Our teachers deserve recognition for their devotion to their profession and Taarana’s kids. We owe much of our success to you.

Former United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan once said, “Whenever you find something extraordinary, you’ll find the fingerprints of a great teacher.” Indeed, we may forget the content in their classes, but we will never forget the special teachers closest to our hearts.

This extraordinary relationship was palpable as Taarana’s students, parents, and RYTHM Foundation threw a surprise ceremony to honour their special education teachers’ and therapists’ hard work and dedication.

Held in conjunction with Teachers’ Day, the children showed gratitude and reverence to their educators by actively participating in the programme planned by Taarana’s Principal, Dr Sunitha Sivakumaran, and the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). Also present were RYTHM’s Head Santhi Periasamy and QI Group Director Krishna Kumar. The Foundation manages Taarana and is the social impact arm of QI.

In demonstrating that the fundamental importance of the occasion remains strong, the children and parents also presented gifts and flowers to the teachers.

Dr Sunitha thanked her team’s continuous efforts and dedication and acknowledged the parents for helping organise the event and supporting the school.

“Naturally, our teachers deserve recognition for their devotion to their profession and Taarana’s kids. We owe much of our success to you,” she said.

“To Taarana’s Parent-Teacher Association, thank you for your contributions, for playing a big part in making this special day possible for our educators, and your unwavering support of Taarana School.”

Kumar correspondingly paid an affectionate tribute to the teaching staff. “I’m incredibly honoured for the opportunity to acknowledge the team behind Taarana on this special occasion.”

He also shared a heartwarming personal story. “This is so close to me because I have a special needs child. My third daughter was born with Spinal Bifida and has been in a wheelchair since the day she could walk.

“The doctors said she would only have six months when she was born, but she is now 28 years old. My wife and I fought the odds for our daughter, who has become an accomplished author with two bestsellers and is also an artist,” Kumar related.

“Having said that, the people behind her are the same fraternity behind all the kids at Taarana. So, on behalf of the Group, thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts.”

In her speech, Santhi described Taarana as the heartbeat of the Foundation. “That is how much we love and want to see Taarana reach a greater height. We are happy to note that we are on the right track, thanks to Dr Sunitha’s leadership and every one of our educators.

“On behalf of RYTHM and our Chairperson, Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran, thank you for all you have done for this school and our special children. Congratulations to you on Teachers’ Day and for a job well done. Without your sincere and relentless efforts, nothing would be possible,” Santhi added.

To illustrate the school, Foundation and Group’s appreciation, Dr Sunitha, Santhi and Kumar also presented tokens of appreciation to the teachers. Furthermore, in a show of the deep connection they share, several students and their parents also gave gifts to the teachers.

Visibly touched, language skills tutor Jaleha Mohd Isa said, “Thank you very much for this surprise. It is heartening to be appreciated this way, and I will continue to do my best for our students.”

Speech therapist Naomi Nisha was likewise surprised by the efforts to celebrate her and her colleagues. “Much planning went into today’s event, and I am profoundly grateful for the recognition,” she said.

To Taarana’s exceptional and devoted faculty, thank you for choosing to make a difference!