas St. W or Lansdowne Subway Station, board the westbound train. Get off at Islington Ave. Station and take the stairs for bus 110 Islington Ave. South. Get off on Titan Road. Walk a short distance on your right to the centre.

PLEASE REMEMBER:

We won’t admit students without collecting any elapsed fees and fees for the next six months i.e. January 1 to July 1, 2008. So please check your previous receipts for any elapsed fees or bring enough amount in cash/check when registering your kid on January 5, 2008. Monthly fees is $10.00

Registration will begin by 10 am.

Rogers coverage on Tibet

Here’s the Rogers Coverage on Tibet: Part 1

Part 2

A large consignment Tibetan Textbooks ordered

Tibetan Parents Association has ordered 1500 Dollars worth of Tibetan textbooks, Storybooks and Calligraphy books from the Tibetan Cultural Printing Press in India. This large consignment will arrive shortly in time for the classes to be held at Gangjong Choedhenling in the new year.

We are planning on a new curriculum based on the textbooks and the learning experience here. Not all material will be suitable for all the classes. We will develop a curriculum that best reflects the nature of the weekend school and we will regroup students into classes according to their skill level. We can’t keep someone who doesn’t know the alphabets in class III.

2007 Toppers

Following is the list of toppers of our annual examination held on December 1, 2007.

Class I

First Position - Tenzin Kalsang

Second Position - Tenzin Norzin

Third Position - Tenzin Tsetan

Class III

First Position - Tenzin Rangdol

Second Position - Tenzin Yonten

Third Position - Tenzin Kalden

Class V

First Position - Tashi Yangzom

Second Position - Sonam Wangyal

Third Position - Tenzin Lhadon

Class VI

First Position - Tenzin Samphel

Second Position - Tenzin Khenrab

Third Position - Norbu Tsering

News from Tibetan Parents Association

Recent News:

• Tibetan Parents Association of Toronto donated $5055.00 towards the Gangjong Choedhenling Community Center Project. As part of the project, the community will have five classrooms for the Tibetan language program run by the TPA.

• Tibetan Parents Association has donated $3432.32 worth of musical instruments and costumes to the CTAO Tibetan Performing Arts program. The amount is determined after deducting one year depreciation. The TPA will no longer run dance and music classes.

• The priority before the 6th TPA committee members is to establish a viable and vigorous curriculum for the Tibetan language program. TPA envisions an examplary program in the future once the classrooms, textbooks, teachers and the curriculum are in place. A proposal to purchase $1500 worth of textbooks and Tibetan reading materials from Tibetan cultural printing press has been completed. Once the new regime is adopted, students will be assigned to classes according to their skill levels and annual tests will determine their promotion to the next level of class.

• A resolution passed by the TPA committee on July 21, 2007 required the PTA to merge two groups of learners into other classes. These groups previously shared space with other classes and seen as not the best way to conduct lessons. As a result, two of our teachers were asked to stop teaching for the time being. However, they were encouraged to rejoin once classroom facilities are in place in the new cultural center. The resolution was passed to solve present difficulties in terms of space, discipline and learning.

• The same resolution required the Tibetan Language program to adopt a new prayer regiment. The new regiment called for the induction of the standard Tibetan school prayer book instead of the existing one. It was pointed out that the school prayer book was specially designed for the children and that His Holiness has repeatedly emphasized it’s importance and relevance to the children in terms of saying and understanding the prayers. Presence of a lot of mantras and transliteration into English were seen as major drawbacks of the existing book. However, children still say the same important prayers including “ode to manjushree” which is beleived to dispel ignorance in young minds.