Hari Om Parents,
Happy Diwali!! We celebrated our Diwali Balavihar session with a small but 'enthusiastic' class today. Request parents to try and make the kids repeat the Shlokas at home. This will help them remember the words. Also kindly follow up on any homework assignment we highlight at the end of each week's report.
Weekly Update
Oct 27th 2019 / 12:45 PM
Today's Activities
- Guru Stotram
- Om Chanting with the kids in the classroom
- Repeated our Shloka
OM Sahana Vavatu
Sahanau Bhunaktu
Saha Viryam, Karavavahai,
Tejasvi Navaditamastu,
Ma Vidvishavahai
May the Lord protect us,
May he nourish us
May we acquire the capacity to study scriptures
May our studies be thorough and faithful.
May we never quarrel with each other.
Om Peace ! Peace! Peace!
- Repeat of Ganesha Sloka
Ekadantam Mahaakaayam
Lambodara gajaananam
Vighnanaasakaram devam
Herambam pranamaamyaham
- Quick re-cap of what we learnt so far along with characteristics & qualities that goes with each letter
- A - Aspiration
- B - Brotherhood
- C - Cleanliness
- Following this we started our next letter "D for Daddy", and what qualities and aspects come to mind. We got very responses ranging from he is strong, he protects us, he goes to earn money, he buys us food & grocery, he drives us around.
- Along with the qualities we reviewed the story of Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Washington and how she saw the hard work & sacrifice that her dad went through raising her and her five siblings. Over the next half-century, Dodd would travel the United States, speaking on behalf of Father's Day and campaigning for the cause. In 1970, Congress finally passed Joint Resolution 187, which called on citizens to "offer public and private expressions of such day to the abiding love and gratitude which they bear for their fathers." President Richard Nixon signed the resolution into law two years later and that is how we started celebrating Father's Day across the nation and the world on June 19th, which was Sondra's dad's birthday.
"In the homes of our Nation, we look to the fathers to provide the strength and stability which characterize the successful family. If the father's responsibilities are many, his rewards are also great—the love, appreciation, and respect of children and spouse."
- President Lyndon B. Johnson
- The kids performed a coloring activity for the letter D
- We took a sloka break following this and repeated our sloka from last class:
Saraswati Namastubhyam
Varade Kaama-Roopini
Vidyaarambham Karishyaami
Siddhir-Bhavatu Me Sadaa
- We then continued with the next letter E - Enthusiasm. We leveraged the story of the Gitu the chipmunk and his enthusiasm to help others despite being quite small in size and physical ability. The kids enjoyed learning about his trick of rolling down the hill and help with collecting sand for the dam, without worrying about getting praised. And how in the end how the lord came and lifted him up and stroked him with three fingers on his back
- The kids also joined us in singing the E - Enthusiasm song:
Go, go, go, and fly
Soar, soar in the sky
Work, work hard and try
You'll make it, just don't cry.
- The kids then completed a Likhita Japa of the word "RAM"
- We started our Geeta chanting today with the first verse
- Closing Prayers & Pledge in the Auditorium
Next Session Agenda
- Proceed with our curriculum on Alphabet Safari and try to cover F & G
- Practice our Slokas and Bhajans
- Class drawing / craft activities with stories
- We also plan to continue the Geeta Chanting from our next class
Reminder & Activities for home
- We provided a questionnaire for all kids to interview their Dads. Please ensure that this is completed before the next class. This was due last week, but none of the kids completed it and many even lost their questionnaire due to not having a pocket folder
- Parents please send the following with the children next class: Pencils, Crayons / Color Pencils, Pocket Folder, a notebook, My Prayers Book & Water Bottle
Pranams
Rajesh Jayakumar
Priya Nambiar
