Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Home Funwork:
• Click here to print out a coloring page. Discuss with your child who this picture is of, and why he is so significant to us.
• Click here to print out "Color by Number" page in Sanskrit. (Please note that this is a bit more complicated than the previous coloring pages —if your child has not yet done those, please do them first.)
• Click here for a mandala outline for creative likhita japa. Have your child practice writing राम (Raama.) Be sure and let them use as many colors (and write in any direction) that they wish!
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Krishna (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute and 30 seconds of quiet time. Today we really witnessed a big leap in the children's maturity during this segment. Great job, guys!! We will move on to 2 minutes of silence when our classes resume in January. (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1, 2, 3 and 4 (click here for text and audio)
Letter of the Week: "H is for Happiness"
Activitiy: Read "Little Yash is Happy Right Now" (click here to to see cover of the book)
Likhita Japa: Wrote राम (Raama) 21 times (Click here for tracing sheet)
Ending Prayers: Om Poornamidah (click here for text)
Comments: We were delighted so see all of our friends again today after another mini-break. Once everyone found their name tags and sat down, we spent a few minutes catching up on all the things that have happened over the past few weeks.
We reviewed all the letters we have learned thus far. "A is for Aspiration," "B is for Brotherhood," and so on. Everyone shouted out the meanings with clear definitions :-) Then we approached our letter for this week — "H." The kids offered some great possibilities about what this could be for ... "H is for Hanumaan," "H is for Healthy," and "H is for Hungry. A couple of the kids then spoke up and said "H is for Happy." Bingo!!! That was our magic word for the day. We then asked the kids to describe this word. For example, if we met up with an alien from another planet and he asked us what this word meant, how exactly would we explain this to him? We all agreed that this was definitely a hard word to describe ... so we pulled out our book "Yash is Happy Right Now" to help us understand what this word means. And by the time we finished the book we were all pretty clear that "happiness" is an attitude and not something to be found in a toy or favorite food! We even talked about how we may feel termporarily sad sometimes, but that does not mean we don't have a happy attitude deep down inside.
The children are doing exceptionally well with their likhita japa!! Some of our young friends have begun to write without a tracing card ... and are choosing to do likhita japa mandalas during our segment. They sit quietly, saying each letter as they write. Today we spent a few minutes and talked about how we felt when we write राम (Raama). Some of the descriptive words we heard were "cozy," "peaceful," "warm," and "safe."
Our Geeta Chanting is definitely coming along. We have now completed the first 4 shlokas — so we're halfway there :-) We noticed that many of the kids are pretty familiar with shlokas 1, 2 and 3 ... so that's a great sign that they're practicing at home! Shloka 4 is a little rusty ... but that's to be expected seeing that we've had lots of mini breaks lately. In January we will spend the first few classes reviewing Shloka 4, but will also plan to introduce Shloka 5. Please continue to work with your child over Winter Break. We don't want the kids to forget everything they've worked so hard on.
And so, in the spirit of our "letter of the week," we want to wish all of you and your loved ones a very Happy and Healthy New Year!
Ashwin, don't forget to bring back some fun pics of your trip to Mexico ... and make sure to eat a quesadilla (with a fresh limeade) for this aunty :-)
Lots of warm hugs to all of our young friends — see you all next year!!
Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda
December 19, 2010
December 5, 2010
Dec 05 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Home Fun Work
• Print this page. Have your child fill it in with राम (Raama).
• Print this "Color By Number" page in Sanskrit. Be sure to have your child say the numbers and colors aloud as they fill in the triangles.
Click here for Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (with English translation)
Click here for Sanskrit Color Names
Click here for short video on Sanskrit Colors.
For extra, extra work: Click to print Coloring Pages on Sanskrit Numbers 1-10.
Morning Prayers:
• OM saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati namastubhyam click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute and 30 seconds — and a great round of shell counting! (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1, 2, 3 and 4 (click here for audio and text)
Letter of the Week: G is for God
Activities:
• Reviewed Sanskrit colors (click here for text)
• Reviewed Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (click here for text)
Likhita Japa: wrote राम 21 times (click here for tracing sheet)
Ending Prayers: Aarti and Chinmaya pledge were done in the auditorium.
Comments: Sure was good seeing everyone today after our mini break! We started our morning off with a quick "show and tell" of the work that the kids did over Thanksgiving break. The aunties were definitely impressed with everyone's likhita japa practice — and someone even took the challenge and did the mystery "Color by Number" page in Sanskrit. Please take a minute and view their art work in the slide show above. :-)
Well, we weren't at all rusty with our shlokas — the kids lead the aunties in prayers ... and chanted very nicely (and loudly.) We even got some very detailed descriptions about the prayer's meaning.
After our quiet time we immediately moved to our Geeta Chanting segment. We chanted Shlokas 1 and 2 with ease, but discovered that shlokas 3 and 4 were a bit tricky. Parents: please don't hesitate in using the blog for at-home practice. We will be working with the first 4 shlokas throughout December and will then introduce Shloka 5 when we restart classes in January. It is our goal to complete all 8 shlokas by April — which will then give us a month to work solidly on all 8 shlokas together.
The children are doing beautifully with their likhita japa segment. They are understanding the sound that each letter makes as they write राम (raama). And we gotta say — their handwriting is quite impressesive, to boot! We definitely encourage you to print out the tracing sheet and have them continue to write over break. Once we feel that they are getting the letter sequence and strokes down, we plan to move our likhita japa segment into journal keeping and the importance of writing in it daily. If this aunty can get it together over break, one of our class activities in January will be having the children bind their own books the authentic way — with needle and thread :-)
After we reviewed the alphabets we learned so far, we moved on to our topic of the day: "G is for God." We spent a good chunk of time discussing "Who is God?" "Can we see God?" "Why can some people see God?" "Where is God?" "How do we thank God?" These kids are clearly smart beyond their years! It is obvious that they are understanding the concept of the need to continuously cleanse our mind and heart. Then, and only then, will we be be able to see God always — everywhere. We must learn to talk to Him constantly with prayer, likhita japa, quiet time, etc. Boy, this auntie sure wishes that when she was 6 years old, she attended Balavihar and knew half of what these kids know :-)
Hard to believe, but we are are now in the midst of another mini-break. There will be no class on December 12th. Instead, we invite you to make your way to the ashram for the yagna that will be taking place. It sounds like it's going to be a very grounding, spiritual retreat.
In the meantime, we wish everyone another relaxing and peaceful week. Stay warm ... the kids told us today that snow is in the forecast during the next few days. Hopefully, it will be enough to make a snowman or igloo with.
Hugs to everyone — especially to a few of our friends who were not able to make class today.
Home Fun Work
• Print this page. Have your child fill it in with राम (Raama).
• Print this "Color By Number" page in Sanskrit. Be sure to have your child say the numbers and colors aloud as they fill in the triangles.
Click here for Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (with English translation)
Click here for Sanskrit Color Names
Click here for short video on Sanskrit Colors.
For extra, extra work: Click to print Coloring Pages on Sanskrit Numbers 1-10.
Morning Prayers:
• OM saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati namastubhyam click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute and 30 seconds — and a great round of shell counting! (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1, 2, 3 and 4 (click here for audio and text)
Letter of the Week: G is for God
Activities:
• Reviewed Sanskrit colors (click here for text)
• Reviewed Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (click here for text)
Likhita Japa: wrote राम 21 times (click here for tracing sheet)
Ending Prayers: Aarti and Chinmaya pledge were done in the auditorium.
Comments: Sure was good seeing everyone today after our mini break! We started our morning off with a quick "show and tell" of the work that the kids did over Thanksgiving break. The aunties were definitely impressed with everyone's likhita japa practice — and someone even took the challenge and did the mystery "Color by Number" page in Sanskrit. Please take a minute and view their art work in the slide show above. :-)
Well, we weren't at all rusty with our shlokas — the kids lead the aunties in prayers ... and chanted very nicely (and loudly.) We even got some very detailed descriptions about the prayer's meaning.
After our quiet time we immediately moved to our Geeta Chanting segment. We chanted Shlokas 1 and 2 with ease, but discovered that shlokas 3 and 4 were a bit tricky. Parents: please don't hesitate in using the blog for at-home practice. We will be working with the first 4 shlokas throughout December and will then introduce Shloka 5 when we restart classes in January. It is our goal to complete all 8 shlokas by April — which will then give us a month to work solidly on all 8 shlokas together.
The children are doing beautifully with their likhita japa segment. They are understanding the sound that each letter makes as they write राम (raama). And we gotta say — their handwriting is quite impressesive, to boot! We definitely encourage you to print out the tracing sheet and have them continue to write over break. Once we feel that they are getting the letter sequence and strokes down, we plan to move our likhita japa segment into journal keeping and the importance of writing in it daily. If this aunty can get it together over break, one of our class activities in January will be having the children bind their own books the authentic way — with needle and thread :-)
After we reviewed the alphabets we learned so far, we moved on to our topic of the day: "G is for God." We spent a good chunk of time discussing "Who is God?" "Can we see God?" "Why can some people see God?" "Where is God?" "How do we thank God?" These kids are clearly smart beyond their years! It is obvious that they are understanding the concept of the need to continuously cleanse our mind and heart. Then, and only then, will we be be able to see God always — everywhere. We must learn to talk to Him constantly with prayer, likhita japa, quiet time, etc. Boy, this auntie sure wishes that when she was 6 years old, she attended Balavihar and knew half of what these kids know :-)
Hard to believe, but we are are now in the midst of another mini-break. There will be no class on December 12th. Instead, we invite you to make your way to the ashram for the yagna that will be taking place. It sounds like it's going to be a very grounding, spiritual retreat.
In the meantime, we wish everyone another relaxing and peaceful week. Stay warm ... the kids told us today that snow is in the forecast during the next few days. Hopefully, it will be enough to make a snowman or igloo with.
Hugs to everyone — especially to a few of our friends who were not able to make class today.
December 3, 2010
Eric Carle Museum
If you ever find yourself in Amherst, MA — this is the place to visit! Be sure and check out this site even if you don't have any travel plans in the near future. And while the kids are surfing around, here's a good game for them: Find the picture of Lord Ganesha :-)
Click here for the Eric Carle Museum site.
Click here for the Eric Carle Museum site.
November 21, 2010
Nov 21 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Fun work to do at home over break:
• Print out this page and have your child fill it in with likhita japa.
• Print out this page and have your child say the numbers and colors aloud as they color.
Click here for Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (with English translation)
Click here for Sanskrit colors (with English translation)
Click here for short video on Sanskrit Colors
For extra, extra work: Print out these coloring pages to learn Sanskrit numbers 1-10
Morning Prayers:
• OM sahanaavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute of complete silence and very good shell counting!!! We're going to try and sit for one minute and 30 seconds next class .... (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11: Shlokas 1, 2 and 3 (click here for audio and text)
Letter of the Week: "F is for Friend"
Story: Sudaamaa and Lord Krishna
Activity:
• Read Blue Hat, Green Hat (by Sandra Boynton) in Sanskrit (click here for translated text)
• Colors in Sanskrit (click here for text)
• Numbers in Sanskrit, 1-5 (click here for text)
Likhita Japa: राम (click here for tracing card and video)
Ending Prayers:
• OM PoornamadaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Well, we certainly got a lot accomplished today — nearly everyone arrived on time, so we were able to get right down to business. Good going, kids!
To begin with, the aunties want to congratulate all of our young friends for their very successful "Quiet Time" segment. Today was the first time we barely saw any movement at all. Therefore, we all agreed that it's time to move up to a minute and a half. So next class we're going to give it a try :-)
We also want to acknowledge how well the kids are doing with their "Home Fun Work" assignments. We were extremely delighted that so many children brought in their creative likhita japa to share with us. Please make sure to pause and take a look at the slide show above. Their efforts are truly amazing — and we are thrilled that they are continuing the likhita japa practice at home!!! We think the kids are going to enjoy doing the one we posted for this week — do please be sure and print it out for them. Hopefully, it will remind them of this week's lesson, "F is for Friend." (We told the story of Sudaamaa and Lord Krishna.)
We finally began Shloka 3 of Chapter 11, Geeta Chanting. No question about it: this shloka is a bit tricky. Therefore, the aunties have instructed your children to use your computers to do some homework over break :-) Chapter 11 has been completely broken down line by line and is now available on the blog (see the link above.) This is really a great tool — and we highly recommend that your child use this on a daily basis. All is takes is a few minutes each day ... and before you know it, both of you will have memorized the shloka with perfect pronunciation!
Because the children have worked so well at home practicing their ऊ, we decided to introduce a a new tracing card for our likhita japa segment. Today the children learned the writing strokes for राम (Raama.) As we wrote राम, we carefully said the sound each letter made. Honestly, we were amazed at how well everyone did!!! Clearly, these kids are ready for the next level :-) Please feel free to print out the tracing sheet and have your child continue practicing at home. The link is posted above for your convenience.
Before our story of Lord Krishna and Sudaamaa, we spent a good amount of time talking about a quote from Gurudev. "Learn to always speak softly, words of love and affection, then friends multiply." We defined some words like "affection" and "multiply," and then re-read the quote with a deeper understanding.
Our class ended with a few minutes of some Sanskrit Learning fun. We introduced 5 color names and counting (1-5). We also read Sandra Boynton's silly book "Blue Hat, Green Hat" in Sanskrit. Whenever time permits, we will try and bring out some games and books for a little fun. God's language is truly a most beautiful one — and there is no question that we should be having fun while learning it, too! Please be advised, however, that we will not be teaching any grammar rules. That is done in the language class :-)
We'll certainly miss everyone over our mini break. Enjoy the long weekend coming up ... and don't forget to go outside and breathe in some cool fresh air ... it feels really good! Can't stay inside all the time just because it is starting to get cold :-)
Rishika, it was really good seeing you again today. We missed you while you were away and are glad to have you back!
Lots of love and hugs for all of our young friends!
Fun work to do at home over break:
• Print out this page and have your child fill it in with likhita japa.
• Print out this page and have your child say the numbers and colors aloud as they color.
Click here for Sanskrit numbers 1-5 (with English translation)
Click here for Sanskrit colors (with English translation)
Click here for short video on Sanskrit Colors
For extra, extra work: Print out these coloring pages to learn Sanskrit numbers 1-10
Morning Prayers:
• OM sahanaavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute of complete silence and very good shell counting!!! We're going to try and sit for one minute and 30 seconds next class .... (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11: Shlokas 1, 2 and 3 (click here for audio and text)
Letter of the Week: "F is for Friend"
Story: Sudaamaa and Lord Krishna
Activity:
• Read Blue Hat, Green Hat (by Sandra Boynton) in Sanskrit (click here for translated text)
• Colors in Sanskrit (click here for text)
• Numbers in Sanskrit, 1-5 (click here for text)
Likhita Japa: राम (click here for tracing card and video)
Ending Prayers:
• OM PoornamadaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Well, we certainly got a lot accomplished today — nearly everyone arrived on time, so we were able to get right down to business. Good going, kids!
To begin with, the aunties want to congratulate all of our young friends for their very successful "Quiet Time" segment. Today was the first time we barely saw any movement at all. Therefore, we all agreed that it's time to move up to a minute and a half. So next class we're going to give it a try :-)
We also want to acknowledge how well the kids are doing with their "Home Fun Work" assignments. We were extremely delighted that so many children brought in their creative likhita japa to share with us. Please make sure to pause and take a look at the slide show above. Their efforts are truly amazing — and we are thrilled that they are continuing the likhita japa practice at home!!! We think the kids are going to enjoy doing the one we posted for this week — do please be sure and print it out for them. Hopefully, it will remind them of this week's lesson, "F is for Friend." (We told the story of Sudaamaa and Lord Krishna.)
We finally began Shloka 3 of Chapter 11, Geeta Chanting. No question about it: this shloka is a bit tricky. Therefore, the aunties have instructed your children to use your computers to do some homework over break :-) Chapter 11 has been completely broken down line by line and is now available on the blog (see the link above.) This is really a great tool — and we highly recommend that your child use this on a daily basis. All is takes is a few minutes each day ... and before you know it, both of you will have memorized the shloka with perfect pronunciation!
Because the children have worked so well at home practicing their ऊ, we decided to introduce a a new tracing card for our likhita japa segment. Today the children learned the writing strokes for राम (Raama.) As we wrote राम, we carefully said the sound each letter made. Honestly, we were amazed at how well everyone did!!! Clearly, these kids are ready for the next level :-) Please feel free to print out the tracing sheet and have your child continue practicing at home. The link is posted above for your convenience.
Before our story of Lord Krishna and Sudaamaa, we spent a good amount of time talking about a quote from Gurudev. "Learn to always speak softly, words of love and affection, then friends multiply." We defined some words like "affection" and "multiply," and then re-read the quote with a deeper understanding.
Our class ended with a few minutes of some Sanskrit Learning fun. We introduced 5 color names and counting (1-5). We also read Sandra Boynton's silly book "Blue Hat, Green Hat" in Sanskrit. Whenever time permits, we will try and bring out some games and books for a little fun. God's language is truly a most beautiful one — and there is no question that we should be having fun while learning it, too! Please be advised, however, that we will not be teaching any grammar rules. That is done in the language class :-)
We'll certainly miss everyone over our mini break. Enjoy the long weekend coming up ... and don't forget to go outside and breathe in some cool fresh air ... it feels really good! Can't stay inside all the time just because it is starting to get cold :-)
Rishika, it was really good seeing you again today. We missed you while you were away and are glad to have you back!
Lots of love and hugs for all of our young friends!
November 14, 2010
Nov 14 Class: Sections 1 and 2
Sevikas: Nayna Gohel, Nanda Subbarao, Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Homework Fun: Print this page for your child and discuss who this picture is of and why he is important to us. (click here for coloring page)
Likhita Japa for Home: Please print this page and have your child fill it in with colorful ऊँs. (click here for activity page.) Feel free to encourage your child to be creative and draw their own picture inside the mandala. They can also write in both English and Sanskrit.
Morning Prayers:
• Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 whole minute of complete silence — with no movement!!! We still need to work on our quiet, focused counting ... but given the number of kids we had today, everyone definitely gets a "4 thumbs up!" (Ask your child to show you how to get a "4 thumbs up" :-) (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: None
Letter of the Day: "E is for Enthusiasm"
Story: How the squirrel got his stripes
Craft Activity: Made a spinning top (click here for project's instructions)
Likhita Japa: none
Ending Prayers: Aarthi and Pledge was performed in the auditorium
Comments: Bright and early this morning we learned that Asha Aunty needed to stay home with a bad cold. We were definitely sad to hear that she was not feeling well. BUT then we realized that we had an opportunity to turn something not so good into something great ... we combined both of our kindergarten classes! It was great to be together and we certainly had lots of fun at our Party with God!!
And if that wasn't enough ... Nanda Aunty joined us for the day, and we couldn't have been happier to have our "E is for Excellent" Storyteller back :-)
After our morning prayers, we began the class with an alphabet review. We quickly discussed the meanings of "A is for Aspiration," "B is for Brotherhood," "C is for Cleanliness," and "D is for Daddy." Then we jumped into some possibilities for the letter "E." We had some good suggestions from our young friends, such as "E is for Energy," "E is for Excitement" "E is for Explore" and "E is for Excellence." And then, someone shouted "E is for Enthusiasm" — how cool is that??!! She was right, today we were going to learn about enthusiasm. (Although, in the process we were going to also learn about our other examples that were suggested, too.) But what exactly does "enthusiasm" mean? And better yet, how could we describe it?
Nanda Aunty came to our rescue. She knew a story that would help us understand ... it was a story about some squirrels who desperately wanted to help the monkeys and bears build a bridge to Lanka, so that Lord Raama could cross it to rescue Mother Sita. Most of our kids were familiar with this story about the bridge, but hearing it with a emphasis on the enthusiasm of a little creature's determination definitely gave us some new insight. :-)
We then settled down to make a paper spinning top to always remind us what enthusiasm kinda looks like. For example, if we "kinda" give the top a spin, it dies down very quickly and rolls over. However, if we are focused and happily give it a good, steady whirl, we get to watch the top spin for a really long time — and it can't help but give us tremendous joy and a sense of satisfaction!!!
Ahhhh, steadiness, focus, and joy ....
Because of our large class size, we had to improvise our curriculum a bit. Unfortunately, we did not get to do our likhita japa (which got some "aawwws" from some of our friends.) And because of time constraints, we were not able to do our Geeta Chanting either. Fret not, however, next week the aunties are back on schedule.
The weather today is unbelievable! We hope that each and every one of you are right now outside romping around in the sunshine! This aunty's bike is certainly calling her from the garage ....
Hope you all have a great week — and lots of hugs to our young friends.
Homework Fun: Print this page for your child and discuss who this picture is of and why he is important to us. (click here for coloring page)
Likhita Japa for Home: Please print this page and have your child fill it in with colorful ऊँs. (click here for activity page.) Feel free to encourage your child to be creative and draw their own picture inside the mandala. They can also write in both English and Sanskrit.
Morning Prayers:
• Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 whole minute of complete silence — with no movement!!! We still need to work on our quiet, focused counting ... but given the number of kids we had today, everyone definitely gets a "4 thumbs up!" (Ask your child to show you how to get a "4 thumbs up" :-) (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: None
Letter of the Day: "E is for Enthusiasm"
Story: How the squirrel got his stripes
Craft Activity: Made a spinning top (click here for project's instructions)
Likhita Japa: none
Ending Prayers: Aarthi and Pledge was performed in the auditorium
Comments: Bright and early this morning we learned that Asha Aunty needed to stay home with a bad cold. We were definitely sad to hear that she was not feeling well. BUT then we realized that we had an opportunity to turn something not so good into something great ... we combined both of our kindergarten classes! It was great to be together and we certainly had lots of fun at our Party with God!!
And if that wasn't enough ... Nanda Aunty joined us for the day, and we couldn't have been happier to have our "E is for Excellent" Storyteller back :-)
After our morning prayers, we began the class with an alphabet review. We quickly discussed the meanings of "A is for Aspiration," "B is for Brotherhood," "C is for Cleanliness," and "D is for Daddy." Then we jumped into some possibilities for the letter "E." We had some good suggestions from our young friends, such as "E is for Energy," "E is for Excitement" "E is for Explore" and "E is for Excellence." And then, someone shouted "E is for Enthusiasm" — how cool is that??!! She was right, today we were going to learn about enthusiasm. (Although, in the process we were going to also learn about our other examples that were suggested, too.) But what exactly does "enthusiasm" mean? And better yet, how could we describe it?
Nanda Aunty came to our rescue. She knew a story that would help us understand ... it was a story about some squirrels who desperately wanted to help the monkeys and bears build a bridge to Lanka, so that Lord Raama could cross it to rescue Mother Sita. Most of our kids were familiar with this story about the bridge, but hearing it with a emphasis on the enthusiasm of a little creature's determination definitely gave us some new insight. :-)
We then settled down to make a paper spinning top to always remind us what enthusiasm kinda looks like. For example, if we "kinda" give the top a spin, it dies down very quickly and rolls over. However, if we are focused and happily give it a good, steady whirl, we get to watch the top spin for a really long time — and it can't help but give us tremendous joy and a sense of satisfaction!!!
Ahhhh, steadiness, focus, and joy ....
Because of our large class size, we had to improvise our curriculum a bit. Unfortunately, we did not get to do our likhita japa (which got some "aawwws" from some of our friends.) And because of time constraints, we were not able to do our Geeta Chanting either. Fret not, however, next week the aunties are back on schedule.
The weather today is unbelievable! We hope that each and every one of you are right now outside romping around in the sunshine! This aunty's bike is certainly calling her from the garage ....
Hope you all have a great week — and lots of hugs to our young friends.
November 7, 2010
Nov 7 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines
Homework Fun: Click here to print out this page. Have your child make their own colorful likhita japa rangoli using different colored markers. Also, be sure and encourage them to write in both Sanskrit and English — each language creates a very unique texture :-)
Click here for the "Lord Ganesha" Likhita coloring page
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
Quiet Time: One minute of silence with some awesome shell counting — great going, kids!!! (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "D is for Daddy"
Activity: Kids made an "I Love You, Dad" card (click here for photo album)
Story: How Father's Day became a national holiday.
Likhita Japa: 10 minutes of drawing OM and ऊँ inside a Lord Ganesha Mandala. (click here to view coloring page.)
End of Class Prayers:
• OM PoornamidaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: First, we want to wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year — we hope you all had a wonderful Diwali!
It sure was nice being back in class again this morning. After having so many consecutive classes in September and October, a real void was felt last week while we had our mini-break. We spent our first few minutes of class doing some sharing — what we were for Halloween, how many sweets we collected from neighbors and friends and all of our fun Diwali celebrations. Then we finally settled into our morning prayers and quiet time activity. The kids didn't miss a beat — everyone chanted beautifully, and loudly :-)
Today's lesson was "D is for Daddy." We spent some time going over all of our dad's good qualities, and what great things he does for his family. Then we listed all of the great qualities of God and what things he does for us. After we made our lists we then looked for a connection — and it was clear as sunshine ... Dad is like God to us!! We talked about how Father's Day came to be an important holiday in recent American history ... and how we really should be celebrating Father's Day every day. Though it's really cool to have one day a year dedicated to our dads ... it doesn't fully speak to how great they are! After all, we don't just have one day a year that we celebrate God, thanking him for all he does for us :-)
When we finished our discussion, we settled down to make Father's Day cards. Definitely take a few minutes and view our slideshow above. The kids did a fabulous job and really got into expressing their love for their dads.
Next week we will be learning about the letter "E." Good luck in guessing what the letter E stand for, kids. Here's a hint: it's not elephant or ear. Gotta warn everyone: make sure you are all to class on time — our lesson's activity will be making a fun toy — finishing up with a class race.
Ahhh, this should keep your mind working ... :-)
Rishika, we really miss you and can't wait for you to return from India. Please give your mom a hug for us and let her know we are sending her lots of love.
Also, before we end this post, we want to extend a very warm welcome and "Hari OM" to our new friend, Simi. She joined us for the first time today. We hope you have lots of fun with your new friends, Simi!
Can't wait for our next class party with God — see you all in 7 days!
Homework Fun: Click here to print out this page. Have your child make their own colorful likhita japa rangoli using different colored markers. Also, be sure and encourage them to write in both Sanskrit and English — each language creates a very unique texture :-)
Click here for the "Lord Ganesha" Likhita coloring page
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
Quiet Time: One minute of silence with some awesome shell counting — great going, kids!!! (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "D is for Daddy"
Activity: Kids made an "I Love You, Dad" card (click here for photo album)
Story: How Father's Day became a national holiday.
Likhita Japa: 10 minutes of drawing OM and ऊँ inside a Lord Ganesha Mandala. (click here to view coloring page.)
End of Class Prayers:
• OM PoornamidaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: First, we want to wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year — we hope you all had a wonderful Diwali!
It sure was nice being back in class again this morning. After having so many consecutive classes in September and October, a real void was felt last week while we had our mini-break. We spent our first few minutes of class doing some sharing — what we were for Halloween, how many sweets we collected from neighbors and friends and all of our fun Diwali celebrations. Then we finally settled into our morning prayers and quiet time activity. The kids didn't miss a beat — everyone chanted beautifully, and loudly :-)
Today's lesson was "D is for Daddy." We spent some time going over all of our dad's good qualities, and what great things he does for his family. Then we listed all of the great qualities of God and what things he does for us. After we made our lists we then looked for a connection — and it was clear as sunshine ... Dad is like God to us!! We talked about how Father's Day came to be an important holiday in recent American history ... and how we really should be celebrating Father's Day every day. Though it's really cool to have one day a year dedicated to our dads ... it doesn't fully speak to how great they are! After all, we don't just have one day a year that we celebrate God, thanking him for all he does for us :-)
When we finished our discussion, we settled down to make Father's Day cards. Definitely take a few minutes and view our slideshow above. The kids did a fabulous job and really got into expressing their love for their dads.
Next week we will be learning about the letter "E." Good luck in guessing what the letter E stand for, kids. Here's a hint: it's not elephant or ear. Gotta warn everyone: make sure you are all to class on time — our lesson's activity will be making a fun toy — finishing up with a class race.
Ahhh, this should keep your mind working ... :-)
Rishika, we really miss you and can't wait for you to return from India. Please give your mom a hug for us and let her know we are sending her lots of love.
Also, before we end this post, we want to extend a very warm welcome and "Hari OM" to our new friend, Simi. She joined us for the first time today. We hope you have lots of fun with your new friends, Simi!
Can't wait for our next class party with God — see you all in 7 days!
November 3, 2010
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
Click here for the website.
Parents: Here is a great site to explore with your child while they are on break from school this week. Be sure to browse around the site for some fabulous digital images of their collection! click here to view a picture of Elizabeth Brunner with a painting she did of Gurudev after meeting him in Delhi.
Parents: Here is a great site to explore with your child while they are on break from school this week. Be sure to browse around the site for some fabulous digital images of their collection! click here to view a picture of Elizabeth Brunner with a painting she did of Gurudev after meeting him in Delhi.
October 24, 2010
Class for CORD
Homework Fun for the kids (and family)
Make a Diwali card (click here for instructions and sample)
Make an origami lotus diya (click here for instructions and sample)
Make a likhita japa drawing of a diya (click here for instructions and template)
Click here to view our Walkathon's Team Page.
Today was a very special class. We gathered at Mercer County Park for our annual CORD Walkathon. The weather was absolutely fantastic — and the enthusiasm was high!
We really want to congratulate everyone for their tremendous work in spreading the word about CORD, and getting donations for sponsorship. As each person did their part in helping this day become a success, we really put into practice one of our greatest Kindergarten lessons: "B is for Brotherhood."
Here's some more great news: Our class fundraising goal was $1,200 and as of Saturday at midnight we had exceeded our goal — our class raised $1,341.00!
And that's not all, folks ... Priyanka Ranganath received a prize (an Apple Nano) for being one of the students who raised the most throughout all the classes! Boy, she really took our commitment to helping CORD to heart and sent emails to all of her friends and family all over the world. She really showed us that if we simply embrace all the significant work that CORD is doing in India, people will automatically and willingly respond with big hearts! Thank you for teaching us this important lesson, Priyanka :-)
Before our walk on the path today, we spent a few minutes talking about how we are putting into practice the first three letters that we have studied so far. "A is for Aspiration," "B is for Brotherhood," and "C is for Cleanliness." We reviewed that aspiration is "dedication to fulfilling a goal," and we did that by diligently working for sponsors. We aspired — and we succeeded. Next we talked about Brotherhood — which we defined as sharing, caring and loving ... not just with our immediate family members, but with others throughout the world — even those we do not personally know. Well, our efforts today were all about helping women in rural India, so we agreed that this was a great way to practice Brotherhood! Hmmm, now how exactly are we practicing "C is for Cleanliness?" A child raised her hand and shared that we are cleansing our minds and hearts by sharing and helping. How cool is that??!! ... pretty sophisticated stuff for 5/6 year olds. :-) After our moment of stunned admiration, we then went on to discuss how the money we were raising would help bring clean water to the villages, and how everyone would be able to have healthier lives with clean water.
Guess the lesson the aunties have learned from the day is that most of our entire curriculum can be exemplified by this single focused event. And to think that we can have lots of fun in the process of practicing our lessons!!
No doubt everyone is tired from the day. The weather was unbelievable. Gurudev clearly made this day possible ... don't know about you, but this aunty is incredibly grateful to have been part of it.
Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful Diwali. We send you all of our love for a very healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year!
See you all in a couple of weeks —
Hugs to our young friends.
Make a Diwali card (click here for instructions and sample)
Make an origami lotus diya (click here for instructions and sample)
Make a likhita japa drawing of a diya (click here for instructions and template)
Click here to view our Walkathon's Team Page.
Today was a very special class. We gathered at Mercer County Park for our annual CORD Walkathon. The weather was absolutely fantastic — and the enthusiasm was high!
We really want to congratulate everyone for their tremendous work in spreading the word about CORD, and getting donations for sponsorship. As each person did their part in helping this day become a success, we really put into practice one of our greatest Kindergarten lessons: "B is for Brotherhood."
Here's some more great news: Our class fundraising goal was $1,200 and as of Saturday at midnight we had exceeded our goal — our class raised $1,341.00!
And that's not all, folks ... Priyanka Ranganath received a prize (an Apple Nano) for being one of the students who raised the most throughout all the classes! Boy, she really took our commitment to helping CORD to heart and sent emails to all of her friends and family all over the world. She really showed us that if we simply embrace all the significant work that CORD is doing in India, people will automatically and willingly respond with big hearts! Thank you for teaching us this important lesson, Priyanka :-)
Before our walk on the path today, we spent a few minutes talking about how we are putting into practice the first three letters that we have studied so far. "A is for Aspiration," "B is for Brotherhood," and "C is for Cleanliness." We reviewed that aspiration is "dedication to fulfilling a goal," and we did that by diligently working for sponsors. We aspired — and we succeeded. Next we talked about Brotherhood — which we defined as sharing, caring and loving ... not just with our immediate family members, but with others throughout the world — even those we do not personally know. Well, our efforts today were all about helping women in rural India, so we agreed that this was a great way to practice Brotherhood! Hmmm, now how exactly are we practicing "C is for Cleanliness?" A child raised her hand and shared that we are cleansing our minds and hearts by sharing and helping. How cool is that??!! ... pretty sophisticated stuff for 5/6 year olds. :-) After our moment of stunned admiration, we then went on to discuss how the money we were raising would help bring clean water to the villages, and how everyone would be able to have healthier lives with clean water.
Guess the lesson the aunties have learned from the day is that most of our entire curriculum can be exemplified by this single focused event. And to think that we can have lots of fun in the process of practicing our lessons!!
No doubt everyone is tired from the day. The weather was unbelievable. Gurudev clearly made this day possible ... don't know about you, but this aunty is incredibly grateful to have been part of it.
Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful Diwali. We send you all of our love for a very healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year!
See you all in a couple of weeks —
Hugs to our young friends.
October 17, 2010
Oct 17 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha and Jacqueline
Home Work Fun: Please click here and print out this picture for your child to color. Discuss with your child what this picture is of — and what it means to us.
Likhita Japa Homework: Click here for Diya image. Have your child fill it in with ऊँ.
Morning Prayers:
• Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute of absolute silence and an excellent round of shell counting! (click here for the game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "C is for Cleanliness"
Activity: Made an origami lotus diya (click here for instructions)
Likhita Japa: Filled in a Lotus Mandala with colorful ऊँs (click here to view)
Ending Prayers: Aarti, prayers and pledge was in the auditorium
Comments: Even though our class was cut short because we had a program in the auditorium, we managed to get through our very busy curriculum. Whoosh!
Today our letter of the week focused on "Cleanliness." We talked about how important it is to be clean ... not just on the outside but also on the inside. Being clean on the inside? How exactly do we do that??!! This was a great opportunity for us to talk about the beauty and significance of a diya — and how it burns away all of our "bad stuff" and replaces it with clean, pure thoughts and feelings. There's no question about it — prayer and meditation is the only way to cleanse our insides!!
After our alphabet review we got out our colorful markers and started to fill in a mandala with ऊँs for our likhita japa segment. Some of the children did a lotus flower, while others did a diya. Please check our children's art gallery (click here) to see their fabulous work. And then, while everyone was busy doing their likhita japa, we set up a separate station for learning how to make origami lotus diyas. We worked with children in groups of 5, until each one of them completed their very own diya. Hopefully, they will remember some of the folds so they can make more during Diwali. If not, be sure and visit the activity link above to view a video on all the moves.
This is our last week to prepare for the CORD walkathon. If you have not registered your child for the 24th, please take a few minutes and do it today! Next Sunday is an official Balavihar Class and we will be taking attendance. Our class goal is to raise $1,200 for CORD, and we are pleased to announce that we nearly half way there! Once you have registered your child, don't forget to create a fun web page for them to email to all of your friends and family. We can't stress enough that our primary goal is to raise awareness of CORD and what great work they are doing! We are not asking your children to reach into their piggy banks and donate (although that is definitely okay :-), rather we are asking them to work for CORD and raise money by getting sponsored for their participation in the walkathon. If each Balavihar member raises only $50.00, then collectively we will be able to send $50,000 to India. How great this would be!!! "A is for Aspiration!" right kids?
Don't forget to wear comfy clothes next week. Everyone should wear sneakers and sweat pants — no fancy Indian dress, please. Our kindergarten kids have been instructed to take over the playground once they have completed their walk :-)
And speaking of playground, today's weather is shouting for some outdoor fun. Hope you all get a chance to romp around after lunch. Get out those scooters, bikes and hoola hoops. Don't waste God's gift to us today!!
Can't wait until next week —we are definitely going to have a lot of fun!
Lots of love to our young friends.
October 10, 2010
Oct 10 Class: Sections 1 and 2
Sevikas: Mamtha, Nayna, and Jacqueline
Today was a combined class. Next week we will be back to normal.
Homework Fun: Click here and print out this Lotus Mandala picture. Have your child fill it in with colorful ऊँs. This is a great way to keep them practicing their likhita japa at home, while exercising some creative freedom :-) Have them bring in their finished likhita japa so we can photograph it and put in our kid's art gallery. Have fun, kids!
Morning Prayers:
• Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute of silence followed by the shell dropping game (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "B is for Brotherhood"
Storytime: "God's Dream" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (click on the title for book details)
Activity: Sharing Game (click here for instructions)
Likhita Japa: Because of our class size, we were not able to do our likhita japa. However the children agreed that they would practice their japa at home this week. Please see our homework assignment at the top of this page.
Ending Prayers:
• Om Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Today's "Letter of the Day" is probably one of the most significant ones of the year — "B is for Brotherhood." And, seeing that we are gearing up for our CORD Walkathon on October 24, we thought this could be a great opportunity to discuss with the children real ways that we can demonstrate caring and sharing — no matter how old or young we are!
After we read our wonderful book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu , we played a game which helped us understand how great it feels to give and receive ... and how "not so good" it feels to do nothing at all. Please click on this link to see how the game is played. We are really proud of these kids! Most of them volunteered to share their chocolates, even after we had just confessed that sometimes its not easy to share with others. We spent some time discussing what God's Dream is — that we share, care and love one another ... and how we are all one big family — no matter what our skin color is, what language we speak, or how we talk to God.
The class lesson "B is for Brotherhood" became a perfect segue into CORD and how important it is for us to lend a hand, however we can. We explained to the children that in two weeks we will be having our class at the Walkathon — and that we want all the kids to participate and help raise money to send to India. No doubt they are telling you all about it now :-)
Therefore, we can't stress enough how important it is to register your child for the CORD walkathon. It really will only take a few minutes — and it's extremely easy! As you know from our previous emails we have a class goal of raising $1,200 for CORD — which is a very doable goal. All it will take to accomplish this is for each child (and sevika) to mail their personal Walkathon page to family members and friends, asking them to sponsor your child for this very worthy cause. We really feel that this is a great opportunity for our kindergartners to learn the importance of giving ... and that no amount will ever be too small if it is put to good use. We are truly blessed with this opportunity for self growth and awareness, and it would be a shame to not "give it our all." Definitely take a few minutes and visit the CORD Walkathon's blog. (click here for the link.) Also, just so you know, our kids will not do the full 5 miles (unless they want to, of course!) We will probably do 1 or 2 miles ... ending with lots of play on the playground!
And, when your child is registered, please have them email us their webpage so we can write an encouraging message for them. We really want to support their efforts and congratulate them on their spirit of "Brotherhood."
Well, today sure was a lot of fun — and God has given us some fabulous weather to romp around in! We wish everyone a wonderful Navaratri — and look forward to our next get together on the 17th!
Oh yeah, try not to eat too much of all that delicious food while visiting everyone's homes ... gotta save some room for Diwali sweets and Halloween treats :-)
A very Happy Birthday to Neil! He turned 6 on October 5.
Hugs to all of our kinder friends!
Today was a combined class. Next week we will be back to normal.
Homework Fun: Click here and print out this Lotus Mandala picture. Have your child fill it in with colorful ऊँs. This is a great way to keep them practicing their likhita japa at home, while exercising some creative freedom :-) Have them bring in their finished likhita japa so we can photograph it and put in our kid's art gallery. Have fun, kids!
Coloring Page: For those of you who did not get a chance to color this page last week, we've left it up one more week. Parents: print this page and discuss with your child who this is a picture of and why he is so very important to us.
Morning Prayers:
• Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click here for text)
Quiet Time: 1 minute of silence followed by the shell dropping game (click here for game instructions)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "B is for Brotherhood"
Storytime: "God's Dream" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (click on the title for book details)
Activity: Sharing Game (click here for instructions)
Likhita Japa: Because of our class size, we were not able to do our likhita japa. However the children agreed that they would practice their japa at home this week. Please see our homework assignment at the top of this page.
Ending Prayers:
• Om Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Today's "Letter of the Day" is probably one of the most significant ones of the year — "B is for Brotherhood." And, seeing that we are gearing up for our CORD Walkathon on October 24, we thought this could be a great opportunity to discuss with the children real ways that we can demonstrate caring and sharing — no matter how old or young we are!
After we read our wonderful book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu , we played a game which helped us understand how great it feels to give and receive ... and how "not so good" it feels to do nothing at all. Please click on this link to see how the game is played. We are really proud of these kids! Most of them volunteered to share their chocolates, even after we had just confessed that sometimes its not easy to share with others. We spent some time discussing what God's Dream is — that we share, care and love one another ... and how we are all one big family — no matter what our skin color is, what language we speak, or how we talk to God.
The class lesson "B is for Brotherhood" became a perfect segue into CORD and how important it is for us to lend a hand, however we can. We explained to the children that in two weeks we will be having our class at the Walkathon — and that we want all the kids to participate and help raise money to send to India. No doubt they are telling you all about it now :-)
Therefore, we can't stress enough how important it is to register your child for the CORD walkathon. It really will only take a few minutes — and it's extremely easy! As you know from our previous emails we have a class goal of raising $1,200 for CORD — which is a very doable goal. All it will take to accomplish this is for each child (and sevika) to mail their personal Walkathon page to family members and friends, asking them to sponsor your child for this very worthy cause. We really feel that this is a great opportunity for our kindergartners to learn the importance of giving ... and that no amount will ever be too small if it is put to good use. We are truly blessed with this opportunity for self growth and awareness, and it would be a shame to not "give it our all." Definitely take a few minutes and visit the CORD Walkathon's blog. (click here for the link.) Also, just so you know, our kids will not do the full 5 miles (unless they want to, of course!) We will probably do 1 or 2 miles ... ending with lots of play on the playground!
And, when your child is registered, please have them email us their webpage so we can write an encouraging message for them. We really want to support their efforts and congratulate them on their spirit of "Brotherhood."
Well, today sure was a lot of fun — and God has given us some fabulous weather to romp around in! We wish everyone a wonderful Navaratri — and look forward to our next get together on the 17th!
Oh yeah, try not to eat too much of all that delicious food while visiting everyone's homes ... gotta save some room for Diwali sweets and Halloween treats :-)
A very Happy Birthday to Neil! He turned 6 on October 5.
Hugs to all of our kinder friends!
October 5, 2010
This aunty was riding her bike today ... and look who was quietly sitting in the river! After a few minutes of admiring this beautiful creature, it became clear that the swan was cleaning herself for a very important puja that will be happening soon (during the last 3 days of Naavaratri.)
Okay kids ... which Goddess sits on a swan?
What an amazing sight — and a true joy to see! Just had to share ....
October 3, 2010
Oct 3 Class: Section 1
If your child is missing a lightweight blue jacket or a white cotton handkerchief with purple flowers, please see one of the aunties.
Sevikas: Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines
Home Work Fun: Please print out this picture and discuss with your child who this picture is of, and why he is so important to us. (click here for image.)
Morning Prayers:
• Saha navaavatu (click for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click for text)
• Sarasavati Namastubhyam (click for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click for text)
Quiet Time/Focus Activity: One full minute of silence and some pretty good shell counting! We have promised to try and trick the kids next class :-)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "A is for Aspiration" and "A is for Ahimsa."
Story Time: Mahatma Gandhi and what he aspired for.
Activity: Each child took a turn spinning cotton on a Book Charkha. (click here to see a picture of the charkha .)
Likhita Japa: ऊँ 21 times (click here to view tracing sheet.)
Ending Prayers:
• Om Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Whoosh — this morning sure was busy! We added a new prayer today — Shree KrishnaH. We spent a few minutes talking about the meaning of this prayer ... and why it is so incredibly beautiful!
You will notice that the children have begun their Geeta Chanting for Chapter 11. We introduced Shloka 2 ... and everyone did Absolutely Awesome with repeating after the aunties! We will continue working on Shlokas 1 and 2 for the month of October — and then we will add one new shloka per month.
Our topic today was "A is for Aspiration" (defined as "dedication to fulfilling a goal") — and there is no better person to exemplify aspiration than Mahatma Gandhiji! We talked about how this shy little boy grew up and became the Father of India. We then went on and talked about one of the Mahatma's aspiration for the world ... "Ahimsa" and what that word meant. After we spent a good chunk of time talking about his life, hard work, dedication and devotion, we pulled out a book charkha to show the children what Gandhiji loved doing most ... spinning cotton. Each child got a turn to spin some cotton on this wonderful little tool ... and then took some cotton and thread home to put in their treasure box.
As you know, we are starting to gear up for the October 24th CORD walkathon. Our kindergartners will definitely be participating in this event, so please be sure and mark your calendars. Also note that we will meet directly at the park on this day. Please keep checking the blog for more details — which will be posted shortly. We'll even be bombarding you will lots of emails over the next few weeks :-)
Well, fall is definitely here. Naavaratri, Diwali, and of course, Halloween are lurking around the corner. We wish everyone lots of fun preparations and look forward to seeing you all again next Sunday. And even though everything seems really crazy and busy right now, don't forget to go outside and take a walk every now and then ... just to admire God's great paintings!
Sevikas: Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines
Home Work Fun: Please print out this picture and discuss with your child who this picture is of, and why he is so important to us. (click here for image.)
Morning Prayers:
• Saha navaavatu (click for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click for text)
• Sarasavati Namastubhyam (click for text)
• Shree KrishnaH (click for text)
Quiet Time/Focus Activity: One full minute of silence and some pretty good shell counting! We have promised to try and trick the kids next class :-)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1 and 2
Letter of the Week: "A is for Aspiration" and "A is for Ahimsa."
Story Time: Mahatma Gandhi and what he aspired for.
Activity: Each child took a turn spinning cotton on a Book Charkha. (click here to see a picture of the charkha .)
Likhita Japa: ऊँ 21 times (click here to view tracing sheet.)
Ending Prayers:
• Om Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Whoosh — this morning sure was busy! We added a new prayer today — Shree KrishnaH. We spent a few minutes talking about the meaning of this prayer ... and why it is so incredibly beautiful!
You will notice that the children have begun their Geeta Chanting for Chapter 11. We introduced Shloka 2 ... and everyone did Absolutely Awesome with repeating after the aunties! We will continue working on Shlokas 1 and 2 for the month of October — and then we will add one new shloka per month.
Our topic today was "A is for Aspiration" (defined as "dedication to fulfilling a goal") — and there is no better person to exemplify aspiration than Mahatma Gandhiji! We talked about how this shy little boy grew up and became the Father of India. We then went on and talked about one of the Mahatma's aspiration for the world ... "Ahimsa" and what that word meant. After we spent a good chunk of time talking about his life, hard work, dedication and devotion, we pulled out a book charkha to show the children what Gandhiji loved doing most ... spinning cotton. Each child got a turn to spin some cotton on this wonderful little tool ... and then took some cotton and thread home to put in their treasure box.
As you know, we are starting to gear up for the October 24th CORD walkathon. Our kindergartners will definitely be participating in this event, so please be sure and mark your calendars. Also note that we will meet directly at the park on this day. Please keep checking the blog for more details — which will be posted shortly. We'll even be bombarding you will lots of emails over the next few weeks :-)
Well, fall is definitely here. Naavaratri, Diwali, and of course, Halloween are lurking around the corner. We wish everyone lots of fun preparations and look forward to seeing you all again next Sunday. And even though everything seems really crazy and busy right now, don't forget to go outside and take a walk every now and then ... just to admire God's great paintings!
September 26, 2010
Sept 26 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines
Home Fun Work: Print out this page for your child to color. (Click here for page.) Spend a few minutes with your child discussing who this picture is of and why he is so very important to us.
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
Quiet Time/Focus Game: The children did great today — 1 full minute of silence followed by our focus game with shells.
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shloka 1 (See comment section below.)
Story Time: The teacher who asked the children to eat their apples in a place where God was not.
Activity: Find the hidden ladybug
Likhita Japa: ऊँ 21 times (click here for the tracing sheet)
Game: KrishnaH Vadati (click here for full text) Verbs we introduced today:
• उपविशतु (upavishatu, sit)
• उत्तिष्ठतु (uttiSThatu, stand)
• भ्रमतु (bhramatu, spin around)
• उत्पततु (utpatatu, jump)
• हसतु (hasatu, laugh)
• रोदितु (roditu, cry)
• नृत्यतु (nRtyatu, dance)
Ending Prayers:
• PoornamidaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Today was our official, 1st full class — and we certainly were jam packed with oodles of activities and learning!
We began our Geeta Chanting this morning. Your children will be responsible for memorizing the first 8 shlokas for the competition this Spring. In order for them to be completely at ease and prepared for the "Big Day," we decided there was no better time to start than the present! Our goal is to add one new shloka each month. This way we will have 3 classes to familiarize ourselves with each shloka before introducing another. Parents: Please note that pronunciation will be very important for the judges this year. We will do our very best to help the children work on memorization, pronunciation and presentation in class — but obviously you will be the best and most most effective teacher for your child. We urge you to take a few minutes each day to practice — and if you start now, then come Spring your child will feel very comfortable with the chanting and the judges. Beware: this chapter is a bit tricky ... :-) CD's were handed out to all the families this morning to so we can do some "self-study." If you did not receive one, please make sure that you stop by the front desk and pick one up. These cd's are extremely helpful with pronunciation. Also, chapter 11 will soon be posted on the "Geeta Chanting Blog" in its entirety. You can reach this blog by visiting Chinmaya Vrindavan's website.
We spent some time with the children talking about our Alphabet Safari lessons for the year and how we will be going on a journey of different values with the ABC's. The lesson today, however, was a discussion on "Who is God?" and "Can we see God?" .... "Where is God?" The kids had lots of ideas of this topic, and it was fun exploring this subject with them :-)
After our discussion, we did Likhita Japa. We found that a few of the children were very comfortable writing ऊँ. However, many do not know how to make the proper strokes. So we will be using our tracing cards over the next few weeks until we all feel confident with our writing. Once we are all on the same page (so to speak,) we will then introduce राम. Late fall the children should be ready for keeping a Likhita Japa journal. This is a wonderful leap in their learning — and the aunties always get excited when they see everyone sit quietly writing the Lord's name ... it's truly amazing to see.
We ended our class with a a few rounds of "KrishnaH Vadati (definitely one of this auntie's favorite games.) This game is performed much like "Simon Says," except in Sanskrit. In this activity we aim to introduce the children to simple verbs with instructions (in the imperative) from our Lord Krishna hand puppet. Everyone has a lot of fun with this — and by the end of class we all welcome the opportunity to get up and jump around a little. And it's extra fun doing it in God's language!
Hope everyone has a great week — and we look forward to another "Party with God" next Sunday!
Home Fun Work: Print out this page for your child to color. (Click here for page.) Spend a few minutes with your child discussing who this picture is of and why he is so very important to us.
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Karagre Vasate
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
Quiet Time/Focus Game: The children did great today — 1 full minute of silence followed by our focus game with shells.
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shloka 1 (See comment section below.)
Story Time: The teacher who asked the children to eat their apples in a place where God was not.
Activity: Find the hidden ladybug
Likhita Japa: ऊँ 21 times (click here for the tracing sheet)
Game: KrishnaH Vadati (click here for full text) Verbs we introduced today:
• उपविशतु (upavishatu, sit)
• उत्तिष्ठतु (uttiSThatu, stand)
• भ्रमतु (bhramatu, spin around)
• उत्पततु (utpatatu, jump)
• हसतु (hasatu, laugh)
• रोदितु (roditu, cry)
• नृत्यतु (nRtyatu, dance)
Ending Prayers:
• PoornamidaH (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: Today was our official, 1st full class — and we certainly were jam packed with oodles of activities and learning!
We began our Geeta Chanting this morning. Your children will be responsible for memorizing the first 8 shlokas for the competition this Spring. In order for them to be completely at ease and prepared for the "Big Day," we decided there was no better time to start than the present! Our goal is to add one new shloka each month. This way we will have 3 classes to familiarize ourselves with each shloka before introducing another. Parents: Please note that pronunciation will be very important for the judges this year. We will do our very best to help the children work on memorization, pronunciation and presentation in class — but obviously you will be the best and most most effective teacher for your child. We urge you to take a few minutes each day to practice — and if you start now, then come Spring your child will feel very comfortable with the chanting and the judges. Beware: this chapter is a bit tricky ... :-) CD's were handed out to all the families this morning to so we can do some "self-study." If you did not receive one, please make sure that you stop by the front desk and pick one up. These cd's are extremely helpful with pronunciation. Also, chapter 11 will soon be posted on the "Geeta Chanting Blog" in its entirety. You can reach this blog by visiting Chinmaya Vrindavan's website.
We spent some time with the children talking about our Alphabet Safari lessons for the year and how we will be going on a journey of different values with the ABC's. The lesson today, however, was a discussion on "Who is God?" and "Can we see God?" .... "Where is God?" The kids had lots of ideas of this topic, and it was fun exploring this subject with them :-)
After our discussion, we did Likhita Japa. We found that a few of the children were very comfortable writing ऊँ. However, many do not know how to make the proper strokes. So we will be using our tracing cards over the next few weeks until we all feel confident with our writing. Once we are all on the same page (so to speak,) we will then introduce राम. Late fall the children should be ready for keeping a Likhita Japa journal. This is a wonderful leap in their learning — and the aunties always get excited when they see everyone sit quietly writing the Lord's name ... it's truly amazing to see.
We ended our class with a a few rounds of "KrishnaH Vadati (definitely one of this auntie's favorite games.) This game is performed much like "Simon Says," except in Sanskrit. In this activity we aim to introduce the children to simple verbs with instructions (in the imperative) from our Lord Krishna hand puppet. Everyone has a lot of fun with this — and by the end of class we all welcome the opportunity to get up and jump around a little. And it's extra fun doing it in God's language!
Hope everyone has a great week — and we look forward to another "Party with God" next Sunday!
September 19, 2010
Sept 19 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha and Jacqueline
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
Quiet Time: One minute of silence followed by our focus game (see comments below)
Story: Ganesha Goes to a Party
Craft/Activity: Made a small Lord Ganesha out of modeling clay. (click here to view sample and directions on how to make.)
Comments: Parents, we've gotta say that these children are more 1st graders than kindergartners! Everyone did so well on their first day ... not one tear ... and lots of enthusiasm!
We started our class with the morning prayers listed above. Afterwards we spent a few minutes and talked about what each "Shanti" means at the end of the prayer. The first Shanti is asking for peace of the universal elements (like thunder, heavy winds, monsoons, etc.) The second Shanti is for environmental disturbances around us (like dogs barking, kids arguing, car horns beeping, etc.) And the third Shanti is for ourselves ... which is why we say it softer. We are asking for peace on the inside.
We then did our "quiet time." For the parents not familiar with this segment: The children sit quietly for one minute with their eyes closed. At the end of one minute they hear a stone drop into a bowl. Then another ... and another ... and another. The children are instructed to count the stones (in their head) as they drop. When aunty says "Okay, open your eyes," we go around the room and ask each child how many stones they counted. As you can imagine, our numbers vary quite a bit in the beginning. However, by the end of the year our young friends will be able to sit absolutely still for two whole minutes with very focused attention and counting — we guarantee it!! :-) This is an activity that we will be doing in every class.
Next week will be a full class — no auditorium. Just bring your child directly to our classroom (C-106). We must warn you that the aunties are "sticklers for time" — and we will be starting precisely at 10:00. Please make sure that your child arrives a few minutes early so they don't miss out on any of the learning fun. And we will always have some set-up chores for them to help with if you decide to come 10 or 15 minutes earlier :-) If, however, you must come late, please PLEASE respect our "Do Not Enter" sign on the door. This sign will be placed outside when we are doing our "Quiet Segment." You won't have to wait any more than 2 minutes ... we promise.
The kids don't need to bring anything to class — just their smiles and enthusiasm. The aunties will take care of all the crayons, scissors, glue sticks, etc, so no need to send in a back pack. The less number of things the kids have to keep track of in class, the better.
We're really looking forward to a fun year of learning with your child. Just so you know, we like to think of our Sunday get togethers as a "Party with God!"
Enjoy this fabulous weather ... this aunty is now going out for her bike ride.
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahakaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
Quiet Time: One minute of silence followed by our focus game (see comments below)
Story: Ganesha Goes to a Party
Craft/Activity: Made a small Lord Ganesha out of modeling clay. (click here to view sample and directions on how to make.)
Comments: Parents, we've gotta say that these children are more 1st graders than kindergartners! Everyone did so well on their first day ... not one tear ... and lots of enthusiasm!
We started our class with the morning prayers listed above. Afterwards we spent a few minutes and talked about what each "Shanti" means at the end of the prayer. The first Shanti is asking for peace of the universal elements (like thunder, heavy winds, monsoons, etc.) The second Shanti is for environmental disturbances around us (like dogs barking, kids arguing, car horns beeping, etc.) And the third Shanti is for ourselves ... which is why we say it softer. We are asking for peace on the inside.
We then did our "quiet time." For the parents not familiar with this segment: The children sit quietly for one minute with their eyes closed. At the end of one minute they hear a stone drop into a bowl. Then another ... and another ... and another. The children are instructed to count the stones (in their head) as they drop. When aunty says "Okay, open your eyes," we go around the room and ask each child how many stones they counted. As you can imagine, our numbers vary quite a bit in the beginning. However, by the end of the year our young friends will be able to sit absolutely still for two whole minutes with very focused attention and counting — we guarantee it!! :-) This is an activity that we will be doing in every class.
Next week will be a full class — no auditorium. Just bring your child directly to our classroom (C-106). We must warn you that the aunties are "sticklers for time" — and we will be starting precisely at 10:00. Please make sure that your child arrives a few minutes early so they don't miss out on any of the learning fun. And we will always have some set-up chores for them to help with if you decide to come 10 or 15 minutes earlier :-) If, however, you must come late, please PLEASE respect our "Do Not Enter" sign on the door. This sign will be placed outside when we are doing our "Quiet Segment." You won't have to wait any more than 2 minutes ... we promise.
The kids don't need to bring anything to class — just their smiles and enthusiasm. The aunties will take care of all the crayons, scissors, glue sticks, etc, so no need to send in a back pack. The less number of things the kids have to keep track of in class, the better.
We're really looking forward to a fun year of learning with your child. Just so you know, we like to think of our Sunday get togethers as a "Party with God!"
Enjoy this fabulous weather ... this aunty is now going out for her bike ride.
September 18, 2010
About This Blog
Hari Om!
Welcome to the Kindergarten Balavihar Blog for Section 1. The sevikas for this class are Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines.
Welcome to the Kindergarten Balavihar Blog for Section 1. The sevikas for this class are Mamtha Rau and Jacqueline Gaines.
We hope that you will continue to regularly visit this online journal to learn about your child's weekly Sunday morning activities. This blog will serve as our main communication tool, so we highly encourage you to check in on a weekly basis. All announcements and class reviews will be posted each class day by 6:00 p.m.
Also, feel free to browse around to read about our previous year's activities. We have included some fun activities, videos/animations, and other websites for you and your child to explore. If (and when) we stumble across new sites and info to share, we will most certainly post them ... so do take a few minutes and familiarize yourself with this blog. It is our hope that this on-line journal will not only provide classroom information for the parents, but will also become a source of fun and enjoyment for the kids when they are at home.
For your convenience, we have made this blog available for subscription. Just click on "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" at the bottom of the page to set your preferences. By subscribing, you will be instantly informed of any new postings or updates. This blog is for class review only – we are not hosting a discussion forum. If you need to get in touch with one of the sevikas, please email us directly and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
We look forward to spending a very fun and spiritually enriching year with your child!
The Kindergarten Sevikas
Section 1
Section 1
August 31, 2010
Rabbit Drawing
Print the page below and draw a rabbit. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons
शशकः
śaśakaḥ
rabbit
Click on image below and print.
Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.
Frog Drawing
Print the page below and draw a frog. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
मण्डूकः
maṇḍūkaḥ
(frog)
Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary
Spider Drawing
Print the page below and draw a spider. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!
Materials
Black marker/crayon
Print out (see below)
Materials
Black marker/crayon
Print out (see below)
तन्तुनाभः
tantunābhaḥ
(spider)
Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.
Dog Drawing
Print the page below and draw a dog. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
शुनकः
śunakaḥ
(dog)
Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.
Cat Drawing
Print the page below and draw a cat. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon
बिडालः
biḍālaḥ
cat
Click on image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.
Lord Hanumaan
Here is a coloring page for the children to practice their likhita japa with. Have them fill in Lord Hanumaan with राम (rāma) − using whatever colors they wish!
Materials
• Coloring page (see below)
• Markers or pens (different colors)
Materials
• Coloring page (see below)
• Markers or pens (different colors)
Click on image below and print
Make sure to adjust your brightness and printing size, if necessary
Likhita Japa Game
The goal of this challenge is to document on paper how many times our mind shifts during likhita japa − the less number of color shifts, the better!! We like to use this to help the children learn to focus completely on their likhita japa — which can be a difficult task for 5/6 year olds :-) So, to make it fun, we ask them to do the following:
1. Place at least 2 different colored writing pens in front of them, along with their journal.
2. When the aunty says "OM" they are supposed to pick up one of the pens and begin their likhita japa, writing ऊँ (and thinking only of ऊँ!)
3. If they find themselves thinking of anything else (even for a split second) they are supposed to: a) put the pen down and pick up another color; b) take a deep breath and; c) start writing ऊँ again.
Repeat step 3 until the pre-determined time is up. We usually do 5 minutes.
We emphasize to the children that they must pay very close attention to their thoughts, and only they will know when it is time to change pen colors. When we gather for our "circle time review" we make it a point to praise the children for being honest with themselves. We then will talk about what distracted our thoughts, and how we can try and do better during our next session.
Note: Before we start this game, an aunty will demonstrate how we play − speaking her thoughts aloud, changing pens when she shifts from "OM," taking a deep breath, and then starting all over again. We never show any disappointment about color shifts. Instead we demonstrate how pleased we are with our efforts and how we're going to strive to do better next time.
1. Place at least 2 different colored writing pens in front of them, along with their journal.
2. When the aunty says "OM" they are supposed to pick up one of the pens and begin their likhita japa, writing ऊँ (and thinking only of ऊँ!)
3. If they find themselves thinking of anything else (even for a split second) they are supposed to: a) put the pen down and pick up another color; b) take a deep breath and; c) start writing ऊँ again.
Repeat step 3 until the pre-determined time is up. We usually do 5 minutes.
We emphasize to the children that they must pay very close attention to their thoughts, and only they will know when it is time to change pen colors. When we gather for our "circle time review" we make it a point to praise the children for being honest with themselves. We then will talk about what distracted our thoughts, and how we can try and do better during our next session.
Note: Before we start this game, an aunty will demonstrate how we play − speaking her thoughts aloud, changing pens when she shifts from "OM," taking a deep breath, and then starting all over again. We never show any disappointment about color shifts. Instead we demonstrate how pleased we are with our efforts and how we're going to strive to do better next time.
Sanskrit Numbers 11-20
These are coloring/activity pages to help children learn numbers 11-20 in Sanskrit. Please note that these numbers are in the neuter gender.
Fish Drawing
Print out the page below and draw a fish. We use this in our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." The children can copy the image below or, better yet, create their own image!
Materials
Page Print out
Black marker and/or crayons
Materials
Page Print out
Black marker and/or crayons
मत्स्यः
matsyaḥ
fish
Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.
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