St. Agnes Special School- A Haven of Love & Hope for Intellectually Disabled Children & Adults
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in”. I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things. A life not lived for others is not a life. Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Saint Mother Teresa
Mangaluru : “Inspired by Jesus Christ we reach out with a compassionate heart to all through education and other apostolic ministries”-is the Vision of Apostolic Carmel Congregation; and their Mission is -“Inspired by the life and example of Mother Veronica, the Apostolic Carmel Sisters reach out to the people, particularly the youth through education and faith formation in schools, colleges, welfare centres etc. by employing formal and non-formal techniques.” “Experiencing God’s love as ALL-SUFFICING in contemplative prayer lived in a simple, joyful and life-giving community and shared with all especially the poor through education and other apostolic ministries”- is the Charism of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation.
St Agnes Special School in 1970
The St Agnes Special School, Bendore-Mangaluru run by the Apostolic Carmel Sisters, having a stated philosophy of the Special School is that , every child has a right to learn and develop at his own pace regardless of race, creed and culture. This school provides a learning environment , where the activities of life revolve round the individual person allowing him or her, to reach out for the highest potential in an acceptable setting.
St Agnes Special School in 2019
The year 1970 was a landmark in the history of the Apostolic Carmel. It was the centenary of the establishment of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation in India. When the Congregation celebrated with great joy and jubilation the centenary of its ministry in the field of education in India, Mother M. Theodosia A.C., the then Superior General and Sr. Fidelis A.C., the Secretary, Apostolic Carmel Educational Society of Karnataka found a void in the scheme of education – the education of the Mentally Challenged Children. So, it was decided to start a school for these children, as a centenary Memorial of the Apostolic Carmel.
Message from Sr. Maria Jyothi A.C – Founder Principal
“This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it”. The day ordained by God dawned on the 4th of August, 1970 when the then Superior General, late Mother Theodosia A.C., in loving memory, opened a school for Special children of God, as the Centenary memorial of the Apostolic Carmel’s foundation in India. The tiny seed sown on that day in a small house at St. Agnes campus, as a service project of St. Agnes College has grown into a mighty tree, spreading its branches to Bailhongal, Belagavi, Bellary and Mary Hill, Mangaluru. The journey of Love begun as a single programme has assumed multiple proportions such as Early Intervention. Academic, Pre-Vocational, Vocational, Production unit, Computer Training, Teacher Training in Special Education and Residential Care for adult Mentally challenged persons.
With a heart overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to God, I say “My soul magnifies the Lord and my heart rejoices in God my Saviour”. I rejoice with all the past and present staff both teaching and support staff, P.T.A. members, Students and all who helped from day one to date. As St. Agnes Special School ushers in the Golden year, I pray that the management, Principal, and Staff continue the humanitarian work and have the joy of seeing the Golden Year turned into Diamond and also have the joy of listening to the words of Jesus: “What- so-ever you do to the least of my brothers/sisters, that you do unto me”.
Message From Sr Maria Shruthi AC- The Present Principal
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is not educating at all” (Aristotle). The School motto is “In Love we Grow” which caters to the needs of students with Intellectually challenged from age 4 till 18 years and then train them with skills to fit them in the Vocational training centre. The motto of the school chosen helps in drawing out the bring out the developmentally delayed children, from their cold islands of Isolation and neglect, to the warmer atmosphere of Love and Understanding, and provide them with a training necessary , for their development and growth. The educational philosophy is to focus on each individual student and their learning needs and see to the all round development of the child.
The school helps the differently-abled students to achieve as much integral development as possible i.e. intellectual development and healthy social and spiritual fulfillment according to one’s individual potential. The children who come to 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. The 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 Programmes. I welcome you to take a tour of St. Agnes Special School and to ask any further questions you may have regarding our school or contact me directly “.
The school began with FIVE children under the efficient leadership of Sr. Maria Jyothi. A.C as the service project of the Psychology Department of St. Agnes College, on St. Agnes Convent premises in “The Rest” a cozy house on 4th August, 1970. It was the first school for the Mentally Challenged Children in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District. The motto chosen for the school was “IN LOVE WE GROW”. It helped in drawing out the children with special needs from cold isolation and neglect, to the warmer atmosphere of love and understanding and provided them with the training necessary for their growth and development.
Vision and Mission of the Special school is – “Inspired by Christ’s Compassion for persons with disability and the charism of Foundress Mother Veronica, the staff of special School, through constant professional endeavour to help those under their charge to accept their condition and to use their potential to the maximum extent and thus leading them to live a better quality of life. The education provides the learners skills for daily functional and value-based living and to earn while they learn programmes. The school also functions as a center for outreach programmes. The school helps the differently- abled students to achieve as much integral development as possible i.e. intellectual development and healthy social and spiritual fulfillment according to ones individual potential”.
The school building was shifted to its new building in the year 1973, and in 1977 the school was officially separated from St. Agnes College and was administrated as an independent unit of St. Agnes Convent. The St. Agnes College service project was renamed as St. Agnes Special School. At present the School has nearly 300 children studying under the school section till they are 18 years of age. Those who are not able to go to the regular school and dropouts, from the schools have been given opportunity to study through the national institute of Open schooling and Karnataka open school Bengaluru , secondary and senior secondary courses.
ST AGNES VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE:
To help the adult mentally and physically challenged persons to earn while they learn and to prepare them for their future employment, a vocational Training Centre was constructed on 1st June 1990. The physically and mentally challenged adults are taught vocational skills like book binding, Carpentry, chalk making, drawing, painting, stitching, flower making and other crafts while some earn, others spend their time usefully contributing their best in the production unit. The Adult students who complete 18 years of age are provided job facilities in the workshop St. Agnes Vocational training centre. They are trained in book-binding, Carpentry and Home Science skills. They are helped to earn their livelihood. They are given stipend for the work done. This eases the tension of the parents as these students are supportive and helpful to the family members in some way.
The books prepared at the Book- Binding Section are marketed to the schools in and around Mangaluru. The Carpentry products also are marketed in different places in Mangaluru. The Montessori teaching aids prepared here are appreciated by all. They also prepare different mementos on order. In the Home Science Section the girls prepare fancy items such as soft toys, key chains, flowers, flower bouquets, table covers, phone covers, mobile covers, door mats etc. They also prepare, soap, phenol, chalks, candles etc. Through the “Earn While You Learn” programme, the differently-abled trainees are earning and this in turn has improved their self concept and confidence.
The staff, about 28 devoted individuals, render their dedicated and selfless services to the special children. They are all qualified to teach the children with special needs with their Diploma in Special Education course and have received their RCI registration as Special Educator. Among the 28 teachers the School has a Craft instructor, Physical Education Director, Computer Teacher, Instructor at the Book- Binding Section, Carpentry Section and Home Science Section. Others are the Special Educator in the School Section. The Whole staff meets every month to evaluate the activities and plan for the coming month. They also have orientation talks at the beginning of the academic year. Once a year they go on a educational tour in order to have better knowledge and learning.
EXTRA CURRICULUM/CULTURAL PROGRAMMES:
All the activities that are offered to the regular school children are made available to differently- abled students – such as games, sports, both track and field events,team games, foot ball, basket ball, throw ball and cricket, drawing, Yoga, dance, singing, music and philharmonic band, Scouts,Guides, Cubs, Bulbuls and Computer Training. The students love to perform various progammes. In fact they don’t act they are just by themselves on the stage, only switching roles with characters they love to portray. The students have put up various historical plays like Samrat Ashok, Kittur Chennamma, Onake Obbavva and other dance dramas such as Punnya Koti Jenu Goodu etc.They are also been invited to different places to perform their programmes
SPORTS/SCOUTS GUIDES BULBULS and CUB:
The students have won laurels in the field of sports. They have bagged prizes at District , State, National and even at the International level. Experimental units of Scouts and guides founded in the year 1979 have blossomed into enthusiastic unit and have found a place in the galaxy of the Bharath Scouts and Guides movement. The students attend various camps every year along with the normal children and take active part in the activities. They have their annual camp every year in four units and conclude the activities of the year with “Thinking Day”
OUT-REACH PROGRAMMES:
The Scouts, Guides, BulBuls and Cub have taken part in the integrated camps in several places along with the normal children and have taken active part in all the activities. 8 of the Scouts boys and 8 of the Guides had taken part in the Jamboorite held in Doddaballapur Bangaluru in the year 2014 and took part in the various activities with the normal children and were appreciated by the way they functioned. In the year 2016, Four of the scouts and Guides took part in National Jamboori at Mysuru amidst the 50,000 participants from the Normal school all over the nation in which the then President Shri Pranav Mukargi was present. They also gave a welcome dance in one of the cultural programme which was appreciated by all. 10 of the School Guides completed their Prathama Sopana oral Exams and got their badges for the same. It is indeed a great achievement from the Children with special needs.
PTA (PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION) :
In order to strengthen the bond between the parents and teachers and to secure cooperation of both for the welfare of the students, parent teacher association was started in 1973 and is now continues smoothly. The mutual understanding between the students, staff and parents has fostered a homely atmosphere in the school. The PTA has their General Body meeting once a year in the month of July. Appropriate speakers are called to address the gathering. In the 2017- 2018 Mrs. Rukshana addressed the parents on various issues on adult training and the problems. The parents had a good interaction with the speaker. The PTA meets once in two years for a friendly gathering where the parents themselves organize programme such as cultural activities, games etc and relax and have fun. The PTA executive members meet every two months or whenever the need arises to discuss and plan activities for the betterment of our students and institution.
St. Agnes Special School which was started as the Centenary memorial of The Apostolic Carmel Congregation in 1970, August 4th is in the threshold of celebrating its Golden Jubilee. The inauguration the Golden Year celebrations will be held on 6th August 2019 at 10.15 am, where Sr Maria Shamita AC-the Provincial Superior AC Karnataka Province will be chief guest joined by other guests of honor and well-wishers-Over 50 activities have been planned to celebrate this event through the year. Some of the major activities are, Sports meet, Cultural competitions, Camps. PTA meet, old students reunion and the fundraising programme – which is a Comedy Drama “Pushpakkana Imana” by Tulu Actor/Director Devadas Kapikad. The Centenary celebrations will culminate with its finale at the end of the year 2020
In conclusion, the joy of being able to bless and give someone you love and care, and to make them smile, is priceless. The satisfaction that comes from making a difference in the lives of others cannot be overstated. Knowing that you have helped make someone else’s life a little brighter and better is a special feeling, and one that will last with you for a long time. And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy. So if you are looking for a way to enhance your act of sharing and giving experience, try giving back now. Let’s give to the less fortunate, ashrams, non-profit organizations, needy families and children, and others a feeling of hope, and make a difference in their lives. And one place you can donate some of your wealth is ST AGNES SPECIAL SCHOOL, MANGALURU, where the management is inviting well-wishers and friends to be partners in their endeavors to help the children and adults with disability to live a life of dignity. For more details call the Principal at 9741150669 or 0824-2443376
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