Vidya Sagar Chronicles Issue #1

Welcome to our Newsletter! Written by alumni & student reporters

Greetings from the students, staff and management of Vidya Sagar. Every month we will bring you the news of what our students have been doing, learning and achieving. You will also hear from our alumni and staff, and we will feature some guest writers.  

July was a month of cake, first birthday parties, first jobs, and some excellent cricket. 

A first Birthday Party with friends!

Do you remember your first birthday party with friends? Our student, Keshav had his first big celebration when he celebrated his 5th birthday at home with a party that six of his classmates attended with their mothers and grandmothers. It was his first birthday party with friends at home, and of course there was cake! We hope to celebrate more such milestones with all the students of our FBR batch, because disabled children tend to grow up isolated, to foster a community around them, we request parents to celebrate birthdays at home and to invite classmates, neighbours and friends. 

Rising Stars pass the 10th and 12th board exams!

Our community-based rehabilitation team works with students with disabilities enrolled in government schools, providing them with any assistance they may need. Our community workers who are trained in inclusive education, work with the students in non-formal education centres.32 students who were part of this programme have cleared the boards! We had a beautiful ceremony on 27th July,  to award them for their hard work and results. This was a treasured moment for their families too, as mothers came forward to share how they joined school management committees to advocate for the admission of their children and other disabled students. This was a chance for a lot of the students to come to Chennai for the first time, and they visited the planetarium, the beach and the museum of possibilities.

Bakery Students find jobs in the cafes and bakeries of Chennai:

The bakery programme provides students with six months of basic training where they learn to make pizzas, juices, sandwiches, coffee, and samosas and master the deep frying section. Nine students, four from the first batch and five from the second have been placed at Hot Breads, Museum of Possibilities Cafe, Writers Cafe & Sankalp. The training we provide is followed up with advanced training at these facilities, where they also learn about quick service and cleaning.

Sriram, one of the students who got placed, has the following words to share:

“My name is Sriram, and I commute from Nanganallur. When I joined Vidyasagar to pursue a bakery course, I was completely unaware of the topic. However, the institution taught me everything I needed to know, and I'm grateful for the independence they instilled in me. Now, I'm embarking on my career and earning a living, which fills me with immense pride.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my teachers, who taught me everything I know. Their guidance and support mean the world to me. I'm currently applying the skills I learned at home and I'm thrilled to be working. Thank you so much!”  

Indian T20 Deaf Cricket team bring home the DICC world deaf  championship  , BILEATERAL DEAF series matchesagainst england  - Notes from the Man of the Series, Sai Akash. 

While most of the country was watching the Indian Men’s cricket team T20 matches, we at Vidya Sagar were riveted by the wins of the T20 Deaf Cricket team. Seeing sports persons with disabilities have tournaments and do well gives us a lot to aspire to, but this time we were personally invested as Sai Akash, the Man of the Series is the son of our Bakery Section Head, Gandhimathi. He was also the chief guest of our Boccia Tournament, and he is our guest author for today. 

I am Sai Akash, the Vice Captain of the Indian Deaf Cricket Team. I’m delighted to share details about our recent cricket tour to the United Kingdom.

Our team, supported by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA), travelled to Birmingham on June 14th for the Bilateral T-20 International Deaf Series. We emerged as champions, winning the series against England with a score of 5-2. The series took place from June 18th to June 27th, 2024, at various cricket grounds across England:

• Derbyshire County Cricket Club on June 18th - 1st Match (Opening)

• Kidderminster Cricket Club on June 20th - 2nd & 3rd Matches

• Northamptonshire County Cricket Club on June 23rd - 4th Match

• Astwood Bank Cricket Club on June 25th - 5th & 6th Matches

• Leicestershire County Cricket Club on June 27th - 7th Match (Final)

I was honoured to be the top scorer of the series, amassing 271 runs, and was awarded Player of the Series. 

Before the series, we held a practice camp in Delhi from June 7th to June 14th with our Indian team players. Representing Tamil Nadu, both Sudarsun and I played crucial roles in the team’s success.

High School Students Attend 50 years of KFI, a report by High School student Ashish

There was a one-day orientation programme as part of the festival of dialogue and drama at KFI  School (Krishnamurti Foundation India). Around 7 schools from Chennai participated. Students were divided into 10 groups and were given stories. We enjoyed meeting the other students and are looking forward for the next session in July end. 

Your Support, Our Success

Guru Krupa Foundation continues to support Vidya Sagar!

We are thrilled to announce that the Guru Krupa Foundation has again extended its generous support to Vidya Sagar. Since 2021, the foundation has been a steadfast partner in our mission to empower individuals with disabilities. Based on their ability people with disabilities get skilled in weaving, paper-bag making, and arts and crafts, like tie and dye and hand-made paper to become empowering Producers. Recently, five producers have come together to form a group called Hastav specialising in weaving of cloth which is then made into runners, bags, and doormats. embarking on their entrepreneurial journey. Additionally, another group of five producers Arohan (D.M.N.S.) was formed which is dedicated to the creation of sustainable packaging of organic products. 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Guru Krupa Foundation for their unwavering support, Enabling our students to work towards earning a sustainable and decent living. Thank you for being a vital part of our journey!

Students Elect their School Leaders:

Our school recently held elections for key student leader positions, and we’re excited to announce the results and the fresh ideas our new leaders are bringing to the table. Candidates for school pupil leader, house captains, and vice captains each had the opportunity to present their vision for making our school a better place.

Namya, who ran for the position of school pupil leader, highlighted the importance of making the areas in and around Kotturpuram more accessible and ensuring that our elections are inclusive for all students. On the other hand, Darshini emphasized the need for a cleaner school environment, aiming to keep our premises sparkling and welcoming.

The competition for house captain was just as lively. Ashish proposed to have a theatre club and an arts and crafts club, promising to bring more extra circular activities to our school. Prahlad had a different vision, proposing the establishment of a cricket club and a chit-chat club to foster both, sportsmanship and social interaction. Darshan’s campaign was centred around environmental initiatives, advocating for a plastic-free school. Nandini also focused on green efforts, proposing tree planting and composting projects. Meanwhile, Jesman aimed to promote fitness through cycling and introduce a music band to our school.

For the vice-captain roles, the candidates presented a range of initiatives. Vignesh’s promised to improve waste management, Mahathi manifesto is Go green and banning of plastic, Vathsalya proposed starting a school newsletter, and Saireshma proposed to start indoor club and cooking club. 

After an exciting week of campaigning with many interesting promises and proposals, election day arrived. The polling booths were set up to be accessible to all students, and everyone participated in the voting process. The results were announced the following day.  

Darshini has been elected as the new school pupil leader. 

Prahlad, Ashish, Darshan, and Jesman will serve as house captains for the Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth houses, respectively. 

Sathguru, Saireshma, Vathsalya, and Vignesh are our new vice-captains.

Our new leaders are now preparing to put their plans into action, with exciting changes expected by next week.

That’s all for July! We hope you liked our newsletter and will share it with your friends.