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Quarter Two, 2008
Focus on Schools
Mypolonga Primary School, Australia
The School Shop
Mypolonga is a small fruit growing settlement on the banks of the River Murray approximately 100 kms from Adelaide South Australia. Mypolonga Primary School is an MYP school attached to the Murray Lands Cluster and has 85 students from Reception to Year 7.
Since 1996, the school has run its own small business enterprise ‘The School Shop’. Crafts, made by local craftspeople are sold on consignment to tourists from a PaddleSteamer, the ‘Murray Enterprise’. A bus tour from the boat brings tourists to the school each Friday. Originally the shop opened in the disused Post Office across the road from the school, but it is now located on site at the school.
As well as crafts sold on consignment each of the 4 classes produce goods for sale. The Reception / Year 1 class produces bookmarks, Year 2 / 3, fridge magnets, Year 4/5 recipe books, and Year 6 / 7 chocolate coated apricots and lemonade.
Every student in the Upper Primary class works through a series of tasks when the tourists visit. Each task, whether it is greeting the customers, working behind the counter, weighing and chocolate coating apricots has its own set of competencies the students must achieve. Students are assessed on their performance each week and are rewarded with a series of badges. When students have achieved all of their badges they then become Quality Assurance Officers and are able to assess others.
Students are responsible for all financial record keeping. They tally sales after the tourists have left, calculate 20% commission on all consignor’s sales and ensure that all of the books balance. One of the tasks students work through when the tourists arrive is the Reconciliation Board – a display demonstrating how the books are balanced. Students articulate to the visitors the financial record keeping processes that are in place. Students also volunteer their time during school holidays as part of their Community and Service. Consistently, significant numbers of students volunteer during the holidays and it is not unusual for Year 8 students from Murray Bridge High School to return to work voluntarily in the shop.
Because the tourists are generally pensioners, they enjoy having time to spend conversing with students. Visitors also show the students where they have come from on a map of the world and have now begun to send postcards from their home to the students to record where they come from.
The shop’s yearly turnover has grown to $10 000 per year. A committee of students decides how profits are spent and have subsidised excursions, purchased resources and even bought a new vacuum cleaner for the cleaner. The shop continues to grow and improve and we are currently developing ways to use the Learner Profile to document student growth during the program.
Podar World School, India
Podar World School serves the 3 'I's - International Curriculum, International Certification and Indian Ethos through the 3 'R's of Research, Rationalize and Reflect. The main goal of Podar is to accomplish the students’ dreams through Education for Excellence, Enhancement and Enrichment.
CAS projects along with Indian Development Foundation (IDF)
Blood Donation
A Blood Donation was organized With Tata Memorial Hospital at Podar to highlight the problems of children suffering with ‘Thalasemia Major’. The staff, students and parents donated blood.
Vimala Dermatological Center
Vimala Dermatological Center is a hospital cum home for those who are affected by Leprosy, T.B., HIV AIDS etc. It is also a home for children of these patients. The students of Podar World school visited VDC to take care of the patients on a regular basis.
IBDP students along with orphans at Vimala Center and St. Catherine’s Home where they taught and interacted with the children.
The students conducted the following activities :
- Laughter Club for Inmates
- Entertainment activities such as storey telling, organizing screening of movie, informal chats and organised indoor games for them.
- Organise storey telling session for children
- Conduct remedial English sessions for children
The Industrial Home for the Blind
The students along with an NGO organized a sale at the
Industrial Home for Blind. The articles were made by the blind
people who are trained in hand looms, hanger making, Candle
making etc. The DP students on the occasion of Diwali, put up
stall selling these products made by the patients of the
Industrial Home for the Blind.
Project Shiksha
147 students were adopted under project Shiksha by Podar
students. The project was to look after those children and their
families devastated during the deluge.
Exchange Programme to US
Podar World School students went on Exchange
programme to US and thereafter met with the US Consul Mr
Michael Owen General to discuss global issues.
The school provides an all round development for its students touching every facet of his or her personality. The school provides experiential learning to its students through various activities galore. The academic and co-curricular activities provides students with the best learning environment. Every facet of the child’s personality is taken care of. It teaches its students to respect their origin and at the same time accept the fact that others can be right in being different. The teaching-learning process at Podar is student centric and uses an inquiry based approach. Students develop greater awareness of themselves, concern for others, love of environment and the ability to work co-operatively with others. The school provides an ‘Education’ for life. Podar International School provides quality education to students and has been striving hard to give its students the best. Progress can never stop, as long as needs keep changing and creativity keeps flowing. We at Podar International School live a better today and work towards a brighter tomorrow.
Dr Mrs Vandalla Lulla
Director
Snapshots
Mypolonga Primary School
Australia
Notice for tourists
Would you like to buy this?
More goods on sale
Snapshots
Podar World School
India
Some of the activities at the School.
Blood donation
Vimala Dermotological Center
Vimala Center and St. Catherine's Home
Items for sale at The Industrial Home for the Blind
Project Shiksha
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