TKG Academy

There’s not much that I love more than grammar (no joke) and I try to share that love with my students by doing fun grammar projects. Our most recent grammar project  has been writing parts-of-speech poems.

Our first assignment was to write poems using only verbs to describe an animal. Then they wrote one poem describing the same animal only using nouns, then a second only using adjectives. Here are a couple of the posters they made displaying their poems.

We used an identical process to write poems about great personalities like Lord Krishna, Lord Nrsimhadeva, Lord Caitanya and Hanuman. The kids wrote their verb, noun and adjective poems. Then I had them cut each of those poems up and reassemble them to make a much longer poem that followed a noun, noun, verb, verb, adjective, adjective pattern. The results were made into lapbooks. Check out Vraja’s below.

Lord Nrsimhadeva

Killer, fighter,

Tearing, sitting,

Big, scary.

Clawer, liberator,

Killing, fighting,

Angry, nice.

Incarnation, man,

Running, jumping,

Awesome, fast.

Lion, protector,

Appearing, incarnating,

Strong, merciful.

By: Vraja, Age 9

It’s hard to believe but Fall Break is here already. The unrelenting heat of August (and September!) has finally given way to the blissfully cool and rainy days of Kartika, perfect for reflection on all that we’ve accomplished so far and what we have left to do. 

In my (Mother Melissa’s) classroom we’ve starting finishing things. We’ve finished reading Charlotte’s Web, which means we have letters to Wilbur, book reports and character diamond poems under our belt. We’ve finished our study of rocks and weather, which means we’ve done experiments simulating the rock cycle and charted weather data over many days using newspaper weather maps. In grammar we’ve finished our study of prepositional phrases and demonstrated mastery by writing parts-of-speech poems. We’ve finished with many of our geography objectives by making and analyzing maps of our school and neighborhoods, doing state park research presentations and planning out a “road trip” across the regions of Texas. In line with our Vaisnava themes, we’ve made interdisciplinary lapbooks about Prabhupada’s journey to the United States and done reflective journal writing on the qualities of Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani.

Phew. And some people ask us why we need a Fall Break.

But this is only the beginning. As the year progresses, I hope to have my classroom become more and more project-based, reflecting both constructivist and constructionist philosophies of learning. In laymen’s speak that means that the learning that occurs from doing, experiencing and creating will be deeper and ultimately more useful than learning done in a passive state. My students are movers and makers now, which I pray will mean they will be leaders in the future.

The smell of fresh school supplies, the sound of books cracking open for the first time, the feeling that grand adventures were just around the corner- this is what I remember about the beginning of a new school year when I was a child. These are magical memories, and for me school was a magical place, a place I never wanted to leave.

That sense of magic is what we endeavor to create for our students here at TKG Academy, and as the first grading period ends, we see proof that we have been successful. With less than 20 children in the whole school, there is a heartwarming sense of community between students, parents and teachers. We all know the names of every face that shows up on campus and we've likely been to a playdate at their house as well! The small class sizes have allowed us teachers to delve into project work that would be impossible in a more institutional setting. For example, our 4th and 5th grade students just completed virtual "Tours of Texas" in which they mapped out road trips through the regions of Texas, collecting and manipulating geographic and economic data along the way, then presenting their findings to the class. Additionally, we've seen students making spiritual advancement through their ownership of the Spiritual Friday program. As a cohesive team, this group of 4-10 year-olds are learning to bathe and dress deities, make garlands, sing and dance in kirtan, and give class. It is a truly inspiring event to behold!

Our school day officially ends at 4:00 pm, but if you come by you are likely to still see people on the premises well into the evening. The adults are chatting and laughing on the benches. The students are having grand adventures around the playground. This is a magical place, a place that none of us want to leave.

Experience Lord Chaitanya's epic journey throughout India as students depict His transcendental pastimes! Sculpture! Presentations! Music! Delicious Prasadam! Dont miss it! Honored Guest: HH Giriraj Swami

Sunday March 13, 2011 from 3 PM to 5 PM

At Gurukula Building behind Playground.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Are you looking for a strong academic and Krishna conscious foundation for your child’s education?  Would you like to see your child thrive in a family-based community of teachers and parents centered on loving one another and serving Krishna?   TKG Academy’s educational and morale excellence has proven itself through successful students and satisfied parents for over 30 years.    Enroll your child now to guarantee a completely prepared and exciting new school year!

Party Time!!  Our annual Christmas Party at TKG Academy Gurukula is a perfect example of sharing loving exhanges between students, teachers and parents.

Dadati prati ghrnati, guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caivam, sad vidham priti lakshanam

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing ones mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Over the years, it centered on a family get-together dinner. The point of the meal is to reflect upon and be thankful for the things that have passed over the last year as well as reconnect with the people one holds close.

In Kalachandji Dhama, it has become a time for devotees to gather and share a multi-course vegetarian- traditional feast. As of last year, TKG Academy has been hosting the event as a fundraiser.

Our month long preparations now over, it is time for the grand festival!  All morning the students and teachers busied themselves with building the massive Govardhan Hil, replete with all the temples and kundas made by the kids.  Parents had made rice, dahl, halava, puris, pakoras, laddu, rasagullas, sandesh & sweet rice, just like the song.  Honored Guests:  His Holiness Rtadhvaja Maharaj, Nityananda Prabhu, Caitanya Candra Prabhu, Urjesvat Prabhu & Mother Sucharya were in attendance.  Students told the stories of the pastime places in front of their parents and the devotees.  Many thanks go to all the devotees who helped make the festival a success!  Read more for VIDEO footage and tons of pictures!

Now that the posters are done, its time to make the different temples and kundas that the students learned about!  Students used their creativity and imagination and different materials for building to come us with personal, unique and well-built structures to place on the Hill on Festival Day.

Govardhan Puja, a grand Vaishnava festival is right around the corner.  It is commemorating the sweet pastime of Sri Krishna as an 8year old boy, when he lifted the big Govardhan Hill on the pinky of His left hand, in order to protect his family, friends and all the residents of Vrindavan from the wrath of angry Indra, the king of the demigods.  Lord Indra was furious that his own worship had been stopped and worship of holy Govardhan Hill taken up instead, so he poured a constant deluge of destruction with ice, hail, heavy rain and thunderstorms.