New sound system

We wanted our children to exercise everyday outdoor. However, our current class DVD players are too small and cannot be heard. We have thus installed new speakers, an amplifier and a DVD player. Now

This week's Friday activity is water-play, and out comes our pool again.

What Do Children Learn From Water Play?

Imagine putting your hands into cool water on a hot day, feeling it drip from your fingers, the heavy feel of a container with water sloshing around. Water play delights the senses and is far more than simply pleasurable for young children. This type of sensory play is important for the development of the young child. High quality early childhood programs offer many sensory play experiences, such as water, sand, and play dough.

Water play is good for children’s physical, mental (cognitive), and social-emotional growth. In sensory play there is no right or wrong way to play. When children pour water, they are improving their physical dexterity and eye-hand coordination. By playing with others in blowing bubbles or washing baby dolls, they develop social skills. At the same time, they use their minds as they explore why certain objects sink in water and others float. Children learn concepts such as empty/full, before/after, shallow/deep, and heavy/light in a hands-on way. Children learn new words that go along with water play, such as funnel, surface, float, and strain.

Source : http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/WaterPlay/WaterLesson.html

Tao Dan Park

This week, TAIK kids made a visit to Tao Dan Park for their weekly special exercise. They were highly excited with the walk in the park ... it was more of a run as they tried to dash in different directions, giving our teachers a very busy time. Our kids also attracted a lot of attention from visitors at the park as they looked so adorable in their hats and uniform.

Second Alpha International Kindergarten

It's official. We will be opening a second Alpha International Kindergarten in Binh Tan District. The kindergarten is a collaboration between The Southern Youth Centre (SYC) and The Alpha Schools. It will be called The Alpha-SYC International Kindergarten and is scheduled to open in June 2009.

Entrance to the SYC















The Alpha-SYC will occupy the ground floor

Permission Card

We have issued Permission Cards today to all parents. The cards are for the security and protection of our children. If parents are unable to pick up their children, the person assigned by parents to fetch their child must produce this Permission Card. Please inform the school immediately if the cards are lost. Each child is issued two cards.

Health Alert!

Parents, TAIK is taking extra precautions to ensure the health of your children. We seek your co-operation to bring your child to a doctor if he/she is not well and to leave your child at home so as not to pass the illness to the other children in TAIK.

Diarrhoea, meningitis and HFMD (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease) are on the rise in HCMC. Please read this article :

Doctors blame parental laxity for diarrhoea epidemic (11 Mar 09)

We request that parents submit a copy of your child's medical records if you have not done so. We need to verify that your child has been immunized against meningitis.

HMFD














More information on HFMD here (from Singapore Heath Promotion Board).

If your child shows symptoms of HFMD, please do not bring him/her to school as HFMD is highly contagious to adults and children, especially children under 5 years. We will also isolate any child showing HFMD symptoms and make arrangements to send the child home.

Advice for Parents : Parents are advised to consult a doctor early if their child has symptoms of HFMD. They should also be alert to any change in their child's normal behaviour, e.g. irritation and sleepiness. Should they refuse to eat or drink, have persistent vomiting or drowsiness, parents should bring their child immediately to hospital.

MENINGITIS

• Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It can develop very rapidly and is very serious.
• High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years.
• Early diagnosis and treatment are very important. If symptoms occur, the patient should see a doctor immediately. The diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid.
• Meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. It is important, however, that treatment be started early in the course of the disease.
• Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as things like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.

More information about meningitis here.

3 more students

NEW STUDENTS

TAIK warmly welcomes our 9th (Viet), 10th (Kevin) and 11th student (Long). The other students are happy to have 3 new friends to play with.

And here's Kevin

Long is 20 months old



















INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

TAIK teachers and staff would like to thank all parents for the gifts of flowers and fruits on International Women's Day (8 Mar 09). We are very happy to know that parents appreciate our efforts to love and teach your children. Your kind gestures make us work harder to ensure that your children get an excellent education and tender loving care in TAIK.

POOL

Our kids had a great time this morning playing in the pool. Water is something most children love and we felt it was easier to bring the pool to the children than to bring our students out to the pool. The photos tell the complete story.

Here's one little boy who prefers to play out of water
















































Long joined us today and is a little shy; Ms Nga is looking after him today














FUMIGATION

TAIK has engaged T-T-P Pest Control to fumigate the school premises monthly. The company uses non-toxic chemicals from the US for fumigation which are safe for children.

QuestXone

QuestXone is our playground for the day as excited kids got ready to start play. Everyone had a sliding and rolling good time running around this indoor playground located at Nguyen Tri Phuong. The photographs testify to this. Seemed like the one hour play wore out the teachers more than the students.

Say "cheese"




























































QuestXone





























Bao got caught in the ropes...



















before he could slide...



















Ruby had a great time at the slides














Bo too... Bo is our 9th student
















I'm next, says Suri




















Ngoc's a great explorer ... she's been to all corners of QuestXone





























Yellow's turn to slide



















Kim's getting nervous