"If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are." Zen Proverb
V-Excel News
We are extremely happy that Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has sponsored a 26-seater Swaraj Mazda school van for our students. The old van was a cause
for constant worry to us due to its repair issues as these special children are unable to independently travel by public transport on a daily basis.
We would like to sincerely thank Mr. G. Narayanan, Executive Director of IOB, for appreciating our concerns and extending full support.
The summer vacation for the school is typically a time for us to review setup of the classrooms, restructure the arrangements, plan service-wise
space and check out the resource requirements. This year too this process is on and our admin team is at work in full swing to see that we are fully
geared to welcome the children back in the new academic year starting June 2009.
Kaleisdoscope Learning Centre
The year end saw a general winding up of classroom activities and compilation of reports. Each student went back with loads of material to show his
years work. Teachers were at their creative best in compiling art work, handwork, photograph albums and collages to send home with their students.
On 9th April, the last day of school, all the parents attended a closing meeting with the Principal. Various teachers and therapists explained the importance
of different methodologies and activities we had during the school year. Some of these were absolutely new and will be taken up more seriously in the coming
term. In order to orient parents and answer some of their doubts, different teachers spoke about play therapy, eurythmy, importance of festivals, story
telling, changes in diet and inclusion of many motor experiences in the school curriculum.
Teachers wound up their classes and on 11th April we bid farewell to five of our beloved teachers - Archana Joshi, Saradha Manikandan, Viji, Chitra and Bindu.
We wish them the best of luck in their future projects and also hope that their association with KLC will continue.
Academy for Teacher Excellence
After the first two days of April being taken up by the External Practical Examinations the trainees finally heaved a huge sigh of relief and looked
forward to the long break before the Final Exams scheduled for the last week of May. The RCI Exams conducted by the Manipal University will be from the
25th to the 29th of May, 2009.
Some comments from students about the course:-
I have learned a lot!
The course was very well coordinated.
Lesson plans have helped me put teaching in perspective.
I have gained confidence after working with the children.
I am able to work better with my own children.
Hours of course could be shorter.
The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), the governing body for teacher training in Special Education, conducted an inspection at V-Excel on 7th
of April 2009. All the trainees were present and had meticulously exhibited their teaching materials. Although they were slightly apprehensive initially,
they answered the questions put to them by the inspectors.
The farewell lunch for the trainees was given on the 9th of April. Dr.Vasudha, our Founder-Director, was traveling; everyone missed her presence on
the occasion. The lunch was well attended by all those who were involved in the ATE throughout the year, including the faculty members, KLC teachers who
were involved during practical sessions, and the office staff.
Three of the trainees - Shashikala, Ramya and Jayashree will be joining KLC as teachers in June 2009. Jareena will be joining our Remedial Unit VRC.
We wish them and all others the very best for their exams as well as their future as Special Educators.
Early Intervention Unit
The month of April has been busy with many children seeking admissions. We are very happy that over ten 2˝ - 4 year olds who came to us for sensory
integration have now got admissions in play group / kindergarten section of regular schools.
We conducted annual review meetings with parents and gave them home management programs to be followed during the month of May. The emphasis of home
management program is on -
achieving ‘generalization’ of skill attained during therapy, i.e. ensure that the specific skills learnt are applied across different activities
improving communication, and
increasing functional independence
Rural Outreach Program
In SSA, regular activities such as home-based training, resource room work, school visits, & daycare center routine etc. continued as usual. The
teachers have been busy implementing the set programs.
In May, the special educators will be busy with the vast exercise of surveying the villages, identifying new children with special needs who require
practical living skills and educational inputs. The next task will be then to enroll them for appropriate services.
Vocational Training Unit
April, a time for winding up and preparing for a new beginning. We spent time doing stock–taking of all sorts: materials, money etc. More importantly,
we focused on reviewing the growth in each of the individual students.
Preparing reports of each student and conducting individual meetings with parents were the highlights of this month. It left us with a feeling of
thanksgiving for the fantastic growth in the students and deeper understanding of the parents.
The admission panel met three times to interview seven candidates and their parents. Finally, after taking into account their fitment into the target
audience we cater to, we are certain of taking in two of them; we are ready to welcome at least five more. As the month comes to an end, we are busy
preparing time-tables and activities.
On the 27th of April, the last day for the students, we went to a beach cottage. The day will be remembered for long for the terrific fun every one had.
We said goodbye to Sriram and his mother Rama who had been a dedicated volunteer with us for 2 years. We wish you all Happy Holidays.
Counseling and Assessment Unit
April was full of year-end activities, from report writing to planning for the next year. The changes in the structure will bring about changes
in working of counseling department. The new academic year will see a lot of coordination and team work between various service units.
Stress has been major concern in all the companies due to various reasons like recession, job insecurity and layoff. We got an invitation to give a
lecture on Stress Management to fresh recruits from AIG InfoTech. It was well-attended by the top management, along with the freshers.
Counseling Unit has now launched its counseling services to IT industry from this month. The appointments are already full for the next month, emphasizing
the need for counseling for the young executives in the IT sector.
Contact Info :: India:
V-Excel Educational Trust
#1 Norton 2nd Street
Mandaveli Chennai 600 028
Tel: 91 - 44 - 24620243
91 - 44 – 24956373 E-mail us or visit us at www.v-excel.org
Contact Info :: USA:
Academic Concepts, Inc.
1403 Merrywood Drive
Edison, NJ 08817
Tel: (732) 572-3748
Tax ID: 22-3632715 E-mail us
Volunteer Info:
Volunteers are an integral part of our success. Our most pressing needs are in the areas of occupational and speech therapies, and
as teacher aides. We also require assistance in library management.
If you have any of these and are interested in volunteering at V-Excel, please contact us.
India Autism: Trying Tradition
In India, old ideas are giving new options to treating autism. Liz Neisloss reports on that country's approach.
On a basic level, the art of eurhythmy is the visible, body expression of words and music. It is seen as a dance-like movement, art form, and therapeutic
healing tool. It has been called "visible singing," or "visible speaking."
Eurhythmy can be performed in public, a study of dancers in brightly colored, diaphanous costumes. It is accompanied by music or spoken word, and sometimes
performed with no sound. Eurhythmy, completes the balance in the Waldorf schools’ focus on a well-rounded child who has access to arts, learning, and music.
Eurhythmy can help form a deep base of understanding of the parts of speech for a child who has yet to read; for example, how a "t" sound is made, where
it comes from in the body, how the body expresses the vowel sound "oh," and "ah," etc. Anthroposophy, the basis of Steiner’s educational curriculum, has as
the basis of its philosophy the concept that sounds correspond to parts of nature, and each word sound resonates with a different part of the natural world.
On a deeper level, eurhythmy is a spiritual practice, putting bodily movement and expression to both sounds and emotion. Eurhythmy performed alongside the
human sound is capable of accessing the deepest meaning of what it is to be human, akin to vibrating to the sound of "Om."
Eurhythmy expresses the idea that sound is powerful, and the human voice emitting sound carries more than the simple meaning of the utterances – it is also
the thing itself. Sound has the ability to transmit an inner experience to the outer world, and movement adds dimension to this expression.
The endeavor of eurhythmy is to reveal the inner experience of the soul and express it in a visible way. In other words, eurhythmy is speaking and singing
with one’s whole self, voice, body and soul, a pure experience which lends itself immensely to spiritual growth and healing.
