Leadership | Page 3 | Shiv Nadar School

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Preeti Gautam is the Head of Early Years at Shiv Nadar School Faridabad.

A dedicated and goal-driven educator with 8 years of experience in education, she joined Shiv Nadar School in 2016. Her journey with us started as a Teaching faculty, moving to subject in charge in Grade 2 (2017), Form Coordinator Grade 2 (2018), Program Lead Grade 2 & 3 (2019) and Program Lead Grade 1 & 2 (2020). With her consistent exceptional leadership along with continued passion for learning, she was promoted to Deputy Head Grade 1 & 2 in the year 2021.

With a bachelor’s degree in dental surgery, she began her career in renowned hospitals and dental practices in Delhi, NCR. Her love for children and belief that teachers play a key role in shaping future generations made her discover her true calling in life and she went to pursue bachelor’s degree in education from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak. She is also pursuing her master’s in education with a specialization in Elementary Education from Maharishi Dayanand University.

Preeti works closely with the Early Years team members, as well as coordinators from other teams and members of the School’s Leadership Team and continues to enrich the Early Years cohort and the campus with the same level of passion, dedication, and strategic thinking to this role, driving positive change and fostering a collaborative and efficient working environment.

Neha Jain is Head Primary Years at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad. A dedicated professional, she started her journey in the organization in December 2014. As an educator, she understands that the purpose of education is not just to teach, but to build character and skills, and make the students independent learners.

With a degree of Bachelors in Elementary Education from Delhi University and experience of over 10 years in the educational sector, she believes in being a learner and taking every challenge in her stride. She began her career in 2009 by working as a Grade 3 teacher at Gyan Bharti School, Saket and then at MVN, Faridabad.

She was one of the founder teachers at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, and feels immensely proud in being associated with an institution that provides a rounded education to the children. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music and spending time with her children.

Bhagya Laxmi Sinha leads the Parent Partnership Office at Shiv Nadar School Faridabad. She is an energetic and dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in the field of Education. She strongly believes in ‘striving for educational excellence’. She possesses outstanding interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.

With a Master’s Degree in Political Science, Bhagya went on to earn a Diploma Degree in Journalism. She started her career as a journalist with the Times of India and then worked with NewsX. After her exposure to Media she acquired another degree – Bachelor of Education and has been associated with institutions like Shalom Group of Schools, Excelsior American School and Gyaananda School, before joining Shiv Nadar School in 2018.

Being a lifelong learner, she recently completed a course on ‘Leading Schools – Certificate in School Management and Leadership’ from the reputed Harvard Business School. Known for her vivacious and gregarious nature, she is led by the mantra that ‘It’s not what you cannot do, but, what you can do’. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and reading.

Sumita Malik, Head, Early Years at Shiv Nadar School, NOIDA, is an innovative educationist with over twenty-eight years of experience in the field. During this vast career span, she has been an accomplished teacher, mentor, curriculum developer, and administrator with expertise in education research and business development. She is proficient in conducting workshops for teachers and parents.

She started her journey as an educator at Junior Raghubir Singh Modern School, Delhi, and eventually built and headed the Foundation department at The Heritage School, Vasant Kunj, Delhi. During this time, she delved deep into research to understand educational approaches to teaching language during early childhood. After an association of almost 13 years with The Heritage School, she joined a chain of international pre-schools, ‘Rumi Kids’ an initiative of Richard Chandler Corporation Singapore, as the Principal and Business head. She is the Territory Head, Delhi, of the Early Childhood Association.

She presented a paper on ‘Inclusive Practices’ during the Conference on ‘Every Child’s Right to Early Childhood Education’ organized by AECED, CECED, and TIS in 2018 and has authored and published a paper on ‘Anxiety and low self-esteem in early years’. She was honoured to be a speaker for the ‘MP STEAM Education Conference 2019’ on Crafting the Future with STEAM curriculum and has been associated with the Madhya Pradesh Department of School Education for training their teachers since 2020.

She is passionate about education reforms, especially at the primary and pre-primary levels. Sumita truly believes that early childhood is the most critical period when the foundation for lifelong development is laid and requires special care in enabling an environment rich in learning experiences.

Pooja Malhotra heads the Parent Partnership Office at the Noida campus.

Pooja holds more than two decades of rich professional experience, working with people and setting up cultures in organizations. Before she forayed into the education sector, she worked in leading organizations like Kuwait Airways, Radisson MBD Hotel, IBM, and Ebony Gautier. Her last stint was for a US-based company heading the People Culture and administration. Since joining Shiv Nadar School Noida, Pooja has spearheaded various engagements by and for the parent community, establishing a great bond with them.

As a people person, she engages with the parent community, building a robust Parent Partnership Program. She has been working beyond her role capacity as a ferocious learner. As a hands-on learner, Pooja attributes her learning journey to her experience at work.

She believes that the right attitude is what matters the most. Pooja loves to be with her family and spend time with them.

Col Puneet Salhotra (Retired) is the Head of Administration and Operations at the Shiv Nadar School Noida.

With a Masters in Defence and Strategic Studies, he is an alumnus of the prestigious Defence Services Staff College. During nearly four decades of his service, Col Salhotra has served the length and breadth of the country, making a significant contribution in all assignments that came his way. He has had multifaceted experiences in operational, administrative, and training matters, including a tenure with the UN in Somalia, where he was responsible for the training of Somali police.

Known for his integrity, hard work, foresight, and teamwork, Col Salhotra joined the organisation when the school was preparing to reopen in physical space after the Covid pandemic. His mantra in life is to catch the bull by the horn. He has been able to utilise the strength of each member of his team optimally. In a short span of four months, he has been able to bring about a significant turnaround not only in reinstating but improving several of the facilities and spaces which had closed due to the pandemic.

He enjoys family time with his two daughters and siblings. He utilises his leisure time reading, playing golf, cycling, cooking, or listening to music.

Vandana Vadera is Head - Early Years at Shiv Nadar School Gurgaon. In 2012, Vandana joined the school as a founding member. She continues to bring innovative practices with diverse learning opportunities. With her calm and pleasant demeanour, the Early Years section is seen blossoming as a place where children explore the world around them with happiness and zeal.

She did her post-graduation in Dietetics from Lady Irwin College and served as a dietician in various hospitals. Driven by her inherent passion for children and a creative bend towards education, she completed her studies in Early Years education, and worked with Preschools of repute for five years. Her experience with children, innovative approach towards teaching, and ability to mentor other teachers made her rise to the role of a Senior Mentor.

A deep understanding of how teachers can become facilitators and how children learn in a congenial environment led her to take up the responsibility of the Pre-primary coordinator at the Shiv Nadar School. She was promoted as the Head of Early Years in 2016 with the vision to cultivate a safe and nurturing environment for children and teachers. She has continued to expand her knowledge in supporting young children through their emotional, social and academic development by undergoing training and through study tours, both within and outside India.

She believes in living in harmony with nature and has learnt decoupage art to transform her old furniture and restore them. During the pandemic, she conducted sessions on hygiene, safety, and literacy to engage neighbourhood children. She loves to spend time with her family and playing with her pet dog.

Aditi Chopra leads the People and Culture team at Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, and has been associated with the organisation since May 2016. She demonstrates her capabilities in managing overall HR Operations, Recruitment, Professional Development, Performance Management, and Employee Relations.

She brings 17 years of dynamic experience in handling various HR functions like Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, Training and Development, and Employee Engagement. Aditi is proficient in implementing HR policies and procedures and handling day-to-day administrative functions.

Her experience forte spans several corporate groups including Quality Assurance Institute (QAI), Macmillan Publishing Solutions, Redington, and ALICO (UAE). In her last assignment, she worked with SpiceJet Ltd as Manager - Human Resources. Aditi is self-motivated, passionate, and enthusiastic about delivering high-quality output, ensuring 'commitment' as a core element.

Alongside her professional skills, she keeps herself engaged for a healthy life. Her main interests comprise travelling and listening to music. She is fond of food and even likes to try new recipes and cuisines.

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