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Preschool News

Kidz Meadow Early Childhood Centres | 2019 ECDA Partner Operator Newsletter

CELEBRATING OUR CHILDREN’S GIVING HEARTS

CELEBRATING PARENTS’ SUPPORT

CELEBRATING STAFF COMMITMENT

Preschool News


Preschool News


Contents

Welcome Note 02

MERCU 20th Anniversary 04

Start Small Dream Big 07

Care for Wildlife 09

Superkinder Camp 13

Nature Magnified 14

ECDA Conference 15

Community Partnership 16

Staff Appreciation 17

Staff Training &Development 18

WELCOME NOTE

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NURTURING VALUES OF KINDNESS, EMPATHY AND COMPASSION IN OUR CHILDREN

It has been a rewarding year for all of us at KidzMeadow. We kicked off the year with parents, children and staff raising funds and contributing to charity for MERCU’s 20th Anniversary. Centres organised charity bazaars where parents bond with their children through games and performances. Children and teachers worked hand-in-hand, wrapping the donated items into Gifts-for-the-Elderly hampers. In return, we were rewarded with big smiles from the beneficiaries of ThyeHwa Kwan, All Saints Nursing Home, Orange Valley and Jamiyah Home for the Aged.

In April 2019, for the fourth year, Kidz Meadow Centres took part in the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) project. Our theme for this year was Care for Wildlife. The objective was for the children to learn to be kind to animals and be aware of how climate change and deforestation are affecting animal habitats. It was a theme close to the children’s heart and they explored the theme with much zest and enthusiasm. Pasir Ris and Woodlands Centres had also raised funds for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

To heighten the children's interest, we continued with the same theme for our Superkinder Camp, Project Month and Disposition Day

REVAMPING OUR CURRICULUM

With our revamped Malay and Chinese language curriculum, children were given the opportunity to be immersed in various cultural experiences through our Warisan Budaya and Wenhua Yichan activities.

The Nature Magnified programme was extended to the Nursery 2 children this year with the aim of developing an appreciation for nature and living things, encouraging creativity and analytical thinking and harnessing values such as responsibility and empathy in our pre-schoolers.

Preschool News


STAFF WELFARE AND TRAINING

The educators and support staff are the most

important assets in our organisation. Through staff welfare and training, we aim to groom staff who are happy, motivated and committed. We believe that by having happy teachers, we will have happy children.

Staff welfare events are held to appreciate ourstaff’s hard work. This year, Long Service Awardswere presented to many of our staff who had remained steadfast in their commitment to providethe best care for the children.

It is important that our teachers providemeaningful experiences for the pre-schoolers in alllearning areas for holistic development. We aimto have competent teachers who have theknowledge, skills and attributes to provide positiveexperiences for the children. Unit trainings are heldtwice a year. Selected teachers attend furtherexternal training workshops and conferences toenrich their knowledge and learn the bestpractices. This year, the induction and mentoringprogrammes were enhanced to better preparenewly-recruited teachers in their roles and guideteachers in curriculum planning.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY

Kidz Meadow Buangkok Ridge project work on

Primate Kingdom was featured in ECDA’s EarlyChildhood Conference on 14 September 2019 inpartnership with Singapore Zoo. The children’swork were showcased at the exhibition andactivities were planned for visitors.

In our second year of partnership with Singapore Red Cross Junior Club, children at some centres participated in various events to learn, apply basic first aid skills and to care for themselves and those around them.

QUALITY JOURNEY

We are in our fourth year with Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) POP Scheme. ECDA supports Partner Operators (POP) build capabilities to raise quality, and improve career prospects for our Early Childhood professionals.

All our centres have received the Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework (SPARK)certification from ECDA. SPARK is a quality assurance framework dedicated to assisting preschools in Singapore in raising quality. It aims to provide recognition and support for preschools in our efforts to improve teaching and learning, administration and management processes to enhance the holistic development and well-being of young children. We remain committed to provide quality care based on SPARK.

We are also pleased to inform you that all of our centres are now Healthy Meal Preschool Programme (HMPP) certified. We are committed to serving nutritional and well-balanced meals at the centres. Our menu has been approved by Health Promotion Board (HPB).

It has been an exciting 2019 and I am happy to see the strong teacher-parent partnership and support from parents for centre events and activities. Thank you parents for being part of your child’s learning journey. It means a lot to your child and the teachers. Thank you children for showing us what big hearts you have. We are so proud with each and everyone of you.

Children’s development depends on their experiences and relationships with those around them. The manner on how adults respond will affect the children’s self-esteem and confidence. Children need to feel safe and secure before any positive development can take place. It is my hope that every child grows up in a safe, warm and nurturing environment with rich experiences and interactions. I take this opportunity to wish our precious K2 graduating children all the best for their future endeavours.

Thank you.

Norliza AminSenior Manager, Early Childhood

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Preschool News


In March, Kidz Meadow Centres from Buangkok Crescent, Buangkok Ridge, Hougang and Pasir Ris had a combined Family Carnival. K1s and K2s put up performances to show appreciation for their parents and grandparents. There were food, drinks and games stalls. Sales from the purchased coupons were donated to Singapore Red Cross. Thank you parents for the overwhelming support.

FAMILY DAY CHARITY CARNIVAL@ North East Centres

Food and games stations such as Kacang Puteh, Ice Pops and Ring Pops were set up to bring families back to the good old days.

Framed quotes, bracelets, soap bars and scented candles were handmade by the teachers and children. They were all sold to raise funds for our beneficiary, Singapore Red Cross.

OLD SKOOL CHARITY CARNIVAL @ Kidz

Meadow Woodlands

MINI CARNIVAL @ Kidz Meadow

Yishun

The event kicked off with children grooving to the songs “What Makes you Beautiful” and “I’ve Got a Feeling”. It was a mini carnival with game booths and therapeutic massage stations manned by the K2 children. The mini garage sale was a hit among the parents.

Our utmost gratitude to all the generous parents, children and supportive staff of KMW and KMY.

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Preschool News


CHARITY BAZAAR@ Orange Valley Senior Activity Centre

Children from Kidz Meadow Jurong West, Woodlands and Yishun brought cheer to the senior citizens at Orange Valley

Senior Activity Centre on 8 March 2019 with a Zumba workout and dance performances. The elderly joined in the

fun too as they moved to the songs and showered the children with hugs and kisses.

Games, potted plants and pre-loved clothes sale booths were set up to raise funds for Singapore Red Cross. The highlight was the spa therapy stalls where the children,

equipped with rollers and cream, massaged the elderly. It was a warm interaction which everyone will cherish.

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Preschool News


DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS-FOR-THE-ELDERLY HAMPERS TO BENEFICIARIES

Kidz Meadow children brought smiles along with the 200 gift hampers to be distributed to the beneficiaries at Thye

Hwa Kwan, All Saints Nursing Home, Orange Valley Nursing Home, Orange Valley Senior Activity Centre, GeylangEast Home for the Aged and Jamiyah

Home for the Aged. Photo frames, towel origami and coasters created by

the children and teachers were included in the hampers.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” - Mahatma GandhiThank you parents, staff and children for your contributions.

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Preschool News


LAUNCH OF SSDB PROJECT

On 14 May, Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Woodlands joined other pre-schools in Singapore to launch the SSDB project. Teachers and children pledged to protect the wildlife and their habitats and to raise funds for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Yishun launched the project by having a ribbon cutting ceremony at their new garden. They planted flowering plants to attract flowering bees, insects and butterflies. The vice-principal, Ms Nora, introduced to the children the Harlequin Butterfly. Children had fun exploring on how to help save the Harlequin Butterflies from extinction.

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Preschool News


LAUNCH OF SSDB PROJECT

On 15 April, children at Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok (986C) received a “code red” from the animals in the wild. The children were deployed as rangers as they came to the centrewith their pledge cards to save the animals in the wild.

The event started with a “Song of the Sea” performance by the children. The children explored the booths that their teachers had prepared where they learnt about the Endangered Animals, Ocean Clean-up, Loving your Pets, Primate Kingdom and a craft station on Sea Creatures.

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Preschool News


CARE FOR WILDLIFE @ KMY

Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Yishun involved in a learning journey to Singapore Zoo on 23 August. The trip was part of the Care for Wildlife and SSDB project entitled “Bringing Back the Butterflies”. The children learnt about the conservation efforts of the Zoo to protect the habitat of the butterflies. The children ventured the Zoo to spot animals found on their ‘I Spy’ booklets.

Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Yishun ended the June project with an exhibition. Beamed with pride, they walked through the exhibition with their parents, pointing out their masterpieces. It had been a fruitful month for the children as they learnt about the caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly.

Learning Journeys

Project Exhibition

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Preschool News


CARE FOR WILDLIFE @ KMW

KMW presents a

Wildlife Musical

As a closure to the Start Small Dream Big (SSDB) project 2019, each class showcased a dance

performance on their 'Adopted Animals', from Golden Lion Tamarin to the Malayan Tapir.

The children had also prepared handmade crafts relating to their 'Adopted Animals'. Proceeds from the

sales of musical tickets and coupons for the bazaar went to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Well done

KMW children and thank you parents for your support.

CARE FOR WILDLIFE @ KMJW

For Term 3 Disposition Day, children learnt about water pollution and its harmful effects on marine

life, and what they can do to contribute to marine life sustainability.

The younger children fished out litters from a mock-up sea while the older

children had storytelling and completed the various activities in

NParks booklet. 11

Preschool News


Children from Kidz Meadow Kindergarten were thrilled to watch a popular storybook unfold on stage! ‘The Rainbow Fish’ story came alive for them in a theatre. The children enjoyed “swimming” through the story as the underwater animals characters.

Nursery 1 and 2 had a learning journey to the S.E.A Aquarium. The children had the opportunity to observe the various types of sea creatures in their living habitat. Back at the centre, they discussed on the importance of taking care of living things and its

environment.

The event was held on 16 August 2019as a closure to the SSDB Project.A fundraising drive was held 2 weeks before the event and the donationswere presented to Mr Heiqal, the representative from World Wide Fundfor Nature (WWF). Mr Heiqal also gavean interactive talk on ocean conservation.

Read more at https://stories.littlelives.com/p/startsmalldreambig/stories/4560

Well done children. You have made us proud.

CARE FOR SEA CREATURES @ KMK

DISPOSITION DAY @ KMK

Winner of parent-child poster design competition

on Ocean Conservation

12

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https://stories.littlelives.com/p/startsmalldreambig/stories/4560

Preschool News


CARE FOR WILDLIFE @ KMBR

During the June Project month, Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok (986C) investigated on the Primate Kingdom. In collaboration with Singapore Zoo, officers from the Zoo shared information on primates during the centre’s learning journey. They learnt about the primates such as cotton top tamarin, orang-utans and chimpanzees, through fun activities. In conjunction with Father’s Day, KMBR dads joined in to have enjoyable bonding time with their children at the zoo.

CARE FOR WILDLIFE @ KMBC

Children from Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok (979C) eagerly explored wildlife patterns and habitats through games and presentations. They learnt that by using less paper, they can help to save the homes of many wildlife. With their handprints, they designed a pledge poster and pledged to be kind to animals and protect the environment.

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Preschool News


The much awaited 2-Day 1-Night Camp was back on 25 and 26 June 2019. The aim of the annual

camp is to develop perseverance, independence, confidence and social skills in the children.

Our brave rangers explored the Zoo on Day 1 and ended the day with a Jungle Conga Campfire and “Save our Animals” Shadow Play. Even though it

was the first time some of the children were away from home, they overcame their fears and slept in

the company of teachers and friends.

K1 & K2 SUPERKINDER CAMP

Day 2 kicked off with morning exercise. After breakfast, children set off for Station Activities testing their knowledge on animals and their

teamwork. Everyone went home with a certificate and a bonus Nature Magnified badge. Well done kindergarteners!

DAY 1

DAY 2

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Preschool News


NATURE MAGNIFIED (N2 to K2)

The experiences that the children had acquired through connecting with nature, complement and support the six core domains of the early childhood Nurturing Early Learners, as stipulated by the Ministry of Education.

Through our Nature Magnified experiences, we hope that more children will develop a sense of curiosity, love and care for the world they live in and have an awareness that they can do their part to save the environment for generations to come.

Children went for a leaf hunt to search for five leaves of

increasing sizes. Armed with gloves and Ziploc bags, they

hunted for leaves around the neighbourhood. They discussed

about the leaves they had collected and negotiated among themselves to ensure they had

collected 5 different sized leaves. Back in the classroom, the

children arranged the leaves from the smallest to the biggest.

Children explored the themes on Environment, Flora and Fauna and Animals throughout the year.

CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

To complement the Chinese and Malaycurriculum, we have added the experiential learningcomponent through the Warisan Budaya andWenhua Yichan activities. The components providedopportunities for the children to immerse in culturaland traditional experiences of the Chinese andMalays. Children engaged in activities such asplaying traditional games, re-enacting a Malaywedding, performing Chinese opera, Lion Dance andpoem recitations.

Preschool News


ECDA CONFERENCE14 SEPTEMBER 2019

Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok (986C) SSDB project on Primate Kingdom had a showcase at this year’s ECDA

Conference. Other than displaying the children’s project work, teachers planned activities for visitors to interact with.

We were proud to be part of this important event and to be able to share ideas and relay important messages on protecting

wildlife with other preschool educators and parents.

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Preschool News


On 24 August, our Red Cross Juniors had a chance to experience a Humanitarian Trail organised by Singapore Red Cross (SRC). They visited interactive stations with the objective of strengthening their understanding of SRC Humanitarian work and inspiring them to give back to the community. Children visited the operations centre, simulation lab and learnt practical skills on safety at home and in school.

There were hands-on practices for CPR, choking and water filtration system used in emergency and temporary shelters. The experience was an eye opener for the children and was a good opportunity for the Red Cross Youths to interact with our little ones, the Red Cross Juniors.

Our Red Cross Juniors

welcoming the President,

Mdm Halimah Yacob at SRC

70th Anniversary Celebration

on 30 September 2019.

Congrats SRC!

Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok (979C) children performed the lantern dance at AngMo Kio GRC’s Mid Autumn Festival.

Kidz Meadow Yishun children performed at the annual Nee Soon GRC Semarak Warisanevent. Principal, Mdm Juriyahreceived a token of participation from Guest of Honour, Prof MadyaMuhammad Faisal Ibrahim.

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COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP with Singapore Red Cross

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP with Grassroot Clubs

Preschool News


Based on the theme Candyland, everyone came dressed in their sweetest for a night of games, food and

prizes. 18 staff were recognized for their long service and contributions to the company.

To all the teachers and staff, thank you for all the commitment and hardwork that you have given to your

children under your care.

LONG SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS

Mdm Juriyah and MdmRasimah from Kidz

Meadow Yishun, received the Long Service Award

for 20 years.

STAFF APPRECIATION NIGHT

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Preschool News


BECAUSE TEACHERS LEARN

BEST THROUGH PLAY

Teachers learnt various ways to integrate gross motor skills into the different learning

domains. Training kicked off with a Mass Dance integrating music and gross motor

skills. It was then followed-up with station activities where teachers made gross motor

equipment using recycled materials! The training was filled with energy,

engagement, enthusiasm, fun and laughter!

TEACHERS’ TRAINING

Performance Management

To equip centre leaders with skills to conduct effective

performance appraisal, a 2-day training conducted by EON

Consulting & Training Pte Ltd was held on 2 and 3

September 2019.

SUPERVISORS’ TRAINING

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Preschool News


OUR CORE VALUES

Community and Parental Involvement

We build strong and trusting partnerships

with the parents and the community to

enhance the development of the children.

Active Learners

We understand that children are natural

and active learners. Through project

work, thematic and integrated learning,

they are given opportunities to explore,

gather information and share knowledge.

Resourcefulness

We continuously upgrade our teaching

and learning resources in enhancing

children’s learning experiences.

Excellence

We strive for excellence in everythingthat we do.

OUR MISSION

Provide a quality and

innovative programme that

nurtures children to be

socially responsible citizens,

active learners and thinkers.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe in providing an

engaging and positive

environment for the

children to develop their

potential to the fullest

in all aspects of development.

VISION

A First-Class Provider in Early Childhood Education

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