In conversation with Corona

We had to close the academic year without a proper closure with the children. Though we have been connecting with them through emails and zoom meetings, we miss their presence at school. And so, we decided to write to them and ask them to share their experiences. This post contains the email we sent to Grades 2 - 7 and their responses. Enjoy the responses - their creativity and the words of wisdom too!

Dear Children,

All the akkas in the school keep wondering how you are all doing. We miss seeing you at school, we miss the main lesson time, the story, the drawing, walks in the farm, watching all of you play and most of all - listening to your chatter and laughter. We thought it would be lovely to hear from you. We are sure you have been drawing a lot during these holidays. Would you like to draw something for us? Here are a few questions and we would want you to draw and write your responses.

1. Draw the place in your house you love the most. And what do you do there?

2. If a little bird could come and carry you,where would you ask that bird to take you? Who else would be there? And what would you all do there?

3. Let us imagine there is a little worry doll that collects children’s fears and blows them away. If that worry doll came to your window tonight what would you tell that doll? Would you like to give the doll any of your fears?

4. If corona virus was an animal, what would that animal be and what is it doing to people? Will you please draw and write a conversation between you and corona virus.

Children, we really are very curious to see your work. Ask your mother or father to take a picture and send it to us. I wonder where the little bird is taking all of you and what the worry doll has collected.

On to our high school children, our questions to them were designed to meet their growing intellect, and their growing need to connect with the real world.

1.Write an obituary to COVID-19:

The Coronavirus has passed on. Your task is to write an obituary to it (a humorous one!). This may be in the form of a poem or prose, and in any language. You can also think about what message you would write on the tombstone of COVID-19.

You may begin with "Here lies COVID-19..."

2. How do you envision the world post-COVID-19?

You may choose to show your representation in any of the following ways:

-Make your own artwork (sketch, watercolour, collage, etc.)

-Share a piece of music composed by you. A melody you think will be fitting for a post-coronavirus world

-A dance piece describing such a world

-Record a monologue or a short video based on how you think the post-COVID world is going to be

-A poem

3. You are a journalist. You have been given the task of covering a story about a real life scenario during this COVID-19 situation. What theme would you choose and why?

4. The lockdown has just been lifted, and you have done a great job getting through it! It is now time to share your wisdom with the world. Write down '20 Rules to Survive a Lockdown'.

5. Choose a familiar object around you- it could be your alarm clock, your shoes, or your favourite jacket. Write a short story from the perspective of that object on how it feels about the lockdown.

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