Exams Fever "NOT"

Exams season and what have I done to prepare Denise for her SA1?

Hmm.... should I be proud that I have not done much... :p With the recent buzz on the media about Primary School standard, I am just hoping that the concerns raised would be addressed as soon as possible (hopefully not in 5 to 10 years)

She was on MC on the day before a 3-days consecutive exams week. Just nice to do some last-minute revisions at home.

All the best to Denise for her first examinations!

Going back to school :(

Going back to school is very sad. I was a little nervous and a little excited to go to school. Nervous because I'm scared that I may have a fierce teacher, excited because I will meet my best friends and make new friends. But my mum and dad prayed for me so I feel better already.

Debbie is excited for school because her teacher said that she has a lot of presents in her cubby hole. Debbie is not nervous at all :)

Teacher's Day

Part of celebrating Teacher's Day in Pat's Schoolhouse, is to encourage parents to relief the teachers from teaching. You can do anything within that hour slot. I "thought" it would be quite fun and got myself into trouble.

First of all, I wanted to do balloon sculptures for the children but it was out of stock! I didn't have time to shop around as I left the buying till the night before. Last minute, I decided to do simple cookery. Use cookie moulds to cut out funny bread shapes, spread chocolate sauce all over it and eat it! How simple right? WRONG! Thank God my littlle helper, Ms Denise, was with me. She turned out to be that extra pair of hands that I badly needed. I forgot that these were 3 years old and there were 12 of them!!!

The parents before me did English story-telling. A granny after me did Chinese story-telling, and she was GOOD! So my choice of simple cookery and balloon sculpturing turned out to be quite a good choice :)

I couldn't get the usual better brand so I settled for something less from N*UC :p Burst a few... You can see that I tried very hard to make the children keep quiet.

Finally, I was just SO GLAD that the hour was up! I appreciate ALL preschool teachers! Tough job you have!!!

Primary 1 Dance Presentation

Every Thursday, from 1.50-3.50 p.m., Denise stays in school for Programme for Active Learning (PAL). This program exposes the child to various activities like different type of dance or sports. It will prepare them as they choose their CCA later.

Term 3, Denise did dance. After learning the different types of dance, parents were invited to attend a Dance Presentation by the students.

Parents started streaming in at 8.30a.m. Finally we were ushered into the hall at 8.45a.m. I spotted Denise!

The day before, she refused to show us the dance. It was supposed to be a secret! But she told us that she will be standing in front; leading the class :) They did a jazz dance; accompanied by a song from Camp Rock. Her teachers commented that she was very good. I fall short in telling them that she already had a few public performance under her belt :0 Thanks to exposure from CHC Children's Church and Pat's Schoolhouse!

National Day Performance

The School was a sea of red when we arrived in the morning. Debbie was super sticky to me and I was worried that she was not going to perform. But when it was her class' turn to go on stage, she was all ready!

Some people say that she looks like her teacher Ms Mayce :)

Debbie's all-time favourite activity is face-painting. As usual, Ms Serene makes sure she leaves a "print" on her face :)

After the carnival, we were invited to their class to view their Art and Craft.

The teachers also led us in some games. It was a time of curriculum introduction. We enjoyed ourselves and thanks to all the teachers for making this celebration a fun one!

P1 Sports Day

Sorry guys! I have been extremely busy.... Busy with work, busy with packing and preparing to shift, busy because the children are having their school holidays... So let me keep this short and simple.

Denise's Games Day in school took place on the last day of Term 1. The entire school hall was converted into a Sports Hall. The children represented their Houses in simple circuit games designed by the teachers. The atmosphere was "high" as the House took turns to cheer their house-mates...:)

Denise belongs to Olson House and her team-1J came in FIRST for her game. Her House "Olson" was overall 2nd :)

Perhaps she got some sports genes from her parents... Haha!

Adjusting To New Environment

DENISE

Denise is doing well in school. She is self-motivated and I have no problem in getting her to complete her daily homework. Initially I was concerned for her Spelling but thus far she has been scoring full marks... Cham! The kiasu-parents symptoms are showing!

She was appointed as the Class Monitress. We asked if she volunteered herself :p But she said her form teacher was the one that selected her...:) She has to give commands for the class to "stand" and helped the teacher marked class attendance during assembly etc. When I met her form teacher, Mrs Ong during the Parent Meet Teacher Session, she commented that Denise is very helpful. She will even help to sweep the floor when the floor is dirty! I remember Denise telling us that she wants to be a helpful person this year; think it is coming to pass!

Last week, she was also appointed as the 小老师in class. Her responsibilities include helping the weaker students with their homework. I think she is really enjoying school...:)

DEBBIE

Debbie, on the hand, has been crying in school...:( The week break she had because of the family funeral must have disrupted her schedule. She is still excited to go to school every morning. In fact, when I told her we are going to Pat's Schoolhouse, she will be very excited. But the moment I drop her in class, she will start crying. Debbie is already "famous" for being Denise's younger sister, but now she is also known as the "crying" one in school...:p

This morning, when I dropped her, Denise's former teacher, Ms Wendy was there. She was, as usual, so sweet... She carried Debbie and brought her to the playground to distract and calm her down. I heard the school principal, Ms Ada, even brought Debbie to Denise's former classroom to familiarise her with the new environment... Thank God for loving and caring teachers...:)

New Schedule for 2010

This year is a milestone for both Denise and Debbie. Denise starts P1 in FMS(P) and Debbie starts Playgroup in Pat's Schoolhouse.

Thus far, it has been easy getting Denise to wake up at 6.45 a.m. every morning. I will drive her to school and stay for the Morning Devotion. I will stay to at least hear the verse for the week so that I can remind her what she has learnt in school.

This is how her Morning Assembly looks like. I will drop her off and she will settle down for her Silent Reading. Every Tuesday, she will assemble in the school hall for Chapel.

For the first 2 weeks, all P1s have a P4 buddy who will help take care of them during recess time. I found out that Phoebe takes the public bus to school. Maybe by the time Denise is in P4 she can takes the public bus on her own too... (provided I feel assured of her safety...:p)

It has been easy dropping Debbie in school too! On the first day, she just waved "bye" and went to the Music Room with the teacher. On the second day, she did not even wait for the teacher, she went into the Music Room on her own. On the third day, the Chinese teacher commented that she is the happiest child in class...:)


Well, this also spells the beginning of a new schedule for me. I have to wake up at 6.30 a.m. every weekday morning for the next 10 years!!! (till Debbie graduates from Fairfield)

Cultural Week

Denise learnt about different cultures in school. They had to wear either a Chinese or Indian costume to school. I managed to borrow a set from her classmate from India...:) I like the blue on her skin...

Nov 27 - Denise's K2 Graduation

One of the greatest moments in Denise's life so far... Pat's Schoolhouse K2 Graduation has always been held in Raffles Hotel; Jubilee Hall. The tradition is that the students will put up an English and Chinese musical. Like all the proud parents there, we were filled with so much excitement!

Everyone was ready with their cameras and video cam. There were much hype and excitement in the air while the parents waited to enter the Hall.

The ceremony started with the Graduation March and an Opening Song item. It is a tradition that they will sing "We The Children". It is a very touching song; talking about "we the children are golden, we shine like stars in the night..." A few mothers were tearing at this moment... After the song, Mrs Patricia Koh, the Founder of Pat's Schoolhouse, presented every child with their Graduation Ring! It is a silver ring with their names engraved on it...

The concert started with the Chinese performance. The amazing 6 year olds had to sing, dance and act! Here, Denise was one of the villagers kids. She had a few solo lines.

3 centers; Halifax, Buckley and Siglap combined for this concert. It was amazing how the teachers improvised the script and songs, and cheoreograhed the dance moves. I heard the props was designed by one of the teachers too!

The English musical was abstracted from "The Little Prince".

Denise had 2 roles here... A Flower and an One-eyed monster of a planet...:)

Again, the children sang, danced and acted... They put up an awesome performance. The best part was no one single child stole the limelight. Everyone was given an equal chance to shine and had their moments!

The teachers must have felt the most relieved and satisfied during the last curtain call! A few months of hard work.... Finally it's over!

After the concert, parents were busy taking photos of their children. Managed to take pictures of Denise with her teachers...

It was already 10.30p.m. but the children insisted that they wanted to go for "supper" together. Well, we brought them to McDonalds at Bras Basah! It was a crazy sight! They were eating and singing at the top of their voice!

One of the best thing that happened to me after sending Denise to Pat's is that I made a group of mummy friends...:) They are one of the greatest mums around. We look forward to every kid's party where the mothers will just hang out and catch up with each other. We will plan for Teachers Day event for their teachers and often think of ways for the children to have fun. Even before the graduation, we are already planning for a March get-together next year!

With sadness and excitement, this graduation closes a chapter of Denise's life... And opens her to another milestone... She started school when she was 2.5 years old. It has never been a problem for her to adapt to any new environment. I look forward to her starting her Primary Education in FMS(P)...:)

Denise's P1 Orientation

Last Saturday was Denise's P1 Orientation at FMS(P). I did not realise that the school has changed their name from FMPS to FMS(P)...

The parents attended a briefing by the Principal and Vice-Principal at the School Hall. After which, we were being ushered to a classroom for some administrative matters. We had to fill up 8 forms!!! One father commented that it felt like taking examinations again...:p

The children assembled in the school canteen. They went to their classrooms and met their form teachers. Denise told me that she did an English and Maths worksheet in class. Asked her if she can do them; she said Yes. Asked her if she got them all right; she said not sure... Haha... Is the kiasu-syndrome coming out from me already?

I fetched Denise from her class after filling up all the forms! She had already gone for a tour around the school compound and wanted to bring me to her favourite spot!

It is a "walk-in" aquarium!

We had lunch in the canteen (an opportunity to check out the quality of the food). Nasi Lemak and Mee Rebus at $1 each; Sushi - 4 pcs for 60cts... Edible; but not exactly fantastic... Well, what am I expecting? :)

Before we left, we settled Denise's busing and visited the FILA booth. Wanted to buy school shoes for her but the velcro type is SOLD OUT for her size. Well, buy another day then...:)

Exciting day! Looking forward to her first day in FMS(P) next year... Whoo! Whoo!

In preparation for the Read for Record event in school, Denise and her classmates were asked to draw a caterpillar. These art and crafts were on display in school this week.

Most parents will recognize this book. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a common recommended book for preschoolers. The school wanted to mobilise all their students to read the book at the same time.

Parents can also make a donation to the "I Love Children" organization.

When I went to school, I saw this row of interested things... The children are to form a caterpillar using the red cherries and green grapes. The teachers are so creative!

First Night Without Mummy...(Denise)

Took some photos when I dropped Denise in school this evening. Every child was given a camp T-shirt. It reads "Ever camped overnight at your school?" How cool!

This is NOT what they are sleeping in tonight...:) Its just a tent set up at the compound; probably a props for the campfire. Haha... The children will be sleeping comfortably in the air-conditioned Music Room...:)

The children were split up into groups. They had to come up with their own group cheer and group banner...:) Reminds me of my school days in RVHS where we had to come up with our own cheers and banner for school Sports Day...:p Can you imagine Denise is already experiencing all these in K2? How fun!

See how excited the children are! Here, a photo taken with one of the teachers in her team.

Confidence Camp 2009 - Celebrate Friendship! This will definitely goes down Denise's memory lane! As for me, I am missing my princess already... Looking forward to picking her at 9am tomorrow...:)

K2 Confidence Camp

Today is THE day!

Denise is camping overnight in school... Tonight will be the FIRST night she, or rather I will be sleeping without her...:p

Every year, the school will organize an overnight camp for the K2 before their graduation. I heard that 1 of her classmates is having panic attacks. She has been crying and most likely her parents will bring her home during bedtime.

My princess? Aiyo...she is SUPER-exicted! Can't wait for today to come. School will start at 4pm and camp will break at 9am on Saturday! There will be campfire and part of the program is to celebrate Mid-Autumn by going for a night walk at Kampong Java Park, located just opposite the school, with their lanterns...

Looking forward to more stories and photos when she comes back tomorrow...:)

Selecting A School For Your Child

Where should I begin? My choice of Primary School for Denise is limited to Queenstown area because we wanted to stay near my in-laws as we foresee that we will need their help when Denise goes to Primary 1.

We have always liked Dover; quiet, small and assessible (as compared to Jurong...:p). So our Primary School choice was narrowed to just Fairfield Methodist Primary School. Cut the long story short: We managed to enrol her into FMPS without balloting for Phase 2C...:) (balloting was conducted for those staying 1-2km from school)

This morning, one colleague asked me, "I have flashes of memory; seeing Denise in Fairfield uniform before..."

Haha....yes! Yes! Yes! Last November, I needed to borrow a set of school uniform for Denise's performance at Asia Conference 2008. I managed to borrow a set of FMPS uniform from a friend's friend! Talking about visualization and confession! For those planning for schools... It works!

K2 Graduation Photo-taking

Last Thursday, Denise had to wake up at 7am to reach school at 730am for her K2 Graduation Photo-taking. The teachers were already busy dressing up the children when we arrived. All the boys were in white shirts and white pants, with red bow-tie and cumber belts. The girls were all in white dresses...:) i.e. the traditional outfit for Pat's Schoolhouse K2 graduating students. A beautiful sight!

After getting ready, it was some "kodak-moments" with her classmates and teachers.

We walked to Kampong Java Park for the photoshoot. There were a few standard shots they had to take. Throwing their scrolls...

Group photo with her teachers and principal.

Caught a closed-up shot of Denise...:)

Wactch out this space for more events lining up to her graduation...:)