Hari Om,
First Class of the Year
Today was the first class of the year. In spite of the heavy rain, everyone made it to class, which was a wonderful start to the new year.
After the teachers’ introductions, we accompanied our lovely laddus to their respective class. We quickly greeted and introduced ourselves to all of them before settling down.
Opening Prayer and Getting to Know the Children
Divyaji began the class with the opening prayer, followed by chanting Vakratunda.
We then went through the attendance list, which gave us an opportunity to childrens' name. We also spent some time getting to know them and understanding what they enjoy doing.
Ganesh Chaturthi
We had a quick discussion on Ganesh Chaturthi, including the stories and rituals associated with the festival.
We were very encouraged to see how much these little ones already knew. They happily shared several stories and participated enthusiastically in the discussion.
We followed this with a small Ganesha Bhajan.
Introduction to the Ramayana
We then slowly began our introduction to the Ramayana, with our discussion focusing on Sage Valmiki.
The story of how a thief was transformed into a Sage, who later went on to write the Ramayana, was narrated. We also shared the story of the two birds that inspired Valmiki and gave him the idea of expressing his thoughts through poetry.
Our House – Durga’s Daredevils
We then spoke about the house we belong to — Durga’s Daredevils.
Going forward, we will be doing the House Devi Bhajan every week, giving the children an opportunity to come together and participate as a house.
Meeting the Parents
Towards the end of the class, we had the opportunity to meet most of the parents. We discussed the important events and activities planned for the year.
Overall, it was a wonderful beginning to the new year, and we were happy to see the enthusiasm, curiosity, and joyful participation of our little ones.
Best practices to be followed:
- Make sure kids eat their breakfast at home and are well rested.(this will help them sit comfortably during the class)
- Make sure kids get their water bottles, so that frequent trips to the water fountain can be reduced.
- Make sure kids use the restroom before coming to the classroom.
- Kids can wear Indian attire if they prefer to the class and also weather appropriate every week.
- Make sure kids bring their bag with Ramayana coloring books and crayons, to help with the activities in the class.
