GANESHA CHATURATHI

DESCRIPTION

The date of Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day after the new moon in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. This is August or September each year. It's commonly celebrated for the following 11 days, with the biggest spectacle taking place on the last day called Ananta Chaturdasi. Ganesha the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, is the Lord of success and the unique destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also adored as the God of education, knowledge, wisdom, wealth and what not! In fact, Ganesha is one among the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four). Lord Ganesha is responsible for propelling mankind towards the eternal path and to remove obstacles from every human's way.

IMPORTANCE

The festival begins with the installation of huge elaborately crafted statutes of Ganesha in homes and podiums, which have been especially constructed and beautifully decorated. Artisans put months of effort into making the statues. It's forbidden to look at the moon on this first night as legend had it the moon laughed at Lord Ganesha when he fell from his vehicle, the rat. Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival of Maharashtra, celebrated grandly in other parts of India as well. The preparation starts one month in advance, with great enthusiasm, to celebrate this auspicious occasion. The festival starts with the installation of beautifully sculpted Ganesha idols in homes and mandaps. These idols are decorated beautifully and show religious themes. The occasion also sees various cultural events being held every where, in which people participate with interest. After celebration, the time of farewell comes and the idol of the beloved God is immersed in water. The celebration ends with the immersion, accompanied by loud shouts of 'GANAPATI BAPPA MORAYA'.


 POEM

Khusian ho overflow,

 Masti  kabhi na ho low,

Dosti ka shurur chaya rahe,

Dhan aur shorat ki ho bauchar

Aisa aaye aapke liye

Ganesh Puja Ka Tyohar!

EID MUBARAK

DESCRIPTION

Eid-Ul-Fitr festival or Id-Ul-Fitr festival, commonly known as Eid is the most important occasions of Islamic calendar. Id ul Fitr festival is celebrated by Muslim community all over the world with great devotion and joviality. Eid ul Fitr festival denotes the end of 'Ramadan', the month of fasting and beginning of the new month namely 'Shawwal'. On the festive Occasions of Eid Muslim devotees break their fast of Ramzan with special prayer and merriment. On this auspicious Occasions special foods & delicacies are prepared and are distributed to neighbors and friends. The festival of Enid is devoted to the spirit of love, sharing, peace and brotherhood. It is a time to introspect, reflect and reinforce the bond between the Almighty and the faithful.

IMPORTANCE

Eid-Ul-Fitar will be celebrated this year on August 30th, 2011 (depending on new moon). Id-Ul-Fitr is a very important day for Muslims. Id Ul Fitr means 'festival of breaking the fast' and celebrated on the first day after sighting the moon of 'Shawaal' (tenth month of Islamic calendar) that marks the end of the month of Ramadan. During the auspicious month of Ramzan, Muslims observes day long fast and offer special prayers to almighty. Eid festival marks the end of Ramzan and Muslim community all over celebrates this pious festival with utmost devotion. when the period of restraint ends in an extravagant explosion of joie de vivre, festivities and feasting. The devout gather together to offer Eid prayers and greet each other in a rejuvenated spirit of camaraderie. Eid is a day of thanksgiving, of peace, of remembrance, of charity and of forgiveness, celebrated amidst great jubilation once the delicate silver sliver of the crescent moon has been sighted.

MAHAVIR  JAYANTI

DESCRIPTION

The Jain community celebrates the birth anniversary of the 24th and the last Tirthankara, Vardhman Mahavir, the founder of Jainism as Mahavir Jayanti every year. The birth anniversary of the 24th and the last Tirthankara of the Jains, Vardhman Mahavir, the founder of Jainism, is celebrated by the Jain community in August. Born a prince in 599 BC, Mahavir renounced worldly life at the age of 30 and undertook austere penance until he achieved realisation. Mahavir, also known as Vardhamana, is the last one in the galaxy of Twenty-four Teerthankaras (Jain Prophets). Lord Mahavir has been acclaimed as one of the greatest prophets of peace and social reformation that Bharat has ever produced. He was born to a pious couple, Siddhartha (king of Kaundinyapura on the outskirts of Vaishalinear Patna in Bihar). and Priyakarani or popularly Trishala Devi – who were deeply permeated with the philosophy of Jainism preached by Parswanatha, the 23rd Teerthankara.

IMPORTANCE

Mahavir renounced worldly life at the age of 30 and undertook austere penance until he achieved realisation. Even as a boy, Mahavira came to be associated with many episodes of absolute fearlessness which earned him the name `Mahavira’. He grew up as a prince, excelling in physical prowess and intellectual acumen. He renounced the pleasures and luxuries of the place, as also the power and prestige of kingship. Lord Mahavir spread the message of salvation to the world and had many followers. Mahavir preached non-violence, prohibited any kind of killing and taught his followers to seek salvation through penance and abstinence. They are also advised to donate money, clothes and grain to the poor. The Jains are divided into many sects of whom the main ones are Digambaras and Shvetambaras with the latter again divided into Deravasis and Sthanakvasis. Mahavira initiated a simple five-fold path for the householders: Ahimsa (Non-injury – physical or mental – to others), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (temperance in sexual pleasures) and Aparigraha (non-acquisition of property). Mahavira’s injunctions for the monks and nuns were however very exacting.

NURSERY GARDENING ACTIVITY

Gardening activity - Nursery, August.

Some people do gardening as a hobby. Some do it to make their house look beautiful. But here at WIS, it was planned to give first hand acquaintance with nature and also to give an idea to grow more trees and save trees.
The activity was conducted in the school premises on Friday, 19th August 2011 by the Nursery section.
Teacher showed children how to plant seeds. Children enthusiastically participated by putting the seeds in mud, and then watering   their containers for the seed to grow.
The entire activity will further be supervised, and their plants watered by them on a daily basis.

This activity not only taught them to plant and save trees, but they also learnt germination of seeds, by practically doing it themselves.

Mother Teresa

IMPORTANCE

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia, on August 26th, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.

DESCRIPTION

Mother Teresa's work has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards. Her performance was received with open arms by the Sisters of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity when it was screened for them in Italy.  Also present at the screening and pleased with Olivia's portrayal was Agi Bojaxhiu, a wonderful lady and the niece and only direct living relative of Mother herself.

PUPPET SHOW ON FRIENDSHIP DAY SR.KG

Friendship Day Celebration:

Date:        5^th August 2011

Topic:       Happy Friendship Day

Medium:   Shadow puppet story

                  Jumbo’s Birthday Party.

Materials: White transparent bed sheet,

                  Torches (4),

Puppets-animals (soft toys - Elephant, rabbit, cat and monkey).

Objective: Importance of friendship.

                  Celebration of Friendship Day

                  Moral values-caring, loving and togetherness.

Subject: The main objective was to make children aware about friendship day and instil in them the values of friendship through a medium of fun and entertainment.

                  A different medium i.e. shadow puppet show was chosen by the teachers to make the concept more interesting for the children. Soft toys (puppets) were used as aids and a short story of 15 mins. was enacted.

                    The story was enacted in one of the Sr.Kg classrooms and 2 classes at a time to avoid the chaos and each child could comfortably watch the show.

Conclusion: Children enjoyed the musical show.

       

FIELD TRIP TO TOYOTA SERVICE CENTRE SR.KG

Field trip to Toyota service centre:

A field trip to Toyota showroom and service centre (Malad) was organized for the Sr.kg section on 20^th and 21st July 2011.Toyota has a wide range of car models.

 This field trip was arranged to enable the students to know the working of machines in a car and to understand how servicing of the vehicles done .A demonstration for the same is was shown to the students. The students were taken to different sections of the service centre and their importance was explained to them.  Students had a live experience, and enjoyed the field trip.

At the time of departure, the staff members distributed chocolates to the students. Overall it was a knowledgeable visit.

PLAYGROUP & NURSERY FRIENDSHIP DAY

Friendship is the feeling or relationship that friends have. A friend is a
part and parcel of one's life. So to inculcate the value of friends,
 Nursery and Playgroup section celebrated Friendship Day on Friday, 5th
August 2011.  Teachers  discussed and explained about friends and sang
rhymes related to it.
Nursery children made Friendship bands by crumpling and sticking paper on
the flower cutout, which  they later  tied  on their friend's wrist and
wished  a  "Happy Friendship Day".
Playgroup children made a smiley face friendship band. Children shared their
snacks with each other.

Children had fun watching the movie "Winnie the Pooh".

This concept also taught them caring,  helping and sharing.