Hello there beautiful people!
Welcome to another episode of Avinya Scoop. This is Isuru signing in to take you through the highlights of the week.
As we came to an end of the project “Face Your Face” while also conducting one on one sessions with our students, we as educators realized how important it is to let them freely express their deep feelings and emotions. Getting them to open up was a sign; a wholesome sign of the absolute trust they put in us. I believe winning it has been a milestone for all our educators. With the deeper understanding we now have about their lives outside Avinya and how their minds work, our aim will significantly be easier, that is, empowering the youth in our beautiful country.
The beginning of the new project “Golden Rubbish” was a cool highlight of the week. Our wonderful guest Dr. Stephanie Rahaman’s session last week had given our kids the opportunity to understand the core concepts of sustainability and accountability. We see their eagerness for innovation sparkling in their eyes. We can’t wait to witness some mind blowing, upcycled products next week!
Apart from the students who make us proud everyday, I’ve also got some news to share with you about my fantastic colleagues. Last Friday we celebrated the birthday of Yujith, our tech expert. We managed to surprise him with a delicious cake and made him eat dessert right before lunch.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” -Joseph Addison
We always emphasize on the good balance of physical and mental wellbeing to our kids. Why not practically maintain that ourselves? Pondering over it, some of our educators started after-school Yoga practice sessions. I wouldn’t say who but hopefully, Ilma and Sinalie could be famous Yoga Gurus in the future. Adding to my amazement, they have also started taking a morning walk from Gal Kade Junction to Avinya on Fridays, and were bustling with energy all day long.
We as educators learn so much from one another everyday, and so do our eager-beaver students. The range of backgrounds we all come from enables us to see things in multiple perspectives and to work in different styles. We wanted our students to learn from each other and to work with each educator. In order for this to happen, starting from project Golden Rubbish, all the students will have the opportunity to move out to other classes and work with other educators at Avinya for each project. This will also help them in their professional development as they will have to work with different managers and supervisors in their future endeavors. It will greatly enhance their flexibility and adaptability, two very important soft skills of the 21st century that we strive to equip our students with.
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” -Lao Tzu
Although it was with a heavy heart that I had to let go of my wonderful Eagles, I then felt reassured because I know the other educators are going to empower them as much as I did. Moreover, embracing another awesome bunch from another class sure was a nice surprise. I am sure all my fellow educators feel the same. We are but lighthouses to guide them in their eventful venture to a brighter tomorrow. Our collective efforts will one day bear fruit when our students take on an initiative to empower others, just as we do, but in an even better way.
Two friendly visitors for Avinya
We are grateful to the Public Health Inspector in the Bandaragama area for paying us a visit to ensure the safety of our students and the staff. Nalaka and I welcomed him on Monday. He carefully observed the campus and the facilities for cleanliness and sanitation available at Avinya and complimented us for taking precautions to mitigate the risks of disease spreading.
Ms. Umanga from the Drug Prevention Authority was the other special guest for the Academy this week. She and I had a lengthy discussion about the addiction issues of the young generations and how and what can be done from our end. She also visited every classroom in action and decided to privately talk to the students who wanted her support. We admire the students who accept their flaws and strive to be better. We accommodate them and encourage them in their progressive journey. Visits like these remind us of the responsibility we hold as educators and the pride we have for our students. We are empowered to Empower!
– Isuru
Thanks for the comprehensive update this week, Isuru. Team AD and AI recently had a productive meet-up, focused on elevating (which Anju took to a whole other level by trapping people inside elevators) our overall academic and admin quality. As part of our efforts, we’ve scheduled a training day for our educators and have some exciting plans in the pipeline. We’re hoping tomorrow will provide us with the much needed breather to collaborate and brainstorm our very own Academic Quality Plan in line with the teaching standards at Avinya. As educators, it’s crucial to be clear about the goals we’re working towards and to stay committed to our personal and professional development every day.
Meanwhile, Team AI is gearing up for another exciting round of student recruitment. Our second Empower batch has already completed almost two months at Avinya and we’re yet again on the precipice of a new adventure. Where does the time go?! Since the end of the last recruitment cycle, we’ve been fine tuning our process to reduce the number of errors and experimenting with new approaches to convey our message to a broader audience.
All in all, it’s been a busy week for both teams as we strive for excellence in both our AD and AI fronts. Await more exciting updates next week!
– Sinalie
