When Josiah was born, his parents named him Jevan, a Tamil name which means Bringer of Life.
His mother Sheila prayed for Jevan that he will grow up righteous and love God, gave him another name, Josiah, which is Hebrew for God supports and heals.
When Josiah was 2 years old, he could already count from 1 to 20. Thus, his parents wanted to give him a good foundational education and enrolled him in a preschool that advertised a strong program in mathematics. Not long after, the principal felt that he was not fitting well into class and advised Sheila and her husband Kuhernesh to transfer him out. At another centre, they were told by the principal that Josiah displayed disorderly conduct and so, was not good for their center. She even told his parents that if he continued like this, he could end up in prison when he is older.
At her wits’ end after changing schools for the third time, Sheila turned to God and prayed that He would lead her to a good Christian school for her son. A friend suggested that she speak with Ms Margie, then Principal of LOT Pasir Ris 21. Due to Josiah being turned away from other schools, Sheila expressed her concern that LOT may also reject him. Her friend replied with a strong, emphatic “No!”
When Sheila arranged to meet with the Principal, she was prepared to beg for a place in the preschool. Instead, after the interview, Josiah was accepted for enrolment in October 2023 and could start classes in November 2023. He was placed in a class with additional learning support from teacher Diana who not only worked with Josiah but also taught Sheila how to support him at home.
Josiah has come a long way since he first started school, where he was having trouble communicating his emotions and wants and having frequent meltdowns. Josiah also used to have a short attention span, resulting in him running around often, which disrupted classes and distracted his peers. Now, he is more independent in simple tasks such as dressing himself, being potty trained and having better control of his emotions. He is also able to properly feed himself and eats a variety of fruits and vegetables which he didn’t like previously.
After much practice, Josiah is now able to write with a 3-finger grasp, with the guidance of his teachers too!
Having improved his communication skills by learning to use his words to express his emotions, it allows his peers and adults around him to understand better his needs and why he is feeling how he feels. Josiah is has also gained the confidence to make friends to learn, laugh and play along with in Pasir Ris 21.
Josiah has a younger sister named Gavi who is 18 months younger than him. She was previously enrolled in another preschool. One day, Sheila found her alone and crying at the gate of her preschool. This incident prompted her to think of whether or not her daughter was in the right environment with the best care. Eventually, Sheila made the decision to move Gavi to Pasir Ris 21 with Josiah. The siblings were happy to be in the same preschool to play with their friends and also look out for each other.
Where previously they may worry about getting a call from school with complaints about biting or scratching behaviours, both parents now feel peaceful at work and at home. They know their children are well taken care of at LOT.