An Qing Ban (安亲班) - Daycare Centre

After contemplating for some time, I finally sent Destinee to her school’s ‘an qing ban’ (安亲班 - daycare centre) last week. When she came back I asked her how she felt about the place? She said ‘I like the place and the teachers esp. Teacher Liew’! *keeping my fingers crossed it’s not a 3-minute thingy and she'll continue to like the place*

Before sending her to the 'an qing ban', I sent her to a tuition centre but was too hectic for her, Pappy and me. She had homework from the tuition centre too apart from having homework from school.

At 3.30 pm, after she finishes school, she’ll go to the 'an qing ban'. Snacks and drinks (fried/soup noodles, cakes, biscuits, milo, ribena, orange juice) are provided. After finishing her snack, she has to wash her own utensils and put them back in their proper place.

After completing her homework, the teachers will advise her to revise the day’s subjects and sometimes will have to do some exercises from workbooks. She'll also be allowed to watch TV programmes, play on the computer if time permits (which she’s not allowed to do so at home during school days) and play games (badminton, volleyball, chess ...).

The most important thing is that I don't have to worry and stress myself over her homework. At the 'an qing ban', after she has done her homework, the teachers will check and will help her correct the ones she has done incorrectly. If she isn’t sure of how to do, the teachers will guide her. At home (before she went to the 'an qing ban') she'll dilly dally with her homework and to get her to do her homework, I'll need to raise my voice and I really cannot coach her with the Chinese subjects.

Sending her to 'an qing ban' really saves me a lot of time and 'blood cells'. I highly recommend 'an qing ban' to parents who don't have time to guide their kids with their homework.

Yeah, I’ve more ‘me’ time now!

More to read about the 安亲班 here:

http://niniyeo.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-post_28.html

Explaination

Oops, need to do some explanations to my previous post since I got messages and calls asking me what really happened. So sorry to have made u all 'moong cha cha'. :P Actually I was not angry but just very disappointed.

Ok, I was just voicing to what I saw and think which weren’t right. The 'she' is my girl’s HM who retired the other day. Just becos the HM was a 'lembik' one, who didnt' really know how to organise things in school, depended very much on her staff, 'they' played on her in the morning during the school’s gathering by wearing black (full black – skirt or pants and shirts, dress!), actually not all of 'them' wore black - not the sensible ones. U see, it was so obvious when 'they' stood together - all in black. Even some of the students were asking why 'they' were dressed in black dat day. They were so many HMs from various schools and what do u think they were thinking then? Not a very nice sight, rite?

During dinner, out of 21 staff, only 7 attended. The HM tried to call a few but reasons were like – not feeling well, stomachache (which I’m sure were excuses, obvious what, rite?). Maybe a couple were not really feeling well, ok, excuses acceptable but feeling not well at the same time? Something fishy, isn't it? They attended the school’s other dinner 2 weeks ago, what have u to say?

So, I was rite by saying at least show a little respect since it was the HM’s last day in the school, moreover, it was oso her birthday. By the way, there were so many HMs from other schools and we (PIBG members, directors of the school, old school students’ committee) heard ‘whispers whispers’ (of course no good ones) from them. Even the former HM ‘shoke her head’ and said they shouldn’t behave and acted like dat. Sad case and what a disgraceful scene, isn't it? …. sigh … Reputation of the school has gone down the drain just becos of a few bad apples ... sigh ... sigh ... sigh ...

I’m not really in favour of the HM too BUT don’t like is don’t like, respect is still respect. Honestly, I do feel sorry her.

I really hope the next HM will be a stern one and ‘can take control’ the school.

Sad, Disappointed.

Yes, I’ve something on my mind and it has been disturbing me since yesterday night. I’ve to let it out!

I was, yesterday, and still am today, very disappointed and sad over an incident where people (whom I respect), somehow or rather, don’t show or know how to respect. We teach our children (from young) to respect, to be well-mannered and to behave. Teachers, on the other hand, do their part to teach students to respect, to be well-mannered and to behave, right? U respect others, u’ll be respected in return, right? Even though I don’t like somebody but will, at least, respect her/him when I have to do so.

I ask these people, weren’t u all a bit too much yesterday morning and night? In the eyes of observers (esp. the respectful people from other schools), very obviously, 'she' was not happy, they can see and know dat u all did it on purpose. What if u were in 'her' shoes? What if u, somehow, have the opportunity to be of service in their school?

'She' tried to call some of u but what (lame) excuses did u all give her? Everyone attended the dinner tried ways to make her happy. In a way, I felt sorry for 'her'.

Seriously, who were the people in disgrace? Do show a little respect when u need to do so, okay!?

Last day of school and Prize Presentation

Finally, 20th November saw the last day of school for the year 2009. Ooooo...... time passed so fast and it was like yesterday my girl started going to Std. 1 and now she had finished Year 1. Recalling of her crying for the 1st 6 months every morning when she reaches school gives me the shudders. I was sitting down here and trying to retrieve what I did during the past months. *blank*

Actually Des need not go to school but as there was no one to look after her for me, I had to drag her along to attend the Prize Presentation and Farewell Bidding for the Std. 6 students organised by the school. Yup, as a PIBG member, I was invited.

I called Dr. Loh the previous nite to see whether I could 'tumpang' his car. I was in luck, he wanted to attend too, not becos he was a PIBG member but his daughter, Christine, was one of the prize winners.

We started off at about 6.45 a.m. and after sending Fanny off to work in HUKM, we reached the school at about 7.10 a.m. (no jams at all) and had to wait until 8 a.m. before we were ushered into the school's 'mini' community hall. Hopefully the new 2-storey building with the community hall will be ready before the school reopens next year.

Poor Des, she was the only Std. 1 student, besides the 3 prize winners from her class, who went to school dat day. She refused to sit with her seniors and started to cry and I had to let her sit with me. She cried the first day and (who would have thought she would cry) the last day of school. *duh* *shakes head* .... sigh .....

The 3 brilliant students from Des's class,
Joey Yap, Thong Kai Wen and Christine Loh

The Stage

The Trophies

The Prize winners

The school leavers (Std. 6 students)

Christine receiving her prize

Model student from Co-curriculum category

Model Student (Girl)
Sheryl (Uncle's Ooi's grand-daughter)

Model Student (Boy)

We were entertained performances by the students.

Chinese Yoyo

The School's Band.


Solo Organ player

A dance, a short humorous sketch (Modern Cinderella)

and a song rendered by the school leavers.

Handshaking moments to bid Bye-bye

from the Std. 6 pupils.

Such a 'heavy heart' and sad scene.
I'm sure most of the students and teachers
were trying to hold back their tears.

1ST, 2ND AND 3RD PLACING OF CLASS 1 S, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL
THE PRIZE WINNERS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Children's Day 2009

Destinee's school celebrated Children's Day on 30th October, 2009. There were a few events - Clown & Fan dance, Percussion, Wushu, individual performances – strumming of the guitar + singing, violin playing and games. Des participated in two of the events - Clown + Fan Dance and Feeding a bottle of drink to a classmate.

Doesn't she look funny?

The hat was so big dat 2 clips were needed to pin it in place

or ..... hmmmm ..... her head's too small? (hahaha).

Des and her classmates waiting for the 'Feeding Drink' game.

The kids were so excited.

Des 'feeding' Kai Wen. (Picture courtesy of Teacher Gooi)
Des said she likes Kai Wen *roll eyes* *sweats*.

The class's decorations and the yummy yummy food

brought by the parents.

There was a Children's Day cake and Gift Packs too.

The kids enjoying to the games of

'Passing the Balloons around' and

'大风吹' (Blowing of the Wind)


Musical Chair.


The kids munching away and enjoying the food.
There were so much food, expected by Teacher Gooi,
dat the kids were asked to bring along containers
to 'tar pau' the food back.

Get together and SMILEEEEEEE .......
The drawing on the white board was drawn by their
Art teacher, Teacher Loo.
The hats were made by the kids during Art class taught by
Teacher Loo too.


Another pic by the 'mischievous students' of Class 1 S with
their class teacher, Teacher Gooi and BM teacher, Cikgu Wee.

It was as if the kids were still in kindergarten and I'm sure they enjoyed themselves very much. They have the full attention from the teachers and every student has a chance in participating, be it in competitions or games. Dat's the privilege of being in a 'small' school (heehee).

CLASS PHOTO

Front: Chang Shiau Huei, Joey Kok, Ally Cheah (Monitor),

Joey Au, Christine Loh, Teacher Gooi, Joyce Yap, Yap Hoi Sei,

Chang Pei Shan, Destinee Lee

Back: Pang Kah Lok, Vernon Choo, Kenny Loh,

Thong Kai Wen (Asst. Monitor), Tham Yue Shuen, Ong Yuan Hung,

Thomas Loh, Kong Weng Yin, Leong Ying Hung, Nicholas Choo

I love this pic and I love these kids.

Mischievous yet cute little ones.

I'm sure they would have sometimes made their

teachers 'puke blood' and would like to

'cekik' them. (hahaha)

A Little Update

Pappy finally went to see a psychiatrist and is on medication at the moment. He needs a lot of rest and must not be too stressful and he can't even lift heavy stuffs or walk fast (his heart will start 'thumping'). He can sleep well and appetite is okay now. He still has this phobia of being 'out of breath'. He really needs time to recuperate from the ordeal.

I've been quite busy lately. I'm back in the office helping Pappy with most of the work esp. carrying piles of printed work and there's Des with her homework and final exam (ok, ok, she's only in Std. 1 but still ..........).

As what Magictree said, 'we're so lucky dat there are kind souls around'. I'm really blessed to have quite a number of friends, who has been helping me with so many matters, especially

Dr. Loh & Fanny - who helped me to find and persuade Uncle Ooi to send Des to school early every morning.
Ah Ni - who helped me pick Des after school when Pappy cannot make it.
Lee Hung - who helped me out in the office.
Elyss, Eugene, Elaine (Des's godmother), Janice, Willy, Pun, Bao Li, Su Chung, Chew Foong, Cathy, Keong, JE, Weng, Kong, Fang - calling us every now and then to see if we needed help.
And most of all, June who is ever ready to lend me her ears and imaginary shoulder.

I really appreciate the calls, emails and sms from friends and bloggers. Thank u so much again.

Unlucky 7th lunar month? Stress.

Was it an unlucky 7th lunar month for us? First, I was hospitalised for viral infection, Pappy was even worse - business not only slowed down, his car broke down after sending Des to school, his specs dropped and was stepped on by somebody and he was in the hospital twice.

The 7th lunar month on the Chinese calendar is aka the month of the hungry ghost. Friends and relatives believed Pappy 'bumped' into 'dirty things' and dat was why he was so unlucky (or are we being superstituous?).

Pappy has gone thru all the necessary medical examinations and even went to pray to the deities in one of the temples recommended by a friend but he still felt uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the sense dat there was still something irking him. So how?

He told me he went and prayed to 'change his luck' and not to pray to drive away the dirty things. He still felt there was something bothering him. He called his friend again and off they went to pray to 济公 (aka Jai Gong, Buddha Ji, Master Jhi, Mad Monk ... whatever). The 济公 immediately told Pappy dat he definitely had bumped into dirty things and 'they' were still bothering him. So, the 济公 prayed for Pappy and told him everthing will be okay. Pappy came home, burnt the amulet given by the 济公, into a cup of water, sifted the ashes and drank the water. He was even advised to brush the ashes on his chest (huh?). Well, he slept soundly dat nite (he was snoring the whole nite and surprisingly no tossings).

Was Pappy really disturbed by the supernaturals or was it, he was always thinking he was uncomfortable and dat was what has been stressing him out? After praying, he felt he was protected and feels at ease now. I won't stop him from going to pray if dat will make him feels comfortable and alrite. But after praying in 4 different temples, he's still like dat.

Well, I don't know, I guess it's up to one to believe. Or is it dat everything's not in the rite place since we shifted over to this house and since Des started school or is Pappy psychologically not well? He used to sleep soundly thru the nite but nowadays he'll be awake at least 2-3 times and dat means he doesn't get enough of sleep.

My analyses in green: I was hospitalised for viral infection (I ate something not cleaned properly), Pappy was even worse - business not only slowed down (I guess the whole market's like dat, esp. during this festive season), his car broke down after sending Des to school (oil filter spoilt, time's up after 5 years), his specs dropped and was stepped on by somebody (he was careless, he left the specs on a pile of papers and somebody removed the papers without realising the specs was there) and he was in the hospital twice (due to stress). And I'm sure he's having phobia about what happened and dat's why he's not confident in most of the things he does.

I, his family, friends have been advising him to RELAX but his answer was "it's easy for u all to say".

He has talked about his problems and we'll try our best to solve. He's worried about his business and us, he feels tired easily nowadays, cannot drive or even sit for too long, sometimes no appetite, feels okay at one moment but suddenly will feel uncomfortable/uneasy. I'm trying to find someone to send and fetch Des to and from school. If we are still in our old place, I don't think we'll have the problem cos we have many friends there. I don't know what's really disturbing him? Should he go and see a pyschiatrist (sooner or later I'll be the one going instead :P but no worries, I'm still sane at the moment) or should we shift back to our old house?

A note to Elaine:
My MIL called and told me dat a "Mrs. Wong" knows me and would email the details . I was cracking my head who "Mrs. Wong" is. So, u were the Mrs. Wong aka "Leng Jai Ah Ong's" wife whom my MIL was talking about. What a coincidence and a small world! Hahaha!

Thank u so much for recommending the acupunturist to us and I've advised Pappy to go and see her (acupunturist) asap. In the meantime, I still strongly convince him to continue taking his medicine from the doctor and maybe he should go and see a pyschiatrist.