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Dear Alumni,I hope that the 2007-2008 school year will offer your some enjoyable opportunities to get back in touch with friends from your time at BIS, to share news of your experiences and achievements with the BIS alumni community, and to find out about all the exciting changes that have taken place here at school, since you left.This just might be the year of the first ever alumni reunion in Haimhausen. Representatives from the classes of 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 have been searching for former teachers and classmates, and laying plans for an August 2008 reunion. It was a real pleasure to have a small group of alumni in attendance at the opening celebration for our newest classroom complex on May 4, 2007. The new building is spectacular, and the big atrium proved to be an ideal party space for the 300+ guests that day. Another celebration is in the offing (most likely May 2008), with a new outdoor track and field area nearing completion. It would be great to have you join us for the occasion! If you will send me your current e-mail address, I will be sure to send out an invitation when the time comes. Our first two Alumni Newsletters went out last year. This year I would dearly love to see that number double. Please take a moment or two, and send me any news, announcements or photos that you would like to share with the alumni community. Erika Swedberg Communications & Admissions Manager Tel. +49(0)8133 917 126 Fax. +49 (0)8133 917 115 Looking forward to hearing from you, |
Appeal for Books from Lukas, Class of 2007
Below is an e-mail that we received recently from Lukas von Petersdorff-Campen, a member of the class of 2007. Lukas has sent an appeal to those of us in the BIS community who might be in the position to help the Bhil Academy in India.
“I graduated from BIS last year and I am now doing a year of social work at an English Medium Boarding School in one of the poorest districts of India (Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh). In this district 85% of the people are from the tribe of the Bhils. They rarely speak anything other than their tribal language, Hindi, and 80 % of the men and 95% of the women are illiterate. I teach English and organize most of the children’s’ (Kindertgarten - 6th Class) free time activities at the Bhil Academy School in the District Capital Jhabua. All of the children are Bhils from villages in the area. Their parents live below the poverty line, and if the children wouldn't be able to visit a boarding school like ours, which is the only one that does not charge any fees, they would probably work on their parents’ fields. We give them a realistic chance to attend higher education and get a good paying job.
In the four months I have been here the children have become an important part of my life. I want to try my best to help them as much as possible on their difficult way out of poverty. At the moment the children are taught in Maths, Hindi, General Knowledge, Science and English. They are taught mainly by learning by heart from very bad quality books, which they share in pairs, and which have mistakes in them. They cannot read proper English since they have no books to practice with and they cannot understand simple science since they have no materials to undertake experiments, I have already spent some of my own money to buy them some books and maps but we still need a lot more. I thought that the BIS might have some old materials which they no longer need. If you are able to help me or have any questions please contact me here: ”.
- Lukas von Petersdorff-Campen, Class of 2007
