National Teach Diwali in School Day: October 24, 2011
Namaste HAF Parents!
With Diwali just around the corner, the Hindu American Foundation is proud to announce its second annual National Teach Diwali in School Day on October 24, 2011 (Diwali actually falls on October 26th this year). To help you introduce Diwali to your children and their classmates, we’ve taken care of the planning by creating a Diwali Toolkit. All you need to do is choose a few or all of the many suggested activities, buy a few supplies and then arrange a time with your child’s teacher for to pay a visit.
Although Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals, many of our neighbors, teachers and friends haven’t heard about it. In that light, HAF hopes you will reach out to your children’s teachers and request the opportunity to give a fun and informative Diwali presentation to the entire class. Hinduism teaches vasudhaiva kutumbakam, that the whole world is one family, so why not celebrate this festival with our extended family?
This Diwali Toolkit is constructed as a guideline for your classroom presentation. In here, you will find everything you need to celebrate the festival in a classroom -- from how to explain the meaning of Diwali to snack items for sharing to group activity ideas. We’ve included links to coloring pages and cut-outs to create the suggested crafts, as well as a colorful Powerpoint presentation that can also be printed out if a projector is unavailable. We also encourage you to incorporate your own ideas into your presentation.
Best wishes and Happy Diwali to you from all of us here at HAF!