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Special Edition | Issue 085 | 25th July 2020

The Editor’s Point of View

Dear Parents Online teaching success. We started getting positive
The year 2020 commenced on an unprecedented note feedbacks from the parents and the children which
for all of us. I vividly remember how we commenced further motivated us to try and make them appear in
the extra classes for Class XII students, in the third exam. This was quite challenging, but we had faith in
week of January, with the staff and children all geared our children and the support from the parents. We
up to give in their best. It had been about two weeks of successfully conducted Unit I exams which further
inspirational studies for this lot when Class X students propelled us to go in for Unit II exams. This time we
and their teachers too joined to add their bit of effort for included the senior secondary classes as well. The
the board exams. Another two weeks passed and we children performed as per our expectations and it also
were all charged up for our yearly in House seminars gave us an opportunity to analyse and prepare
for the faculty members and to welcome all the new ourselves with better armoury for the session
staff into the fold. In about a week’s time after that, the commencing after summer vacations. During this
winter vacations got over and we welcomed the journey we faced many challenges and complexities,
children back to School and on the other hand our right from connectivity issues, emotional issues of staff
Board exams for Class XII had also commenced which and children, increasing screen time of the children to From the Executive Director’s Desk….
was followed by the Class X Board exams. Another mention a few. However, with the blessings of the
fortnight had passed when news started pouring in of Almighty, we have been overcoming every obstacle
the increasing Covid 19 cases world over and how it and tried to improvise each time. Dear Parents and Guardians, teachers to cope, with the new-found-imbalanced-
was engulfing India as well. By the third week of The session, after summer break will see a different Good Wishes and Greetings from Pinegrove. equilibrium of life. The roadway to online teaching
March, it was aptly clear that things were not moving Pinegrove, once again, as we plan to include more In mid-March, when deliberations had started of an was paved by hours of training, days of practice, and
the way they should have been and Covid pandemic activities for the benefit of our children. Story Telling, impending shut-down, a complete lockdown was countless sleepless bouts of anxious self-doubt. The
was taking the whole world by the storm. Not only our Extempore, Music, Dance, Debate, Painting etc all is in unimaginable. As per the government's directives, we staff acknowledged and embraced their fears, for they
country, but the whole world was facing an unforeseen the pipeline and everything will be happening, so that decided to close school, keeping the “safety-of-our- knew that change was the only constant.
crisis where everything had to be brought to a halt the children continue to benefit and are gainfully children”, in our minds. It is a little over two months I would like to share with you some of the backstage
leading to disruption of normal life. occupied. Parents have been a great support in this since you took the children back home from the scenes...Today we are a little experienced, but initially,
For the safety and security of one and all we too had to endeavour of ours and especially during these testing School. Hope that you and our little “Grovians” are
send the children back home in the third week of times. We are thankful to each and everyone for adding safe, secure and happy at home. The COVID-19 we were treading on slippery ground and did not know
March. To be a bit closer to the statistics, Covid 19 has value to this onward journey of fighting against Covid Pandemic has become a matter of grave concern how to begin. We did not even know which all classes
had an impact on about 230 million school going and embracing best of education inspite of all odds. globally. The world is reeling under its large-scale to start with. In the first brain-storming session it was
children across the country. Different schools reacted impact and this is sure to have far-reaching decided that we should incorporate Classes VI to XII
in a different manner when the lockdown was imposed Yours sincerely only. Before the children left for home, I visited CCCC,
Devender Kumar Verma reverberations and consequences. The Corona Virus my Chilly-Chocolate-Cute-Class IV. While
in the country. Some thought the lockdown would end
has created a completely rare and unprecedented interacting with these tiny, enthusiastic, energetic and
soon as the epidemic would be controlled. They
situation in the world. It has actually made things passionate pupils, they expressed their desire to attend
extended or rescheduled their opening of Schools by a
topsy-turvy and extremely uncertain. This has Online Classes. I was apprehensive, because I felt they
few weeks which later started translating into months
challenged each and every one of us in unique ways, were too small, but their zest and fervour motivated
and right now also we all are staring at an uncertain
has shaken and stirred the very meaning of 'normal way me. On the spur on the moment, we decided to include
future as to when the Schools will reopen. With the
of life'; redefining teaching, learning and parenting – all Classes 4 and 5 and make them join the envisaged
extension of lockdown the Schools have had to
put together. programme. That was one of my best decisions. You
remodel and reimagine their teaching and learning
parents will be extremely pleased to note, as much as I
process. All teachers of Pinegrove School including majority of
We at Pinegrove, right from day one, were determined the Support Staff and families decided to go into a self- am proud to tell you, that Class IV was the first class to
that we will not let our children lose out on any front. volunteered 100% lockdown (before the National record a 100% attendance and was the first class to
The teachers underwent special training to handle Lockdown) and adopted strategies to keep pace with achieve 100% uploading of homework onto their
Online training and teaching, empowering themselves the challenging times. We immediately used our personalised Electronic Notebooks. This has further
with the tools, knowledge and skills, sacrificed their existing resources to train our children before they left motivated us to even get Class III onto MS-TEAMS, as
free time, went into self quarantine and decided to face for home, ordered some urgently needed hardware, well. They have also started performing very well.
the situation head on. The focus was only one, to make which got stuck enroute and settled into training our These small children have made us all feel so proud.

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