Grades PRE-K & KG - Anḍāl
God and Godesses, The Alphabet Safari, Slokams/stories/Pledge
Instill the love of God in children. Inculcate reverence for our ancient culture. Bring out dormant faculties in children which will improve their creative ability.
Grades 1 & 2 - Dhruva
Sri Hanuman, The Super Superman
Learn from Hanumanji the value like courage, strength, fearlessness, alertness, eloquence, etc., as they are the vitamins that make our mental backbone straight and strong.
The curriculum is presented in two sections: Dhyana Sloka and Hanuman Chalisa. Impart and instill the faith that Sri Hanuman will protect them and dispel their fears, inspire them to adopt the virtuous qualities that made Hanumanji great, teach them to chant the Dhyana Sloka and Hanuman Chalisa, Explain the meaning of the Dhyana Sloka and Hanuman Chalisa.
Grades 3 & 4 - Mīrā Bai
Krishna, Krishna Everywhere, My 24 Teachers
Encourage children to learn about sharing and self-discipline through the stories of Lord Krishna. They learn to introspect and record their observations regularly.
Inspire children to be virtuous and happy through Krishna’s stories Teach children through a project, “Road Map to Krishna” about values that bring them closer to Krishna. Inspire children to introspect, Krishna Lila from the 10th canto of Bhagavatam. (Brahmins, cows, Vedas, austerity, truth, physical and mental disciplines, faith, kindness, forbearance, and sacrifices are the limbs of Sri Vishnu) Children will learn simple values that make them darling of Krishna. Homework is given in each lesson where by children are trained to introspect their week’s activities and learn to live by these values.
My Twenty-Four Teachers
“To succeed, one needs a coach,” and once the value of the coach is established, we automatically learn from everyone and everywhere. Thus, children will learn to recognize and develop reverence for teachers throughout nature.
Who we are and what we know is because of our teachers and we are indebted to them. We learn only when our attitude is proper; attitude makes us a good disciple. Anyone or anything can be our teacher, if we have humility and right attitude to recognize them, and Nature is one of our greatest teachers.
Grades 5 & 6 - Prahlād
India, The Sacred Land
Energize children about the rich heritage of India. Saints and sages, our treasure, made this land sacred and contributed to its success
Grades 7 & 8 - Gārgī
Yato Dharma Tato Jayah, Maha Bharata
“Be victorious in life by following Dharma,” is the main theme. The text dives deep into what is Dharma, how to live by Dharma, along with the story of Mahabharata. The goal of life and how we are the architect of our own future is explained through the Law of Karma
Grades 9 & 10 - Naciketa
Hindu Culture
An Introduction, explains about the most ancient, time tested and still relevant culture and philosophy. Kids learn the basis of cultures, fundamentals of Scriptures, symbolism of deities, significance of festivals, role of temples,indicators of Dharma, and understanding of the caste system.
Kids learn how to accomplish the goal of life by following the Hindu Sañskriti. Learn to live a stress-free life by applying the message of Upanishads.
Grades 11 & 12 - Mārkaṇḍeya
Life Lessons
Life Lessons will provide our high school students with solutions to their everyday problems, empower them with the tools needed to shape their lives positively, and foster a great appreciation for the simple yet profound wisdom of Advaita Vedanta!
Leadership & Seva Activities
Chinmaya Bāla Vihār lays the foundation for holistic development of our future global citizens. Through the well-designed and age-appropriate Bāla Vihār curriculum, our children learn values and heritage and are equipped to continue our spiritual legacy. They also become inspired to explore and enhance their innate abilities through extra-curricular activities.
Children learn the values of:
- selfless giving and hard work through service efforts,
- communication skills via Assembly and cultural presentations, and
- teamwork and collaboration in camp activities
- servant leadership skills by coordinating community outreach activities.
Sevā
Vision: To perform selfless service with dedication, and devoid of any thought for reward or personal benefit.
Why should we do Sevā?
Service to humanity is service rendered to our Lord. Sevā is not merely an act of charity. It is service to God in His universal form. Thus, sevā is our devotion made visible. To help our fellow man is our duty and privilege.
Every Sunday morning, we gather together with our children and vow to "…. live honestly the noble life of sacrifice and service…" It is our duty to honour this pledge by putting it into action. It is a great opportunity for us to teach by example to be grateful to all that we have been blessed with and to instill the value of service from a young age.
Sevā Bhāva
We must strive to strengthen our sevā bhāva by constantly reminding ourselves that we are the instruments of the Lord while performing our duties, and offer the fruits of our service at His lotus feet. We at Chinmaya Arcanā are privileged to have the opportunity to serve our community. We welcome all to join us in this noble endeavor wherein we give so little, and yet receive so much more in the form of indescribable joy, satisfaction and fulfillment.
Sevā Activities
- Cook for residents at Ronald McDonald House
- Red Cross Blood Drive
- Chinmaya Organization for Rural Development (CORD)
- Serve in CORD centers in India
- Raise money through Walk-A-Thon/Read-A-Thon
- Care Packages
- Volunteer at food pantries
- Volunteer for Adopt-a-highway
- Volunteer at events and camps
- 'Go Green' campaign
If you are interested in participating in our community sevā activities, or would like to learn more, please send an e-mail to [email protected]
Our Sevaks/Sevikas
Reflection:
"Our children are our wealth - thus considered the great acharyas of Hindu culture from time immemorial, and rightly so. In the formative period of childhood, a child has the most malleable state of mind, readily available for moulding and casting into the right personality. To mould the behaviour of an individual is to mould the character of a community. This is what education strives to achieve. I believe that we can give a purposeful direction to a personality even in the days of early childhood. Later on, no doubt, we must hammer out for the child new extensions and open up new dimensions for its play in society through literary, scientific and social studies. Whatever the child is to be later on - a political leader, an economist, philosopher, scientific scholar or a glorious artist - his contributions to the society will directly depend on his character and personality." ~ Swami Chinmayananda