Shayne Lim : Testimony from Mrs Daisy Lim (Mother)

Shayne was with our Kindergarten from 2008 to 2009.

Andrew William : Testimony from Dr. Timothy William (Father)

Andrew was with our Kindergarten in 2006

Newsletter September 2010

Greetings Parents / Guardians,

We have moved into the last school term of year 2010, our children are now preparing for the year end school concert as well as busy with their learning. I believed most parents will be able to notice the changes and progress in your child by now.

Our Pre-Junior children have learned alphabets a to z, numbers 1 to 10, colours & shapes, words with pictures for English & Mandarin, and also basic motor skills. Most of our Junior 1 children have completed their basic phonics foundation and are now able to read story books with minimum guidance. Our Junior 2 children have also shown great improvement in their learning whereas our Junior 3 children are getting ready for the next year Primary One subjects such as Chinese Pin Yin and Mathematics. Our salutation to all parents and teachers for a job well done!

In today's world we need to have some family values, and we need to teach these values to our children. Family values are just as important today as they were in days gone by, or possibly more so, since many people do not, seemingly, have these necessary values.

It really is never too early to begin teaching your children good values. Ideally, you can begin teaching your children when they are just toddlers. As they grows, you can continue to emphasize the values you want them to have, and you can introduce more values to them as they matures.

Obviously, if you want your children to have good values, you will need to set an example for them to follow. How can you expect your children to behave in a certain manner if you don’t behave the same way yourself?

You can model good values for your children daily. Whether you realize it or not, you are your children’s hero. They are watching you, and they will learn how to handle certain situations just by following your example. Keeping this in mind, pay attention to how you handle people and situations that occur on a daily basis.

You can teach your children good values. Begin by modelling behaviour so you can be a good example. Teach your children to be a good son or daughter, a good friend, a good student, and a good person. If you continue to expect the best from your children, they will do their best to live up to your expectations.

Happy reading!

Teaching Family Values

Parents need to stand united

The two most important people in the world to FIVE are Mom and Dad. He loves you equally but he responds to each of you differently. He appears to “love” Mom more, but “respects” dad more. He might— infrequently—get angry and call Mom a “bad” name, but he would never respond to Dad in that manner.

Perhaps the role each parent assumed in caring for the family has caused FIVE to feel this way. Usually Mom meets his physical needs and Dad does “hard things” with lawnmowers, plumbing and the like.

When there is a crisis or when he has misbehaved, Kindergartner will run to Mom for comfort and understanding. But what if Dad has a different opinion about the situation and there’s an argument? This will make FIVE confused and scared. The two people he depends on most are acting like they don’t love each other. He will also become aware that this difference in opinion may be a tool he can use to divert attention away from his act and cause a controversy.

Instead of fighting in front of FIVE, say to him, “Mom/Dad and I have to discuss this. Leave us alone until we call you.” Then have an adults-only discussion. Make a decision, then a calm announcement about the consequences of his action. Parents need to be unified and consistent. These are two of the best gifts you can give FIVE.

A good time to teach family values

Kindergartners who are still five years old usually have strong feelings for family. They like the idea, they like to use the word, and they often talk about “my family.” During the sixth year there is not much reference to family. She still likes the idea, but she is becoming so self-centered that “I, me, and mine” dominate her thoughts and her language. However, she is able to compare her family with others—and does so.

Therefore, during the first months of Kindergarten—while the concept of family is of utmost importance—is a good time to explain some “family rules.” When a specific behaviour does not meet the standards, say, “Our family doesn’t believe that...” FIVEs will like this. They want to conform. They want supervision and direction. Kindergarten sixes will respond slowly—on demand—but in time carry out the “rule” as if it were their idea to do so.

The “family rules” you make now will create a “credo” for your children to use later on.

Bad and good are serious words

Kindergartners are very concerned about being called “bad.” This is worse than a spanking to them. If, for example, you are saying, “Our family doesn’t believe in taking things that are not ours” (and five-year-olds often do this), remember to make these ideas very clear:

The act is bad; you are not. I don’t like the act, but I love you.

You will create a suspicion in FIVE that indeed she is bad by asking “Why? Why did you do it?” Not only what you say but also your facial expression and tone of voice can make her think she is bad. So, monitor your face and voice during such sessions and keep them short and simple.

GREAT TEACHERS

Good teachers impart good education. Ordinary teachers direct us along the right path.  Great teachers groom their students to become leaders.  They inspire us to seek our own path and encourage us to discover our talents.

Leading a child to learning's treasures, gives a teacher untold pleasures.  Teachers don't impact for a year, but for a lifetime.

Anonymous