‘I want my child to be humble and disciplined’

They say that there is no perfect school where parents can send their children for holistic growth and overall development of the child’s personality. But those living in Navi Mumbai have a different take on this and say that if parents want to ensure that their children end up with good academic records and a personality to match then there is no better place than Apeejay School, Nerul.

 Dr Khyati Chaudhari, a dentist by profession whose son Yuvaan Samir Chaudhari studies in senior KG at Apeejay School Nerul, says that the school checked off each requirement and therefore it was the obvious choice for her.

Excerpts from an interview:

What makes Apeejay School in Nerul so popular with parents?

There are so many things. When parents sit down to choose a school for their children, there are many wants and needs – reasonable fees, good infrastructure, good teachers, courteous staff, and a smooth admission process with no hidden agenda.

People who are not from Navi Mumbai may not understand this but this school managed to tick every requirement that we had for Yuvaan. The fee structure is reasonable, they are not into making a profit; the school is student-friendly; the teachers are good; they pay equal importance to co-curricular activities, and most importantly they teach the students moral values and the importance of discipline.

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My son has already learnt how to write in cursive, he reads storybooks on his own. He comes home and after eating his food, he sits down to complete his work. I don’t have to micromanage him anymore

–Dr Khyati Chaudhari, Dentist and mother of student from Apeejay School, Nerul

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Now that the school is offline, what are the changes that you have seen in your son?

He started his schooling during the pandemic when the classes were online. At that time, it was his first experience of what a school is. I had to be a little strict and ensure that he sat down and did his work on time. I had to start teaching him the basics. Now, classes are offline. He has already learnt how to write in cursive, he reads storybooks on his own. He comes home and after eating his food, he sits down to complete his work. I don’t have to micromanage him anymore. He has become very independent. I give full credit to his teachers.

What is his favourite story?

There are a few. When it comes to listening, he loves Katuri Story on YouTube, it is about a mother pheasant and her four babies; he loves watching those. He also loves to read Jolly Kids stories, he has read stories one to six. There is another book — Usborne Phonics Readers; he has done levels I and II of this as well. He is part of several co-curricular activities as well. He learnt to swim and do yoga last year, he now goes skating. He plays football thrice a week. In school, he participates in the functions that they hold. He played the role of Hanuman and Subhash Chandra Bose among others.

You are a dentist and have seen kids from different schools. How are the children from Apeejay different?

Actually, this was yet another reason why my husband and I chose Apeejay. I have been practicing dentistry at Seawoods in Mumbai for the last seven years and found that kids from other schools are not as grounded. Apeejayites are more disciplined, well-mannered, and respect their elders. When kids from Apeejay come, they always greet me.  

What is the latest innovative technology in dentistry today?

There is one for the kids. It is called a water flosser. This even Yuvaan uses. It is very easy to use. It is a hand-held instrument with an angled tip in different colours so that different members can use it. The instrument has to be angled between two teeth so that any food particle stuck can be dislodged.

A lesson you would want your son to learn.

I want him to be humble. We see so many kids who are mean and bully others. I don’t want that for Yuvaan. I encourage him to play with a child in our society with Down Syndrome. I want him to understand that there are all kinds of people and one has to accept them for what they are.