We just got notice from Bryan's kindy that according to the Ministry of Education's new regulations, preschool hours have to be extended by one hour with effect from 2011. Is it the same at your kid's preschool?
Bryan goes to a Montessori kindy and they have 2 sessions a day. I can't recall what time the morning session starts but the second session starts at 11.45am till 2.45pm (so thats 3 hrs). With the new regulation extended to 4 hours, his session for 2011 will start at 12.15pm till 4.15pm!
Actually we are quite excited about this and it kinda fits our requirement better ... hehehe. You know why? Cos right now, our prince wakes up late and of course, to start with, he sleeps late lah. And he does need his afternoon nap. The moment he steps home, he gets changed and will ask for milk. Right after milk, he will automatically doze off in the sofa. So nap time is around 3.30pm till 5.30pm. With the nap in between, nights are torturous for us! We will all be trying to go to bed by 11pm (that's already considered late for me!) and he will still be very hyper with his badminton & tennis racquests asking for game after game!!! Aiyoh!
So with the new timing, our plan is to allow him to wake up late (he can sleep till 10.30am) and then prepare for school. If school finishes at 4.15pm, we reckon he'll reach home around 4.45pm and after a shower and a glass of milk, its time for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Channel 613 - hurray!!!! So that means, he wont have a chance to take a nap! And with that, we are hoping that his battery would run out no later than 10pm and then its PEACE for all of us ... woaah! Cant wait to embrace 2011!!!!!
Showing posts with label pre-school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-school. Show all posts
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
CNY in School
Bryan had a pre-CNY party in school on 12 February. So I donned him in a traditional chinese costume which I bought in HK when I was there visiting back in July last year .. yeah, I kept it for this CNY ... such advanced planning by this Virgorean mommy!
It fitted him perfectly and off he went to school to show off to his friends and teachers. There were only 2 boys who wore traditional costumes.
Being Bryan, he only stood there for like 5 seconds. Even that 5 seconds, teacher had to practically hold him there. After that, teacher also gave up. Let him run lah, all round the school.
Parents of kids contributed to some CNY goodies to be shared with their classmates, so I made some cuppies as Bryan's contribution. I used a cartoon theme even though it was a CNY party cos I reckoned kids would not really understand CNY yet, so I do hope his classmates & teachers liked it.
It fitted him perfectly and off he went to school to show off to his friends and teachers. There were only 2 boys who wore traditional costumes.
Being Bryan, he only stood there for like 5 seconds. Even that 5 seconds, teacher had to practically hold him there. After that, teacher also gave up. Let him run lah, all round the school.
Parents of kids contributed to some CNY goodies to be shared with their classmates, so I made some cuppies as Bryan's contribution. I used a cartoon theme even though it was a CNY party cos I reckoned kids would not really understand CNY yet, so I do hope his classmates & teachers liked it.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
How was School?
It was Orientation Day last Sunday. We were out in full force *smile*. Daddie, Mommie, PoPo and ....... Mickey Mouse (his new love) to accompany this Prince of ours!
All along, I know I dont have a problem with a crying/screaming kid. I know my son to be a brave boy. Sometimes too brave but thats another story. At school, I knew that the moment he step foot into the compound, he will not look back to find his Mommie or Daddie or PoPo. True enough, he was too excited with the new surrounding, new toys, new books and color pencils, new gadgets and a new slide!
This only means that as usual, it is almost impossible to make him sit on the chair in his class. He can only sit for 30 seconds and that's it. He is up and about other things. Hyper leh.
On Monday & Tuesday, PoPo accompanied him on the school van. Bryan insisted on Daddie's car, but after a while, he got comfy and enjoyed the ride. PoPo said there were 2 other kids who were crying like crazy in the van, and that made Bryan emotional too. He cried a bit but after awhile, PoPo manage to comfort him.
Teacher suggested to Daddie not to stay in the school compound. At one time, Bryan caught a glimpse of Daddie and screamed for him, then cried a bit. After a while, he stopped. This guy stops crying like an emergency brake! Just need to distract him with other stuff and it works magically.
Today, PoPo suggested she stay back the whole day and not make 2 trips to school since Daddie is back to work. She will follow the van and wait there till class starts. Once Bryan gets into class, then she will walk to the nearby coffeeshop to have her lunch and hang around till class finishes at 1.30pm. For the first 3 days, classes end an hour earlier. They will then take the school van back home.
PoPo has been kind enough to accompany Bryan in the school van for a week or two more. Both getting there and coming back. Yes, Bryan is still very young (he has not turned 3 yet). Bryan is a very adventurous boy. And curious. About everything. So that means, he is MOVING all the time. TOUCHING everything. PULLING anything. So he needs supervision. Just afraid that the school van Aunty cannot manage too many kids while she is driving. But will see how it goes. For now, we have PoPo, our savoiur. Thanks PoPo for your sacrifices.
Daddie has been having sleepless nights. He is worried about his son. How the son is coping in school. Whether the teachers there has kept an eye on his boy or not. Worried he goes upstairs and no one noticed. Worried he ran into the toilet to shee-shee or play with water and teacher does not know. Worried he falls from running all over the compound or while playing with the slide. Worried he put the color pencils in his mouth like what he does at home. Worried when he falls, its dirty and no one take him to wash his hands clean. Worried that he gets hurt while running about like a wild boy! Worried that the gate might not be locked accidentally and he gets to run out into the roads! Worried about school van driving carelessly. Worried about everything.
And you think this Mommie is not worried? I would be lying if I said I do not. But wish to let go. I wish to allow my son to explore the world. I wish to allow him to fall down and see how he lifts himself up again. I wish to let him learn that yes, you will fall down and it will hurt you, and its totally ok to fall. I wish to see him cry from being hurt but learn to stop crying too. I wish for him to feel and experience danger here at the kindy before he goes out to the real world and realise it gets much harsher as you live your life! I wish to let him be taught by others. I wish to show him that not everyone gives you or grants you what you want, all the time, like home. I wish to let him play with new things and explore new toys. I wish to teach him to share and not have all the toys to himself. I wish to let him learn that not all toys are his, to begin with.
He is barely 3, but yes, I wish to make him a more independent person than I am.
All along, I know I dont have a problem with a crying/screaming kid. I know my son to be a brave boy. Sometimes too brave but thats another story. At school, I knew that the moment he step foot into the compound, he will not look back to find his Mommie or Daddie or PoPo. True enough, he was too excited with the new surrounding, new toys, new books and color pencils, new gadgets and a new slide!This only means that as usual, it is almost impossible to make him sit on the chair in his class. He can only sit for 30 seconds and that's it. He is up and about other things. Hyper leh.
On Monday & Tuesday, PoPo accompanied him on the school van. Bryan insisted on Daddie's car, but after a while, he got comfy and enjoyed the ride. PoPo said there were 2 other kids who were crying like crazy in the van, and that made Bryan emotional too. He cried a bit but after awhile, PoPo manage to comfort him.Teacher suggested to Daddie not to stay in the school compound. At one time, Bryan caught a glimpse of Daddie and screamed for him, then cried a bit. After a while, he stopped. This guy stops crying like an emergency brake! Just need to distract him with other stuff and it works magically.
Today, PoPo suggested she stay back the whole day and not make 2 trips to school since Daddie is back to work. She will follow the van and wait there till class starts. Once Bryan gets into class, then she will walk to the nearby coffeeshop to have her lunch and hang around till class finishes at 1.30pm. For the first 3 days, classes end an hour earlier. They will then take the school van back home.
PoPo has been kind enough to accompany Bryan in the school van for a week or two more. Both getting there and coming back. Yes, Bryan is still very young (he has not turned 3 yet). Bryan is a very adventurous boy. And curious. About everything. So that means, he is MOVING all the time. TOUCHING everything. PULLING anything. So he needs supervision. Just afraid that the school van Aunty cannot manage too many kids while she is driving. But will see how it goes. For now, we have PoPo, our savoiur. Thanks PoPo for your sacrifices.
Daddie has been having sleepless nights. He is worried about his son. How the son is coping in school. Whether the teachers there has kept an eye on his boy or not. Worried he goes upstairs and no one noticed. Worried he ran into the toilet to shee-shee or play with water and teacher does not know. Worried he falls from running all over the compound or while playing with the slide. Worried he put the color pencils in his mouth like what he does at home. Worried when he falls, its dirty and no one take him to wash his hands clean. Worried that he gets hurt while running about like a wild boy! Worried that the gate might not be locked accidentally and he gets to run out into the roads! Worried about school van driving carelessly. Worried about everything.
And you think this Mommie is not worried? I would be lying if I said I do not. But wish to let go. I wish to allow my son to explore the world. I wish to allow him to fall down and see how he lifts himself up again. I wish to let him learn that yes, you will fall down and it will hurt you, and its totally ok to fall. I wish to see him cry from being hurt but learn to stop crying too. I wish for him to feel and experience danger here at the kindy before he goes out to the real world and realise it gets much harsher as you live your life! I wish to let him be taught by others. I wish to show him that not everyone gives you or grants you what you want, all the time, like home. I wish to let him play with new things and explore new toys. I wish to teach him to share and not have all the toys to himself. I wish to let him learn that not all toys are his, to begin with.
He is barely 3, but yes, I wish to make him a more independent person than I am.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Fungates - the right choice?
Last Saturday, 2 Fungates operators hosted "Open Day" at their centre. We took Bryan there for a visit and to see if he liked the environment there.
When we first arrived at Centre A, he saw quite a few people and immediately turned to me and asked me to carry him. But the moment I told and showed him the room which was filled with lots and lots of colorful books, arts & crafts, learning apparatus, etc, he forgot about us. He was in his own world. Running up and down the entire class, fascinated by so many things that he gets to touch and mess up! He kinda got excited that even the washing area was so low (child's height) that he could easily turn the tap on & off as he pleased! *pengsan*.
Hubby checked on the rates and other information while I monitored my dear boy. I cannot leave him out of our sight cos the whole centre would have *terbalik* if I turn my back for 5 seconds!
Not very impressed by the look, quality of the english spoken by the centre staff and the location of the centre (it was inside an intermediate shoplot with no playground or space to run about) - but 5 mins from our new home, we headed to Centre B.
Centre B was a total opposite. It was housed in a HUGE bungalow and had good English speaking staff and teachers. They also conversed in Mandarin but it will only be taught in Year 4. The only drawback for us is the distance from our new place.
Again, Bryan was all over the place. The teachers here knew better how to interact with the kids ( managed to get his attention on one particular activity which he followed accordingly but we could see clearly that he was the "tai kor" amongs the others *double pengsan* trying to dominate - almost snatch the apparatus from the teacher!)
Both the centres told us that they would start with teaching the kids basics (of course lar, what else right) like recognizing ABCs and 1-10 ... but Bryan already kn0ws all that. On good mood days, he can count till 30! Both in English & Mandarin!
He can spell all the words he sees on the billboards on our way home each night! He reads out all the alphabets he seens in the newspapers or those that are printed on my T-shirt! I am getting worried that he will be bored in a Year 3 class .. but we still will have to start him there.
I wish to check out Montessori next but there is none near my place. It has to be a bus journey of about 30 mins at least each way! So, what shall I do? Compromise on education system or compromise on this travel time? I think he is too young to travel so far everyday.
When we first arrived at Centre A, he saw quite a few people and immediately turned to me and asked me to carry him. But the moment I told and showed him the room which was filled with lots and lots of colorful books, arts & crafts, learning apparatus, etc, he forgot about us. He was in his own world. Running up and down the entire class, fascinated by so many things that he gets to touch and mess up! He kinda got excited that even the washing area was so low (child's height) that he could easily turn the tap on & off as he pleased! *pengsan*.
Hubby checked on the rates and other information while I monitored my dear boy. I cannot leave him out of our sight cos the whole centre would have *terbalik* if I turn my back for 5 seconds!
Not very impressed by the look, quality of the english spoken by the centre staff and the location of the centre (it was inside an intermediate shoplot with no playground or space to run about) - but 5 mins from our new home, we headed to Centre B.
Centre B was a total opposite. It was housed in a HUGE bungalow and had good English speaking staff and teachers. They also conversed in Mandarin but it will only be taught in Year 4. The only drawback for us is the distance from our new place.
Again, Bryan was all over the place. The teachers here knew better how to interact with the kids ( managed to get his attention on one particular activity which he followed accordingly but we could see clearly that he was the "tai kor" amongs the others *double pengsan* trying to dominate - almost snatch the apparatus from the teacher!)
Both the centres told us that they would start with teaching the kids basics (of course lar, what else right) like recognizing ABCs and 1-10 ... but Bryan already kn0ws all that. On good mood days, he can count till 30! Both in English & Mandarin!
He can spell all the words he sees on the billboards on our way home each night! He reads out all the alphabets he seens in the newspapers or those that are printed on my T-shirt! I am getting worried that he will be bored in a Year 3 class .. but we still will have to start him there.
I wish to check out Montessori next but there is none near my place. It has to be a bus journey of about 30 mins at least each way! So, what shall I do? Compromise on education system or compromise on this travel time? I think he is too young to travel so far everyday.
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