Headstart Nursery and Primary School was started
in 1995, by Mrs.Sudha Mahesh, who remains the Principal even today.
The kindergarten classes run at this facility in Kottivakkam. Classes
1 to 7 are conducted at Thoraipakkam and this school is named Headstart
Learning Centre.
Growth:Headstart
is growing at one class a year for the past few years. Along the way
it was in doubt as to its ability to offer higher classes because
of space constraints and had limited the growth upto class 5. The
current facility, however, allays any doubt in the promotors' minds,
and Headstart is now offering upto class 7 and will go upto class
10, growing one class every academic year. Headstart is adding one
class every year to fulfill its commitment to students who have been
with it since kindergarten benefitting from its methodology. It is
currently accepting admissions to all class levels upto class 8.
Head Start Sports
School with a difference:Headstart
is different in the way it teaches its children, Headstart is different
in how it prepares children for adulthood, Headstart is different
in its goals in educating children, Headstart is different in the
materials and media it uses to educate children, Headstart is different
in who it accepts for admissions, Headstart is different in how it
integrates children who are different. These are a few reasons why
the promoters believe that Headstart is a school with a difference.
Children attending Headstart feel school
is a home away from home. They are completely at home in the school
and often wish to attend school even on days when they are recommended
to stay home, say due to an illness. Every class has projects, games,
art, dance, and music and much more to reinforce their learning.
Headstart believes in teaching children through various media and
innovative methods. All children participate in the activities the
school conducts, with no exceptions. The school appreciates all
performances . Every Headstarter participates in the school's sports
day and every child gets a memento for participation. This is true
in every annual day celebration as well. Every child gets up on
stage and performs.
Headstart is an inclusive school. 15% of our
students are children with special needs. It has children who are
dyslexic, slow learners, and children with poor vision and hearing
difficulties. It wishes to integrate children who are differently
abled with the mainstream so everyone gains from the experience.
Those differently abled learn to work with others without similar
disabilities and the mainstream learn to be empathetic towards these
children. Through the Trust, Headstart's promoters also sponsor
the education of a few, both in its own schools, and in a few cases,
in other schools as well.
Headstart is an integrating school. It have children
attending Headstart who are from completely different economic and
social backgrounds. It want Headstarters to be able to appreciate
each other without letting the financial or social position of each
others' parents influence how they interact with one another.
Headstart is an evolving school. It continually
upgrades its teachers' skills. It listens to the school's parent community
closely to better address their needs and their concerns. Headstart
recognises that it is serving them and their children and in order
to do this effectively, it must always know what their current needs
are.
Painting
Headstart is a transparent school. It shares
with its school's parents detailed information on anything it is considering
for its students. Every activity, every event of Headstart, every
noteworthy mention of the school or its Principal, is covered in depth
in the school's website, http://www.headstartschool.org
Headstart
is an innovative school. The promoters understand the essence of
"why we are where we are," and try to make the experience
memorable, both to Headstart children and their parents, and to
the management and the teachers.
Children learn various topics or subjects sometimes
through games and at other times, through activities. Just to say
a few, class 1 children cut a cake, divide it into parts to understand
fractions, class 2 plays musical chair to learn Tamil, class 3 plays
dumb charades to learn English, class 4 work on projects to learn
about religion, class 5 learns Science through Mind Maps, class
6 and class 7 learn robotics to understand computer science. While
it is hard to capture the essence of how we teach each of these
skills or subjects, the point Headstart wishes to convey here is
that it tries to make learning fun and ensures that all its children
learn their subjects.
Headstart is a friendly school. Its children have
friendly interactions with the teachers. The relationship between
students and teachers is very informal . Headstart doesnt have rigid
expectations and so it doesn't set unreasonable rules.
Every activity is child-friendly and child-centric.
The school keeps focusing on its students, not on the school, not
on the parents, or the teachers, but on the students, for it is
they who it serves and it is their development that it must shape.
Headstart Learning Centre is on an 8 ground property
that it has leased for 25 years, starting from 2005. We are somewhat
limited in the space we have for sports and games, but we use it
very effectively. We are investing further in this same property
to spruce it up and have it meet different board requirements.
Studying at Headstart Nursery and Primary School
and studying at Headstart Learning Centre is an exhilarating experience
no child or parent must pass up, so visit both, understand what each
school does and support Headstart in the delivery of quality education.
Headstart's Principal as Chief Guest: Mrs. Sudha Mahesh, was the chief guest at Bala
Vidya Mandir for their kindergarten annual day celebration on 15th
Feb, 2006.
On 6th March, she will also address a gathering of teachers attending
a teacher training programme at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan. Transcript
of the first speech will soon be available online.
She said that she has known Mrs.Mahesh for many years and that she
was proud to have been her mentor for over two decades. She also
said that there was so much fun and learning going on at Headstart
and praised the institution for raising above the clutter of schools
in Chennai, and delivering on all it promises.
Singapore Government visits Headstart:
Earlier in the year, Head of Preschool, Ministry of Education, Republic
of Singapore, Mrs.Christina Ratnam, came to see Headstart in session
and had these words of praise.
"The pleasure was ours, and we truly appreciated
the warmth with which you welcomed us, and shared with us your ideas
and teaching materials. We were very touched by your generosity
in sharing what many may consider as "trade secrets" in
the profession.,"
Renovations and New Facility:Headstart
Nursery & Primary School, has government recognition now. The
building has been spruced up and facilities have been added for all
classes. As a result of these renovations, the classes can now function
efficiently. There are also additional rooms available now for children
we might admit later in the year.
Headstart
Learning Centre, was opened at the begining of the academic year
2005-06. The facility is very spacious. Grades 1 through 7 attended
classes here. Directions to this facility is available here.
Donations Are Tax Exempted Now: In
being recognised as an Educational and Charitable Trust, the School
has obtained the approval of the Income Tax Department to receive
donations eligible for tax exemption under section 80(G) of the
Income Tax Act. Since the school caters to a wide segment of the
society comprising the affluent as well as the lower income groups
and children from refugee families, any contribution will go for
this noble cause and we welcome visitors to this site to consider
the same favourably.
Donations:We started
the year with some contributions that are invaluable to us now.
We received a printer from one of our ardent supporters, Mr. Y.Ananthanarayanan
of Bangalore. Mr. Ananth also donated an excellent collection of
encyclopedia. Mr Kumar Subramaniam of Kumaran Software Ltd (Taramani,
Chennai) contributed a computer with monitor, keyboard and speakers.
We're thankful to him as well.
We invite both parents and well wishers to support us and help grow
Headstart. If you would like to contribute and need to get in touch
with us, use our contact page to reach us.
Assorted News: The
school is organising a Reach Out programme to the people in the neighbourhood,
putting on display the educational aids and methodologies we employ.
The "Open House" programme was scheduled on the 28th of
July 2003.
Exhibitions: Headstart
conducts exhibitions regularly to let children show others their ideas
and interests. They give children opportunity to share their knowledge
with others as well as clarify their own understanding. By exhibiting
their handy-work, children show the rest of us their creativeness
and profound understanding of the subjects on exhibit.
To view the photos from Headstart's fifth annual exhibition -this
year's theme was planet Earth.
Exhibition
Exhibitions bring out the creativity in children.
Children readily develop the necessary paradigms to explain their
findings. And by sharing what they know, they feel proud of their
abilities. Parents too get a better understanding of their capabilities.
Our faculty is aware of the enthusiasm that exhibitions
generate among children and teachers. Teachers help children present
everything the children have read or have been taught. Experienced
teachers work closely with new and younger faculty to develop the
relevant skills. They are all in constant consultation with one another,
and ensure that children are properly prepared with their exhibits
and related text. Consequently, their efforts help reinforce ideas
previously learnt.
Headstarters out on field trips: Children
from classes 3 to 7 were out on field trips between 23rd Feb and 28th
Feb, 2006. Photos from their trip will soon be available for parents
to see. The children had a lot of fun. Any discussion on their field
trip can be had in the school's discussion board. Click here to add
your messages.
Special dignitaries
talking about Headstart: Headstart celebrated
its 11th Annual Day programme on 3rd December, 2005, with much fun
fare and aplomb. The Chief guest for the evening was Ms.Shakuntala
Sharma, Secretary, Children's Garden School, Chennai. She praised
Mrs.Sudha Mahesh, Headstart's Principal, for her committment to
child development and quality education, and applauded the parents
who chose Headstart for their children.
Events: The
field trips and cookery classes have started in full earnest. Children
of Class 5 have already gone on trips to the Kalakshetra and a few
other important sites in Chennai, including the 6th century Marundeeswarar
Temple in our own neighbourhood. Class 4 children visited the Adyar
Main Post Office as part of their current project.
The
children of classes 3rd, 4th and 5th attended the musical play "Oliver
Twist" recently and enjoyed it thoroughly.
LKG, UKG, 1st and 2nd graders attended a Sing-Along
Programme at the Music Academy. Two of our teachers also went on
stage and sang for the assembled children.
We've introduced many innovative systems for
children to handle notebooks better. We've been continually up-grading
both our facility and the services we provide in our premises. Our
constant pursuit after quality can be seen in every activity we have
undertaken.
Education through Music:Headstart
uses several mediums to educate children; Art, Craft, Singing, Dancing,
Book Reading and Story Telling.... One such is Music. Most children
enjoy dancing, singing, and listening to music and don't think of
them as being laborious.
Music Class
By paying attention
to detail and listening to the songs carefully (in order to repeat
after them,) children learn how to grasp ideas and retain them in
memory. And since this is done voluntarily, learning comes easily.
Headstart encourages children to sing aloud recognizing their need
for attention. Studies have shown that children can recognize sounds
very early on; right from when they are in their mother's womb.
Music like Art is easy to enjoy and is a means
for one to express oneself. One needs no talent or training in order
to appreciate it. Everyone responds to music of one form or another,
be it Karnatic, Western, or any other as it appeals to their hearts.
It can paint some unforgettable pictures in the minds of the listener.
It can bring both joy and sorrow. It can carry away one to far away
dreamy places.
We recommend that children be introduced to music at pre-school and
kindergarten level.
The school
conducted two sing-along programs, one in English, and the other in
Tamil. Subsequently, the songs were released as professional music
cds and audio tapes. Audio tapes are now available at popular stores
in the city such as Odessey at Adyar, Words and Worth in Besantnagar,
and Good Books in Abhiramapuram. Both albums are available as audio
cds only at the school. You can procure the albums at the school's
premisesl.
