Thursday, 6 March 2014

Social concern: Socially disabled

SPECIALLY ABLED – WE LOVE THEM!
-Ms. Sunita D’Souza




St. Joseph’s High School,
Wadala,
18th February 2014

At the very outset, the two comperes warmly welcomed everyone in the school hall. Ms. Nicole Britto (Vice-Principal), and Mrs. Matilda Fernandes (Head teacher of the Primary Section) were the special guests. The theme for the class assembly of Std.II A was 'Social Concern - Disability'. The assembly began with a meaningful skit which highlighted examples of people who cope successfully with disabilities and emerge triumphant. In the skit, students took the roles of Nick Vujicic (physically challenged), Helen Keller (blind and deaf), Sudha Chandran (physically challenged), and another autistic child and a mentally challenged child – people who accepted their disabilities and achieved success on their own terms. A group of students dressed as angels then danced to the rhythm of the song' I Have A Dream' - the dreams cherished by each disabled person in the world, and the hopes and dreams which they have fulfilled by mere faith in God and in themselves.

Groups of students then represented different organizations ('Missionaries of Charity', 'Shelter Don Bosco', NGO's, etc.) that reach out and render service to the specially abled. They enacted the kind of support, care and guidance provided by these organizations to people and children with special needs.  In the poem, 'I'm Still A Person' two groups of students wonderfully recited the poem that stressed emphasis on the importance of treating everyone equally including those who are specially abled.  The specially abled have their senses just like ours, the only difference being that they may not be able to 'see', 'hear','speak' or 'move' like us. In fact their senses are better attuned. They are persons who need to be treated with acceptance, love and respect, like any of us. Two students held a banner with the message to treat everyone kindly and respectfully. There was a power-point presentation on the life of Nick Vujicic who is a living example of a man who loves life and is happy. He has accepted his physical disability and has mastered various skills through sheer perseverance and faith in God. He has learnt skills such as cooking, speaking on the mobile, working on the computer (typing), inserting a video CD in a video player, walking his dog, moving on his wheel chair, surfing, swimming, etc. The disabilities were no longer seen as disabilities but as abilities accomplished with strong will power and regular practice, never giving up!


Ms. Nicole congratulated the class teacher and the students of Std. IIA for the beautiful, informative assembly. She reiterated the message that people who face disabilities are not disabled, they are differently abled and specially abled. The winners of the Friday weekly activity (Stds.I & II – Langdi, Stds. III & IV - Kho-Kho competitions) were then felicitated at the assembly. The assembly concluded with the singing of the school anthem.       

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