Brian Nelsen, KIS Elementary School Coordinator, spearheaded KIS introduction to the Kagan program. He is excited about the initiatives that have come from these professional development sessions with the Kagan teachers in July 2007.  He reports:

During our staff retreat at the beginning of this semester we were involved in a variety of activities challenging us to personalize and “live out” Design ‘94. The activities included a KIS version of the “Amazing Race” challenge, group process and opportunities for reflection on the following Bible verse:

“Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago.  Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now.”  [Isaiah 43:18-19]

KIS staff left the retreat united and charged to live out Design ‘94 in their personal and professional lives and to watch for the new things that God would do this new year at KIS.

You may recall hearing about the team of teachers who traveled from America to Kodaikanal to train all PreK-12 teachers and dorm parents in Kagan interactive structures during the workshop week in July 2007. Out of this training grew an unexpected, but exciting new seed of service to local village schools, including Poombarai, Kombai and Grace Kids Center (a pre-school for Dalit children).

This seed of service began after the Kagan team returned to the United States and began sharing their experiences at KIS and village schools here in India. While presenting a slide show to many of the staff members, Cathy Carver the Principal of Kagan Middle School, noticed that most of the children in the photographs were not wearing shoes. Very concerned with this, Mrs Carver stated, “There was this school filled with hundreds of children and outside the school where they leave their shoes, there were only about five pairs of flip-flops!”  That was the statement that sparked the idea that inspired the students to make a difference in the lives of children on the other side of the world: the beginning of the “Flip-Flop Frenzy” at Berkley School. In only two short months the students, staff and parents of Berkley Middle and Elementary School collected 1400 pairs of flip-flops.  After lots of time, money and struggles with the postage, the flip-flops were successfully sent to India.

Meanwhile here at the ES students and staff were busy making posters of the different foot sizes so that every child would have a perfect fit and then we waited and waited and waited some more, in anticipation of the arrival of the flip-flops. After three long months and many complications with customs, the flip-flops finally arrived just before our winter break.  A van pulled up to the Elementary School with 40 boxes of flip-flops and the children went running with joy and excitement, anxious to help unload the treasure they had so long awaited.

This project is the result of so many people’s efforts from so many different places coming together to fill a need. Christian Life Center (CLC), in their village development program, have been involved with health education in five main villages.  They joined with KIS and helped measure 1400 feet and sort 1400 flip-flops over winter break.  Without their knowledge and support this would have been a much more difficult task. Thank you, CLC! Also during the winter break, the Nelsen family had the honor of joining Grace Kids Center for their Christmas celebration and was able to celebrate Christmas with the children, staff and parents. At the end of the program they handed out 55 pairs of flip-flops to the Dalit children who were in great need of a new pair of shoes. The Lord had stretched our flip-flop supply beyond our wildest dreams.

KIS elementary students arrived back on 15 January and without delay we had them preparing a short health education program that shares the importance of wearing footwear. On 5 February the ES will be going to Poombarai village to put on a puppet show, drama, song and dance in Tamil, to let the children know the importance of wearing shoes. After the presentation our students will hand out 1000 pairs of flip-flops, each pair chosen specifically for each child. The elementary children have prepared flyers, posters and invitations for this event and we are expecting the entire village to attend, some 2000 people!

It was the photo that sparked the idea
that got the children thinking
that caused the frenzy
that challenged our dreams
that resulted in changed lives in every direction.

Thank you for the part you played in starting the frenzy!

Brian Nelsen
Elementary School Coordinator

KIS wins NESA Community Service Award for Nation to Nation Flip-Flop Drive!

On 5 February 2008, on a very hot, sticky and dusty day, grades 3 - 6 of the KIS Elementary School hurried to the bus to take the trip to Poombarai village to distribute 1200 pairs of flip-flops. It was an amazing event that inspired all and opened our eyes to the needs of the people around us. KIS students put on two incredible drama productions and a song and dance that told the importance of wearing shoes. The children of Poombarai, filled with wonder and smiles, were very eager to receive their gift and ran to the stage as their names were called to come and get the pair of flip flops that had been selected for them. Immediately the children were putting on the long awaited  chappels and it was an amazing site to see the KIS students running to each child to help them put them on and make sure the fit and color were just right. At the end of the day 1200 Poombarai children returned to their classrooms with a new  pair of flip-flops and the KIS children trudged back to the school bus, sweaty and tired but cradling a sweet happiness of having helped a friend in need and holding a new vision for the future.

Off again on 15 April, the KIS students from grades 1 - 5 went to distribute the remainder of the flip-flops to another village school out in Kombai. This was a much smaller school with only 170 students but the same dramas and songs were performed to get the health message across. The Kombai children greeted us with cheers and smiles and all gathered round on the plot in front of their small school to watch the entertainment. We also had the opportunity to hand out health kits to every child in the school that consisted of a soap dish, soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, face cloth, hair brush, nit comb, nail cutter, nail brush and a small mirror. The health kits were donated for this year by Amanda Murphy from Teddy Exports! Thank you Mrs Murphy for your generosity and love for the children of Kombai School! With the US$ 500 that was given to the ES for the Community Service award from NESA, we will put towards other projects that the elementary students have come up with such as bathrooms, clean water and a library for the village schools. Thank you NESA for your support!

The ES students are now busy thinking of ways they can raise additional funds for next year so that they can provide health kits and flip-flops once again, along with additional money for the new projects in the villages. The need is so huge, the dreams are so big, but our pockets are so empty!

It was the photo, which sparked the idea, that got the children thinking, which caused the frenzy, that challenged our dreams, which resulted in changed lives nation to nation!

Heather Nelsen
NESA Representative