News / Halaman York / 2018 / March 2018

We welcome back all the children after a week’s term break. We are pleased that they were able to recite their New Life [Easter] poem well and also enjoy the circle time very much as they are looking forward to the New Life celebration.

Some parents wonder how teachers are able to handle so many children in the class. When you join us for your child’s birthday celebration, you can see that our children follow instructions sung by the teachers instead of verbal instructions. There is a song whenever we need them to get ready in a circle, drink water, go to toilet and the list goes on. 

In Nania, the activities are planned with a rhythm of contraction and expansion just like the basic rhythm of our breathing, that is, ‘breathing in and breathing out’.  The artistic activities are the contraction activities. We do not hurry the children while they are doing them and we also try to be as quiet as possible during these times.  Even the more active children have been able to settle down and finish their activities during these times. 

  Expansion activities are when the children start their free and imaginative plays. There is very little need for intervention from us because they are full of imagination and they play well as they move freely around the classroom. Whenever, I see children imitating cartoon characters, I try to steer them away from that play and get them started on more imaginative plays with blocks or some other objects.   

  Another important contraction moment is prayer time when children sit in a circle and pray for the sick children who are absent or even pray for a sick loved one at home. 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. 

When the children have their expansion activities in the garden, they will run and laugh happily with their friends.  Some children step bravely into the sandpit and enjoy their time digging into the sand.  They bake ‘cakes’ with the sand and decorate their cakes with ‘icing sugar’ i.e. the white dry sand that they gathered from the floor-bed outside the sandpit area.  The sight of any child who ventures to walk bare-foot for the first time in the garden gives me pleasure.  These children are like the ‘spring’ that brings freshness to all of us.

  We end the day with story time, a contraction moment. Story time is very important in order for the child to finish the day with an inward peaceful mood. The story and the peaceful mood enriches the child’s soul and creates calmness within them.

Through these daily rhythms, the children become more thoughtful and caring towards their friends.  If someone is crying, they will not laugh at him/her. Instead they but quickly give him/her a hug and provide tissues to wipe away the tears. If someone has a minor accident or anytime they hear someone or some heavy objects fall, they would ask “Are you ok? Are you alright?” while they check to ensure that their friends are alright.

  ‘Spring’ has also come to Nania’s garden.  The sunbird has built a nest and laid eggs.  The vegetable bed in the garden is bearing plenty of vegetables. When we harvested the lady fingers to cook for lunch, most of the children liked it. And soon, we might have sweet corn to eat too!

                                                                                                    Teacher Kerry