Newton Kindergarten

[greenbean2011]

hello smurf,



in the past, Newton kindergarten operated 3 hrs.


however, many parents are concerned. Parents feedback to Principal that 3 hrs daily is short. Parents worry their kids not learning enough, to meet challenging Primary 1 demands. They feel their kids go there, socialize a while for 3 hrs, play play, after that come back home.


At the same time, Teachers also feedback to Principal that they have so much to cover / to teach, but find it hard to complete within 3 hrs time frame daily. Teachers stressed up.


out of 3 hrs daily, almost 1 hr is gone. Gone into where ?


Gone into - getting kids to queue / line up to wash hands, eat lunch. Some kids need teachers to feed them. They can’t eat by themselves independently. There’re also other kids that can’t sit still, walk around the classroom absent mindedly, carrying the bowl in their hands, play with the bowl, walk around. Teacher got to run after the child, catch him, bring him back to the table, make him sit down, coax him into eating.


Then, teacher also squeeze in time to eat herself, besides just feeding kids. Teacher eat together with the kids. They call it lunch in classroom with teacher. Different days, eat with different teacher. On certain days, they eat with Chinese teacher, their form teacher. On other days, they eat with English teacher.


After makan, then teacher got to bring entire classroom of kids into toilet to pee, to change their soiled diapers, to wash hands again after visiting toilet.


Sometimes, time also spent / gone into bringing kids to the gym to exercise, to have fun, to ride bicycles, to play with bean bag, etc. Children need outdoor programme, to exercise, to breathe in fresh air. Then it’s healthy. Hence, effective, actual real learning time is < 2 hrs.


for kids in playgroup, 3 hrs ok. They’re still very young. After all, play is the main vocab for them.


But for kids in K1, K2 gearing up for the final last lap, the last 2 crucial yrs before entering Primary 1, 3 hrs not enough.


With this issue, Newton kindergarten proposed to MOE, to increase to 4 hrs. MOE approved. Hence, wef 2011, Newton become 4 hrs. Only at PG (playgroup) can still choose 3 hrs.


With an extra one hr everyday, Mon – Fri, 365 days per year, the situation different.


Teachers are happy ! Teachers now in full control of time. They can teach more English - by an extra half hr, or extend Maths by another extra half hour. Teacher has flexible time management. Today, she can teach this topic. Tomorrow, she can teach something else. Or if she can’t complete teaching this today, tomorrow still can continue.


Parents also happy ! Their child can stay longer in school, their child get to learn more stuff!


It becomes a win, win situation, for Teachers and Parents.


Besides Newton, Marris Stella is another kindergarten that has extended to 3.5 hrs, also wef 2011:-

http://www.marisstella.edu.sg/info.htm



How many classes at Newton ?

for both AM and PM sessions,

total 4 PG (playgroup) – ie. 2 per session
total 6 nursery – ie. 3 per session
total 4 K1 classes – ie. 2 per session
total 4 K2 classes – ie. 2 per session


all classes are named after Fruits of the Holy Spirit, like :-
Love, Grace, Joy, Peace, Patience, Mercy, Gentleness, Kindness, Generosity, Truth, Hope, Humility, etc.


Morning AM classes – very hot, popular, usually full house.
But you can still call up, put yr child on wait list.


Afternoon PM classes still got vacancy.
PM classes smaller, hence got good Teachers-kids ratio.


Enrichment class (optional)
==================

for school fees, refer Newton kindergarten website:-
http://www.newtonkindergarten.com/centres/?dxuid=SG010296&&pageid=269


All enrichment lessons incur additional costs, over & above the usual kindergarten school fees, paid on per Term basis.

Per term is 10 weeks.


a)\tFast track kids – is the same, identical programme taught at Pat school. $180 (before gst) per term. < $200 (after gst)


b)\tSpeech and drama (English) - $180 per term.


c)\tSpeech and drama (Chinese) - $150 per term.


all other enrichment lessons, pls call up school to inquire.

[smurf]

Thanks Greenbean2011!


I think it's a bit smaller than MMK, 1 class less each level, but still a lot of children!

Ur child just started this year at nursery or pre nursery last year? :?

[greenbean2011]

hi,



my child born in 07.


last yr 2010, she started Pre-nursery, in another kindergarten.
this yr 2011, I transferred her to Newton kindergarten, Nursery.


reasons for Transfer
=================

1)\twant her to benefit more from 4 hrs daily.


2)\texpose her to learn more Chinese, hope that she’ll acquire a strong foundation, interest and love for Chinese, from young.


I do not know how to teach my daughter Chinese. (my Chinese poor lah!) But I have peace of mind placing her here, under the care of good teachers.


with the extra 10% increased dosage from the in-house, built in daily Newton Chinese curriculum, the school will ease / facilitate her to cope with the demands of Higher Chinese - a subject her Primary school offers, in 2014.


3)\ta wider, broader spectrum and larger availability of enrichment lessons to choose from.


Her previous pre-school do not have enrichment programmes like
Fast Track Kids, Creative Art drawing, Experimental Hands on Science enrichment, Hanyu pin yin.


4)\tthe attraction, the entice and convenience to Parents - for having everything well planned and housed under one same roof. It is like one whole complete, holistic package. It becomes a ONE stop station at Newton kindergarten that houses together :-


-\tCharacter moral education development,
-\tacademics,
-\tbeneficial enrichment programmes


Parents benefit, by reaping economies of scale. Due to large pool of students available taking up enrichment, saves on $ - cheaper, compared to outside run profit orientated commercial centres. With more students, external enrichment providers can give discount.



5)\tthe convenience of having flexible school bus transport service arrangement, for both regular days’ + enrichment days’ transport (rare service).

Regardless of rain or shine - the sch bus is always there, to bring her to school on time.


6)\tI welcome the fact that at Newton, her enrichment lessons are conducted AM, while her regular class is in PM.


I do not like those where enrichment lessons are conducted PM, immedidately after her regular class finish PM. Because by then, she’ll be too tired physically, mentally.


My daughter is in PM class. I am pleased with teachers- kids ratio. Her PM class got 2 teachers, < 10 kids. Smaller class - more personal attention, less likely to fall sick.


sharing
=======

On first 3 days, I met some new parents. We got nothing to do, just hang around, pass time, wait for school dismissal, so we chit chat casually. I was curious, so I pop the qn – why choose Newton ?


-\tone replied, because of Chinese. She said her grandson going Nanyang Primary, so need to make sure he’s strong in Chinese.


-\tsecond replied, because they just shift to Newton, to be < 1 km from a good Primary school in Bukit Timah, in case ballot. So chose Newton.


-\tthird replied, because Shichida kindergarten closed down. So she brought her son here.

[auntieM]

Very good ratio leh… …2 teachers attending to less than 10 kids…

[faithgurl]

Hi greenbean 2011,


I’m currently in the midst of searching for a playgroup for my girl and in fact Newton Kindergarten was one of my choices. Just wana chk with u, r u a Christian? Cos I myself is a buddhism and I understand that the kids will be taught to say some graces before mealtime which are mostly practised by Christians. Although I know that it’s just a method of teaching by the school but was concerned that my girl will be heeding more to Christianity which is not what I want. Hope u can give me some advises. Thanks!

[greenbean2011]

hello faithgurl,



Our children in SG are indeed blessed!


However, outside SG, millions of poor, homeless children roam the streets & back lanes hungrily for leftover food, searching high and low desperately for food to fill their hungry, growling stomach.


Kids in orphanages live by faith. They live one day at a time. They dare not think of tomorrow. Got food or no food ?


At meal time, when kids in kindergarten pray,
“Dear God, Thank you for today’s food laid before us. Bless the food, so that it nourish our body - that we may grow up tall and strong ! ”


-\tit’s because children want to give thanks, with a grateful heart.

-\tIt has got to do with character development.
Teaching a child gratitude.
What is gratitude all about ?


do not get yourself confused that the above prayer is leading yr child heading more to Christianity. Nothing to do with religion, in kindergarten setting. But first, you need to clear this obstacle in your mindset.


below are some reasons I’d written, hope to help you clear mindset.
If you follow the reasoning behind, you’ll understand.


Clarifiy - What it means when a child says the above prayer, at meal time?
====================================================

-\tfrom the perspective of character development.

to inculcate the right Character value in a young child from young. Learn to have a heart of GRATITUDE, at ALL times.


-\tso that the child in the midst of growing up years will learn to …. APPRECIATE the small, little, little things in life.


-\tso that the child learns to be mindful of less fortunate ones around him. That at meal time, the child will remember hungry orphans. Think of the homeless in / outside SG in poor countries – who got no food to eat, no water to drink, while he is in stark opposite contrast, so blessed to have nutritious, piping hot cooked food all ready for him to eat in the kindergarten.


-\tso that in the process of growing up, the child will not take everything in life for granted.

ask the child - how did he get the warm cooked food in the first place ?
ask the child – if no one cook in the kitchen for you, do you think you’ll have food ?


Explain to the child that behind every warm meal cooked for him in the kindergarten, how many pairs of hands toil & labor in the kitchen for him - first to select fresh ingredients from the market, then cut ingredients, wash vegetables, poultry, fish, chop garlic onion, fry, steam, etc - just to dish out one nice, warm meal for him ?


True, the young child may not understand what’s going on inside the kitchen. But parent can sit down & explain to own child step by step the process involved, why the child should not take things for granted ?


-\tto train child in understanding meaning of the Chinese verse, yin shui si yin.

means before you drink the water, reflect upon the source of water ask yourself – where does the water originate / come from ?

so that the child will be Thankful and grateful to his parents forever.
so that the child will not take his parents for granted, nor forsake parents esp. when parents grow old.


-\tBut learn to be Thankful, with a GRATEFUL heart.


-\tThat in all situations (good or bad) and circumstances, learn to give Thanks.


if you still have doubts, perhaps you want to speak to kindergarten Principal or church Pastor ?


go with an open mind.
once and for all, clarify all yr doubts.
ask all those questions that’s causing concern in you.


once you have peace in your heart, you’ll know which is the right, suitable kindergarten to enrol yr child.


God bless!

[faithgurl]

Hi greenbean2011,


Thks for yr views / comments. I think I will find some time to go and have a look 1st.

[greenbean2011]

hi smurf,



your son in Playgroup this yr? you intend to enrol him in Catholic High Primary, 2015 ?


fyi – from 2006 to 2010, for parents keen to enter CH, balloting is required whose residential address < 1 km.

[smurf]

We have already long given up on CHS.

[greenbean2011]

how about Maris Stella Primary, or St. Andrew Primary ?


which one you prefer ?