Exploring New Horizons: First Day of School at Chennai Campus
We are delighted to announce that the first day of school was a resounding success! It was a day filled with excitement, new friendships, and a renewed enthusiasm for learning.
The morning began with a warm welcome from our educators and staff, who greeted students with beaming smiles and open arms. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation as students explored their classrooms adorned with vibrant name tags and supplies neatly organized. Our teachers wasted no time in engaging students in interactive icebreaker activities, fostering a sense of community and teamwork right from the start.
Throughout the day, students eagerly participated in various sessions, such as mindfulness with our Director of Education, Ms. Shashi Banerjee and our Principal Ms. Padmini Sambasivam, where they familiarized themselves with the school's facilities, routines, and expectations. Our educators spared no effort in ensuring that students felt comfortable and supported, answering questions, and providing guidance.
The delicious and nutritious breakfast and lunch, catered to diverse dietary needs and preferences. The students thoroughly enjoyed their meals, relishing the opportunity to connect with their peers and forge new friendships over shared conversations and laughter.
As we move ahead, we look forward to building upon the momentum of this successful first day. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to providing quality education, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and character development in each and every student. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and the bright future that awaits our students. We encourage you to stay connected with us through our Parent Partnership Office.
We look forward to our parents’ and guardians’ unwavering support and cooperation in creating a positive and nurturing environment conducive to learning and growth. We are committed to maintaining this collaboration throughout the year, ensuring that the child’s educational journey remains fulfilling and rewarding. Let us embark on this remarkable journey together, driven by a shared passion for “Education for Life”!
Experience Shiv Nadar School’s “Education for Life” Philosophy at Chennai!
The intrinsic value schooling adds to a young learner’s life goes beyond classroom interactions. As our Director of Education, Dr. Shashi Banerjee, surmises, “Our approach (must be) rooted in doing the smallest things with true intent”. Every child’s learning journey follows a unique fingerprint; therefore, a pedagogical approach that nurtures their capabilities and skills is best suited to realize their true potential.
At Shiv Nadar School, we pride ourselves in creating unparalleled learning experiences for young minds. We encourage individual expression, challenging the status quo, and imparting value-based lessons rooted not only in winning but also in learning from our failures. As World Champion in Public Speaking, Mr. Dananjaya Hettiarachchi stated, “Shiv Nadar School permits students to fail safely”.
Two weeks ago, our one-of-a-kind Experience Centre in Chennai welcomed its first set of parents and students. Parents were guided through the school’s decade-long journey in education, which has resulted in our time-tested process to create lifelong learners.
Interacting with various members of the SNS Community, including the students, educators, and senior leadership, parents further learned about our holistic curriculum and other avenues through which Shiv Nadar School encourages knowledge co-creation alongside our young learners to nurture them into responsible changemakers of tomorrow.
In her welcome address Mrs. Padmini Sambasivam, Principal of Shiv Nadar School Chennai, assured parents that her team would leave no stone unturned; until every child entrusted in (their) care grew into a confident, responsible, committed, empathetic, and contributing citizen of the globe.
The key highlight for parents and students was an assisted tour into the Shiv Nadar School Metaverse. The Metaverse tour allowed parents and students to experience and visualize the Chennai campus as planned in the near future.
Our Experience Centre is an interactive and self-exploratory space that allows parents to experience and familiarise themselves with the school and our ecosystem. It showcases the evolution of Shiv Nadar School’s approach to creating meaningful and individualized learning journeys for young minds.
Parents gained exclusive insights into the SNS pedagogy and practices. One of the parents mentioned, “I am not looking for the conventional streamlined education; hence I have opted for Shiv Nadar School. I am enjoying the outlook and the approach that this education will give. It is going to be a very transformative educational experience. I am looking forward towards a journey where my son will be nurtured into who he really is.” - Dr. Sandhya.
From engaging storytelling sessions to learning how to draw and sketch, the young ones were engrossed under the expansive shade of the Banyan trees on campus.
Parents who wish to know more about the school can plan a visit to the Experience Centre by contacting the Parent Partnership Office.
You catch a glimpse of the highlights here:
Shiv Nadar Foundation Launches Shiv Nadar School in Chennai
Shiv Nadar Foundation has announced the launch of Shiv Nadar School in Chennai, which is envisioned as an international school with traditional values. Reaffirming the Foundation’s deeply rooted commitment to education, the school is affiliated with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Board. It would offer world-class education for the holistic development of young learners. Around 150 students will be enrolled in the first year of operations, and the intake will progressively increase every year.
The academic session for Nursery to Grade 4 will begin from June 2023 onwards.
Campus Infrastructure and Facilities: The school is spread across a 14-acre campus at the lush-green Damodar Gardens, near the Adyar river and the famous Elliot's Beach. The site is well-known in Chennai for its greenery and tree cover, and the school is taking all possible measures to ensure that the ecological balance is not disturbed and will be enhanced with more trees and plants. It is designed by award-winning architects from Vastu Shilpa Consultants, a firm founded by Padma Bhushan awardee Mr. B.V. Doshi, known for creating ecologically sustainable architecture. The campus would enable learners the spirit of inquiry, a love for nature, and an environment for community building.
To know more visit:
https://news.careers360.com/shiv-nadar-foundation-announces-launch-of-shiv-nadar-school-in-chennai
https://expressnews.asia/shiv-nadar-foundation-announces-the-launch-of-shiv-nadar-school-in-chennai/
https://education21.in/shiv-nadar-foundation-announces-the-launch-of-shiv-nadar-school-in-chennai/
.jpeg)
The SNS Chennai Campus
The school reflects the values a society imagines for its future. It is a space to set children up with the tools to question pre-conceived norms and construct new, un-imagined realities. Design can make a critical difference in achieving this. The Shiv Nadar School, Chennai, is envisioned to be the epitome of environmental sustainability.
The design stems from the dense vegetation on the beautiful site, ensuring that no single tree is cut. A biophilic design allows a seamless connection indoors and outdoors for the students to be with nature. A banana leaf-like parasol roof unifies and shades the different blocks of the school that doubles up as a skylight and solar power generation.
Designed and engineered for climate responsiveness, the school structure is an appropriate combination of passive measures, optimized active systems, solar energy generation, and various innovative building strategies. The objective is to improve well-being while reducing the carbon footprint of the building. The design promotes hybrid tempered ventilation, a combination of air-conditioning and natural ventilation while ensuring natural light during the daytime. The building material palette highlights the raw and natural characteristics with refurbished wood panels, steel, and AAC blocks, with radiant barrier insulation to keep the indoors cool.
The overall landscape is integrated with the built form by using existing trees and plants to reduce irrigation requirements. It activates the existing waterbody with effective rainwater harvesting and wastewater treatment strategies. A blend of simple yet effective passive and mechanical strategies, optimized and engineered using building physics simulations, contributing toward a net-zero built environment.
Experience Education for Life at SNS Chennai
The Experience Centre at the Shiv Nadar School (SNS) Chennai has been conceptualized as an interactive and self-exploratory space for prospective parents to experience the school at their own pace. The experience centre will provide the parents with an exclusive insight into the SNS pedagogy, throwing light on the evolution of the Shiv Nadar School into one of the best learning experiences for young learners.
It allows parents and visitors to gain insights into their child’s journey on campus. Learn about our curriculum and scholastic and co-scholastic programs. Parents will also be able to embark on an assisted tour with our experienced Parent Partnership Officer inside our very own Shiv Nadar School Metaverse.
Bhoomi Pujan Ceremony at the Shiv Nadar School, Chennai
The last decade at Shiv Nadar School has been focused on advancing, challenging, defining, and redefining benchmarks in education with our three campuses across Delhi NCR. Extending our legacy of raising “Lifelong Learners,” we are now at the helm of launching our fourth school in Chennai.
Our newest chapter in Chennai began on an auspicious note with the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony on 27th July 2022.
The solemn occasion was graced by members of the Shiv Nadar School community, Mr. Shikhar Malhotra and Ms. Roshni Nadar Malhotra. Teams from SNU Chennai, SSN College of Engineering, and the Foundation came together to welcome the newest addition to the Chennai family.
The school campus in Chennai is nestled in the lush greenery of Adyar. Designed by Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. B. V. Doshi, the campus focuses on leveraging the richness of the existing green environment of Adyar to enrich learning outcomes. In keeping with his philosophy, the school will be a blend of aesthetic sensibilities with a critical focus on sustainability.
We look forward to creating an enriching environment to foster young minds and guide them into becoming lifelong learners and ethically and morally responsible citizens.
Neelavani Dhas
Parent Partnership Officer
Neelavani Dhas brings over 15 years of rich experience in various fields such as education, information technology, training, and R&D in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion sector. In the last seven years, she has had the opportunity to engage with various curricula in both national and international schools. Her diverse skill set complements her current role of building a nurturing parent and school community at Shiv Nadar School, Chennai.
Her foray into education was with GEMS, Our Own Indian School (Dubai). With her newfound passion, she studied further at UCL and TNTEU.
She considers that all great educators believe in their students and that good education can bring hope to a child. In the same spirit, she actively volunteers with Project Puthri, an initiative to develop ‘Career Intentionality’ among underprivileged girl students in Tamil Nadu.
She owes her “Never Say Die” spirit to Mumbai, where she spent her childhood. As an amateur guitarist, she can be found strumming to YouTube tutorials of old Hindi songs during her leisure time.
Manveen Chadha
Head - Early Years Programme
Manveen Chadha has been a Montessorian and Special Educator for over two decades and is Certified in Early Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative.
She believes that children are naturally intuitive scientists and philosophers who never stop astonishing us with their amazing discoveries and understanding of the world around them. A true educator is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom. Her purpose is to help children discover their voice, recognize their skills, and be their best.
In 1995, Manveen commenced her journey as a teacher at Sishya School, Chennai. Moulding the young minds and ensuring they were provided with the right support wherever needed. For the next decade, she worked as Centre Head at Indus Early Learning Centre, Chennai; Principal – Early Years at Velammal World Academy; and Head – Early Childhood Education at Edubba – Velammal Group; and as Design Lead – Early Years at Akshar Arbol International School.
Through her experience of 17 years, her young learners have taught her what it means to be resilient, open-minded and achieve perfection by never giving up.
Manveen encourages educators, parents, and caregivers to observe and enjoy a child’s transformation in their early years. This is the intrinsic joy that underlies her role as an educator.
MATTHEW IVULICH
Vice Principal
Matthew Ivulich is the Vice Principal, Shiv Nadar School, Chennai. He aims to be the driving force for the relationships between curriculum, technology, assessment, pedagogy and the needs for children in today's world.
An alumnus of the University of Western Australia, Matthew possesses two Master's degrees in Science Education (Change Management) and Management & Leadership. He brings experiences as an educator and a leader with institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom. He has worked with reputed institutions such as Scotch College, Rugby School (UK), Trinity College, Wesley College, Methodist Ladies' College, Corpus Christi College, Tranby College and St Mary's College. In his last role, he was associated with New Horizon Thinking as a Founder and Principal Consultant, before joining Shiv Nadar School in 2018.
He believes in creating a teaching and learning environment that will deliver the 6 C's of creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, citizenship and character. As a past elite basketball player and coach, his belief in teamwork and distributive leadership has helped shape the contemporary education required for our 21st century learners today.