To that end, the Chitra Lane team put together an adaptive strategy to continue the School Programme. The teachers and therapists communicated with parents advising on home programs and creative holiday activities. The Home Programme aimed at reinforcing parent-to-child bonding and developing their self-help skills. At Chitra Lane, it is our firm belief that parents are the best therapists for their children
With time, our teachers learnt new skills and moved towards online platforms. We now conduct both individual and group sessions on online learning platforms like zoom. We are particularly proud of our group sessions for music, dancing and sports and the enthusiastic feedback and participation we receive from parents and students alike. We are keen on replicating all our programmes virtually, and we are increasingly proud of our success in doing so.
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- Math & Language revision worksheets
- Fine & Gross motor skills activities
- Hand-eye coordination activities
- Speech & Language development activities
- Music & Movement and Art & Craft activities · Physical activities
- Self Care & Life skills activities
We’ve also gained previously unavailable insight via the online programme on the challenges parents face at home. For instance, our pioneering parenting programme now uses the video feedback given by parents while practically implementing the programme to enhance and redirect parenting skills more effectively. We now inadvertently have a wealth of virtual resources to support parents and enhance teacher training. Our online consultations and assessments have already paved the way for overseas students to work with our consultants, psychologists, speech therapists, special educationists and other experts and we hope to expand upon this avenue in the future.
Meanwhile, the Chitra Lane Academy not only conducted the sessions of its one-year course on “Care and Education of Children with Special Needs” in a highly interactive virtual environment, but also gave students the opportunity to observe the classes being conducted by its experienced teachers via Zoom, as a part of the practical component of their course.
- To keep students of Chitra Lane School and Resource Centre actively engaged in their individual programs.
- To help guide our students and parents through this challenging time.
- Girl Guides and Little Friends in school took part in a project organized by the Girl Guides Association of Sri Lanka. The ‘Pink Placard Campaign’ was a breast cancer awareness program where our students made creative placards and presented them on social media and other virtual platforms to help spread the message of early detection and prevention of breast cancer.
- 56th Colombo Girl Guides and Little Friends of CLS spent a busy month in November participating in many virtual programs organized by the Girl Guides Association of Sri Lanka. At the beginning of the month, they celebrated Deepavali, a Hindu festival of lights which coincided with our students receiving the Deepavali Virtual Challenge E-Badge awarded by the Girl Guides Association of Sri Lanka (SLGGA)
- The seven-day ‘Feast Fest’, a cooking challenge was the next program they took part in the same month. This was also conducted virtually with our students participating in healthy food preparations. The program helped our students to build their skills in planning menus, cooking, serving, and presentation. All students who took part in this program received their E-badge and a certificate from the SLGGA.
- The Little Friends and Guides also made Thank You cards to send to the Healthcare workers and first responders who are helping us all through these difficult times.
- December is usually a bustling month filled with seasonal and festive spirits at the Chitra Lane School. Covid 19 and the lockdown did not prevent our teachers and students from hosting their annual Christmas concert. This year they planned and presented a virtual Christmas concert complete with carols, a nativity play, dancing, and Christmas songs. The difference this year was that every student taking part in this concert recorded their parts from home and sent the videos to the organizing committee who compiled a beautiful virtual program. The concert can be watched HERE
- During a year of rapid change and re-invention, the Sri Lanka Scouts Association organized its first-ever National Camporee on a virtual platform. The camporee was held for seven days from 23rd to 29th December 2020. Over 4500 students representing Schools across the Island and a few South Asian schools took part in the camporee. The camporee was a huge success for our students as they won many of the competitions. The crowning glory for the school was the Christmas Party competition, where the most popular troop was selected based on voting from fans. Chitra Lane School won four preliminary rounds and emerged as finalists in this competition with students and teachers celebrating their joy as the most popular troop of the camporee. CLS also received the honor of being chosen as the only school to perform a group item at the Official Opening Ceremony. The Chief Guest for the opening ceremony was Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary-General of the World Organization of Scout Movement. A YouTube presentation of the virtual program showing how our students and teachers took part in the camporee is available HERE
- The ‘Punchi Kekulu’ Annual Talent Show: The star event of the year 2020 was Chitra Lane’s first-ever virtual concert, the Punchi Kekulu annual talent show held in December. The Organizing Committee of the annual concert decided that the show must go on, despite the lockdown and the challenging times. The students and teachers spent many hours practicing, recording, and compiling a beautiful talent show that was broadcast on YouTube. The show also provided us the opportunity of connecting with our well-wishers across the world and most importantly we had the pleasure of our Patron, Mr. George Davies, and Mrs. Davies joining us as the Chief Guests for the show all the way from England. The YouTube video of the ‘Punchi Kekulu’ concert is available HERE
- The School hosted its first Virtual Poson Bakthi Gee programme in commemoration of the Poson Poya which is an important religious day for the Sri Lankan Buddhists. Irrespective of their own religion many CLS students, parents, teachers and other staff members took part in the programme, recording their songs at home and sending them to be compiled into a video that was uploaded onto YouTube. This programme can be viewed HERE
- 56th Colombo, Girl Guides of Chitra Lane took part in an all Island School programme organized by the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association to celebrate the Vesak festival. The competition was held in different creative activities including making beautiful lanterns, essays, creative arts, postcards etc.
- The Little Friends and Girl Guides of Chitra Lane School took part in another E-Badge competition under the title ‘Eliminate Child Labour’ organized by the Sri Lanka Girls Guides Association. Two of our students won the first and second places in this competition
- The Chitra Lane Sports Club went online giving an opportunity to the students in the Sports Club to engage in group sporting activities via Zoom.
- At a time when the whole world is suffering from the various negative effects of the pandemic, Chitra Lane Organization continues the program connecting with our students through online. Chitra Lane believes that every child has the right to inclusion and education. It is a place where friendships are built, where children get to learn, play, develop and connect with their peers and teachers. We look forward to the time when the pandemic will be behind us and all the students are back at Chitra Lane growing, learning, and developing to their fullest potential. Thus, we will continue with our best efforts to reach out and to provide a continuum of services to children with special needs.
