October 11th 2015---Class 4!!!!!!

Hari om parents:

Welcome to our class Premam-KG BLOG spot!!!! If this is your first time, save the link so you can check it out regularly for class details and class updates.

I am amazed at how willingly our children are walking in the classroom and being comfortable being at Balvihar. We do have few new friends and I hope to make them just as comfortable so coming to Balvihar is a routine NOT a chore!

I walked up to each child wishing them Good morning/Hari om to give them their undivided attention and get them to Balvihar learning mode.

As always started the class with:
3 Oms

• Opening prayer:
• "Om Sahana vavatu----" (page 8 in the handbook)
• "Vakratunda Mahakay....."(page 8 in the handbook)
• Asking Ganesha to take away our distractions (vigna) and watch over us as we begin our class time in Premam class.
• "Saraswati Namastubyam.."(page 8 in the handbook)
• Once Ganesha took away our distractions, we were ready to learn hence called upon the Goddess of knowledge--Saraswati to help us learn.

We learned new shloka today:
"Asato ma sadgamaya,
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
mrtyorma amrtam gamaya"

Also explained the meaning of the shloka (as they are growing, we are attempting to teach them the meaning of shlokas too, starting this year) Dear God, lead us from untruth to the truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.

Took quick attendance, the children would say Hari om instead of saying "Here" or "present". Also randomly I would ask a child to say whether or not the person(child's) being called out is present or not. This will help them remember their class mates and learn their names.

Took a quick bathroom break as I needed them to focus for the next 20 minutes. (In future, please take them to the bathroom before class so they don't have to take breaks during class time)

I got everyone on the floor in a circle, very informal manner for story time. They were SUPER charged and excited. Here is a quick synopsis of the story so that helps you have a conversation with them about it:

• There was a king who had 3 princes. Minister was their teacher and was training the princes and building their future to be a great king. Eldest prince were very curious about a lot of "things" but he were asked to focus on the"studies". One day the king died and the eldest prince became the king now. He thought it was the perfect chance/opportunity to get his questions answered that has been put off for a while. He calls the minister and asks his 3 questions:
• Who is God?
• Where is he?
• What does he do?
• Minister should already have known answers to his questions but he gets nervous. He asks the king to give him 41 days to find answers to his questions. The king agreed and gave him 41 days. The minister now went to jungle, mountains, everywhere in quest of finding the answers to the King's questions. He went round and around but didn't have any luck with finding answers to above questions. He returned to the palace really tired and even more nervous, the cook gave him milk and the minister went to sleep. Cook went to the minister next day to ask him to go to the "assembly" to the king to answer his questions, but he finds the minister sleeping and wouldn't wake up. So the cook decided to represent the minister and went to the assembly.
• The cook asked the king that since you are the student seeking answers, you need to be sitting on the floor and I am the one who has all answers to your questions, I should be sitting at your throne/royal chair. So king did go sit on the floor like we all were sitting in our class and learning about God.
• Who is God? The cook says, "He is the one who can do what no one else can" King asks him to explain in more detail, cook being a cook was thinking about food. So he answers, how does a brown cow, eats green grass and still gives/produces white milk?
• Where is God? The cook says, "God is everywhere" Then he lit up a candle in a dark room and lifts his candle. He said like the light from a candle spreads everywhere, so does God. (Some children said God is in heaven, others said they are in us)
• By this time, the minister woke up and showed up to the assembly and sees the king on the floor and the cook on the throne. He thinks its all his fault so gets on the kings feet with apologies for not being able to find answers to his questions.
• What does God do? The cook says, "God makes impossible things, possible" He couldn't find an example for this one, so he goes, look is this even possible? The cook at the throne, king on the floor and the minister at kings feet?
• He was able to answer all the questions because his intentions were to help the minister and because of his sweet mind. Which leads us to kings next question.
• How to see God? And the answer to that question is through our sweet mind. Even though God is everywhere, we cannot see him. We need a sweet mind to see him and experience his presence. I also clarified by saying that sweet mind is nothing but having no clutter in our minds and our hearts, be loving, caring and we can experience God with our sweet mind.

Please ask them questions highlighted and look for their responses. They are still young and need "revision" to emphasize learning. You have all the answers here to help them. It is very hard to write a story on a BLOG but I am trying so that you have ALL the information and details of our class.

Briefly also talked about RESPECT, as Bridgewater school celebrated their week of respect this past week.

We colored the alphabet safari page and glued that on their folders. Alphabet safari is our curriculum this year. I plan on incorporating more words than in the syllabus to give them more knowledge.

Their HOMEWORK:
Asked them the rule of gravity. Some knew others guessed, which is great. Told them what goes up, ALWAYS comes down. Whatever knowledge we have in our mind, brain, it also comes down in our feet. That's why we touch our elders feet to gain their knowledge, experience, etc. So they should be touching your feet EVERYDAY to give respect and get blessings. IF they haven't done already, please ask them if they have homework, gentle reminder!!!!!!!!

We did the closing prayer:
"Om purnamadah, purnamidam......." (page 29 in the handbook)

Few reminders:

• Please send a 2 pocket folder to keep their work safely. (I told them if they register for soccer, can they show up to the field without soccer ball or cleats??? They all said NO. I said Balvihar is no different. We need to come prepared)
• Crayons/pencil--leave an extra box in their backpack so they wont forget.
• Please continue to send snacks if your child has any allergies.
• Please send water bottle so they don't have to drink from the fountain.
• Send their books starting next week.
• Recite shlokas with them (opening, closing, ganesha, saraswati, any new shlokas)
• Prayer log--I will start emphasizing that starting next week.

Anika's family has signed up for snack for that week, we have 20 children in our class, so please plan accordingly. Please bring a shoprite/Walmart/wegmans bag for trash.

NO Class next week, we will see you on Oct 25th!!!!!

Have a great week ahead!!!!
Meena Arvind