The last two months of the academic year have been filled with a range of activities.
Under the guidance of Dr. (Mrs.) Jignasa Shah, the Head of Department of Dress Designing and Garment Manufacturing at Sophia Polytechnic, the students were tasked with designing a school uniform for students with special needs. This assignment was a part of the semester project. The interactive session allowed the Polytechnic students to first inquire with the OT therapists (Occupational Therapist) about some pertinent questions regarding uniforms and garments for the special needs people. The students inquired about various aspects of design, including fabric selection, texture, fit, necessary modifications, and the type of garment that would best suit the child's needs. The dress designing students were each assigned a student from SPJ Sadhana to interact with and talk about their preference for a school uniform and they took the measurements of that student.
The school received a visit from Students of Hill Spring International School, students of 9th Grade - Aaditya Dhupelia, Avika Lohia, Ishaan Ajgaonkar and Vihaan Jain, worked on a planned project with students of SPJ Sadhana School. They identified the topic Social Inclusion and Social Identity as an important aspect that needed to be understood and addressed. The issue they identified was that children with special needs do not receive equal opportunities to participate in many activities in society. The goal of the project was to change the social identity of these special needs students in a way that would be beneficial to their future, by shifting the focus of society away from the differences and steering it towards the similarities and the potential of these special needs students. Thus the project hopes to change the mindset of society, where every special needs child feels a sense of belonging and self-worth. Towards this goal, the students of Hill Spring International School organised an event called "The Bridge of Inclusion", at Pearl Residency, Prabhadevi, where they celebrated the power of Inclusion with the students of SPJ Sadhana School, at an evening filled with connection, creativity and community-building. The project on Inclusion was also carried forward by being a part of the Special Assembly organized by the EIC (Enhanced Intervention Centre) of SPJ Sadhana School, emphasizing on the skills of performing arts to learn about Environment Day. Students of Hill Spring international performed along with the Sadhana Students. Their support in skills of choir singing and drum circle was welcomed by Sadhana students fostering friendship, acceptance, empathy and tolerance.
This project was truly a healthy exchange of learning and values between the neurotypical and neurodiverse population.
“THE BRIDGE OF INCLUSION’’ AT PEARL RESIDENCY, PRABHADEVI
World Downs Syndrome Day was celebrated at Sadhana School with a talk by expert doctors from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Mumbai. This was an awareness session for the parents, and gifts and a magic show for the students.
The students of the Formative Years section made a visit to Kidzania, a trip that they thoroughly enjoyed. The students engaged enthusiastically in interactive activities with the focus on Community Helpers. This made learning an enjoyable experience. Notably, many students demonstrated the ability to apply their classroom knowledge to new situations, showcasing transfer of learning. Throughout the trip, the students consistently displayed good behaviour, making the outing a success.
The academic year in April 2025, ended with case conference of every student. The parents along with the team of teachers, therapist and principal discussed the strengths and challenges of each student along with the academic as well as therapeutic goals for the coming academic year.
Capacity Building Workshop at the end of the academic term was planned for staff members of Formative Years, Intermediate Level and Vocational classes. The teachers made a visit to the Peppercook-Seva Kitchen at Worli. This Foundation supports a volunteer-run community kitchen that distributes meals to slums across Mumbai. The feedback received from the staff members was very positive. Most staff members felt that the experience exceeded their expectations. They praised the excellent set up, and mentioned that everything was well organised, clean and hygienic. They enjoyed the camaraderie with staff and co-workers and the teamwork as a Sadhana team in a different setting. They particularly appreciated the experience of the joy of giving and the joy of doing Seva, and suggested that the school should organise more such capacity building workshop to inculcate team bonding activities that are beyond the school setting.
THE PEPPERCOOK-SEVA KITCHEN AT WORLI
An Arts-Based Therapy Session called "The Heart Behind the Work" was conducted for the teachers and therapists of Sadhana School, by Ms. Leena Sanghvi. Together, the participants laughed, created, reflected and "exhaled". According to Ms. Leena Sanghvi, it was more than a session; it was a gift of self-care, team bonding and creative release. The session embodied the belief that "when you nurture the nurturers, healing multiplies
Thus, with this session, the year ended with calmness, and connection and energy, providing the teachers and therapists with renewed vigour for the next academic year.
Under the guidance of Dr. (Mrs.) Jignasa Shah, the Head of Department of Dress Designing and Garment Manufacturing at Sophia Polytechnic, the students were tasked with designing a school uniform for students with special needs. This assignment was a part of the semester project. The interactive session allowed the Polytechnic students to first inquire with the OT therapists (Occupational Therapist) about some pertinent questions regarding uniforms and garments for the special needs people. The students inquired about various aspects of design, including fabric selection, texture, fit, necessary modifications, and the type of garment that would best suit the child's needs. The dress designing students were each assigned a student from SPJ Sadhana to interact with and talk about their preference for a school uniform and they took the measurements of that student.
The school received a visit from Students of Hill Spring International School, students of 9th Grade - Aaditya Dhupelia, Avika Lohia, Ishaan Ajgaonkar and Vihaan Jain, worked on a planned project with students of SPJ Sadhana School. They identified the topic Social Inclusion and Social Identity as an important aspect that needed to be understood and addressed. The issue they identified was that children with special needs do not receive equal opportunities to participate in many activities in society. The goal of the project was to change the social identity of these special needs students in a way that would be beneficial to their future, by shifting the focus of society away from the differences and steering it towards the similarities and the potential of these special needs students. Thus the project hopes to change the mindset of society, where every special needs child feels a sense of belonging and self-worth. Towards this goal, the students of Hill Spring International School organised an event called "The Bridge of Inclusion", at Pearl Residency, Prabhadevi, where they celebrated the power of Inclusion with the students of SPJ Sadhana School, at an evening filled with connection, creativity and community-building. The project on Inclusion was also carried forward by being a part of the Special Assembly organized by the EIC (Enhanced Intervention Centre) of SPJ Sadhana School, emphasizing on the skills of performing arts to learn about Environment Day. Students of Hill Spring international performed along with the Sadhana Students. Their support in skills of choir singing and drum circle was welcomed by Sadhana students fostering friendship, acceptance, empathy and tolerance.
This project was truly a healthy exchange of learning and values between the neurotypical and neurodiverse population.
“THE BRIDGE OF INCLUSION’’ AT PEARL RESIDENCY, PRABHADEVI
World Downs Syndrome Day was celebrated at Sadhana School with a talk by expert doctors from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Mumbai. This was an awareness session for the parents, and gifts and a magic show for the students.
The students of the Formative Years section made a visit to Kidzania, a trip that they thoroughly enjoyed. The students engaged enthusiastically in interactive activities with the focus on Community Helpers. This made learning an enjoyable experience. Notably, many students demonstrated the ability to apply their classroom knowledge to new situations, showcasing transfer of learning. Throughout the trip, the students consistently displayed good behaviour, making the outing a success.
The academic year in April 2025, ended with case conference of every student. The parents along with the team of teachers, therapist and principal discussed the strengths and challenges of each student along with the academic as well as therapeutic goals for the coming academic year.
Capacity Building Workshop at the end of the academic term was planned for staff members of Formative Years, Intermediate Level and Vocational classes. The teachers made a visit to the Peppercook-Seva Kitchen at Worli. This Foundation supports a volunteer-run community kitchen that distributes meals to slums across Mumbai. The feedback received from the staff members was very positive. Most staff members felt that the experience exceeded their expectations. They praised the excellent set up, and mentioned that everything was well organised, clean and hygienic. They enjoyed the camaraderie with staff and co-workers and the teamwork as a Sadhana team in a different setting. They particularly appreciated the experience of the joy of giving and the joy of doing Seva, and suggested that the school should organise more such capacity building workshop to inculcate team bonding activities that are beyond the school setting.
THE PEPPERCOOK-SEVA KITCHEN AT WORLI
An Arts-Based Therapy Session called "The Heart Behind the Work" was conducted for the teachers and therapists of Sadhana School, by Ms. Leena Sanghvi. Together, the participants laughed, created, reflected and "exhaled". According to Ms. Leena Sanghvi, it was more than a session; it was a gift of self-care, team bonding and creative release. The session embodied the belief that "when you nurture the nurturers, healing multiplies
Thus, with this session, the year ended with calmness, and connection and energy, providing the teachers and therapists with renewed vigour for the next academic year.