M2M Sharing : Kindergarten … Part 1

Actually I seldom check and see my own blog, and never comes to my mind that someone will leave down any comment on the blog.

Today, 1 comment stated on my blog really surprised me. It is on one of Issac’s 4 Joyful 1 group photo.

DC said...

Hi Ipeng,
I'm Mrs Kok here. I happen to see your blog when I'm browsing about Tadika Brainchild on the internet. I'm so glad to read all about your son Isaac's experiences at Brainchild as I'm still dilemma whether this tadika is good for my daughter or not as I'm thinking to enrol her for 3yrs old (2nd term) morning session & day care. After reading your blog, I guess my choice at Brainchild is correct. How you take the photos when your son is in the class? You were there for him at that time? Is really an interesting blog and I'm truly appreciate if you could share more information with me about Brainchild.
Thank you
Mrs Kok (dychong@gmail.com)

It written on 1 March 2011, but I just saw this today only…Then, I just dropped an email to her, share with her on our experiences at Tadika Brainchild.

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Dear Mrs Kok,

Sorry for being late reply to your post on my blog. Seriously, i do not do my blog settings well enough, as i did not know someone had posted a comment on my blog.

Well, actually at first i do have the same doubts like you, during the time both my husband and I wanted to enrol Issac to Brainchild. Is it the right place? Can our child adapt to it? Or can Brainchild teach him well enough to get him prepare for his primary 1 at Che Wen later on? and lots of questions...

We had enrolled him at his age of 4. We can feel and see his progress during his 4 Joyful 1 year. We are fortunate that we met with really dedicated teachers. Teacher Joyce is one of them. At the very beginning, we just enrolled him to the morning session only, he is not really a 'discipline boy'. Then we had enrolled him to the day care as well at the 2nd half year, most probably the schedule in the Brainchild had disciplined him a bit, at least a more 'structure day' for him. We started to see his changes.

Actual fact, his 5 Patience 1 days, was not a really 'impressive' year as both my hubby and I were not really see his progress. During the Teachers Parents Meeting, we did highlight to the teachers on our opinions and findings, exchange ideas, etc. And, last year, both my husband and I went thru the dilemma of 'do we need to transfer him to another tadika'? At the end, we both came to the conclusion that - we stayed and communicate more frequently with the school and teachers. We do agreed that raising or rather brought up a child is a 2 way communications with the school and ourselves.

Both of us are putting more concerns and efforts in the interest of his learning towards the world, rather than the academic side. Bring them out more to the nature, let the kids explore thru their senses, etc. Besides, Issac loves to draw, we let him go for art class. And, here he now in 6 Caring 2. He is a caring and helpful boy. He is still naughty too. Last week, he had to stand at a corner due to 'playing until fight with his friends'. We can see his 'homework' improve a lot compare to last year.

We are glad and grateful. We try not to compare our children with others, because each and individual is different and every child have their own growth path and phases.

About the photos, that were actually copied from their school CD. Brainchild do kept a copy of CD to the parents at end of the year, records of their children life at tadika. Well, I am writing blog because i want to keep a diary on my children's growth. Try to spend as much time as possible to record down their livings. If I do not write now, i will forget and so were they. Even now, I can hardly recalled my childhood days... And I do have a lot to back date, because there are a lot of photos not upload and write yet!

I do not know whether you have enrol your child to Brainchild. But, that is all i would share with you on our experience with Brainchild.

Cheers,
Ipeng

Choo Sing Tong Kuan Ti Temple Jalan Ipoh 15 May 2011

It is a Sunday again, Daddy just driving the car and we just wonder around in the Jalan Ipoh area.

We were actually looking for the famous fish head bee hoon, and we heard that it is somewhere near a temple. Finally, we found it! We had our meals there.

I did not know that in the middle of the city center, there is such a huge Chinese temple here hidden behind the busy main road. Actual location is in Kampong Kasipillay, Off Jalan Ipoh. There is a river in front of the temple.

Choo Sing Tong Kuan Ti Temple is grandly build with figurine of deities, dragons and phoenixes on its roof. The roof is in painted green colour.

The external wall is fill with murals depiction of the legends of the Three Kingdoms and the 24 stories of filial piety.

When we walked inside the temple, the interior work are also beautifully crafted by artisan from China. These includes the molded ceilings and offering tables.

On the outside, life size statues of God of Prosperity, God of Fortune and God of Longevity and by its side, a Koi pond in front of a huge wall with carving of the nine dragons is build as an attraction.

The temple is devoted to the worships of its patron deity, which is the red faced God of War Kuan Ti on its main altar.

Other deities worship in this temple including Kuan Yin Pu Sa, Guang Ze Zun Wang, Qing Shui Zu Shi, Na Zha San Tai Zi, Fu De Zheng Shen or Tua Pek Gong. It also has a Na To Gong shrine overlooking its main entrance.

Opposite the temple, there is a man made bridge across the river, there is a small garden whereby the temple erected and decorated as a Chinese themed park.

We strolled down along the river, we were so amazed and happy seeing so many nicely done statues of the figurines scattered the garden.

There are deer, dragons, monkey king, and the figurines in the Journey to the West story, etc. Issac and Annabelle were happy to see all these statues. It feels like we were in a mini wonderland.

It was a delighted afternoon on Sunday.

    

    

Forest Research Institute Malaysia 8 May 2011

This is our 2nd visit here at Forest Research Institute Malaysia, we came here last year. Thus, not much photos taken too.

                        

This time, Daddy taught Isaac how to hold the camera, and taught him how to take a photo. It was so interesting for Issac.

                           

We mainly wondering around at the big trees and observed the tiny small creatures such as ants move in the environment. It was not so hot and considered a good weather.

                  

We spent not long there, after a short while we went back home.

Port Dickson Trip 1-2 May 2011

It was a long Labour Day holiday weekend, Daddy and his colleague had planned earlier go to Port Dickson.

They had booked a single storey house homestay for a night some where near the beach area.

The children are so happy as this time we went together and both of them have so much fun in going for a holiday.

We took some time off early from work so that I can go to the grocery store and purchase everything that we are going to need on our trip to the Port Dickson.

There were so many things that I had brought for the day at beach, like snacks and refreshments and drinks.

On Sunday Morning, we had been waked up early and waited for Chieng and Zul came to our house.

We went to Port Dickson by car pooling with Chieng girl friend Huey Fang’s car. The car is quite spacious and it is just nice to fit our small family at the back.

I just packed a few clothing and more were both Issac and Annabelle’s stuffs.

In  the car, Huey Fang already gave treats to our little Issac and Annabelle some snacks so that both of them wouldn’t feel so restless in the car.

Soon, in the next hour, we were driving through the main road and we were on our way to Port Dickson, which is 2 hours away from where we live.

We reached at the home stay around 12.45pm, we put down the things then straight away went to the beach. The sea water was yellow and milky in colour.

There were a lot of people here and there on the beach as it is a public holiday and some more is a weekend.

Some were busy playing kites, freebies while a few kids were building sand castles just for fun. There were a lot of people already bathing in the sea water.

By the time, we walked to the beach, the children were already excited to go into the water and enjoy a fine sea bath. We rented a canopy for all of us.

I did not swim as I was sitting at the tent all day, till all of them came out from the sea was already everyone was getting hungry.

We went back to the homestay to take the clean bath and changed into our more comfortable clothing, we came out to the town again and look for our dinner.

It was quite a yummy dinner and with the weekend crowds in Port Dickson, we had to wait for almost 45 minutes for our dinner.

Everybody was like sleep early as exhausted and were under the sun for the whole afternoon.

We checked out quite early in the morning and we went to the town for our breakfast. The famous coffee shop in the town of Port Dickson – Kedai Kopi Pak Lang.

From the outside or exterior look one would think that it is a Chinese Coffee Shop, therefore not halal. Don’t be mislead by the sign board. All the food here is Halal, the restaurant is run by Aunty Ain – a Chinese Muslim.

For breakfast they have the normal nasi lemak bungkus on the table, roti bakar, boiled eggs. They even have western dishes like French toast.

But the nasi lemak bungkus at the table caught our attention. The rice was nice and I like the the sambal too.

We did ordered the roti bakar which was the best. Nicely brown with a thick slab of butter and kaya. We had nasi lemak bungkus, sirap, coffee, roti bakar, noodle soup, porridge, nasi lemak rendang ayam, omelets, laksa, mee rojak and others as well.

I am quite like the place here. After the breakfast, we went back to our home separately. On the way back, we did stop by the roadside fruit stall and bought some dragon fruits.

Well, a weekend getaway just nice for the family.

Alphabet Book : h

This piece of art Mummy got the ideas from a book cover from the internet. It is a hand print art, a crab shape. All of us having fun doing it.

You'll Need:

• Drawing paper
• Water Colours
• Pink colour construction paper
• Wiggle eyes or circle shape white paper

To Make:

1. Using kids favourite water colours, mixing, and paint it on both hands. The children were laughing all the way during we doing it. Issac and Annabelle said it is so tickle when the brushes their palm with the water colours.
2. Have kids just print their both hands onto the drawing paper. It make the body of the crab.
3. Wash their hands clean, dry it, and prepare for our chelae or claw on top of the crab’s head. Cut out a half round shape from the pink colour construction paper, and trim it with zig zag shape. Glue it on both side.
4. Glue the wiggle eyes on both chelae. We just glued with circle shape and draw the eyes with black marker pen.

h is for horse

The following is the lower case ‘h’. This round is horse.

What You’ll Need:

• Light and dark brown foam
• a wiggly eye
• pen & pencil
• glue/tape
• scissors

How to Make the ‘h’ for horse:

1. Cut out a lowercase ‘h’ from a piece of a dark brown foam sheet. To make the letters go along with the uppercase letters we’ve done in the past, this letter was cut from a piece of foam that was about 4” x 4”.
2. Cut out two small ears and a head for the horse out of the excess dark brown foam.
3. Cut out a tail and a mane from the light brown foam sheet.
4. Glue/tape on the head, ears, tail and mane.
5. Add the wiggly eye and read the book again with your little one and try to do some of the things along with the horses!

We just played along with our fun crafts. And, it is really easy to see whose artwork  and who’s? ^^

Alphabet Book : H

This is the water colour session again and with some cutting and pasting works.

You'll Need:

• Drawing paper
• Water Colours
• Colour papers

To Make:

1. Draw out the party hat shape in triangle shape.
2. Let the children water colouring it.
3. Cut out the various sizes of star shapes using the colour papers, and paste it on the party hat.

Issac even paste the stars in an clown face order. Big eyes, big nose, moustache and a smiles on orange colour party hat with a star on top; Annabelle’s too a star on top of the yellow colour party hat.