Olcott Memorial High School, Besant Nagar, Chennai 600 090

General Resource Room (GRR) Project

Funded by: Asha – Irvine, California

This report has two parts. The first part details actual expenses incurred till December 2008, showing the re-allocation of funds and projected expenses for the remaining months of the school year (up to May, 2008) . The second part has the Proposed Budget for School (Academic) Year 2009-10.

Proposal Author: Ms. Lakshmi Suryanarayanan – Headmistress 91-9841091424 – Email:

School Counselor: Ms. Roshini Kumar

Note: Expenses are per norms of payment of / approved by the school management – Olcott Education Society.

Important request to Asha Irvine chapter

We request Asha Irvine to approve re-allocation of funds for 2008-09 across different areas within the GRR project due to changing ground realities during the implementation of the project.

We will NOT require any additional funding for this academic year (June 2008-May 2009), only re-allocation of funds.

Specific reasons for changes are explained below. Changed allocations for additional resources are in pink in the Table.

Areas / Items / Budget(INR) / Expenses / Pymts. due but not made yet / Actual Current Balance / Pending Programs/Changing Allocations / Required for expenses before May 2009 (end of academic year) (INR) / Expected Starting balance academic year 2009-10 (INR)
Area1 / Infrastructure / 50,000.00 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 50,000.00 / Storage cupboards and furniture / 25,700.00 / 24,300.00
Painting / 6,000.00 / 7,208.00 / 0.00 / -1,208.00 / -1,208.00
Lighting / 1,000.00 / 0.00 / 0.00 / 1,000.00 / 1,000.00
Boards / 20,000.00 / 12,611.00 ** / 0.00 / 7,389.00 / 7,389.00
Anger management corner and toys / 10,000.00 / 6,014.00 ** / 20,000.00 / -16,014.00 / Reading materials / 5,000.00 / -21,014.00
Area 2 / Diagnostics and programme / 20,000.00 / 12,542.00 / 1,400.00 / 6,058.00 / Payments for intense remediation with 3 educators / 22,000.00 / -15,942.00
Area 3 / Skills training and apprenticeship location for slow learners / 19,500.00 / 200.00 / 0.00 / 19,300.00 / Starting the apprentice programme / 4,800.00 / 14,500.00
Area 4 / Outreach into community through parents / 10,000.00 / 5,710.00 / 0.00 / 4,290.00 / 2 more workshops Kakkan colony and Odaikuppam / 4,290.00 / 0.00
Grand Totals / 136,500.00 / 44,285.00 / 21,400.00 / 70,815.00 / 61,790.00 / 9,025.00
Amount Received / 132,713.00 / 5,238.00

Note: Rs.5,238 is the actual expected starting balance compared to funds received from ASHA-Irvine

** Actual Expenses for Boards (Rs. 10K) Anger Management toys (Rs. 4K) were inadvertently switched in the last report (Sep ’08) and has been corrected now and also show the actual amount as of Dec. 31, 2008

Summary:

Asha Irvine support for the General Resource Room (GRR) project ( $3,555 / INR 1,32,713 in April, 2008) has made it possible to build and expand the counseling program to provide support for all 600 students of the school. Originally, the funding amount was allocated for the infrastructure improvement for the counseling program like:

·  improving the conditions of dark, unlit, and unattractive classroom

·  provide rodent protection

·  provide proper electrical connections

We found that infrastructure changes were more complex and expensive than anticipated, so it was decided to shift the counseling room to newer, brighter room which became available. With the help of students and staff the new room was painted in the cheery colors of blue, oranges, yellows, and creams.

An integral part of the GRR’s purpose is to help children express themselves freely, providing therapeutic outlets for their emotions. In order to create an inviting and safe atmosphere the room has been stocked with toys, books, a punching bag, sand pit, a drums set, computers, comfortable furniture, and art materials. We have ordered innovative soft toys that are children-friendly, culturally sensitive, and comforting. Children can share, create and release stress through play, art, music, and physical activities. Each class has an opportunity to visit the resource room once a week for a guidance lesson or play time.

The priority this year has been identifying slow learners and children with learning disabilities and remediation opportunities. In collaboration with the Madras Dyslexia Association, we received teacher training sessions and several student assessments. Through the assessment process, we procured two concessions for 10th standard students which a) provides them with extra time for examinations and b) allows use of calculator in examinations. The children have begun utilizing these resources with the support of their teachers and have shown improvement in their scores. Madras Dyslexia Association has been gracious enough to provide these assessment services at very minimal cost.

In 5th and 7th grades, we have identified 16 children who need English remediation. The support from Asha-Irvine has made it possible to offer remediation to children who are struggling and lost within their classroom. Currently three special educators are working with these children in small groups to provide intense remediation starting with the basics. One special educator has been working with 8 children in each class since September, 2008 for two days in a week; now with the addition of two special educators, there will be inputs for five days a week for these 16 children.

Recently, we started to systematically track student progress by identifying standard benchmarks, pragmatic goal setting, and reporting & documentation. In the identification and assessment process, it became very apparent that primary level remediation is needed immediately to help children have the best chance of building skills that can make them successful throughout their education.

Community Outreach Program has two facets: Community Dinners and Parenting Programs. Community dinners are held in the surrounding local communities. Parents, school staff, and students have a chance to interact, eat and unite together in an informal setting.

While working with the special needs children we found that a large number of the mothers have no work and are either single parents or wives of alcoholic and egoistic men who do not allow their wives to go out and speak about these issues to others. They are wary of their wives meeting the school counselor. Some of them relate the word ‘counselor’ with women’s police stations as these police stations have family counselors who generally do take such men to task and register the complaints against them. So we came up with having these informal meetings with the parents over dinner. This has also helped us to work with SHGs so that the children directly affected - special needs children - and also other families benefit. It is one way to meet the mothers of these children without the fathers’ interference. Also the men in the community are more accepting as we are trying to improve the general lot, hence find it not insulting to their ego, as irresponsible fathers.

An additional result of these dinners has been the identification of community needs. For example, many tsunami affected families have been relocated to Chemencherry, an outlying underdeveloped area of Chennai. Many families speak of lack of job opportunities in the nearby areas and that they also face sanitation and water problems. Through a community dinner, we identified the need for training on job-oriented skills and provided one in the following month. We are now in the process of contacting NGO’s to provide microfinance loans to SHGs (Self Help Groups). We have conducted 2 dinners and are planning to conduct 3 more in the following two months.

Thus the Community Outreach Program helps us serve the communities in which our children live in a holistic manner.

We are beginning the skills training for slow learners by placing three students with our craft section teacher for each day for half a day. Currently, we are seeking permission from parents to place their children on individualized education plans (IEP). IEP will focus on training and building skills of interest to the child followed by apprenticeship opportunities. The apprenticeship opportunities are meant to provide successful transitions from school to work force. Skills training and apprenticeships will be conducted along with community programs, specialized schools, and friends of Olcott School. The children will continue to receive academic and counseling inputs from the school to prepare them for their work life.

Area 1 - Improvements to the counseling room

1.  Infrastructure

We found that infrastructure changes were more complex than anticipated. Therefore, by shifting and exchanging other programs, we have now allotted a dual room in the craft section as GRR, which the counselor has found satisfactory. We would like to re-allocate and use the allocated fund for beautification and organization of the room resources by purchasing a storage cupboard and book shelves.

2.  Anger Management and Toys

Along with toys, books are very useful aids while working with children to teach them a lesson, educate them about the world, and help them understand changes, and process and heal their hurts. Tulika books, an Indian publishing house, offers excellent bilingual books that reflect children’s lives and interests while educating them on important issues such as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and endangerment of the Oliver Ridley turtles. Most of all, the books’ colorful and lively illustrations and stories will engage the attention of children and promote joy of reading.

Area 2 - Diagnostics and Programs

We would like to continue with the special educators working with 5th and 7th std. for the rest of the school year. Projected expenses till May 2009 for 3 educators working 5 days a week in rotation at Rs. 1,000 per week for 20 weeks will be Rs. 20,000. We also anticipate conducting more diagnostics through the MDA which will require Rs. 2,000.

General Resource Room Project Proposal

Budget for Academic Year 2009-2010

Items / Amount in INR
Teacher Resource Kits / 5,000.00
Special Educators conveyance / 225,000.00
School to Work Transition Pilot Program / 50,000.00
Community Outreach Program / 12,000.00
Toys and Resources / 10,000.00
Furniture / 15,000.00
Grand total / 317,000.00

Total Funding Request in USD (for 2009-2010) = $6,750

Details of budgeted expenses for the next academic year (June 2009-May 2010) after year long study of our needs. Please note that our counselor continues to help teachers to understand how to manage problems in classroom situations.

Teacher Resource Kits for 1st-10th std – Rs. 5,000

A counseling kit is to be kept in each classroom to include coloring books, markers, and small soft toys to help with anger management in the classroom.

Special Educators

Primary Section (5 educators for 225 days) – Rs. 225,000

(Rs. 200 for a day as conveyance fee for the special educator for a maximum of 5 days a week for 45 weeks)

A large part of the year 2008-09 was spent locating special educators through Madras Dyslexia Association and getting them to work with small groups on a pilot basis. This was done primarily to study how they could fit into the school schedules and help the special needs children without alienating them from the usual class room situations and also making sure that they were taken out from only those classes where they were unable to work with the subject and the teacher.

The experience has taught us that primary level remediation is very much a necessity.

We have some regular paid special educators and some volunteers. Their special educators could use the volunteer support and thus handle more children (up to 4 at a time). We have found that in a class of about 50 children, 10 need special attention. We have also found that some of these children learn well enough in about a year (their difficulties are correctable with constant attention and guidance) and may not require such intense support later on.

School to Work Transition Pilot Program- Rs 50,000

Rs. 1,000 per month per student for 10 months (for 5 students) - Rs. 5,000 x 10= Rs. 50,000

·  a small amount for students for bus fare, meals at work site (Rs. 250)

·  training course fees OR apprenticeship honorarium for the person/organization providing the apprentice opportunities (Rs. 750)

This has been a long term vision for the school. We have had some students with such difficulties stay in school till 17 years of age and then transit to workplace but their marketable skills have been very low. The school has given them skills for life, confidence and some basic literacy but has not been very successful in helping them acquire some special skill that would find them livelihood. We are planning on locating and partnering with learning sites, local businesses, and specialized schools. The children will get to see the real world outside and learn how to cope with real life situations. The pilot program will start with 5 students and follow them through the year to ensure a successful placement in an apprenticeship position that can then hopefully transition them into a sustainable livelihood option.

At the same time, students will continue with academic inputs with a focus on keeping their accounts and bills (basic Maths), calculating man hours and wages, reading the newspaper and comprehending the information, general studies, health and environment. This program is targeted towards students who are 14 plus but unable to read even Tamil and go beyond addition and basic subtraction operations but are otherwise capable of normally functioning in everyday interactions.