January 2019 Newsletter
Dear All
It gives me great pleasure to share the newsletter for the month of January with you all.
Come 2019, and the plastic ban in Tamil Nadu was one major ruling which affected us all. However the better way to look at it was to gift a plastic free state to the future generations.
While we were tuning ourselves to the situation, an order for making newspaper bags presented us the opportunity. Our students are now being trained to make these bags. Swabodhini sees the vocational products as a livelihood opportunity for young adults on the spectrum. Do call us at 9884746078 / email us at swabodhini@gmail.com if you would like to place orders for eco-friendly bags made from newspapers and craft paper.
In our efforts towards meaningful employability, 3 of our vocational students who are getting trained in retail skills have got an opportunity to intern at supermarkets in Tiruvanmiyur. 2 of our culinary students are all set to start their internship at the cafeteria of a corporate office.
Also, with the 500 hours of Tamil Nadu Skill Development Course in DTP & Print publishing coming to a close, we have many other students who are trained in computer and office administration skills and are ready for internships and placements. They just need the right opportunity and we would like to use this platform to request you to support us.
Education is the movement from darkness to light… and at Swabodhini we always aim to be the catalyst in this movement!!
Academic Updates
The final term of the year has begun and the lesson plans are on schedule.
Club Activities:
The weather continued to be good this month and the gardening club got to see the fruits of their labour. This time the flower gardens at both our centres – Tiruvanmiyur and Guru Nanak College campus were in full bloom to greet the students and staff alike. Art work done at the art club was used to adorn the greeting cards sent out at the start of the new year.
Therapy Updates:
Fitness therapy is now being extended to 33 students at Swabodhini. We have also started an exclusive batch for our female students, the class being led by a female trainer. As we know, physical activity provides them with a wide range of benefits. Apart from improving their motor skills, it also improves their social functioning and muscular strength and endurance. Our students at the Guru Nanak College campus centre make ample use of the space available to play a sport they enjoy.
Multimedia Course Completion:
It was a proud moment for us this month when 6 of our vocational students completed the 18 month long introductory course on Ability Enhancement Multimedia Program (AEMP).
The students received their course completion certificates from Aims media.
Dr Maria Kapasi from Aims Media was present on the day to hand over the certificates.
This multimedia course has covered a wide range of subjects from Photoshop to making videos. The creative skills of our students was given an apt platform for expression through this course. It also acted as a supplementary to our existing computer skills vocational training course. The students use their skills to do the in-house creative works as per requirement.
Experiential Visits
Shreyas Farm Visit:
Excursions and field trips take the learning out of the classroom and infuse a lot of enthusiasm in our students.
The students had an opportunity to again visit Shreyas farms as part of a sensory experience where they had a fun time.
The students walked bare feet in the sand and touched and felt the plants and the produce at the farm. They were also shown first-hand how vegetables were grown and harvested.
The fun part of the trip was a chance to take a dip in the pond and they sure did enjoy every bit of the experience.
Safety On The Road:
Our primary students regularly have story telling sessions on safety by Ms Malavika Harish.
This time round it was a practical session on road safety. Students were taken to a safe junction in the vicinity to reinforce the lessons taught in the classroom.
They sure did enjoy the short trip on a school day.
Corporate Outreach
PayPal Visit:
We were happy to be a part of the PayPal GDS teams’ “Gives event”.
Apart from being invited to display our vocational products, 2 of our students were invited for a paper bag making demonstration.
Our students were only too eager to share their skill and enthusiastically led the demonstration to a room of about 50 PayPal employees. It was a first time experience for many of the staff there.
They sure did have a wonderful experience and so did we.
Our thanks to the Paypal team for including us in their celebrations.
Lennox Family Day:
We were invited by Lennox International Pvt Ltd to be part of their family day celebrations at a well-known resort in Chennai.
Swabodhini set up a stall for our vocational products. The students who managed the stall participated and enjoyed the celebrations held.
We are grateful to the company for always remembering us!
In School Activities
Pongal Celebrations:
The Harvest festival Pongal, was celebrated by us with much pomp, to the delight of all the students.
They were excited to dress up in traditional outfits and witness the celebrations planned for the day.
An elaborate rangoli was made and the decorated pongal pot was placed in the middle of the gathering.
A puja was performed and delicious pongal was served to all present.
Helpers Day:
Helper’s day is always looked forward to at the start of the calendar year. It is that day when we honour and celebrate our support staff, many of whom have put in 5 plus years of service.
It is the day we give back, so our culinary team and the teaching staff prepared a sumptuous breakfast followed by a hearty pot luck lunch. The helpers also put up a special dance performance and indulged in many fun games.
A cake was cut to mark the special day.
We are fortunate to have an army of wonderful helpers who take care of the day to day activities at both our centres.
