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In this issue: Message from MPA: Our year ahead REMINDER: Events by Miri Piri Academy MPA Winter Gathering MPA Alumni…
In this issue: Message from MPA MPA Spotlight New blog post from Kirandeep Kaur MPA Event Reminders Dr. Balkar Singh…
February 9, 2023 | 9:45 am
In this issue:
Sat Nam SDEI Board,
MPA’s teaching staff arrived on campus last month. With our teaching team now on campus, the work of preparing for students has begun!
One of the main focuses in this preparation is exploring the Expeditionary Learning (EL) methodology with our teachers and working together to create our school culture. We’re grateful to XP Founders, Andy Sprakes and Gywn ap Harri, who have joined us for a week of teaching and learning. We’ve learned so much from their methodology and generous spirits. At the start of January, we had an incredibly uplifting Alumni Gathering at MPA. The students left campus with new friendships, renewed connections and inspiration to take back home with them. We thank everyone who joined us and we hope to find more ways to bring our Alumni back to campus in the future. Our next event, Women’s Camp, is later this month and we look forward to gathering together at Anandpur Sahib. With teachers arriving, school preparations underway, the support of our Board and XP and two successful events recently passed, the breath of life has re-entered our campus. We are so grateful to God and Guru for guiding Miri Piri Academy to new and exciting endeavours! Blessings, Japjeet Kaur Khalsa Head of SchoolIt was a treat to host MPA alumni back on campus at our Alumni Gathering last month. We relived the best parts of being in Amritsar including excursions to historical gurdwaras, Saturday morning kulcha, festivities at Wagah Border, seva at Harmandir Sahib and a bhangra competition celebration! Our alumni embodied the Miri Piri spirit and we were grateful to be part of that. Share your Alumni Gathering memories by tagging @mpaspirit on Instagram.
MPA Alumni, Hardev Kaur, carries on the MPA Spirit
Hardev Kaur attended MPA from 2018-2020. She had to return home out of the blue when the pandemic started in 2020. She was excited to come back to campus to attend the Alumni Gathering and remember the great times she had when she was a student. “It was like a dream coming back on campus, looking at every little part of it again. To do Japji or Yoga in the Gurdwara again was truly special to me. It encouraged me to start a daily meditation right at the beginning of the year because I realized how good it feels to include this world in my daily life. One thing that I learned while being a student at MPA, is to always keep up in any situation you get confronted with in life. For me, yoga and meditation were one of my favorite things that we would do together as a school. Something more powerful than that barely exists for me. I thank all the staff, the workers, the students and most importantly, my parents, who have made all of this become true. Sat Nam.” – Hardev Kaur
Jagdeep Singh Hundal re-ignites his passion for sadhana
“It was like a festival for me, I enjoyed it a lot. It refreshes all the memories which I had when I was a student here. I feel blessed to be a part of MPA.
I love Kundalini yoga and the sadhana that we did in the morning. It helped me in many ways. I have been practicing Kundalini yoga every day since then and have been motivating my family to do it along with me. There are plenty of reasons to join MPA but one I like the most is that here we focus on students’ overall growth, not just their academics. We put an equal amount of effort into co-curricular activities as well.” – Jagdeep Singh Hundal
t’s our pleasure to introduce the MPA teachers and staff who will support our students this year. See the first and second batch of teachers.
Rupinder Kaur
From: Amritsar, India
Subject: Punjabi
Rupinder Kaur was previously an MPA teacher and is excited to be returning!
“Miri Piri academy gave me a wonderful teaching learning environment in the past which helped me to reach to the new heights in life and I am always grateful for this. I am looking forward to start this new chapter of a great transformative learning through our mentors under the guidance of Dhan Guru Nanak Dev ji.” – Rupinder Kaur
Shalu Deora
From: Chandigarh, India
Subject: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
Shalu was a district topper in Grade XII and a university topper in P.G.D.C.A. (Kota University). She has worked for reputable schools in Chandigarh and was a Center Head of a global preschool that has 450+ branches across the world. She is also an Intel Skill for Innovation Certified Educator and Microsoft Education Edition Certified Educator.
“Giving back and volunteering is a significant part of my own personal values and I am feeling excited that Miri Piri values community as much as I do, I would really love coming to work each day, knowing that I am helping to make a difference in the community through my work here. With a positive mindset I believe, “Wherever life plants you, Bloom with grace” and I am excited about it.” – Shalu Deora
Welcoming staff children to the MPA family
For the first time, MPA staff are able to register their children in our new day school. Several have done so already and we want to share a couple of their stories with you.
“Family-like atmosphere, tradition and values like seva and sharing are found at Miri Piri Academy. These prevalent values encourage us to do better in providing services and also keeps us motivated and grounded.
While choosing a school for my child, the prime factor of consideration is the Board (examinations). Cambridge offers an international curriculum that is not available with the majority of the schools in Amritsar. Miri Piri Academy also offers project-based learning along with wide variety of sports, teachings on Sikh history, values and Gurbani that is not provided by any other institution as a package.
My father has served at MPA for over 20 years as an electrician. I have been part of MPA since 2014 as a driver and my son Jashandeep Singh is joining MPA as a student. It is a very proud moment for all of our family.” – Ranjit Singh, MPA Driver
“Teachers, colleagues and the management at Miri Piri academy are very polite, understanding and foster the values of quality and seva in the work culture.
While considering an academic institution for my child, it is vital that the school has a good reputation and academics. Having served Miri Piri Academy for over seven years, I am confident that it is the best place for my child and provides international exposure.
It is an exciting opportunity to see my child grow and nurture in front of my own eyes at Miri Piri Academy.” – Jagjit Singh, MPA Driver
XP’s visit to MPA
Last fall, MPA visited the XP School in England to learn more about their unique approach to teaching & learning. We made a strong connection with this school and are working to incorporate some of their techniques here at MPA.
Now it was their turn to visit us in India! We welcomed XP founders Andy Sprakes and Gwyn ap Harri to our campus at the end of January to help train our teachers in Crew and Expeditionary Learning. We look forward to continuing to learn with them.
Board Visit
We were grateful to host several of our Board of Directors for a week of visioning and planning on campus at MPA. During our time together we explored many of the difficult and exciting challenges facing MPA. It was a fruitful week and we hope to share the results of our visioning with you soon.
Pictured left – right: Siri Sant Kaur (France/Italy), Sukhdev Kaur (Estonia/Mexico), Harjinder “Ruby” Kaur (Canada/India), Harimandir Singh (USA)