The end of the year 2023 was filled with a range of activities.
The Sports teachers, Ms. Rajashri Ghosalkar and Ms. Alpana Koli attended the District Level Athletic Event organised by the Concern India Foundation Sports Day for the Differently Abled, along with 17 students from Grades II, IV, and the IL and VTC Departments, at the Bombay Gymkhana Sports Club. All the athletes were able to play with competitive spirit, independently and confidently. The Sadhana School team won one Gold, one Silver, and one Bronze medal.
As part of their Social Outreach programme, 80 students of Std. VII of the Nalanda Public School visited Sadhana School. It was indeed a very good learning experience for them. They also brought a small token of their friendship for each student of Sadhana School.
S. P. J. Sadhana School is proud to announce that our former student, Ms. Sayali Ramchandra Jadhav, received the Smt. Nandini P. Divatia Rural Rehabilitation Award for the Disabled for the year 2023, and a cash prize of Rs. 15,000/- from the Rural Development and Management Institute, Ahmedabad. The award was presented at a ceremony organised at Ahmedabad.
In this Golden Jubilee year, the Annual Exhibition focused on the themes of Inclusion and Collaboration. In addition to stalls set up by each class/department of the school, several NGOs such as Shraddha Charitable Trust, Ahura Support, Kshitij and SVRR were invited to set up stalls for their products.
In her speech, the Principal Ms. Fionika Sanghvi stressed on their shared commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of persons with special needs. She highlighted the fact that "together we can amplify our impact, create lasting change, and foster a better future for our students." She also mentioned that the collaboration with other organisations at the exhibition was a way to "embrace open communication and a shared vision in order to create a ripple effect that can extend far beyond the immediate collaboration, thus becoming a catalyst for positive change".
A highlight of the event was the Graduation Ceremony of the AIMS Media students who had completed the two-year training programme in Graphics Design and Animation in collaboration with AIMS Media. The six students who graduated where: Aaryamann Purandare, Aryaman Kumar, Bishwarup Chakravarty, Chidghan Upadhye, Michael Fichardo,and Vaidehi Jain. During their training, the students were placed in paid projects as a part of their internship. They now aspire to build a career in this field. Ms. Parul Mody, the Computer Teacher and Coordinator for the AIMS Media Course was felicitated for her sincerity and dedication. Special gratitude was also expressed to Mr. Rakesh dhasmana , Dr. Maria Kapasi, and Mr. Saad Ullah, who customised the course, facilitated learning and acted as mentor to the students.
Ms. Sanghvi thanked SBI Life for their sponsorship of the event. She expressed gratitude to the Chief Guest, Mr. Subodh Kumar Jha, Chief of HR at SBI Life, for their continual support as a part of their commitment to society, and thanked them for providing internship opportunities as well as employment, which represented a huge step towards inclusion.
The Annual Exhibition was indeed a huge success and drew an enthusiastic response from the visitors to the Christmas Corner set up by the Formative Years, as well as the various stalls for the products created by the different Departments, such as artwork, napkins, stoles, jewellery items, stationery items, and of course the delicious food products.
Sadhana School also collaborated in a Student Sensitization Programme for students of the Aditya Birla World Academy. A prior sensitization session was conducted where the school counsellor, Ms. Shireen Bhesadia visited the Aditya Birla World Academy. The students were sensitised to the notion of disability in general and the disabilities of the students at Sadhana School, given a background about the school, and any doubts and misconceptions were clarified. Fifty students of Std. VII from the Aditya Birla World Academy, accompanied by their teachers, visited the school and conducted the Special Assembly on Christmas. The Nativity Scene was enacted in simple language, Christmas carols were sung and the students participated in a short quiz about Christmas.
This was followed by a shared sports session in which students of Aditya Birla World Academy participated along with students of SPJ Sadhana School. The visiting students were also taken on a tour of Sadhana School in order to gain an insight into the inclusive learning environment by observing the kinds of classroom activities and therapy sessions. The visit concluded with a discussion and feedback session with the Principal Ms. Fionika Sanghvi, and the psychologist, Ms. Kashmira Vazifdar.
The students of Sadhana School, accompanied by their teachers participated in the Sports Meet for Special Children organised by the Jamnabai Narsee School, of the Narsee Monjee Educational Trust, at the Jamnabai Narsee Playground, Vile Parle, followed by a festive lunch. 25 athletes participated in Jamnabai Narsee Monjee School athletics meet from Grade II, III and IV as well as IL and VTC students participated in track and field events enthusiastically. We have won only one bronze medal. Thank you to all staff and care workers who tirelessly worked during the event.
The concluding activities for the year included a session of Christmas cheer, with carol singing, a puppet show and Christmas gifts for the children. The PTA organised a wonderful Christmas celebration, with a special screening of the film "Wish" at Metro Inox, and the children were also treated to delicious snacks. The Christmas ended with a Secret Santa activity for the staff.
Thus 2023 ended at Sadhana School on a festive note!