January means - Moving Forward
January has always been a memorable month
I hope that this finds you and your loved ones in good mental and physical health. We live in precarious times, so I urge you to follow all safety protocols and stay healthy.
As for us at Mrida, January has always been a memorable month. We usually have an array of activities for our children like the Hindi Diwas, Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, Republic Day celebrations and the month-long Raja Hriday Shah Football Tournament reaching its finale. Of course, this was all in the pre-Covid era.
This year also got off to a turbulent start due to the third wave of COVID 2022. The government announced that the school and hostels would be closed until further notice, so we had to send our kids back to their homes yet again.
Having said that, we have retained 47 students from high school, and their classes continue on campus mainly because these students do not have access to mobile phones and the internet at their homes. In addition, we also asked students whose parents have migrated for work to other places to stay back along with the freshly vaccinated students. We continue schooling virtually and worksheet-based learning programs for the 33 students who have returned home.
Learning loss due to the last two years is vast. We have had to start afresh with many tribal children to build stronger foundational skills. Our teachers conducted remedial classes every evening after school for these students over the past few months that they were at school.
Last year, there were instances where the Mrida teachers had to first train parents of class 1 to class 3 students to use Google Meet and then start school curriculum. Our teachers are working round the clock to give optimal schooling experience to these first-generation learners, possibly even educating their parents who have never been to schools.
As for us at Mrida, January has always been a memorable month. We usually have an array of activities for our children like the Hindi Diwas, Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, Republic Day celebrations and the month-long Raja Hriday Shah Football Tournament reaching its finale. Of course, this was all in the pre-Covid era.
This year also got off to a turbulent start due to the third wave of COVID 2022. The government announced that the school and hostels would be closed until further notice, so we had to send our kids back to their homes yet again.
Having said that, we have retained 47 students from high school, and their classes continue on campus mainly because these students do not have access to mobile phones and the internet at their homes. In addition, we also asked students whose parents have migrated for work to other places to stay back along with the freshly vaccinated students. We continue schooling virtually and worksheet-based learning programs for the 33 students who have returned home.
Learning loss due to the last two years is vast. We have had to start afresh with many tribal children to build stronger foundational skills. Our teachers conducted remedial classes every evening after school for these students over the past few months that they were at school.
Last year, there were instances where the Mrida teachers had to first train parents of class 1 to class 3 students to use Google Meet and then start school curriculum. Our teachers are working round the clock to give optimal schooling experience to these first-generation learners, possibly even educating their parents who have never been to schools.
The vocational program teaching scratch and pocket codes spark curiosity in our students. A hackathon is planned in the first week of February in collaboration with our partner, Code to Enhance Learning. Our enthusiastic young coders practice and prepare every day for the competition.
Twenty-seven teams competed in the second edition of the Raja Hriday Shah Football League, which started in December 2021. Teams from villages like Patadei and Sahajar blazed the scoreboard. In Gen Z parlance, it was #squadgoals 😃
The tournament which usually happens on school grounds will resume once the COVID restrictions are curbed. However, we are now exploring how matches can be organized and held within the village to limit exposure.
Ten students in the 15-18 age group, were administered the Covid vaccines All teenagers were closely monitored for side- effects after vaccination. Over the past months, health workshops for students and parents have been regularly conducted to create awareness of proper nutrition, hygiene, and Covid protocols.
We did manage to capture some colorful moments with our children before sending them home.
Twenty-seven teams competed in the second edition of the Raja Hriday Shah Football League, which started in December 2021. Teams from villages like Patadei and Sahajar blazed the scoreboard. In Gen Z parlance, it was #squadgoals 😃
The tournament which usually happens on school grounds will resume once the COVID restrictions are curbed. However, we are now exploring how matches can be organized and held within the village to limit exposure.
Ten students in the 15-18 age group, were administered the Covid vaccines All teenagers were closely monitored for side- effects after vaccination. Over the past months, health workshops for students and parents have been regularly conducted to create awareness of proper nutrition, hygiene, and Covid protocols.
We did manage to capture some colorful moments with our children before sending them home.
We did manage to capture some colorful moments with our children before sending them home.
The beginning of January is synonymous with a fresh start, but fresh Corona cases complicate matters. Though none on campus. There are 150 in the Mandla district. In the third year of the pandemic, things can get disconsolate. It will take some months or even years for the effects of the pandemic to recede, but we will look for answers with patience and persistence moving forward.
The beginning of January is synonymous with a fresh start, but fresh Corona cases complicate matters. Though none on campus. There are 150 in the Mandla district. In the third year of the pandemic, things can get disconsolate. It will take some months or even years for the effects of the pandemic to recede, but we will look for answers with patience and persistence moving forward.
Rangoli competition held in Riverside Natural School on account of MakarSankranti Celebrations.
Thank you for always having our back in this crusade.
Stay Safe. Stay Connected.
Regards,
Priya Nadkarni | Founder – M
Stay Safe. Stay Connected.
Regards,
Priya Nadkarni | Founder – M
