With the ongoing pandemic, Christel House India has launched an Academic Continuity Plan (ACP) to continue the process of teaching and learning during the extended closure of the Christel House schools in Bangalore and Atal Nagar.Thanks to generous donor support, the Christel House “Bridge the Divide” technology fund program will ultimately provide devices and internet access for grade 1-8 students to allow for virtual learning. But until tablets can be secured, under the ACP, grade 1-8 teachers will create Teaching Learning Material (TLM) worksheets and provide telephone follow-up and feedback to students. The worksheets are distributed each week to all children. For grades 9-12, Christel House India has already shifted to virtual learning. Teachers now conduct online classes via Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp. While maintaining adequate safety precautions, students are using family member or neighbor smartphones to attend group classes. The online sessions are followed with worksheets to reinforce key concepts.
Staying connected to students, Christel House India staff are witnessing a dramatic increase in trauma. “To ensure the safety of our students, teachers are working with counselors to provide telephonic counseling,” says Jaison Mathew, Christel House India CEO. “Despite constraints, these measures are enabling students to stay motivated, engaged and safe during these difficult times.”