The month of August 2022 was filled with some extremely meaningful and rewarding activities.
Six trainees from the S.N.D.T. Women's University, Mumbai, were deputed by their Department to SPJ Sadhana School as a part of their training programme. The trainees spent 15 days at the school, interacting with the students, exploring the various departments at Sadhana School, and learning from the teachers and the students through the process of observation.
The school received some very rewarding feedback from the trainees. Every single trainee rated the school as "excellent". As compared to other schools, they mentioned that Sadhana had an excellent student-teacher ratio, the staffs were friendly, the students were handled very well and the school provided them with an excellent and positive environment. They mentioned that sufficient time was allotted for each lesson, and that there were sufficient breaks for the students as well. They were impressed by the fact that the teachers used multiple languages as needed in order to communicate effectively with the students. They appreciated the fact that the students were placed in various activities according to their capacity, and that the school provided training in a healthy balance of academics, sports and various therapies. They particularly appreciated the fact that therapists were available to the students on campus and highlighted the significance of special therapies such as Snoezelen Therapy. Another aspect they praised was the collaboration between the therapists, teachers, and volunteers and the way they immediately responded to students' needs. They mentioned the cleanliness of the school and the fact that all areas were well-maintained, and that the gym was well-equipped. A special mention was made of the good work culture in the school, and that the care workers and non-teaching staff were kind and helpful. The trainees felt they learnt many useful things during the time spent at Sadhana School. They felt that they had exposure to a range of teaching aids and learned how to adapt them according to the child's needs. Several of them mentioned that the Brain Gym Activity was something useful that they learnt. They learnt about classroom management, various methods of providing correction to the students and various teaching strategies to handle students with different needs. They recognised the relevance of skills enhancement along with academics. An important aspect that they observed was that learning could be enhanced by acceptance of answers from students and on-the-spot modification in lessons. Above all they observed and imbibed the importance of positive teacher attitude.
Friendship Day was celebrated in school, with students and parents making new friends and strengthening old bonds. Games, activities, friendship bands and snacks, especially icecream, made the friendship day celebration in school a happy one. Truly, "Life is better with friends and ice-cream"! A friendship activity was conducted with the parents and the Coordinator Simida shared a few ideas about the importance of vocational training and how friendship is essential for students, to enhance their social skills in school as well in the outside work world.
A very important celebration was the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to celebrate 75 years of Independence. Following the "Har Ghar mein Tiranga" campaign, the school celebrated 75 years of Independence with "Har Haath mein Tiranga", with a flag in each student's hand. The students made a pledge "I am the Change", by doing activities in order to "Be the Change", thus bringing about a change in their skills, behaviour, manners and cognition.
The Formative Years enacted the story of Janmashtami using the new donated magnetic teaching aids. They also undertook various changes in their behaviour. Grades 1, 2 and 3B took up the activity of "Throwing things in the bin". Grade 3A took up the activity of "Putting things back after use". Grade 4 took up the activity of "Saving electricity" by switching off fans and lights when moving out of the room.
A Special Assembly at the Intermediate level was held on 25th August in the Gym Room. The students, staff members, therapists and volunteers of the Pre-Vocational and Skills Enhancement departments participated in the event. Using the theme of the Sadhana City Radio Station, the Special Assembly celebrated the medley of festivals in the month of August, including Raksha bandhan, Independence Day, Janmashtami, Parsi New Year and Ganesh Chaturthi. Dance, drama and music added fun and spice to the event. A quiz on each festival made the event more interactive and engaging. The guidance and suggestions of the Principal helped to create a flawless flow of events, with successful performances by the students.
A Cyber Security Workshop was conducted on Google Meet for parents and staff members, on 29th August, by the NGO Responsible Netism, in order to empower parents to protect children in cyberspace. The workshop provided useful tips on digital parenting. It stressed that the internet is a great tool for information, learning and development provided it is used wisely. Parents were advised to educate themselves about cyber-crimes, in order to protect their children online. The workshop discussed the importance of communicating openly with their children and alerted them to aspects of what is age appropriate for their child. They were advised to provide alternative constructive, creative activities and to regulate the amount of screen time. Tips were provided on how to handle cyber bullying, how to pick up signs of distress and when to seek help. There were also suggestions on important rules to teach their children, such as not sharing personal information and not accepting friend requests from strangers, in order to keep them safe online.
On 29th August, the PTA Members organized the 60th Birthday Celebration of Dr. Mickey Mehta, entitled "Special Celebrations with Special Souls". The event began with a video to welcome the arrival of Dr. Mickey Mehta. After an introductory speech by a PTA member, the students presented flowers and a card to Dr. Mehta, followed by cutting of the birthday cake. Dr. Mehta interacted with the students and conducted a very useful exercise/yoga session. The event ended with a vote of thanks from the PTA and the screening of a video.
Thus the month of August provided a range of useful learning opportunities for students, parents, teachers and trainee teachers.
Six trainees from the S.N.D.T. Women's University, Mumbai, were deputed by their Department to SPJ Sadhana School as a part of their training programme. The trainees spent 15 days at the school, interacting with the students, exploring the various departments at Sadhana School, and learning from the teachers and the students through the process of observation.
The school received some very rewarding feedback from the trainees. Every single trainee rated the school as "excellent". As compared to other schools, they mentioned that Sadhana had an excellent student-teacher ratio, the staffs were friendly, the students were handled very well and the school provided them with an excellent and positive environment. They mentioned that sufficient time was allotted for each lesson, and that there were sufficient breaks for the students as well. They were impressed by the fact that the teachers used multiple languages as needed in order to communicate effectively with the students. They appreciated the fact that the students were placed in various activities according to their capacity, and that the school provided training in a healthy balance of academics, sports and various therapies. They particularly appreciated the fact that therapists were available to the students on campus and highlighted the significance of special therapies such as Snoezelen Therapy. Another aspect they praised was the collaboration between the therapists, teachers, and volunteers and the way they immediately responded to students' needs. They mentioned the cleanliness of the school and the fact that all areas were well-maintained, and that the gym was well-equipped. A special mention was made of the good work culture in the school, and that the care workers and non-teaching staff were kind and helpful. The trainees felt they learnt many useful things during the time spent at Sadhana School. They felt that they had exposure to a range of teaching aids and learned how to adapt them according to the child's needs. Several of them mentioned that the Brain Gym Activity was something useful that they learnt. They learnt about classroom management, various methods of providing correction to the students and various teaching strategies to handle students with different needs. They recognised the relevance of skills enhancement along with academics. An important aspect that they observed was that learning could be enhanced by acceptance of answers from students and on-the-spot modification in lessons. Above all they observed and imbibed the importance of positive teacher attitude.
Friendship Day was celebrated in school, with students and parents making new friends and strengthening old bonds. Games, activities, friendship bands and snacks, especially icecream, made the friendship day celebration in school a happy one. Truly, "Life is better with friends and ice-cream"! A friendship activity was conducted with the parents and the Coordinator Simida shared a few ideas about the importance of vocational training and how friendship is essential for students, to enhance their social skills in school as well in the outside work world.
A very important celebration was the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to celebrate 75 years of Independence. Following the "Har Ghar mein Tiranga" campaign, the school celebrated 75 years of Independence with "Har Haath mein Tiranga", with a flag in each student's hand. The students made a pledge "I am the Change", by doing activities in order to "Be the Change", thus bringing about a change in their skills, behaviour, manners and cognition.
The Formative Years enacted the story of Janmashtami using the new donated magnetic teaching aids. They also undertook various changes in their behaviour. Grades 1, 2 and 3B took up the activity of "Throwing things in the bin". Grade 3A took up the activity of "Putting things back after use". Grade 4 took up the activity of "Saving electricity" by switching off fans and lights when moving out of the room.
A Special Assembly at the Intermediate level was held on 25th August in the Gym Room. The students, staff members, therapists and volunteers of the Pre-Vocational and Skills Enhancement departments participated in the event. Using the theme of the Sadhana City Radio Station, the Special Assembly celebrated the medley of festivals in the month of August, including Raksha bandhan, Independence Day, Janmashtami, Parsi New Year and Ganesh Chaturthi. Dance, drama and music added fun and spice to the event. A quiz on each festival made the event more interactive and engaging. The guidance and suggestions of the Principal helped to create a flawless flow of events, with successful performances by the students.
A Cyber Security Workshop was conducted on Google Meet for parents and staff members, on 29th August, by the NGO Responsible Netism, in order to empower parents to protect children in cyberspace. The workshop provided useful tips on digital parenting. It stressed that the internet is a great tool for information, learning and development provided it is used wisely. Parents were advised to educate themselves about cyber-crimes, in order to protect their children online. The workshop discussed the importance of communicating openly with their children and alerted them to aspects of what is age appropriate for their child. They were advised to provide alternative constructive, creative activities and to regulate the amount of screen time. Tips were provided on how to handle cyber bullying, how to pick up signs of distress and when to seek help. There were also suggestions on important rules to teach their children, such as not sharing personal information and not accepting friend requests from strangers, in order to keep them safe online.
On 29th August, the PTA Members organized the 60th Birthday Celebration of Dr. Mickey Mehta, entitled "Special Celebrations with Special Souls". The event began with a video to welcome the arrival of Dr. Mickey Mehta. After an introductory speech by a PTA member, the students presented flowers and a card to Dr. Mehta, followed by cutting of the birthday cake. Dr. Mehta interacted with the students and conducted a very useful exercise/yoga session. The event ended with a vote of thanks from the PTA and the screening of a video.
Thus the month of August provided a range of useful learning opportunities for students, parents, teachers and trainee teachers.