News / Nunn Road / 2008 / June 2008 (E80)

Dear parents,

During our school holidays, the teachers went to Shah Alam, Selangor to visit a Waldorf-inspired kindergarten. The kindergarten, Pusat Jagaan Kelip-Kelip is run by Teacher David, who completed his studies in the Melbourne Rudolf Steiner Training College.  I was very moved by his initiative and amazed by his creation. He showed us around the premises and shared his sad and happy moments with us. Later, we continue our trip to Malacca. We had an enjoyable time there. We also got to know more about each other.

When the children came back after the break, Nania was again filled with their laughter and energy. We were very happy to have them back again.

On 12th June, we did a fire drill with the children. As soon as we heard the sound of the siren, I told the children to leave everything behind and quickly gather at the mound in the garden. The children followed my instructions and without delay, they came out from the classroom. After we gather at the mound, Uncle Ong brought the fire extinguisher and explained to the children how it helps to put out the fire. After the drill, some children showed their concern by asking whether there was something damaged by the fire.

We enjoyed the Bento Day in our garden last week. The children had prepared their wallet and they made money on that morning. When the rain fell during our outside play time, the children were worried that the picnic might be called off. We were so lucky that the rain stopped just before lunch time.

The children are now practicing songs and poems for the Lantern Festival. The children have also started to prepare their lanterns using their painting paper. Please mark the date, 18th July (Friday), in your calendar. I wish to meet all of you on that evening.

I have noticed that some parents have to wait for their children who still want to play in the garden during pick-up time. Therefore, I had a class discussion with the children and explained to them they can play in the garden during outside play time. I encouraged them to go home with parents whenever they come for them. We also encouraged them to hold their parents’ hands when they exit from the gate for safety reasons.

A new assistant teacher, Teacher Jessie, will join us next month. She was a teacher in another kindergarten for 3 years.

Chia Zheng and Chia Yui’s mother, Swee Kian, a proponent of Waldolf Education, took the initiative to provide after school care to her son and friends. The class started on 16th June. There are currently 4 children in the class. They are here in Nania from 1pm to 6pm. She wishes to provide the children with creative and artistic learning so that the children can learn by their own will.

We also share our space with some Down’s syndrome children. It is a co-organized play group for the children and their families organized by the Penang Down’s Syndrome Association (PDSA), Asian Community Service (ACS) and Taska Nania. They meet on every third Saturday each month in Nania.

Teacher Thian

Coming Events

Tanabata Celebration (Friday 4th July 2008)
This is the day of the year, according to a Chinese and Japanese folktale, when the Weaver Princes and the Cowherd can meet across the Milky Way to renew their love for each other. The children will make Tanzaku for this celebration. Tanzuka and other ornaments are hung on a bamboo branch during tanabata and placed in the house as a way of entreating better things to come.

Lantern Festival (Friday 18th July 2008)
On that day, the children will be going home early (after lunch at 12:15pm). Later, they will come back to Nania for the Lantern Festival with their parents and siblings after dinner at 6.15pm. Enclosed with this news letter are the details and a song sheet for the festival.

About the Lantern Festival Celebration

The Lantern Festival is one of the big festivals we celebrate with parents at Nania.  The Nania Lantern Festival brings together elements from the Chinese Moon Cake Festival and the Japanese Summer Bon Festival.

Bon is one of Japan’s summer festivals and is a time when people make offerings of food and other things to their ancestors and pray for the happiness of their ancestors’ souls in the next world.  It takes place from the 13th to 15th of August, and during this time the folk dance known as Bon Odori can be seen in cities, towns and villages all over Japan.

Moon Cake Festival otherwise known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is the third major festival of the Chinese calendar. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. This festival is also known as the Moon Cake Festival because a special kind of sweet cake prepared in the shape of the moon and filled with sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds and duck eggs is served as a delicacy.

This year we will celebrate the festival on 18th July (Friday). We will celebrate this festival in the evening at Nania’s garden if it does not rain

On the festival day, children will make dango (rice dumpling) in the morning for the evening festival snack.  They will start the evening with songs, a dance and then enjoy the snack they have made themselves. Then, they will do a lantern walk with their handmade lanterns.

At Nania we use candles for story time, birthdays and farewells. Candles, as lights on the Earth, are used to represent the lights in Heaven in our cultural activities. The sight of Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon and Mr. Star fill the children with wonder and awe. As Mr. Candle’s light graces their activity it brings a sense of solemnity and dignity to the children. The lantern walk during the Lantern Festival offers a moment of communion in the children’s hearts between the lights on earth and the lights in the heavens.

The children have painted the paper that they will use to make their lanterns. Parents are encouraged to make lanterns with the children’s siblings for the lantern walk on that night.

(Mothers are kindly requested to help bring along some refreshments for their children after the Bon dance)

Dear parents,

“Learning through play” sound interesting and innovative doesn’t it? The phrase sums up my training at the USM pre-school course I attended in 2003. It inspired me to want to pursue a career in educating the development of children in an artistic and holistic way. For your information, I was formerly a bank branch manager.

Sadly, I was not able to do so at the previous kindergarten I was working. Things have turned out like a dream come true when I stepped into Nania.  The common classroom style of tables and chairs with whiteboard is not present. Instead I see softly decorated rooms with toys lovingly made by hands or collected from nature. At Nania, I see children learning through creative play with friends.  They line up chairs and turn them into a ‘boat’ traveling to different destinations with friends.  They stack up blocks to build a zoo.  They interact and act out roles of doctor/patient, mummy/children, big sister taking care of little brothers or sisters, hawker/customer, etc.

At Nania, I found children who are more environmentally conscious than I am. Children who sing songs to me. Children who assist me willingly when I need their help, and children who show concern when their friends or teacher are not feeling well.

Every day when the little ones go home, we, the teachers have so much to share about them. I miss them during the 1 week break. I am happy for the opportunity to work at Nania. I look forward to learning creatively with the children every day and take on leading the English class when Teacher Thian has her baby.

I am getting to know the children individually with their respective unique characteristic and am interested to also know you parents more, to work together for their development.

Teacher Nora.

Dear Parents,

We have started preparations for the transition of Teacher Thain’s departure as main teacher in the English Class. Currently, teacher Nora is guiding the afternoon big children’s session.  She will take on more active role in leading the class gradually.

To adapt the class graduation with Teacher Thian’s pregnancy, we are moving forward the Class graduation ceremony from 7th November to 10th October 2008, which will also be Teacher Thian’s last working day.  The Harvest festival will be moved from 10th October to 24th October 2008.

I hope these changes will not inconvenience you too much.  Thanking you for your understanding.

Regards
Junko Suzumoto
Principal