Recent News About Us

Dear All,

I have been in London for a few days. I have to follow the latest news in my country through the e-journals. I feel sad for being away during such important events. Here are some of them. I took them from the English page of daily Hürriyet. According to the headlines of daily Cumhuriyet 19th May 2009 witnessed two important events. One was about the commomoration of great leader Ataturk and the other one was about a great loss_ loss of one of Ataturk's daughters; Prof.Dr. Türkan Saylan. You can see her 2 photos above. She was struggling with cancer since 1990 but she comğpleted successfully very important projects for the education of Turkish girls.

INDEPENDENCE EXCITEMENT:

"...We respectfully commemorate Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, on the anniversary of his lighting the independence torch. The May 19th Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day will be celebrated throughout Turkey, in foreign representations and in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC, with ceremonies. President Abdullah Gul, in his May 19th Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day address, said that the pride of having a past full of victories will be felt once again on this day presented by Ataturk to the nation’s youth..."

DAUGHTER OF LIGHT:
"...We have lost Prof. Turkan Saylan, passionate for contemporary values and pioneer of education and science. Saylan, president of the Association for Support of Contemporary Living, or CYDD, who dedicated her life firstly to the fight against leprosy, and then to the education of girls, has passed away. Her last words were; "I completed all of my appointments, I fulfilled all of my duties. Now I am ready to die... ".

My visit to London will last until 26th. Then, I will be back to Istanbul to deal with 2009 ICT Seagulls Projects.

With love and peace.

Hayal KÖKSAL

Lecture, Ceremony & Concert

Dear All,
Yesterday was a wonderful day! First of all, our Village Institution graduate teacher_ Mr. Mehmet Sazak_ gave a lecture to my students at Boğaziçi University about his experiences at the Village Institution in 1940s. Later that very informative and fruitful talk, there was an historical ceremony at the Albert Long Hall of the University. The rector and two deans (Engineering and Educational faculties) presented two honorary doctorate titles to Prof.Dr.Türkan Saylan who is a great NGO leader, a medical professor devoted her life to combatting with Lepra and a wellkown Atatürk daughter. After the ceremony, the famous Turkish pianist Fazıl Say presented a small concert. It was excellent. I will write my blog from London from then on. Have a good time.
Hayal Köksal

Mothers' Day Celebration

I would like to send my love and respect to all mothers of the world.

Hayal KÖKSAL

To the ICT Seagulls Project Circles

Dear ICT Seagulls Project leaders and members,

We are approaching to the deadline of the delivery of 6th ICT Seagulls Projects. Until the end of May, teams are supposed to finalize their projects. They will have to inform me about the web or/and blog addresses and also send me the CDs including all the steps and contents of their projects. After an initial assessment process, all the teams and their projects' addresses will be sent to the other teams to be assessed based upon the given criteria. After the peer-assessment stage, the judge assessment stage will start.
The projects will be expected to be seen by peers and judges on a definite address (school web or a bought address). The videos related to collage, poster, drama, folk dances, etc. should also be placed to the web. The deadline for this is 29th May, Friday.
The National Award Ceremony of the Turkish ICT Seagulls will take place in September in Istanbul. For the International Award Ceremony we are grateful to Mr & Mrs Gandhi and Mrs Vineeta Kamran (City Montessori School, Lucknow, India) for their generous hospitality and special arrangement. It will take place during the "12th International Convention on Students Quality Control Circles" which will be held on 2-5 December, 2009. If you want to get more info about the Convention, please visit: www.cmseducation.org.

Teams and/or individuals, who would like to participate in the above mentioned event from Türkiye, should call me to get the broshures. With love and peace....

Hayal KÖKSAL

APRIL 23rd INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY

APRIL 23 INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAYThis national day (23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day) in Turkey is a unique event within the world. The founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, dedicated April 23 to the children of the country to emphasize that they are the future of the new nation. It was on April 23, 1920, during the War of Independence, that the Grand National Assembly met in Ankara and laid down the foundations of a new, independent, secular, and modern republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Following the defeat of the Allied invasion forces on September 9, 1922 and the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne on July 24, 1923, Ataturk started his task of establishing the institutions of the new state. Over the next eight years, Ataturk and his followers adopted sweeping reforms to create a modern Turkey. In unprecedented moves, he dedicated the sovereignty day to the children and entrusted in the hands of the youth the protection of this sovereignty and independence.

Every year, the children in Turkey celebrate this "Sovereignty and Children's Day" as a national holiday. Schools participate in week-long ceremonies marked by performances in all fields in large stadiums watched by the entire nation. Among the activities on this day, the children send their representatives to replace state officials and high ranking bureaucrats in their offices. The President, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, provincial governors all turn over their positions to children's representatives. These children, in turn, sign executive orders relating to educational and environmental policies. On this day, the children also replace the parliamentarians in the Grand National Assembly and hold a special session to discuss matters concerning children's issues. Over the last two decades, the Turkish officials have been working hard to internationalize this important day. Their efforts resulted in large number of world states' sending groups of children to Turkey to participate in the above stated festivities. During their stay in Turkey, the foreign children are housed in Turkish homes and find an important opportunity to interact with the Turkish kids and learn about each other's countries and cultures. City Montessori School team also had been one of the participating teams in 2004. The foreign children groups also participate in the special session of the Grand National Assembly. This results in a truly international Assembly where children pledge their commitment to international peace and brotherhood. The importance of April 23 as a special day of children has been recognized by the international community. UNICEF decided to recognize this important day as the International Children's Day.

I celebrate the Children's Day of all the children in the world.

Hayal KÖKSAL

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinecan/2433115037/

69. ANNIVERSARY of FOUNDATION of the VILLAGE INSTITUTIONS

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE FOUNDATION ANNIVERSARY of the VILLAGE INSTITUTIONS

We are celebrating the 69th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Village Institutions.

THE WAY LEADING TO THE VILLAGE INSTITUTIONS:
MUSTAFA NECATİ, HASAN ÂLİ YÜCEL, İSMAİL HAKKI TONGUÇ

Speakers :
Prof. Dr.Rifat Okçabol,
Assoc. Dr. Firdevs Gümüşoğlu

Documentary Film: Hasan Âli Yücel
Concert by: Karabey Aydoğan

Organized by:
THE ASSOCIATION for NEW GENERATION VILLAGE INSTITUTIONARIES

ISTANBUL & KARTAL BRANCHES

Date: 18 April 2009

Time: 14.00 Cocktail: 17.00
Venue: Bahçeşehir University, Conference Hall, Beşiktaş-Istanbul

An İmece Circle (SQC) from Ağrı, Diyadin Boarding Primary School

Dear All,

When I got the above photo from my dear colleague Nilufer, I admired what she has been doing for her school and for her dearest students in the East corner of Türkiye. She founded a library for her students and colleagues with the support of some helpful people and she formed an İmece Circle (SQC) to focus on the current problems. When I saw it I remembered those lovely and fruitful 11. ICSQCC days and the poem I wrote for my opening speech. I am grateful those young colleagues of mine who worked hard for the translation and editing of it. With love and peace...

Hayal KOKSAL

IMECE CIRCLE

Its first syllable is to be human,
Maximal satisfaction of the expected, and its result,
Everyone hand-in-hand,
Covering all; from the beloved to the sullen.
Effective input in the one hand, “love” in the heart and “real leadership” in front.
***

Continuous “belief and trust from the heart” is necessary,
Illusions unwelcome no place for “untruth.”
Rarely, though, but there is slight, “Sweet Competition.”
Creation, production and progress – the objectives.
Learn what “İmece” really is, the “Collective spirit,”
Elucidating the way to the “Total Quality Individual.”
Translated & Edited by Esra Özkaya Saltoğlu & Ryan Nash