TUESDAY28.04.2020NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI n Vol. XCVI No. 101 n Price ₹2.50 n 2 Pages. www.hindustantimes.com/ht-school n htpacedelhi@hindustantimes.com

Cherylann Mollan

In a lockdown that has forced mostof us to simplify and slow down,some people are revisiting com-munication by keepsake.

Letters are more meaningful,they say, precisely because youtake your time, you know this issomething that will last.

“When somebody reads yourletter, you feel heard,” says Ger-aldine Pinto, 29, a customer ser-vice executive with an airlinebased in London. “Letters feel spe-cial even to the recipient, becauseunlike a text, time, thought andeffort goes into it.” Pinto has beenwriting letters to friends and fam-ily for years. But during the lock-down, she found herself writing topeople she’d never written tobefore. “I’m writing to colleagues,because I miss them. In each let-ter, I include an inside joke or rec-ollection,” says Pinto. She usescolourful pens, handmade paperand personalised stamps to makeeach letter unique.

Delhi-based Shivani Mehta, 28,co-founder Battees, which orga-nises letter-writing events, isusing the lockdown to rekindleties through letters. “I sat downand wrote five letters at a stretchone day, which is not something Ihave ever done,” she says. “I evenwrote to the principal of my oldschool. I refilled my ink pen afterages!” she says.

PEN TO PAPERMehta has a few suggestions forthose trying their hand at letterwriting for the first time, or firsttime in a long time. “Write to a fic-titious person first, someone froma future or past generation,” shesays. “Document all that’s hap-pening during this pandemic.Imagine this person stumblingupon your letter and think aboutwhat you would want them to feelas they read it.”

You could also write a letter toyourself – the self that will emergeon the other side of this pandemic.“Write about the things you’llnever take for granted again.Write a few sentences to startwith, then try expanding on athought, idea or feeling,” Mehtasays. Alternatively, you could joinonline letter-writing communitiesand get yourself a pen pal.

Delhi-based Paromita Bardoloi,35, runs Letter From a Stranger,which invites people to write e-let-ters to those they’re matched with.

Mumbai-based power-lifterJanaki Nagaraj, 48, is part of thegroup and has written three e-let-ters during the lockdown. “Ane-letter could feel impersonal, so Iremind myself to be as candid as Iwould in a physical letter,” shesays. “This is also a great time toreflect on people we might havehurt and make amends. An apol-ogy letter or e-letter will speak vol-umes.”

WISE WORDS »Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

HELEN KELLER

IN THE NEWS

Joydeep Thakur

KOLKATA: The National Digital Library ofIndia (NDLI) has opened up its 35 million-strong digital content, making availablee-books, past questions papers and solu-tions, lecture materials and thesis,among others, to help students study athome. The NDLI is the largest onlinelibrary in the country, especially for aca-demic purposes.

It has also built a “Covid-19 researchresource repository” with latest researchfrom across the world – a kind of a singlewindow access to various materialrelated to Covid-19, be it data, researchwork, videos, challenges and funds.

“NDLI is opening up its contents to stu-

dents, researchers, teachers and learnersof all ages and various languages,” said PPChakrabarti, principal investigator of thelibrary and a professor of computer sci-ence and engineering at IIT Kharagpur.

National digital library comes to the aid of locked down students, researchers Dear Reader,

Hindustan Times is coming to you in this new avatar

at a time when our normal lives and activities have been

disrupted by the challenge posed by the Coronavirus disease

(Covid-19).

You have been reading the HT School Edition in your

classrooms. Now, with schools closed and a lockdown in place,

we have created this specially curated e-paper to cater

to your varied interests and your appetite for knowledge.

A special feature of this new e-paper will be the “You”

section, dedicated to your experiences during the lockdown,

and how you’re spending these unusual days. Apart from

the contributions from students, insights from teachers

and principals will also be featured in these columns.

As you engage with this special edition, we request you

to keep sharing your views on it. Let us know what you

like and what you don’t, and what else you would like

to read. Your feedback will help us fine-tune this offering

so that it better reflects exactly what you want.

We at HT believe that the readers of today are the leaders

of tomorrow. So let us begin this journey together.

NEW DELHI: With vehicles off the road andmost industries shut for over a month dueto the coronavirus lockdown, over 10 pol-lution hotspots in Mumbai and Delhi haveturned into green zones recording mini-mal or no pollution.

In Delhi, eight locations which used tobe pollution hotspots before the lockdownhave now become green zones, saidGufran Beig, director, Centre’s System ofAir Quality Weather Forecasting andResearch (SAFAR).

The areas are Vinobapuri, AdarshNagar, Vasundhara, Sahibabad, Ashramroad, Punjabi Bagh, Okhla and Badarpur,he said, sharing a comparative map ofDelhi’s air quality before and during the

lockdown period. In Mumbai, Worli, Bor-ivali and Bhandup were among areaswhich recorded cleaner air as comparedto other areas of the Mumbai Metropoli-tan Region (MMR). PTI

n Mumbai's skyline is pictured, after air

pollution level started to drop during a

nationwide lockdown, on Friday REUTERS

Pollution hotspots in Delhi and Mumbai turn into green zones during lockdown

MADRID: After six weeks stuck at home,Spain’s children were allowed out Sundayto run, play or go for a walk as the govern-ment eased one of the world’s toughestcoronavirus lockdowns.

Spain is among the hard-est hit countries, with adeath toll running at morethan 23,000, putting itbehind only the UnitedStates and Italy despitestringent restrictions

Spanish kids reclaim streets after 6 weeksimposed from March 14. But unlike othercountries, Spain’s children were keptindoors, with only adults allowed to leavethe house to buy food, medicine, brieflywalk the dog or seek urgent medical care.

On Sunday, Spanish children took tothe streets of Madrid to enjoy their new-found freedom. Some rollerbladed whileothers rode bikes or pushed toy pramsaround, many wearing small masks tocover their faces.

“It has been very good for me to get out,”said six-year-old Ricardo after a runa-round in Madrid with his younger sister.

Some parents took precautions, dress-ing their kids with protective gear beforegoing out. AFP

n A child with a scooter at promenade of Las Canteras beach, Spain, on Sunday REUTERS

n The NDLI is the largest online library in the country, especially for academic purposes GETTY

NEW YORK: Even after the world finds a wayto combat the virus responsible for Cov-id-19, it should prepare for more out-breaks caused by bat-borne coronavi-ruses, warns a top virologist from China.

“We must find them before they findus,” Shi Zhengli who is also known amongher colleagues as “bat woman” for hervirus-hunting expeditions in bat cavesover the past 16 years, was quoted as say-ing in an article published in the June 2020issue of Scientific American magazine.

What is worrying is that China is notthe only “hot spot” from where such afuture outbreak could originate, said thereport, adding that other major emergingeconomies, such as India, Nigeria andBrazil, are also at high risk.

Researchers at EcoHealth Alliance, aNew York City-based nonprofit researchorganisation found that human activitieslike cutting down forests and intensifyingagriculture changing the landscapes ofthese places with dense populations couldbe linked to the emergence of new patho-gens.

It is futile to blame animals for theseoutbreaks as according to researcherswhat is causing the problem is humanscoming into contact with these animals.

Shi, who plans to lead a big project tosample viruses in bat caves in the future,is in pains to hear rumours emanatingfrom the Internet and some sections of themedia that the SARS-CoV-2 accidentallyleaked from her lab in Wuhan. IANS

More coronaviruses looming large: China’s ‘bat woman’

llL I F E I N C O V I D S H A D O W l

Returning to the art of writing letters

n Janaki Nagaraj is in a letter-writing group and has been writing more letters during the lockdown

Huachipa Zoo, Peru

Alipore Zoo, Kolkata

Oakland Zoo , CaliforniaMadrid Zoo, Spain

La Aurora Zoo, Guatemala

Giza Zoo, Cairo

llB E A T I N G L O C K D O W N B L U E S l

Press Trust of India

KOLKATA : In a bid to enable peopleconfined to home during the ongo-ing lockdown to see animals in thezoo here, the WestBengal forest depart-ment launched an appthrough which onecan witness variousmoods of reptiles,mammals and birds,an official said on Fri-day.

Launched by WestBengal forest ministerRajib Banerjee, theapp will offer a virtualtour of the AliporeZoological Gardensand contains videos ofdifferent animals, hesaid.

One can get a “360degree view of the zooby following a direc-tion to different enclo-sures” of the zoologi-

cal garden, he said. “The zoo enjoys high footfalls

throughout the year, even duringsummer season, but we are nowgoing through an unprecedented

situation due to thecoronavirus outbreakas the zoo neverremained closed forsuch a long time.

“This initiative willhelp refresh mood ofthe people, especiallychildren, and educatethem,” the officialsaid.

The website of thezoo has also beenupdated with sectionslike adoption processalong with forms anddetails of animals.

Apart from AliporeZoological Gardens,animals of zoos inDarjeeling and Jhar-gram can also be seenin the virtual tour.

KOLKATA ZOO LAUNCHES VIRTUAL TOUR

n Launched by West Bengal forest minister Rajib Banerjee, the app will offer a virtual tour of the Alipore ZoologicalGardens. The app also contains videos of different animals AP

02 HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2020KALEIDOSCOPE

Solutions

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NNIOO

TINGS

GSDMUY

EINGPP

Place numbers intothe puzzle cells sothat each row andcolumn contains eachof the digits from 1 to 5. No number is to be repeated in any row orcolumn. Each bold-outlined cells contain a hint of a number and one of the mathematical sym-bols + x - /. The number is the result of the operation represent-ed by the symbol to the digits contained.

SUDOKU

SCRAMBLE

MATHDOKU

SUDOKU SOLUTIONS

MATHDOKU SOLUTION

SCRAMBLE Solution: Eater, carpi, trench, spacey

Answer: Many a crown of wisdom is but the golden chamberpot of success, worn with pompous dignity. Joey Adams (7,7)

* * **

* ***

** *

* **

Amrita Bharati Features

Solve the four anagrams andmove oneletter to eachsquare to form four ordinary words

Now arrange the letters marked with an asterisk (*) to form the answer to the riddle or to fill in the missing words as indicated.

JOIN THE DOTS

Many a crown of wisdom is but the golden chamberpot of success, worn with _ _. Joey Adams (7,7)

Answer: Onion, sting, smudgy, pigpen

Join the dots to find out what

it is.

MIND GAMES

MESSAGE OF HOPE & POSITIVITY

n A giant land art, entitled Beyond Crisis, was made by French artist Saype in the alpine resort of Leysin, Switzerland. The artwork, covering 3,000 sq mts, was produced with biodegradable paints made from natural pigments such as coal and chalk. AFP

The book is a poem written by Michio Mado and illustrated by Oscar Bluemner. It asks questions about nature and our world. Can nature ever be old? Find out in this poem and dive deep into the magnifi-cent world of trees, sky, birds, and much more. The poem tells us that if we take a precious moment to “really look” at our natural world, we can find and share powerful moments of beauty and inspiration. The work also has some inspiring works of Bluemner.

WHY ALWAYS?

Author: Michio Mado

llR E A D I N G C O R N E R l

FOCUS ON EARTH, NATURE, TRIBAL ART The books in this collection focus on the need for protecting planet Earth, nature and wildlife and inform us about a tribal artist from Madhya Pradesh who broke gender barriers. They are interesting and thought-provoking.

The book is a visual biography of Bhuri Bai, a tribal woman from Madhya Pradesh. Her paintings are compiled in the book. It brings to life a heartwarming story of the Bhil girl as she becomes an artist. One learns all about the Bhil tribal people of Madhya Pradesh, earth-caring artists and storytellers. Research scholar Debjani Mukherjee is the co-author. She had gone to Bhopal as part of her research on indigenous art. She found that Bhuri Bai had broken the gender barrier and trans-formed herself.

Tigers Forever! is a poem written by Bond and illustrated by David Stribbling. The poem empha-sises the importance of protecting tigers as each passing day, many tigers are mysteriously disappearing from our ecosystem. The book will help sensitise children towards the environment and respect all living beings. The author is known for his love of nature and wildlife. The illustrations hold one’s attention. The book is available in English and Hindi.

TIGERS FOREVER!

Author: Ruskin Bond

The book encourages you to show compassion and care for the planet. It makes the complex subject of climate change simple and impels one to take actions at an individual level. It high-lights what humans are doing to the planet and what remedial measures are needed. It includes poems, stories, and interesting snippets of information from accomplished writers and artists. This book has been edited by Geeta Dharmarajan.

THE EARTH CARER’S GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Author: Various

DOTTED LINES

Authors: Bhuri Bai Bhil & Debjani Mukherjee

( This list was compiled by Katha Books)

A Tree is a picture book illustrated by several tribal artists from India. It is a story composed by one poet, 12 tribal storytellers, and some of India’s best illustrators. It encourages you to think, ask questions, discuss and then swing into action as a carer of the Earth. Parents can read it with children. The subject matter is important: Trees are pretty. If you have a tree, you can climb up its trunk or hang a swing. Cows and babies can nap in its shade. Birds can make nests on the branches. The book is available in English and Hindi.

A TREE

Author: Klara Köttner-Benigni

Reading session heldat DAV, Faridabad DAV Public School, Sector 14, Faridabad conducts an activity to promote the reading habit every year and this time it was held as an online session under principal Anita Gautam’s guidance. Titled One Nation Reading Together , held in association with Scholastic India, the session brought together students and teachers who read together. Students were motivated to read more in accordance with the library’s motto ‘Read to Succeed.’

Saai Memorial School goes onlineLearning is an active, social process. It is easy to go to the class and teach students. But during the lockdown it is diffi-cult to establish a connection between students and teach-ers. So, Saai Memorial Girls School, Sai Bhawan decided to take online classes in line with its motto ‘Educate with A Dif-ference.’

School chairman Dr ParkashKeswani and principal Dr Meenakshi Keswani organised training for the staff members. Students of pre-school to Class 12 are enjoying online classes. They log in at home and attend 40-minute lively, interactive classes for regular subjects as well as co-scholastic subjects such as dance, yoga and physi-cal education were also held.

Shriram Millennium, F’bad reaches out Amid the uncertainty caused Covid-19, virtual classes at The Shriram Millennium School, Faridabad, have brought a sem-blance of normalcy in the lives of students. A typical online schedule starts with the day’s prayer and includes news, mindfulness, Circle Time, and Franklin Covey sessions, among others. Teachers under-went training, systems were set up almost overnight for online learning, students and parents were assured that learning would continue.

SCHOOLS BOUNCE BACK ‘VIRTUALLY’Putting their best foot forward in the current spell of adversity, schools shift to online classes to combat the major disruption caused by the Covid pandemic.

Manthan, Gr Noida holds virtual classesAmid the uncertainty over Covid-19, The Manthan School, Greater Noida West, has start-ing virtual classes. It has equipped teachers to work from home during the outbreak. It is imparting knowledge through online classes. Steps have been taken to maintain academic rigour. At a time when the govern-ment has taken steps to control spread of the virus, the school is engaging students in a slew of diverse activ-ities such as poster mak-ing and creative writing, among others.

JKPS, Shalimar Bagh meets the challenge The teachers of Jaspal Kaur Public School, Shalimar Bagh, have started online teaching by sending text messages, pre-re-corded audios, and WhatsApp links so that students can utilise their time during the crisis.

The school realises that social isolation can impact well-being and mental health, particularly of young learners who were pre-viously used to spending a substantial part of their day with peers. When the government shut down schools and other educational institu-tions to prevent the spread of the virus, the school took to online teaching to ensure that students are benefited.

SMGS, Meera Bagh, takes online route The most beautiful thing about education is that nobody can take it away from you. Learning does not stop even at a time when the world is battling Covid-19.

St Mark’s Girls Sr Sec School(SMGS), Meera Bagh, believes that education replaces an emptymind with an open one. Online learning is the best way to edu-cate pupils in such perilous times. SMGS has started online classes by creating virtual class-rooms in Microsoft Teams. These virtual classrooms meet the diverse needs of students. They not only empower students to study their main subjects through their daily lectures, PowerPoint presentations and videos but also enable them to get their assignments for prac-

tice. Who can deny the fact that creative arts like painting, dance, music, yoga and physical education are as important as scholastic subjects? Online classes are held for these sub-jects too.

Celebrations and competitionsare an integral part of a student’s life. On Easter and Baisakhi, students sang hymns, recited poems online and got a feel of school at home. Online activities were also held on Mahavir Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti, Heritage Day and Earth Day.

DLDAV connects with students despite heavy oddsSomething beautiful is hap-pening at DLDAV Model School, Shalimar Bagh. A nev-er-say-die attitude and an eagerness to learn online is emerging at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has dis-rupted normal life. Principal Reena Rajpal had drawn up a plan for online classes.

The original timetable for 2020-21 session was redesigned to suit the virtual platform. The computer teachers con-ducted training for the entire faculty on using online learn-ing platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet and Google Class-room. The teachers were already well-versed with Snap HW and Whatsapp.

The teachers of Nursery to Class 2 made daily lesson plans and shared audio inputs with the home-bound children.

Teachers of the middle and sec-ondary wings used their knowledge of capacity-build-ing programmes. They con-ducted lessons through notes, questions and answers, videos and worksheets. They also shared video tutorials. Their favourite platform was Google Classroom. The senior wing faculty conducted combined classes of up to 90 students using Zoom and Google Meet.

They also share video tutorials for subjects like Chemistry.

The school shared informa-tion about online learning plat-forms such as Diksha, Swayam and Kishore Manch. The annual competition Abhivy-akti was conducted online.

The students were also encouraged to take part in national-level competitions on cyber security organised by ISEA.

Delhi Public School, Gautam Buddh Nagar (DPS, GBN) began the online learning process dur-ing the regular school timings of 8 am to 1.30 pm.

Bhawna Khanna, principal (officiating), said, “Till recently, we were struggling with the less time parents spent with their children and the impact it had on them. But this lockdown is a god-send for parents to spend time with children for their moral, social and cultural development and to bond with them.”

Since the imposition of the lockdown, DPS, GBN took online initiatives. Teachers plan the les-sons and share the reading mate-rial with students a day in advance. Students take notes or make e-folders as per their con-venience while the class is held. The classes on Zoom conducted by teachers provide students with a safe platform to partici-pate freely in the discussion. Dis-cussions, explanations, ques-tions and answers bring the vir-tual classroom alive. Teachers give assignments to reinforce the topics learned.

The impact of Covid-19 will befelt for a long time but the stu-dents and teachers of DPS, GBN are going through this together as a community with grateful-ness in their hearts for the bless-ings of today and hope for a bet-ter tomorrow.

Virtual classes at DPS, GBN during lockdown

n Eagerness to learn online has helped overcome the disruption DLDAV