We, the teachers would like to congratulate the class of 2020 for their unbelievable achievement. We would like to thank the parents; the siblings, grandmas, grandpas and all those who have helped these extraordinary young people arrive at this moment. Lets us link with the thoughts of Principal Ms. Fionka Sanghvi.

Graduation - it is the most important event in the lives of every student. An event to earmark all that is good about our students, teachers and the school. Abundance of positive energy comes at a graduation event.

Looking back at the years spent at S.P.J. Sadhana, these students are ready to embark on a new journey, I get a flash of all the wonderful memories. We did a lot of special things. We shared all kinds of moments - happy, sad, fun, and magical. Such incredible memories, such meaningful adventures. We stepped away from our comfort zones and dived into so many unforgettable experiences.

Like any production, behind the scenes, there is a huge commitment going into each lesson prepared and an eagerness to be the very best staff they can be. It is a privilege for me to work with my colleagues who have such a skill-set and expertise in special education.

A healthy body, a healthy mind -- we have a duty of care to ensure the well-being of all our pupils in a mindful way. The dedication of the entire faculty of SPJ Sadhana School to educate the students is enormous. Empowering persons with special needs and transforming lives. These have been our hashtag always.The mentors who have provided internships to our students; their support has contributed to the growth of our students.

It’s time to thank all you parents for your tremendous support and willingness to foster your child’s education in our school. You’re A Dedicated Parent. You may have uncovered or developed abilities that you never thought or realized you had. Who knew you were a Special Needs Warrior, who will fight to the end for your child.

The pandemic dampened the much awaited graduation event but a closure was attempted by the school. A memory book was customised for every student. This is a valuable treasure to take them down memory lane. The graduation robe in Indian style and the graduation certificate ends the journey of the students at SPJ Sadhana with this farewell note

To our beloved students,

Seeing you, our new graduates, cross the stage after your years of hard work is a proud moment for us all, as I’m sure it is for all of you, and for your family and friends.

You are 48 unique individuals, all with your own unique academic, skills and social talents. I'm so thankful for all your smiles and hugs. Thanks for opening your hearts and letting us be a part of your lives.

So....
Follow your dreams
Follow your passion
Believe in yourself.
Life is an endless process of self-discovery

Before we say goodbye to you the graduating students, I just wanted to leave you with something special,
“you’re special just because you are you"
Congratulations!!!

Fionika Sanghvi, Principal

Usually, graduation talk is about giving advice but after decades of teaching the one thing we know is, never to try to advice a teenager. They already know it all! Let us say instead, that we have been ‘advised’ by them. In education, it is expected that teachers’ will uplift the students. But there has not been a day when we teachers were not inspired by them. As teachers, we saw them excel at academics, athletics and the arts but as their mentors we saw them fight illness, deal with diffidence, overcome difficulties and deal with personal loss. They have faced insurmountable challenges with dignity, courage and endurance.

And so for this moment in time, we remember the words of an old song and hope they can move ahead with remembrance.

“Proud moment to have graduation certificate of Priyanshu. My sincere thanks to Fionika ma'am and entire team of SPJ Sadhana School. Special thanks to Jasmine ma'am and Parul ma'am for taking all care with patience and extending support all the time for bringing up the children. The School worked very hard to achieve the best of it”. (Priyanshu’s Parents)

“Congratulations to all the children. Feel so proud and emotional to see Mustafa's graduation certificate and hat.

Special thanks to Ms. Jasmine and Ms. Parul for your sincere efforts, patience, care and hardwork to bring out the best in Mustafa and all the children, preparing them to be confident and face challenges in the outside world. Also thanking Ms. Fionika, Ms. Simida, all the teachers and staff of SPJ Sadhana. Highly appreciate every one's hardwork”. (Mustafa’s Parents)

“A very big Thank you to Fionika Ma'am, Jasmine Ma'am and Parul Ma'am for such a wonderful and memorable gift and the Graduation Certificate. I am proud to be a member of SPJ Sadhana and thanks to all our teachers and staff members for hard work and the efforts to transform our children into young and mature adults. We must say that words shall forever be insufficient to express our gratitude.” (Nikunj’s Parents)

“Thanks to SPJ Sadhana School for giving our children the gift of graduation. Thanks to Jasmine ma’am (with a heavy heart) for supporting Anas in all ways n thanks to Parul ma’am who was always there for Anas. We parents will always be grateful to all the members of SPJ.” (Anas’s Parents)

“Thanks to Jasmine ma'am and Parul ma'am and staff of SPJ Sadhana School for Hamza’s graduation certificate and memorable picture album - beautiful gifts.” (Hamza’s Parents)

“Thanks a lot to the entire staff and teachers of SPJ Sadhana for the Graduation certificate and the memorable gift.” (Miqdad’s Parents)

“Thanks to Fionika Ma'am, teachers and Staff of SPJ Sadhana School for the Graduation Certificate and the beautiful gift.” (Anvith’s Parents)

“Hi, As it is rightly said “A good educator can inspire, hope , ignite the imagination and instill a love of learning" (Brad Henry). A heartfelt thanks to Jasmine miss & Parul miss, and all the torch bearers for all the efforts taken for our kids to see them as graduate’ Honestly, I am feeling very proud for Pooja Vira, and happy to be a part of SPJ Sadhana Family. Feeling overwhelmed. Mixed feelings & lastly school days will be definitely a part of my golden moments, which can never be erased. Thank you for everything you did and helping her to grow.” (Pooja’s Parents)

“Thanks a lot to the entire staff & teachers of SPJ Sadhana for the Graduation certificate along with memorable gifts.” (Fenil’s Parents)

“Thanks a lot, teachers for sending graduation certificate and Dhaval's wonderful album.” (Dhaval’s Parents)

“A heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff & teachers of SPJ Sadhana for giving such a beautiful graduation gift along with the certificate. The album is made very intricately & so painstakingly, it took us back to the memory lane. Also, the jacket is really dapper. Thank you so much once again!” – (Abhijit’s Sister)

“I thank you immensely for all your efforts put into Rimsha thereby making her so confident, independent and part of the mainstream society, where she imparts her skills and has become financially independent. Many, many thanks for all your help throughout. Stay blessed”. - (Rimsha’s Parent)

“I'm very thankful for the heart melting memories sent by you, it literally replenished all our good memories... On seeing the certificate we are very proud of teachers and their intuition...” – (Sushmita’s Parents)

“Dear Ms. Simida, Avani and Adora, we really are touched by the thoughtful gift along with the certificate. The memory book is truly precious, with a poem that describes Rohan perfectly and fond memories, well captured and compiled into an album. We will always treasure it.” – (Rohan’s Parents)

“We were so thrilled to see our Rohan's Graduation Certificate yesterday. This was our dream and it has now come true. We have also have gone through the "SPJ Sadhana - One Shared Vision" which is so beautifully penned. We were really touched to read the Poem on Rohan, which describes him very aptly about some of his special qualities noticed over a period. We must appreciate the manner in which a custom built Memento has been prepared, obviously for each Graduating student.

It has now become like a life time treasure for the family and its worthiness cannot be measured that easily.

We miss Sister Gaitonde on this important event for Rohan. These 20 years of Rohan with SPJ Sadhana School will always remain etched in our memories forever. The real credit for converting our Rohan from a totally dependent young boy into an independent adult will primarily go to The Management of SPJ Sadhana School, it's totally devoted and trained staff for the pains they have taken on these Special Needs children and no doubt to Swati, Sanjay and Arjun for their total support and training at home. The patience of all teachers and also the parents cannot just be forgotten. Unfortunately, this year there was no physical event of Graduation Ceremony due to the pandemic.

Had this physical event was planned, then I would have requested for a Standing Ovation in the following manner - in order to acknowledge their contribution to all these young independent adults, who are graduated now:

• Continuous clapping for first 30 seconds for the Management of SPJ Sadhana School and all the devoted Teachers and other administrative staff, including all the helpers.
• Continuous clapping for the next 30 seconds for all the Parents and family members of the graduating adults.

Thanks for such a lovely memento which will be showcased at our end forever. We will certainly come and meet you and other teachers, once the movements are eased out. With best wishes to you and all those responsible for what our Rohan is today.” (Rohan’s Grandparents)

“Thank you ma'am for the wonderful things. You and the full team of teachers have taken all the trouble to make this beautiful journey a very memorable one.” – (Kimberly’s Parents)

“Teachers of WWS, we are thankful for such a wonderful convocation gift that not only AMRUTA enjoyed but parents were thrilled to enjoy the memories of those cheerful period of kids. With everlasting regards...” (Amruta’s Parents)

“Just received shubh's certificate and gift... special gift book. this book is very precious for us...this is shubh's journey...right now I have tears in my eyes...kaash iss vaqt main sadhana team ke saath apne emotions share kar paati...aap sabhi ko mera special thanks ..aap sabhi ka jo meri aur shubh ki journey me saath raha hai usse main apni antim saans tak nahi bhool sakti hu. Hamne school me ek letter diya tha shubh ki aur hamari iss journey ka...usme by mistake Kashmira ma'am ka name chhoot gaya tha..fir maine socha ki graduation ceremony me stage par unke liye bolungi but unfortunately mujhe mauka nahi mila... Kashmira ma'am ka specially meri life me bahut bada yogdaan raha hai...shubh se related problems toh unhone meri solve ki hi hai...but most important jo school aur shubh se related nahi hai usme bhi unhone meri bahut help ki hai..ek samay essa aaya tha ki meri life out of track chali gayi thi unhone usme bhi meri poori help ki jabki wo uske liye boundad nahi thi...wo mujhe uss vaqt nahi sambhaalti toh shayad aaj main jinda bhi nahi hoti. Main spj sadhana school ki poori team ki life long karzdaar hu. Isase jyada main ab nahi likh paungi..meri eyes poori tarah tears se bhari hui hai. Thanks a lot.” (Shubh’s Parents)

“Received Devanshi's certificate today, feels so good. Thank you so much for sending it. All the memories are well portrayed in the book; she's revisiting all the memories through the photographs.” (Devanshi’s Parents)

“Akhilesh’s parents called up and were very appreciative that someone from school delivers the graduation kit, loved the memory book, said it was lifelong memories”.

“Thank you to all the teachers’ and helpers at SPJ Sadhana from the bottom of our hearts...for the way that you have shaped Rachita into a happy, confident and independent person.” (Rachita’s Parents)

“Thank you to Sadhana School. Thanks for everything. For us it is super prestigious Sadhana School.” (Miloni’s Parents)

“As I conquer yet another milestone in my eternal journey, I wish to express my deep gratitude to all my Gurus, my fellow students, parents and all support staff who came together and selflessly contributed to make this possible in their own ways ! Thank you SPJ Sadhana! You are an integral part of my life. I am Aparimita, The one who knows no "boundaries"! As I look forward to conquering many boundaries going forward, I am committed to uphold the values that I have imbibed at SPJ Sadhana! I remain excited about my future. My parents join me to say our "Thank You" ! God Bless us all.” (Aparimita Singh)

“Respected Principal Teachers and all staff at school, Thank you for lovely parcel, really appreciate your efforts. You guys made it so special regardless of the pandemic. The album was heart touching, we really loved it! We are so glad to have an opportunity to be a part of SPJ Sadhana. My daughter will always have a special place in her heart for it.” (Afreen’s Parents)

“Yes, very much thankful to the staff of S.P.J. SADHNA SCHOOL, for such a beautiful album prepared for the students. Appreciating the amount of hard work done .Not only the students but all of our memories came up to light, thanking you for the certificate and all with it.” (Halima’s Parents)

“Respected Teachers & Sir,
Received the certificate and book which brought all the wonderful memories. It is such a wonderful gesture. Appreciate it. It would have been wonderful if we all would have met you personally and thanked you but seems God has different plans... Until we meet... please accept sincere thanks for everything you have done not only for our children but for us too by counselling us in so many ways.” (Aakriti’s Parents)

“Dear Ma’am & Sir,
Thank you all for such a beautiful certificate and a beautiful memorable album. After receiving this, since evening Ujjwalika and all of us are very happy. She is remembering all of you, all her classmates and all the trips. You all did a great job. Thank you once again, hope we will meet you soon.” (Ujjawalika’s Parents)

Dear Ma’am and Sir,
Thanks so much for the lovely certificate and the book which takes us down the memory lane of our children’s journey in the school. Thanking all of you and the staff for being patient with our kids.” (Ishita’s Parents)

Dear Mam/Sir,
Thanks a ton for the well designed Graduation Certificate and a memorable book as a gift.” (Radhika’s Parents)

Cheers to the Graduating Batch of 2020!!!

A graduation ceremony is a moment of pride not only for the students and parents, but also for every staff member of an institution. It marks the culmination of years of consistent perseverance, commitment and collaboration.

‘The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…one step at a time.’ -- Joe Girard

For a school that caters to students with special educational needs, a graduation is an expression of so much more – a validation of our dedication to a cause, a deep sense of gratification for our determination and a sentiment of hope for the future. With our students, we have taken small but very steady steps, to provide them with all the elements of a holistic education, to develop their potentials, to explore possibilities and to chart out their prospects.

The graduating batch of 2020 has been an exceptional batch. It was unfortunate that the lockdown interrupted our plans for an exemplary ceremony, but the students and their parents have shown tremendous resilience in the face of this year’s uncertainties. A year went by and we have finally brought a semblance of closure for them. Our students are finally ready to spread their wings!

‘Nothing is impossible. The word itself says – I’m possible--’ --Audrey Hepburn

We know that the graduation is just the beginning. Our students have a long road ahead. We may feel a sense of apprehension, but we are also confident that each and every one of our students will find their life’s path through their abilities, their hard work and their unique personalities. We, as their support systems, will always be there to help them to see the best in themselves, to learn from their failures and to seek the success they truly deserve.

‘Nothing can dim the light that shines from within!’ --Maya Angelou

Good luck, best wishes and cheers to the graduating batch of 2020!!!

Kashmira Vazifdar
Coordinator EIC Department

“You are a very special person,

And you should really know

How we love being your teachers,

And how fast these years did go.

Please come back to visit us,

As through life’s journey you grow,

Try hard to learn all you can

There is so much left to know.

One thing we tried to teach you,

To last your whole life through,

Is to know that you are special

Just because you are you!!”

Simida Correia
Coordinator – Vocational Department

Graduations may look a little different this year — families and friends will gather for cheering from a safe distance, and students may toss their caps collectively over the Internet, while sheltering at home. This year has been extremely challenging for each one of us and we have missed out on meeting each other face to face. Our most awaited event, the Graduation Ceremony came to a standstill and our joy to see our young adults in their graduation caps was a dream. Graduation and commencement ceremonies mark major transitional moments in a student’s life. They celebrate all the hard work you put into your education and achievements, and look forward to the future. Through the years of school, you’ve made new friends, developed new skills, and discovered new things about yourself. So many memories are attached with each and every child who has blossomed into a beautiful butterfly, who stepped in a cocoon when they entered SPJ Sadhana School. You have your wings now, to spread in the mainstream world to stand up with dignity and pride. You all have done us proud and will be missed!

Wishing you all a bright future in the coming years.

Tejal Kothari
Coordinator Intermediate Level

As they jump and toss their caps in air on their graduation day, their journey takes us back to the first day of their school. The first steps moved on the floor of Formative Years. Filled with fear and excitement to come to school, without knowing what a school is. As days passed by and days became months and months become years, it’s a joy to see them bloom and mold into what they are today.

Today, the graduates whom we see so settled in an unfamiliar workplace, were once so unsettled in a highly familiar place. As the children walked into Formative Years they needed our support at every step. Just as the saplings need nutrients to grow, so did the child need our constant care and parents our constant support. It is the most crucial time of their life.

When a child comes to us in the Formative Years, the first thing that we do is supporting the parents to accept their child’s being. We help the family to focus on the potentials and abilities and picture a beautiful future as we embark on this journey collaborating together. In the Formative Years, our major focus lies upon developing a connect with the children and their parents. We work towards supplementing their delayed developmental milestones, develop their sitting tolerance, control anxieties, modify behaviors, increase communication skills, teach interaction with new people, accept change in routine and enhance their life skills.

We provide a systematic structure to the day through the use of Sensory input that supports the child’s need. A balanced use of visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic input is very important to support the child to overcome their challenges and help in regulating himself. We understand the child’s caliber and build upon it. We accept the child’s challenges and modifying the environment to help overcome it. Formative Years as the name suggests, works on forming the child’s future, laying a foundation, to help a child transit, into his next level of life with ease.

Priya D’souza
Coordinator-Formative Years

“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. May be they always have been and will Be”

This batch of (2020) has completed 5 years and more with us . This journey has created a bond so strong, that it genuinely created bittersweet moments for all of us as they graduate from school.

We looked after these students as our own children. We nurtured them moulded them and made them into the student they are today. A student becomes the subject of a teacher’s action, target of a teacher’s thoughts and a compliment of a teacher’s endeavors. It is true that a teacher teaches but it is also true that a student creates a mentor. I have had the most precious lessons from my students. I learnt different ways of communicating, teaching and handling behaviours, which in turn made me a better teacher. This journey was a long one but did not get boring or tiring because of the will of the students, their parents and us teachers to do something better for them.

I have witnessed the childhood of some of these students which was a tough task for us to deal with. Their adolescent period was even more challenging, but as a team of teachers and therapists we did whatever we could: it was the process to shape the students personality in order to make them good human beings as they would be entering into adulthood. As the goal of SPJ Sadhana is to make every student a contributing member of society, we loaded them with a variety of tasks, programmes and activities that provided experiential learning, enhanced knowledge and helped in the holistic development of the student.

Our greatest achievement was that we were able to help most of our students in securing which was a very challenging task for us teachers. We went to various organisations and had meetings, telling them about our training, requesting them to hire our students as interns, conducting sensitization programmes and reaching the place of internships when an employee had difficulty in dealing with students. This achievement gave us great joy as our students have successfully made the transition from learners to independent bread winners and we are very proud of them. Before I end I wish to give this mantra to all my students.

“Take up one idea, make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscle, nerves every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

Simida Correia
Head of Department - Hospitality & Catering

Dear Students,

As you graduate from the Office Procedures Course, where you have constantly upgraded yourself to academic and emotional maturity, you are ready to step out into the world. Holistic training has empowered you with confidence, developed cognitive and communication skills, and supported your leadership qualities. You have successfully participated in various sports at state and international levels and won numerous awards and gold and silver medals and brought acclaim to us all. Kudos to you!

As a student, you have imbibed that success comes with caring. You were encouraged to care about learning and as a life-long learner, you have accepted the responsibility to decide what, when, where, and how you will learn and perform. With this philosophy, you are unstoppable and will undoubtedly prove your worth, wherever you may be.

Now the roles have changed, we are partners with you in all that you may choose to do, always present in your background. We wish you a successful journey in life!

Dear students as you are ready to step into a world full of wonderful possibilities and challenges, rest assured that you can always fall back on your years at SPJ Sadhana School to be a guiding light.
We wish you the very best for your bright future!!

Jasmine Pandya
Head of Department - Office Procedures Course

To my lovely students:

Congratulations, to the class of 2020! I hope you are as proud of yourselves as I am. A Graduation ceremony is an event that celebrates our achievements (Students, Parents and Teachers.) and the promise of a successful future for our graduates. Step into the outside world keeping up the values you have learnt at home and in school. You might not be where you hope to be in a year or two, but start taking small steps and remember what Sadhana says, “Born to be a winner”. Life is all about change, opening a new chapter can be exciting but also a little scary. You are leaving the known behind and entering a new phase of life and I wish you nothing but the very best.

For our supportive Parents:

Congratulations to the parents of the Class of 2020!
When your daughter or son was first diagnosed as a special child all those years ago, you did not know what the future would hold, but you marched on into unknown territory behind your child. Managing all aspects of your child’s daily life, including personal needs, school activities, therapy and medical appointments must have been overwhelming, but because of your determination and hardwork, your child will have a better life. This graduation is a major milestone that would not have been possible without you.

We may not have a grand ceremony this year, but don't let this take away from this significant moment in your lives. Take pride in your accomplishments, have confidence in your abilities and determination to continue building a great life for yourself and your family. From all of us here at Sadhana, we are so proud of you.

Kalpana Kapadia
Head of Department – Math Lab

Namaste…

I strongly believe “Education is a spiral process by which information is assimilated with existing knowledge.” To that end, our Diamond sorting classroom was designed to be an interactive lab., where our curious students conducted their research. Students were introduced to the fascinating world of gems, and passed through this colourful journey to step out into a new world. Today, we celebrate the accomplishments of the class of 2020 of S.P.J Sadhana School. Our shining stars will soon join the galaxy of many other stars.

Kudos dear students, now you reflect a bright and shining light. We wish you immense luck as we bid you goodbye. We are confident that our wonderful gems will be on a constant quest for knowledge and skills. With all of us behind you, you cannot fail. Always remember…the world belongs to those who dream boldly, and who work steadfastly with passion and pride. Your journey with school may stop here, but above all, it’s the beginning of new heights for you!

Glow like a diamond wherever you go as you have the ability to shine, as,you now have the fire of a diamond because you have been crafted to reveal it.

So keep shining our beautiful gems, don’t ever let anyone dull your sparkle.

Bless you all,

Renu Javeri
Head of Department - Gemology

I remember the day my young students walked into Work World Skills class with wide eyes and wondering faces. They could hardly thread a bead or hold a flower to set it in an arrangement. My same youngsters are now young adults stepping out in a brand new life and we the teachers will stand here cheering them on.

Through the years we have trained our students from making fine jewellery used in the Fashion Shows to flower arrangements for important guess to handling various equipment which support all the different fields of learning. Different teaching methodologies and strategies were used for all the subjects, for each and every student so that they could retain them in their memory and further could use them in various different situations. The students were trained in such a holistic manner that they could attain maximum independence in all aspects, to the best of their ability.

Here in Sadhana, I learnt that the word “IMPOSSIBLE” can translate to “I AM POSSIBLE’”. Each and every student can be trained and be employed at the end of their training at a place that supports their skills and abilities. With this batch it has been 5 wonderful years of training, nurturing and bonding with each one of the students and their families. I must say I have been blessed to be a part of the Sadhana family and make a difference in the lives of these young adults. This journey with them has been challenging to bring out the best of their potential, and there have been many up and downs but in the end we have attained success. We bid adieu with a heavy heart and lots of fond memories. Wishing each one of you success and happiness in life.

Anju Daswani
Head of Department – Work World Skills

Being an artist, I have taught the students of the Visual Arts and Craft to dream. In a different way the students have learnt to master skills using different techniques and in their imagination have learnt to fly. We have taught our students according to their strength and ability. Every painting was a product solely of their imagination and visualization. The students trained for creating fabrics with multi dimensional effects. For us, Art and 3D subjects worked as therapy and students went forward with greater emotional, social and physical strength. Making the students independent was our main goal. Our training method was to begin teaching from the basics of holding the pencil to a complex level of painting through different mediums. The students also experimented with other subjects of creative arts. Now our students are graduates and we proudly congratulate them, as they move on into success. We wish you well and will always be behind you. Congratulations!

Avadhut Vitthal Magar
Head Of Department - Visual Arts And Crafts