December 18, 2011

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya
• Buddhir Balam Yashodhairyam

Bhajans:

We reviewed the following three bhajans 

• Vigneshwara Vinayaka

• Rama Lakshmana Jaanaki Jai Bolo Hanuman ki
• Om Shiva Om Shiva Paraatpara Shiva

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We did slokas 1, 2, 3, 5 and 14
• Lingashtakam:

• We started teaching Lingashtakam this week.  This is part of the first grade curriculum. We did the first slokha.

Geeta Chanting:

• We did the first verse of Chapter XII.

Story:

We recapped the story from the last class and conducted a quiz.

We contined with the story.  Rama, Lakshmana and Sita spend about 10 years in teh forest peacefully roaming between different ashrams and protecting them from the rakshasas.  Finally as they near the end of their exile,  Sri Rama wants to meet the great Sage Agasthya.  When they meet him, he suggests they settle down at Panchavati and they do.  Surpanakha (Ravana's sister) comes by and wants to marry Rama.  In the end when she tries to hurt Sita, Lakshmana cuts her nose and ears adn she goes running to her brothers who rule over that part of the forest.  They come to fight Sri Rama but Rama kills them all.  Finally, Akampana (the only rakshasa who survives) goes back to Ravana and tells him to kidnap Sita so Rama can die missing her.  It would be impossible to kill him, he tells Ravana.  Ravana agrees and tries to convince Marica to help him accomplish this.  Marica convinces Ravana that he is already the ruler of the 3 worlds, why would he want to try to fight Rama.  Ravana agrees but when he sees Surpanakha, his sister, he is unable to make peace.  So he goes back to Marica and orders him to disguise himself as a golden deer to entice Sita out of her hut.
Activity:

Today, the kids drew and colored a picture of Sri Rama, Lakshmana and Sita living in Panchavati. .

Games:

4 Corners:  We played this game with a twist - the kids wnated to play it the American way and we did.  Surprisingly most kids liked the 'Indian' way of this game.

Likhita Japa:
We wrote the name of Sri Rama 11 times in silence.

Conclusion:

We concluded by doing the Aarthi and Pledge in the classroom.

Comments:

The kids are still working on learning the Gurustotram.  Parents, please work with the kids on the Gurustotram. We will continue to learn Lingashatakam.

We started teaching verse 1 of Chapter 12 for Geetha Chanting.  There are extra Geeta Chanting classes on Fridays in Basking Ridge and possibly  in a new location soon.  Please try to bring your kids for these sessions so they learn to chant the Geeta.  Please encourage your children to participate in the Geeta Chanting competion.

Parents, please encourage your children to participate in WOW-Sanskrit word of the week. 

Reminders:

Please try to send the following items in your childs bag:

1. Crayons
2. Pencil
3. Notebook
4. Glue
5. Snack/Drink
6. A folder to keep their pictures/artwork.
7. Scissors
8. 1st grade Balavihar books - Bala Ramayan, Ramayana characters and a copy of 'My Prayers'; assembly handbook.

December 11, 2011

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya
• Buddhir Balam Yashodhairyam

Bhajans:

We reviewed the following three bhajans 

• Vigneshwara Vinayaka

• Rama Lakshmana Jaanaki Jai Bolo Hanuman ki
• Om Shiva Om Shiva Paraatpara Shiva

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We did slokas 1, 2, 3, 5 and 14
• Lingashtakam:

• We started teaching Lingashtakam this week.  This is part of the first grade curriculum. We did the first slokha.

Geeta Chanting:

• We did the first verse of Chapter XII.

Story:

We recapped the story from the last class and conducted a quiz. 

The story continued with Kaikeyi telling Bharata how happy she was to secure the kingdom for him and how she banished Rama to the forest.  Bharata and Shatrugna on hearing this are really shocked and angry and yell and scream at Kaikeyi.  Shatrugna, who is usually quiet, also drags Manthara on the floor.  Bharata performs the last rites for his father and then tells the court that he will go and bring Rama back and make him the king.  Ayodhya is very happy and follow Bharata into the forest to bring back Sri Rama.  Guha and Sage Bharadwaja meet Bharata and give their blessing and help to bring back Rama.  When Lakshmana sees Bharata coming in the forest he misinterprets Bharatha's intentions - he thinks Bharatha is coming to kill Rama.  Rama convinces him that there's no way Bharata would do that.  Bharata is dressed in ascetic clothes just like Sri Rama and tells him how King Dasharatha is no more.  Sri Rama faints on hearing this and on recovering performs the last rites for his father.  Then Bharatha tries to convince Sri Rama to come back and take over the kingdom.  Rama refuses and tell him the greatest philosophy that joys and sorrows come in pairs.  Everyone's got to do what their duty is and whichever way destiny takes them.  Rama has vowed to his father to stay an asceitc life in the forest for 14 years and he will have to keep his word.  On hearing this, Bharatha is sad but agrees to run the kingdom as Rama's representative for 14 years till Rama comes back.  Bharatha then asks for Sri Rama's paduka (Slippers) and takes it home on his head. He tells Rama that his paduka will sit on the throne and rule the kingdome.  Meanwhile, Bharatha will live like Rama, in a hut as an asceitc outside Ayodhya and run the kingdom on his behalf.
After Bharata and his army leaves, Rama tells Lakshmana that they should move out of CHitrakuta since it is too close to Ayodhya and people might keep visiting them from Ayodhya.

Activity:

Today, we made a Balavihar Christmas ornament .

Games:

The Correct Answer Is: We played this game with a number of questions from the Ramayana story learnt so far.

Likhita Japa:
We wrote the name of Sri Rama 11 times in silence.

Conclusion:

We concluded by doing the Aarthi and Pledge in the classroom.

Comments:

The kids are still working on learning the Gurustotram.  Parents, please work with the kids on the Gurustotram. We will continue to learn Lingashatakam.

We started teaching verse 1 of Chapter 12 for Geetha Chanting.  There are extra Geeta Chanting classes on Fridays in Basking Ridge and possibly  in a new location soon.  Please try to bring your kids for these sessions so they learn to chant the Geeta.  Please encourage your children to participate in the Geeta Chanting competion.
Parents, please encourage your children to participate in WOW-Sanskrit word of the week. 

Reminders:

Please try to send the following items in your childs bag:

1. Crayons
2. Pencil
3. Notebook
4. Glue
5. Snack/Drink
6. A folder to keep their pictures/artwork.
7. Scissors
8. 1st grade Balavihar books - Bala Ramayan, Ramayana characters and a copy of 'My Prayers'; assembly handbook.

Christmas Ornament

Materials

Plastic Empty Ornament
Picture of OM and Chinmaya Mission Logo with Class Name
Snowflakes Stickers
Glitter Glue
Glue

Directions

• Glue the snowflakes onto the ornament
• Glue the pictures of OM and Chinmaya mission onto the ornament
• Decorate the ornament with glitter glue as desired.

Balavihar ornament is ready to be hung in the Christmas tree or displayed on a mantlepiece.

December 4, 2011

Hari OM!

Beginning Prayers

• Om Saha Navavathu
• Vakratunda Mahakaya
• Saraswathi Namastubhyam
• Ramaya Ramabhadraya

Bhajans:

We reviewed the following three bhajans 

• Vigneshwara Vinayaka

• Rama Lakshmana Jaanaki Jai Bolo Hanuman ki
• Om Shiva Om Shiva Paraatpara Shiva

Stotram:

• GuruStotram (My Prayers, Page 9) - We did slokas 1, 2, 3, 5 and 14
• Lingashtakam:

• We started teaching Lingashtakam this week.  This is part of the first grade curriculum. We did the first slokha.

Geeta Chanting:

• Today we did the introduction to Geetha Chanting.

Story:

We recapped the story from the last class and conducted a quiz.  The boys and girls answered very enthusiastically and the result was a tie.

We continued the story about how Rama, Lakshmana and Sita seek Rishi Bharadwaja's advice as to where to set up their Ashram.  Rishi Bharadwaja advices them to set up the ashram at Mt.Chitrakuda in Tapovan.  When they reach Chitrakuda they like the environment and Lakshmana quickly puts up a house of mud with thatched roof.  Meanwhile the Minister Sumantra returns to Ayodhya with the empty chariot and seeing that King Dasharatha is grief stricken. That night he confesses to Kaushalya the story of Sravana.  A young prince Dasharatha had learnt the art of shooting at his target without seeing it. One day while he was out hunting he heard the sound of an elephant drinking water and immediately shot his arrow  only to find he had hit a young boy filling water in a pitcher.  His name is Sravana and he says that he was taking the water to his blind parents. Prince Dasharatha asks Sravana's forgiveness as he had shot at Sravana by mistake.  Sravana asks Dasharatha to got to his parents and dies.  On seeing Sravana's blind parents Dasharatha explains his mistake and tells them of their son's death and seeks their forgiveness.  The parents tell Dasharatha that even though he committed the sin unknowingly he will still have to bear the consequences. He too will suffer separation from his beloved son. Thus narrating the story to Kaushalya King Dasharatha breathes his last with Rama's name on his lips.  Ayodhya is in mourning.  Sage Vasistha sends for Bharata who is on vacation.  Bharata who has been restless lately returns to Ayodhya and is confused to see the sad faces on his way to his mother's palace.  There his mother tells him about the death of the old king and how she had planned and succeeded in making Bharata the king of Ayodhya.  Bharata is shocked. 

Activity:

Today, we made a bookmark with Rama's picture on it and decorated it. 

Games:

Hangman: We played Hangman to recap the names from the story from today and past few weeks. 

Conclusion:

We concluded by doing the Aarthi and Pledge in the classroom.

Comments:

We had ok attendance today.  The kids are still working on learning the Gurustotram.  Parents, please work with the kids on the Gurustotram. We will continue to learn Lingashatakam and start Geetha Chanting by January, 2012.

There are still some kids who dont bring in their snacks.  Please send in a snack with your child.

Parents, please encourage your children to participate in WOW-Sanskrit word of the week. 

Reminders:

Please try to send the following items in your childs bag:

1. Crayons
2. Pencil
3. Notebook
4. Glue
5. Snack/Drink
6. A folder to keep their pictures/artwork.
7. Scissors
8. 1st grade Balavihar books - Bala Ramayan, Ramayana characters and a copy of 'My Prayers'; assembly handbook.

Sri Rama Bookmark

Materials

Cardstock
Picture of Sri Rama
Ribbon/String
Bead
Glitter Glue
Glue
Sequins and buttons for decoration (optional)

Directions

• Cut the cardstock to desired length and width
• Glue the picture of Sri Rama on the top half of the cardstock sheet
• Punch a hole in the middle of the top of the bookmark
• Make a tassel using a ribbon/string and a bead
• Loop the tassel through the hole in the bookmark and knot it to finish.
• Decorate the rest of the bookmark with glitter glue/sequins and/or crayons as desired.

Sri Rama bookmark is ready to be used.