Namaskar Mandali,

A word from the Principal of HMM Marathi Shala, Amrut Athavale –

Happy New Year to all! After a successful Shala Diwali event where students of all the Shala branches got together to participate in Diwali themed programs and activities, the first semester of the 2023-24 Shala year ended in December with student assessments. Check out our Facebook and our website for pictures and updates from the HMM Shala Diwali event.

Students from all our Shala branches did very well in the written and oral exams. They are enjoying learning Marathi and participating in various activities at all our branches. A big thank you to all the parents for your continued support and efforts at home to ensure that the learning continues outside of the classroom. I can’t thank our teachers and coordinators enough as they continue taking efforts and volunteering their time to ensure that our students are learning Marathi playfully.

We have kicked off the second semester of the Shala year after the winter break. On April 6, the Shala will host the Shala Annual Gathering Day, where students from all branches will display colorful plays and performances on Marathi-related themes. The Shala core committee and branch coordinators are busy planning this event while the students are back in class, continuing their Marathi learning journey and practicing and rehearsing their annual day performances. The Annual day is the most awaited event that the Shala community and students enjoy to the fullest!

HMM Membership renewal and new membership for the year 2024 is open. Shala is one of the branches of HMM and getting an HMM membership for the family is highly recommended.

Here are some of the advantages of getting HMM membership if your child/children are currently enrolled or you are thinking about enrolling them in the next Shala year:

• The difference between the member and non-member fee for Shala will be equivalent to the Annual Family membership for HMM. So, it’s better to take membership and pay lower Shala fees while availing membership advantages.

• If you have two or more kids going to Shala, you can save even more with the Family HMM membership, which covers all the members of your household.

• You get access to two free HMM events – Sankranti and Holi during the year.

• Discounted tickets for all other ticketed events like Ganpati and Diwali. All events put on by HMM are subsidized for members, so you can support the community and culture while having fun.

• Membership provides Shala students eligibility to participate in performances presented at these events. Please note, that if you don’t have HMM membership, the kids will not be able to participate in Ganeshotsav and other HMM events even though they are going to HMM Shala.

• Membership is applicable for a calendar year, so getting one early in the year gives you time to enjoy membership benefits for the entire year.

Shala strongly recommends getting HMM membership, but it is NOT compulsory for Shala students to be members.

The membership rates for 2024 are:

• Family- $65
• Single- $35
• Senior- $55
• Student- $25
• Life Membership- $900

Link : https://www.houstonmaharashtramandal.org/memberships/