News / Nunn Road / 2018 / September 2018

After our two-week holidays last month, the children were so happy to meet each other again when Nania re-opened. Their words and actions really showed us how much they had missed their teachers and friends. The children told me that they spent their holidays helping parents with house chores like sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, washing the car and frying eggs. Some children made crafts with their parents or went on a holiday trip. I am so glad that the children spent a lot of time with parents. This will surely reduce their time interacting with TV or other electronic media.

Although we are glad that some children bought souvenirs for friends, we also would like to remind you not to bring any presents for the class children except during farewells. We are concerned that the other children or families may feel obliged to give presents or souvenirs because their child received one.

If your child brought any presents for a few special friends, kindly distribute them quietly outside class so that the other children are not upset. Another reminder to parents - please not to let your child bring toys and sweets from home.

I would like to thank all the parents who attended our Teachers and Parents Evening Meeting. It was a fruitful meeting as I got to know all of you more closely. In the meeting, I expressed my gratitude towards all your support for the class teacher transition process. Teacher Ang was my great supporter as well. Without her help, it would not have been so easy for me.

For those who couldn’t attend, I shared with parents that I was moved to see the gentleness of the children at Nania.  There is much improvement in punctuality and the boys have stopped wearing  T-shirts with violence cartoon characters to class. We discussed the influence of Princess Characters on our girls and I discouraged girls from wearing beautiful dresses to school as they might get dirty when they play in the garden. Please help your child to choose comfortable attire that is easy to move in.

Some parents also raised concerns that they can’t stop their children from using the handphones. Many parents share their thoughts and gave ideas on how they solved the problem and keep their children away from TV or electronic devices. A mother who attended workshops also share some parenting ideas with the group. I strongly feel your love for your children. I am sorry that we ran  short of time and was not able to share more about the 6-year-old afternoon literacy hour.

We celebrated our Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon-cake Festival with the children at Nania last week. I hope you enjoyed the mooncakes that children made for you.

In the time leading up to this celebration, the children picked the ‘blue flowers’ in the garden during their playtime to give to Auntie Janet who washed and kept them aside.  The flowers were later processed into blue food dye. At the same time, green food dye was obtained from pandan leaves. 

Two days before celebration, we brought the children to the kitchen to see the food dye making processes carried out by the Auntie Janet. During one of the morning artistic activities, the children made and coloured their own lanterns.  The 5 and 6-year-old children used their nimble fingers to make chain strings for use as handles for the lanterns.

   

On the eve of the celebration, the children rolled the lotus paste into round balls and these were kept in the fridge. On the morning of the celebration, the children gathered in the dining area to make their own moon cakes consisting of 1 blue and 1 green mooncake.

First, they flattened the mooncake skin using their own hands and then placed the lotus paste ball in the middle.  Then, the skin is wrapped round the paste and the mixture is rolled into a ball again.  Lastly, they placed the rounded mixture into a moon-cake mould and pressed it till it fitted perfectly into the mould. The moon-cakes were then placed into the fridge to set. The same process was repeated for the other coloured mooncake.

   

During our snack time, we gathered both classes in the dining hall. We teachers enacted a simple play by acting out the meaning behind this celebration i.e. the roundness of the moon symbolizes the unity of a family when everyone gathers happily together to eat the delicious moon-cakes and to drink tea.

We ended the play with a moon-cake festival song and enjoyed eating the homemade mooncakes with the children. These mooncakes were made a day before by the teachers and they were kept in the fridge to set.

In the afternoon, the big children with the teacher’s help packed the beautifully set mooncakes. When they went home, each child was given a box of mooncakes together with their handmade lantern to take home.

 

Last week, I told the children the legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival. They heard about Hou Yi and Chang Er. Two girls were amazed how Hou Yi could shoot down suns to save people on the earth. I told the children that we can see the shadow of the rabbit which helped Chang Er pound the magic pill in the moon. I also mentioned to children that the “magic oi”l we use for them at Nania is made from herbs that were believed to be grown from the magic pill dust that was scattered by Chang Er from the moon.

The children are practising songs and poems for the coming Harvest Festival. We do this during the morning ring time.  The big children in the class lead the younger ones during practices.

In Nania, we celebrate Harvest Festival to thank Mother Nature for sun, rain and wind.  Through the poems and songs, the children express their gratefulness for the food on their plates and to the farmers who work hard to grow the crops as well as to their parents who lovingly prepare food for them.

We look forward to seeing you and your family on the 5^th of October (Friday).  Please be punctual.

 

                                                                                       Teacher Thian