Australian Sahaja Primary School Update – 5th November 2021

Australian Primary School Update

HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi School

Dear Family,

Jai Shri Mataji!

By Shri Mataji’s Grace, the Australian Sahaja Yoga Primary School project is progressing very well with many of the administrative aspects starting to be formalised internally and with the relevant government and education authorities.

Below is a detailed update from the Board of HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi School of their most recent activities.

Please keep this auspicious project in your enlightened attention.

With love
Brett
Australian Coordinator

Australian Primary School Update
5th November 2021

Dear Australian Sahaj Family,

Jai Shri Mataji!

It has been an exciting time for Australian Sahaja Yoga Primary School project, and we are very happy to bring you this update!

COMPANY ESTABLISHMENT
We would like to announce the formation of the Not For Profit company Life Eternal Education which was formed on the 29th October 2021. This is a significant milestone and a necessary step for the school and will allow us to legally establish the HHSMNDS Board and to begin such projects as fundraising as a NFP with the associated benefits.

Throughout 2021 the nominated Board members have met weekly and have established teams and subcommittees which have worked on the necessary tasks to establish the school. They have been blessed with the assistance of many talented Yogis from outside the School Board who have constituted these teams.

We are excited to tell you of some of the achievements to date.

BUILDINGS
This team has worked towards obtaining all the necessary reports including the Ecology and Environment Impact Statement, the Waste Water and Environment Impact Statement and the critical Bushfire Fire Safety Mitigation and Safety report and have submitted the planning proposal to the local council which has seen no hurdles. We are hoping for Planning approval by December at which point we will have our Development Application ready for submission. Detailed building plans are now being prepared in preparation.
WEBSITE, PROMOTIONS, PARENT & COLLECTIVE LIAISON
An amazing portal for yogis to access all the information about the school is being developed. You will be able to see information about enrolment, curriculum, fundraising and volunteering.
A survey about possible school logos is also being undertaken.
A Zoom Q&A is planned for the near future to answer questions and look for solutions to any hurdles together.

POLICIES AND CURRICULUM
Hundreds of policies needed for the running of the school and for state school registration have been written, edited and finalized by our brilliant Sahaj teacher team. This enables us to be ready to apply and register with the NSW Education Department. They are now beginning work on the Sahaj curriculum in liaison with other Sahaj schools and are ready to formulate a school prospectus.

FINANCE
We are now working on a Development Application (DA) Submission to the local Council for needed permission to construct and/or bring in the Buildings for our school. Additional significant expenditure is needed to update the Ecology and Environment Impact Statement, Waste Water and Environmental Impact Reports and the Bushfire Fire Safety Mitigation report.

We will also need an additional Building Code Compliance Report, particularly in relation to Building Fire Safety. Also required will be an Accessibility Report to demonstrate disabled access compliance and a Traffic Parking Demands report to address any concerns from the local community.

We also need to engage a Town Planning Consultant to draft the Statement of Environmental Effects which is the master report which brings all this information together and combines all the reports as part of the overall DA submission.

All the previous accounts for building reports have been paid through the generosity of the Collective and now that we are a registered NFP its time to begin fundraising to further progress the school. Another collective email will be sent out shorty with details of fund raising requirements and how donations can be made.

Once the school is operating, we will be able to apply for government grants both for operational costs as well as some building grants.

CONSTITUTION
The constitution of the HHSMNDS Board has been written, formally accepted and registered.

DIRECTOR TRAINING
Each Board member is undertaking training with the Association of Independent Schools NSW as well as familiarising themselves with the numerous HHSMND School policies.

SAHAJ SCHOOLS LIAISON
Several joyous and fruitful international meetings have taken place with other Sahaj Schools. Strong bonds have been formed with plans for the continuation of collaborative enterprises. A particular emphasis has been on the Sahaj curriculum for the school and we are very happy to say that there is a global focus on this with the intent to establish a common curriculum available for all Sahaj schools. Quite a lot of detailed work has already been undertaken to build a repository of learning objectives, lesson plans and materials that systematically lead to a deep mastery of Sahaj Knowledge across age groups and participating schools.

CALL FOR HELP
Although many Sahaja yogis are already assisting the project there is room for more! If you have any relevant skills please let us know and of your willingness to be involved.
We are currently seeking:

Advice from anyone who has operated as a company secretary
Anyone with experience in writing successful government grant applications.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH THE SCHOOL
By Email:
The school’s email address is [email protected]. Please use this for any questions or comments.

By WhatsApp group.
Also the following link will join you to the “Friends of the School” Whatsapp group.

Please also feel free to contact any of the board members listed at the end of this message.

With great excitement and anticipation for the future of our school,

With Love
HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi School Board
Sue Nickson (SA
Kanak Nicolai (ACT)
Dan Firth (NSW)
Debbie Miller (Qld)
Colin Berry (Vic)
Jo Salomon (WA)