Annual Report 2012-13

SWAMI BRAHMANAND PRATISHTHAN

CBD NAVI MUMBAI – 400614

Regd No. E12466 (MUMBAI) Dtd. 09.11.89

ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2012-13

Swami Brahmanand Pratishthan set out on its journey in the year 1989 with three students on roll operating from rental premises. Presently the Trust has its own school building accommodating 117 students in the CBD Centre and 34 in the Uran unit. Dedicated service in the field of special education since inception has given the school a respectable position. From a single centre started at Shahbaz village the Organisation has the privilege of reaching out to the students of various nodes of Navi Mumbai through its three Units instilling in them a sense of discipline, determination and dedication to become contributing members of the society:

1. Disha Special School, CBD

In this unit there are 83 students divided in to nine different levels.

           A curriculum is framed and an Individual Educational program is planned for every student. To enable the students with special needs face the rapid challenges in the society the curriculum provides practical exposure with a holistic approach. The Objective of the training Program is to make every student independent to the maximum possible extent depending on their ability, instil in them a sense of confidence and make them responsible members of the community. 

Along with special education other support services provided at this unit are:

-       Occupational Therapy

-       Counselling and Guidance

-       Computer Training

-       Art & Craft

-       Music

-       Dance /Drama

-       Sports

-       Yoga

-       Various other Recreational activities for students, staff and parents

2. Falguni Vocational Centre, CBD

The students above the age of 18 depending on their degree of independence get transferred to this section.  There are 34 students placed in this section. The objective of this unit is to impart training in vocational skills that enable them to become economically self sufficient and contributing members of the society.  The students here learn to make:

-Paintings

-Paper Bags

-Jewellery

-Food Products- chocolates, spices etc.

-Handicraft Items – door mats, torans, wall hanging etc

-Linen- Cushion covers, Bed spreads, Kitchen napkins.

-Seasonal Products- Diyas, candles, Rakhees etc.

As an extension of this unit our future plans are to develop a sheltered Workshop cum residential home.

3. Sweekar Special School, Uran- Rural Unit

Every child has a right to quality education. With this motive another centre was set up in the year 1999 at Uran to cater to the students of this rural section. This unit runs from a rental premise and caters to the needs of the Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from the rural areas of Uran in the Raigad District.

 There are 34 students grouped into four different levels managed by 8 staff members. At this unit also life skill education, prevocational and vocational training is imparted.

The students participate in various extracurricular activities like Annual day, festival celebrations jointly with the students of the CBD centre.

4.   Swami Brahmanand Parents Association

The parents of the Pratishthan have come together to form an association Swami Brahmanand Parents Association (SBPA). Various activities are conducted jointly with the School.

·         This year our Parents were invited by “Ankur” School, Pune to share their experiences and knowledge with the Parents and staff. This helped in motivating the parents of other institutions to participate in the training program of the school.

·         Parents expressed their gratitude to the staff of the school by celebrating Teacher’s day and Care Givers day.

·         They actively involved themselves in the National Parents Meet held on the 1^st and 2^nd December 2012.

·         Some parents also helped by sponsoring the education and medical expenses of the needy students.

·         Parents volunteer their time in the school program and activities

·         They took responsibilities as class representatives and coordinated with the Management, parents and the community.

·         Self Help Groups have been started by the SBPA-

1.   Swayam, 2. Swabhiman, 3. Samarth

STAFF MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISATION

We have a dedicated and committed team of people that includes the Management, staff, students, parents and the community.

About our Management:

No.	NAME	POSITION
1.	Mrs. Shirish Govekar  Poojary	Founder & Managing Trustee
2.	Dr. Mrs. Pratibha Moralwar	Trustee/President
3.	Mrs. Hansa Maru	Trustee/Treasurer
4.	Mrs. Charu Shah	Trustee
5.	Mrs. Sukhjit Kaur	Member
6.	Dr. Mrs. Sheela Koppikar	Member
7.	Ms. Pushpa Moorjani	Trustee

Our Administration:

Mrs. Shirish Govekar Poojary – Diector & Project Coordinator

Mrs. Charu Shah-  Coordinator  Sweekar Centre

Ms. Pushpa Moorjani –Co Ordinator (Funding & Finance)

Mrs. Sukanya Venkataraman – Principal

Ms. Chhaya Sawant – Office Coordinator

Mrs. Suneet Marwah – Vocational Coordinator

Mrs. Sujatha Bhaskar- Sweekar Administration (Ex Trustee)

Our Staff  & Students

Disha Special School:

Class                           No. Of Students              Class Teacher

1.   Play Group                   09                              Ms. Grace Rekha Simoes

2.   Pre-Primary- I               10                              Ms. Amita Mestry

3.   Pre-Primary – II             09                              Ms. Manisha Mahadik

4.   Transition                     09                              Ms. Smita Vartak  

5.   Primary – I                    10                              Ms. Shobha Phadtare

6.   Primary –II                   10                               Ms. Vidya Avasak

7.   Secondary                    10                               Ms. Smita Waghmare

8.   Pre-Vocational I            09                                Ms. Bhima Dhandekar

9.   Pre Vocational II           08                                Ms. Rupali Dhandore

Falguni Vocational Training Centre:

No. Of Students                  Staff

34                    Ms. Sheetal Panchal – Special educator cum Craft teacher

                          Ms. Aditi Kadam       - Vocational Instructor

                          Ms. Nidhi Katare      -  Special Educato

Sweekar Centre, Uran:

Office Supervisor- Mrs Madhuri Upadhye

Head Teacher-      Mrs. Pallavi Pardesi

Class                     No. Of Students                           Class Teacher                           

Pre Primary                      09                               Ms. Mansi Panchal

Primary                            11                               Ms. Pallavi Pardesi                          

Pre Vocational                    7                               Ms. Surekha Bhojane

Vocational                          7                               Mr.  Rakesh Mhatre

Attendant                           -                                Mrs. Sumati Thakur

Driver                                 -                                Mr. Prashant Kadam

Cleaner                               -                                Mr. Gopal Vartak

Part time Sports Instructor  -                                Mr. Gopal Mhatre

OTHER  PROFESSIONALS AT CBD CENTRE

Ms. Charusheela Nikose –   Occupational Therapist

Mrs. Anita Punj                -  Computer Instructor

Ms. Madhukanta Shah    -   Drawing Teacher

Mr. Sarang Rathod          -   Sports Instructor

Our Support Staff:

Ms. Sunita Kadam            - Class room Assistant

Ms. Nishigandha Sawant  -  Class room Assistant

Mr. Shashikant Bandekar – Driver

Mr. Laxman Mhatre          - Peon

Mrs. Anita Mankame         -Attendant

Mrs. Kasturi Bhojane         -Attendant

Mr.  Sagar Mhatre             - Cleaner

Our Ex Students Employed

Mr. Sujit Phadnis   - Office Assistant

Mr.Vinod Munde   - Attendant

Mr. Ravinder Pal Walia- Attendant

Our Volunteers:

Mrs. Usha Koundiya

Mr. Raamesh Gowri Raghavan

Mrs. Nirmala Ramdas

A Review of progress and results achieved in the Academic

 year 2012-13

The School reopened for staff on 7^th June and students on 11^th June. 11 new students were admitted to the School. One new special educator was appointed for the year. Various changes were introduced for good administration.

New initiatives taken-

·         An Annual Planning workshop was held in the month of April wherein all the staff members of the Institution along with the Management planned the entire year’s activity. A theme was selected for the year “GULDASTA” which symbolises colour, variety and togetherness.  Hence all the school activities centred around this theme.

·         The staff members are encouraged to change their mind sets and adapt new methods of teaching and use technology during the Teaching learning sessions. This year we focussed on Science Projects.

·         After a period of five years the Teachers were reshuffled and assigned a new class.

·         Calendars /ID cards were distributed to the students and staff.

·         Parent representatives were selected from each class to coordinate between the school and the other parents of the class.

·         Students of Euro kids, Kharghar interacted with the students of the Pre Primary section.

·         Special activities were planned for the Parents which helped in bridging the gap between the Home and the school.

·         Under the initiation of Parivaar and CBM the organisation supported the Self advocacy training program for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PWIDD) above the age of 18. Seven students of our Institution participated in the same. It was a great honour to have two of our students Mr. Sujit Phadnis and Ms. Amruta Thakur to represent the self advocates of Mumbai at the Core Committee meeting of Parivaar during the National Parents meet.

·         The school supported and participated in the National Parents Meet organised by Parivaar Sahyadri on 1^st and 2^nd December 2012.

ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2012-13

SPORTS

·         Coaches training program by Special Olympics was attended by Mr. Sarang Rathod.

·         National games organised by Ministry of Youth And Sports Affairs & Special Olympics Bharat at Bhopal from 3^rd December to 9^th December attended by Srilak Bhoir- Badminton,Yash Mhaske- Athletics with Mr. Sarang Rathod .Mst. Srilak won a gold medal in Badminton singles.   

·         Participated in the District Sports at Thane organised by Social welfare Department on 5^th  December 2012

·         Participated in the Ekta Marathon by Ashray School on the event of World Cerebral Palsy Day

·         School sports organised for all the students on 10^th January 2013 at Bharat Ratna Late Shri.Rajiv Gandhi Kridangan, CBD, Navi Mumbai.

·         25 students participated in the sports organised by Sanjivandeep Paraplegic Foundation on 30^th January winning 3 Gold, 3 silver and 3 Bronze medals.

·         Students participated in the Cricket tournament organised by AWMH on 8^th and 9^th February. Mst. Pratik Tayde won the Best bowler award.

·         Four Students: Ms. Disha Maru, Ms. Lakshmi Shetty, Mr. Mangesh Mhaske and Mr. Shrilak Bhoir have been selected to participate in the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games to be held from 1^st to 7^th December 2013 at Australia.

ART & CRAFT COMPETITIONS

·         Participation in Ability Competition organised by Skills and Ability School between 6^th to 8^th Dec winning prizes.

·         Drawing Competitions  organised by Navneet,

·         Ganesh Idol Making Workshop by Lioness club of Nerul

FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS

·         The year’s celebrations began with Swamiji’s Punyathiti on 27^th May 2012.

·         The birthdays of all the students and staff members were celebrated on the last day of every month. In line with the Theme Guldasta every month one flower was introduced. The children and staff came dressed in the same colour. The activities planned helped children learn social skills.

·         Each class took the responsibility of presenting a Science Project on the last day of every month.

·         All festivals in the School were celebrated in a unique manner so that students gain more knowledge about our tradition and culture.

·         Parents Day was celebrated on 28^th  July by the staff members of the Organisation giving the Parents a day to enjoy themselves without having to worry about their wards who were well taken care of by the School staff. This improved the rapport between the staff and the parents..

·         Teacher’s Day was also celebrated on the 5^th September by the Management and the Parents Association.

·         Dandiya program was organised for the students and parents on 20^th October.

·         23^rd Annual Day was organised on 2^nd February at Vishnudas Bhave, Vashi.

·         On 22^nd March Food Fest was organised at school.

·         Care givers day was organised on 28^th February and the care givers were felicitated by the Parents Association and the Management.

SALES & EXHIBITIONS

The students of Falguni Vocational Centre have kept themselves busy throughout the year by making products for various exhibitions. The Annual School Exhibition was held on 3^rd November- Inaugurated by Mr. Bajirao Jadhav, Disability Commissioner of Maharashtra, Mr. M.V.K.Kumar -CEO of CEIL, Mrs. Tadvi the District Social Welfare Officer, Thane .Besides regular school exhibitions, stalls were put up at various locations like Raghunath Vihar Society, Bharati Vidyapeeth School, companies like  Albatross Shipping Ltd., Govandi and UCB Lower Parel.

MEETINGS

From time to time, meetings were held for the Teaching and Non-teaching Staff. Meetings were also called for Parents to acquaint them with the program planned by the Class Teacher and also to get feedback on the progress and follow up of activities carried out at home by them

OPEN DAY

The 1^st Term Report was given to parents on 9^th November. The performance of students was shared by the Teachers with the parents. Parents too gave a feed back on the same.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES:

To improve the standard of education the staff members are provided continuous professional development opportunities. There is a challenge to become better. To expose them to the latest development in the field of special education some of the workshops conducted were:

·         Interactive session with the Speech Therapist on language development and speech activities

·         Workshop on stem cell therapy By NeuroGen

·         Workshop on effective communication by Mrs. Kala Sundervedha

·         Workshop on Low cost furniture with card and paper for the students and staff members by Dr. Nigamaja

·         Workshop on meditation and Pranik healing for the staff members

Besides these Teachers also participated in CRE programs and workshops organised by other Institutions.

OUTING:

52 students were taken out for a Picnic to Central Park on 17^th December and 63 students were taken to Nehru Science Centre, Worli on 20^th December 2012.

PLACEMENT OF STUDENTS:

·         Students of NIMH , RC Navi Mumbai and Helen Keller Teacher Training were placed in the Institution for their Practical’s.

·          Interns of Terna Physiotherapy college were placed at the centre all year round

·         Two Students from Netherland and China volunteered during the year.

·         Students of Management studies SIES, Bharati Vidyapeeth CBD, NMIMS, Students of Architecture Bharati Vidyapeeth,  were placed in the School as a part of their CSR training activity.

NUTRITION & HEALTH : A glass of milk and fruits /biscuit is being given to all the students of the Uran Centre. Medical expenses of 3 students are being sponsored by our well wishers.

AWARDS:

·         In the academic year 2011-12 the Teachers were given awards based on their special abilities. Each and every staff member’s efforts were recognised and appreciated.

·         The students of all the three units were also given awards based on their individual class achievement.

MUKUL JAIN AWARD (2012-13) was presented to the following students:   Ms. Sherin Thomas, Mst. Devesh Shetty, Mst. Sushil Bhandwalkar, Mst. Abhilash Surendran, Mst. Arib Paloba, Ms. Sejal Patil, Mst. Mehul Rathod and Mst. Siddharth Chavan.

·         Mrs. Shirish Poojary was  felicitated by Rotary Club of Vashi and was presented with the Vocational Excellence award on 25^th October 2012.

CSR & Other Activities:

An NGO is always in need of community support and we are happy to have a partnership with various organisations.

·         Amway members visited and conducted a medical check up camp and a magic show was organised for the students.

The salary of one staff member Ms. Aditi Kadam is being sponsored by    Amway.  Canon Xerox machine was also donated to the School.

·         Sri. Narayan Vishnu Dharmadikari- followers donated a cupboard and stationary material.

·         SOSVA has been instrumental in bringing donors to the school and this year too volunteers donated stationary material.

·         Rotary Club of New Bombay Hillside and Inner wheel club of New Bombay Hillside sponsored Medals for sports.

·         Mr. K. Satish of B.G. India ran the Half Marathon in the Mumbai Marathon on 6^th January and raised a fund of Rs. 81,000/- for the Institution with the support of his colleagues.

Government Grant: The school continues to receive Government grant for 50 students and this includes the salaries of 17 staff members.

SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM:

Deserving and needy students of the three units have been sponsored by our friends and well wishers under the Project: “Walk Beside me and be my friend”. Without their support many of the activities would not have been possible. We thank each and every one of them without whose support it would have been impossible to carry on the activities.

The centre is visited by many friends and well-wishers. Our heartfelt gratitude to all for supporting us in our mission of creating a better life for Persons with special needs.

Thank you.

Mrs. Shirish Govekar Poojary                 Mrs. Sukanya Venkataraman

Founder & Managing Trustee                  Principal