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The school has its own counselling cell. The function works to address two major needs in children of school going age:

  • Career Aspirations: In consultation with teachers, parents and the verbalized inclination of the student, the school counsellor helps the student decide on what might be the best career options for them.
  • Mental Health: Our in-house counsellor in consultation with the teacher conducts personal observations during the classes on a regular basis. This helps to identify students having difficulties with cognitive development, discipline or other behavioural discrepancies.

Mental Health

At Maneckji Cooper School, we are passionate about inclusive education. We firmly believe that every child, regardless of their challenges, deserves a supportive and nurturing learning environment. Which is why, we are committed to early identification of behavioural discrepancies and subsequent intervention.

However, we do not or rather cannot do tis alone. Before commencing counselling sessions, we engage in open and interactive discussions with parents to gain a comprehensive understanding of each child’s background and needs through a history taking session. We follow a systematic process to identify and support children with special needs, ensuring they receive the timely intervention they require.

Sessions on Inclusivity

We believe in nurturing a sense of inclusivity, kindness, and empathy from a young age. As part of our commitment to supporting our students’ social and emotional development, the School Counsellor recently conducted a special class activity with one of our LKG divisions, centered around the heartwarming story of Giraffes Can’t Dance.

The book, Giraffes Can’t Dance, tells the story of Gerald the giraffe, who learns that it’s okay to be different and that everyone has their own special way of doing things. Through Gerald’s journey, students were encouraged to embrace the message that “Everyone dances in their own special way” and that self-belief helps us discover our own rhythm, no matter how different it may seem from others.

The session provided an opportunity for students to reflect on the importance of kindness, inclusivity, and supporting one another. By relating to Gerald’s story, they learned that it’s okay to be unique and that we can all shine in our own way when we believe in ourselves.

It was heartwarming to see how the children embraced the activity and understood the importance of accepting differences, both in themselves and in others. The session fostered a positive and supportive atmosphere, encouraging students to celebrate their individual strengths and build meaningful connections with their peers.

We are proud of the engaging and impactful work being done in our school to promote emotional well-being, self-confidence, and empathy in all students.

Collaborative Approach with Parents

Before individual counseling sessions, we conduct history-taking sessions with parents to gain a comprehensive understanding of each child’s background. This collaborative approach helps tailor our counseling to meet specific needs. Our Edusprint software securely stores case studies, ensuring confidentiality while allowing easy access for the School Counsellor.

Sensory Integration

By encouraging sensory play, we aim to provide holistic growth opportunities for our students. This is from Nursery onwards. While we are in the process of including necessary sensory tools & equipment required for a child’s complete cognitive development, we do activities in order to enhance motor development and finger dexterity in children. Sensory integration activities will also address concerns like low comprehension, speech delays and other developmental issues. This will also enhance social & emotional development.

Time to Talk Day – Promoting Kindness & Connection at School

The session began by exploring how acts of kindness can make a significant impact on both others and ourselves. Students learned how simple actions, such as offering compliments, helping a friend, or simply checking in with someone, can brighten someone’s day and create a sense of community.

We introduced two key concepts to reinforce these ideas:

The Kindness Challenge: Students were encouraged to engage in small, thoughtful acts of kindness throughout their day. Whether it’s giving a word of encouragement or offering help, the goal was to build a culture of kindness within the school. The Buddy System: Emphasizing the importance of peer support, students were encouraged to check in on their classmates by asking simple questions like, “How are you feeling today?” or inviting them to take a quick break together. This simple gesture promotes mental health awareness and creates an inclusive, caring environment.

The session also highlighted the importance of standing up against bullying. We encouraged students to actively choose kindness, inclusivity, and respect, while saying “no” to bullying behaviors. This fosters a safer and more supportive environment for everyone.

To complement these discussions, we used the book The Colour Monster: The Feelings Doctor, a wonderful resource that helped students identify and understand their emotions. By recognizing and naming their feelings, students gained valuable tools for emotional regulation through the Emotions Toolkit. This tool empowers students to manage their emotions in healthy ways, building better relationships with others and promoting their own well-being.

Sessions on Building Study Habits

We recently hosted a session on “How to Study Effectively & Beat Procrastination” to help students enhance their academic performance. The session focused on practical study strategies, time management, stress reduction, and staying motivated.

We began by identifying different learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and tailored study techniques to suit them. Key strategies discussed included:

Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritize tasks by urgency and importance.
Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused intervals with breaks.
Mind Mapping: Organize information visually.
Chunking: Break down large information into smaller pieces.
Practice Tests: Simulate exams to assess knowledge.
Additionally, we emphasized time management through time blocking, stress management with mindfulness techniques, and staying motivated with achievable goals.

We also addressed study pitfalls like procrastination, cramming, and multitasking, guiding students to avoid them and develop effective study habits. Our goal was to help students work smart, not just hard, and maintain a healthy balance between academics and well-being.

Safe and Unsafe Touch for Early Learners and Addressing Bullying

To empower our youngest students in HKG and LKG, we held sessions focused on understanding safe and unsafe touch. Using engaging video screenings and interactive discussions, the Counsellor helped children identify touches that make them feel happy and secure, like a hug from family, versus those that make them feel scared or uncomfortable. Emphasizing the importance of speaking up, students learned to approach trusted adults if they ever experience an unsafe touch. This foundational knowledge is vital for recognizing personal boundaries and ensuring their safety.

Understanding the prevalence and impact of bullying, we conducted targeted sessions for Grade 7 boys and for Std 1 and 2 students. These sessions covered not only traditional bullying but also cyberbullying, the bystander effect, and the importance of the T.H.I.N.K. principle: Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind? Through these discussions, we aimed to instill qualities of compassion and respect among students.

Career Counselling

We are associated with Drishti and Viosa to provide career guidance to our Secondary Level students. They assist students in setting realistic goals and create actionable plans to achieve them. They help students identify their strengths, areas for improvement, and potential obstacles, enabling them to navigate their educational and career journeys more effectively. They also engage with the parents, recognizing their crucial role in their child’s educational and career development. They offer guidance to the parents on supporting their child’s career exploration and decision-making.

The Drishti Foundation conducts an annual aptitude test for students of STD VIII, the results of which portray an elaborate and extensive analysis of their mental abilities. The detailed report is then shared with parents for further guidance and counselling on selecting the best career option for the child and the subsequent choice of appropriate subjects for the ICSE board examination.

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For any further assistance regarding the emotional or behavioral aspects of your child, please feel free to get in touch with our School Counselor at: co*******@ma******************.org