2007 SUNY Oneonta Sister City Program

Center Street Elementary School, Oneonta, New York

Riverside Elementary School, Oneonta, New York

Cooperstown Elementary School, Cooperstown, New York

Gavilan Peak School (  K-8), Anthem, Arizona

SUNY (State University of New York), Oneonta, New York

written by, Mrs. Beth Spaulding

The third graders at Center Street School in Oneonta had a blast learning about India.  Both in formal Social Studies lessons and experiences with performing artists and the Ninash Foundation, they learned about the geography, climate, homes, government, and culture of the diverse country.  Their knowledge and excitement was showcased one evening in May 2005 at an event called “A Taste of India.”  Donations from the event were given to the Ninash Foundation to assist a school in Dundlod, India. 

The project began the school year before with some teachers from Center Street deciding that they wanted to do something for the Ninash Foundation as a thank you for the scholarship that is awarded each year to a graduating sixth grader.  It was finally decided that the third grade Social Studies curriculum, which studies communities around the world, was the perfect avenue to tie the community and the school together.   Some of the teachers wrote a grant for the purpose of being able to have performing artist Carolyn Kay come to Center Street, thus setting the wheels in motion.   The grant also supplied monies to be able to order books about India for the school library, and to get paints, bells, and other supplies for the culminating project. 

In the Spring of 2005, the third graders began exploring India in the classroom.  In addition, thanks to the grant from the Upper Catskills Council of the Arts,  Carolyn Kay came to the school to do presentations in each of the classes.  Children from K-6 learned about different aspects of Indian dance, music, clothing, and tradition.  The third graders received the most intense instruction.   They learned a traditional dance that they performed for a morning program attended by Kindergarteners through second graders, as well as parents.   They used rhythm sticks that they made in Art class with dowels and paints from Golden Artists Paint.

Sam Huntington, who is a member of the community and has visited India, was kind enough to create a slide show of some of his experiences.  The slide show was presented at a morning program for the entire elementary student body at Center Street.  There were many oohs and aahs as he shared the meaning of the slides.  The subjects of the pictures ranged from animals found in India, to Calcutta, to bathing places where piles and piles of colorful clothing were heaped, and many more.  

After dinner was eaten, a slide show, created by Linda Drake, demonstrated the school projects being organized and carried out in India.  The silence was deafening as people watched the creation of the schools in Dundlod and the children who are eager to learn in them.  Following the slide show, Akilesh and Akshar Shashtri, two children who are in the Center Street community, performed a traditional music piece with their instruments.  They spoke a little about their instruments and the meaning of the piece that they played.

Third graders then proceeded to give mini speeches that educated those in attendance about the twofold purpose of the evening: one was to share their learning's with the community, thereby educating the Oneonta community about India, the Ninash Foundation, and Dundlod; the other was to raise money for the school in Dundlod.  Then came the part they all were nervous and excited about.  Complete with colorful rhythm sticks, ankle bell bracelets, and the principal of Center Street, John Cook, they performed the dance they had learned from Carolyn Kay for the community.  There was rousing applause at the end.  They were much relieved!

To end the evening, the third graders manned four stations that were set up for people to peruse.  The stations included a coloring table of examples of traditional Indian colorings, a table where experimenters could try their hand at painting henna on their hands (or paper if they chose), a station to make bell bracelets for their ankles, and a table to try writing their name in Hindi.  Dr. Moholtra was found to offer his expertise at this table!

There were many smiles that evening.  The entire project was both fun and educational in many ways.    The third graders raised $440 for the school in Dundlod and learned about a far away community that many now want to visit.  In addition, they raised $400 more from a dance that they had.

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