gRaDuAtEd...

=) only managed to take photos with three of the graduands.

ooooooooooOver!!!

FINALLY… … … ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Schoolhouse’s Concert cum Graduation Ceremony over!!!!!!!

For us, the staff… the day started way in the morning, we had our final briefing and items-check before we set off to the club after a not-so-full lunch. Haha!
Immediately upon arrival, there was’t any free time for us. Even going to the toilet also got to speed up. Haha!


We laid chairs and set boundaries in the waiting room, we laid out the costumes and accessories accordingly, get ready the tool and the makeup and the stationary boxes, we arranged and labeled the bottled drinks, we did the markings on the stage floor, we set up the backdrop, we set up the recept etc etc etc.

@ 215pm, we welcomed the arrival of the first child and her family.
@ 230pm onwards, we were overwhelmed by the children + family that came one after another after another after another. From sitting-receptionists to standing.
@ 315pm onwards, we were all back in the waiting room. Then still rather chaotic cause of the arrival of some late children and parents saying goodbye to their precious.
@ 345pm onwards, all parents ushered into the hall. Waiting room closed.
@ 4pm, the Graduation Ceremony started.
@ 5pm, the Concert started … woooooo~~~

* in the waiting room *
As usual, the teachers & helpers were busy, very busy with dressing up the children, putting up makeup, adjusting their hair, ensuring EVERYTHING on the children right and proper before sending them out accordingly.

Thank God for peace in the midst of “storm” … haha … Guess Cher Lim’s nagging for the many days was effective. The K1 & K2 were definitely much well-behaved compared to the last time we were there for full-dress rehearsal. Even at times there were few who get overly-excited and about to leave their place, a @@ from Cher Lim, they will be back. =p




* up on the stage *
With “quick hands quick legs”, teacher in-charge sent up their children.
My Chinese colleague was telling me she almost faint when she told her K2 to stand in their graduation poem-formation and a child came to ask her “stand what formation” and another asked "where I stand?”. Haha! This children really know how to give teachers heart-attack ar?
And she almost faint the second time when during the poem-reciting, a girl stood at the wrong place - instead of together with the girls, she stood with the boys. Hmm…

@ almost 6pm, we had our finale song - It’s a Small World

* back in the waiting room with K1 and K2 for dismissal *
Another challenging time for Cher Lim - stood alone at the door, opened up a little hole to peep for parents before signaling to my partner-colleague to release after giving them their snack/belongings.
Just imagine having to recognize the parents of 34 children. =/ Haha!

@ 6pm plus … all children dismissed and and and and WE ARE FREEEEEE~~~~~~
The staff did a quick pack up to the waiting room before finally can sit down and enjoy our proper meal.

=) Just when I thought actual concert is not as tiring as rehearsal … I was wrong.
Back home @ 8pm plus, I could already feel the tiredness and went to bed before 10pm. Opps! But thank God for the holiday the following day.

Last but not least …
THANK GOD for the great success of the concert!
THANK GOD for the protection that was upon every child and staff!
THANK GOD for the great performances by the angels!
THANK GOD for good helpers!
THANK GOD for good feedbacks from parents!

And how I can end this entry without making this remark... ... ... ... ... MY ANGELS ROCK~~~~

FINAL countdown...

Woooohoooo~~~
Tomorrow is the day~~~

The day all of us, the staff & the children in HT Schoolhouse been looking forward to. =)
HT's Concert cum Graduation Ceremony 2009!

prayED for success of concert…
prayED for protection upon every single children & staff…
prayED for peace & joy in the midst of waiting etc…

Note! Dear readers, please pardon me for past entries, current entry and next few entries… it will be ALL about my ANGELS!!! =p My blog will be back to "normal" soon.

the POWER of 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Two days ago was our schoolhouse’s first and only full-dress rehearsal.

As expected, while the stage was cool and calm … the backstage was “hot and messy”.
Haha! Moreover it was the first time that the children and some of my colleagues visited the place and get the feel of the intense of children’s concert.

There we, the teachers were busy changing many different sets of costumes for the children, putting makeup for them, ensuring all accessories up, confirming the dance items in order, rushing for time etc etc… There they, the children were busy, very busy as well.

With? Haha! With shouting (opps… I mean talking), with self-entertaining, with playing, with walking around etc. Thank God no fighting and running around.

For a moment, my partner colleague was not with me thus I was left alone with K1 and K2.
During then, there were just a few of them seated on the floor and majority of them were all around the place.

Cher Lim decided to do something…
* Got a chair and sat down, pointed at the space infront of me *
Immediately I called out, “K1 and K2 … 10, 9, 8”
Before I can even reach 5, ALL of them were seated right where I pointed…
Haha! I should have video it down…
I myself was shocked by their fast reaction. =p

Trust me, in that kind of environment, one can be pretty stress up and lose cool easily.
During the waiting time, one of my colleagues actually lost her cool and disciplined her younger children for misbehaving.

=) Want to thank God for the peace in the midst of “storm”… Haha!
I was actually enjoying myself in the midst of the “hot and messy“ environment…

The day we all been rehearsing hard for is approaching in just a few more days time…
Really looking forward for it…
Wooohooo~~~~

5 4 3 2 1...

Counting down~~~~
To HT Schoolhouse's Concert cum Graduation Ceremony~~~

first and only full-dress rehearsal up tomorrow~~~

Another Cher Lim?

One of the days, Cher Lim was just too tired after hours of teaching and teaching and teaching so during the last 10mins … Cher Lim passed the time to another Cher Lim, Little Teacher who just returned from Beijing with his family.

He “took over” the class with great confidence.
Full attention was given to him, all eyes were on him.



He started to share (with actions) about his trip to Beijing - the “bird nest”, the Kungfu show, the fried creepy crawlies, the palace etc etc.
Just when I thought he will only share and the end already.
He then invited his friends (one by one) to ask/answer questions. Haha!



I was amazed~~~

ChEr LiM's MoMeNtS #7

mOmEnT 36
* Cher Lim asking the K2 children which primary school they will be going *
Cher Lim: Child Ch, which primary school are you going?
Child Ch: XXX Primray School
Cher Lim: Oh… is a Girls’ school
Child Ch: Yes!
Child C: I going YYY Primary School
* Child so and so and so eagerly shouting out the name of their primary school too *

* out of the sudden *
Child Ch: Teacher Lim, you have daughter?
Cher Lim: Haha! I am not married so no daughter yet
Child Ch: Oh…

mOmEnT 37
* work time *
Child J: June! June is my birthday!
Child C: December is my birthday, same with God!
Friend I: God? Really same with God?

mOmEnT 38
* play time … Cher Lim overheard a “quarrel” between three boys *
Boy J: #*#$&#^# You don’t know is it?
Boy F: I really don’t know. You cannot see mehz, I am still so short. I am young.
Boy J: …

mOmEnT 39
Child J: Cher Lim, today has homework a not?
Cher Lim: Hmm…
Child G: Today we have Chinese homework…
Child J: So we have English homework?
Cher Lim: * considering *
Child J: Please Teacher Lim, don’t give us homework
Cher Lim: * didn’t has the intention right from the beginning to give them actually * Yup… no English homework

Child J & Child G: Yeah!!!
Child J: Later I finish my homework, I can play already! Yeah~~
Friend S: I… Later I have tuition. I have tuition from Mon to Fri

* just a simple conversation but when I heard that from Friend S, I was pretty upset actually … somehow feel like I’m teaching older children (like in primary or even sec school?) cause of the work load and expectation they are receiving now, even at such young age *

"officially" ... GRADUATED!!!!!

Other than few of my blog readers and my parents, I didn’t inform anyone about my graduation ceremony … cause I don’t want to “disturb” my friends and I also wanted it to be “low key”. Haha!
But just that night before, I was with three of my cg members and somehow somewhere I mentioned about my graduation. =)

That’s the end?
Of course not…

Despite the last minute notice and the long distance from far east, Mr Teng & Mr Cher turned up at the ceremony!!! Despite asking them to leave after “evidence” aka photos taken, they actually “gate-crashed” illegally, stayed through the entire 3hrs ceremony and waited patiently while I spent time with my coursemates.


Though they joked that they stayed for the tea-recept but … … …
Really appreciate their presence! =) Thanks Mr Cher & Mr Teng!

That’s the end?
Not yet…

After service, we were asked to go over to look for Da Jie.
I prepared my camera as I thought we are going to celebrate a member’s bdae.

BUT that’s not the case…
I almost “fainted” when Da Jie presented me the giftsss.
Seriously, I really really really didn't expect any celebration or anything from anyone.



One word to describe my feeling?
OVERWHELMED… with their thoughts, with their effort, with their presence, with their love, with their gifts and of course with their friendship! =)

31st October 2009

Wooooo~~~ The day I been waiting for … FINALLY … Graduation Day!


My lesson officially ended around March so actually waited ~6mths.
During the wait, eventhough there was letter to indicate that I have “passed all examinations and completed the course” but still without a hard-copy certificate or transcript, is pretty hard to accept the fact that I AM A DIPLOMA-HOLDER!!! Haha!


Thank God for the favor - upon the official end of my course, even without the official certificate, my school management was still willingly to raise my pay based on a diploma-holder. Before the ceremony, one of my coursemates was still "complaining" to me how her principal is putting her pay raise on hold UNTIL she get her transcript or official certificate.

IT IS really FINISHED~~~
It been a solid one and a half year ... it would have been fun-less, laughter-less, joke-less, makan-less and pretty tough if not for great coursemates like those I found in DPETE-18!
More than just learning from the lecturers, I also did from my coursemates!

you LADIES rock~~~

cLeVeR bOy!!

He may be shaky~~ He may not be stable~~ But he is a smart boy~~
Check out how he go down the stairs~~


ps: Don’t worry! We are not so heartless… actually he was the one who wanted to go down on his own. Of course we were just behind and in front of him to standby, cheer and clap for him. =)

history repeating?!?!?!

Around this season in school last year… many of our children and later staff were down.
The highest I ever encountered in my years of teaching - HALF of the class were down physically. Not just in one class but two classes.

This year seem like history is repeating… it been close to two weeks that 3 out of 4 classes has never reach full attendance, highest record of 5 absentees (with just one oversea) in a class.

Not just the children… first I was sick then just towards the end of last week a teacher and a TA were down and just today a teacher on two days mc.

Hmm… Virus? Worn-out after almost-ending term? Stress with the coming concert?

Dear Jesus, I want to lift up all my school's children and colleagues into Your loving hands... =)

=)

submitted … rejected … talk … submitted … rejected … talk ... submitted … talk ... accepted

when Cher Lim not around......

Was on the phone with one of my colleagues few days back (the first day of my mc), she told me the following…

Scene 1
* Child J and Child T had a quite bad “fight” that left marks on Child J’s hands and both crying when they left school *
* Child A went to both sobbing Child J and Child T *
Child A: Child J and Child T, you all are lucky that Cher Lim never come today if not…
Cher S: If not?
Child A: * laughed to himself *

Scene 2
Child J: Cher S, where is Cher Lim? Why she never come to school?
Cher S: Oh, Cher Lim is sick.
Child J: Oh… poor Cher Lim. I am going to draw a birthday cake on a card for her.
Cher S: Oh! Why a birthday cake? Her birthday is coming?
Child J: I don’t know… But I’m sure Cher Lim will like the birthday cake.
Cher S: =)

Back in school today… the first expression of the children when they saw me was interesting. Haha!

One of the incidents…
* Cher Lim standing at the door with her colleague *
* arrival of children from the school bus *
Child S: Cher Lim!
Cher Lim: =)
Child S: Cher Lim, you come back already?
Colleague: Oh… not yet, the one you see now is Cher Lim’s soul
Cher Lim: Haha!
Child S: ????? Why last time you never come?

recoverED

Thanks friends for your prayers, smses & well wishes! =)
I have recovered from fever.
But nose still having slow jog… I must say this is the longest I ever had for running nose, more than 3 days!!!

But want to thank God for the gooooood rest the past few days, not just one but three days!
Sleeeeep sleeeeep, don’t know is it due to the medication or … … …

I actually applied leave for the next two days as well but I guess will be informing my Principal that I want to cancel and postpone as first I MISS MY ANGELS!!! And second there are too many things to do/touch-up for school concert which is in less than a month time so think wont be able to shake legs peacefully @ home.
ps: just received a letter from KLC ... my very own Graduation Ceremony (for DPT) is happening end of this month! Wooooohoooooo!

Is going to be an awesome week ahead!!!

$$$

K2 been learning about $$$ last couple of weeks.
All along, during this period, our schoolhouse will call up a vendor who will come in his van full of tibits, fun items etc etc to the school for the children to have an experience of using $$$ to make purchase, to calculate the total/change etc etc.

This year the uncle couldn’t make it so with the intention of not wanting to disappoint the children, Cher Lim decided to create her own - Incredible Minimart.


It was quite a last minute decision thus Cher Lim only had little time to prepare. Just a day before, Cher Lim stayed behind to get stuffs printed before going to the supermarket to carefully select the items with some “standard”.
That morning, Cher Lim took a cab (as it was too early for the first bus) and carried all the items and reached school before 7am to get everything ready.

Though it was rush, though it was tiring, though it caused a hole in my pocket (haha!) BUT it was all worth it when Cher Lim see…

~ the children getting excited days before the minimart day
Informed the children to ask their parents to give them $2 on Tues for the minimart fun on Fri. And since Wed, Child J kept coming to me “Cher Lim, I can’t wait for Friday to come!” or “Cher Lim, how I wish today is Friday then I can buy things!”

~ the joy in the children after they made their purchase

down again

First it was “not enough sleep” then it was “durian feast” with colleagues…
What’s next? Yanni's symptoms of "going to be sick" surfaced.
Sore throat… Feverish… Running nose…

Yanni is sick, on mc…

yes or no??

A pretty important decision (at least to me)… should I or should I not?
A decision that I need to make soon… should I or should I not?
A decision that I wont be able to change… should I or should I not?
A decision that has pros and cons… should I or should I not?
A decision that will be with me for life… should I or should I not?
A decision that I must not/cannot regret… should I or should I not?

FiRsT tIMe...

Last week was my first… my first… my first time…
My first time… … putting on a diaper for a child.
Haha! * shy *

Recently two new boys registered at our schoolhouse and one of them is only 18-20months old. =)

It can be pretty "challenging" taking care of someone verrry young...
~ got to ensure he is always within our sight and within our reach, as he can be pretty unstable in certain areas
~ got to pat him to sleep and stay around him during nap time.
Up to now, out of the 2hrs nap, he has never cross even 1hr mark, always awake after 30mins and then we got to stay beside him until the time is up
~ got to ensure he take his milk, breakfast, lunch and poo at the right time
~ etc etc etc

But one thing for sure … … … HE IS VERY ADORABLE!!!! =)

He loves to eat… anything & everything. Opps!
One of the days, he woke up SUDDENLY from his nap… crying very badly. Just when we were thinking what happened, he shouted “No more! No more!”.
Hmm… that’s actually one of his favourite lines during snack time when he finishes his food. Hmm… I supposed he had a “delicious dream”. Haha!


Earlier one my colleagues were sharing with me one conversation among a group of ladies that she overheard.

One Lady: You know, primary school teachers like us are very fortunate. We are recognized by the MOE unlike the preschool teachers. They got to clean up the children, prepare lunch for the children, wash up the children, put the children to sleep, make milk etc… they are like maid.
Colleague: * feel the urge to turn to them to say “Excuse me…” *

Putting the term “maid” aside, there are actually pretty much of routine care we preschool teachers have to look into/take care of. But trust me, we definitely enjoy every moment of it. Just imagine how Cher Yanni enjoys herself during nap time - looking at the children entering/exiting their dreamland. =)

Probably unlike other sectors’ teachers, we preschool teachers may be easily forgotten by the little ones? How many of us actually remember who were our preschool teachers, not to mention visiting them on Teachers’ Day? Or even recognize them and say "hi" when bump into our preschool teachers?

Just a random entry... haha! =)

haizzzz...

WARNING!!! This is one negative entry!
ps: you are strongly encouraged to skip this if not just read and forget about it asap... Yanni just needed a place to "vent" her anger!!!

“it” happened in the past… blogged about "it"… somehow thought “it” been solved/over… “it” never appear for quite some time already… BUT recently “it” seem to be back…

Arggghhh! I am totally not comfortable when “it” happens! I don’t like "it"! I hate "it"!

ps: to all my concerned-friends and discernment strong-friends … pls do not try to guess or ask the exact details of this entry. Haha!

A little “deeper” into this blog & my conclusion - get your brain to work before you say something! Our tongue is a very powerful weapon, it can build up or tear down a person!

cHiLdReN's DaY

to all Cher Lim's angels ........... HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!!!! =)