News / Nunn Road / 2014 / February 2014

I’m sure you all had wonderful Chinese New Year gatherings and celebrations with your families.  The children came back still in a  festive mood and once in a while they broke out singing the festival’s songs and acting out the dragon dance.

February was hot and humid.  I’m glad that most of the children are well and healthy except for one or two. It is also great to see the new children getting used to the daily class rhythms.  The sooner that they get into the class rhythms, the sooner they are able to play and mingle harmoniously with the rest of the children. 

The moment the children arrive, they unpack their own belongings.  One of the new children took nearly a month to get used to the rhythm of putting his slippers on the shoe rack instead of on the floor which he prefers.  I gave him time to adjust and presto, he has done it!  The children then proceed with the day’s artistic activities before going to play with their friends. I must say that the new ones are amazing in following the rhythms. They can sit down for the morning activities and have recently weaved their painting bags on their own without much assistance. The bag is for the children to bring home their drawings and paintings during the coming term break.

During play time, the new children in the class sometimes disturb the play patterns set by the other children.  As such, we teachers have to play the role of a mediator between them so that everyone can gradually play better together.  Most importantly, we have to constantly encourage the older children to include the new ones in their play. 

When it is time to clear up, the new children do not stop in time and also do not help much clearing up the toys.  On the other hand, the older children have stopped playing and they want to clear up immediately.  When they see the new ones still playing, they would sometimes insist that the new children stop too. These tensions needed sorting out and I observe that things have gradually improved. Now the new ones try to stop when it is time to do so while the rest of the children give them room to improve.

When it is time to do so, the children would sit down in a circle and pray for the well-being of their absent friends.  They also enjoy the letter box time as they get to see the books and craft that their friends have put in the box to share.  We encourage you to let your child bring the craft that you have made together at home (not toys that are bought) to put in the box.

After snacks, we have ring time for some action songs where the children sing and move actively until it is time to run freely in the garden.  I love to see the happiness in their faces when they run and laugh out loud in the garden.

After lunch the younger children play quietly while the 7 big children learn to read and write in another part of the classroom.  Then the capable 5 year-olds clear up after their play.

During story time, the new children try their best to listen attentively. I was glad when one of the mothers shared that her newly joined child has started to tell her the story that he heard in the kindergarten.  Of course it was in bits and pieces but it is progress. I look forward to watching the children grow more and more capable and confident in time. 

Every day the children take turn to say goodbye to ‘Mr candle” and we sing the last song for the day i.e. the goodbye song.  They then hug and say goodbye to us and we will see each other again on another day.

Lastly the plants have sprouted out nicely from the beans that the children threw, gathered and planted during the bean throwing day.  Soon we will have ‘edamame’ to savour.

Teacher Nora