Booting into third education year for SUCCEED project with all our learning and experiences, was very steady and smooth than the previous years. Making bridges in between constraints and successes, we have reached in to the position close to perfection, which is our perpetual quest.
All activities of SUCCEED project have been running in full swing. We are now at there, where we were expected to be.

To enhance the skills and understanding to provide better support to pre-school children, advance training for POs and Pre-school Teachers accomplished successfully. All of the pre-schools opened in time. Parenting & RFC program is continuing along with the Pre-schools. All the pre-school teachers have received first PTPDI training of the year in the first quarter. Children and community of the catchments of our working areas are enjoying Sisimpur show by rickshaw vans regularly.

Reception & Orientation, which appeared as a surprise to the teachers and community to welcome the first graders into the primary school, completed with warm participation of the stakeholders. School Assistance Groups formed to strengthen SMC of respective primary schools. We accomplished the celebration of Reading Buddies in all primary schools. Some new more Buddies formed also. CtC and CLC programs are on going usually. Necessary preparations have been taken for a good start of PEDI.

Inclusion of the children with disabilities is one of the significant objectives of SUCCEED project. Some children with disabilities identified this year and included them with various SUCCEED activities. Special days observed with ceremonial spirit.

We are working as a whole, as a united force to reach the goal, to breach the constraints and challenges.

  Expected and Actual Completion:

Performance Narration
IR.1: Effective Early Learning Opportunities Increased
Admission of Pre-school children into Grade 1
After the successful completion of pre-school, children got admission into Grade 1 this year. All the staffs and teachers worked hard to prepare them for Grade 1. At the end of 2006, we arranged for an evaluation to assess the progress (Academic) of the children. Their performance in the assessment proved their development, which was quite satisfactory. Many of our pre-school children got admission in nearby GPS or KG schools. The pre-school children are doing really well in Grade 1. Migration of the parents in urban areas was a factor for which tracking of some children was not possible.

Enrollment of Children in the Pre-school
SUCCEED activities gained trust of the guardians so that they have become interested to get their children admitted into the Pre-schools. All pre-schools started with full of cheers of the five year olds from the very beginning of the year. All the preschools opened by mid January 07. This year, total 7751 children enrolled in HBPS and SBPS. After three months, children can count up to ten, identify color red, yellow, green and blue. Children can tell his/her name and address.

Advance Training on Pre-school for Staffs
To make the pre-schools more effective to the children, there is no way but to enhance the capacity and knowledge of the staffs. The staffs must have to have adequate knowledge on Early Childhood Issues and on how to help the teachers in working with the children. Two batches of training (Five days each) for the staffs held in January and February. First batch of training held from 28 January to 1 February and the last batch from 9 to 13 February. All AC (3), SPO (3), PO (42) and TO-EE, TO-M&R and TO-ECD participated in the training. SC-USA ECD team conducted the first batch while TO-ECD conducted the last batch.
Out come of the training:
* Staff's understand various activities of pre-school
* Have idea of supportive supervision
* Staff's have clear concept on teaching technique to support the teachers
* Staff's knowledge expanded on ECERS

Advance Training on Pre-school for Teachers
Teachers play a significant role for the project. Over all achievements and advancement of the children depends on them. Their dedication and capacity to work with and for the children is very important.
The advance training on Pre-school for teachers held in three areas simultaneously from 22 January to 28 February. The training program was designed specifically to learn by practice. Therefore, the teachers got the opportunity to learn things by doing. The teachers training program held in eighteen batches. Some of the teachers were fresh. They were recruited at the beginning of this year. All the staffs including PC remained busy with the training.
Out come of the training:
* Teachers are capable of conducting routine wise class
* Teachers understand various activities of pre-school
* Teachers are showing better performance in working with children

PTPDI
Attending PTPDI every month is a good opportunity to enhance teaching skill and capacity of the teachers. As the advance training for teachers continued up to February, the first PTPDI held on March. There were eighteen batches of teachers for receiving PTPDI. All teachers participated at the PTPDI.
Main topics of discussion in the PTPDI:
* Strength and Weakness in conducting class
* Problem faced and finding out of probable solution
* Discussion and practice of activities for next month

Sesame Street Bangladesh

Sisimpur is a very popular TV show telecasted by BTV. Although Sisimpur shows were created for the learning and recreation of the Children aging from three to six, Sisimpur is viewed by the guardians also. They enjoy Sisimpur. Children learn various life oriented activities and things from Sisimpur. Sisimpur encourage them to habituate good practices of health and hygiene, learning of numerals and letters, sober and nice social interaction etc. It is a good scope for us to extend the learning of our children by giving them the opportunity of watching Sisimpur. There are six Rickshaw vans of Sisimpur (two in each) operational for this purpose.

Parenting & Reading for Children
RFC is on going in all the pre-schools. Guardians / Mothers are borrowing books from the teachers and are reading out the books to their children regularly and giving back the books for taking new ones. A number of 12549 books distributed to the pre-schools. Parenting training was provided to the teachers during the Advance training. As we have not received Parenting manuals yet, we started (Teachers conducted the first session) but could not continue later on. Instead, we are conducting parents meeting. Parents are attending the meetings regularly.

Inclusion of Children with disability
Inclusion of children with disability is an important objective of SUCCEED project. Our goal on this purpose is to make an inclusive society for them where every one will be treated with honor and every one will believe that no one is disabled. Present status of inclusion of children with disability (including repetition) with

* Children included in 2006: 144 (Boy-78, Girl-66)
* Children in preschool : 105
Status in 2007 of these 105:-
Admission in G1 : 47
Repetition in Pre-school : 13
CLC : 11
With no activities : 13
Follow up not done : 05

Performance Narration
IR.2: Innovative Learning Tools for Children and Teachers Developed and Used
Early Primary Education Refresher
EPE refreshers for the staffs held in March. All the staffs participated in the refresher. The 3 days long refreshers held in 2 batches from 4 to 6 March and 11 to 13 March. SC-USA, EPE team facilitated the refresher.

Objective of the refreshers
* To review the activities of EPE
* To practice the activities in the real time
* To assess the out comes of activities through analysis
* To bring out innovation and creativity into the activities

Reception & Orientation
Reception & Orientation program appeared as ceremonial spirit for the first graders. We are implementing R & O for stirring the society to wake up and to make people think about children's view on primary school. R & O ensures a smooth transition to primary school of the children.
This year, Reception & Orientation for the first graders held in all 120 primary schools.
Impact:
* Make the children of G1 proud
* Children start loving school
* Build up friendly relationship in between children and teacher
* Children are spontaneous in the class
* Increase of attendance of children in the school

Reading Buddy and Mentoring
Reward always encourages moving forward. All the Group leaders and best Buddies from each group were awarded for their better performance. Each of them received pencil box as prize. We hope it will make other Buddies interested to perform better.
Reading Buddy and Mentoring program is going on with all primary schools. A total number of 402 Buddies formed in our areas. Among which some Buddies are new. Orientation for the Buddies completed successfully. The orientation for group leaders also completed. The group leader's orientation mainly focused on how to manage the distribution of storybooks among the Buddies. They had been well oriented of their deeds.

The table shows area wise number of Buddies and group leaders

Child to Child
There are 360 CtC groups functioning in our working areas. There are 720 facilitators. Presently, children of CtC are working on Early Marriage. They are at the step 2 / 3. Now days, the children can analysis and work following six steps which is a good sign of their gradual advancement.
Some of the CtC groups organized shisu mela on the first week of January. Shisu mela demonstrated the happiness and creativity of the children. They brought many hand made wooden and earthen toys. There were also some toys made of color paper and leaves. Four mela held in this quarter (January), three in Gazipur area and one in Uttara area. The whole premises of the mela turned into a gathering of cheerful children. The mela drew attraction of the community people also. They came and visited the mela stalls arranged by the children.
Community Learning Circles
There are 360 CLC groups with 720 facilitators in our working areas. Currently children are using the third kit for their play. They pass their leisure in playing together. This is how friendly relationships with other kids build up. Learning toys are helping them to improve their Math and Literacy skills. Total 7112 children are involved with CLC.

Children Newspaper
Publishing and distribution of children newspaper is another initiative of developing writing skills of children. Children are the author and reader of this newspaper. Usually they become very happy when they see their write-ups published. For this, children become interested in writing. Children newspaper has created a good opportunity for them to practice writing of story, rhyme, poetry and drawing of pictures. In this quarter, issue 10 and issue 11 distributed among the CtC, CLC, Primary school and other stakeholders.

Children writing workshop
To develop the skills of children on how to draw pictures, write story, rhyme etc, workshops titled "Amar Lekha Ami Likhi" held in Savar, Gazipur and Uttara area in this quarter. Total eight workshops held in three areas with the members of CtC.
There was a participation of ten CtC members in "National workshop to upgrade the children newspaper" held in March. They presented their own write-ups in the workshop that were published in the children newspaper.

Performance Narration

IR. 3: Capacity of Participating Institutes to Foster Education System Changed Increased

School Assistance Group
As most of the SMCs of primary schools are ineffective or not working properly, Existence of SAG has become a significant issue. SAG works to activate SMC and to take initiatives for the betterment of education of the students and SAG work to raise awareness of the community. SAG is not the alternative to SMC. Twenty School Assistance Groups formed (Gazipur 7, Uttara 6, Savar 7) in this quarter while rests are to be formed in near coming days. SAGs, that formed, consist of 9 to 11 members but in some schools, it increases up to 14. The Headmaster, teachers and the SMCs of the respected RNGPSs seemed to be positive towards SAG. Participations of the community in the SAG workshops were excellent. Some important decisions were made in the SAG workshops. As for example:
* To make bench for the students to sit on
* To manage sufficient room for playing of students
* To manage tube-well and fan for school
* Plantation on the school premises
* To arrange meeting with SMC for over all improvement of the school
* To start home visit to increase school attendance of the students

ECD forum
An ECD forum was formed earlier with other NGOs working in Savar area. As being convener, continuous liaison is being maintained with the members to keep the forum active.

Day observation
International Language day, February 21 and National Independence Day, March 26 observed by placing floral wreath at the national mausoleum along with others. There also discussions held on the significance of the days later on. CtC and CLC Children also observed the days. Playing drama and game competition held on this occasion.

Other Pertinent Information

Community Contribution
Two pre-schools have been running on community contribution this year. These pre-schools are in Savar area and Uttara area. Community is paying the honorarium of the teachers. They are also providing some material for the schools. We provided training to the teachers and necessary materials. These pre-schools are also under regular supervision.

Challenge Faced

There were also some challenges came in front to overcome. As follows
* Force withdrawal of slum area in Mirpur, Dhaka where two HBPSs are running under the catchments of Walk up RNGPS.
* Tough to manage suitable place for Sisimpur show in Mirpur.
* Due to rough communication, Sisimpur vans cannot reach all the pre-schools even after adding three more rickshaw vans.

Visitors
1. Ms. Susanna Lanucke,SC-USA representative from home office, Ms. Molie Juberien, Student (USA), Ms. Mary Dreper, Pre-school teacher (USA) and Mr. Kamal Hossain, DPD-SUCCEED project, SC-USA visited B.K. Bari SBPS and Sitpara HBPS under Gazipur area on 27 March 2007. They also visited a Sisimpur show at Nanduain RNGPS catchments.

2. Mr. Shahin Islam, PM-ECD, SC-USA visited Advance Teacher's Training on Pre-school on 23 January 07 at Savar area office. Mr. Shahin Islam and Mr. Nazrul Islam, DPM-ECD, SC-USA visited Holan Fulkoli HBPS on 12 March. They also took some photographs of action in Pre-school and Parenting.

3. Mr. Didarul Anam Chow, PM-EPE, SC-USA and Ms. Barnali Chow, DPM-EPE, SC- USA visited CtC and CLC in Dhamrai, Baliarpur and Kabirpur as part of EPE refreshers for Staffs on 4, 5, 11 and 12 March.