Table of Contents:

• Congratulations Graduates!
• Saying Goodbye
• The Four Mile Run
• Important Announcements
• Highlights from the Blog
• Support Miri Piri Academy

We are so proud of our graduating class!  Their years of hard work and dedication have paid off, and their example served as an inspiration for the rest of our students throughout this past year.  This year’s graduates were accepted into the following colleges and universities:

• University of Utah
• Regis University
• Concordia College
• Lake Erie College
• University of South Carolina: Aiken
• New England College
• Chatham University
• Lake Forest College
• Randolph College
• Colby-Sawyer College
• Franklin Pierce University
• Notre Dame de Namur University
• Converse College
• Hollins University
• Stephen’s College
• Colorado Mountain College
• Northeastern Junior College
• Umass Amherst
• Umass Boston
• Northeastern University

We are still awaiting word on their acceptance to the following schools as well:

• Vanier College, Montreal
• International School of Management – Germany Hamburg
• University of Tampa
• University of Central Florida

by Savitri Kaur Beaver, 12th Grade

Siri Deva, Savitri, and Dharam Gian Kaur at 12thies

At the end of every school year, the eleventh grade class at Miri Piri Academy puts together an event for the graduating class known as 12thies. It is an event that celebrates the completion of the senior’s years at MPA, and all of their hard work and commitment. Throughout the year the eleventh graders fundraise for the event by selling snacks at the weekly competitions, setting up a movie night, and many other creative efforts. I myself have been a part of this group in my previous year, and I can safely say that the time, effort and stress that is put in to making this event a wonderful and special one for the 12^th graders is unbelievable. This year, I was part of the group that got to sit back and relax while the party of the year was being prepared for MY class.

As a 12^th grader, you get to experience Miri Piri Academy on a completely different level. Not only are you the senior most class, and so you have a certain image to maintain, but also you have the responsibility of leading the student body to becoming the best it can be. Knowing that not only your closest friends, but also those younger kids who are a little too shy to tell you that they admire you, come to this event to honor you is the most heart warming feeling one can experience. In my four years of being at MPA, this years “12thies” party was by far the best one yet.

Some may say that my class is dysfunctional and hard to handle, but though this may be true, when push comes to shove, nothing or no one can come between us. We have definitely had our ups and downs throughout the years, but in the end, the bond we created is strong as steel, and I am so grateful to all of my classmates for sticking together this year.

With a strong and focused closure, we are off to the “big world” next year. It is our time to shine, and use all of the survival, spiritual, and life skill techniques we’ve gained from Miri Piri Academy and apply them to our daily lives. There won’t be that extra push that Jugat Guru or Amrit Singh gives us when we are in doubt. It is all up to us now. I firmly believe that we have the confidence and drive to accomplish anything we put our hearts and minds to.

by Gurjot Singh, 9th Grade

My experience at MPA is an experience that I will remember all my life. Since

Gurjot Singh

coming here I made more and more efforts toexercise and communicate. I still remember the first day I went to Physical Training (PT). I just physically couldn’t do it, but people throughout the whole thing encouraged me and supported me. I tried as hard as I could until eventually I got used to it.

After some time it started to just feel easier. I remember I used to go to Mahan Atma saying “my head hurts” just to try and leave, but then I started to actually enjoy it and no longer felt the need to make excuses to get out of it. Gatka become one of the favorite things I learned. I would practice with a friend and then I got to go to exciting places to perform, and got to meet incredible Nihangs like Baba Nihal Singh.

Guru Parkash Singh helped me throughout the year to keep up in gatka, running and Gurbani Kirtan. He made me do my best, and did it while making me laugh; always keeping a smile on my face. He was like a big brother and he kept his practice, never getting mad at me.

There was a day I got tired of making excuses for myself and that was the day of the extra loop, which is a 4 and a half mile run in the town outside our school. I was really worried but I kept chanting Waheguru, using the mantra to push me through, and somehow I just kept going.

One of the girls was having a really hard time breathing and fell behind so I went behind with her and helped her to catch up with the group. Helping someone else helped me to keep going. I finished and I was so proud of myself. After that, I told myself “if I can run 4 miles I can definitely keep up with the 2 to 3 laps around the soccer field that we usually do during PT.”

Guru Amrit Hari Kaur helped me to keep up whenever we did the loop again, and whenever we did the laps within the school and I started to fall behind, she would say ” You ran the loop, you can do this. I believe in you!” When I first came to MPA I couldn’t run or do PT or do yoga, but thanks to everyone here, especially the Principal, Jugat Guru Singh, and Amrit Singh, the Director of Residential Life, I have gained so much from MPA, and lost 40 unneeded pounds. Thank you MPA!

• Enrollment and financial aid applications for new students for the 2011-2012 school year are now open! If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.
• The 10th and 12th Grade students are busy taking their Cambridge exams.  Send them your prayers! Everyone else is excited to be home for their summer break.

Amazing Interviews with MPA Students and Principal

 

Our good friends Bachittar Singh and Sevak Kaur, both Kundalini Yoga Teachers from Germany,  are traveling the world and exploring the question of how to lead a fulfilling life.  Watch these amazing video interviews he did with Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa, Dharam Gian Kaur, Guru Raj Singh Khalsa, and Narayan Singh who share their views [...]

Continue Reading

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter January 2011
2. iMPAct Newsletter February 2011
3. iMPAct Newsletter April 2011

Table of Contents:

• An Honor for Miri Piri Academy and Kirandeep Kaur
• Snapshots of MPA life in March and April
  • Goindwal Yatra
  • The Cool Pool
  • Gatka Trip to Harian vela
  • Holi!
  • Rafting and Spring Break
  • Silver House Win
• Register for the Peace Flame Run Today! Deadline is May 1st.
• Important Announcements
• Highlights from the Blog
• Support Miri Piri Academy

Kirandeep Kaur, our Principal of Academics, was the guest speaker at “Learn More! Cambridge International Examinations”, a Principal’s conference organized by University of Cambridge International Examinations, UK that was held at Cambridge International School in Jalandhar. Kirandeep shared her principles of learning with other delegates in an interactive session. She correlated the principles with best practices of teaching, and shared how these are implemented at Miri Piri Academy.  She provided examples from the MPA classrooms and demonstrated how these are put into practice every day in school.

The participants enquired about classroom policies and procedures from Kirandeep and sought to understand the international strategies being used by the teachers during the academic day. It was a great honour for Miri Piri Academy to be acknowledged for its observance of international standards and implementation of effective practice in order to provide quality education to all its students.

[Show as slideshow]

When I first got on the bus I was very excited and curious about this new adventure. We got to Goindwal and started the steps almost immediately.  I started with enthusiasm and it was easy until i reached the 20th step. Then running up and down the steps started to become more difficult, it started to get cold and as it got later into the night, I was getting more and more tired. I started at 6 pm and pushed through the night, finishing at around 7am. Once I reached the 84th step I was so happy. I felt such a release and I was proud that I completed my goal. – Bhajandeep Kaur

About 2 weeks ago, Amrit Singh (our Student Life director) and some of the students talked about emptying our sand box to make into a pool now that it’s soon the hottest point of the year.  Amrit Singh was of course happy to have it done and he got us some shovels, some orange buckets, and a big blue carrier truck to put all of that sand in. Then we got to work. At sports time we volunteered to spend some time digging and carrying all the sand onto the truck. It was a lot of work but the end result was for sure worth it. Team work was key. We had some digging and putting the sand in buckets, and some carrying the buckets onto the truck, and some emptying and pilings the sand on the the truck. It was surprisingly very fun and in the end got us a makeshift pool, which we all enjoyed this Sunday after gurdwara . On a lazy Sunday at the hottest point of the day, the Cool Pool was so nice. There was even a Slip and Slide that we set up! It was a very fun group experience I’m glad I could be apart of it. – Amrit Saroop Kaur

This trip was probably one of my most amazing trips with MPA so far. Poking my head out of the jungle, running through beautiful fields, feeling the earth under my bare feet, looking around to find many beautiful gurdwaras. I was enjoying freedom in full strokes, feeling boundless joy. A couple of days ago the gatka squad left for Harian vela, prepared to experience and learn more about gatka from people who have devoted themselves to lifestyles filled with service, discipline and belief. The nihangs.

So we arrived, found our shelter to be a bedroom in which we all slept together. Our time was filled with intense and very inspiring gatka classes where all of us could learn new techniques and increase our skills. We had really good langar and met truly inspiring and compassionate people who were crazy at gatka, the martial art they have mastered. We also got a chance to hang out with the horses, dogs and other animals living in the village while wandering through the jungle and fields.

Best of all, we got the privilege of meeting Baba Nihal Singh ji and ask him questions.  He gave us more knowledge of earlier times shared between him and the Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan. This trip was probably where I learned the most about Indian culture since I arrived. I really experienced the respect and love that lies in it.  I have learned a lot and I am really looking forward to going again next year! – Jai Satya Kaur

Ah, the beautiful colors of holi. All bright,exciting, full of life and energy. Giving one the inspiration to cover any human in sight with this magical paint.  The day of holi was celebrated at MPA with the intermediates, juniors and staff. Starting off with a warm up tag of colors, and then leading to a colored water balloon capture the flag tournament. It was blue vs red, and you could feel the intensity building as we all stood on our sides, waiting for the game to start. The rules were simple: get hit by color twice and

you get sent back, steal the flag and you win. The red team finished each round victorious, leading to an undefeated record. The next and final round was the open round, every man for himself with as much color, water balloons, and buckets you could get your hands on. No one would be left clean. By the end of this round, we finished off all the balloons and color. Everyone small, big, junior or staff got a taste of this fantastic holiday. Everyone had fun spraying, throwing getting hit and watching these games take place. It was a weekend to remember! – Guru Amrit Hari Khalsa

After the student and staff of MPA had already relaxed for four days in the  town of Rishi Kesh (By relaxing I mean eating at tasty restaurants, going to the beach and playing cards and board games in the evenings.), the school was having a rafting trip. We got up at 7:45 as usual and read Japji Sahib together in the warming, rising sun on top of our hotel. Later in the day there was not a cloud in the sky and it got hot, so any form of water was helpful to cool down. There was a little bit of time to eat breakfast before we left.

After walking across the bridge we got to two buses. It was already getting hot and we all crammed in, which is actually alright and kinda fun at MPA. Once we got to the beach we put on the supplied life vests and helmets and were briefly introduced to the technique of rafting. There was a group of 7 or 8 of us in each boat with a guide.  They were really nice and fun, but once we got to the rapids they would get back to their boundaries and give clear commands like “all forward, stop it.”  The rapids were definitely the highlight of the trip. We had a lot of fun. We pushed and pulled each other into the water and we also got a chance to be in nature and enjoy the trees and the Ganga. Over all I really liked our spring break and rafting trip! We all got a chance to relax and have a break from our daily schedule. – Nils Teske

As we were all standing in formation, nervously waiting for the winning house to be revealed, my one and only thought was “We came in second place.” The special awards had already been distributed and it seemed to me as if Gold House would win. I had no idea of how many points each house had received. They started by naming the last house and then Blue, the third house. Wait… the winning house is silver! I was so incredibly thrilled and proud that my house had won the squad competitions! I looked around at the faces of my fellow squad members and I could see the excitement emanating from them.

The prize for winning was a night and day staying in town at the Best Western hotel, so after formation we went to grab some clothes, a bathing suit and toiletries, and got on the bus to drive to the hotel. We stayed there till the next day, hanging out and playing games. Then the next morning we spent our day in town. That night was one I will remember forever. I got to swim, play games and spend time with my squad members. I can definitely say that winning the competition has unified us as a squad even more, and has inspired us to finish the year with an extra boost of enthusiasm. – Guru Amrit Kaur

The raffle was a great success and we raised more than 10,000 dollars for our Financial Aid fund!  Now that the groundwork has been laid, we have another $135,000 to raise for the 2011-2012 school year.  We invite MPA students, parents, alumni and friends to join the Peace Flame Runners at the 26th Annual International Peace Prayer Day and support Miri Piri Academy’s Financial Aid Fund!

Not going to be at summer solstice?  You can still be involved by sponsoring a runner or just going to http://www.miripiriacademy.org/donate and making a contribution!

• Financial Aid for returning students has been closed.  Awards will be sent out in the next week.
• Enrollment and financial aid applications for new students for the 2011-2012 school year are now open!  If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.
• Students have begun their intensive study for final exams.  Just one month left till they are flying home!
• If you have not already sent in your child’s travel itinerary for your return home, please do so this weekend.  We will be organizing the return travel for those have not sent their details in the next week.

The raffle was a great success.  Thanks to all of you who participated, we have raised $10,260 for the MPA Financial Aid fund. An additional several thousand dollars was donated by our friends who were inspired by the raffle to sign up for monthly contributions to support the fund. Your contributions make it possible for [...]

 

Continue Reading

Joining Local School Children at Celebration Mall for some Pure Fun

 

Continue Reading

Earth Hour 2011

 

 

Earth Hour is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries/territories, it’s one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people [...]

Continue Reading

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter April 2011
2. iMPAct Newsletter April 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter May 2011

Table of Contents:

• Annual Function 2011 - A Tribute to Shakespeare
• Visiting the International Yoga Festival in Rishi Kesh
• Dinner Competition 2011
• We Need Your Help! - Just three weeks left.
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog
• Support Miri Piri Academy

Siri Deva Kaur Speaking to the Guests

The Annual function of Miri Piri Academy was celebrated on 10th March 2011 with “A Tribute to Shakespeare”. According to the Principal of Academics, Kirandeep Kaur,  “Miri Piri Academy’s Shakespeare program is based on the belief that through this work students not only come to a better understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare, they also learn more about themselves and their relationships with others. Reading, acting, and discovering Shakespeare’s plays can be a profoundly personal journey for students and their teachers.” She added that ,“while conceptualizing “A Tribute to Shakespeare”, Miri Piri Academy viewed each of the three plays “The Tempest”, “Romeo and Juliet” and “Julius Caesar” as a laboratory not only to develop literary and performance-based skills, but also to nurture skills that serve students throughout their lives, which include listening and responding, public speaking, self-presentation, diction and enunciation, physical and emotional self-assessment, self-discipline, and teamwork.”Students of Grades 3 to 6 worked on “The Tempest”, Grades 7 and 9 worked on “Julius Caesar” and grades 8 and 10 worked on “Romeo and Juliet”.

On 10th March the students of Miri Piri Academy, took the visitors and guests to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre which was re-created on the campus grounds. The displays were a visual delight and the students’ effort showed evidence of a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare and his works.  The students worked on artifacts which included clay models of theme parks, masks, and the characters from the play. They also made creative charts and dioramas depicting scenes from the three plays. The sheer detailing on the three booths, representing each one of the three plays, displayed the excellence of the work done by the students. Along with the displays, the students enacted short excerpts from “The Tempest”, “Julius Caesar” and “Romeo and Juliet”. Kudos to the staff and students of Miri Piri Academy for taking us back to the Elizabethan era.

As part of the Annual Function the students also sang Gurbani Kirtan and played the tabla and sitar. The audience was enthralled with the Bhangra performance and was delighted as they watched the students perform to toe-tapping music. The evening ended with a spectacular display of Gatka, which the students practice throughout the year. Never before have we seen a such beautiful melange of Western and Eastern culture, where students from the Indian and Western countries have collaborated and enchanted an audience for over two hours.

[Show as slideshow]

1234...101112►

Each year our 11th grade class travels to the International Yoga Festival in Rishi Kesh as part of their Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training.  Here are a few great pictures from this year’s trip:

11th Grade Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainees

Leading a class with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

Leading a class with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

by Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa, 12th Grade

Alice in Wonderland

Being the longest competition of the year, the dinner competition is spread out over a period of four weeks. In a predetermined order, the houses each plan a dinner for each of those weeks on Saturday. Each house is given a budget of about $300 to plan a dinner to which staff and students will attend. This budget includes the cost of food, dishes, decorations, electronics, entertainment and any other necessary costs. Each house is given a week to plan their dinner, this means to say that they have a week to make decorations, order the needed electronics, plan the menu, make the costumes, etc.

To make their dinners more interesting, the students choose a theme. The whole dinner is planned within the characteristics of this particular theme. The houses must be careful when choosing a theme because some themes are not as easy as others to pull off. There are many things the students must consider; the environment, the budget, the available supplies and the guests. Neglect of any of these factors could mean disaster. The theme can be anything; this is where we see the creativity of the students at work. The themes of the four dinners this year were: Hawaiian, Alice in Wonderland Tea Party, Mayan and V.I.P.

The students encounter many difficulties during the week they plan their dinner. Anything and everything can go wrong but the main difficulty seems to be lack of time. There are so many things to do, and because they are working with food, alot of the work is also done at the last minute. The day of the dinner is a stressful one for the squad members. Between setting up and cooking the meal there is just enough time to get ready. All in all, however, the dinners were mostly a success.

Dressed and Ready

The Mayan dinner was lit with only natural light using candles and torches. There was a dance and a fire show that were spectacular and the costumes really resembled the Mayan attire. The Alice in Wonderland dinner was also very successful; the costumes were very creative and well done. The whole environment in which the dinner was presented fit the theme and was very pleasing. The entertainment consisted of a tournament in which students competed in three different challenges; arm wrestling, dancing and rapping. The Hawaiian dinner was delicious, the food and drinks were great. There was squash, vegetable shish kabobs, coconut rice and more. There was a bonfire and the whole environment felt relaxed and vacation-like. The V.I.P. dinner was very fun, the entertainment, which was karaoke, was the highlight of the evening and kept many of the students at the dinner long after it ended. The karaoke was very amusing and well prepared. The decoration and food were also enjoyable.

At the end of the four weeks, after all the four dinners, the judges pick a winner. The five judges each award points to the houses in three different categories; food, entertainment and decorations.  This year after tallying up all the points we had a tie between Mayan and Alice in Wonderland! The dinner competition is a chance for all the squad members to work together and communicate, and also brings some students closer. Planning a dinner in this way is great practice of organizational skills for life after MPA.

Grand Prize!

More than 65% of our students depend on financial aid, and we expect that we will award more than $420,000 to those students over the coming months. Our Financial Aid Fund has received a grant for $275,000 from the CCC as a starting point, and we now need to raise just $145,000 from our friends and family.

To kick off our 2011 fundraising efforts we are holding a great online raffle. The grand prize is a Free Summer Solstice Sadhana, generously donated by 3HO. There are lots of other prizes too. Our goal for this raffle is to sell 1000 tickets by April 10th. As of publishing time, 240 tickets have been sold. Please do your part to help us get all the children to India this year!

• Enrollment and financial aid applications for the 2011-2012 school year are now open! Parents were recently sent instructions for re-enrollment. If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.
• Students are travelling for Spring Break in Rishi Kesh and then Anandpur Sahib for Hola Mahalla.  When they return it will be time to buckle down for final exams!
• Chaperone flight details were recently emailed to all the parents.  Please book your children’s flights and send us the details ASAP!

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter March 2011
2. iMPAct Newsletter March 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter February 2011

Table of Contents:

• My First Time Playing Kirtan in Darbar Sahib
• Yoga Competition 2011
• We Need Your Help!
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog
• Support Miri Piri Academy

by Gurprakash Singh Khalsa, MPA Alumni and Staff Member

Gurprakash Singh Teaching Yoga

On Sunday, January 9th, I played in Darbar Sahib for the first time with the Cherdi Kala Jatha. It was a feeling that I can’t really describe, but I’m going to try. It was extremely foggy. Those of you who have been to India in the winter know exactly what I’m talking about. I was feeling a mixture of nervousness  and total gratitude when i bowed my head on the freezing Parkarma.  On the way to Darbar Sahib I couldn’t feel my feet or my hands.  I thought ‘I’m about to play for the first time with numb hands! Oh god!’ I was in awe of how confidently and nonchalantly Sada Sat Simran and Jugat Guru led the way with me, the freshie tabla player in tow.

It was still Ishnaan Seva time as they were reciting the shabds inside before they let the rest of the sangat in. We bowed and Jugat Guru got prasad for all three of us. He told me to tell Sada Sat Simran, but I  totally didn’t understand him amidst the people reciting the shabds, so Sada Sat Simran got ANOTHER maha-elephant sized prasad serving. I thought “Oh well, we’ll just have to eat more prasad than normal.” Little did I know, it was so cold that when I got the serving of prasad (which pretty much filled both my hands), the ghee solidified into its white hard form, making the prasad much less palatable. Then Sada Sat Simran said “Hurry up! They only have two shabds left  before we play!”  I forced the prasad down my throat, wiped chunks of solidified ghee off on my churidars, and went in to play.

I was nervous at first, but before I knew it, it was just the kirtan playing. To me there was no microphone, no sangat, no insecurity about people listening to the live broadcast. Just the full gratitude and blessing to be playing in the house of Guru Ram Das.  My heart was smiling as we played shabds in honor of Guru Gobind Singh, and when we finished i had a feeling of supreme lightness. It was not like I was spacing out, but as if the air molecules in direct contact with my skin decided to lift my physical body weight off of the ground. I felt clear, nervousness gone, totally clean slate, no fear of dying, no desire to die either and vice versa with living.

One feeling was fixed like it had been dead bolted to my heart: gratitude. The fact that I was blessed enough to come to Amritsar to this place, having the Guru literally take my anxiety out of my body, and play gods praises in one of the most energetically powerful places on the planet built an experiece so powerful that even if i spend my life as an armpit sniffer working for old spice (The worst job I can imagine!), I would still be able to look back at this experience  and say “Thank you god for letting me do that. I am blessed in my life.”

by Savitri Kaur Beaver, 12th Grade

Yoga, one of the many competitions we have throughout the year at Miri Piri Academy, isn’t like any other competition. Out of soccer, basketball, and frisbee, the yoga competition uses the most core strength and navel power. Students come together to compete against each other in a variety of exercises and postures.

Exercises like camel pose, bow pose, and 108 frogs are done by the entire squad as a whole. Then stretch pose, varyus kriya, and sarban dundae kriya are performed by seven chosen members of each squad, including three boys, three girls, and one junior. I’ve never seen such persistence and motivation take place in a competition. Yoga is what we do best here, and it becomes a very close match when we have to compete in it!

Everyone enjoys this competition for many reasons. We get to push ourselves and see how far we can go with the help of squad members cheering us on. Knowing that you’re the winner if you are the last one with your head and feet six inches off the ground, the pain lessens and lessens as you keep up. Overall this year’s yoga competition was amazing, and everyone put their full effort into it and had a blast. But let’s not forget how sore we all were for the next few days after…

[Show as slideshow]

Grand Prize!

More than 65% of our students depend on financial aid, and we expect that we will award more than $420,000 to those students over the coming months. Our Financial Aid Fund has received a grant for $275,000 from the CCC as a starting point, and we now need to raise just $145,000 from our friends and family.

To kick off our 2011 fundraising efforts we are holding a great online raffle.  The grand prize is a Free Summer Solstice Sadhana, generously donated by 3HO.  There are lots of other prizes too.  Our goal for this raffle is to sell 1000 tickets by April 10th.  As of publishing time, 63 tickets have been sold.  Please do your part to help us get all the children to India this year!

• Miri Piri Academy has been officially certified as a Cambridge International Examinations Professional Development Qualification Center.  Teachers can now receive Cambridge teacher certification after undergoing training at Miri Piri Academy.
• Enrollment and financial aid applications for the 2011-2012 school year are now open! Parents were recently sent instructions for re-enrollment. If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.
• Students have nearly completed the Dinner Competition, a highlight of the year in which each house prepares a meal and entertainment for the rest of the school.  Students are judged on food quality, presentation, entertainment and a number of other criteria.  Pictures coming soon!
  

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter February 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter March 2011
3. iMPAct Newsletter May 2011

Table of Contents:

• Rehit Pyaare Mohe Ko, Sikh Pyaara Nahi
• Winter Break, from cold and school!
• First Semester Honor Roll
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog

Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Guru Gobind Singh was born “Gobind Rai” on January 5^th, 1666 and was the tenth and last of the ten human Gurus of Sikhism. He became Guru on November 24, 1675 at the age of nine, following in the footsteps of his father Guru Teg Bahadur ji.  As we celebrate his birthday, we are reminded of the many lessons he taught us.  The story below was reprinted from Sikhnet.com’s great collection of audio stories for children:

Guru Gobind Singh was not only a great teacher but also he was the greatest of warriors. He taught his Sikhs to meditate on the Creator and also to train their bodies. His Sikhs trained very hard. They were tested constantly. Guru Gobind Singh ji also trained himself intensely and, while doing so, he never forgot God. He was always in bliss. He was so expert at shooting a bow that his arrows could go much farther than anyone else’s arrows.

One time, emperor Aurangzeb sent an army to surround Anandpur Sahib where Guru ji and his Sikhs lived. About two miles away the emperor’s army set up camp. Anandpur was cut off from all food and water coming in. One day two generals, named Zabardast Khan and Wajir Khan, were playing a game of chess in their camp. They didn’t know that Guru ji was watching them from two miles away through his telescope. From the Anandpur fortress Guru Gobind Singh shot an arrow high in to the sky, just in the way that you might raise your hand and say ‘hello’ to a friend. The arrow soared through the sky and landed right on the leg of the bench on which the generals were sitting. “Oh no!” “What was that?” Everyone got scared, “We’re under attack!!” they yelled, “Run for shelter!”.

After a little while, the whole camp became silent. They came out of hiding. Wajir Khan pulled the arrow out of the leg of the bench and said, “Who would dare shoot an arrow at us!?! Whoever did it must be found and punished!” A hill raja who lived near Anandpur said, “I recognize this arrow! It has a gold arrowhead on it, so it must be the arrow of Guru Gobind Singh.” The Guru always puts gold on his arrows so that the families of men killed in battle way be cared for. The generals didn’t believe him, “How could it be the Guru’s arrow!? If he was close enough to shoot at us, we would have seen him and captured him.”

Another hill raja spoke up, “Guru Gobind Singh is a very brave man. I’ve heard many stories of his heroism. He must have shot the arrow from the top of the Anandpur fortress.” The generals laughed, “Hahaha! From the top of Anandpur?! Hahaha, that’s over two miles away, hahaha no one can shoot that far! Hahahah” The hill raja spoke again, “The Guru has special powers, two miles is not too much for him.” Everyone who had been watching the chess game became very impressed. Wajir Khan got angry and yelled, “Silence you fools! Wherever this arrow came from, let us thank Allah we didn’t get hit. Allah has protected us. Allah has made a miracle and saved our lives.”

As people were about to sit down to start the chess game again, a second arrow soared through the sky. It hit the bench in exactly the same spot as the last one. Everyone freaked out, “Where is that coming from!?” “Save yourselves!” “I don’t want to die!” When everything settled down Zabardast Khan said, “Come out, it’s safe.” He noticed there was a letter attached to this arrow. He said, “What is this… a letter? It’s written in Persian. Ah the language of kings! How superbly is this letter written!” Then he read the letter the Guru had written:

“This is not a miracle, I am not in favor of performing miracles. This skill comes only from practice. You think wrong; I was not trying to take the lives of Zabardast Khan or Wajir Khan. The first arrow was not meant to hit either one of you.”

The generals were shocked, “I can not believe this, how did he shoot that far? He could have taken our lives, so why didn’t he?” Guru ji’s message to them was clear, the Sikhs will never give up. The Sikhs will always be kind but will also never surrender.

Guru ji always taught the Sikhs to train their physical bodies and to be pure. It is through discipline and practice that we can accomplish anything in life. It is through discipline and practice that we can become strong and we can help others. Guru ji says, “I do not love Sikhs. I love the discipline of Sikhs.”

Guru Gobind Singh was a prolific writer, and composed many banis.  The Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan described their benefits:

JAAP SAHIB – The Naad of Jaap Sahib rouses the soul and the self of the Being. ‘Sahib’ means ‘grace’. Recite it when your position is endangered, or when your authoritative personality is weak. This Bani brings grace and greatness. It will also give you the ability, that whatever people say, you will automatically be able to compute what they are actually saying. And, once you are able to to recite it correctly, it will give you the power, the Siddhi, that whatever you say, must happen. Man can direct God and God can direct man. Guru Gobind Singh recited Jaap Sahib so that we would not become beggars at the doors of others.

TAV PRASAD SWAIYA – When you are not getting any satisfaction out of life, this is the Bani to recite.

SHABAD HAZAARAY

• Praanee param purakh pag laago: Takes away the tendency of laziness.
• Kayval kaala-ee kartaar: Takes away the fear of death.
• Si kim maanas roop kahaa-i: Brings the experience of Divinity.
• Bin har Naam na baachan paihai: Removes ego.

To download text and audio of Guru Gobind Singh’s bani go to http://www.sikhnet.com/pages/download-banis

This winter break, we gave South India a little taste of MPA! After exams were complete,  grades 3-11 jumped on a bus en route to New Delhi’s airport. After a full day’s travel, we arrived to our hotel in Cherthala, eager to feel sand between our toes. For five days, we relaxed in the sun, swam in the Laccadive Sea, ate coconuts and made sand castles.

Our hotel was next to a river, and every morning, we had optional sadhana right on the dock as the sun rose. By 7 A.M., we had Jap Ji done, and were ready for breakfast, which usually consisted of a light meal made of some sort of steamed rice dish and fruit. We spent the day at the beach and returned back to the hotel in time for a lovely dinner of soup and vegetables, not to mention to delicious ice cream! On the last evening of our stay, we took a ride in a traditional Keralan boat called kettuvallam.

Enjoy these pictures!

[Show as slideshow]

The 12th Grade students took a different journey, travelling to Malaysia to take part in the largest Sikh Youth Samelan in the world, and to Thailand for fun and relaxation.  The Malaysia side of the trip was much more about our Kirtan and teaching programs, and most free time was spent hanging out at our hosts house or shopping in the crazy malls of Kuala Lumpur where one of them even has an entire indoor water park and amusement park. The highlight of this part of the trip was definitely the camp. We attended the Samelan for 3 days and nights and interacted with 1000 participants and sevadars, taught classes in meditation and Gatka, participated in heart to heart discussion groups sharing our experiences, performed Kirtan, and even played Soccer with everyone. Our students were VERY well received and served to inspire a lot of people at the camp. They were great teachers and very solid ambassadors for MPA.

In Thailand, the students were well behaved and disciplined themselves well and everyone had a chance to really relax. The highlight of this part of the trip was the day we rented a boat and went out into the ocean to visit two very special islands for swimming and snorkeling. It was a bit overcast that day and most days we were there but that did not matter! It was so much fun.

Congratulations to the following students who made the honor roll with a GPA of over 3.5.  Great Job!

Siri Avtar Singh

Taqdeer Singh

Preetvaan Narang

Japji Singh Narang

Gururaj Singh Khalsa

Guru Partap Singh

Sirjan Singh

Gurusundesh Singh Khalsa

Harirak Srikureja

Guru Dev Singh Khalsa

Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa

Siri Sham Sunder Singh

Sat Paul Singh Virk

Siri Radha Kaur

Ramneek Kaur Brar

Eva Guru Ram Kaur

Hargobind Singh Khalsa

Har Narayan Singh Khalsa

Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa

Mirabelle Lemoine

Hargobind Singh Wester

Sat Kartar Singh Burmeister

Jai Satya Kaur Hu

Tara Kaur Jhajj

Natalia Marmolejo

Nils Narayan Singh

Ad Such Gendelman

Sukhcharan Kaur Schwarz

Support Miri Piri Academy

Your donation will not only go to support Miri Piri Academy, but you can also obtain a substantial tax break! We are so blessed to have monthly contributors that give from $11 up to $300 per month. Funds are used to support the students directly through our Financial Aid Fund, to help with operational costs and for capital improvements. We are also in the process of establishing an endowment fund.

Thank you to all of the donors who make our program possible! We encourage all of our parents, friends and alumni to be a part of ensuring Miri Piri Academy’s future. If you are already donating, we encourage you to consider increasing your monthly donation. Simple email us at and let us know what change you would like to make.

Enrollment and financial aid applications for the 2011-2012 school year are now open! Parents were recently sent instructions for re-enrollment.  If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.

Classes have started again.  The students are settling in for another five months of learning, fun and friendship.

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter January 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter May 2011
3. iMPAct Newsletter February 2011

Table of Contents:

• Sadhana: Daily Spiritual Practice
• The Big Game
• It's the end of the year. Get your tax break and support MPA!
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog

by Jaap Khalsa Gardner

To me one of the greatest benefits of an education at Miri Piri Academy is the opportunity to experience the daily practice of group Sadhana.

The Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan spoke often about the benefits of a daily practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation.

This poem from his book Furmaan Khalsa speaks eloquently and emphatically about the purpose of Sadhana;  To “Become One with God!” no less!

Sadhana

In sadhana the sadhu lives.

In Sadhana the nectar of God’s love rains down.

In Sadhana come the blessings of Simran,

Awareness, and Divine understanding.

In Sadhana is the meditation of Raj Yoga.

In Sadhana see God’s glory.

In Sadhana experience infinity.

Sadhana is the daily meditation of the sadhu.

Oh Yogi! Become one with God!

-Yogi Bhajan-

As an adult we don’t always have the practical means to join in with a daily group for Sadhana.  In fact, as the mother of two young children and the wife of an amazing man, I always find it interesting that somehow I find my own needs at the bottom of my daily “To Do” list.  Last year my physical, spiritual and mental energy was at its all time low. I realized that in order to keep my life going smoothly I needed to get myself to the top of the list. My first step in this new self-care routine was to:

• Do a daily Sadhana. No matter what was or is going on in the house, be it screaming kids, sink full of dirty dishes, Dora the Explorer in the back ground, I do my chosen daily Sadhana.
• Get at least 31 minutes of some meditation or prayer.
• In the evening, once everyone’s in bed, I close my day with another 31 minute meditation. When I am really tired its only 11 minutes!
• When time is a pressure I do a minimum of 3-11 minutes of something in the morning and night.
• If I find myself slipping from the top of the list, I don’t beat myself up over it, I just give it a boost back to first place so I can be best for myself, my family and my beloved community.

We may not always be able to experience group Sadhana the same way the students of Miri Piri Academy are able to, but we can still put our spiritual health first for at least few minutes each day.  We can still experience infinity.

by Savitri Kaur, 12th Grade, Girls Soccer Team Captain

We started our practice about two months before the big game against the American Embassy team from Delhi. The doubt in our minds about our skill level in comparison to the other team was definitely strong, but did not keep us from staying committed and giving it our all.

Two students, Amritpal and Jaspreet Singh, were our coaches. It was the first time having our friends as the people who boss us around, yell at us when we don’t give it all we’ve got, and sacrifice their own time to help us gain strength and stamina. We practiced twice a week, and towards the end, almost every day.

It was tough in the beginning, but in the end they were the ones who taught us all we knew to beat the American Embassy team. We were shocked, our coaches were shocked, and even the AES team was surprised.  The first game, the score was 2:1 MPA in the lead. After lunch there was a second game, the score was 5:1, again with MPA in the lead.

Every year when we switch off going to Delhi, or inviting the American Embassy teams to our school, we have a blast! Interacting with kids our age from other countries who are also living in India for the majority of the year is like no other. We can share experiences and relate to each other. It’s even more of a blast when we successfully win the games!

Your donation will not only go to support Miri Piri Academy, but you can also obtain a substantial tax break!  We are so blessed to have monthly contributors that give from $11 up to $300 per month. Funds are used to support the students directly through our Financial Aid Fund, to help with operational costs and for capital improvements. We are also in the process of establishing an endowment fund.

Thank you to all of the donors who make our program possible! We encourage all of our parents, friends and alumni to be a part of ensuring Miri Piri Academy’s future. If you are already donating, we encourage you to consider increasing your monthly donation. Simple email us at and let us know what change you would like to make.

The 40 day Sadhana is complete and the full Academic Day Schedule begins from 22nd November 2010

The students are preparing for their first semester Exams. The schedule is as follows:

• Grade 12: 13th December 2010
• Grade 10: 16th December 2010
• Grades 9 and 11: 17th December 2010
• Grades 4 to 8: 20th December 2010

We will be emailing the first semester Report Cards on the 29th December 2010.

Enrollment and financial aid applications for the 2011-2012 school year will open Jan 1st, 2011. We will contacting you soon with instructions for enrollment and financial aid. If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child please email us at: so we can send them instructions as well.

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter February 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter September 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter November 2010

Table of Contents:

• In Honor of Satya Amrit Singh (1983-2010)
• Back to the Classroom for an Enriching Experience
• New Staff at MPA

Many have heard by now that our beloved and enlightened Khalsa brother, Satya Amrit Singh, passed away a little less than a week ago. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for all the work he has done in the little time he spent here at Miri Piri Academy. From the moment the kids arrived for the school year, to the moment he passed away, he was constantly serving and uplifting the 100+ people at the school. Daily, he did Sat Nam Rasayan with the growing boys, or counseled rebelling teenage girls, or played beautiful music for the whole school to sing and meditate to. As hard as it is to become a make-shift parent for growing leaders, he always smiled, always had kind words, always a positive outlook on challenges that arose. As a staff member, mentor, friend, brother and teacher, those were invaluable and critical virtues that kept the entire school exalted.

He had a strong and passionate interest in La Bandera De La Paz (Banner of Peace),

International Day of Peace Celebration

which is a symbol of the Roerich Pact, a pact that is dedicated to protection of artistic and scientific institutions as well as historical monuments. On World Peace day, the school had the honor of participating in this event by making the sign of the banner, chanting to Guru Ram Dass, and making group artwork; all organized by Satya Amrit. That day and event brought such a change in the consciousness of the entire group.

His service, compassion and smile will be forever remembered and revered.  The students have been meditating daily and have created a wall of remembrance in the center of the academic block to share their memories and thoughts about him.  The daily meditations will end on November 12th, the 17th day after his death, in accordance with Sikh tradition, and will culminate with a special service in his memory.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

Students post their memories of Satya Amrit Singh

MPA students looking at Satya Amrits' remembrance wall

The students are doing a special meditation for Satya Amrit Singh for 17 days.

by Kirandeep Kaur

Principal of Academics

Kirandeep Singh, Academic Principal

As part of the continuous professional development program, supported by Miri Piri Academy, I am currently enrolled with CIE (Cambridge International Examinations, UK) for a 5 week online “Assessment for Learning” course. Since a major focus at MPA, this year, is to promote Assessment for Learning (introducing teachers to formative assessment strategies), I selected this course to work towards that goal. The aims of the course are: to consider the different purposes of the assessments you do; to give you an understanding of some principles of Assessment for Learning; to enable you to evaluate the practical uses of within your own classroom; to allow you to discuss your own professional development and share challenges with CIE colleagues worldwide.

As an integral part of the course, I had to submit an assignment which involved planning a lesson, teaching the lesson and to note evidence of student learning. I also had to describe the evidence which enabled me to assess the students’ learning. For this assignment I worked with grade 10 on “The Yellow Wall Paper” by Charlotte Perkins, an English Literature story from their text. The teaching which lasted 4 days was an absolutely elevating experience for me. Being a teacher first and an administrator second, I don’t think I have taken pleasure in and  received gratification from any other activity, as I did teaching this class. I was amazed, as I worked with our extremely bright students, to see them engaged in meaningful conversations which resulted in high quality work being presented.

During the 4 days of teaching, I had opened my class for teacher observations and all through this period I had an involved and curious audience of teachers attending. It truly was an enriching experience for me and I thank my students for making it so incredible that I want to soar right back into teaching.

Here is what Ramneek Kaur, a student of grade 10, shared about the class taught by Kirandeep.

A teacher you can learn from is hard to find, but not impossible. Last week we had a chance to be taught by Kirandeep and what I can say is that they were some of the best English classes my peers and I have had.

I would wake up every morning bursting with excitement for that “one” English class. I knew I would be learning something new every day, which kept me interested and ready to learn. The way that my peers and I sum up those 4 days of class is “that we all actually learnt”.

A teacher has to want to teach, no one is good at anything when they are forced and I believe everyone has a teacher in them. Kirandeep has the enthusiasm, spirit and longing to teach. She kept us all motivated and inspired to learn.

We learnt the story “The Yellow Wall Paper” and it was taught in such a way that I will never forget it.  At the end of the week, my peers and I all loved the experience and we had a lot of fun with it. Thanks Kirandeep.

I would like to say here in the words of C.P. Bedford “You can teach a student a lesson a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning as long as he lives.” This is the impact Kirandeep’s classes had on us.

Devneet Singh, one of the teachers who attended the classes, had this to add:

Kirandeep Kaur began the first day with an exciting short activity to stimulate enthusiasm, promote thinking and to engage the students. Nothing was imposed on the students and they were persuaded to study and were motivated to learn gradually. She created a co-operative environment in the class and got her students interested. Students also took responsibility for their learning by involving themselves in making the classroom a positive atmosphere for learning.

To make lessons interesting, active student engagement strategies were used. Students were engaged with hands on activities that enhanced the lesson’s objective. I was enthralled to see the students on their toes with their minds ticking. The worksheets given corresponded to the full range of learner’s needs. At the end of each class Assessment for Learning techniques such as self assessment, peer assessment, checking written responses and providing positive feedback were used.

Kirandeep had an understanding of students’ educational needs. She had adopted the principle of ‘our class’ and not ‘my class’.

It was an exemplary learning experience for me and I thoroughly enjoyed being in her classroom.

Ongkar Singh Teske will be arriving at the school on November 5th, 2010 to fill

Ongkar Singh at his graduation ceremony.

the position of Assistant Mukhya Jethadar for the intermediate boys. A recent graduate of Miri Piri Academy, he is a natural leader and a very solid and responsible young man.  He is very excited to have this opportunity to serve at the school and we are confident that he will be a great example and loving caretaker for our students.

Jaap Khalsa Gardner

Jaap Khalsa Gardner from Espanola, New Mexico has joined our MPA team as assistant to Saraswati Khalsa, Director of Marketing and Admissions. We are very grateful to Pooja Vohra for all of her hard work and help to ensure both students and parents needs were met.  Jaap Gardner will now be answering your questions and concerns, and assisting with the admissions process for all new and returning students.  You can continue to contact the office at .

Highlights from the Blog

Remembering Satya Amrit Singh

With the permission of Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa, Mr Sikhnet, we are reprinting this beautiful tribute to our friend and brother Satya Amrit Singh who died yesterday.  He was loved by friends and family all over the world. Remembering Satya Amrit Singh Posted by Gurumustuk Singh on Oct 26th, 2010 at mrsikhnet.com Earlier this year I [...]

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter January 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter May 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter July 2010

Table of Contents:

• In Celebration of Guru Ram Das Ji
• A Prayer for Peace
• Kabaddi!
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog

The birthday of Guru Ram Das Ji is a beautiful time to be in the city of Amritsar.  Each year MPA students participate in thecrowded and lively Nagar Kirtan, demonstrating Gatka and raising the spirits of the sangats. Older students brave the crowds at Darbar Sahib to see the Golden Temple bathed in bright lights and the candles of the devotees surrounding the Parkarma, and to offer their own prayers at this blessed time.  The whole school begins to prepare for the start of forty days of Parkarma Seva in the Amrit Vela.  As the day gets closer, there is a lot of work to be done in preparation, and we are inspired to remember the example of Guru Ram Das Ji:

Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, had two daughters. One’s name was Bibi Dhani, and the other was Bibi Bhani. Bibi Dhani was married to a man named Rama and Bibi Bhani was married to Bhai Jetha who the Guru gave the name Ram Das. The Guru was very old and people were always wondering who he would pass the Guruship on to, it must either be Rama or Ram Das. The Guru decided to test both of them in front of everyone so people understood who was more worthy. During this time the Sikhs were digging out land for the tank of Harimandir Sahib.  Guru Amar Das ji went to both of them and ordered: “I want you to make a platform for me to observe the digging. I want it….” and he told exactly the size and shape he wanted it. So both men quickly went to work making the platform just as the Guru asked. They got the best wood they could find, they got nails, hammers and saws. They both worked very hard building the platform just the right height, the right width, the right length, just as the Guru asked.

The next day both were ready and Guru Amar Das came to Rama. Rama said “Holy father, I have prepared this platform just as you have asked and I offer it to you.” Guru Amar Das just looked at it and said, “No, it’s not really just how I want it, it needs to be better. Why don’t you try? Take it down and build me another one.” Rama wasn’t happy about this and went to make it again, grumbling. When Guru Amar Das came to Ram Das, he said the same thing, “It’s no good. Build it again and this time try. Take it down and build one how I like it.” Ram Das bowed his head and quietly did as the Guru said. The next day both men made another platform, working all night to get it done in time. They both added extra designs to add beauty to their already perfect work. This time the Guru said the same thing to these men, “I don’t know why you aren’t trying. Why don’t you do something right? Tear it down and build it again.” Rama was really upset this time. He thought, “The Guru is saying different things on different days. Maybe he’s going crazy.” He protested some, “This doesn’t make any sense! How can I possibly make it even better than this!?” But Rama, even though he was frustrated, listened again to the Guru and started making another one. Ram Das didn’t protest and accepted what the Guru said without question.

The next day again Guru Amar Das saw what they had made and just shook his head in disappointment. “Tear it down and build it again.” He said as he was walking away. Rama couldn’t take it this time. “I’ve tried my hardest, I build three platforms. I made them perfect and then even more perfect. If you don’t like this last one, than you’ll never like what I make. I won’t make you a fourth!” The Guru came to Ram Das and did the same thing. Ram Das however cheerfully tore down his platform and started again for the fourth platform. The next day the Guru again saw it and just said, “NO! Do it again!” Ram Das continued attempting to perfect his design. Nothing could satisfy the Guru. Every day Ram Das would build a platform, working very hard without sleep and the Guru would reject it. He built seven platforms. With each of the seven platforms built and torn down, the layers of his ego were torn away and the humility of Ram Das was polished to perfection.

After the seventh, when Guru Amar Das said, “It’s no good, tear it down and build it again!” Ram Das fell at the Gurus feet and said, “My Guru I have failed to understand your order, please bless me with understanding that I can serve you.” Guru ji made him stand up and gave him a big hug. Then he announced to the Sikhs, “You have seen with your eyes who is the real servant. Ram Das has passed my tests and has stayed devotional. He is fit in every way to take my place as Guru. He is a perfect man.” The next day Guru Amar Das had him clean up, get dressed in the nicest clothes and come in front of all the Sikhs for a ceremony. Guru ji announced to everyone: “Guru Nanak has made the rule that only the most worthy will sit on the throne of Guruship. I have found Rams Das to be the most worthy of all.” The Guru had Baba Budha ji put a tilak on Ram Das’s forehead to show the honor and responsibility he has received. The Guru got off his platform and sat Ram Das on it. He put a coconut and five pennies in front of him to remind him to be soft on the inside and to share with even the poorest. He told his family and all the Sikhs to bow to him as Guru. Guru Amar Das showed by example. He bowed to Ram Das and walked around him three times. From now on he was known as Guru Ram Das, the Guru of Miracles, the fourth King on the throne of Guru Nanak.

This story was adapted from  Sikhnet.com, and was originally posted in  their wonderful “Kids Audio Stories” section at http://www.sikhnet.com/story.

September 21^st is the International Day of Peace. It is organized by the United Nations (http://internationaldayofpeace.org/) and celebrated all over the world. The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.

On September 21st our students, teachers and staff participated in the International Day of Peace Celebration to give Mother Earth their blessings for world peace.  Their participation was included on the official UN Day of Peace listing of events. First, everyone joined together to make the HUMAN FLAG OF PEACE, Roerich Pact, 1935. The International Symbol of Peacecomposed by three circles surrounded by another bigger circle.  The meaning of this symbol is the UNION of Art, Science and Spirituality. The union of these three elements gives the chance to create a Culture of Peace. This ancient symbol was redrawn by the Russian Artist Nikolai Roerich who was one of the major promoters of the international Peace Pact in 1935.

When the symbol was ready everyone meditated, specifically for peace, as taught by the Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan, who was always very involved in the promotion of  peace around the world and instituted his own Peace Prayer Day celebration.

Afterwards students recited poetry on peace in their native languages, which included Mandarin, Dutch, German, Spanish and Russian. This was followed by a painting activity where each student could draw his or her own interpretation of peace on a 12”X12” square canvas.

According to the Principal of Academics, Kirandeep Kaur, the spirit of this day was for  Miri Piri Academy students and staff to express their creative energy and to give all their love, blessings and prayers to their home and environment, mother earth.

A team of MPA alumni were invited and sponsored to attend an international Kabaddi tournament in Queens, New York a few weeks ago.  The girls had a great time representing Miri Piri Academy and playing a great game.  They lost to the opposing players by a mere one point, and in true Punjabi style were awarded medals and a trophy for second place.  The tournament was featured in a New York Times article and in a New York Times slideshow that included a picture of our own Guru Surya Kaur Khalsa.  Here are some of our own pictures of the event:

[Show as slideshow]

• Students begin 40 days of Parkarma Seva on October 11th.  The daily schedule will change, with school starting at 9:00AM and ending at 2:15PM, including monitored study time, to ensure adequate sleep for everyone during this Sadhana.
• We invite you to subscribe to the newsfeed of our official MPA Blog so you can stay in touch with what the children are doing!

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter November 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter January 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter February 2010

Table of Contents:

• Preparing Your Child for a Year at MPA
• A Song in the Heart
• Fundraising for Financial Aid
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog

It’s that time of year again, and all over the world MPA students, new and old, are getting ready to make the long journey toAmritsar.  This year we will have students from sixteen different countries: Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, India, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, and the USA.  We are looking forward to welcoming the largest group of new students in the history of our school!  It is going to be an amazing year.

As the students get ready, we want to remind parents to read some tips for Preparing Your Child for Miri Piri Academy.  We also asked our veteran students to offer some recommendations to their new brothers and sisters as they do their final packing.  They suggest that you dont forget to pack:

• A camera to record and share memories with family and friends.
• A cozy quilt and sheets to make the dorm feel like home.
• Pictures of family and friends for the wall and bedside table.
• Board games, footballs, cleats, basketball shoes, skateboards or anything else you like to do for fun.
• Your iPod and headphones!!

by Kamaldev Kaur and Arturo Wallace, new members of the MPA family

Seventeen years ago, on the 7^th of September, I became the mother of my oldest son, Arturo Wallace. From that moment in time, a great deal of my energy, in one way or another has been directed toward raising him and his younger brother, Diego. Like many mothers in my generation, I read up on every subject possible to help make the right decisions and send them walking down the right path.  When it was time for them to enter school, I felt like I had found the best for them both; a place at the very school where I have been employed as an English teacher most of their lives.  However, from the get go I began to witness a split reality; one very flat reality existing on a mediocre report card while in the same space in time, I was able to enjoy watching their great success in all the other parts of themselves as human beings, reflected in the areas of arts, sports, friendship, loyalty, integrity, honesty, and nobility, and that are sadly enough, not graded with any real serious commitment on the part of our educational system. At the end of the day, they are classified with numbers and labeled mediocre; while the reality is just the opposite!

Over the years I have really struggled with the idea of understanding, and then accepting, that the kind of education being offered is just so incredibly limiting and at times meaningless, due to its mostly exclusive focus on the mental capacities of memorization in where the child is asked to sit down, pay attention and memorize; in turn reducing the child to a tiny and rather poor cousin of the human being, that has by birthright, the gift of splendid and multiple intelligences.

And the rest of this child? Where is he? Can anyone see him, hear him, or feel him?

Preparing to go to India next month has been less a series of events and more like an organic manifestation of the spiritual makeup of me and my son, Arturo. With the help of The Divine Guide Within which has  lead me to all of my personal interests and studies in education and spiritual growth inside of the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, I was presented with this very important opportunity to enroll my oldest son in The Siri Singh Sahib`s spiritual and educational academy in Amritsar.

For us, it simply feels right, a perfect fit, and an example of something that makes sense on all levels; a good feeling in the gut and a song in the heart. As a mother, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment as I watch with gratitude this reality falling into place with order and grace. On the part of my son Arturo, funny enough as it may seem, he is enjoying a bit of super stardom in his high school and neighborhood.  Mostly, there is a lot a male energy circulating around their strong attraction to hair, turban, swords, musical instruments and the ever growing lure of yoga. My house is full of teenagers, boys and girls, staring at him in disbelief, with eyes wide open and a million questions! I don’t know about your neighborhood, and city, but in ours, yoga has become something cool and fairly sought after! And of course, I can only enjoy this so deeply, because as a mother and an educator, I have seen so many teenagers fall through the cracks due to the lack of effective and nurturing educational, family and spiritual culture. And as we all know well, when the pain hits, the vast majority of humans, young and old, just begin to flounder in the sea of turmoil and confusion and lose our ways for minutes, hours, days and sometimes a lifetime.

How fortunate to have this early opportunity to live and learn a spiritual strength to help navigate through this life, come what may!

Sat Nam and Blessings to all of our new family at Miri Piri!

As the school year begins, the enrollment season is coming to an end.  This year we have the highest number of new students

From left: Teo (Germany), Gobind (Brazil), Manee (UK), Tarun (UK), Balwant (Mexico) and below, Guru Partap (Netherlands) in Rajasthan for Winter Break 2009

joining the school than ever before.  With word about the school and the teachings of Yogi Bhajan spreading rapidly all over the world, our student body has become increasingly diverse.  With that diversity, however, also comes the need for a substantial increase in our Financial Aid Fund.  This year more than 66% of our student body is depending on Financial Aid to make their journey possible, and we in turn are depending on our parents, alumni, friends and supporters to contribute to the Financial Aid fund that supports them.

This year our fundraising goal for the Financial Aid fund is $250,000. We kicked off our fundraising this year with a Silent Auction at Summer Solstice in New Mexico, and raised $10,000 in one week there.  Since then we have been calling on our long time supporters and donors, and through your generosity another $35,000 was raised.  By Guru’s grace, at the start of the school year we are well on our way towards our goal!

It is our hope that each and every parent, alumni and friend of the school will sign up for monthly donations by credit card or electronic bank transfer by the end of this year. Whether $108 or $15 per month, all donations, large and small, make a difference to our students and make our Financial Aid program possible!

Our goal of raising $250,000 is very doable. Our goal can be reached with just:
1400 people donating $15 per month ($252,000)
700 people donating $30 per month ($252,000)
400 people donating $54 per month ($259,200)
200 people donating $108 per month ($259,000)
25 people donating $10,000 ($250,000)

Ultimately it is our goal to enroll anyone who wants to attend, regardless of their ability to pay.  Your contribution will help us reach that goal! Please donate today, and encourage other alumni, parents and supporters too!  If you have any questions about our fundraising efforts or our Financial Aid fund, please email Saraswati Khalsa at .

• The students will begin arriving at school on August 21st and 22nd, and will start the school year with a challenging and relationship building trek into the Himalayan mountains on the 24th.
• Enrollment for the 2010-2011 school year is still open even now! Please start your application today.
• We invite you to subscribe to the newsfeed of our official MPA Blog so you can stay in touch with what the children are doing!

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter March 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter February 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter April 2010

Table of Contents:

• The Event in Pictures
• What next??
• What's Happening at MPA
• Highlights from the Blog

Graduation 2010

We were honored to share one last special occasion with the Class of 2010.  Each came to Miri Piri Academy for their own reasons, and each graduated with a much better understanding of themselves. In the words of Guru Amrit Hari Kaur Khalsa, this years recipient of our annual Siri Singh Sahib Award for Excellence:

Captured by one of our alumni, Guru Surya Kaur Khalsa, a professional photographer whose work can be viewed at www.khalsaphoto.com, the event was a joyful celebration for everyone who has invested their hearts and minds into the growth of these 13 beautiful and talented human beings.

Click here to go to Picasa where you can order prints!

What is on the horizon for the Class of 2010?  That is mostly unknown.  They received acceptance letters to the following schools:

The Class of 2010

• Connecticut College
• Wheaton College
• University of Vermont
• College of Santa Fe
• Wooster College
• Columbia College
• Hamline University
• Deree American College, Athens
• Lanisivi College
• University at Buffalo
• Niagara University
• Cornell College
• Northeastern University
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Fordham University

Devdharm Singh, Prabhujot Kaur and Guru Har Narayan Singh were also honored with Dean Scholarships from their schools of choice.

Some will go straight to school, and others will take a year off to travel, get their feet on the ground, spend some time at home with their families, and even return to MPA as a Sevadar to be there for the younger students.  Wherever they go we will be eagerly awaiting news of their successes and hoping that they will return to visit us and share their experiences with the next generation.  Jugat Guru Singh Khalsa, School Principal, said it this way:



• Our annual fundraising drive to support the MPA Financial Aid fund got off to a great start at Summer Solstice this year.  Thanks to the hard work of Arjan Kaur Khalsa, one of our newest parents, the Silent Auction was a great success and more than $10,000 was raised to support all the students who need financial assistance.  If you haven’t yet signed up, we encourage you to sign up for monthly donations of any level.  Every dollar is a valuable support to all of the beautiful children who want to grow in consciousness and spirit. Their education isn’t possible without your generous support!  You may also consider contacting Saraswati at for help organizing a fundraising drive in your community.
• Our first group of 10th and 12th grade students completed the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level exams and are waiting eagerly for their scores to be released on August 12th, 2010.
• Parents and staff met at solstice to talk and share stories, ideas and solutions.  One of our favorite ideas that emerged was to share a group meditation that can be done by all the parents and friends of Miri Piri Academy to lend our positive energy and projection to the growth of the students and the school.  Look for a special meditation that you can do to support Miri Piri Academy in an upcoming newsletter!
• Enrollment for the 2010-2011 school year is still open! Please start your application today! Financial Aid applications for new students are also being accepted. If you have any questions please contact Pooja Vohra at .
• We invite you to subscribe to the newsfeed of our official MPA Blog so you can stay in touch with what the children are doing!

Related posts:

1. iMPAct Newsletter April 2010
2. iMPAct Newsletter May 2010
3. iMPAct Newsletter January 2010