Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Morning Prayers:
• OM Sahanaavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Saraswati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Hanumaan (click here for text)
• Shree Krishna (click here for text)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1-8 (click here for text and audio)
Letter of the Week: "Z is for Zeal"
Likhita Japa: Children learned how to design mandalas. Then they filled them in with their likhita japa.
Ending Prayers:
• OM Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: First we want to welcome our new friend, Divya, who joined us for the first time this morning! We are sorry that we will be having only one more class together before summer break, but we really look forward to spending a fun year with you after vacation. And we hope that you are going to enjoy spending Sunday mornings with all of your new friends!
We were delighted to see so many students to class on time -- especially because many of us were out late last night due to our Bhiksha with Swamiji. (We all admitted that it was a little hard to get up this morning ... but we did it!!) The aunties had a lot of fun with everyone last night, and it was such a pleasure to meet and spend time with the students and families from the other Kindergarten class.
Today we reached our last letter of the Alphabet Safari ... "Z is for Zeal." This one was not too difficult for us to comprehend. In fact, we all agreed that you can't help but know it's meaning, if you just listen to how you feel when you say the word -- ZEAL! You can just feel the vibrations and know that it's got some long-lasting power :-) ... pretty much like "Enthusiasm."
After we reviewed our letters A-Z, we settled down to share some techniques that the children can use over the summer in their likhita japa journals. We expect them to keep up their great work!! We showed them that anytime they want to make a mandala or drawing, they simply have to look around the house for a cool shape. It could be a bowl, a cup, a bottle cap, a box ... pretty much anything. And then they trace it onto their paper -- and fill it in with more shapes and likhita japa. They really did such a great job this morning, and we are pretty confident that there are going to be some amazing drawings coming out of these youngsters over the summer. We hope they will show us their journals when Balavihar resumes in the fall :-)
You gotta know ... the aunties are sad that our Balavihar Year is coming to an end. We are definitely going to miss these wonderful children. It has been such a blessing to watch them grow over the past 9 or 10 months. So much so that we can already feel their long-lasting presence in our hearts. Just know, parents: they have been instructed to come back to the Kindergarten Class and give us a hug every now and then :-) So don't scold them when they say "Wait a sec" and then run down the hall to our room.
In preparation for our summer break, we thought it would be fun to have a class party on June 5th. We are trying to get "management" approval to take the kids outside for the morning ... where we will play games, run around, blow bubbles, and eat yummy snacks. Once the aunties hear from our "boss," then we will send out an email, letting you know whether you should send along a visor and sunblock.
Bet many of you are going to take it easy each this afternoon ... maybe even go to bed early tonight. The aunties definitely are!
Sending oodles of hugs to our young friends!
(We want to thank all the parents who helped with our class activities last evening. And many, many special thanks to Madhi and Priyanka's parents for pitching in and "going that extra mile." You all made the evening Super Extra Enjoyable!
Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda
May 22, 2011
May 15, 2011
May 15 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Morning Prayers:
• Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Hanumaan (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1-8 (click here for text and audio)
Story: Talked about Swamiji and why our Guru is important to us.
Art Project: Worked on our gift for Swamiji, and made Clay Ganeshas for the Ananda Mela Children's Art Exhibit. (See the slide show above.)
Ending Prayers:
• OM Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: First we want to extend a very big "Hari OM" to our new friend, Raghav! He joined us for the first time today -- and even though we have just a few more classes left, we hope that he will be having lots of fun with us ... and we look forward to being in first grade with him next year!! It's always fun to see our family grow ...
We all agreed that our class today was a little topsy turvy. We did things a little out of sequence. Normally we spend the first part of the class focused on the alphabet safari, but because we have been gifted the great opportunity to have bhiksha with Swamiji next weekend, we decided to spend some time talking about our Swamiji -- and all the great things he does for us! For many of these children, the word "Swamiji" conjures up some mystical person ... who doesn't really have a clear face to us. So, we thought this would be a perfect time to share with the children some little "dibs" on our Guru. We even "let the cat out of the bag" -- that he always has little treats for children :-) ... and he tells really funny stories and jokes!
On May 21st, both classes will be joining Swamiji at the ashram for an evening bhiksha. It'll be lots of fun, because even though we "know" about the other class, we don't really KNOW each other. So this gathering will be a nice way to meet our other brothers and sisters, and learn about what they've been doing throughout the year!
Expect at least one more email to reach your in-box this week. Mamtha Aunty will be coordinating the bhiksha menu with all the parents, as well as helping answer any questions you may have about the evening. There is nothing to rehearse at home with your child, so please don't fret! Our kids have been discussing the alphabet safari all year round, and this is exactly what we will be sharing with Swamiji ... our presentation shouldn't be more than 10 minutes, at the most. We want the children to be completely relaxed and excited to meet Swamiji, not nervous! After our Alphabet discussion, the children will present a gift that they all helped create. This gift is to show Swamiji their appreciation and love for his teaching and guidance. Each child in our class will be represented in this gift, whether they are able to attend bhiksha or not. Once everything is assembled, we will photograph "it" and post in on the blog next week. That way everyone can enjoy it.
We want to thank all the kids for making such wonderful clay Ganapatis! They are all so sweet and full of kindergarten character. We know that these sculptures will hold a very special place in the Mela's exhibit. Mark your calendars ... it's on June 12th!
Hope you all have a wonderful week. Looking forward to seeing you all at the ashram Saturday evening -- and then back at Balavihar the following morning.
Love to our "Soon to be First Graders ..."
Morning Prayers:
• Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Hanumaan (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1-8 (click here for text and audio)
Story: Talked about Swamiji and why our Guru is important to us.
Art Project: Worked on our gift for Swamiji, and made Clay Ganeshas for the Ananda Mela Children's Art Exhibit. (See the slide show above.)
Ending Prayers:
• OM Poornamidah (click here for text)
• Chinmaya Pledge (click here for text)
Comments: First we want to extend a very big "Hari OM" to our new friend, Raghav! He joined us for the first time today -- and even though we have just a few more classes left, we hope that he will be having lots of fun with us ... and we look forward to being in first grade with him next year!! It's always fun to see our family grow ...
We all agreed that our class today was a little topsy turvy. We did things a little out of sequence. Normally we spend the first part of the class focused on the alphabet safari, but because we have been gifted the great opportunity to have bhiksha with Swamiji next weekend, we decided to spend some time talking about our Swamiji -- and all the great things he does for us! For many of these children, the word "Swamiji" conjures up some mystical person ... who doesn't really have a clear face to us. So, we thought this would be a perfect time to share with the children some little "dibs" on our Guru. We even "let the cat out of the bag" -- that he always has little treats for children :-) ... and he tells really funny stories and jokes!
On May 21st, both classes will be joining Swamiji at the ashram for an evening bhiksha. It'll be lots of fun, because even though we "know" about the other class, we don't really KNOW each other. So this gathering will be a nice way to meet our other brothers and sisters, and learn about what they've been doing throughout the year!
Expect at least one more email to reach your in-box this week. Mamtha Aunty will be coordinating the bhiksha menu with all the parents, as well as helping answer any questions you may have about the evening. There is nothing to rehearse at home with your child, so please don't fret! Our kids have been discussing the alphabet safari all year round, and this is exactly what we will be sharing with Swamiji ... our presentation shouldn't be more than 10 minutes, at the most. We want the children to be completely relaxed and excited to meet Swamiji, not nervous! After our Alphabet discussion, the children will present a gift that they all helped create. This gift is to show Swamiji their appreciation and love for his teaching and guidance. Each child in our class will be represented in this gift, whether they are able to attend bhiksha or not. Once everything is assembled, we will photograph "it" and post in on the blog next week. That way everyone can enjoy it.
We want to thank all the kids for making such wonderful clay Ganapatis! They are all so sweet and full of kindergarten character. We know that these sculptures will hold a very special place in the Mela's exhibit. Mark your calendars ... it's on June 12th!
Hope you all have a wonderful week. Looking forward to seeing you all at the ashram Saturday evening -- and then back at Balavihar the following morning.
Love to our "Soon to be First Graders ..."
May 8, 2011
May 8 Class: Section 1
Sevikas: Mamtha Rao and Jacqueline Gaines
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Hanumaan (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
• Gurur Brahma (click here for text)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1-8 (click here for text and audio)
Letter of the Week: Y is for Yagna
Story: Talked about Gurudev and why he is so important to us!
Likhita Japa: Children colored pages of Gurudev and wrote likhita japa around him. (Click here for page.)
Ending Prayers: Done in auditorium
Comments: Today was an energetic one — the weather was so beautiful, and the kids were in great spirit! Everyone jumped right into our disciplines ... and we didn't miss a beat!
Now that we are at Letter Y, we decided that the kids were pretty well-versed in our Vedantic Alphabet. So, we decided to do things a little differently. Random letters were thrown out and the kids then told us what they stood for, plus the meaning. We gotta say ... these guys have it down! The aunties couldn't stump anybody, and the kids didn't have to think twice about what the meanings were.
Also because it was Gurudev's birthday, we spent a lot of time talking about how our Gurudev truly embodied yagna, in every possible way. The children learned that they have a couple of families. The first being their mom, dad, brothers, sisters, etc ... and the other one is the Chinmaya Family. It was mind boggling to think about how Gurudev's family is spread throughout the world is so many different cities and countries! But the coolest thing is that on May 8th, we all celebrate his birth by doing Seva.
At this point we discussed the meaning of "seva," (which we all agreed should be in our Vedantic Alphabet.) And so, on this note, we told the kids that not only should they be hugging their moms all day, telling them how much they appreciate and love them :-), but they also need to do something nice for someone or something (can be a person, an animal, or the environment) ... and the most important thing to remember is that they need to do this with love in their heart, and with no expectations of a "thank you." This is what Gurudev wants us to do.
It's hard to believe that the Balavihar School year is coming to an end. Although, daily trips to the pool are sounding pretty good right about now :-) Be sure and mark June 12th on your calendar. We will be participating in the Ananda Mela at the ashram. There will be lots of great food, fun activities for the kids, and cool exhibitions and displays to peruse. We have signed up our kindergartners to contribute some of their wonderful likhita japa drawings for the Balavihar Childrens' Art Exhibit ... so please don't get rid of any of their art work! Also, we will be making some art projects over the next two classes for the kids to display. We're sure they'll tell you all about it.
So remember: "May 8th is "S is for Seva Day." Today's the day to do something nice for someone. And Gurudev taught us that Seva is a great feeling — you will be the one who benefits the most!
Lots of love to our young friends.
See you next week!
Morning Prayers:
• OM Saha Naavavatu (click here for text)
• Vakratunda Mahaakaaya (click here for text)
• Sarasvati Namastubhyam (click here for text)
• Shree Hanumaan (click here for text)
• Shree Krishnah (click here for text)
• Gurur Brahma (click here for text)
Geeta Chanting: Chapter 11, Shlokas 1-8 (click here for text and audio)
Letter of the Week: Y is for Yagna
Story: Talked about Gurudev and why he is so important to us!
Likhita Japa: Children colored pages of Gurudev and wrote likhita japa around him. (Click here for page.)
Ending Prayers: Done in auditorium
Comments: Today was an energetic one — the weather was so beautiful, and the kids were in great spirit! Everyone jumped right into our disciplines ... and we didn't miss a beat!
Now that we are at Letter Y, we decided that the kids were pretty well-versed in our Vedantic Alphabet. So, we decided to do things a little differently. Random letters were thrown out and the kids then told us what they stood for, plus the meaning. We gotta say ... these guys have it down! The aunties couldn't stump anybody, and the kids didn't have to think twice about what the meanings were.
Also because it was Gurudev's birthday, we spent a lot of time talking about how our Gurudev truly embodied yagna, in every possible way. The children learned that they have a couple of families. The first being their mom, dad, brothers, sisters, etc ... and the other one is the Chinmaya Family. It was mind boggling to think about how Gurudev's family is spread throughout the world is so many different cities and countries! But the coolest thing is that on May 8th, we all celebrate his birth by doing Seva.
At this point we discussed the meaning of "seva," (which we all agreed should be in our Vedantic Alphabet.) And so, on this note, we told the kids that not only should they be hugging their moms all day, telling them how much they appreciate and love them :-), but they also need to do something nice for someone or something (can be a person, an animal, or the environment) ... and the most important thing to remember is that they need to do this with love in their heart, and with no expectations of a "thank you." This is what Gurudev wants us to do.
It's hard to believe that the Balavihar School year is coming to an end. Although, daily trips to the pool are sounding pretty good right about now :-) Be sure and mark June 12th on your calendar. We will be participating in the Ananda Mela at the ashram. There will be lots of great food, fun activities for the kids, and cool exhibitions and displays to peruse. We have signed up our kindergartners to contribute some of their wonderful likhita japa drawings for the Balavihar Childrens' Art Exhibit ... so please don't get rid of any of their art work! Also, we will be making some art projects over the next two classes for the kids to display. We're sure they'll tell you all about it.
So remember: "May 8th is "S is for Seva Day." Today's the day to do something nice for someone. And Gurudev taught us that Seva is a great feeling — you will be the one who benefits the most!
Lots of love to our young friends.
See you next week!
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