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 ..."
