Jurong Calvary Kindergarten

[sunsweet]

Pray hard that I can get a place for my kids in JCK next year!!


Sigh now i know why some parents even Queue overnight for a place at Nanyang Kindergarten.

[sean wife]

Sunsweet,


I presume you are not their church member? If so, they have limited places for the public especially for the morning 8.15am slot….better register early. But if your kids are late risers, then the 11.15am slot may suit them fine.

Hi lakesidemum,

Since your kids are in the pm slot, can I check do you feed them lunch before or after school? Or what they serve in school is good enough for lunch?? Are you signing up for the phonics talk on 22-Jan?
It’s good that they have the same teachers from N2 to K2…quite rare in preschools especially with the high turnover. But since they are taking the school bus, I really have no chance to ask the teachers about how they are doing…do we have to wait for the mid-year parent-teacher conference or do you talk to them over the phone too?

[lakesidemum]

sunsweet:

Pray hard that I can get a place for my kids in JCK next year!!


Sigh now i know why some parents even Queue overnight for a place at Nanyang Kindergarten.

They will do a balloting... all the best!

[lakesidemum]

sean wife:

Hi lakesidemum,

Since your kids are in the pm slot, can I check do you feed them lunch before or after school? Or what they serve in school is good enough for lunch?? Are you signing up for the phonics talk on 22-Jan?
It’s good that they have the same teachers from N2 to K2…quite rare in preschools especially with the high turnover. But since they are taking the school bus, I really have no chance to ask the teachers about how they are doing…do we have to wait for the mid-year parent-teacher conference or do you talk to them over the phone too?

Hi sean wife,

Well, cos my kids wake up late, so most of the time, they will take their bottle of milk and some snack before going to school. They will serve them \"snacks\" too at about noon time, and that consists of noodles, fried rice, macoroni, porridge etc.. (Understand from my boy) and a cup of water. Normally, the teachers will feed the younger ones. Before the snack, they will be asked to go toilet, in which the toilets are child friendly, meaning auotmatic taps...hee hee, my kids are so proud of them, that they boasted to me..goodness.

Upon reaching home, I will still feed them proper lunch, cos many a times, the snacks will not feed them up till dinner.

For the phonics talk, we cannot make it, cos my kids are going for their MPM maths in the morning. Are you going? My girl is taking MMI phonics, so won't be switching her to Jolly Phonics.

As for teacher contact, you can call the teacher if you want. I will do so if there is a need. Alternatively, just drop by any day after the lesson, and have a chat with the teacher. Sometime, the teacher will call you if required.

When my boy was in Nursery, I only meet the teacher during the parent meeting sessions, and so long as he is ok in school (ie no crying before/after school), I am fine.

Btw, will you be signing your gal for the gym and the chinese speech and drama?

[sean wife]

Hi lakesidemum,


Wait wait wait….u mean jolly phonics is not part of the curriculum? So what is the talk about?? I signed up already thinking it’s to let us know more the method they are teaching phonics in the school. So how do they teach phonics in their school curriculum?

I have signed up for the gym class but not speech and drama as they have other lesson on sat morning. I know they have some enrichments held in the school after the afternoon session? Do you sign your elder boy for them? I am thinking if they are older and dun nap anymore, may as well switch them to the afternoon session and continue with the enrichments after that.

[lakesidemum]

sean wife:

Hi lakesidemum,


Wait wait wait….u mean jolly phonics is not part of the curriculum? So what is the talk about?? I signed up already thinking it’s to let us know more the method they are teaching phonics in the school. So how do they teach phonics in their school curriculum?

I have signed up for the gym class but not speech and drama as they have other lesson on sat morning. I know they have some enrichments held in the school after the afternoon session? Do you sign your elder boy for them? I am thinking if they are older and dun nap anymore, may as well switch them to the afternoon session and continue with the enrichments after that.

Oops, I thot it is a \"promotion\" campaign for Jolly Phonics enrichment program. Well, I am not sure which method do they use to teach Phonics, and this is the first time they organise a talk like this. Perhaps, you could share with us after the talk?

I am signing my 2 kids for the gym too, but my elder one is not going for the extra lessons after school, cos he has Tien Hsia on the same day, so he cannot make it. Moreover, you would need to pay extra for the trip back home after the enrichment. Well, if you do intend to sign your gal for these after school enrichment, yes, I agree, it would be a good idea to switch her to the 2nd sessions next year.

Btw, have you submitted a photo of your gal to the teacher?

[sean wife]

Hi lakesidemum,


Sure, let me check out during the talk…actually I was thinking the talk is a bit ex at $10 per participant, meaning if daddy and mummy go, it will $20. Anyway only me going and daddy sending them for lesson, haaha…

Photo – thanks for reminding, it just totally slip my mind!

BTW, does your class teacher also staple papers to your gal’s pockets? I got quite a shock initially….scared it will spoil the uniform mah. After the first time, I tell my gals to tell teacher dun need to staple, they will keep it safely and won’t drop out, or keep in their bags. The next day, same thing again. So I ask them whether they told the teacher. They say they did, but teacher still staple and the bags were too far away…so funny!

Jelic- how do you find it so far? My gals still doing 3 boxes each lesson, doesn’t seem like they will do more even if they finish early. BTW, there’s a new Enopi centre at Jurong East opening Feb, fees slightly cheaper at $140. But yet to see the environment. Actually I thought the MPM place kind of run-down and next to the clinic somemore…

[lakesidemum]

sean wife:

Hi lakesidemum,


Sure, let me check out during the talk…actually I was thinking the talk is a bit ex at $10 per participant, meaning if daddy and mummy go, it will $20. Anyway only me going and daddy sending them for lesson, haaha…

Photo – thanks for reminding, it just totally slip my mind!

BTW, does your class teacher also staple papers to your gal’s pockets? I got quite a shock initially….scared it will spoil the uniform mah. After the first time, I tell my gals to tell teacher dun need to staple, they will keep it safely and won’t drop out, or keep in their bags. The next day, same thing again. So I ask them whether they told the teacher. They say they did, but teacher still staple and the bags were too far away…so funny!

Jelic- how do you find it so far? My gals still doing 3 boxes each lesson, doesn’t seem like they will do more even if they finish early. BTW, there’s a new Enopi centre at Jurong East opening Feb, fees slightly cheaper at $140. But yet to see the environment. Actually I thought the MPM place kind of run-down and next to the clinic somemore…

Oh yes, they will staple the \"notices to parents\" in their pockets. Initially I was surprised too when i rec the first one during my boy's nursery days. But somehow, kids are still kids, they will be curious to take out and \"play\" with it if it was not stapled, and hence, the notices might not land up with you. They are letters to us, so some of them can be pretty important. Does your gal still bring bags to school? Mine don't, cos they shld not require anything in the bag. The teachers would normally not take out anything from the bag, and most of the kids do not bring bags to shcool after awhile.

Jelic - my gal went for her first lesson last Sat, and apparently, she was the only kid during the slot. So she got 100% attention from the facilitator. She did 4 boxes that day. She is quite happy there, well, not sure if it's new novelty mah. Hope she enjoys all the lessons. Hmm... I do agree that the envt of the school is pretty run down, but I am more concern about the teachers and the materials. Is Enopi Maths good? What are the methods they use? So far, after talked to a couple of parents at MPM, they have good feedbacks, meaning their kids improved in their maths.

[sean wife]

Bags – Ya, they are still bringing them. Initially was quite worried that are reluctant to go school, so kind of ‘psycho’ them that big children go to big school and can carry their own bag, blar blar blar. So it’s more than an excitement to them than a necessity really…ya, I think they just leave the bags on the hooks outside the classroom.


Jelic vs enopi – Both have their supporters I guess. But I was told by enopi that a better age to start is around 4yr old. So our gals may be a bit too young. But I feel that jelic is more of mind-training and introducing maths concept and not really traditional mathematics such as counting, addition and subtraction. I agree that it’s more interesting than say abacus or kumon, but with time and $$$ constraint, I am not sure which type is more beneficial at this stage.

You mention your boy is starting MPM, can I check if JCK curriculum already teaches addition/subtraction at K1 level or you do your own coaching and that’s why he started on MPM right away?

[lakesidemum]

sean wife:

Bags – Ya, they are still bringing them. Initially was quite worried that are reluctant to go school, so kind of ‘psycho’ them that big children go to big school and can carry their own bag, blar blar blar. So it’s more than an excitement to them than a necessity really…ya, I think they just leave the bags on the hooks outside the classroom.


Jelic vs enopi – Both have their supporters I guess. But I was told by enopi that a better age to start is around 4yr old. So our gals may be a bit too young. But I feel that jelic is more of mind-training and introducing maths concept and not really traditional mathematics such as counting, addition and subtraction. I agree that it’s more interesting than say abacus or kumon, but with time and $$$ constraint, I am not sure which type is more beneficial at this stage.

You mention your boy is starting MPM, can I check if JCK curriculum already teaches addition/subtraction at K1 level or you do your own coaching and that’s why he started on MPM right away?

Ok, now I understand your rationale behind the bags...Kids just want to feel grown-ups.

Enopi - will go do some research on this. Of course, there is always the pro and cons of each method of learning. In JCK, yes indeed, they started to learn addition and subtraction in K1. As to why I started my boy in MPM was because, I wanted to further stimulate his interest in Maths. He hates repetitive, so Kumon is out for him. So far, he is enjoying MPM.