OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF UC MAS MENTAL ARITHMETIC

Guest of Honour : YB Datuk Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture & Environment, Sabah

Venue : City Mall, Jalan Lintas

Date : 22-08-2009

Time : 2.00 p.m.

Speech By Dr. Dino Wong - Founder of UC Mas Mental Arithmetic

Speech by Guest of Honour YB Datuk Masidi

Official Launching of UC Mas Mental Arithmetic

Cutting of Ribbons

Live Demo by students (6 and 9 years old)

1

A view of the function

1

Please visit http://www.ucmas.com/ or call 088-724322 for more details.

August 2009 Newsletter

Greetings Parents / Guardians

Times fly, next week we will be having our 2nd mid-term school break. Thank you parents once again for your confidence in our school by registering your child in the coming academic year 2010. We would like to urge all parents to complete and return the Parents Satisfaction Survey Form to us soonest possible.

The recent rapid changes of weather had caused the outspread of influenza even hard to control and due to the wide spread of H1N1 virus (Swine Flu), temperature measurement will be taken for all children upon arrival at school with immediate effect. As a reminder, children that are sick will be requested to stay at home until full recovery. It was our school responsibility to endeavor in providing a safe learning place for all children and we would like to thank parents for all the cooperation rendered to us to ensure the safety and good health of your children.

A child’s social-emotional development is as important as her brain and physical development. It is her desire to connect with others that motivates her to learn. And her sense of who she is in the world deeply impacts how much and how well she learns, as well as the quality of the relationships she builds with others.

A child’s social-emotional skills drive her to learn to communicate, connect with others, resolve conflict, and cope with challenges. They give her the confidence she needs to reach goals, and the ability to persist in the face of difficulty. Like other important milestones babies and toddlers achieve in the first three years—such as walking and talking—developing social-emotional skills takes times, practice, and lots of patience from parents and caregivers. Unlike learning to walk and talk, however, social-emotional skills are not as easy to see. But when we learn to read our child’s cues in order to understand what she may be thinking and feeling, we are supporting her healthy development in all areas, including her social-emotional skills.

Recognition of early social and emotional problems in toddlers and preschool children is necessary in achieving the best developmental outcomes. Social and emotional difficulties persist over time and are very resistant to change. If left untreated, early-onset conduct problems (aggression, rebellion, oppositional behaviors and emotional disturbances) place children at high risk for frequent social and emotional difficulties, under achievement, school dropout, and finally delinquency. I believe the article below provides some ideas that can help.

Happy reading!

Helping Your Child – Social & Emotional Preparation
By Early On Michigan

Children start school with different degrees of social and emotional maturity. These skills take time and practice to learn. Give your child opportunities at home to begin to develop the following positive qualities:

• CONFIDENCE—Children must feel good about themselves and believe they can succeed. Confident children are more willing to attempt new tasks—and try again if they don’t succeed on the first try.
• INDEPENDENCE—Children must learn to do things for themselves.
• MOTIVATION—Children must want to learn.
• CURIOSITY—Children are naturally curious and must remain so to get the most of our learning opportunities.
• PERSISTENCE—Children must learn to finish what they start.
• COOPERATION—Children must be able to get along with others and learn to share and take turns.
• SELF-CONTROL—Children must learn that there are good and bad ways to express anger. They must understand that some behaviours, such as hitting, pinching, kicking, or biting, are not acceptable.
• EMPATHY—Children must have an interest in others and understand how others feel.

How can I help my child develop these qualities?

Show your child that you care about him and that you are dependable. Children who feel loved are more likely to be confident. Your child must believe that, no matter what, someone will look out for him. Give your baby or toddler plenty of attention, encouragement, hugs, and lap time.

Set a good example. Children imitate what they see others do and what they hear others say. When you exercise and eat nourishing food, your child is more likely to do so as well. When you treat others with respect, your child probably will, too. If you share things with others, your child will learn to be thoughtful of others’ feelings.

Provide opportunities for repetition. It takes practice for a child to crawl, pronounce new words or drink from a cup. Your child doesn’t get bored when she repeats things. Instead, by repeating things until she learns them, your child builds the confidence she needs to try new things.

Use appropriate discipline. All children need to have limits set for them. Children whose parents give them firm but loving discipline generally develop better social skills and do better in school than do children whose parents set too few or too many limits. Here are some ideas:

• Direct your child’s activities, but don’t be too bossy.
• Give reasons when you ask your child to do something. Say, for example, “Please move your doll from the floor so that no one trips over it” - not, “Move it because I said to.”
• Listen to your children to find out how they feel and whether they need special support.
• Show love and respect when you are angry with your child. Criticize your child’s behaviour but not the child. Say, for example, “I love you, but it’s not okay for you to draw on the walls. I get angry when you do that.”
• Help your child make choices and work out problems.
• Be positive and encouraging. Praise your child for a job well done. Smiles and encouragement for good behaviour go much further to shape good behaviour than harsh punishment.

Let your child do many things by herself. Young children need to be watched closely. However, they learn to be independent and to develop confidence by doing tasks such as dressing themselves and putting their toys away. It’s important to let your child make choices, rather than deciding everything for her.

Encourage your child to play with other children and to be with adults who are not family members. Preschoolers need social opportunities to learn to see the point of view of others. Young children are more likely to get along with teachers and classmates if they have had experiences with different adults and children.

Show a positive attitude toward learning and toward school. Children come into this world with a powerful need to discover and to explore. If your child is to keep her curiosity, you need to encourage it. Showing enthusiasm for what your child does helps to make her proud of her achievements.

Children also become excited about starting school when their parents show excitement about this big step. As your child gets ready to enter kindergarten, talk to him about school. Talk about the exciting things that he will do in school, such as making art projects, singing and playing games. Be enthusiastic as you describe all of the important things that he will learn from his teacher—how to read, how to count and how to write his own name.

School Open Day & Registration 2010

11th August 2009


To All Parents / Guardians

We are pleased to inform that the School Open Day will be held on 15th August 2009 (Saturday) from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

As the School has opened for new registration for the academic year 2010, we would appreciate your kind support in promoting our school to your friends, colleagues, relatives and acquaintances who have young children of ages 3 to 6. This will enable them to find out more about our New Zealand Early Childhood Education learning programme in teaching and building young children to be high achievers with good characters.

With your kind and good recommendation, we believe our school would continue to develop to greater heights, to serve the local community.

Once again, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous support towards our school. Please feel free to contact the undersigned should you require any additional information.

The Best Way to Teach Kids to Read

By Liza McFadden

I’m a mom of two young students and work faithfully to nurture their joy of reading. While I read to them every night, though, it seems I’ve missed a few tricks as to the best way to teach reading.

1

The National Institute for Literacy recently released its Early Literacy Report. For parents like me, interested in helping their children to be super-ready for school, I’ve taken this report and created from it a short to-do list about how to play with words.

1

Knowing letters

Researchers call it “alphabet knowledge.” I think of it as if my kids were wearing superhero costumes while becoming “masters of the alphabet.” Their job: to learn the name of every letter and the sound each letter makes. My job: to switch on the TV closed-caption option so words are part of their every TV experience; to point to the beginning letter of words and say the sound of the letter.

1

Sensitive hearing

It’s critical that children truly hear the sounds in words and play with them. The findings say super-ready kids have “phonological awareness,” which means they have supersensitive hearing. So we read fun poetry like Dr. Seuss books, and sing songs such as “Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands,” where children clap to syllables.

1

Instant recognition

By age 5, super-ready kids must be able to identify letters, numbers, colors, and objects in rapid and random order. So it’s not just knowing the numbers one to 10 in order; it’s important to recognize them quickly in any order.

1

Writing it down

Super-ready kids must wield powerful pencils. While most of us spend lots of time reading bedtime stories, I’m not sure we’ve been as conscientious about writing skills. Specifically, at age 5 a child should be able to write his own name and write any letters that are called out. Try having your child write her name in all her books.

1

Telling stories

Researchers call it developing a child’s “phonological memory.” It means super-ready kids have great recall; we know how they love to retell their favorite stories. Encourage your child to be a storyteller.

1

Previous reading research suggested parents read to their kids 20 minutes a day. If you’ve been doing this, you’re ahead of the curve. But the takeaway here is that reading by itself is only one part of the equation. With a little more effort, we can enhance what and how our children learn and make the process more fun.

7 Surprising Benefits of Music Education

By Abigail Connors

Listen to the singing, the laughing, and the shouting; the jumping, stomping, and clapping; the exuberant thumping of drums, the rhythmic rattling of maracas, and the festive jingling of bells. Listen to children making music, and it’s easy to hear they’re having fun.

1

What’s not so obvious is that while children are singing and clapping, jumping and wiggling, and shaking and tapping on instruments, there’s a whole lot of learning—and growing—going on.

1

Children, unlike adults, learn primarily through sound. They naturally focus attention more easily on sound than on visual stimuli. The rhythmic sound of music, in particular, captures and holds children’s attention like nothing else, and makes it a valuable learning tool.

1

Music education increases children’s intelligence, academic success, social skills, and even physical fitness, in ways that may surprise you.

1

BRAIN CELLS SING

1

Music activities boost brainpower. Numerous studies have shown that participating in musical activities can increase children’s success in school, I.Q. scores, and cognitive skills such as reasoning and memory.

1

In fact, playing and listening to music promote healthy brain development. “Nothing activates as many areas of the brain as music,” says researcher Donald Hodges, Covington Distinguished Professor of Music Education and director of the Music Research Institute at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

1

Music leads to literacy skills. Since music training supports the brain’s ability to process sights and sounds, it may help support emergent literacy skills. Earlier this year, researchers at Long Island University found that music instruction over a three-year period increased children’s vocabulary and verbal sequencing ability—key components in the acquisition of reading and language skills. Since children are naturally drawn to musical activities, music education may be a uniquely effective way to help develop their reading ability.

1

Another plus: Music adds to children’s understanding of math. Music is based on mathematical principles and proportions. When young children sing even the simplest songs, they absorb elements of math—repeated, measured patterns of tones, rhythms, and words—without realizing it.Several studies have confirmed this link. “When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions, and proportions,” says Professor Gordon Shaw at the University of California, Irvine, after his study of 7-year-olds in Los Angeles. Increased mathematical reasoning was particularly pronounced in children who received piano instruction.

1

Music helps children live in harmony with others. Making music together builds bonds of trust and communication, and strengthens the feeling of belonging in a group. And music activities are so much fun that children are motivated to behave appropriately to join in. As children sing, move, and play instruments together, they practice social skills like taking turns, respecting others’ boundaries, and listening to others’ ideas in a relaxed, playful setting. All are vital for emotional well-being and academic success.

1

Music is active. Kids love to move to music—to march, tiptoe, stretch, stomp, wave their arms, jump, clap, or just dance to the beat. Research suggests that children who are physically active in school are more likely to be physically active at home. Moving to music (a great rainy day pastime) keeps children fit and thus helps prevent childhood obesity.

1

RAISE YOUR VOICE

1

Singing helps children stay strong. Professor Graham Welch of the University of London, who has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years, says, “Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the bloodstream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting.” And, he adds, “Singing reduces stress levels through the action of the endocrine system, which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being.” When children sing in music class, they’re not only having fun, they’re getting a physical workout and reducing stress too!

1

Music supports self-expression. There’s no right or wrong way to shake maracas or tap a tambourine. There are no rules to follow or complex directions to understand. This is why music education is especially important for English-learning students and special-needs students, who can fully participate in the universal language of music. Music gives children the freedom to think, imagine, and create. The joy of expressing one’s individuality supports every aspect of learning and makes every day more meaningful and fun.

1

Every child needs and deserves the joy of music and the intellectual and physical advantages of a full music-education program. With new research continually adding to the list of its learning and health benefits, music education sounds better and better.

Choosing a Preschool

by National Association for the Education of Young Children Source

Even before kindergarten, parents should be aware of ways to make the most of learning opportunities for their young children. One important choice for many families in their child's early years involves preschool or child care.

The first years of a child's life are a crucial development period, and children who are nurtured and stimulated during these years are much more prepared for formal reading and math and are more likely to have the social skills they will need when it's time for kindergarten. Parents are a child's first teachers, but early childhood education programs are also important, especially with the growing number of families with one parent, and families where both parents work full-time.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has approved new Early Childhood Program Standards that outline what NAEYC believes every child care, preschool and other early childhood education programs should provide to nurture the learning and development of young children. These standards can be used as a guideline by parents to determine the quality of a preschool or child care program.

As the leading organization of early childhood educators, NAEYC established an accreditation system in 1985 to raise the quality of early childhood education and help families identify good preschool and child care programs. To earn NAEYC accreditation, programs must meet national performance standards of quality that go beyond most state health and safety licensing requirements. Teachers and staff in these programs receive ongoing training, and the programs are observed by independent, professional experts, and reviewed by a national accreditation panel.

To find a NAEYC-accredited child care or preschool program in your area, click on "Accredited Program Search" on the NAEYC Website at http://naeyc.org/accreditation/search/. Local child care resource and referral agencies are also good sources. To find one in your area, check http://www.childcareaware.org/.

.

Preschool and child care programs should focus on children. When visiting:
1. Watch to see that children interact with other children and adults, so they can build healthy relationships.

2. Ask about the curriculum, which should include a variety of activities appropriate for the children's ages and needs.

Preschool and child care programs should have qualified staff:
1. The staff should have the educational background to promote your child's learning and development. Ask what degrees and training teachers have.

2. Ask how long teachers and staff have been with the program. Teachers that stay in the program longer are more able to focus their attention on the children and establish bonds with them.

Preschool and child care programs should build relationships with families:
1. Program staff should work with families to meet their child's needs. Ask how information and concerns are communicated between staff and families.
2. Check that the program's policies allow families to visit their child during the program day.

Preschool and child care programs should be well-run:
1. Check that the program is licensed by the state. The facilities need to be age-appropriate and well maintained, both indoors and outdoors.
2. Check whether the program has policies and practices to help keep children safe from preventable illness and injury.
3. Ask about the child-to-teacher ratio, which helps determine how much individual attention your child will get. For example, there should be at least one adult for every ten 4-year-olds.

Evaluating a program based on these standards will help you choose a high-quality program for your child that will allow them to get a great start on learning.