• Schools interested in the TWINS program are surveyed and then matched with a school in Sri Lanka who seeks the same outcomes from a TWINS relationship.
• This new TWINS partnership is overseen by one of four TWINS Field Officers in Sri Lanka.
• The Field Officer helps to facilitate the new link, coordinating the establishment of a partnership agreement. This partnership agreement lays the foundation of the partnership, detailing the aims and anticipated outcomes, communication methods and agreed topics and timeframes for school project exchange throughout the academic year.
• The TWINS Field Officer visits the TWINS school twice per month, checks on the progress of projects, passes on messages between teachers and then sends photographic update reports to the TWIN school abroad.
• If the overseas TWIN school wishes to fundraise for their Sri Lankan TWIN, the Field Officer can conduct needs assessments with school staff and students. They then collect quotations and organise shopping trips with the Principal or teachers ensuring all funds spent directly support the education of students
• ASL TWINS also have a Building Works Manager who coordinates and monitors the construction of new libraries, classrooms, English Activity Rooms and various other infrastructure in TWIN schools.
• TWINS schools in Sri Lanka can also participate in numerous interschool events. These include the TWINS Debating Tournament, Creative Writing Competition, Art Competition and other initiatives.
• Sri Lankan Teachers can also benefit from the TWINS program through their regular exchanges with teachers abroad, utilising the TWINS Handbook for Teachers and by participating in the TWINS Teacher Skills Sharing Workshops.
• TWINS can add a global dimension to student learning where key areas of their curriculum are identified and project designed to encourage critical thinking and global awareness.
• The aim is that over time, the TWINS relationship will shift to being sustainable and independent with minimal need for the assistance of the TWINS Field Officer. TWINS links can then continue for many years where both schools benefit from a meaningful and equitable link with a school abroad.

For further information on the ASL TWINS Program contact:

Bec Lyons
General Manager
AdoptSriLanka
adoptsrilanka@gmail.com

For more information about these newsflashes, scroll below to download a copy of our latest newsletter!

• NEWSFLASH!!! TWINS Link Wins the BT Challenge!
  Congratulations to Kudawella Primary School and Gorseland Primary School for becoming the overall winners of the BT Challenge! These schools utilised their TWINS link to develop a shared website where they can compare different elements of their cultures. Kudawella School will now be able to develop their educational resources thanks to the prize money of 1000 GBP!
  Visit www.i-cookbook.net to see the product of all their hard work!

• NEWSFLASH!!! TWINS Events for 2008
  Our Special Projects Coordinator has been very busy planning the TWINS Events calendar for 2008! The year will kick off with a Creative Writing Competition, Debating Workshops, Skills Development Workshops for Teachers and the first round of debates for the year-long TWINS Debating Tournament! Read below for more information!

• NEWSFLASH!!! TWINS Project Exchanges
  ASL TWINS now offers over 20 TWINS Project Plans to assist schools develop meaningful project exchange that can add a global dimension to student learning. Scroll down to read summaries of some of these plans and email adoptsrilanka@gmail.com to get your own PDF versions

• NEWSFLASH!!! TWINS Partnership Agreements lay strong foundations for TWINS links
  ASL TWINS has recently developed the TWINS Partnership Agreement Tool Kit which includes guides, templates and examples of School Partnership Agreements. These agreements help lay a strong foundation for your partnership ensuring the needs of both schools are met through mutual obligations and a clear understanding of plans for the future.

• NEWSFLASH!!! TWINS Handbook for teachers now available!
  The first edition of the ASL TWINS English Activity Handbook for Teachers has now been released. This handbook was developed to provide Sri Lankan teachers with an easy to use resource sharing activities created by teachers throughout Sri Lankan schools. This handbook will be launched at the first of a series of skills sharing workshops for teachers facilitated by ASL TWINS.

• NEWSFLASH!! Arabian Gym Team visits TWIN Schools in Sri Lanka!
  In 2005 representatives from the Arabian Gym Team traveled to Sri Lanka and ran Gymnastics Workshops and Demonstrations for tsunami affected schools. The team at the Gym has not forgotten Sri Lanka or the children they met during their visits and plan to return in February 2008! During this trip they will run workshops and demonstrations for schools, but also plan to meet with new Sri Lankan schools that will soon be twinned with UK schools they have contacted in England.

• NEWSFLASH! Welcome to new UK TWIN Schools!
  ASL TWINS welcomes the following schools to the ASL TWINS Program in 2008! Royal Latin School, Lord Grey School, Hazeley School, Wellsmead School, Rickley School, Cold Harbour School, Moorlands School (Luton) and Simpson School

TWINS Newsletters
ASL TWINS publishes a quarterly newsletter to help everyone keep up to date with the latest news and resources available. Click below to download the most recent TWINS Newsletters!

• TWINS Newsletter – October 2007
• TWINS Newsletter – January 2008

TWINS Downloads

Click the links below to download useful documents guides:

• TWINS Program Overview
• TWINS Newsletter – November 2007
• TWINS Newsletter – January 2008
• TWINS Expression of Interest Form
• Establishing a TWINS Partnership Agreement – A Guide
• TWINS Partnership Agreement – Template
• Visiting your TWIN school – A Guide
• Visiting your TWIN school – A Questionnaire
• Survival Sinhala – A TWINS Guide
• ASL TWINS – PowerPoint Presentation

Students involved in the TWINS program have the opportunity to add a global edge to their learning through the regular exchange of educational projects.  TWIN schools work together to set up a Partnership Agreement which clearly outlines their commitment to educational exchange, usually with a focus on certain aspects of the school curriculum.

We have developed a series of guides and project plans to assist TWINS Coordinators develop meaningful exchange projects; these go beyond pen pal letters and add value to the school syllabus.

Click on the below links to download your own copies of these handy resources:

Our Community
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. It involves a walking field trip around the school’s local community where students take photos and share information about local industry, services, educational facilities, religious sites and landscapes. This is a great introductory project to help TWIN schools understand the local communities of their TWIN.

Our School
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. It is an excellent introductory project for a new TWIN relationship. Students prepare posters, a booklet or display that provides information about their school including history, facilities, subjects, special events and curriculum

Festivals of My Country
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. Students research traditional festivals and celebrations of their country. They create posters or booklets which describe these festivals, their history, customs as well as anecdotes from friends and families about how they personally celebrate these events.

Our Cookbook - Recipes of My Country
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. Students brainstorm a list of traditional recipes from their country. Each student prepares one recipe to add to a cookbook for their TWIN school. They also write about the history of that meal, the special times it may be eaten and where it originates from.  This project can combine various subjects including Religion, Home Economics and English.  Additional activities can include the class preparing some of the recipes and taking photos to share with their TWIN school.

TWINS Information Board
Every Sri Lankan TWIN school on our program has recently received a glass fronted noticeboard from ASL. The noticeboard aims to provide a dedicated space to share information about each of the schools and display projects that have been exchanged. This project plan provides some ideas on how you can ensure your TWINS Noticeboard is regularly updated with suitable display materials and information.

Tea Industry – From Plantation to Tea Cup
This project is suitable for advanced students.  Students research the history and procedures for producing tea – analysing its journey from Sri Lankan tea plantations to the supermarket shelves in countries such as England.  This project encourages deep critical thinking in students through analysing subjects such as workers rights, fair trade, and environmental sustainability. The Sri Lankan students have the option to participate in a field trip to a tea plantation to share photographs and first hand information with their TWIN school.

Comparison of News Stories
This project suits advanced students who are ready to apply critical thinking and analysis to their studies. Teachers agree on a set number of global issues which regularly appear in newspapers in both countries. Students collect the articles before photocopying them and sharing them with their TWIN. Students then compare and analyse the articles and how they are presented in both countries. Through analysis of these articles students will gain a greater understanding of the methods that can be used to sway public opinion and the importance placed on global issues by the different countries.

National Identity and Values
This project is suitable for advanced students or long term links.  It gives students the opportunity to explore and analyse what makes their country unique before sharing and comparing their national identity and values with their TWIN.

20 Questions - Perceptions vs. Reality
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. Students brainstorm a series of questions that they would like answered about their TWIN School’s lifestyle, culture and country. The schools answer both sets of questions and guess what the responses from their TWIN may be. Once all answers are exchanged students can discuss and analyse the responses compared to their original perceptions.

Climate
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. Students actively study the climate in the region of the world and send weekly updates to their TWIN School. These results are displayed, compared and analysed. Students can also study the climatic changes and cause and effect of these changes on their local community.

Ecological Footprint
This project can be adapted to suit all age groups. Having access to the internet for both schools can enhance this project. Students focus on their personal impact on the environment around them as well as how their lifestyle can impact on environments in other parts of the world. They analyse their ‘ecological footprint’ and discover ways that they can decrease the negative impact their lifestyle may make on the environment.

Poverty around the World
This project is suitable for advanced students. This project will raise awareness about today’s living standards, which vary greatly among nations, communities and individuals. Students will learn how to define rich/poor, understand what resources are needed to fulfill basic human needs and what is considered as a luxury in different parts of the world. They will analyse their perceptions of poverty and recognise that it exists in all countries.

Stamp Collecting
This project is suitable for all ages. This TWINS project aims to provide students with the opportunity to share information about images found on postage stamps with their TWIN school.  Students will learn about significant events, landmarks and people from various countries. Students will put together a stamp collection; each stamp will have a written description and will be presented in a project which will be sent to the TWINS school overseas.

My Artwork on Global Issues
This project is suitable for all ages. It aims to express global concerns and raise global awareness through art work.  The students will have the opportunity to each create their own piece of art and share it with their TWIN school. This will enable students to become aware of current global issues as well as sharing their concerns with friends in their TWIN school overseas. Those meaningful pictures will not only decorate and enhance the learning environment, but they will also educate many other students, parents and teachers, who pass them regularly in their school.

Plants in My Local Community
This TWINS project aims to raise awareness about native plants and their importance to the local environment. Students will walk through their local community and investigate what plants exist there.
Students will learn how products from plants (fruit and vegetables) play a big role in the country’s economy and everyday lives of local communities. They will investigate what would happen to the eco system, climate, human health, economy, etc if plants were to disappear. By going on a field trip around their community, students will get to know their local environment better which will enable them to familiarise and understand the need for preservation.

Useful TWINS Web Links

www.twins-srilanka.org
This is an additional TWINS website for UK Schools wishing to read more information about the TWINS program and opportunities that are available for UK schools.

www.britishcouncil.org
The British Council run grants programs where UK TWIN Schools can receive funding to have reciprocal visits with teachers from the TWIN school partnership. They also have many useful links including guides for establishing partnership agreements.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/country_profiles/1168427.stm
This is the BBC Sri Lanka Country Profile. It is very useful for students and teachers wishing to find out more about Sri Lanka.

As the TWINS Program has developed, coordinating events that encourage youth participation has become a major focus of our work. Some of the exciting events that have been held recently include:

• Creative Writing Competition
• Interschool Art Competition
• Art Workshops
• Cricket Tournaments
• Young Journalists Elephant Polo Project
• Southern Province Provincial Schools Debating Tournament
• Teachers Skill Sharing Workshop

TWINS Creative Writing Competition

In January 2007 ASL ran a Children’s Creative Writing Competition and a Debating Workshop in line with Sri Lanka’s inaugural Literary Festival hosted in Galle. The festival was a huge success and will take place again in January 2008 with the TWINS Creative Writing Competition running in parallel to this award winning event. Other special activities will be held for students as part of the Festival’s outreach program such as workshops for students run by published authors, skill sharing workshops for teachers and a debating workshop.
www.galleliteraryfestival.com

Click here to read the winning entry of the Creative Writing Competition 2007 titled ‘I have something to tell you teacher…’

Check back here soon to read the winning entry of the 2008 Creative Writing Competition!!

Galle Literary Festival 2008

The TWINS Program will host numerous activities that will link to the festival. These will include:

• A Debating Workshop which launches the 2008 TWINS Debating Tournament for Provincial Schools
• A Creative Writing Competition where the winning entry will be read at the opening of the Festival
• A skill sharing workshop for Teachers on developing interactive activities to support English language learning for their pupils
• Launching the TWINS English Activity Room Handbook for Teachers
• Sri Lankan authors facilitating workshops in schools

Inaugural TWINS Provincial Schools Debating Tournament

TWINS is committed to providing Sri Lankan schools with events and activities that increase the participation and enhance the skills and development of students.  Our events have included Art Workshops and Exhibitions, Cricket Tournaments, Creative Writing Competitions and Debating Tournaments.

In 2008, TWINS events will include the Southern Province Debating Tournament, Creative Writing Workshops and Competition and an Art Exhibition.

Throughout 2007, TWINS have coordinated three Debating Tournaments for Provincial Schools. Over 80 provincial schools have been involved in this competition which culminated in the ‘Super Six’ Grand Final in September to decide the overall winning school for the Southern Province.

This tournament provided students from rural provincial schools with the unique opportunity to stretch their minds and improve their confidence in public speaking. Students participating in the final debate at the Super Six Tournament also had the unique opportunity to have their debate broadcast on National radio. Another move by ASL TWINS to provide young people with a voice and have their opinions heard in Sri Lanka.

ASL was highly commended by the Southern Provincial Education Department since the opportunity to compete in this forum has never been available for provincial schools before.  The winning teams will participate in a skills development workshop during the Galle Literary Festival in January 2008.

Due to the success of the debating tournament, TWINS is now seeking funds from its supporters to run this tournament again in 2008.  If you would like to contribute to our Events Appeal please email Bec Lyons, General Manager of AdoptSriLanka, adoptsrilanka@gmail.com

ASL Skill Sharing Workshop for Teachers

This initiative of ASL TWINS gives English teachers in Sri Lanka the opportunity to share their ideas and knowledge.

Through generous support from TWIN Schools abroad, many Sri Lankan TWINS have had English Activity Rooms or Corners developed. However, it is a relatively new concept for Sri Lankan schools and many teachers have been at a loss as to how to best use their new space. On the other hand many Sri Lankan teachers have grasped this new learning style and were keen to share their ideas with their colleagues. In response, ASL TWINS developed these workshops.

These workshops aim to allocate time and space for teachers to share how they can best use their new space. It is all about creating a fun and exciting learning environment for their students.

5 champion teachers who were identified by local Education office as excelling in the classroom have been invited to share there knowledge and help motivate a further 25 teachers. 

These workshops compliment the English Activity Handbook for Teachers which has also been developed by ASL TWINS.

The Handbook contains over 60 pages of activities and worksheets to support activities in their English Activity Rooms.

Twins Events Appeal

ASL TWINS Recent Highlights

This section of our site is packed full of recent highlights of the program as well as spotlights on successful TWINS partnerships.

TWINS School Visits

Thank you to representatives from:

• Pymble Ladies College – Australia
• Scots College – Australia
• Silverdale Primary School – United Kingdom
• Morgam Park Education Centre – United Kingdom
• Glossopdale Community College – United Kingdom
• Walton Priory Middle School – United Kingdom
• High Storrs School – United Kingdom
• Bilton Grange School– United Kingdom
• Cranbrook School – Australia
• Monmouth Cadets  – United Kingdom
• St. Mathew’s School – United Kingdom
• King’s College - Cambridge
• YSGOL Faenol - Wales
• Lincoln Christ Hospital School – United Kingdom
• Ladywell Gym – United Kingdom
• Butcombe Preparatory School  – United Kingdom
• Solihull School – United Kingdom
• Harpole Primary School  – United Kingdom
• Downe House Girls School – United Kingdom
• Monmouth School – United Kingdom
• Hazlegrove School  – United Kingdom
• Bronte Public School – Australia
• Greenshaw High School – United Kingdom

Many of our TWIN Schools plan to visit their Sri Lankan TWIN in 2008!

• A teacher from The King Edmund School will be visiting their TWIN school Palapotha M.V at the end of February
• Two teachers from Ysgol y Faenol will visit their TWIN school Godawanagoda K.V in July. They received British Council  funding for this visit
• Teachers from Godawanagoda will travel to Wales to visit their TWIN Ysgol y Faenol in late 2008. 
• Sue from Tibshelf School is currently spending time mentoring teachers at Ihalugoda School
• A group of 18 students from Tibshelf School will visit their TWIN Ihalugoda School in July
• The TWINS Coordinator of Orgill Primary School plans to visit her TWIN school Thotagamuwa School in April.
• Two teachers from Kadurupokuna Primary will visit their UK TWIN Hose C of E Primary in May
• A teacher from Grange Junior School to Deepankara School in April
• A teacher from Deepankara School will visit Grange Junior School in May

Gorseland Primary School and Kudawella School team up and win the BT Global Challenge!

This was a huge challenge, especially as Kudawella School in Sri Lanka currently has no electricity, let alone a phone line or internet facilities!!  Gorseland Students attended the awards ceremony in December 2007 and were awarded with 1000 GBP for their Sri Lankan TWIN School. The school hopes to uses these funds to connect the school with electricity and the internet.

Students worked together to create an online cookbook where they have displayed photographs and information about their local produce markets, vegetables and traditional recipes. Students visited local produce markets and had fun making their favourite recipes that they could share with their TWIN.

Congratulations to everyone involved on a fantastic project that shows a global school partnership can be successful despite the lack of easy access to the latest technology!

Please note that 10% of your donation will be allocated to the ASL TWINS central costs which contribute to necessary expenses such as the salary of your TWINS Field Officer, travel expenses for visiting your TWIN school and general administration expenses such as using the internet to keep in regular contact with you.

For further information about donating to your TWIN School or donating to our TWINS central costs please contact the General Manager of AdoptSriLanka adoptsrilanka@gmail.com

UK Donations
All donations should be made out to ‘Children in Crisis’ and sent to:
ASL TWINS, c/o Children in Crisis,
206-208 Stewart's Road,
London, SW8 4UB

Click here to download the TWINS Donation Docket Form
Click here to download the TWINS Gift Aid Declaration Form

Please clearly write the name of your Sri Lankan TWIN school to ensure that any funds that you send are earmarked for the appropriate beneficiary school.

Please ensure that there is a Gift Aid Declaration, completed by the donor, for every cheque to which Gift Aid should be applied (where an enduring Gift Aid Declaration has already been provided, please send a photocopy). 

Gift Aid can only be applied to cheques written by UK tax paying individuals.  However, if you are able to do so, sending donations in the form of such a private cheque will significantly increase your donation.

Donating directly to Sri Lanka
Hatton National Bank Limited
Galle Branch
Sort code: 7083-013
Account number: 11796016
Name: The Taprobane Trust (PVT) Ltd (adoptsrilanka.com)
Swift Code:  HBLILKLX013

Please ensure that when your donations have been transferred directly to The Taprobane Trust (PVT) Limited account, in Sri Lanka, that you send an email to adoptsrilanka@gmail.com confirming the amount and date of transaction, who the donation is from and whether you would like your donation allocated to a particular school, project or to the TWINS central costs.

Please be aware, that when making a donation to the Hatton National Bank, a receipt will only be issued, if you have provided us with your full name and address. Please also note that it takes approximately 14 days before we can issue confirmation of funds received. We ask for your patience.