(2008/10) Oct 2008

Hi YPG, need to ask u. U are a CL teacher right? Can u tell me how I can do up the character strokes sequence for chinese characters? Are there programmes out there? Thanks
 


Daisybuttons,

Paiseh, was out until now. Artscow took around 2 or 3 weeks to deliver. My 60 pages photobook arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered. Last Sat want to show all of u but too bad I different session so no time.

Also, I used OCBC Platinum card ok but another mummy use OCBC-Robinsons card, cannot. So I think got to depend.

Busybee,

U mean those which teach u chinese character stroke by stroke? HansVision is able to do tat liao. 汉神读写通. U so early going to teach ur bb on writing?
 
Scrapbook
Mummies, I'm imagining Jo throwing a huge fit when she's a teen. She wouldn't understand why every other friend of hers has a scrapbook made by their moms but she doesn't have. She will not be able to understand why her mom is so lazy! And she lives in regret for the rest of her life, not ever owning a scrapbook of her when she was younger. LOL!!!
 
YPG, doing a miniboard book abt her chinese name. Just tot i add in the stroke by stroke part. Cos I have 8 mini pages to fill! hahaha... Not teaching her. My Mandarin is terok. I have to keep referring back to her BC to remember how to right her name!!

Karen, hahaha... that's funny! I just dabble in scrapbooking only not a serious scrapper like some of the mummies here. Tot u jumped on the Artscow bandwagon as well?
 
XY and ypg,thanks! but i order oredi just now and the status said "waitpayment", then a few hours later informed me through email that order not processed yet.I went back to check it said "payment failed". alamak...why huh???
 
Joanne,

8x8" photobooks delivery charges:
20 or 30 pages US$7.99
39/60/80/100 pages US$11.99

If they give u free photobook, actually it means u pay for the shipping fee only.

Karen,

My gal also never has a scrapbook cause her mum can onli do digital photobook. If she want a scrapbook, I will ask her to do it herself but will do it together with her. Think it also more fun ba. Perhaps we can do "My favourites" with her & insist she put our photo for my favourite person. Haha...

Busybee,

I guess u give ur gal a tough Chinese name is it? I think my gal going to hate me cause her Chinese name a lot of strokes.

Daisybuttons,

Another mummy also experienced that, perhaps u never really process ur payment throughout.

She try again with the same CC & it is ok.
 
<font color="aa00aa">Good morning
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<font color="aa00aa">daisybuttons
Agree with you! Altho I told my hubby I will go with wenxuan for the 3 days but then I shall see how the 1st day go. If he is very sticky to me all the time maybe I will tell hubby to go with him for the next 2 days. Last night me and hubby asked him if he wants to go to school, he shook his head again!!! Cham ah! Think he is going to throw tantrum tomorrow le!</font>
 
daisybuttons,
You send Jovann to St. Joseph's kindergarten? It's the kindy that I'm eyeing at for Regina. As much as I wanna home-school her, but I think in order to keep my sanity, I shall send her off for a couple of hours so that I can have time on my own. Haha!

How do you find the school? I have heard good reviews about the Chinese curriculum which is highly important since I can't teach Regina chinese. Is the wait list long? If yes, then I better be KS and go apply now. Haha!
 
ypg,
thanks thanks. thinking of making a photobook for the grandparents. but now i'm counting the days... don't think the photobook would make it in time before i go back. should have started earlier.

daisybuttons,
it's ok. you could join us next time.
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busybee,
My chinese is really bad too and I also have to keep looking at her BC to see how to write the 'rui'. The character is something that I've not seen before but then again there are lots of chinese words that are unfamiliar to me. Haha!

Karen,
You can tell Jo that you planned to let her do her own scrapbook when she's older. Heehee!

mommies,
Ok something to discuss for the day: What should our education system do to encourage or cultivate creativity amongst our students?

I'm brain dead with my assignment which is due later in the afternoon so hoping for more opinions to add in. Haha! Lazy and last minute me!
 
Joanne,

Why not u sent the photobook directly to ur parents?

mint,

瑞 or 睿? the 1st one got lucky meaning, the 2nd one means wisdom.

sent ur gal to my house for chinese class in future? haha...
 
mint,
last time in my school for our chinese class we used to have once a week thing where we have drawing sessions where we could draw anything we wanted and each time using different types of drawing tools (e.g. crayons, pentel pens, etc). for our english class we also have a once a thing also where we were given 5mins to write 5 sentences about a certain topic. usually i write a poem. i always get extra credit for that. hehe. hmm.. what else.. i know we did more but cannot remember. oh.. the drawing thing was during my primary and the writing thing was during my secondary.
 
ypg,
i'm thinking of that too. but don't know how long it'll reach there and i sort of want to give to them personally. it's the best thing seeing the reaction on their faces.
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morning mummies!
I'm so tired :p and originally planned to have my hair cut today but looks like it's not meant to be. When I heard the loud wind in the middle of the night, I suddenly had the urge to check on Jo. She was hot! 38.9ly hot. Iced her and fed her panadol. Gone down to normal. But she has running nose. Wonder if she got it from my dad but the contact was on Sunday. Took so long to get into her system?
 
Morning!!

Minibee is going thru a new phase and has turned from a late riser to a early one!!
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Gone are my sleeping in days. I used to be able to sleep till 10-ish. Now I am up by 8:30am. Bleh!

YPG &amp; Mint, Didn't give her a super difficult chinese name. Just that my chinese is terrible! Its the "Jia" in her name that is soooo hard. I only know its the "Jia" like the actress Carina Lau's chinese name.
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What should our education system do to encourage or cultivate creativity amongst our students?

More rounded education. Not just textbook based on the 4 core subjects especially at the primary level. I find that our young are too caught up in scoring As. That they are disconnected with the world on a whole. Looking at a first grade child in US and a primary 1 kid in Singapore, the latter due to our curriculum and education system don't know much on general knowledge and worldly issues.

Just comparing Kindergarten is is already pretty obvious that at our PCFs and NTUC type schools at that young age classes are already pretty much academic based. The element of play and getting the child to "discover" the world is not incorporated as much.... Heee hope u mummies dun mind my long post. Just my humble opinion here....</font>
 
Joanne, if you are looking to do up a photobook, THere are other local printers available too. U can consider!

Karen, oh no, hope Baby Jo gets well soon. Do try to catch some sleep yourself. Take care.
 
ypg,
sorry ah, my pc can't decode chinese words so can't read the chinese words. But the 'rui' means having foresight. The character has a 'hat'. Haha! Dun know if you know what I mean. Wah you still have energy to give tuition ah? Heehee!

Joanne,
Meaning to allow free time for structured creative lessons? Were these activities related to the lesson?
 
mint,
totally not related to any lessons. it's really a free time to do creative stuffs. oh yeah. there was one time we were asked to do stuffs using popsicle sticks.
 
busybee,
Thanks for your post. Was able to pick up a few points from here and there and then I just expanded on it. kekeke!

Karen,
Oh dear! Hope she gets well soon and can go for class on fri.
 
Mint... hee hee. Was just rattling away, glad to be of some help. U know I almost became a teacher too. Got lured into the world of banking by the $$$$!!! hahaha But If i could do it all over again I think I would definitely Teach. My short stint of teaching was a really fantastic experience!
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busybee,
Nay! You wouldn't want to teach. It's a mad education system. I would have gone into banking. Haha! Then again maybe I'm just saying this cos I've lost faith in the education system. I dun regret going into teaching but I dun wanna go back into the system. I still do enjoy walking into the classroom and being with the kids.
 
Mint, really... I guess I know what u mean. Your passion gets lost in the system.
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Btw have u guys gone for ur JG trials? What's ur feedback on their class?
 
Mint, Oh ur trial is at the Evans Branch? We're at the Forum branch in the 1pm class. I am thinking of trying out CentreStage's Tots class. Anyone keen? I can approach them abt a trial for us! I just want to compare.... Act 3, Centre Stage vs JG. I am actually happy wt what she is learning at JG already. But also want to see what these other drama schools offer.
 
<font color="119911">karen,

my gal also don't have any scrapbook or digital photobook =P

oh no...she is already losing out to her peers at such young age LOL</font>
 
Mint,

The education system is no doubt stressful for both the teacher n the students, not forgetting the parents as well. But to me, it is still a joy to be able to teach in classroom n see so many youngs in ur work.

Also, school is FUN, full of many activities lined up. Sep got Teachers Day celebration, Oct got Children Day celebration &amp; many more others. So it keep me going lor. I feel so happy when I see my students enjoying so much today.

I will not do home schooling for Kai Tong also. Dun want her to miss out the fun in school. But I will teach her more at home through play lor.

Busybee,

I been wanting to try JG but too bad they onli got weekday trial so got to wait for Dec holidays then can.
 
YPG, registration for the Dec Holidays classes are on now. Its pretty interesting. Like an excursion for the kiddos. Think for our bubs, the 3 weeks will be Learning abt Birds at Birdpark, Explore Underwater World and last week about Music. We have not decided whether to sign up.
 
mousebb, yah loh, u observe and see yar? i think he may cope better if daddy fetch him there but MOMMY is there to fetch him home every day hehee. something to look forward to, and yet in the morning not that difficult to part from Daddy hahaha. ooops. but as a mom, i also feel like you, if i stay home i will be worried sick and wondering how he's coping, so i will probably peek lah hehee. but be careful dun let him see you, coz if he got a glimpse of you during school hours, he's going to cry like nobody's business....

mint...hi! yes well....he attendED st joseph church kindy. we have changed school, and he starting his new school tmlw. is Regina a catholic? coz if she is, she has priority. if not, just call them up in March the yr before she turns 3, and enquire about registering. even if u call now, they dun accept waitlist so early, unlike st james hehee. i think its pretty ok if u call in March. shld be no prob. Me and my friend only recce that kindy very late, and we both got PM sessions initially. but i managed to switch when someone from AM withdrew.

Well....where did u hear that their chinese is good huh? hhhhmmmm....honestly, i dun really think his chinese teacher is good. prob only applies to his class bah, coz i find the other pre-N class the chinese teacher is better. i did hear their curriculum not bad, buti think what i like most abt the school is not so much the curriculum, but the entire school environment. coz its sprawling compound, surrounded by green, all classrooms are non airconditioned, very spacious. i like it. for this reason, i prob will still put Jaz there the yr she turns 3. but i can't comment on the curriculum. i personally tot it was kinda slow compared to other kindys, but then again i have heard of parents who love it there and sent all their 3 kids there. so i think it really depends....

karen, i think a viral's incubation period if anything from 3-7 days according to my PD. so usually counting back from 1st sympthom, the contact shld be 3-7 days ago. so its about there? hope she gets better soon! so many bugs going around.
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how's the lunch yesterday???

ypg, thanks!!! wow, how long u took to do up the 60page??? Mint, have u finished ur 60page??? i thinking shld i give up my manual scrapbook and do artscow 39 page instead but i scared cant arrive in time...
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Karen

yup incubation can be 3 days. Last time went fidgets on tues, only fri nite got symptoms! Hope Kate and rianne didn't catch anything from Jo.... :p

daisy
yup do join us next time! Btw, where did u change jovann to?
 
dimple
yah, and anyway Jo didn't get too near to the other two. Should have gone with my protests when my dad came over to stay on Sat night. It's not just a little flu (dad didn't have fever though) for her. Sigh.
 
Karen

re scrapping, sometimes I think Kate will look at all her albums and think what a silly mummy wasting all this time and money on sentimental junk. Should have bought me more toys!

Not every kid will appreciate such things. Not every adult does either!
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daisybuttons,
I heard from a colleague who put her son there. She's actually an Indian so her son has no Chinese background or exposure at all. But at the end of his years in kindy, he could speak fluent chinese. Must be good right? Heehee!

Yes, Regina is catholic. Priority meaning she will have higher chance of entering? So I only call them in March 2011? If Jaz goes to the school, then ouor girls will be schoolmates. Heehee! What do mean by slow?

I'm still halfway with my 80 page artscow. I'm really siao lor! Sigh! Definitely won't be in time for her birthday. My hubby was saying dun rush and it doesn't matter that it won't be in time. Had to stop for a while cos of my assignment. After today, I can pick it up again. Haha!
 
<font color="aa00aa">daisybuttons
Tell you honestly, I also have separation anxiety now... Something very silly but cant help it esp he has been with me all the while after I become a sahm.</font>
 
Mint, catholics gets to register earlier.
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most likely can get place. i THINK its March...maybe u can call school to check which mth is it in case i am wrong! but dun worry, u are right, Jaz and Regina MAY be classmates! so cute! so we can keep each other updated closer to the date. no no, u have to call them the year BEFORE she turns 3. she's turning 3 in 2011, means she will start school in Jan 2011 (its different from childcare where u start that exact mth u turn 18mths etc..), so u gotta call March 2010, which is next yr! woo hoo! hehehee...... when i say slow, meaning i feel their teaching of letters and reading is one yr behind whats being taught in childcare. however, st jo is a kindy, regulated by MOE, they have to follow MOE curriculum. so what they are teaching fulfills MOE requirements for sure. for childcare, if i not wrong they regulated by MCYS, so curriculum a bit more versatile if i not wrong, varies from centre to centre.

but actually to me, when i search for a 1st school to put him in, the factors important to me were the environment, whether the kids have fun learning, their teachers quality etc. i didn't place much emphasis on curri coz i think its important for him to have more fun to help him ease into the routine of school. and i believe in learning through play.

I changed school not so much coz of curri, but more like convenience also. coz we put him in st jo thinking my parents can fetch him easily coz they stay near, so conve for them, and of course environment healthy for him coz its open air, kindy (and not childcare), so hopefully fall sick less often. but both these factors dun seem to be true. 1st, my parents had trouble fetching him coz st jo is up a slope, my parents both not very very fit, so walking up the slope is very tiring in the hot sun, and getting a cab from there is very tough too. so usually a mom of Jov's classmate will fetch them home. but end up most of the time, my hubby fetch him home himself. so that makes the 1st reason in valid liaoz. as for falling sick, despite that fresh air, he still fell sick very often, and once even ganna very bad stomach flu, hospitalised, put drip. it was so harrowing coz it passed to all of us, and i was on tenderhooks when protecting Jaz from it. we withdrew him for a whole term after that, freaked out. so 2nd reason also not valid anymore. concluded that no matter where we sent him, he's bound to fall sick lah. coz no matter where we sent him, there are irresponsible parents lah, who sent their kids to school even with yellow mucus or fever sometimes. so....no difference.
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mousebb, yes i can imagine how tough this is going to be for you. i also told hubby, the day i send Jov to school, i prob the one crying and not him. coz starting school to me is no heading back. frmo the day he steps into kindy, he will continue studying until the day he graduate, scary, and so so significant milestone for a 2-5 yr old. like he's growing up so fast... its tough.
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daisybuttons,
So St Joseph's curriculum is learning through play? The slow part that you mentioned I'm not so concerned cos I will be able to coach her on that at home. Like what you said, I just want her to go school to interact and socialise and to get used to the feeling of being in school. Most impt is time for myself. Muahahaha!

Sigh, the falling sick part is can't be helped. I had a case whereby a girl in my class had chicken pox and still came to school! The mother had the cheek to tell me that cos nobody look after her at home as her leave had already been used up. Madness!
 


Mint, thats crazy! that mother i meant! thats the kinda of parents i find are totally irresponsible. sigh. same for many schools, some parents say not free to fetch, left the child in school though teacher called them to tell them he/she sick.
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so what happen to that girl? did u leave her in class? or send her to sick bay? actually does the cleaners in school disinfect the sick bay after the child leaves one huh?

I think all schools, for that first 2 yrs in pre-N and N, they will learn through play e.g. arts and craft, sing and dance etc. coz kids that age are physically not capable of sitting still at long hours at desks learning the alphabets hahahaa. so they learn numbers through games (st jo do that), learn letters through arts and crafts (know some schools do that) etc. thats what i mean by learning through play heheee. I not sure about k1 and k2.
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yes u are right, u will be able to coach her, so thats no concern at all.
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i agree very much that u need some sanity time!!! St Jo pre-N is 2.5hrs, N is 3hrs. morning session has snacks in school, 2nd session has lunch. thats one of the things i like also hehee. I recce Maris Stella Kindy too, but they dun provide food. :p but their environment also very very nice, i love it! too bad too far for me lah. me and my friend recce a lot of schools (both kindys and cc) before deciding on St Jo.
 

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