Teacher's Day: On September 5,Teacher's day was celebrated with lot of enthusiasm. A few parents of the children took charge of
the classes with the help of ATE students. All the staff and volunteers of the school enjoyed the day singing songs, playing
'Anthakshri' and watching a brilliant video documentary called "A Day in KLC" produced and directed by the young and exuberant Ms. Neha
Bhalla, our Montessori teacher. Breakfast was served by the management and it was a day to remember.
Distinct Honor for our Teachers: This Teacher's Day our special educators - Gita Bhalla, Geeta Gopalakrishnan, Neela
Chandramouli and G. Babu Rao were felicitated by the Global Tamil/Telugu People Foundation. Each of the teachers received a cash prize
and a citation for choosing and achieving in this truly challenging and innovative career and making a real difference in the
life of special children.
Workshop: As a part of the in-service training, a one-day workshop on Dyscalculia was organized for all the teachers. Mrs. Revathi
Shivashankar, lecturer, Madras Dyslexia Centre presented a new perspective of Math. The workshop received rave reviews from all the
teachers.
Academy of Teacher Excellence News
Disha meeting: On September 17th, a meeting was organized for the parents of the special children of our school. The eminent Neurologist
from the city Dr. G. Kumaresan addressed the parents on various issues relating to the neurological basis of disabilities.
Examinations: Examinations were conducted in all the subjects. Some of the students displayed a lot of enthusiasm and brilliance during
the paper presentations. Overall, the term was undisturbed and productive.
Kaleidoscope Learning Center (KLC) News
Learning while celebrating: During the first week of September, Ganesh Chaturthi was commemorated with art and craft activity. All
classes made some form of Ganesha and exhibited it on their display boards.
On 12th September, Onam was celebrated with the traditional Pookolam . It was unique because every child in the school participated
in drawing the Kolam (Design) and decorating it with colorful flowers and leaves. This was followed by a dance by the students and
teachers dressed in the traditional attire.
Open days: During the third and fourth week of September, the parents of each class came and observed and participated in the
child's Program in school for one day. They also spent time discussing the progress of their child and went through all the
worksheets and class work done during this term.
Vacation time: September 30th was the last working day of the first term. This day was extraordinary for our special children who
witnessed a traditional Golu to signify Navarathri. This Golu was compiled by our teachers and beautifully displayed in the school
foyer.
V-Excel Remedial Center (VRC) News
The teachers at VRC have formed small core groups which meet on a weekly basis. The idea behind this is:
To enable meaningful dialogue on exploration of potential for each of our children.
To learn to listen to one another as a means to promote better quality of education for all our kids.
To exchange ideas on strategies to work with children.
To share the strategies that worked and those which did not.
All the teachers at VRC got together at our Mandaveli Center on Saturday, 24th September 2005 in a workshop to make appropriate
teaching aids for our children. Our facilitator Deepa Raghavan coordinated the effort. The need to have customized teaching materials
for different age groups and varying skill levels was emphasized. The focus was also on the methodology to be used in presenting
the materials to our children. The workshop resulted in our group's talents being utilized collectively for making the following:
Word cards
Worksheets for teaching math concepts
Paragraphs for doing comprehension exercises
Bridges Learning Academy
Educational tour: The children were sent on a tour to visit the Birla Planetarium. Eight teacher trainees from the Academy for Teacher
Excellence volunteered to escort the children that day. It was indeed a fantastic learning experience for the children.
Terminal Examinations: The First terminal examinations were conducted. The children have performed well in these exams. It is noteworthy
to mention the commendable performance of Dhanush. He has scored full in math, and very well in English and EVS.
Open house: All the parents attended the open house on the 30th September. It was a proud moment for the teachers of BLA for they
have almost achieved the goals set in the IEPs (Individualized Educational Programme). Parents went home greatly satisfied with their
children's performance this term.
Contact Info :: India:
V-Excel Educational Trust
#1 Norton 2nd Street
Mandaveli Chennai 600 028
Tel: 91 - 44 - 2494 2255
91 - 44 – 2495 6373 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.
I am ..
I am a child with Autism. I want you to know that:
1. I am a child just like any other. So don’t treat me any less.
2. My sensory perceptions are distorted. So help me deal with the world as I experience it.
3. I express myself differently from you. So understand what I am trying to communicate with my behavior.
4. I learn best in an environment which is non-threatening. So seek to understand what threatens me and help me overcome my fears.
5. I can read and do math better than you think. So challenge me more and more.
6. I have difficulty in social situations. So guide me through it gently.
7. I only understand specific language. So don’t use idioms, puns, nuances and sarcasm.
8. I have difficulty transitioning. So prepare me for changes ahead of time.
9. I can feel all the emotions just like you. So respect me.
10. Finally, just love me unconditionally. I am worth it.
