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.
