Please read this before registering: Chinmaya Bala Vihar 2022-23 FAQs
Important Information for 2022-23
- All classes will be in-person for the full year. Class locations will be available at Bala Vihar Transaction Summary after Labor Day weekend.
- The fee schedule has changed for 2022-23. Please read Important Update from the CMSJ Board for more details. The annual membership fee is $300 per family and the annual fee per class is $150. Please reach out privately to the Bala Vihar coordinator of the location closest to you if you have circumstances that need financial accommodation.
- All Sunday San Jose classes will be conducted at Abraham Lincoln High School, 555 Dana Ave, San Jose. All Saturday San Jose classes will continue at Chinmaya Sandeepany Ashram, 10160 Clayton Rd, San Jose.
- Please check the class schedule by clicking on the links below:
- It is possible to take a Bala Vihar class offered from one location-schedule along with optional classes from other schedules.
- Once you have determined the schedule of the classes, please proceed to the registration process
- Bala Vihar textbooks can be ordered online for pickup at https://bookstore.cmsj.org/collections/bala-vihar-textbooks. Note that Hindi textbooks can only be purchased in person at the class location.
- Only parents or legal guardians can register a child e.g. you cannot register your niece or nephew or a family friend. You may be asked to provide documentation in case there are questions about registration. Refer to Chinmaya Mission San Jose Bala Vihar Terms and Conditions for more details.
- Please note that Chinmaya Bala Vihar is a required prerequisite for all classes, including languages and Swaranjali, Geeta Chanting , Yoga etc.
- The change fee of $35 per change is waived till Oct 31st, 2022.
- Following local guidelines, we strongly encourage (but do not require) everyone participating in any of our activities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear masks.
- Changes to class offerings in 2022-23:
- Malayalam language classes are added in Fremont
- Samskritam language classes are added in San Jose
- Language classes dropped for grades 10-12 in San Ramon
- Cognitive Math is being offered only in San Jose
- San Mateo: Hindi
- San Jose: Hindi, Malayalam, Samskritam, Tamil and Telugu
- Fremont: Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Samskritam and Telugu
- San Ramon: Samskritam, Hindi, and Telugu
| Day/Location | San Jose | Fremont | San Ramon | San Mateo | Berkeley |
| Saturday | CMSJ Ashram | Washington High School | California High School | N/A | Berkeley Adult School |
| Sunday | Lincoln High School | N/A | N/A | Aragon High School | N/A |
Please see Important communication from the CMSJ Board for Bala Vihar 2022-23.
The 2022-23 calendar below applies to all locations.
Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
| Month | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2022 | 10th, 17th, 24th | 11th, 18th, 25th |
| Oct 2022 | 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th | 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th |
| Nov 2022 | 5th, 12th, 19th 26th closed for Thanksgiving | 6th, 13th, 20th 27th closed for Thanksgiving |
| Dec 2022 | 3rd, 10th, 17th 24th & 31st closed for Winter break | 4th, 11th, 18th 25th closed for Winter break |
| Jan 2023 | 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th | 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th 1st closed for Winter break |
| Feb 2023 | 4th, 11th, 25th 18th closed for President’s Day | 5th, 12th, 26th 19th closed for President’s Day |
| Mar 2023 | 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th | 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th |
| Apr 2023 | 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th | 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd – no-classes for Om Run(omrun.cmsj.org) |
| May 2023 | 6th, 13th 20th Bala Utsav | 7th, 14th 21st Bala Utsav |
Bala Vihar in the Bay Area was started in 1981 by our dear Uma Auntie under the guidance of Pujya Gurudev. It has grown from a humble beginning of 6 children to over 2150 students spread across five locations today.
The classes are arranged according to the school system – Kindergarten through High School (K-12). We do not place children in class by age. The grade in which the child is enrolled in school is the consideration for admission to Chinmaya Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra.
About Shishu Vihar (Bala Vihar for PreKG)
Shishu Vihar is a parent-and-toddler style class for 3 and 4 year olds. Children attend with their parents and get familiar with basic concepts in Hinduism (gods and their characteristics, names of holidays) in a fun and engaging way through song, stories, arts and crafts appropriate to their age and development.
Swamini Supriyananda (a child psychologist before she turned to the Vedantic path) conceptualized Shishu Vihar and first implemented it in Hong Kong years ago. She has trained all of CMSJ’s Shishu Vihar teachers in the style and preparatory materials for this class. If you have any further questions, please reach out to the co-ordinator of the location nearest to you.
Languages
Several Indian languages are also taught as part of this program.
Please note, however, that registration to just language classes is not supported. Students have to be enrolled in and attend Chinmaya Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra classes to be eligible for language class. In other words, to register for language classes, students must first register in Chinmaya Bala Vihar/Yuva Kendra classes and attend them.
Note: The languages offered may change from year to year.
