Christmas Luncheon

Kids’ Club Year-End Programmes

Volunteers’ and Donors’ Appreciation Night

A quarterly newsletter of the YWCA—Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore www.ywca.org.sg

ContentsPresident’s Message 2Credits 2Upcoming Events 2YWCA News 3Events 3Community Services 6Childcare 8Spotlight: Ms. Jean Garcia 12 Announcements 12

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus

Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 ”

January - March 2016

”Gala Concert 2015

C R E D I T SPublished by YWCA

EditorMs Tan Kee LengEditorial Coordinators Mrs Leung Yee Ping, Ms Gladys Foo, Ms Stephanie Hung

254 Outram Road Singapore 169051 Tel: 6223 1227 Fax: 6227 3650 Email: admin@ywca.org.sgWebsite: www.ywca.org.sg

Articles may be reproduced but acknowledgement must be given to YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore, and a copy of the publication should be sent to the Editor.

Articles express the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the YWCA/Young Women’s Christian Association of Singapore.

All information correct at the time of printing.All rights reserved. © YWCA of Singapore 2016.MCI (P) 006/04/2015

P resident’s M essage

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2Jan-Mar 2016 • ywLink 2

www.facebook.com/ywcasingapore

U P C O M I N G E V E N T SAQUA AEROBICS CLASSEVERY WEDNESDAY & FRIDAYVenue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)Time : 7pm - 8pm

AQUA SPIN CLASSEVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAYVenue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Swimming Pool (Level 3)Time : 7pm - 8pm 8pm - 9pm

MOWE CHINESE NEW YEAR LUNCH17 FEBRUARY (WEDNESDAY)Venue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Sophia Cooke Ballroom (Level 2)Time : 11am - 2pm

EMPOWERING MUMS 2 LAUNCH DINNER13 MAY (FRIDAY) Venue : YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Sophia Cooke Ballroom (Level 2)Time : 6.30pm - 9.30pm

For more information, please visit our website at www.ywca.org.sg or call us at 6223 1227.

YWCA OUTRAM254 Outram Road Singapore 169051

YWCA FORT CANNING LODGE6 Fort Canning Road Singapore 179494

New Year, New Perspective

We begin a new year in 2016 with this issue. We tend to start a new year promising ourselves that we will make changes in our lives.

I recently finished reading Rick Warren’s book ‘God’s Power to Change Your Life’ and learnt his thoughts on new perspectives. He said that if we are going to change our lives, we have to change our thought patterns. When we become Christians, we change our perspective on many things. The Bible teaches that the way we think changes the way we feel. And the way we feel changes the way we act. When we live with the right kind of thoughts and we base our thoughts on God’s word, we will be set free.

We all have dreams and hopes to change, but we need to set realistic goals so that they can be achieved. Our founder, Ms Sophia Cooke, had dreams – to improve the position of women in Singapore and to educate girls. She set up the YWCA of Singapore in 1875 and achieved her dreams in her lifetime.

Over the last year, we celebrated the 140th anniversary of the Association and this issue of YWLink highlights the many events that commemorated the 140th anniversary. We hope that our dreams will be turned into reality.

This issue reports the many events that took place in the last quarter of 2015 and I hope that you find them interesting.

As we continue into 2016 with our plans, hopes, and dreams, let’s remember this -

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29: 11

I wish you a blessed year ahead!

Tan Kee Leng, PBM President

YWCA of Singapore

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 3“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1

Y W C A N E W S

Jan-Mar 2016

YWCA 140th Anniversary Touchscreen at Fort Canning Lodge By Gabriel Fu

In commemoration of the YWCA of Singapore’s 140th Anniversary, we have installed a state-of-the-art interactive touchscreen at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge’s lobby. Officially launched during the Volunteers’ and Donors’ Appreciation Night on 27 November 2015, the interactive screen replaces the history gallery previously located just beside Café Lodge. The interactive screen features three websites – the YWCA’s website, Fort Canning Lodge’s website, and ‘The YWCA Story’, a special commemorative 140th anniversary website.

Visitors and guests of the lodge are free to use the screen to browse these sites and learn about the YWCA’s rich history and notable contributors, or book a comfortable room at the Fort Canning Lodge. Using an interactive screen instead of a standing gallery allows us to make updates to our history as the years go by, so that visitors will always have the latest information.

So come on down to the Fort Canning Lodge and enrich yourself by browsing on our interactive screen today!

E V E N T S

Christmas Luncheon for Members By Alice Chua

The Christmas Luncheon, held on Friday 18 December, was one of the new events specially organised for our members in 2015. It took place at our very own YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Pool Terrace Room, which was all decked up for the holidays, complete with tinsel and a Christmas tree! A total of 40 friends came together to make this event a successful and joyous one.

Gracing the event was our YWCA President, Ms Tan Kee Leng, who opened the lunch with a welcome speech. She spoke of the joy that the Christmas season brings and how much more meaningful it is to celebrate it in the presence of all those near and dear to our hearts. It was clear that everyone was in the festive mood as family and friends gathered in a happy chatter.

A mouthwatering Christmas buffet spread was laid out, featuring turkey, ham and log cake, all of which everyone happily tucked into. A Christmas blessing draw took place throughout the lunch, and it was heartwarming to see the crowd cheer for their friends as they came up to collect their gifts!

Thank you to everyone who made this Christmas Luncheon a successful one, and we hope that you had a great festive season with your family and loved ones!

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 4

‘Love Earth’ was the 2015 theme for the annual Kids’ Club Christmas Party, the biggest children’s event organised each year at the YWCA. It was drawn from the previous week of year-end holiday programmes which also focused on teaching the children to love our planet by conserving it. Along with the YWCA traditional Bursary Awards and Christmas Wish list, the games, decoration and activities at the 2015 Party incorporated elements of recycling – and the results exceeded expectations!

On the morning of Saturday 5 December, 85 child beneficiaries from YWCA’s Kids’ Club and Meals-on-Wheels programme arrived with 34 parents and guardians in tow to attend the Party. Registration opened at 9.15am with fringe activities such as Clay Art Painting, Bouncy Castle, Christmas Photo Booth with a balloon Christmas tree, various games using recycled materials and tasty Kacang Putih wrapped with recycled paper.

At 10am, the Party kicked off to a creative start with three craft activities for the children and their families to do: a toilet paper tube kazoo that they could play along to Christmas carols later in the programme; a Christmas wreath to herald the celebration; and a live mini Christmas tree which they could decorate with the leftover recycled material scraps.

The families showed off their artistic flair, creating lovely works of art with the assortment of recycled newspapers, plastic bags, ribbons, cloth, tapes, and baubles sourced from the YWCA Youth Centre through the years. And to top it off, they worked together nigh seamlessly in their family units to executive their Christmas visions. The final products of their combined ingenuity were truly stunning and were proudly taken back to be displayed in their homes.

Thereafter it was time for buffet lunch with festive treats such as turkey and log cake. Having eaten their fill, the YWCA Bursary and Kids’ Club Awards ceremony then took place with 13 Distinction and 11 Merit Bursaries scored. The ceremony was followed by an interactive segment where our radiant emcee played audience games like passing the present and juggling balloons.

Although there was much fun to be had, the highlight of the day still surely went to the unveiling of Christmas Wish list presents for each child. And while they rushed to find their very own present, we managed to sneak a group photo in with all the children to commemorate this Christmas morning. With their bounty of presents and crafts in their arms, we hope the 2015 edition of the Kids’ Club Christmas Party will stay in their memories for a long, long time.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

E V E N T S

Jan-Mar 2016

Kids’ Club Christmas Party 2015 By Ling Goh

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 5“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29

E V E N T S

Jan-Mar 2016

Volunteers’ and Donors’ Appreciation Night By Sharon Regina

2015 was a year packed with activities and programs. The YWCA was able to continue carrying out its mission to serve the community because of the immense and unwavering support of our dedicated and wonderful volunteers. Since 2015 marked the 140th Anniversary of the YWCA, the annual Volunteers and Donors’ Appreciation Night was a combined celebration held on Friday 27 November 2015 at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge’s Sophia Cooke Ballroom.

Over 200 volunteers and donors joined us for the event which started at 6.30pm. Outside the ballroom, there was a flurry of fringe activities, including a caricature artist who expertly drew portraits of the guests for them to take home as a keepsake. At a separate booth, there was an option to either have the sketch drawn on paper or shrunk into a keychain. A photo booth was also on hand for volunteers to snap a picture of themselves with the friends that they had made over the years while volunteering.

We were honoured to have Dr Maria David, President of YWCA Penang in our midst to join us on this joyous occasion. As the night commenced, Ms Tan Kee Leng, the President of the YWCA gave the welcome speech followed by an introduction of the special commemorative 140th anniversary website, the YWCA Story (www.ywca.org.sg/ywcastory). A walk-through video showcased the features of the website, which documents the organisation’s 140 years of service to the community, its present happenings, future plans and stories of important figures in the YWCA’s history.

As guests tucked into a sumptuous buffet prepared by Fort Canning Lodge, performances were put up by children from McNair CDC and teachers from Jurong East CDC. The audience gleefully watched as the adorable children clutched Flag Day tins and told a story through song and dance. It warmed the hearts of all present. This was followed by a fan dance and a riveting salsa, performed by the teachers. A photo montage featuring all of our volunteers and donors was also screened during dinner. The night was filled with fun and games too! Our emcee, Vivienne, kept the guests entertained with stage games. The audience was involved wholeheartedly, as random tables were invited onto the stage to sing along to songs from various genres.

After the many hours of energy and effort spent supporting our programmes, events and projects over the past year, the occasion was just a small way in which we could honour and express our heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers and donors. They are the lifeblood of the organisation, without whom all the good work that the YWCA carries out would not be possible!

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 6 “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Romans 12:3

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Jan-Mar 2016

Empowering Mums Christmas Giveaway By Ling Goh

In end 2015, a donation of over 1,400 articles of branded clothing and accessories, as well as earlier donations of pre-loved apparel made it possible for the YWCA to throw a special Christmas treat for our beneficiaries.

The items were gathered to be passed on in an Exclusive Christmas Giveaway held under the Empowering Mums project on the evening of Wednesday 23 December. The Empowering Mums (EM) project was a new initiative launched in 2015 as part of the YWCA’s 140th Anniversary and focused on equipping back-to-work mothers from low-income families with the relevant skills they needed to be employed.

This gift of apparel, which primarily included women’s workwear, was meant for working mothers or mothers seeking employment amongst our beneficiaries to help them fill their work wardrobe and celebrate their loving service.

Over 70 mothers from YWCA’s various community programmes and services, as well as our EM Community Partner, THK Family Service Centre @ Tanjong Pagar, were invited to the Giveaway and brought partners and teenaged children to assist them in picking out their favourite items. They could each choose up to 12 items and the atmosphere was bustling right from the beginning with the families browsing at their leisure. Two families even lingered all three hours to select to their hearts’ content. Some light refreshments were provided.

A heartfelt thanks goes to our very capable and dedicated team of volunteers from Singapore Polytechnic who stepped forward at this busy time by preparing the items for display and staying until past 10pm to man the Giveaway and help repack the remaining clothing. They served with a smile, giving the mothers fashion advice and ushering them through the piles and piles of items throughout the night. With their great help, we hope the event brought cheer, comfort and the sparkle of a brighter future to the many that came through the doors of the YWCA Fort Canning Lodge Multi-Purpose Hall for the event.

Sustenance for Families Programme By Elvin Ng

In 2015, corporate volunteers such as Dell continued to support this programme with regular packing sessions. There was an overwhelming response from the volunteers and Dell has committed to this programme on alternate months. In addition, we are blessed with another group of volunteers from Genesis Advisors who have been supporting us over the last two years. We are extremely fortunate to be able to rely on these groups of faithful volunteer packers who are always so ready to support this programme.

The frequency of the packing of rations for needy families on our Sustenance for Families programme has been increased to twice a month for weekdays and once a month for weekends due to the increased number of beneficiaries, and also to create more volunteering opportunities. Going forward, the packing sessions will be conducted on every first and last Friday for the weekday packing and every third Saturday for the weekend packing.

We are always looking for more volunteers to come on board, whether it be individuals or corporates! For corporate organisations, you can gather a team of at least 10 people to pack and deliver rations to the families all over Singapore. Please contact call 6223 1227 or visit www.ywca.org.sg/volunteer/weekdayweekend-sustenance-families/ for more information.

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 7“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Jan-Mar 2016

Kids’ Club Year-End School Holiday Programmes By Ling Goh

In 2015, the Kids’ Club sought to incorporate moral and character development into our children’s programmes by underscoring each activity with a value or theme. The Club has also made an effort to involve the children’s families more starting with our first family cycling outing in June at East Coast Park. During the November school holidays, the second formal family outing was organised, along with a week’s worth of activities by two student volunteering groups from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and Anderson Junior College (AJC).

The Kids’ Club year-end school holiday programme ran from 21-26 November last year with the unifying theme: ‘Love Earth’. The NIE group took charge of two outings which bracketed the programme, and the AJC group ran three workshops.

The NIE volunteers consisted of 17 trainee teachers who conceptualised two outings to Gardens by the Bay on 21 November and the Singapore Zoo on 26 November. They created activities to teach the importance of animal and environmental conservation, whilst imparting life lessons about teamwork, caring for others, and connecting the children to the world around them. Two beautiful booklets were also designed by the group to capture the content of the knowledge they were sharing and to engage the children. These initiatives made the outings more meaningful and the volunteers were clearly passionate about engaging the children.

The Gardens outing was dedicated for families and the volunteers set up mini stations to play recycling and bonding games with the family groups. It was lovely to watch the interaction between the families as they sorted through puzzles and recycling challenges at each station, scoring small triumphs along the way which added up to the experience. Although

spirits are always high during outings, we could see how much happier and calmer the children were with their parents around.

The Zoo outing was focused back on the children but we were able to have two mothers tag along. The children trekked around the spacious Zoological Gardens and excitedly pointed out various animals and reflected on our human relationships through observing the animals.

Between the hype of the two outings, a class of around 20 AJC students also planned and executed three days of workshops from 23-25 November. Each day, different groups of students came to the Youth Centre to run a terrarium building workshop, movie screening of ‘The Lorax’ with a quiz and scavenger hunt, and a ‘Superhero’ recycled arts and craft workshop.

The students capably handled the children who attended the workshops, and their charm and tenacity ensured that even the least enthusiastic child eventually participated in the activities. They also did a good job of collecting recycled materials amongst themselves to use as resources for the workshops and wisely planned outdoors time with the children so they could be more hands-on with what they were sharing. The children especially enjoyed the terrarium building workshop as they got to dig into real soil and plant their mini terrariums. Most of them made more than one to bring home as gifts. It was the children’s interest that led to the idea for a live mini Christmas tree craft at the Kids’ Club Christmas Party held on 5 December.

We warmly thank the NIE and AJC student groups for their dedicated and creative work with the beneficiaries and know that their messages of loving the earth and loving each other were well-received by the Kids’ Club children.

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 8 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S

Jan-Mar 2016

The Child Development Centre Gala Concert 2015 on Wednesday 28 October was a celebration of the 140th anniversary of the YWCA of Singapore. The afternoon’s programme brought the audience through the work of our founder Ms Sophia Cooke, a British missionary who founded the organisation in 1875. The various performances put up by our children included a variety of musical ensembles; from traditional songs to newly-composed children’s music, both local and foreign, reflecting the development of the YWCA of Singapore and its achievements throughout the years.

The theme of the concert was ‘One Small Voice’, a tribute to Ms Sophia Cooke, an individual who

Gala Concert 2015 By Sandy Koh

WoW with Chen Su Lan – Life Skills Camp By Alice Chua

C H I L D C A R E

started out with a belief that women needed to be educated so as to improve their status in society. It was a belief that she felt so strongly and passionate about that she was not afraid to pursue it by organising educational classes for women. It was because of her commitment, her perseverance and her one small voice that others were inspired to join and together the YWCA dream began. Through Ms Sophia Cooke, we learned that we can achieve anything if we believe in ourselves.

Our children’s voices may be small, but if we believe in them, and they believe in themselves, their one small voice can make a difference too!

We were extremely happy to collaborate with Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, our first partner with whom we piloted the Workz-on-Wheels programme back in 2012. We have maintained a good relationship with the Home and their residents. The Home requested for us to conduct a week-long life skills programme for about 20 youths aged 16 to 21 years old on 7 to 11 December 2015. The aim of these workshops were to equip the youths with the necessary life skills needed to lead an independent life after their discharge from the Home in the near future.

The camp started with a Financial Literacy workshop conducted by Mr Ferris Wee from the Institute of Financial Literacy. During the four-hour session, he shared the basics of money management and setting S.M.A.R.T financial goals. The youths also learned the effects that compounding interest has on savings and spending, the consequences of overspending with a credit card, and what happens if there is a rollover balance.

On the second day, our in-house volunteer, Ms Michaela Whitting, who has a background in human resources, introduced

the youths to different job search platforms. They were then tasked to prepare fried rice for their lunch. In the afternoon, they learned about resume and cover letter writing skills, and took time to write their own resume and cover letter.

On the third day, our regular volunteer, Ms Mariam Khalid, another human resources professional who works in an oil and gas company, guided the youths on the interview process and shared some relevant values and qualities that they should strive to have. To reiterate these points, a few roleplaying scenarios of job interviews were carried out. After that, they were asked to complete a survey so as to understand their skills and personalities better.

The camp ended with a personal grooming workshop conducted by Ms Jill from Jill Lowe International. The youths engaged in various interactive activities which taught them how to be more presentable and the meaning of different postures and body stances. It was encouraging to see the youths expressing much interest in knowing more about the topics for their own personal development. Each youth was presented with a certificate to acknowledge their participation at the end of the camp. We hope that the youths are now equipped with the basic life skills that will set them on the right path once they graduate from the Home. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our volunteers and partners who came and helped make this week-long programme a successful one!

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 9“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

C H I L D C A R E

Jan-Mar 2016

YWCA Family Fun Day 2015 By Tan Kok Wee – Alumni Parent, McNair CDC

After months of brainstorming, planning and preparation, the day had finally arrived!

Saturday 21 November 2015 was the day when children and parents of YWCA McNair and Bishan CDCs gathered at the MDIS Stirling Road Campus Event Hall for a day of games, excitement and fun! The organising committee, which included staff from McNair and Bishan CDCs, parents from the McNair Alumni Group and event volunteers welcomed the participants as they arrived at the hall.

We were privileged to have guest of honour, Ms Tan Kee Leng, President of the YWCA along with Board Member Ms Hazel Oh and Executive Director Mrs Leung Yee Ping to grace our event.

The venue, originally a badminton court, was the main arena where the sports activities took place. It had been transformed for the occasion and was all decked out in cheerful colours of balloons and flags. The enclosed air-conditioned hall provided respite from the unpredictable weather and haze outside!

The YWCA Family Fun Day commenced after an opening prayer by Mrs Rebecca Au, Principal of Bishan CDC followed by an opening speech delivered by Ms Tan Kee Leng. A sense of excitement filled the air as participants gathered in their red, blue, yellow and green teams, all ready and eager for some friendly competition.

The first team to compete were the children from the Playgroup (N1T) classes, bringing the crowd to their feet as they raced in the game of ‘Dunkin Donuts’! It was really a fast paced race by the youngest kids of the centres. The participants from the blue team showed their might when they took the winning position, much to the delight of everyone.

Following quickly after, the children from Nursery 1 participated in the Beach Ball race! Once again, the participants from the blue team emerged the winners, to the loud cheers and support from the spectators. With their quick feet and steady hands, they had a ball of a time finishing the race in first place and walking away with the top prizes.

The children from Nursery 2 took over the race arena for the game of ‘Beanie on My Head’. All the participants tried balancing the bean bags on their heads as best as they could with as much poise as possible. At the end of the race, it was the green

team who emerged victorious thanks to their composure and quick feet.

Next into the arena were the older children from the K1 classes, all ready for the ‘Shoe Box Relay’. Sliding up and down the lanes with their feet in shoe boxes, the team blue team slid themselves to the winning spot position, to the resounding cheers of supporters and spectators watching from the side lines.

After the K1 competitors received their prizes, the race arena was quickly transformed for the main event of the day – ‘The Obstacle Course’! Competing in this event were the children from the K2 classes from both centres and the Alumni kids of McNair CDC. With the loudest cheers of the day, these older kids negotiated the grueling course with much ease and speed, going over, under and through the obstacles. At the end, it was the green team that edged out the blue team by a narrow margin to take the winning position.

A special ‘Teachers vs Parents’ event was included in the race, featuring a ‘Hula Hoop Relay’. The children joined in to cheer their parents and teachers. The teachers who won the relay by a narrow margin bringing the games to a close. The events concluded with every child receiving prizes for their amazing effort and great sportsmanship.

With all the activity, everyone had worked up quite an appetite, and a delicious lunch followed. After lunch, everyone took turns to visit a traditional games booth of 5-stones, chapteh and pick-up-sticks. The event was filled with excitement, fun and laughter for all present from the beginning right to the end. It was a truly memorable YWCA Family Fun Day!

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 10 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

C H I L D C A R E

Jan-Mar 2016

Staff Training on 30 November 2015 By Sandy Koh

During the staff training on Monday 30 November, we wanted to recognise and tap on the extensive knowledge and valuable experiences of our principals and curriculum specialists from our Child Development Centres. Thus, instead of the usual training sessions whereby speakers from the Early Childhood industry would be invited down to share their insights with our staff, our very own centre leaders – eight principals and two curriculum specialists came together to share knowledge, talk about the best practices, and exchange helpful ideas with our staff.

The main objective of the training was to help our staff define their concerns and seek solutions through the mutual sharing of information and experiences. We felt that peer sharing would be an effective way to achieve this as our centre leaders were the best people to disseminate such information and knowledge while encouraging positive learning and sharing. Furthermore, being from the same environment, these individuals are better able to empathise and understand the emotions, thoughts, feelings, language of the participants, and, therefore, relate better to them.

Our staff spent a fruitful day listening, learning and engaging with one another. There were ten different workshops, ranging from Early Childhood topics such as ‘Curriculum Leadership’ to ‘Pedagogy’, ‘Staff Management’ and ‘Spark Journey’ as well as the YWCA Curriculum. Of course, there were fun-filled, creative sessions too, where the staff had a ball of a time playing ‘Let’s Challenge’ and making Japanese rice balls, Muah Chee, creative bags, and floral and decoupage creations.

2015 was the last year of operations of the YWCA Outram Kindergarten. To commemorate the occasion and congratulate the final batch of graduating students, the Centre organised a mini farewell concert on Friday 20 November 2015, the last day of school. A slideshow documenting the various celebrations, activities and outings held by the Kindergarten was presented to the parents, staff and children in attendance. It was an emotional yet meaningful occasion, which ended with a special art display showcasing the different art works created by the children during the past term.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all parents of Outram Kindergarten for their unwavering trust and support towards the Centre since it commenced operations in 1964.

Farewell Note from Outram Kindergarten By Elaine Oh

ywLink • Jul - Sep 2014 11

C H I L D C A R E

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28

Jan-Mar 2016

“Dear Mdm Ho,

I would like to pen down my heartfelt appreciation to the teachers and staff at your YWCA Pasir Ris Child Development Centre Branch.

Emmanuel joined your centre at the beginning of Nursery 1, when he was still my “baby” who could only babble one or two-word sentences and would still wobble at times when he walked. Now, at Kindergarten 1, he has definitely come a long way.

I would like to thank you for providing Emmanuel with a very safe and conducive environment to learn at and socialise in. He always looks forward to going to “school” and has been

very happy attending his classes, learning from the teachers, interacting with the “aunties” and playing with his friends.

I would like to thank all the teachers and staff at your centre as each and every teacher has, in their own way, made a significant impact on Emmanuel’s life in the past 2.5 years. He has been showered with love, provided with close guidance and instilled with good values. He has surely been nurtured to be an independent, sensible and knowledgeable boy.

Keep up with the good work and continue to have the positive influences in the lives of our future citizens.

Yours Sincerely,Mrs Nge”

C O M P L I M E N T S

Welcome on Board

The YWCA is pleased to welcome new staff to the team. We welcome Dangcil Frincess De Jesus as Teacher and Li Ning as Educarer at Bedok CDC, and Tan Shi Ling as Teacher and Zhao MengTing as Educarer at Marine Parade CDC.

At Fort Canning Lodge, we welcome Geegie Bhasi as Guest Relations Officer, Hong ZengJie as Room Attendant, Ko Ko Hia as F&B Supervisor, Mohamed Rafi s/o Abdul Careem as Guest Relations Assistant, Mohamed Shahid s/o Abdul Careem as Guest Relations Assistant, Qistina Damiya @ Frescilla Kristie Anak as Sales Executive – Rooms, and Wong Chong Chai as Guest Service Officer.

At the National Office, we welcome Oh Bee Lan Doris as Senior HR Executive and Yit Seek Peng as Accounts Officer.

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

“Dear Alice,Thank you for the privilege to work with your team. It was a heartening experience to observe the commitment and care from the volunteers serve the youth with enthusiasm. Keep it up!

Best Regards,Jill Lowe”Volunteer, Workz-on-Wheels Programme

Pasir Ris CDC and Outram CDC are now SPARK-certified. We now join over 400 preschools in Singapore as a SPARK-certified centre. This is an indication and affirmation that our two Centres have met the quality standards set by the Singapore Pre-school Accreditation Framework. Congratulations to all of the staff at Pasir Ris CDC and Outram CDC!

SPARK Certification

Pasir Ris CDC Outram CDC

Jul - Sep 2014 • ywLink 12 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

S P O T L I G H T: M S J E A N G A R C I A

Jan-Mar 2016

Ms Jean Garcia has been working as a Senior Occupational Therapist at YWCA’s Educational Support Unit since March 2015, helping children with special needs. She shares some insights into Occupational Therapy and its role in early childhood development.

What made you interested in being an Occupational Therapist?

Interestingly enough, I was originally accepted into an Engineering course after I passed my college entrance exam. After 2 years, doubts started to surface when I realised the overwhelming number of male students in the class and the stressful schedule. That was when I realised the calling for Allied Health professionals as it focused directly working and helping people.

I am interested in helping people, for which Occupational Therapy seems to be a great fit since it develops treatment to maintain the daily living and work skills of people with physical, psychosocial and learning difficulties. Being an Occupational Therapist allows me to have endless flexibility and creativity. I get the opportunity to work with different age groups and a variety of cases. Most importantly this role makes an impact, whether big or small, on the lives of each of the individuals and families that I worked with.

What role does Occupational Therapy play in a child’s development?

The first 3 years of life are a critical time for brain development. Children are filled with new stimulations, experiences that drives his or her cognitive, social, and physical growth as well as laying the foundation, especially if a child is delayed or restricted in development. Thus, a child needs support to develop optimally with the help from Occupational Therapy to improve motor functions (gross and fine motor), cognitive, sensory processing, communication, and play skills. The therapy enhances development, minimises the potential for developmental delay, and helps families meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers.

Could you describe a typical work day as an Occupational Therapist at the Educational Support Unit (ESU)?

My day usually starts with planning fun and creative activities for the different and unique cases to facilitate learning of concepts (recognition and identifications), social skills (communication), play (interactions and participation), motor planning (coordination and problem solving), and sensory integration work. I conduct both individual and small group sessions, at times co-facilitated by one of the Learning Support Educators. There are days that allow me to observe the child’s participation in the class and with other peers when he/she is having his/her intervention with the Learning Support Educator. I also conduct parents or caregiver training for intensive follow up intervention that they can facilitate at home. One day of the week is usually reserved for updating reports, meetings, case discussions, training or doing research with other Learning Support Educators.

Could you share a funny or inspiring story about one of your students?

I have a quite a number of funny experiences. To share one, I have this student who is a fan of Captain America and Green Lantern. One day, this boy came with a modified cape using towel and was so proud of it. Beside the modified cape, he also brought along a Captain America shield and always insisted to put it against the glass door for a sweet reason, which was to inform people that ‘Captain America is in the therapy room’ to protect me. He said “Teacher Jean, I miss you very much!” upon seeing me during the first therapy session of this year after my holiday trip. These little, sweet and funny moments from the children inspires me and becomes my daily dose of happiness.

What is your motto in life?

As an Occupational Therapist, I am always guided by this proverb; “Give man a fish and you feed him for the day; teach man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I strongly believe in helping children to gain the skills needed to be successful and functionally independent in their main occupations which are school, and home life. It is more worthwhile to empower the parents with the skills to facilitate their children in this lifelong journey.

Educational Support UnitThe YWCA’s Educational Support Unit (ESU) was established in 2005 to provide early intervention and integration for children with mild learning difficulties. The Unit strives to provide equal opportunities to children to maximise their learning potential through a systematic process of integration under the Integrated Child Care Programme (ICCP) which provides learning opportunities for children who are diagnosed with mild learning challenges in a mainstream setup.

Three external programmes are also offered. The Individual Cognitive and Behavior Intervention (ICBI) is a one on one cognitive and behavior intervention programme that works on a child’s academic, and processing skills as well as work behaviors. Occupational Therapy assists children in solving problems that interfere with their abilities perform functional activities. Lastly, Signposts for Building Better Behaviour helps families prevent or manage the difficult behaviour of children who have a developmental delay or an intellectual disability.

For more information, visit ESU’s webpage at www.ywca.org.sg/childcare/educational-support-unit/ or call 6221 4335.