We have conquered Hong Kong and back!

Our journey began on 16^th March 2014 as10 pupils and 6 staff took a flight to Hong Kong for a 5 days 4 night learning journey. After bidding farewell to the pupils’ parents who came to send us off, we went through the immigration and had our lunch at Burger King. The plane took off at 3.05 pm. and landed in Hong Kong slightly after 7pm. Everyone was excited and looking forward to the upcoming learning experience in Hong Kong.

Upon arrival, our tour guide Ms Catherine, took us to an Indian Muslim Restaurant for dinner. Our pupils were attracted by the performance at the restaurant and some went up to learn to play the drums while we were having our buffet dinner. After dinner, we had our check-in to Kimberley Hotel at Tsimshatsui (Kowloon). Our vice-principal, Mrs Liu, who took an earlier flight to Hong Kong to prepare the logistics with the Principal of the school, met us at the Hotel.

Early the next morning, we went to CCC Kei Shun Special School. They welcomed us with a drum performance and we took a group photo together. After that, they brought us around to show us the facilities and activities of the school. We were impressed by the creativity of the school as every single space is occupied with the work of the pupils, and as we turned every corner, there are ‘surprises’ such as relax corner, gymnastics corner, reading corner and so on. The walls were decorated by the free drawing of the special pupils whose artistic potential was demonstrated. The pupils of Kei Shun School and our pupils interacted and made friends with one another as we gathered in the school hall. Metta School circus arts and sparks groups performed and shared the skills with them. We were taught how to make maltose biscuits and had a great time interacting with one another.

As exposure is one of the objectives of the trip, arrangements for our circus arts and Sparks group to learn new tricks from others were made. In the evening, we headed towards the famous Hong Kong Victoria Park to have a practice session with the Hong Kong Instructors. They were very friendly and willing to teach our pupils. Our pupils were so motivated to do better and to try new skills after the practice session with them. It was wonderful experience as they were aware that circus arts is cross-cultural, cross-societal and borderless among people anywhere.

On the third morning, we went to Hong Kong Baptist Convention Primary School, the school which invited us to perform, share and mingle with their pupils. The principal of Hong Kong Baptist Convention Primary School, Ms Wong, welcomed us. The pupils from Hong Kong Baptist Convention School brought us around the school and performed for us a song item and a dance item. It was lively and the atmosphere was so warm and friendly, and that our group was encouraged and motivated to perform with great confidence. After bidding farewell, we went for lunch at the busiest area in Kowloon – Mong Kok. In the late afternoon, we had the experience of riding on the ferry to cross the harbour – an unique and memorable experience for our pupils. At the Peak, we were amazed at the night scenery.

The fourth day was an exciting day for all of us after two consecutive days of practising and performing. After having lunch, we set off to Hong Kong Disneyland. Initially, some of the pupils were hesitant as they had no previous experience of taking the rides. However, after some time, all of them were having fun taking the rides. We were also mesmerized by the fireworks outside the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

On the fifth day morning, we packed our luggage and the pupils were guided to purchase some souvenirs for their families at the supermarket before setting off to Hong Kong International airport. We did have a good time in Hong Kong. This trip in Hong Kong was indeed an enjoyable, meaningful and fulfilling learning journey for all of us.

 

By Ms Dawn Tan
(article extracted from Metta School website, http://www.mettaschool.edu.sg)

Camp I M Possible – A Reflection by Lim Xia Ling

From 17 November to 20 November, Metta School Scout Group participated in Camp Possible at Sarimbun Scout Campsite. As soon as we arrived at the campsite, we were brought to our “A” huts, which was where we would be sleeping for the next 3 days.

Our first activity was to design our name tags. Ms Zaza told us that it was a competition but I did not believe her until the organizer told us. Joeina’s name tag design and mine were selected for the competition. It was like a dream come true. My design won first prize. After the competition, we went around the campsite to play games at the different stalls. The Opening Ceremony of the camp started later that evening. We sat around the campfire and sang songs. We had a fun time! When it was time for bed, I wanted to cry because I missed my parents.

The next morning, we went to the Gardens By The Bay where the most important thing my friends and I learnt was that “Dragonflies like clean water.” So if you see dragonflies near water, it means that the water is clean. We used a tablet and a code reader to scan and find information.

In the afternoon, we went to the Singapore Zoo. We watched 3 different shows but my favourite was the “Animals of the Rainforest” because I learnt about many animals. I did not like the Elephant Show because the elephants “did their big business” in front of us and it was so smelly. Nevertheless, I appreciate all animals because they are living things like us.

After dinner that evening, we had to share our reflections on the day’s activities with the cub scouts and the other extension scouts. Nabilah was brave to stand in front of the group to share her reflections. I hope to have the courage to share my thoughts aloud next time.

On our third day at camp, we went to the Jurong Frog farm. It was my first time feeding the frogs. The male frog is fatter and darker than the female frog. I hope I can have a chance to feed turtles the next time.

Later that morning, our group went to Bollywood Veggies. We planted a plant in a pot. The teacher who taught us to plant was Ms Zaza’s former school teacher. They took pictures together. I used the “cangkul” and “parang” to clear the weeds and plant fruit trees & vegetables. All the fruit trees & vegetables were organic. We then put the weeds into a machine to make natural fertilizers for the farm. We were also given organic banana cake to eat for tea break.

After lunch, our scout group & cubs from Poi Ching Primary School and River Valley Primary School played many different games like hula hoop hockey, sit down soccer, hula hoop chain and finding sweets in a plate on the floor. I did not want to play this last game, but since Ms Zaza was looking, I felt I had no choice but to get my face covered with to get the sweets.

The closing ceremony was held that evening. We all dressed up in different traditional clothes. I wore a pink Baju Kurung and we performed our “Chamak Chalo” dance. I was feeling shy when we danced but when the teachers said we did a good job, I was happy.

Before we went to bed that last night at the Sarimbun Scout Campsite, our scout group had a chit-chat session and light snacks. We all said we enjoyed ourselves and then went to sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast & strike-tent, it was time to go home. It had been a wonderful and happy Camp Possible!

for more articles, click on to http://www.mettaschool.edu.sg/index.php

2013 Graduation & Prize Giving Day (PM)

The atmosphere in Metta School was joyous with anticipation of our Graduation & Prize Giving Day on 13 November 2013. Months of planning and hard work preceded this event and our students were agog with excitement as the date drew nearer. Working feverishly like busy ants, our main and sub-committees carried out their preparations with military-like precision.

For our talented students, it meant that they would get to perform for the school, the parents and also to showcase their beautiful art work. A number of them will be receiving awards in recognition of their hard work and performance.

When the appointed day and time came, everyone trooped into the school hall and duly took their places. The VIPs and invited guests were ushered into the hall before the event started. As an opening act, our young students from the Circus Arts group enthralled the audience with their jumping and juggling skills. There was even a stilt walker from the ASD class who walked around and entertained the guests!

Next, our principal, Ms Melison See took to the stage and made the customary speech. She said that the school’s Prize Giving Day is an important day in our school calendar where students’ achievements in different areas are recognised and rewarded. Ms See rattled off a long list of initiatives in the school’s progress in different areas, like academic, socio-emotional learning, our performing & visual arts programmes, the CCAs and a first for our school, the outdoor adventure camps in September that were held for our students. She brimmed with pride as she recounted the school’s progress for the year. She also encouraged the parents to continue with the good home support that they had given to their kids and to maintain close cooperation with the school.

The principal then thanked everyone and congratulated our prize recipients for their hard work and outstanding achievements. Awards were given out to students in the areas of academic, non-academic, PVAs, CCAs, good conduct and good leadership.

It was time for some light entertainment and our student performers were keen to showcase what they had learnt during the Performing Arts sessions. The Music & Drama group marched in to the song ‘The Ants Go Marching’ and they sure looked cute with their helmets and toy spades! The same group later displayed their drama skills in the act called ‘Little Peter Rabbit’. The appreciative audience responded with loud applause and cheers! To top it all, the students from the Dance group performed a rousing and robust dance to Justin Bieber’s song ‘Just Power’. Togged out in superman costumes, our dancers strutted their stuff on stage and wowed the audience with their moves!

The concert ended with guests being given muffins made by our young students. All guests then proceeded to the sports hall for the viewing of the art exhibits, comprising our students’ attractive work from the different visual arts groups. They also had refreshments while mingling with one another.

It was a memorable 2013 Prize Giving Day for teachers, staff, students and parents alike!

Written by:
Ms Maria Soo

~ article extracted from Metta School blog.

Dysgraphia

“It’s impossible to teach her how to spell!”

“Her handwriting is so messy, all her teachers complain about it!”

“He’s already 10, when will he learn to write neatly?”

“He must be just plain lazy.”

“She’s just not trying hard enough.”

Do these words of complain sound familiar? Have you considered that your child may not be writing badly deliberately? He or she may have dysgraphia.

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. Dysgraphia makes the act of writing difficult. It can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting, and putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia can have trouble organising letters, numbers, and words on a line or page. This can result partly from:

• Visual-spatial difficulties: trouble processing what the eye sees
• Language processing difficulty: trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears

As with all learning disabilities, dysgraphia is a lifelong challenge, although how it manifests may change over time.

Warning Signs

Just having bad handwriting does not mean a person has dysgraphia. Since dysgraphia is a processing disorder, difficulties can change throughout a lifetime. The following signs can be observed in persons with dysgraphia in different stages of their development.

In Early Writers

• Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
• Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
• Trouble forming letter shapes
• Inconsistent spacing between letters or words
• Poor understanding of uppercase and lowercase letters
• Inability to write or draw in a line or within margins
• Gets tired quickly while writing

In Young Students

• Illegible handwriting
• Mixture of cursive and print writing
• Saying words out loud while writing
• Concentrating so hard on writing that comprehension of words is missed
• Trouble thinking of words to write
• Omitting or not finishing words in sentences

In Teenagers and Adults

• Trouble organising thoughts on paper
• Trouble keeping track of thoughts already written down
• Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
• Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech

What Helps?

There are many ways to help a person with dysgraphia achieve success. The strategies fall into the following three key categories.

• Accommodation: providing alternatives to written expressions
• Modification: changing expectations or tasks to minimise or avoid the area of weakness
• Remediation: providing instructions for improving handwriting and writing skills

Each type of strategy should be considered when planning instruction and support. A person with dysgraphia will benefit from help from both specialists and those who are closest to the person. Finding the most beneficial type of support is a process of trying different ideas and openly exchanging thoughts on what works best.

Although teachers and employers are required by law to make “reasonable accommodations” for individuals with learning disabilities, they may not be aware of how to help. Speak to them about dysgraphia and explain the challenges faced as a result of this learning disability.

Here are examples of how to teach individuals with dysgraphia to overcome some of their difficulties with written expressions.

Early Writers

Always be patient and positive, encourage practice, and praise effort. Becoming a good writer takes time and practice.

• Use paper with raised lines for a sensory guide to staying within the lines.
• Try different pens and pencils to find one that’s most comfortable.
• Practice writing letters and numbers in the air with big arm movements to improve motor memory of these important shapes. Also practice letters and numbers with smaller hand or finger motions.
• Encourage proper grip, posture, and paper positioning for writing. It’s important to reinforce this early as it’s difficult for students to unlearn bad habits.
• Use multi-sensory techniques for learning letters, shapes, and numbers. For example, speaking through motor sequences, such as “b” is “big stick down, circle away from my body.”
• Introduce a word processor on a computer early; however do not eliminate handwriting for the child. While typing can make it easier to write by alleviating the frustration of forming letters, handwriting is a vital part of a person’s ability to function.

Young Students

Encourage practice through low-stress opportunities for writing. This might include writing letters or in a diary, making household lists, or keeping track of sports teams.

• Allow use of print or cursive – whichever is more comfortable.
• Use large graph paper for math calculation to keep columns and rows organised.
• Allow extra time for writing assignments.
• Begin writing assignments creatively with drawing, or speaking ideas into a tape recorder
• Alternate focus of writing assignments – put the emphasis on some for neatness and spelling, others for grammar or organisation of ideas.
• Explicitly teach different types of writing – expository and personal essays, short stories, poems, etc.
• Do not judge timed assignments on neatness and spelling.
• Have students proofread work after a delay – it’s easier to see mistakes after a break.
• Help students create a checklist for editing work – spelling, neatness, grammar, syntax, clear progression of ideas, etc.
• Encourage use of a spell checker – speaking spell checkers are available for handwritten work.
• Reduce amount of copying; instead, focus on writing original answers and ideas.
• Have student complete tasks in small steps instead of all at once.
• Find alternative means of assessing knowledge, such as oral reports or visual projects.

Teenagers and Adults

Many of these tips can be used by all age groups. It is never too early or too late to reinforce the skills needed to be a good writer.

• Provide tape recorders to supplement note taking and to prepare for writing assignments.
• Create a step-by-step plan that breaks writing assignments into small tasks (see below).
• When organising writing projects, create a list of keywords that will be useful.
• Provide clear, constructive feedback on the quality of work, explaining both the strengths and weaknesses of the project, commenting on the structure as well as the information that is included.
• Use assistive technology such as voice-activated software if the mechanical aspects of writing remain a major hurdle.

This article is brought to you by National Center for Learning Disabilities. For more information on the organisation or the article, please visit http://www.ncld.org 

Metta School’s Prom Night

Contributed by Anuwar Abdul Wahab

This is the second Prom Night organised for Metta School’s students in celebration of their graduation. In addition, the students had a special treat this year. The event location was upgraded from the school premises to a Holiday Inn Orchard City Hotel. “Pop Starz” being the theme of the evening, 18 staff and 26 students from the graduating classes let their hair down in participation of the event.

The night was filled with games and food. The Deejay planned three games throughout the night – (1) Name the Movies, (2) Number Patterns and (3) Know your Logos. After which, a performance by four teachers (Ms Selina, Ms Ika, Mr Amir and Mr Winston), and four students (Saiful Nizzam, Shaiful, Ariff and Ramdan) followed. The evening was instantly lifted with their comical rendition of the Gangnam styled dance.

Nearing the end of the evening, fun awards were given out to some students based on peer voting. Miss Smarty Pants went to Chew Zi Ling, Miss Chatterbox to Sioe Poh Yee, Miss Sunshine to Syamin Afiqah, Mr Metta to Lim Jun Hao, and lastly, Mr Funny went to Ho Rui Cai.

Needless to say, the night could not end without a good old fashioned Prom Night’s dance. After which, it was time for the graduates to say their last goodbyes.

Dāna – Cultivating Generosity

At the blink of an eye, we are nearing the end of 2012. The good news is, this marks the start of the season of giving and it usually means more takings for charities like us. We, on the other hand, will definitely take the opportunity to spread some festive cheers and Dāna to our beneficiaries.

Dāna is a practice of cultivating unconditional generosity, leading to possessing greater spiritual wealth in people. In Buddhism, one is encouraged to give away one’s pet possessions as it will test one’s sincerity to part with those materials. The concept of dāna is better explained with one of King Ashoka’s anecdotes.

King Ashoha, a reincarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha, was a powerful monarch in India. One of his anecdotes narrates his first encounter with Buddha at a young age. While Buddha and Venerable Ananda were imploring for alms one day, they encountered two children who were playing with a make-believe city made of sand. Amongst the children’s sand structures, there was a house with food storage. A child saw the passing Buddha and generously offered his make-believe food made of sand to him as alms. The other child watched the deed and rejoiced for his friend.

The child who offered his make-believe food to Buddha was King Ashoka. In reward for his unadulterated sincerity to offer alms to a needy monk, the child was made king when he grew up. His friend who rejoiced for his kind deed grew up to be a government minister as he had also portrayed kindness in his act of rejoice.

The moral tale depicts a clear message that good begets good; no good deed will go unrewarded. Dāna is simply a philosophy of pure generosity, encouraging one to give without expecting any return. The reward may not be reciprocated instantaneously, but will definitely be materialised in some forms in due time. I would like to appeal to each and every one of you to attempt to understand the true meaning of dāna and hope you will practise it and receive greater spiritual wealth.

Thai Delegation Visit

We have been busy! Amid our preparation for the Charity Walk cum Family Carnival (18 March!), we found some time to welcome a group of guests from Thailand just yesterday. They are delegates from the welfare organisations in Thailand.

They went to Metta Preschool@Simei…

Metta School…

Metta School's pottery class.

Metta School's baking class.

And even tried the cake the students made! Needless to say, it was delicious!

They even explored the kitchen at Metta School's canteen...

It was fun having them for the day. Khob-Kun-Ka~

CNY Celebration @ Metta School

Metta School had a blast during the lunar new year period!

Sweet Treats

Vanilla profitroles!

Good old-fashioned chocolate cake

Guess who's making your cakes?

Presenting our baking master to-be…Alger Tay, a 19-years old new trainee at our deli, Happy Arts.

All the best in your culinary pursuit, Alger!

Strike While the Iron is Hot!

Do not wait until adolescence when it is too late.

Emotional intelligence is a measure that determines a person’s control over his or her own emotions and behaviour. It is a trait that determines life outcomes such as success and happiness. The good news about emotional intelligence is that it is not gained through genetic inheritance alone; this trait can be readily learned and trained throughout a child’s developmental years.

However, we now face the tendency to ignore the importance of the fact that emotional intelligence is best formed during childhood years, and this can be a tough nut to crack. Most parents, understandably, are way too busy to be with their children during the first few years after birth. It follows the usual developmental pattern that young parents are also still in the midst of climbing the career and financial ladders. Consequently, their children are given less priority, sometimes practically set aside without much parental contact, in these critical years.  The message that is being learned in the child’s mind would be, my parents do not love me.

It is not healthy for children’s emotional development to have the abovementioned negative thought running in their heads. This is simply because emotional intelligence lays its foundations in someone who grasps the concept that he or she is loved. People who believe they were never loved will be spending their lives trying to win the love they never had. They may do so through addictions or other unhealthy means, or they may spend their lives making others share their pain of being unloved by developing antisocial tendencies.

So how do we communicate to our dear children that they are loved while having two busy working parents in a family?  Here are three simple tips to help build your children’s emotional intelligence.

• First thing we can do is to continually speak good things to them. They may not be old enough to have an intelligent conversation with, but they would definitely understand lines such as, “Daddy loves you” or “Mommy will always love you.” These simple one liners take less than a minute to express, but in fact are essential and will bring about positive long term effects on a child’s emotional development.

• Secondly, spend some time listening to them.  When your children speak, take it as a chance to connect with them. Of course, please don’t expect them to make sense all the time. Listen to them, hear what they are trying to say and respond accordingly without dismissing or patronising them.  At this tender age, children are constantly longing for their parents’ attention and validation. It is an excellent time to make your children believe that “Daddy and Mommy value my feelings”.

• Lastly, do not be stingy with hugs. This simple action tells your kid you really mean what you say (as suggested in tip #1), and your nice words are not just lip service. Make them feel that your love and protection keep them warm and secured. Take this opportunity to convey the message they are not emotionless objects but your sons and daughters, and they are precious to you in their own rights.

Childhood is the only time in your kids’ lives when their minds are almost “empty”, hence it is the period when they will believe everything they are told. It is best if we fill it up with memories of love and security rather than of hatred and resentment. So strike when the iron is hot; show our children what they really mean to us at the point of time when it really matters to them. Let us not procrastinate till the point that they don’t need us anymore, and then there would be nothing left to do for them.

This article is brought to you by Kirby Chua.

Kirby Chua is a registered psychologist and a professional counsellor, with accreditations from Singapore  Registry of Psychologists, Singapore Psychological Society and Psychological Association of The Philippines. He is currently a psychology lecturer at various educational institutions and a counselling supervisor at Grace Counselling Centre. He specialises in counselling, psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy.