‘Apeejay helped my daughter nail public speaking’

Dipa Sengupta is a homemaker and a medical transcriptionist, an allied health professional who listens to voice recordings that physicians and other healthcare workers make and convert them into written reports. Her husband Bapan Sengupta is the head of the prepress department in Huhtamaki, a global food packaging specialist, headquartered in Espoo, Finland. Their daughter, Ruhi Sengupta, is in class 4 of Apeejay School, Kharghar. In an interview, Dipa elaborates how the school has helped her daughter become a confident speaker.

Why did you pick Apeejay  over other schools?

I wanted a reputed CBSE school with a sound infrastructure in the vicinity of my home. I didn’t want my child to waste time and energy on travel. Apeejay ticked all the boxes. Though, what attracted me the most about the school is the caring behaviour of its teachers. When we visited the school for the Nursery Admission Interview, the faculty was extremely kind and courteous. Ruhi felt like home and as a result she gave her 100 percent in the interview.

What’s the biggest improvement you have seen in your child?

Ruhi was extremely shy, especially among her peers, but the teachers gave her countless opportunities to hone her speaking skills. She came out of her shell in no time. She now speaks with fluency and articulates her views without hesitation. In fact, during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Apeejay Education Society (AES), Ruhi gave a speech along with the Principal. Apeejay helped my daughter nail public speaking. Every month, students have to make a project on a given topic and present it on the stage. This helps students conquer stage fear. Unlike our generation, they are confident talking on the microphone.

How has the school fared in online teaching?

Since lockdown, classes are going on without any glitch. There’s no compromise on the quality and every inch of the syllabus has been covered. The school gives special emphasis to activity-based learning, which helps enhance the critical thinking skills of students. For example, last month the school celebrated Nutrition Week. The students were tasked to make ‘Chickpea chaat’ in an online session. Then each student has to talk about the nutritional benefit of each ingredient. Likewise, students were tasked to make 3 aquatic animals with Tangram, a puzzle game consisting of dissected forms which are put together to form original shapes. Children are also taught to make 3D pop up cards and soft puppets. Importantly, every object for such activities is sourced from home.

Share with us your most memorable moments.

Ruhi was in KG when she was conferred ‘Student of the Year’ award. It was a proud moment for me. I can’t express my feelings in words. In class 1 she got International Ranking 1 in Maths Olympiad. That too was a big achievement.

“The teachers give adequate attention to each student and resolve all their doubts. Even if there are 30 hands raised in the class, the teacher ensures that every query is answered.”

–Dipa Sengupta