By Syama Sakhi devi dasi
Situated in the idyllic mountain scenery of the ISKCON Hare Krishna community in Eungella, NSW, the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School is the only Hare Krishna school in Australia. It is a small but enthusiastic school with a current enrolment of 90 students and 17 teaching and support staff. The school was established more than 30 years ago, serving the community and its children by providing quality education that follows the Australian curriculum and offering spiritual guidance and mentorship.
The school is a member of the Australian Association of Independent Schools through which it receives the ongoing professional support of educational consultants in relation to its academic program and positive behaviour development. This year, the school opened its first pre-K class in a new purpose-built building adjoining the K-2 classroom in the Primary School campus and just recently proudly announced the opening of Year 11 in 2017 and Year 12 in 2018. Hence, the school has become the only Hare Krishna school in the entire Western world offering a complete educational package from pre-K to Year 12.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The primary school at the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School has implemented several highly acclaimed programs to ensure academic excellence. One such framework is the Direct Instruction methodology utilised in the Reading Mastery and Spelling Mastery programs across Years K-6. Consequently, the school achieved above-national results in the 2015 NAPLAN test for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in both Literacy and Numeracy. To further the success of its Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan, at the start of 2016 the school engaged Direct Instruction coach, Donna Dressman from the US. In an Australian first, Donna monitors live and recorded classroom sessions during the Reading Mastery and Spelling Mastery sessions to provide explicit feedback aimed at continuously raising best instructional practices.
Complementary to enhancing the academic program, at the forefront of the school’s vision is the social and spiritual wellbeing of the students. In the primary school, the value-based learning program systematically focuses on key themes so that students’ minds and hearts grow with inspiration, dedication and realisation every day.
HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
The development of the high school over the past few years has also been a tremendous success. The students study subjects in accordance with the Australian curriculum with a variety of electives to choose from to support their various interests and growth. One of these is the first Boardapproved Bhagavad-gita elective. The high school follows ‘The Tree of Life” program, which supports students’ academic, mental, physical, social and spiritual wellbeing. To nourish their hearts and minds students start the day with chanting and worship. Following that, they participate in various spiritual activities such as valuebased learning, hearing scriptural stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and meditative chanting.
For their physical and mental wellbeing, students participate in weekly PE and sport programs, encouraging them to move and stay physically fit. Through the Physical Development and Health program, students also receive ongoing mentorship to strengthen their resilience and improve their social wellbeing.
One of the many highlights is the annual field trip. For the past two years students participated in overseas trips to India where they had the chance to offer service, deepen their connection with peers and challenge themselves within a whole different culture and lifestyle. Students created incredible memories to last a life-time. This year students will attend the 50 th anniversary of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness celebration in Sydney, followed by a trip to the snow.
With small classroom numbers, the high school students receive an enormous amount of support and guidance from their teachers that results in continuous academic development. It has proven to be an excellent way for students to bond in their friendships and support each other throughout their education and teenage years. In a significant undertaking, plans are underway to expand the high school campus to provide facilities for growing student numbers and their diverse interests.
The Bhaktivedanta Swami Gurukula School is pleased to reflect upon its growth over the years. With the Sports Day is one of the most popular days of the school year where the whole community gets together. support of parents and the wider community, students receive a unique educational experience that nourishes their development on all levels. Its loving environment allows every student to feel intrinsically safe to become the very best they can be and emerge as competent, conscious, global citizens.
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