Special Kids Empowerment! Unleashing Talents on Annual Day celebration St. Agnes Special Kids Wow Parents
Mangaluru: Special Children aka Different-abled Children got talents-That’s True!. With the motto “In Love We Grow”, St Agnes Special School-Bendore, Mangaluru hosted their “Annual School Day” at their open-air school grounds. Nearly hundreds of differently-abled students belonging to this Special school unleashed their hidden talents in the form of music, songs and dance-proving to the august gathering that they too can “Dance, Sing and Act”, even though they were mentally challenged/differently-abled. And for the fact, I too was astonished at their various performances rendered by them during the nearly three-hours programme. These children simply enthralled the audience, and everyone who were glued to their seats watching these “Special Children” perform so good just like “Normal Children” were amazed and went “Wow”, applauding them after each event.
The Annual Day celebration of St. Agnes Special School on Wednesday, 12th December 2018 at 10 am was a day the parents of special children were looking forward to. The school hall was packed to capacity when the chief guest Sr. Melissa AC, Principal of Mount Carmel Central School, Maryhill-Mangaluru was ushered in by the school band with its rhythmic beat, filling the atmosphere with joy. The school principal Sr. Shruthi AC, the Joint Secretary Sr. Maria Anitha AC, Guest Sr. Carissima AC and the president of the PTA Mrs. Irene Pinto marched along with the chief guest to the hall.
The prayer song, the welcome dance gave a wonderful feeling of calm, peacefulness and warmth. The skit on our responsibility to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to receive education was highlighted through songs, dance, posters and speeches. Their presentation and performance skills showed that with a brain in their head, feet in their shoes they can steer themselves in any directions they choose, to secure a better future with confidence even for the special children.
The dance on nature displaying the disasters of Kerala and Kodagu with confidence and emotions was outstanding and gave the audience an amazing experience. The finale was the Christmas play. All the students were at their best and made us recall the journey to Bethlehem and the Christmas events. These opportunities and the training given to the special children by their mentors made them confident. It was gazing and reaching higher…
Teacher Mrs. Pushpalatha was felicitated for her 20 years of service to the little angelic special children. The three students Nizam (Football), Ashley DSouza (Power Lifting) and Shamil (Basketball) who are selected to take part in the international Sports at Abhudhabi were honoured. The state level winners in sports and dance were recognized. The principal Sr. Shruthi along with her staff voiced their gratitude to the family of Mount Carmel Central School – staff, students and parents, for sponsoring the midday meal scheme to the St. Agnes Special children.
Chief guest Sr. Melissa AC in her address, congratulated the students for their wonderful performance and appreciated the staff for their patience, care and love they bestow on the children in their learning to be on their feet. Addressing the parents, she said “Children with special needs aren’t sent to special parents, they make parents special. So, every parent present is made special because of their special children”.
Rakesh, a student of the open school welcomed the gathering and teacher Mrs. Lucy D’Silva compared the programme. The final message strongly voiced by the special children on the stage was that they are rightfully proud and important as normal children. Wow! It was outstanding, brilliant and fabulous.
About St Agnes Special School :
Inspired by Christ’s Compassion for persons with disability and the charisma of their Foundress Mother Veronica, the staff of St Agnes Special School, strives to help those, under their charge, to accept their condition and to use their potential to the maximum extent and thus leading them towards a better quality of life. This is done, with the support and cooperation of the family and society, through individualized educational programmes, imparting skills for daily, functional, value-based living and learn and earn programmes. The school also strives to be a centre for out-reach programmes. The school helps the differently-abled students to achieve as much integral development as possible i.e. intellectual development, healthy social relationships, economic efficiency, civic responsibility and spiritual fulfillment in accord with individual potential.
St. Agnes Special School which started in the year 1970 as the centenary memorial of the Apostolic Carmel Sisters in India, has played a big role in the field of Special Education. From four mentally challenged children in 1970 the school strength has increased year by year and at present nearly 400 students are studying at this school. As the first school of this kind in the district of Mangaluru and Udupi, the Apostolic Carmel Sisters, teachers and staff of this school have helped hundreds of children with disabilities in rehabilitating them either in the school programme or Vocational Training Programme. The children who come to St Agnes Special school have acquired daily living skills like brushing of teeth, washing of face, eating, dressing and undressing etc. the fine and gross motor abilities are increased through exercises.
St Agnes Special School educates, taps, and develops the potentialities of these children and youth, both boys and girls, from the age of 3, with it’s Early intervention, Academic, Pre-Vocational, Vocational, Home-Science and Computer Training Programme. No doubt it is one of the pioneering school in Mangaluru catering to the needs of the Mentally Challenged. The school also helps the differently abled students to achieve as much integral development as possible, and has helped hundreds of students to help find out their innate potentialities and showcase their abilities to the World. Through the Hard Work, Dedication, Love, Care and Commitment of the Sisters, Teachers and Staff, many of these students have developed various talents and have shine in academic, co-curricular activities and sports- and many of them showed their potentials and talents during this Annual School day.