Mahashivratri-The origin and significance-Lawrence School

Mahashivratri, also known as the night of Lord Shiva, is celebrated with great devotion in most parts of India. Devotees observe fast during the day and stay awake during the night performing abhishek/puja to Lord Shiva who manifests in the form of the Linga.

Mahashivratri falls on the 14th day of the fortnight in the month of Phalgun. This night of Mahashivratri is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism. It is believed that one is atoned for his or his past sins if one prays to the Lord with complete devotion and surrender on this particular day. It is also believed that the planets are aligned in such a way that it makes it conducive for people on the path of spirituality to attain moksha or liberation from the circle of life and death.

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There are many stories that takes us to the origin of this festival. A popular tale among them is of a tribal villager who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Once he ventured into the forest to collect fire-wood and by the time he returned it was nightfall and he lost his way. Fearing harm from the wild animals around, he climbed up a tree. To keep himself awake and get rid of his fear, he began to pluck the leaves of a bel-tree and cast them on the ground while chanting the name of Lord Shiva. It so happened that there was a Linga below the tree and the bel-leaves fell upon the Linga; the act done unknowingly was indeed a deep form of worship of the Lord. It is said that pleased with the devotion, the Lord blessed him with material and spiritual bliss.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/   

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the all-night fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#YmXEk6SOrljotGbi.99

Benefits of an inclusive learning environment-Lawrence School

Inclusive learning environment can be termed as a place where children of various needs and abilities are trained under one roof; a place where every child feels equally loved and motivated enough to perform to the best of his or her abilities without any guilt, discomfort or pressure.

A mixed environment could be a place where students of different social, cultural and economic backgrounds converge to learn under the same set of teachers. This could also be extended to include children who are also differently abled, either physically or mentally, as long as their impairment does not require constant medical attention and does not interfere too much with their every-day needs.

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A well-trained and empathetic trainer or teacher is highly important in such a set up since he or she would be instrumental in bringing about the fine balance where each child irrespective of his/her background or ability gets to explore, learn and grow equally.

It is also a fine opportunity for main-stream children to develop a sense of empathy and tolerance and eventually appreciation for kids from a different set-up. The differently-abled group gets a chance to become comfortable in interacting in social set-up without feeling ‘odd’ or left-out. It gives them a chance to lift their self-esteem and be at par with their ‘normal’ peers. 

 

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It is a pre-cursor to an ideal world where the have-nots are not ridiculed or looked down upon by the haves in the society; where everyone is treated with dignity and respect; where one is able to put self in others’ shoes and feel for the other.

Can we dream of such an environment in our main-stream schools?

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/  

Keep the stress away from exams-Lawrence School

With the Xth and XIIth board exams looming large, it is that time of the year when stress levels of both-the students and parents-go up by notches. Exam times can be trying and stress should not add on to it. So, here are a few tips that can help you sail through through this period:

Have a fixed schedule: Your daily routine should not have too many deviations. From waking up in the morning to what you'd be studying to when you'd have your meals and breaks to the sleep hour at night, everything needs to happen smoothly at roughly the same hour daily. This kind of routine will help the body and mind get adjusted and you'd have no trouble focusing at your task.

Maintain a study time-table: Most students do have a plan around this time. However, the way it is charted out can have an impact on its success rate. You need to be honest while charting out the table. Take the help of a parent or teacher or someone who knows your strengths and with whom you can be candid about where you stand in each subject.

Do not brush away doubts: It is the eleventh hour and most students panic at the first instance of doubt that crops their minds and balk at the thought of approaching their teachers for help fearing their reaction. However, to pretend that the doubts never arose or worse seeking help from wrong sources can lead to more serious implications. So, be calm and talk to your teachers about any kind of doubt. They are there to help you out.

Eat a healthy diet and take ample rest: Make sure you eat healthy food and resist the temptation to indulge in junk food. It is also the time when infections spread easily and you don't want to catch one just before your exams. Also, ensure that you sleep for a minimum of eight hours.

Make time for revision: Account for a few rounds of revision for the chapters that you've studied. This will ensure that the concepts remain fresh in the mind. Do not give in to panic attacks. Stay calm and confident. If you feel stressed out, do confide in your parent, friend or teacher who'd be able to guide you well.

For the parents:

Refrain from reminding the student about the approaching exams in a threatening manner.

Assure the child that all will not be lost even if the performance is sub-par.

Make sure you don't seem more anxious than the student himself.

Look out for warning signs in your child like over-eating, or not eating over-sleeping, or unable to sleep, irritability, temper-bursts, etc. While some of these are normal during an exam, long periods of the same can be harmful. Do talk to your child in a friendly manner and try to find out what is bothering him/her. If necessary, take the help of a professional.

We wish you all students the very best.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

Why should we vote?-Lawrence School

With the next general elections just round the corner and new and newer political fronts emerging, it is truly a debatable question as to who is worthy to be elected as our next government. 

The past few years have taken the economy, law and order and other aspects of governance to lower depths. Even new faces on the political front seem like old ones in disguise.Hence, it is natural to get cynical and announce that since all parties and political leaders seem alike it is worthless to give any one the vote.

Elections and thereby voting a party to power is the biggest power a citizen can acquire in a democratic country and as responsible adults and citizens, it is every one's duty to go out and vote on the day of elections. Knowing our rights is as important as abiding by our duties. By not choosing to vote, we lose a precious opportunity to have our say and way in how things get governed.

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Unity has tremendous power and we as citizens need to unite to overthrow unjust policies, corrupt ways of functioning. We've had, of late, numerous cases of certain citizen groups that  have tasted small victories like getting a road laid, removal of illegal garbage strewn in their street, etc through their consistent and constant efforts.

So, if you are 18 years of age, a citizen of this country and have not yet registered for a Voter's card, this is your chance. Be the change you want to see.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 
 

Spotting early signs of learning disorders- Lawrence School

All children face learning difficulties at some point or the other. The trouble is therefore in understanding whether it is a disorder or just a learning phase. Children with learning disorders are unfairly and unfortunately labeled as slow or dumb when in fact the opposite is true. They are equipped with a high IQ and are talented in many ways. With correct diagnosis and proper help, these children are also bound to excel and succeed.

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Note that all children come with their own unique style of learning and capabilities. It is difficult to spot trouble based upon a general observation simply because each child masters a skill at a different time. Also, what can be a stumbling block today can phase out after a few months. Consistency in the problem is a sign of a red-flag and that is when you need to seek help.

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So, what are the warning signs are a parent or teacher need to look out for?

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*Preschool signs and symptoms of learning disabilities

• Problems pronouncing words
• Trouble finding the right word
• Difficulty rhyming
• Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the week
• Difficulty following directions or learning routines
• Difficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors or coloring within the lines
• Trouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, learning to tie shoes

Ages 5-9 signs and symptoms of learning disabilities

• Trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Unable to blend sounds to make words
• Confuses basic words when reading
• Consistently misspells words and makes frequent reading errors
• Trouble learning basic math concepts
• Difficulty telling time and remembering sequences
• Slow to learn new skills

Ages 10-13 signs and symptoms of learning disabilities

• Difficulty with reading comprehension or math skills
• Trouble with open-ended test questions and word problems
• Dislikes reading and writing; avoids reading aloud
• Spells the same word differently in a single document
• Poor organizational skills (bedroom, homework, desk is messy and disorganized)
• Trouble following classroom discussions and expressing thoughts aloud
• Poor handwriting

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

How to develop fine motor skills in toddlers-Lawrence School

Fine motor skills- the skills that aid a child to pick smaller objects, turn a knob, or use a scissor; basically the use of the finger, hand and wrist for finer movements along with eye coordination- are grossly neglected in the mad rush to churn out students that excel in academics. Fine motor skills need to be well-developed in a child as they are an important milestone and precursor to writing.

Instead of jumping head on into the bandwagon of writing, educational institutions must first focus on developing these skills. They can be developed by engaging toddlers (in the age group of 3-4) in activities that are fun and simple to carry out. One can even carry out these at home to strengthen the toddler’s hand and wrist muscles:

Play dough: Play dough is an interesting activity where the child carves out various shapes using child-friendly dough. You can even let your child help in kneading the dough at home to make rotis, rolling it out and making different shapes with the dough.

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Cutting and sticking paper: invest in a pair of kid-friendly scissors and encourage the child to cut out different coloured paper in different shapes and sizes. The child can then stick these pieces of paper on a card paper to make an interesting collage.

Drawing rangoli: The act of using the fingers to draw using rice flour helps to fine tune the coordination between the fingers and hand.

Craft work: any craft work that uses a lot of painting, colouring, cutting and pasting.

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Fold paper or clothes: Small cloths like a handkerchief or towel or socks can be given to the child to be folded.

Self-help activities: encourage the child to do by self the act of buttoning or unbuttoning clothes, pulling up or down the zipper, eating with hands and spoon, wearing shoes, etc.

While, each child develops these skills at his/her pace, it is imperative to concentrate first on developing these skills and then proceed to teach them write on paper.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/ 

Does group study work?-Lawrence School

With the board exams looming large, class X and XII students are busy revising the lessons studied throughout the year. This brings us to the much debated question: ’should students be allowed to study along with their peers?’

At the outset, it might seem like a no-brainer that when children from the same age bracket come together it can only lead to whiling of time, discussions that are not related to studies and playing on gadgets; in a nut shell, a complete no-no from the adult clan.

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However, if you analyze such an arrangement objectively, you would be convinced of its benefits and effectiveness.  While there is a possibility of children losing focus and seriousness, thereby slowing down even the sincere and hard-working lot in the group, it can serve as a huge motivation factor and also a check-point for students to perform better.

A healthy competition can be generated within the group to ensure that everyone is using his/her time effectively to attain a specific goal. Exchange of ideas and better grasping of concepts can be possible when students share their knowledge within the group. 

Time can also effectively used when chapters get divided between the members of the group and later an amalgamation of ideas and concepts takes place. It can be a win-win situation provided some amount of self-discipline is maintained.

Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/