Efforts across the University aim to reassure, connect
At Harvard’s Botanic Gardens Children’s Center, preschool teachers Elena Mancheva and Luka Lemander used to start the day by singing the “Hello” song. It was a morning ritual beloved by the 3-year-olds in their care, who sat in a circle, clapping, singing along, and greeting each other by name. After the center closed last week as part of the University’s coronavirus social-distancing efforts, Mancheva and Lemander joined forces — virtually — to produce a YouTube video of themselves singing the tune, with Mancheva playing piano and Lemander struming an electric guitar in her basement. Sweetly, they call out each of their 16 pupils’ names as they sing, “Hello everybody, so glad to see you.” The video is an attempt by Mancheva and Lemander to bring some normalcy and reassurance to their young charges, said Katy Donovan, executive director of Campus Child Care, which serves 380 children a day in six...