Dear   Friend ,

• 10 AM to 11:30 AM - Pookkalam
• 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM-traditional Ona sadya catered by Aditi Restaurant
• 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM-cultural programs


• Win 2 round trip tickets to India from Washington DC. Visit KCSMW booth to enter the raffle-Qatar Airways
• Release of "Vartha" magazine 2011
• 200 + participants


• Atha chamayam-Chenda melam, Thalapoli, Thrikkakarayappan, Mahabali varavelppu
• Dance drama "pootha pattu" -based on Malayalam kavitha "pootha pattu" by famous Malayalam poet Edassery Govindan Nair
• Kerala kala roopangal - various traditional art forms of Kerala
• Malayalam haasya naadakam (comedy skit)
• Programs will be telecasted in Bom TV (MCN network)

More details will be updated in our web site http://www.kcsmw.org Please visit frequently.

Kairali and KCSMW combined Picnic 2011

Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington and Kairali of Baltimore celebrated Picnic 2011 on July 30th at High Ridge Park, Laurel, MD. Holy picnic organized by Shilpa Raj, Youth President KCSMW was one of the highlight items. Volley ball, kabadi, otta malsaram (running), chatta malsaram (long jump), mittai perukkal (candy picking), kasera kali, etc. were other items. Lot of food including barbecue, fruits and kerala style were also available. Program ended with Vadamvali competition. Winners were presented with awards.

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NCAIA - farewell reception for Ambassador Meera Shankar

Prominent members of our Indian-American community bid a fond farewell to Ambassador Meera Shankar at a reception held Sunday in the Bombay Tandoor restaurant of Tysons Corner. The venue was packed with some 160 people representing a vibrant, highly educated and affluent group in the US. Robert O"'Blake, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia and President Obama's point person for India and that region in the US State Department, was on hand to deliver the keynote address and at the very outset, he acknowledged the importance of our community. Ambassador Shankar thanked the community for fortifying the India-US relationship. The envoy mentioned that during her tenure, she has "dealt with the issues that diplomats do, but it has always had such a strong people component, particularly the Indian-American community. This is a community which has really come of age"!

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Sangeetha Gurukulam-inaugurated by Pt. Ramesh Naryanan

Pt. Ramesh Narayanan inaugurated the 'sangeetha gurukulam' at Glenelg, MD on July 10th. First session of gurkulam which lasted a week was finished on guru poornima day. Next session will continue in 2012. Please contact Anita Raj 301-706-5743 for more details.

FOMAA capital region organized 'National Malayalam literary writing competition'

The FOMAA Capital region has successfully conducted the national-level Malayalam Literary writing Competition for the residents of USA and Canada. FOMAA President Baby Uralil and Literary Competition Chair Bijo Chemmanthara jointly announced the winners in different literary competition categories:

SNMC Sree Narayana Gurudeva Jayanthi & Onam Celebrations

FOMAA inviting all to 5 day 2012 convention in 'Carnival of Glory'

FOMAA president Mr Baby Uralil, General Secretary Mr Benoy Thomas, 2012 convention chair Mr Sunny Paulose etc. visited 'Carnival of Glory' where the 2011 FOMAA convention is scheduled. Luxury ship 'Carnival of Glory' will leave from New York on July 30th 2012 5 PM and reach St John, Canada on Aug 1st. Fourth day it will reach Halifax, Canada and will be back to New York on August 3rd. Ship can accommodate upto 3500 passengers. There will be variety of food and it will be absolutely free. For a single person, it costs only $500 for 5 days including food and accommodation and for a family of 4 it costs only $2144.

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How to help your child adjust to school after summer break?

Summer break provides a relaxing and much-needed vacation for school-age children. Going back to the "daily grind" can sometimes be traumatic. Ease your child into the new school year with a few helpful hints and a world of understanding.

• Avoid sending kids back to school directly from an out-of-town vacation, if possible, to ensure the least amount of "culture shock.
• Take your child back-to-school shopping a few days before his/her first day. Even if you can afford only a few items, providing some new clothes or accessories will increase the back-to-school excitement.
• Purchase necessary school supplies early. Don't wait until the last few days before school starts. If you do not already have a list of supplies from the school, you can often find suggested lists at discount stores. Another option is to search the Internet for suggested supplies for the grade that your child is entering.
• Purchase a large calendar or whiteboard and dry-erase markers. During the first week of school, you will receive dates for open houses, teacher conference days, days off from school, half-days, and tryouts for sports teams. Keeping a pile of loose papers is asking for disaster; write these important dates on your calendar to avoid forgetting them.
• Participate in your child's school schedule. Show an interest in the classes-your own energy may be contagious!
• Help your child cover new textbooks in brightly colored paper, stickers, and markers to make studying seem like a fun endeavor.
• Every night, stock backpacks with supplies, notebooks, and lunch money. This will cut down on rushing around to find items in the morning.
• Promise your child a Friday night pizza pig-out or a slumber party at the end of their first week. This gives your child something to look forward to as he/she trudges through those first few days.