- Hari Om Parents!We are so excited to see new faces coming up every week in the classroom.In the last 3 classes (Weeks 2 - 4) we did the following:
- After chanting 3 OM's and Sahanavavathu, we chant the Daily Prayers in the order below:
- 1. Karagre vasathe Lakshmi - Before you wake up
- 2. Samudra vasane devi - Before you step off from a bed and your feet touch the ground
- 3. Gange ca yamune caiva - Before/During bath4. Sarasvati namastubhyam - Before studies5. Brahmarpanam brahma havih - Before Meals6. Subham karoti Kalyanam - Before evening light
- You can find all these Daily Prayers in 'My Prayers' book from page 11-12. Please make sure they learn these slokas as part of their daily routine.
- Adhering to our curriculum, we started The Ramayana story. We taught about the kingdom of Ayodhya. The kids learned about its beauty & meaning of Ayodhya - the place where there is no fighting, as well as King Dasaratha and his three wives Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. King Dasaratha had a problem, he did not have any children. So he went to his Guru, Sage Vasista to solve his problem. Through this, the kids learned how/when to approach a trusted adult when facing a problem. Next, they learned about Putrakamesti Yaga & the birth of four princes - Rama, Bharatha, Lakshmana, and Satrugna. And the reason of why Sumitra got twins - Lakshmana & Satrughna.
- Next, upon the arrival of Sage Vishvamitra, as per his request, King Dasaratha agreed to send Rama & Lakshmana to Dandaka forest as per Guru Vasista's advice. Here kids learned that in order to be a winner, you must do as the teacher says. The three of them then crossed the Saryu river, Ganges river and reached Dandaka Forest. We described the Dandaka forest as dark, deep, ugly & a place with wild animals where the demon Tataka resides. As Rama twanged his bow, Tataka heard the sound and started throwing boulders upon Rama. Rama sliced off all her limbs and with a well-aimed arrow, pierced her chest and Tataka was killed. Vishwamitra praised Rama and blessed him.
- Before narrating a story, we play a concentration game that quiets the mind of the children and takes away any distractions which prepare them to listen to the story.
- We played the ' Four corners' game, naming four corners of the classroom with different characters.
- We sang 'Aatma Rama Anandaramana' bhajan - Pg. 143 in the My Prayers book.
- * Concentration Game: When all the kids have closed their eyes and the room is quiet, the teacher slowly drops coins in a bowl, one by one. The kids must pay attention to how many coins are dropped in the bowl, keeping their count in their head. After, all the kids are asked to tell their answer, and the one who replies with the correct number of coins is correct. *
- Geeta Chanting:Gita chanting lessons started with our Swami Shantanandaji. This year kids will learn chapter 18, verses 41 to 56. Kids watched the video and chanted slokas. Please find the link to the Gita chanting below:These slokas are in our handbook from page 21 to 22. Please make sure they practice at home. They will have a Gita Yagna competition on March 30, 2019.
- Below is some information regarding Chinmaya's CORD (Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development) Mission - Please take a look:
- CORD WalkathonRegister for CORD Walkathon which is on Oct 28th, Sunday 10:00 AM at Mercer County Park - East Picnic area. More details athttp://www.chinmayavrindavan.org/cord-walkathon.Note that walkathon is followed by Field Day activities. Please make sure you register for the walkathon. Yes - Please bring in all your friends and family members. $25/walker and the funds raised go to CORD. Raffle prizes are for the most number of pledges collected.
- Best Regards,
Sailatha and Pranjali
