News / Nunn Road / 2024 / September 2024

Dear parents,

Right before our short break, we celebrated our Mooncake Festival at Nania, also known as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the days leading up to the Mooncake festival, the children picked butterfly pea flowers from the garden during playtime. They gave the blue flowers to Auntie Janet, who washed and set them aside. The day before the celebration, the children gathered in the kitchen to watch Auntie Janet prepare the food dye for the mooncake skins. The butterfly pea flowers were pressed with water to produce a blue dye, while pandan leaves were pressed to create a green one. The children were thrilled to be part of the process.

The children spent several mornings colouring and making their paper lanterns. The 5- and 6-year-olds used their nimble fingers to make the strings for the lanterns handles. Some of them even helped the younger children with theirs. The children love helping each other with crafts like these!

On the morning of the celebration, the children made their own mooncakes to take home. The teachers distributed the dough for the ‘skin’ and the lotus paste, which was mixed with watermelon seeds. The children flattened the dough with their hands, placed the lotus paste in the center, and wrapped the skin around the paste, rolling the whole thing back into a ball. Finally, they pressed the ball of mooncake into a mould until it fit perfectly. The moulds were then placed in the fridge to set. The children chatted excitedly about sharing the mooncakes with their family.

During the snack time, all the children and teachers gathered in the dining hall. Teacher Ang, Teacher Emi and Auntie Janet shared a story about the meaning behind the celebration: the roundness of the moon symbolizes the unity of families that come together on this special day. After that, we sang the Mooncake Festival song together before enjoying the mooncakes that the teachers had made the day before.

In the afternoon, the children packed their beautifully made mooncakes in boxes to be brought home, along with their colourful lanterns. During Story Time, Teacher Ang told them the legend of Hou Yi and Chang Er.

Now, the children are practicing songs and poems for the upcoming Harvest Festival. Some have already mastered the words and movements, while the younger children look at their older koko and jiejie for guidance. Parents are invited to join us on this special day to watch the fruits of their practice and enjoy a puppet show put on by the teachers.

We are excited to announce our upcoming Parents’ Evening on Friday, the 18th of October, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.. This will be a great opportunity for parents to connect with one another and with teachers to share insights about your child/children. We warmly invite all fathers and mothers to join us on this special evening of sharing and discussion. Please note that no childcare will be provided during the  session. We look forward to seeing you there!

October 2024 Activities

4th (Fri) Harvest Festival

8th (Tue)Yu Yang’s4th Birthday Celebration

18th (Fri) Bento Day

24th (Thu)Xin Thong’s3rd Birthday Celebration

29th (Tue) Deepavali Celebration

30, 31 & 1Break for Deepavali Public Holiday

Other Activities

3rd (Thu)Cleaning Day (For Children)

10th (Fri)Pool Day

18^th (Fri)Parents’ Evening (7:00pm - 8:30pm)

25th (Fri)Craft Circle [T-shirt Painting> (4:00pm - 5:30pm)

Harvest Festival (Friday, 4th October, 2024)

In Nania, we celebrate the Harvest Festival to thank Mother Nature for the sun, rain, and wind.  

Through poems and songs, children express their gratitude for the food on their plates, the hardworking farmers who grow the crops, and their parents who lovingly prepare meals for them. The poems and songs illustrate how food is grown, using the carrot as an example: a farmer sows the seed, and with Mother Nature’s help, it grows into a carrot. The farmer then harvests the carrot by pulling it from the ground, and the parents turn it into a delicious meal for the children.

We invite all the parents to join us on Friday, the 4th of October. Kindly be punctual. A program list for the day is attached in this Newsletter.

Deepavali (Tuesday, 29th October, 2024)

Deepavali, also known as Divali, is a Hindu festival of lights. It symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

During the festival, celebrants light up their homes, temples and workspaces with diyas (oil lamps), candles and lanterns. Deepavali is also celebrated with fireworks and the decoration of floors with Rangoli designs. The festival serves as an annual homecoming and bonding period, not only for families but also for communities.

At Nania, Teacher Punitha will teach the children a traditional song and dance to perform on the day of the celebration. Afterwards, they will enjoy some Murukku and listen to Teacher Punitha as she tells them a story. Children will be given Rangoli patterns to decorate before bringing them home on the day of the celebration.

Celebrating the festival of lights gives us inner strength. The lights bring hope, and the storiesshared nourish our souls, helping us face life’s challenges with the inner light in our hearts.

Children are encouraged to wear traditional Indian attire for the celebration.