Feb 28 and Mar 7, 2021 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! 

I hope you all had a wonderful week!

Please see below our updates from Feb 28th class:

• We started the class with 3 OMs chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We first chanted Dyaana shloka together as a class, and then several kids took turns and chanted independently.  It was so nice to see that most kids have memorized the shloka.

• We continued to chant Hanuman Chalisa, and recited until the 19th caupai.

• We then explained the various names of Lord Hanumanji, and how he became brilliant by acquiring qualities such as devotion, compassion, strength, service, humility, courage, loyalty, gentleness and beauty from his parents. 

• We had a small activity planned for kids, where each of them shared 2 qualities they got from their parents.

• We then spoke about the problems we see in the world, and ways to fix these!

• We finished the class by watching the Grade 7 kids' beautiful performance.  

March 7th class summary:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We chanted Dyaana shloka & reviewed the meaning of the eight virtues from the shloka.

• We continued to chant Hanuman Chalisa, and recited until the 28th caupai.

• We recapped the previous class and spoke about how 'love & kindness' can solve many worldly problems.

• We then spoke about how each one of us can be devoted to our parents, teachers and how we can use our resources to make people feel good.

• We ended the session with a video that showed Hanumanji using his intelligence & resources in Lanka.

• Our class concluded with Aarthi and the Pledge.

Thanks for reading! Please ask your children to practice chanting Hanuman Chalisa at home!

Please send us any questions that you may have through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21).

Best regards,

Pooja & Sudha.

Jan 31, 2021 and Feb 7, 2021 and Feb 21, 2021 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Chinmaya Bala Vihar SUN PM - II Grade 

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! I hope you all are having a wonderful week! 

The past three weeks we have been delving into some great topics! Here is a summary of what we have been learning. 

• We have been reviewing the Dhyana Shloka in every class and go over the values as well. The kids have been doing a great job with it and are able to all say it independently! 
• We have also been learning Hanuman Chalisa. Please make sure your child is listening to it on Youtube and practicing a few times a week! The tune is not as important, but please make sure they at least hear the words!
• We learned about Kumati and Sumati, and how they are related to negative and positive thoughts, respectively. We looked at our own negative behaviors and talked about how we can turn them into a positive thought. 
• We looked at what makes Hanuman beautiful and how he uses his features to make him such a positive force. We looked at our own qualities and described how we use our features to do positive things - Some examples were : We use our hands to help our parents, we use our ears to listen to our friends, we use our eyes to help people find something. 
• We have been watching many videos to show these ideals - A story about a butterfly to show kumati and sumati, and a story about Hanuman's selfless service to show how he is attractive!
• We played a Wordwall game to practice our values in the Dhyana Shloka, and the kids did such a great job with it!
• We conclude every class with the Aarti and Pledge! 
• On Spirit Day, we did a class scavenger hunt and watched the Hanuman movie on Youtube! The kids did such a wonderful job with the activities and are in the lead!! 

Thank you for reading what we have been doing in our class! If you have any questions, please reach out to us on Whatsapp! 

Best,

Sudha and Pooja

Jan 10 and Jan 24, 2021 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! 

I hope you all had a wonderful winter break! Happy New Year to you all.

It was great to see the kids after a long break, all cheerful and eager to interact! 

Please see the summary of January 10th class below:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We recited Dyana Shloka together as a class, and several kids volunteered to chant on their own!

• We discussed the importance of chanting Hanuman Chalisa, and why we should pray?  We then watched the video, 'The Ox who won the bet', and explained why it is necessary to have a pure speech.  

• We chanted & learnt the meaning of first doha and the importance of having a clean heart. Kids were taught to have good and positive thoughts through 'cleansing the heart' exercise.  They were asked to write a few negative thoughts that they commonly have and replace it with positive thoughts.

• We chanted & learnt the meaning of 'Pawanakumara' - Son of Wind God, in the second doha.  We spoke about how the wind is an invisible helper at all times, and discussed with kids the various activities they could help with silently, both at school and at home. 

• We also spoke about the qualities of a good messenger, and demonstrated how Hanumanji was a reliable, responsible messenger through a video.

• We encouraged the kids to hang the 'heart picture' in their room -  this will help them to follow through, and constantly remind them to have good thoughts!

• We concluded the session with Aarthi followed by Chinmaya Pledge.

January 24th Class Summary:

• We started the class with attendance, OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We chanted Dyana Shloka and it was amazing to see kids chant with the right diction by themselves!

• We chanted the two dohas & five caupais of Hanuman Chalisa.

• We spoke about why Hanumanji is called ' Mahabira' - the greatest of all heroes, and explained how he is a hero of sacrifice, kindness, knowledge and giving, besides being a strong and a brave warrior.  We discussed with kids about everyday heroes, and showed them an inspirational video of Ian Mckenna - one of Time magazine's 'Kid of the Year'.

• Our class concluded with Aarthi and the Pledge.

Thanks for reading! Please ask your children to practice chanting Hanuman Chalisa at home!

Please send us any questions that you may have through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21).

Best regards,

Pooja & Sudha.

Dec 13, 2020 & Dec 20, 2020 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Families, 

Hari Om! We hope you are enjoying your holiday season!

Please see the summary of December 13th below:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• Then we chanted Buddhir Balam as a class and then had the children chant on their own. They did such a wonderful job and many have even memorized it!
• We started by recapping "Ajadyam", which means to be alert. We gave the children 30 seconds to look at a messy room photo with no direction, and after the time was up, we had them remember as many objects as they could. This activity helped them realize the importance of being alert. 
• We then showed them the story of the "Lazy Friend" and spoke about the importance of not being lazy when doing important work. 
• We learned verses 5 and 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2. 
• We ended with the Aarti and the Pledge. 
  
  

December 20th Summary: 

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We did our regular chanting of Buddhir Balam, and had the students chant it on their own! 
• To finish up Ajadyam, we showed them the story of "How Leo Learned To Be a King". We saw how Leo the lion learned to a better king by caring for the other animals in the jungle. 
• Then, we moved onto Vak Patutvam, the value to describe speaking with eloquence. We spoke about the importance of communicating with respect and eloquence when making a speech, talking to a teacher, or a family member. 
• We asked the students if anyone has ever given a speech, and some children shared times when they spoke in front of a crowd. 
• We showed a video of Hanuman and Arjuna and spoke about how they used eloquence and respect to communicate with each other when creating the bridge of arrows. 
• We watched a video of Hanuman Chalisa, spoke about the importance of chanting it, and then learned the first two Doha's. 
• We ended with the Aarti and Pledge!
  

Please reach out with any questions on WhatsApp! We hope you enjoy your holiday season. Happy New Year to all. Hari Om!

Best,

Sudha and Pooja

Nov 22 and Dec 6, 2020 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! 

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving break!. 

It was great to see the kids after a week-long break, all cheerful and ready to learn! 

Please see the summary of Week 7 - 11/22/2020 below:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We did a recap of Hanumanji's values by asking the kids to tell the meaning of 'Buddih', 'Balam' and 'Yasas', and what these meant to them!

• We then chanted Gita verses 1 & 2 from Chapter 2. 

• We moved on to the next value 'Dhairyam', and explained the meaning of courage.

• A few kids chanted Dyana Shloka and we continued the session by watching a short video on courage.  Kids were asked to name some situations where they had to be brave.

• We spoke about breaking bad habits by gathering courage, and took upon a small challenge for the week! Kids were asked to identify one of their bad habits and find ways to overcome it!

• We continued on with our Backbone project, which is a great way to remind kids & enforce the values we have learnt so far! 

• We concluded the session with reading (popcorn) of the tale, 'The Transformation of Ratnakara', followed by Chinmaya Pledge.

Week 8 - 12/06/2020 summary:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• A few kids discussed what they did to overcome their bad habits.

• We then chanted Gita verses 3 & 4 from Chapter 2. 

• We chanted Dyana Shloka and it was amazing to see the kids chant without help!

• We did a recap of previously discussed Hanumanji's values and talked about 'Nirbhayatvam' and 'Arogata' in detail.

• We spoke about fear and fearlessness, and ways to overcome fear!

• We watched a short video about the foolish, timid rabbit and discussed if fears were real!

• We moved onto the next value 'Arogata', and explained the importance of both physical and mental health by finding things that make us strong & weak in word finder puzzles.  

• 'Health is Wealth' was further emphasized with several examples & a short story. 

• We began chanting the first two verses of Hanuman Calisa.

• Our class was concluded with the Pledge.

Thank you for reading!  Please ask your children to follow Swamiji's videos on Gita chanting and continue to practice at home!

Please send us any questions that you may have through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21).

Best regards,

Pooja & Sudha.

Nov 20, 2020 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! 

I hope you all had a festive Navarathri & a joyous Diwali! 

It was great seeing the kids after a long break, all happy and cheerful! 

Please see the summary of Week 5 - 11/01/2020 below:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We did a recap of Hanumanji's values and asked the kids to explain 'Buddih', and what it means to them.

• We then discussed 'Balam' in length, and talked about the types of strengths with them.

• We concluded the short session by watching a video on 'Bhima's arrogance', and discussed the essence of the story.

• We then moved on to the house inaugural activities. Firstly,  kids got to show their creativity by designing & making the house (Bajrangi's Bolts) flag with special house leaders Suja Ji & Vidya Ji.

• Next, kids had so much fun solving the crossword puzzle about Ramayana & Hanuman.  A special thanks to our house leaders for engaging the kids so well! 

• We then moved onto the main session, where kids & parents listened to the presentation by high schoolers. 

Week 6 - 11/08/2020 summary:

• We started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• We chanted Dyana Shloka and it was amazing to see the kids chant without help!

• We played a short video on Diwali to help kids understand why & how it was celebrated.

• We did a recap of Hanumanji's values and talked about 'Buddih' and 'Balam'.

• We concluded the Balam section with another Hanumanji's video depicting His physical strength.

• We moved onto the next value 'Yasas', and explained the same by talking about famous people (Pujya Gurudev Chinmayananda Ji, Mother Theresa, Serena Williams, Martin Luther King)

• We explained the attributes such as good habits, goals, hard work, focus and perseverance that are necessary to achieve fame.

• We also started working on our Backbone project - this is a great way to remind the kids & enforce the values we have learnt so far! 

• We concluded week 6 class with Aarthi & Pledge.

Thank you for reading.  We are forever grateful to have kids that are so eager to share their stories and learn with us.

Please send us any questions that you may have through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21).

Best regards,

Pooja & Sudha.

Oct 11, 2020 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Chinmaya Bala Vihar SUN PM - II Grade: Week 3 & 4 Updates:

Dear Parents:

Hari OM!

The past few weeks with your children have been so enjoyable. We seem
to be creating a very nice classroom atmosphere regardless of the
online class.

Week 3:
-Started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu)
-Introduced the Dhyana Shloka and how it speaks to Hanuman's values
-We went through the values (Buddhih, Balam, Yasho, Dhairyam,
Nirbhayatvam, Arogata, Ajadyam, Vak Patutvam Cha) and how they make
Hanuman who he is.
-We went through each value one by one, telling the children what they
mean and asking them how these values are present in their lives.
-We introduced Hanuman Chalisa with a very fun cartoon!

Week 4:
-Started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).
-The kids went around and practiced chanting the Dhyana Shloka alone
(they did a wonderful job!!)
-We spoke about how we take vitamins and used an analogy to compare
how vitamins make us strong just like the values make Hanuman strong.
-We recapped Buddhih and showed an Akbar Birbal story about why
intellect and wisdom is important.
-We then showed a story about how Hanuman was born and we asked
students to recap.
-We ended the class with an introduction to Geetha Chanting and
learned the first two verses.

Thank you for reading. Please send us any questions that you may have
through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21). We hope you
enjoy your Navaratri!

Best regards,
Sudha & Pooja

Sept 27, 2020 - Grade 2 (Sunday PM)

Dear Parents:

Hari OM! 

Welcome to the Chinmaya Bala Vihar 2020-21 Session.  We hope you all had a safe summer break!

Going forward, we will be updating our classroom proceedings through this blog.  

Week 1 - 09/20/2020:

• Started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• Explained the meaning of opening Shloka.

• Introduction of teachers & kids.

• Compilation of enthusiastically shared facts about Hanuman Ji and what kids would like to learn from the class in a KWL chart.

• Zoom expectations.

• Name tag exercise where kids drew a monkey and shared about their hobbies, family members and favorite activities.

Week 2 - 09/27/2020:

• Started the class with OM chanting & opening prayers (Om Saha Navavatu).

• Reminded zoom expectations.

• Guessing Game: Mammals, Fish, Insects.

• Animal classification: Vertebrates & Invertebrates.

• Thought provoking discussion regarding the need for a backbone (both visible & invisible).

• Empty Pot Story and key takeaways.

• Introduction to Dyana Shloka - Kids were asked to repeat several times word by word and with a tune.

• Discussion of Buddhir (Wisdom) - its importance and ways used.

• Discussion of Balam (Strength) - ways to use both physical & mental strength. 

• Aarthi, Closing prayers & Pledge.

Thank you for reading.  We look forward to a fun, interactive session with all of your wonderful kids.  Please send us any questions that you may have through the Whatsapp Group (BV Sun PM II Gr 2020-21).

Best regards,

Pooja & Sudha.

Welcome to Gr 2 - Sunday PM Session

Please look out for regular updates from the teachers soon after the session starts on Sept 20th