Children Dharma Class- Fresh Start and New Beginnings

The 8th of May 2022 marked the first Children Dharma Class of Semester 2. Twelve students came back feeling recharged after the break and filled the class with enthusiasm. It was nice to see many familiar faces again, lightening the classrooms with laughter and joy.

The day started with chanting at the Main Shrine. Children joined their palms and chanted with sincerity. Chanting helps calm the mind and soul, which is also a great way to help keep the students stay focused throughout the day. While students were at the Main Shrine, it was also a great practice of some Buddhist etiquette and basic manners, like making prostrations, showing respect, and saying please and thank you.

Students were introduced to new awards and prizes incorporated in the class, such as diligence awards, leadership awards, and attendance awards. Naturally, this attracted children's attention and provoked them to try their best throughout the coming semester. "Are we going to get presents?" asked Lucas excitedly. While some other students put on a confident smile and are ready to take down whatever it is to come.

Following that, each student were given a folder and new chanting sheets while teachers reminded them to take responsibility in taking care of the sheets and folders and remembering to bring them to class every week. This can train the children's liabilities and allow them to take more responsibility for their learning. After trying their best to chant the Heart Sutra Sanskrit, the class continued with the written test, followed by the oral. With a positive attitude and mindset, the classrooms turned into a piece of silence, and it was pleasing to see them focusing hard and concentrating on the test. Everyone did well as the children tried their best to approach the questions, especially Haoran, who deserves a massive round of applause for making an effort to give his all. Under the guidance of teachers, both tests concluded with success, "it doesn't seem as scary as it would be," mentioned the children. Finally, the class ended with praises for Anthan and Zoey, as they did such a commendable job in helping with the cleaning of the classrooms after the tests.