News / Nunn Road / 2006 / August 2006 (E58)

Dear parents,

I was grateful that the sky turned clear after a few hazy days and it didn’t rain on the Lantern Festival evening. The children were very excited during that morning. They were happy helping to make the dango and colour paper lanterns. After the children had left, the teachers cooked the dango and decorated the garden with lanterns. The garden became colorful and beautiful after the paper lanterns were hung. I was very happy to see the children with smile on their faces in the evening. My heart melted at their presentation. I hope you enjoyed that evening too. Enclosed with this news letter are photos of the Lantern Festival.

7 parents attended the parents’ meeting held on the evening of 13th July. We shared about the children’s development that we observed and the parents shared from their experience. I was moved that we can discuss issues openly and that helps us to understand their children better. Please refer to the report of the meeting enclosed with this news letter for more information.

Recently, there seems to be a trend about using roller bags among the children. With the increasing number of such bags used, the shelf is very packed now. Some children hardly have a place for their bags. I also noticed that those bags are made with some hard parts like the rollers and handle. I am concerned about the children’s safety as it could be dangerous if a roller bag fell on a child. I have discussed this issue with the children and encouraged them to use just a simple bag which is big enough for their water bottle and a change of clothes. We also encourage children to minimize the usage of plastic bags by reusing them for their dirty cloths, craft works or ‘treasures’ from the garden.

Teacher Tan will start her basic childcare course, conducted by the Social Welfare Department, from 11th August. Teacher Tan will be away on some Wednesdays and Fridays. Another teacher will be seconded to help me on those days.

I am sad to inform you that Aunty Janet, our cook, met with a car accident. She was hospitalized for few days. She did not get bad injury and is now resting at home. We told the children that Aunty Janet can’t come to school because she is sick. The children pray for Aunty Janet every day and wish her quick recovery.

School break is around the corner. Nania will close from 19th August (Saturday). I hope the children will enjoy their holidays. We’ll see them again on 4th September (Monday).

Teacher Thian



Look at these architects -to- be.

Coming events

Bento[Lunch Box] Picnic Day ( 21st September 2006)
The children enjoyed the Bento Day we had in May. We will have another Bento Day this year in September. For the information of parents of new children, please note that your children will make ‘money’ during morning artistic activity time. They will then buy lunch boxes from ‘Aunty Janet’s Restaurant’ and enjoy a picnic in the garden.

Report on Parents’ Meeting

The beautiful purple flowers of the garlic vine, welcomed the parents in the evening. Some parents were absent due to work while some could not get help with babysitting. We started at 7.30p.m after short self introductions.

Teacher Thian shared her observation of the children in the class. The children are close to each other. Big children take on the roles of ‘Big Koko and Big CheChe’, older brother and sister, to help the younger children. The children are learning every single moment. Their play has become more creative and sometimes they explore different themes. They recognize their name and the alphabet through daily activities. At the same time, she was glad to know that parents are keeping in touch and helping each other. Some children visit their friend’s house during weekends.

Parents shared that their children sing a lot at home. Although the parents can’t always identify the language they are singing, they are happy to see the children enjoying themselves. A mother shared that her daughter tried to communicate with a Japanese girl that they had met during their holiday by saying the Japanese grace we recite before meals. Some parents told us that their children ask the family members to recite the grace when they have meal at home.

Parents also shared about their problems at home like sibling quarrels, refusal to come to school, etc. Other parents shared their experiences about handling those issues. We shared that telling story, which related to the issue, is a gentle way to tell them our expectations. Sufficient rest time could affect the children’s moods. A mother came out with the idea of preparing nice breakfast for her son. The parents also shared that the situation changes as the child grows up. A mother told her daughter that Nania is her kingdom and she can have fun.

Teachers are concerned about the influence of cartoons as children learn through imitation. Some cartoon characters with strong and aggressive images harm to the children’s imagination. The influence is so powerful that even a child who has never watched knows about “Power Ranger”. A mother shared that after she had watched “Superman” with her son, she highlighted the good qualities like being friendly and helpful. Teacher Thian said that a mother told her that she previewed movies before she allowed the son to watch them.

Teacher Thian told parents that some children are coming late to the class. We shared about the important of rhythm in daily routine to a child. Children are more settled and have a sense of safety as they know what will be happened next. Although parents are very busy nowadays, we should try our best to have a rhythmic routine for our children. Some practices like waking up and going to bed at the same time, having meals together, story time before bed could be helpful.

Prepared by Teacher Tan