The School

True education should make a person compassionate and humane. It should not make him self-centred and narrow-minded. Spontaneous sympathy and regard for all beings should flow from the heart of one who is properly educated. He should be keen to serve society rather than be preoccupied with his own acquisitive aspirations. This should be the real purpose of education in its true sense.

Sathya Sai Baba

Quicklinks

Vision	Philosophy
Background	What Makes The Sathya Sai School Unique?
Mission, Vision and Goals	Voices for Peace
	A Day at School

Background

Parents want their children to excel academically as well as have good character. Academic achievement has clearly been the main thrust of present-day education. However, values that promote good character such as respect, self-control, tolerance, understanding and compassion have not been adequately emphasized.

The Sathya Sai School is a model private school which provides students with an education that balances both academic excellence and character development. Inaugurated on September 2nd, 2000, the school is a private elementary school governed by the Sri Sathya Sai Education Trust of Canada. It is open to all students regardless of socio-economic status, ethnic origin or religion. The founder of the school is Sri Sathya Sai Baba, whose philosophy of education has inspired the founding of schools in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, and North America. His educational philosophy is based on the view that a balanced education gives importance not only to academic success, but also to the development of character. His educational program, called Education in Human Values (EHV), aims at developing each child’s highest potential through the inculcation of values common to all civilizations – Truth, Right Conduct, Peace, Love and Non-Violence. The Human Values program has achieved impressive results in nurturing academically excellent, socially responsible, ethically mature and well-rounded students.

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Mission, Vision and Goals

The school's mission is to promote Human Excellence in students by balancing character education & academic achievement, and its educational activities are directed towards becoming a worthy model school for values education in Canada. In order to realize this vision, the school is committed to achieving the following nine goals (The 9 C's of the Sathya Sai School):

1. Climate : To establish a school climate permeated by love and values, where noble ideals and virtues flourish and where Human Excellence is nurtured and encouraged.
2. Curriculum : To provide a curriculum that is challenging, relevant and integrates values, and is taught by competent teachers of good character.
3. Culture : To respect all cultures and faiths and to cater to students who represent the diversity of the Canadian community.
4. Community : To run the school closely with parents and the community as partners in the best interest of the child.
5. Character : To develop students of sound character.
6. Competence : To raise students who are competent individuals.
7. Citizenship : To ensure students are responsible citizens who serve society.
8. Celebration :  To celebrate the growth and success of its students and review and revise programs and practices to achieve Human Excellence.
9. Contribution :  To strive to be a model school worthy of emulation by school systems interested in balancing character education and academic excellence.

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What Makes The Sathya Sai School Unique?

The philosophy of the school is based on the dictum of its Founder that:

The end of education is character.

The following principle guides all the activities of the school:

• Love as thought is Truth.
• Love as action is Right Conduct.
• Love as feeling is Peace.
• Love as understanding is Non-Violence.

The primary aim of the school is Human Excellence. It offers:

• A loving and nurturing climate for the growth of character, the development of noble ideals and the enrichment of virtues.
• The development of responsible citizenship through a focus on the integration of the Human Values of Love, Truth, Right Conduct, Peace and Non-Violence in curricular and extracurricular activities.
• Qualified teachers committed to be exemplars of these Human Values.
• A better understanding of all cultures and the promotion of unity amidst this diversity.
• Equal access to all students regardless of socio-economic status, ethnicity or religion.
• The promotion of active community involvement and parent-teacher cooperation.
• An opportunity for parents to play an active role in the integrated development of a socially conscious and ethically mature student.

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Voices for Peace

Hands that help are holier than lips that pray, words of our Founder, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, have become the motivating force to encourage selfless service by our students.

We are encouraging our children to be recognized as 'Voices for Peace' through their thoughts, words, and actions, as well as the values they celebrate through song, dance, and drama.

Since its inauguration in September 2000, the students at the Sathya Sai School, Toronto, Canada have found many ways to turn learning into a labour of love and service. The children learn about themselves and the effect they can have on the people around them, in ever-widening circles. They practice Light Meditation daily, sending the Light throughout their body, then to their family, the community, and to the world. In the same way, through service, they are becoming more and more conscious of the Oneness of the human family. Students are taught that mere words are not enough. A variety of service projects are, therefore, undertaken by the school which involve service at the individual, family, community, and world levels.

Individual

We encourage students to understand selfless service by learning to sacrifice some of their own desires in order to collect money for projects.

Family

Children are encouraged to extend whatever they learn at school to the family, by learning to be responsible and helpful.

Community

Students are encouraged to participate in community service projects that provide an opportunity to practice the values they are learning. In this way they share with the less fortunate or suffering members of our community, such as seniors, the homeless and the hungry. They are also encouraged to care for the environment through participation in park cleanups, etc.

World

Students are motivated to show compassion beyond their own borders by responding to crises such as the events of September 11th, and by adopting a child - Murni Legowati from Indonesia.

As well, the school has set aside May 17th as 'Children Helping Children Day' to commemorate the visit of Ryan Hreljac, child humanitarian, to our school on May 17th, 2001, during which students contributed to Ryan's Wells Foundation by raising money through chores. To remember this day each year a service project will be selected to help needy children around the world.

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A Day at School

The main aim of this school is to set the children upon a path of self-reflection and individual transformation, with the goal of self-realization. We are not here to teach them anything that they do not already know, but are here to nurture and bring forth the human values that lie within them. The best we can do is equip them with the tools of knowledge, discrimination and self-awareness. Children learn that whatever the head thinks, must be approved by the heart, before it is put into action. To facilitate their gaining knowledge, discrimination and self-awareness, we use Sathya Sai Education in Human Values program as the basis of our daily curriculum.

We begin each day by developing a sense of community. Part of creating this community is our morning assembly, which begins with the National Anthem and the Morning Prayer. Our Principal then informs us of upcoming events occurring at the school and shares important precepts and ideas with the students, staff, and volunteers, which help to shape the climate of the school. Next, the Thought for the Day is read, followed by discussion in each class. The Thought is related to the Value being focused on by all the classes at that time. This focuses everyone’s thoughts in the same area, again bringing everyone together in the school community.

This is followed by Light Meditation, at which time we take a few minutes to look within, to see the goodness within ourselves and within all those around us. This is also an opportunity to pray for the well-being of the students, staff, parents, volunteers, and members of the larger community.

After Light Meditation, the first subject of the day is the Sathya Sai Education in Human Values lesson. This is the time where we focus on one of the five Human Values through discussion, group activities, group singing or games. The values that are being taught permeate the entire school curriculum. The basis of all that we do at the school is these values. These values are the focal point for planning, preparing and presenting lessons taught throughout the day.

The following is an example of how the value ‘Right Conduct’ was taught, using the theme ‘Helping Hands’:

Thought for the Day: ‘Help ever, hurt never.’

Sathya Sai EHV: Story, activity and follow-up discussion showing that when we work alone , things are more difficult, and when we help each other, things can be done more easily.

Language: Students had to write how they could help at school, at home, in the community, and in the world.

Math: Students did a sorting activity that required them to use their hands.

Science: Looking at different parts of the body, and learning the anatomy of the hand.

Art: Students made a handprint painting which was put together with their language write-up and displayed in the school hallway with the title ‘Helping Hands’.

All the activities not only make the students responsible students, but ultimately bring out an awareness of their true nature, which is goodness, truth and beauty. Throughout the year we have been blessed with glimpses of this inner beauty. This has been reflected in the children’s compassion, caring and kindness towards all who are part of our school community.

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