What to do when leaving a comment on a blog

Dear all (including my avid commenters),

I've always taught my students to be honourable and edifying in their words and deeds, and that includes leaving a comment on any blog.

I would appreciate that anyone who leaves a comment on this blog could leave your name behind and identify who you are, instead of maintaining an anonymous status (since it has a strong implication of under-handedness). Otherwise, I will not publish or entertain your comment.

My students and I are always open to constructive, honest and straightforward feedback that is open and aboveboard, be it negative or positive.

Sarcasm and in-between-the-lines are NOT welcomed.

PESA Storytelling Competition

Good news, children!

Armed with her story 'A Fractured Tale of Hansel & Gretel', Min Yi got into the Semi Final of the PESA Storytelling Competition! Out of16 contestants from different schools, 5 were chosen and Min Yi was one of them!

She has put in alot of effort and time in preparing for the Preliminary Round which was held today at YMCA Orchard, including being reprimanded by the other teacher who was preparing her when the practice wasn't 'good enough'. She held back her tears although she was on the verge of crying, and pressed on. She often stayed back till 4 or 5pm to practise her storytelling and to get her actions right. It has not been easy on her. She is the only English-speaking member in her family and she had to work doubly hard at it. Above all, I thought it quite a feat to qualify for Semi Final when this is the first time she enters a storytelling competition.

There'll be more hard work ahead for her for the next two weeks or so as she prepares for the Semi Final.

Let's continue to give her our encouragement and cheer her on!

These are the pictures when she first prepared for the competition:


Well done, Min Yi! Keep up the good work!

Racial Harmony Day 2009

Our school will celebrate and commemorate Racial Harmony Day on Friday, 24th July 2009, by having the children donned in their ethnic outfits.

Don't be unduly worried or vexed if you don't have ethnic costumes. Or you may not intend to wear anything ethnic at all. Just come to school as normal in your school uniform.

As for footwear, please put on your normal school shoes even if you're wearing an ethnic costume.

Human organ systems

Dear parents,

Today, we had a Science spelling on the five human organ systems: digestive, respiratory, circulatory, skeletal and muscular systems.

Only a handful of children got all five words correct.

Please help your children to commit these words to memory as these are key words. It'll be useful if the children are able to regurgitate on what these systems entail ie. their functions and what they consist of eg. digestive system consists of mouth, gullet, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anus.

Things to bring tomorrow

Dear children,

Please bring glue and scissors to school tomorrow for your Science activity.

Spelling (Unit 10)

Spelling for Unit 10 will be conducted next Wednesday (8th July 2009).

The children have jotted down the words to be tested.

Motivating Children to Read

Some pointers I got off an e-learning resource for teachers on Motivating Children to Read:

1. Learn more about your child's interests and suggest books, magazines, and articles that relate to those topics.
2. Sometimes good movies are a starting point for pleasure reading — after seeing a movie based on a book, children will be motivated to read the book eg. the Harry Potter series, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
3. Sometimes travel sparks reading, and finding books that relate to a place you visit on a family vacation can get a child hooked.
4. Keep books and other reading materials at home.
5. Read aloud with and to your children every day! Children of any age can appreciate being read to. Experts recommend 30 minutes a day. Choose genres that your child prefers.
6. Be a good role model — let your children see you reading for work or learn something, and for pleasure.
7. Create a print rich home environment. Include both books (and books on tape) and writing materials. Include newspapers and child-oriented versions of popular magazines (e.g., Time for Kids, National Geographic for Kids). Set aside a special reading area in your home and make sure everyone uses it.
8. Read and write with your children in your home language. Let your child see you reading and writing in the language(s) which are most comfortable to you. Stock your home library with books in English and books in your home language. Let your child read at home for fun in whichever language she prefers.
9. Cook with your child to develop literacy. Read recipes together. Read the labels on ingredients together. Make a family cookbook of favourite recipes.
10. Explore books together. Ask your child questions. Point out new vocabulary and ideas. Explore the characters motivations and relate them to your family life.
11. Tell stories together. Talk together about your family history and perhaps, do a geneology chart. Look at old vacation photos and discuss your memories of the trip. Tape your storytelling.
12. Write with your child. Provide lots of writing materials and papers. Encourage your child to draw and write on her own. Encourage your child to write thank-you notes to grandparents, make to-do lists, write signs such as 'Tory's room. Keep out!' and the like.
13. Visit the library often. Encourage your child to get her own library card. Take advantage of library programmes such as family book clubs. Find out who are your child's favorite authors and genres and go with him to the library in search of interesting books.

The list is not exhaustive. In times when we're busy, let's not forget the importance of encouraging our children to read.