North South Foundation

Encouraging Academic Excellence in Our Youth

NSF Newsletter

Volume 3, Issue 9, September 2005

Namaste!

Following the exhaustive National Final event in Evanston last month, our volunteers are reviewing feedback, drumming up additional support, and bracing for yet another fun-filled year of workshops, fundraisers, and contests. Be sure to read our upcoming newsletters for an update on contest 2006.

And, now, on to the pressing news of the month...

In this Issue...

• NSF News
• NSF-India News
• Articles
• Volunteer Profile

NSF NEWS

Here's a glimpse of NSF happenings.

The National Final

The 2005 National Final concluded in Evanston, Illinois, during August 6-7. Please visit the NSF Web site to view pictures of winners. Be sure to read the press release written by Arati Iyer, a finalist in Senior Vocabulary and runner–up in Senior Essay

A Note to Parents

Tech volunteers have worked hard to determine scores and percentiles from the recently concluded Final and uploaded it to the Web site. All finalists should have received an email from NSF that included a link to the scores. If you have not received the email or have not checked, please login at the following link (https://www.northsouth.org/app1) for your scores and percentiles.

Also, some parents have requested percentile cutoffs for advancement to Phase III in the Spelling and vocabulary Finals. Here are the actual score cutoffs:JSB-23/28; SSB-23/28; JVB-22/28; SVB-20/28.

Parents, please note that questions and answers for Phase II off the Math Bee Finals are now available online. Finally, parents of finalists should have received a link to a survey aimed at collecting valuable feedback on the Finals. Please take a moment to complete the survey. Your feedback will help us improve our contests.

Bee 2006

NSF is soliciting input from you for the venue and timing of the 2006 National Final. If you have ideas or suggestions, please forward them on to us. Thanks!

Calendar of Events

Detroit, MI, will hold its 5th annual walkathon/picnic on Sunday, September 11, at Heritage Park in Canton.

What's New?

NSF is introducing two new groups to help your children prepare for the SAT and for the National Scripps Howard Spelling Bee:

• SAT Group: Are you interested in improving your SAT scores? Join NSF-kids-SAT where talented folks like Kiran Pendri and Raj Ranade (both of whom scored 2400 out of 2400 on the SAT) will guide you through the preparation process. If you are interested, please send us a message with the following information:Your full name, contact phone, email address, your center, your parents’ names, and their e-mail address. If you have already appeared for the SAT, please provide your score.
• Scripps Group: Are you participating in the 2006 Scripps Howard spelling bee? To improve your odds at the Scripps, join NSF-kids-spbee where folks like Anurag Kashyap, the 2005 Scripps Champion, who has graciously offered to help, will guide you through the preparation process. If you are interested, please send us a message with the following information:Your full name, contact phone, email address, your center, your parents’ names, and their e-mail address. If you have appeared for Scripps earlier, please provide details about part participation including the year(s) and rank(s)

Fundraiser Update

Lansing, MI, recently held a DAS fundraiser show, where parents and children put together their minds and efforts, raising enough money to support four college scholarships. Read Rekha Sambamurthy's account of the day's events.

Join Us!

Connect with our expanding network of people today by joining our mailing list. Come on, get with it! Remember, our membership is free. P.S. To make sure you receive our e-mails, please add 'admin@northsouth.org' to your address book, so your filter will know our communications are legitimate.

NSF-India NEWS

NSF-India's main office is based in Hyderabad and accessible by email. NSF-India has 17 chapters throughout the far reaches of India: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhavnagar, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Katihar, Kochi, Kolkata, Madurai, Mau, Pune, Sibsagar, and Trivandrum.

With the start of the 2005 scholarship season, NSF-India chapters have become very busy. Bangalore has included a media announcement calling for applications. Kanpur has included an announcement in Dainik Jagaran, and is already receiving calls. Hyderabad has already advertised and received more than 600 applications. They are currently short-listing candidates. Kolkata and Madurai are also receiving applications.

P.S. If you or your friends/family know of financially disabled but academically aspiring students in India, please direct them to contact NSF India regional chapters. NSF-India chapters generally solicit applications for scholarships following the publication of 12th grade/Intermediate results.

ARTICLES

It Takes a Village

City dwellers often visualize village life as slow, dull, and boring. In this article, V. Shobha, the author, explores the simplicity and humility of a tribal village in rural Gujarat, India, discovering a life that is far from dull and boring.

English Workshop in India

Mixing a little serious business with a pleasurable vacation in India last month, 13-year old Anita Gade decided to conduct free spelling workshops to students of a local municipal school! Read the awe-inspiring story about her incredible experience.

VOLUNTEER PROFILE

This month we have included the profiles of Murali Kothapalli and Sunil Idnany.