ST. SEBASTIAN'S SCHOOL

About Mrs. Sonali Majumder

Mrs. Sonali Majumder is the Founder of four Institutes -

• ST.  SEBASTIAN'S SCHOOL
• DEWDROPS MONTESSORI HOUSE
• OUR ASTITWA
• MARIA MONTESSORI TEACHER'S TRAINING CENTRE.

She received the distinguished educationist and social activist award from ECOLES de la Terre, an organisation from Switzerland. The award was given for her attempt to create general awareness amongst the masses for the development and well being of children coming from economically weaker sections and giving them exposure to proper education as well as looking after their health.

Mrs. Sonali Majumder has received the Indira Gandhi Sadbhavana Award for Outstanding Individual Achievements and Distinguished Services to the Nation on 18th Nov, 2010 from Dr. Bhiswa Narayan Singh, Governor, Tamil Nadu and Assam and other VIPs in New Delhi.

Mrs. Majumder has also received the International Gold Star Millennium Award in Bangkok on 30th Jan, 2011 and Asia Pacific Award for excellence in Kathmandu in May 2011.

In September, 1980, Mrs. Majumder shifted to Kolkata from her home town Dehradun.

She joined a Montessori House as a Hindi teacher, and was moved by the environment and approach of the Montessori Method of teaching. Inspired, she laid the foundation of her own pre-primary school on 15th January, in a single room. Simultaneously she enrolled herself in the Montessori Teachers training under Montessori International (AMI) and transformed her school into a Montessori House named DEWDROPS MONTESSORI HOUSE. Her inner urge for higher studies made her pursue and complete her graduation, B.Ed and LLB.

She then came in contact with a few challenged children and was touched to see their parent's sorrows. She started admitting these children in her school and introduced the integrated system of learning. She then joined the SPECIAL EDUCATION COURSE conducted by Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi, where she qualified as a special educator for mentally and physically challenged children, and to render maximum service, she started an institute 'Our Astitwa' for children with special need.

She continued to expand in her sphere. She put up her banners on walls, oversaw construction of her school building herself and in this manner, the single room school was transformed to a massive four storied building. In 1991, she introduced the primary section and in 1999, she further introduced her high school named DEWDROPS HIGH SCHOOL. In 2005, the school merged with ST. SEBASTIAN'S GROUP.

To provide better infrastructure to the students, with her initiative, we have built our new building on the Prince Anwar Shah Road Connector at 60, Arya Vidyalaya Road. From the beginning it was her primary objective and desires to provide students a modern, sophisticated educational infrastructure along with all facilities for overall development. Keeping this in mind, Mrs. Majumder has herself designed the layout of the new building and gone through all odds and obstacles including arranging finance and equipment.

Mrs. Majumder is also engaged in the following philanthropic activities -

• She is associated with 'JOYJEET MEMORIAL SCHOOL' working for children and families whose male member is in prison.
• She is working for street children and destitutes as she is a leading member of BENGAL HARMONY MISSION, a NGO.
• She sponsors children from weaker section in our school.
• She is associated with SOS Village.
• She has also joined hands with NEW LIGHT, a home for orphans and poor children and has admitted 16 children from that Home.

Mrs. Majumder is a writer and a poet. She has authored many plays which were staged in different competitions and won accolades. She wrote many theme songs including our school anthem. She has represented U. P. in Women's Cricket at the National Level and was nominated for President's Guide.