"Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.."
...Bhagavad Gita
V-Excel News
The V-Excel Alumni Association (VAA) members were invited for a get-together on the 1st September 2012. Parimal and Puja from the counseling department organized an activity -'being connected'. The exercise was about effective communication and relationship management. The participants had a lot of fun together. We would like to thank all the alumni members who came for the event and made it a special day.
Our previous Sibling Forum had focused on the teenagers; this time we met the children below 12 years. The kids had a wonderful time in V-Excel's Play Therapy section. Two volunteers Ms. Vaishnavi and Mr. Manivanan worked alongside our counselor Anandhi. The Luvmysib Forum has planned to take all those above 10 years for a trek on 14th October 2012. We request all the siblings to call our Mandaveli office to register for this outing.
All our teachers and other professionals across different Units had come together for Teachers' Day celebration, a relaxed day of frolic and food! We had three teams; each team was dressed in a different color (red, blue yellow). Laughter filled the air when creatively designed games generated a lot of excitement. Tasty lunch and music were the highlights of the afternoon, before everyone dispersed with a content smile.
A musical concert was held on 21st September in Shastri Hall, Luz - Mylapore. Vocalist Ms. Vidhya Raghavan, violinist Lavanya Raman, and mrudangam player R. Ramkumar created magic for our children. The concert was sponsored by Mr.Hariharan, one of our Advisors. All the children enjoyed the concert. Photographs are available on V-Excel's Facebook account.
Kaleisdoscope Learning Centre
The month of festivals began with Onam. This time the mothers got together in groups and decorated the entire front foyer of the school in five beautiful flower designs while the children watched their mothers at work. It was a beautiful day where each child got a simple flower and mothers created a flower garden for their children.
The bonding and participation from the mothers and parents took another dimension this time as was evident during the Open Days held in the second week of the month. While mothers of the Grade 4 (upper) children had lunch with our Coordinator, Janaki, and one of the teachers, Pon rajam. They discussed the children's progress and issues over lunch informally. The mothers of Grade 5 children not only participated in the speech and drama class, but also performed for the group, narrating a story brought to life on their own! It is indeed a pleasure for the children to watch the teachers and parents bond over these sessions; the interest that the children show in the lesson after an event of this nature is rewarding to say the least.
This year too Ganesha came alive in many classes with the handwork and craft being taken over by clay work. Everyone and every class tried their hand at making Ganesha, sweets, the mouse and various other objects of worship. We are sure Lord Ganesha would have been pleased to watch the whole school translate their faith into 'will' work of the hands and then the decorated these. Idols made by the children were exhibited and worshipped in the school assembly on 18th September.
The seven new teachers have started their orientation and introduction classes held every Saturday from 10 a.m.-12 noon on the days that our Principal, Mrs. Gita Bhalla, is in town. The training dates for the next term are 6th and 13th of October; the program is open for all the teachers across all V-Excel units.
Two in-service training sessions, one from the Counseling and one from Occupational Therapy department were conducted. The last in-service held on the 28th September focused on 'What a teacher brings to the classroom with her astrality'. It was well received and was thought provoking. It also triggered very useful discussions that were ably moderated by John Miller. We also had a child study for this month conducted for Varsha.
Students of Madras University visited the Centre on 27th September and were given an introductory talk by Dr. Vasudha, followed by a short tour of our school. We hope that, in the years to come, we are able to attract more and more students like these ones who can fortify their training practices and are able to join us in our environment.
Academy for Teacher Excellence
We would like to welcome Mrs. Maria Josephine on board as our Coordinator for this Unit. Maria brings with her a vast experience of over 25 years in the field of Special Education and Training. She has worked in various capacities in organizations such as Spastic Society of Tamil Nadu. She has been involved in curriculum development, planning and organizing, implementation of programs, community rehabilitation, outreach projects and the like. We look forward to making great strides in training with her active engagement.
Counseling department started the second level of their Counseling course; three classes have been already conducted. In this module all the major therapeutic techniques will be covered. The participants will have to submit two completed case studies each where each of the cases will be closely supervised.
Early Intervention Unit
This month we had all the parents observing therapy sessions, remedial facilitation and speech class. Individual home programs were given after conducting review meetings with the parents. Many parents appreciated the depth of the early intervention program and were extremely happy with the way their children were facilitated, approached by the members of the early intervention team. It gave us a very satisfying feeling!
We have been receiving children with cerebral palsy and were working with them individually. But a group program was the need of the hour and we now have set up a resource room for them. At present four children are a part of that program which is shaping up very well.
The early intervention staff underwent training on developmental checklist for the period between birth and five years, with a focus on every three-monthly expected milestones. Such in-service training goes a long way in strengthening our work with the children.
V-Excel Satellite Centres
We are very happy to announce that we are starting a Satellite Center in Erode. Like our Nasik and Tirunelveli Centers, this too will provide remedial and early Intervention services to the children in the city. A small auspicious puja was conducted this month and set up is in progress. We shall launch the program with the children from October 2012.
In Tirunelveli, Mrs. Lalitha Sridhar, our Satellite Center in-charge conducted a parent workshop this month. She reviewed children's programs and gave the special educators and therapists professional inputs for doing more effective and intense work with the children.
In our Nasik Center, we organized a seminar on Behaviour Management of special children on the 7th of September. Mrs Sunita Samant, Clinical Psychologist was the speaker. About 15 parents attended the seminar and it was well received. Parents have requested for a Part-2 of the seminar; we have decided to hold it in the second week of October. We are also very happy to share that one of our young students, a 6 year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder, has been admitted to a regular play group center.
V-Excel Remedial Centre
We concentrated on an internal review of children's progress over the last three months. We met all the teachers for the review and for goal setting for the next two months. We also conducted the review meetings with parents of four children. They acknowledged progress made by their children in areas of reading and writing.
Parents have requested for help in managing certain behavioural issues. Two of these children are at the onset of adolescence. We have arranged counseling sessions for them.
We completed two new assessments; we have given home remedial program to one child along with inputs on diet and rhythm. This will be reviewed after two months. We have recommended play therapy and remedial for the other child.
Remedial assessment was done for a girl from Hosur who was here for four days with her parents. She was found to be functioning far below her age and grade level. In the absence of a suitable special school and remedial center there, we have given a few suggestions and also provided counseling to the parents and the girl. This will help them handle the present situation and make some long term plans. Given that the girl has just entered her teens we also discussed issues of privacy, safety, and need for sex education.
Rural Outreach Program
Britannia Industries Limited came forth once more and sponsored biscuits for our special children in Villipuram district. We cater to about 4000 children there across various programs - working with inclusive government and municipal schools, running Resource Rooms and Day Care Centers. We sincerely thank Britannia for their generous support.
Meetings with special educators, taking progress status and discussing the way ahead was a highlight of this month.
Vocational Training Unit
Founder Director, Dr. Vasudha and Principal, Mrs. Gita Bhalla, addressed the parents of VTU students and spoke with them about the goals of the Unit. They stressed upon the 3 I's - Inclusion, Independence & Initiative - that have to be the guiding principles of all the work done by the team and the parents.
V-Excel has a Hobby Club for the students. Presently they are taught to handle cameras, to enhance creativity and to develop a passion for this hobby. These children were quite busy this month, scouting the streets of Chennai with their camera to shoot pictures of Singara Chennai for the V-Excel 2013 calendar.
Students went to Lalit Kala Academy for a demonstration of art and craft items by artisans who had come from all over India. They tried their hands on a few craft items and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
VTU has now started making screen printed Jute shopping bags. The products are turning out very well and we are really happy that the trainees are giving their best.
Dr. Parchuray, the personal doctor of renowned educationist and philosopher, Late J. Krishnamurthy (KFI) visited the Unit this month. He was very impressed by the program, activities of the students and their work.
Counseling and Assessment Unit
Our work with the special school has now extended to the teachers. Keeping in mind the high burnout rate in the special education, we are counseling the teachers in personal as well as school related matters. This month we also held systematic meetings with the teachers to help them manage behavioural issues of children and to help deal with the parents with sensitivity.
Drama and skits have become an integral part of our play therapy groups. This form seems to be very popular with the older children and we see them resort to it for dealing with many emotional and social difficulties they experience.
Counseling department conducted an in-service for the KLC teachers on 'Creating a holding space while listening'. For this, we started with an activity creating a space in clay and then in the listening-speaking exercise! It was an extremely effective in delivering the message.
Contact Information
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
V-Excel Center for Research and Rehabilitation
(In assocation with S.V. Sarada Foundation)
50 Sreyes, M.G. Road
Shastri Nagar, Chennai 600 041
Tel: 91 - 44 - 24522061
91 - 44 - 24521986 E-mail us
Academic Concepts, Inc.
1403 Merrywood Drive
Edison New Jersey 08817
Tel: (732) 572-3748
Tax ID: 22-3632715 E-mail us
