zoo .... zoo .... zoo .....
Monday .... zoo Thursday .... zoo Friday ..... zoo again !!Hee ...Monday ... with two friends and four of their children. The children's names all start with letter "A". :). Every child got to do what they hoped to do at the zoo, saw the animals they hoped to see. Well ... almost. Zoe had to do away with the elephant show, due to its timing. Thursday ... with a student and his mum. Mrs Toh's name is also Jeslyn. Her Chinese name is also a double single word. With Jerome, we covered almost the whole zoo. Wow, my first time in fact. My family's zoo trip is usually : tram ride, playground, water pool, tram ride, home ... hahaha ..... we go to the zoo not to see the animals actually. Friday .... which is tomorrow. May go to the zoo again. This time, it will be Zane's call, which means ..... water playyyyyyyyyyyyyy !!!!!!!!!!!!Well, we've just renewed our membership. Must make full use of it, esp during the weekdays school holidays. Yeah ! Work ??? Errr .... wait .... My children come first this week! Yeah !!Love,Jess
Time to Declutter too
Read in Delci's friend's blog about decluttering. This will be a new term for me to use, in replace of spring cleaning, hahaha ....Well, to spring clean means to keep the house sparkling clean, which to me, is not possible yet. Some of my colleagues said their homes are decorated with many ornaments and such, one even said her home is full of glass furnitures and displays (which need a fair bit of maintainence). I can only hear and drool. Those of you who had been to my humble abode. Remember my white cabinet at the TV area? Remember the glass panels? I had 4 of them. Now, only 3 are left. All thanks to Zane. He was too forceful when he opened the panels. Sigh. So, one fine day, one panel came crushing down on the floor and very thankfully, missed Zane. He ducked really fast and my heart stopped beating for seconds. I've only cleared Zane's old school uniforms. Zoe's next. Should I just throw them? Hmmmm ...... Next in mind should be the clothes which can't fit Zoe and Zane anymore. Followed by my own clothes. Study room is a mess too. And the thought of tidying up leaves me exhausted. It will be massive. I've to file the K1 stuffs I'd created over the year. Preparing for K2 stuffs for next year. The crafts' stuffs alone is a headache. I must be daring enough, to just discard the old stuff. Arrgghhhhhh !!! The down side of being a preschool teacher. Zoe's Kindergarten stuffs? That will need one box at least. Zane's pre-nursery stuffs? Another box, I guess.But .... I'm not too keen in keeping the LC craft work their teachers did with them. My students' fees are the lowest of the three schools and yet the quality of the crafts they brought home is of the highest standards and impressive. I do feel my very own children being short changed. Sigh ..... IF only I am their teacher in school too. In homeschooling setting, definitely possible, but I also want the social dynamics for them. It is different when I duplicate what I did in school with my students, with Zoe. The fun element and learning together synergy just aren't there. It may purely be a stand alone art and craft session with mummy. Plus, not much pride will be attached to the finished products. She can't bring it home to show her mummy, just like my students, right? But, she always enthuastically brought back her paper plates or toilet rolls crafts from school and exclaimed without fail, "Look, Mummy! I made this!!!! Look!!!"Gotta end here. Both children are up and getting them ready to leave the house. Till the next posting. Love,Jesselyn Ng
Happy Feet
Yesterday was ROM Anniversary Day. Josh decided to take the whole day leave instead. We went to Vivo City in the morning, to catch 10.20am Happy Feet's screening. We reached there at 10.20am, so what do you think? It was a comical sight seeing father and son running to the cinema via escalators. We got 4 seats, at the second row. Not too bad. I thought we would be very near. The story line was fantastic. It struck a chord in me because my Zane is also a special child. A child different from all his peers. All his peers are speaking (as in singing in the show) and he is flapping (as in tapping his feet). I cried a lot throughout the show. It is a show worth watching definitely. Zane was laughing at the penguins at the beginning of the show. He was very amused over their dance moves. He lost interest after an hour. Josh had to take him out before the show ended. As usual, I had to tell Josh the ending of the story. Afternoon was Garage treat for them while we find a place for our lunch. Went to Cedele @ Wheelock, Level 2 which Lynn recommended. Nice place. We had great service. I requested for a quiet corner as this being our anniversary day. The waiter graciously gave us his last 4-seater window seats. I wrote a compliment for him in the feedback form. Hee ... my usual practice when I received good service and for people who go the extra mile. Evening time was just resting and lazing around the house. Today is a day out with Zane, will try to stretch it as far as I can, hee ..... Sorry Zoe, it is Zane's turn to have mummy all to himself, even though the beginning part is to go to AAS for an OT assessment. Love,Jess
a great day at the zoo
with long time friends .... and our growing children.
I met up with two very dear friends and their children.
When we first knew one another and met up, our first borns were barely one year old. At least for Zoe, she was just 6-9 months old.
We watched one another pregnant and bore another child. It was interesting seeing our children growing from play date to play date. Each holiday we meet, the children grow a bit taller and a bit more matured.
These two ladies are friends for keeps.
All our children played very well together. I am thankful for this. I am happy for Zoe that she can have good and very sensible friends to play with. The mums have brought up their children very well indeed. I can't say the same for all my friends' children.
I am still the same. I am still highly selective over whom my children should play with and at times, who are the mums I want to mix with.
With these two ladies, the bond of friendships between us are definitely strong and ..... will grow stronger.
Yeah !!
Thank you, Lynn and Nurul, for a most wonderful day at the Zoo. Love you both! Love your children dearly too!
Let's try to meet again over the holidays. Before you both start another new phase of schooling with your first borns.
Love,
Jesselyn NG
Planning the second week of the holidays
This week will be Week Two.Planned for Zane to go to school on just two days in the week. Zoe is going to have her designated play dates with her long time friends and having fun together like during any other school holidays. Zoe has these groups of friends whom she will only meet during the school holidays. A lot depends on the mums, I guess. School holidays are more relaxing and easier to plan for play dates. We can arrange them during the weekdays and do not have to worry that the following days are school days. Some times play dates can be more fun than school days, hee ....Zane will be having an Occupational Therapy Assessment at AAS on Wednesday. Sure pray that he will be cooperative. Ok, there will go another round of 1000s of questions to answer, be it verbally or in written form. Somehow, there is much peace after confirming AAS. Thank God for His divine intervention and providence. AAS is further than Fei Yue, no doubt. But still, I thank God for His plan for Zane in 2007. May God grant me strength to attend the sessions with Zane twice weekly. May God grant Zane strength and stamina to last through the almost 3 hrs sessions each time. That will mean I can only do my school work after the children are in dream land. May God grant me extra strength too. Next year, the burdens will be heavier and there are more hats to wear within the same day. May God grant wisdom, understanding and peace. Amen .Love,Jess
Week One of the School Holidays
School holidays officially started. By right, I should be going back to school for housekeeping and curriculum planning purposes. By left, I don't think those are first things I want to do first days of my holiday.Yesterday, went to CSC with Ong and Choo. Ong suggested this swimming activity (without our littles preferred and absence of good friends of course) and we dragged Choo along. She was sporting, but not Xu. Nevertheless, Xu met us for lunch at West Mall at 12+.It was an easy breezy day. No stress, no hurry, no specific agenda.By 3+, I picked up both Zoe and Zane. Zane was very happy and cooperative in school, though he knows that mummy and sister are already having holidays. Zoe, of course, loves to go to grandparents' place as she can get pampered and undivided attention from my in laws. It is wonderful seeing grandchildren and grandparents loving one another. This relationship is not definite for every child who has a grandparent. Zoe and Zane are blessed, all their grands love them and give in to their whims and fancies. Too tired to go out at night. I think i plonked into bed before 9pm. I know Josh had a bad day at office. He didn't say much over dinner. And then retired to read the papers, so, I didn't probe too. May the Lord's favour be with us. Amen. It is another new day. Zoe's going to have fun today! As for Zane, his turn's on Friday.Anyone wanna babysit Zoe, so that I can bring Zane out one to one? Hee ..... Love,Jesselyn
Holidays Begin Now .....
Had School Orientation this morning.
Staff Lunch this afternoon.
Staff Fellowship (impromtu) after lunch.
Cleared the charts in my classroom with Mrs Choo till 4pm.
Went to Grace Assembly at Tanglin for their 5pm service.
Hopped into the car at 6.45pm.
Josh brought us to Hans @ Great Eastern for dinner.
Stayed till 9.30pm.
It was good to talk things out and to gets things off my chest and mind, firstly to my colleagues and Principal, secondly, to my hubby.
God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good !
Thank God for His Word.
He is still ......... THE BEST !
Let me digest the sermon notes now, before I grow a bit older by next week and forgets the details of the sermon. hee .....
* mugging in process, do not disturb **
Hee ....
Night !!
Love,
Jesselyn Ng
A peek into my teaching life
The past many weeks, I've been so busy at work.
I still write, but to the parents of my students.
Posting the letters here, for you to take a peek into my teaching world.
I am so glad I can rest and recharge.
.....................................
Letter One:
Term Four Theme :
The Food Pyramid
Dear Parents,
Your child’s work on this term’s theme will be separated from his / her weekly worksheets.
Please file your child’s work, recipes, art and craft etc into a folder or big box. Your child has been putting in lots of effort for each and every assignment given to him/ her so far, so we would appreciate if you could take time to help your child organize his/ her completed work. This is to encourage your child in the area of learning especially when he / she gets to see that not only his/ her teachers value his / her work, his/ her parents and caregivers value his / her work too.
Thank you for your active involvement.
These two weeks, we have covered the sub-topic “Carbohydrates”.
We had great fun making the French toast yesterday. Special thanks to Miss Ong, our chef and to Xu Lao Shi, our assistant chef. (Er, Mrs Ng was the factory worker.) Your child is looking forward to making French toast with you!
Our Carbohydrates’ diet week was also a great success. Thank you for preparing the food or snack for your child to bring to school the last two weeks.
We will be moving on to the next sub-topic “Vitamins and Minerals”. We will focus mainly on vegetables and fruits. More projects are coming our way, stay tune! J May God bless your weekend !
Yours truly,
Miss Ong and Mrs Ng
K1 Class Teachers
22 September 2006
Friday
......................................................
Letter Two :
Dear parents,
Theme on Food
I’m very glad that this final term of the year has been a very enriching learning experience for both your child and I. It is Galilee Kindergarten’s first attempt in covering one theme for one whole term.
“Food” is a very broad topic. By the Grace of God, Miss Ong and I were able to map out a very comprehensive and exhaustive curriculum, which includes art and craft, recipes, projects, field trip, food tasting and challenging activity sheets.
From the mouths of all your babes, I got to know that many of you do look into our request of compiling your child’s work in a box or a drawer. Thank you for taking time and effort to show your child that you value his/ her class work very much. I really appreciate the follow up from your part. I can see that your child is also very happy that you are interested in what he/ she has been learning in school.
Parents’ support and help
I want to take this opportunity to thank many of you for your active involvement in all the class and school activities this term. Without all your valuable help, we teachers won’t be able to carry out all that had been planned for your children. Miss Ong and I have 55 children under our wings, we can’t imagine stapling 60X7 booklets or assemble 60 boxes all on our own. We would have to camp in our classrooms or burn many late nights if we were to do all the preparation work on our own.
a. Food Pyramid Box Project
Thank you Mrs Shannigrahi, Miss Chin, Miss Ana and Mrs Ng (from K1A) for taking precious time on Monday (6 Nov) morning to assemble the boxes for the Food Pyramid Project.
Thank you, Mr Kuek for graciously providing the 60 boxes and cardboards. Thank you very much. Without your help, this box project won’t be possible.
Thank you Mr and Mrs Loh, Mr and Mrs Raymond Tan, Mrs Ang, Mrs Chan, Mrs Ng (from K1A) and Miss Chin for preparing the zig-zag food booklets last weekend.
b. Tanglin Mall Marketplace
Thank you Mrs Joyce Tan and Mrs Toh for helping our class in the field trip. With your help, we could ensure that the children were safe and the activities were carried out smoothly.
c. Galilee Café
Thank you Mrs Shannigrahi, Mrs Goel, Mrs Lynette Tan and Mrs Tan (Patson’s mum) for helping us at the café’s stalls on 17 October, Tuesday. You ladies even prepared the food and drinks! By the way, the teachers did break even from the sales of the food and drinks. This, we must thank all you supportive parents out there for allowing your children to come to school with $1 worth of coins that morning! *grins. So .... is your child a spender or a saver? Heehee ..... J
Special thanks to Miss Chin, our photographer for every class and school activity. The complementary photos which you have been seeing were all taken by Miss Chin. She had spent many hours taking the photos (at times, for the full 3 hours per activity, she was with me.).
d. Organic Food Facts
Special thanks to the ten parents who cut out this Sunday Times Special Report (1 October) for your children. Your contribution has enabled me to have enough colour pictures for every child in our class. We had spent much time discussing the organic food facts in the newspaper report. I have condensed the discussion into 20 “mini” facts. Each child would have pasted around 5 of such facts into his/ her work. Please read through them with your child.
I can’t thank all of you enough. All of you are great partners with me in this journey of nurturing your children into wholesome, confident, happy and positive children.
Last but not least, may your family have a wonderful holiday.
May God bless your family bountifully. Amen.Yours sincerely,Mrs Jesselyn Ng K1B Class Teacher
10 November 2006, Friday...........................................Letter Three : Dear Parents,
Theme : Food Pyramid
Our Grand Finale
13th to 16th November 2006
First of all, thank you for taking time to prepare the health food for your children to bring to school over the last four days.
Let me share with you what the children had brought and some of the actual conversations which went on in the class and during the feasting sessions.
Here goes .....
A Journal of Mrs Jesselyn Ng :
Yippee !!! No more formal worksheets for the class. No more marking for me!
Hmmmm ....... What are we going to do this week?
Bring health food to the class. Talk about it. Look at it. Eat it!
Angela, Shivika and Shermaine brought apples on three separate days. Angela, thank you for bringing your apples in slices. They definitely looked very appetizing. I want to thank auntie for helping me to cut the other apples. I can’t be in the kitchen and serving the children food at the same time.
By the third round of having apples in a week (Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns kicked in already), I have to cajole the children to finish the last ten slices of apples.
Mrs Ng : “Apples for sale! Only 5 cents per slice!” (a few customers “bought” the apple slices)
Mrs Ng : “Apples for sale again! Special offer! 1 cent per slice!” (hee, sold out within a minute! Yeah!)
Celine, Hwee Qee, Cheyenne, Zecary and Zoë (my daughter) started to chorus this phase among themselves with lots of chuckles and giggles....
“Mrs Ng for sale! Hahahahaha .....”
Mrs Ng : “Hey! Mrs Ng is not for sale!”
Ok, at least the children did not give me a price tag. *grins.
Wen Bin brought star fruit. It was sweet and sour at the same time. Those children who love star fruit kept coming back for more and those who don’t fancy it had a hard time trying to swallow their first bites. If you get to see those “sourish” expressions on those faces, I believe you will laugh. Hee .... I did, but I still have to put on a straight face and strongly encouraged them to make sure the first bites went in. (For hygiene purpose besides for health reason.)
Most of the children love the grapes and bananas Celine and Ben brought respectively. These were sold out items.
Mr and Mrs Kuek prepared and transported twenty Chinese pears to school on Tuesday morning. Thank you so much for your generosity! The children were very happy that they could each bring a pear home. Some even smelled the pears before placing them into their bags.
Mrs Ng : "Xin Hui, thank you for the twenty pears. It should be 22. How about me? How about Xu Lao Shi?" (Just Kidding.)
Xin Hui : "Oh, we only have twenty children in our class."
Ok, Xin Hui’s concept on size is excellent. The teachers are not small. Therefore, we are not entitled to the pears.
Mr and Mrs Kuek, I was just pulling Xin Hui’s leg. At this age of five, it can be very fun when we see the children’s reactions and hear their candid responses when we have the opportunities to tease them.
The sweet corn which Reuel brought was a great hit too. Many children came back for more helpings. Special thanks to Mr and Mrs Ang for packing bowls and spoons for the children.
At 11.20am, Reuel said : “Mrs Ng, where are my sweet corn container, bowls and spoons?”
Mrs Ng : "They are still in the kitchen sink. If you want it back, I can only get to wash them after you go home. I’ll return them to you tomorrow."
Reuel : "But .... I want to bring them home today. Can I go to the kitchen and ask auntie for them. I think my mummy can wash. No problem."
Mrs Ng : "Are you sure?"
Reuel : "Yes. I will be extra careful, Mrs Ng."
(Now, this boy is rather matured and reliable. He follows instructions rather well too. Reuel came back after five minutes.)
Reuel : "Mrs Ng, auntie washed them for me already. Yeah!" (broad smiles and a satisfied look)
In the end, guess what happened? Reuel left the whole bag in class after going through all the trouble! Hee hee ..... When I saw the bag in the class after dismissing the children, I went, “Oh well, the process of retrieving the items was fun at least.” *wink
Elizabeth brought organic corn cakes and Jerome brought organic crispy rice bars. Mrs Tan and Mrs Toh, did you both go shopping together? Thank you for sourcing for these organic foods. The children also realize that healthy food also means less tasty food.
They finished the corn cakes even though it was plain because they know that these are good for them.
As for the rice bars, the children were blessed by Mrs Toh’s generosity. Each child could bring a bar home. And .... How come the children know that the bars came in different flavours? As usual, there will be some fussy ones who took very long to decide which flavour they fancy.
Mrs Ng : "School vans are waiting. Your helpers, grandmas, mummies and daddies are waiting downstairs. Hurry up. Choose and go. Com’on .... (hee) "
Cheyenne brought oatmeal biscuits. It was a hot favourite. Maybe this was because Cheyenne did a very convincing presentation that these biscuits are superb for health as they are very rich in nutrients. Well done, Cheyenne! That really encouraged your classmates to choose to eat a healthier type of biscuits whenever they can.
These children, though young they may be, they can give me diplomatically correct answers!
“It is not good for us to eat junk food and titbits.”
“For biscuits, whole meal or oatmeal biscuits are healthier than chocolate biscuits.”
“But ..... We still can eat chocolate biscuits.”
“Ya, we can! But, once in a while.”
“And ..... Maybe just a few pieces will do.”
I was like, “Hello? Did I hear wrongly?”
I want to specially thank the mums who prepared the macaroni (Anish), egg and cheese sandwiches with cucumbers in them (Zhi Hong), butter and sugar sandwiches (Patson), oatmeal bread sandwiches (Zecary), noodles (Hwee Qee) and quail egg, sausage and grape kebabs (Kimberley).
Kimberley : “Quail eggs have proteins in them. However, we cannot eat too many of them each time. Maybe five quail eggs will do. As for the sausages, my mummy did not fry them. She also did not add any salt or oil. So, it is healthier. Grapes give us vitamins, please eat.”
This interesting activity will not be possible without your involvement. Once again, thank you for taking time. I appreciate all your effort and love for the children.
I’ve taught the children how to look out for the Nutritional Facts Tables behind every food box. They are keen to know more about these tables. Please take time to read the labels to them whenever you have the chance to show them such tables.
I have this sample which I cut out from my son’s honey stars (cereal) box :
Have a most wonderful holiday!
Love,
Mrs Jesselyn Ng
15 November 2006
Friday
my last day of school today
Over at my Just Mums' website, a very dear friend of mine posted about her last day of school and how she felt seeing her babies moving on to Primary Three. She had nurtured these babies for two years. I know exactly how she felt. I am also with my current class for two years. I love my babies a lot too. So much so that, I am like a third parent to them, coaching and training them in the way they should go.
Ask me if I will miss them this holiday? definitely!
Nurul, I know what you mean in your post in JM. In fact I almost cried too when you shared about your feelings during the "sent-off".
If I stay near your school, I will definitely register Zoe there and specifically request for you to teach her, because of very special grounds, which you are aware.
See you, next Monday!
Love,
Jess
worship ... it is the medicine for a broken heart ....
Before the world began,You were on His mind.And every tear you cry,Is precious in His eyes.Because of His great love,He gave His only Son.Everything was done, So you would come.Nothing that you do,Could make Him love you more.And nothing that you've done,Could make Him close the door.Because of His great love,He gave His only Son,Everything was done,So you would come. Come to the Father,Though your gift is small.Broken hearts, broken lives,He would take them all.The power of His love,The power of His might. Everything was done,So you would come.
100th Post for my blog
what should I blog about?
what should I write?
ok, just this :
I am glad the year is coming to an end.
Looking forward to the holidays.
Last few weeks had been hectic, rough going, tense and upsetting, plus .... super challenging, till the point that I don't wanna talk and when I talk, I talk nonsense (anything but about those issues that are pressing hard on my shoulders).
The yoke is heavy, very heavy.
And I need a rest, a really good rest.
"Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, come to Jesus, right now.
Right now, come to Jesus, come to Jesus, right now."
Love,
Jesselyn
3am in the morning ?????!!!
What on earth am I doing?Work !!and thinking about 2007 ......Sighhhhhhhhhhhh ......My body's aching for a rest, but my mind refuses to rest. Haizzzzzzzzzzzz ...................
