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Nania News
No.41 March 2005Dear parents,
I hope you and your child had an enjoyable holiday. Nania was too quiet when we came back to clean up and do some preparation work during the school break. I missed the children’s voices and laughter.Sara, who graduated last year, came for a visit before the school break. The children who know Sara were excited by her visit. It feels like they miss their ‘big sister’. That morning, the children made a paper garland for Sara. Some also gave colourful strings they made. Sara is now attending Standard One class in S.K. Amamjaya, Sungai Petani, Kedah. She told the children about life in her new school. Sara’s mother says Sara is doing well in class although it is in Bahasa Malaysia. She is making friends and picking up Arabic and Koran reading. We are happy for her.
Some parents are concern that our “Curry Rice” lunch may be too spicy for the children. For clarification, it is Japanese curry rice we are serving, which is savory and sweet, not hot or spicy. The Japanese children and also many others love it! They “complain” once a month is not enough. There is also some concern about the outside play time (11.00 to 11.30 am), that it is a hot time of the day. We share the concern but feel there is adequate shade in the garden. Children are always reminded to wear their hats and those who feel too hot can return to class. An earlier outside play time will disrupt the rhythm of the day.
Lastly, Junko and I will attend the Waldorf Education Teachers’ conference in Taiwan in April, the first such conference to be held in Asia. I am looking forward to meet other Waldorf teachers from different countries. Please note that Nania will have a special break from Thursday April 28th to Friday May 6th to allow Junko and I to attend the conference.
Teacher Thian
Coming events
Easter Spring (1st April 2005)
We will celebrate Easter Spring on 1st April. Children will colour eggs in the morning and enjoy a puppet show. Later, they will go out for seed planting and egg hunting in the garden. They will bring home their eggs on that day.
Play Dough (22nd April 2005)
Children will bring home their homemade play dough on that day.
Sports / Family Day (24 April 2005)
We are having our Sports/Family day on Sunday, 24th April this year. The whole family (fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters) is welcome to join the morning full of movement and fun even. It will be held at the indoor sports hall of the Penang Japanese School. Further details will be given at a later date. This event is organized together with parents’ input in our Sports/Family day committee.
Kodomo-no-hi / Boys’ Day (5th May)
It is a Japanese custom for families with boys to put up the koinobori, or carp streamers, in their garden or on the roof on this day. The koinobori carps appear to be swimming vigorously against the current as they flatter in the wind. It symbolizes boys should face and overcome their personal challenges with the same positive spirit.
At Nania, we celebrate this event on 27th April 2005. The children will make a koinobori and a Samurai hat as part of their class activity and take them home on that day.
Holidays
21st April (Thursday) ? Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
28th April (Thursday) ? Sports Day replacement
29th April till 6th May ? School special break
Children’s world
A boy wanted some toys from the doll corner. The children playing in the corner refused to share. I help the boy to make some ‘money’. The boy went back to the children to ‘buy’ the toys. The children were happy to sell them to him.
Koinobori carps
No.40 February 2005Dear parents,
I enjoyed the Chinese New Year Festival very much with all of you and the children. One child came to show me her Ang Pow and said excitedly, ‘Look! I got an Ang Pow and there is REAL MONEY inside.’ She added, ‘I will buy chocolate for you’. I was touched by her offer.
Returning from Chinese New Year holiday, the children still carry the songs and music of the festival. During creative play, one will start to hum the Kung Fu music and others will join in and do the movements. Some will play drum and sing ‘dong dong dong qiang ’.
One of the banana trees in the front garden bore fruit during the Chinese New Year break. This is our first banana fruit at Nania. The class had a study tour of the banana tree. Many were amazed at the sight. They have not seen a fruiting banana branch before. The children were told the fruit fairy visited the tree and made it fruit.
Although we don’t have the four seasons in Malaysia, I am very much feeling a Spring mood. The weather is warm. Trees on the roadside are in blossom. In Nania’s garden, the ‘baby sun bird’ started to learn to fly. The atmosphere is fill with joy. Eight children from the Japanese class will graduate in March. It is also time for them to fly on. I wish them all the best.
Teacher ThianGirl’s Day Celebration
We will celebrate the Japanese Girl’s Day Festival (Hinamatsuri) with the children on 3rd March. The dolls in traditional kimono displayed at the Festival corner are praying for the well being of girls. The dolls are called hina-ningyo and the custom is also known as momo-no sekku (Peach Festival) because of the peach blossom season on the old lunar calendar. In some areas, the old custom, nagashibina, of loading one’s troubles onto a paper doll and floating them off down the river is still practiced.
Most Japanese families with girls display hina-ningyo and dedicate peach blossoms to them. They are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next level sit three court ladies, followed by five musicians, two ministers, and three servants at the bottom row of a five-tiered display. Displays may include small pieces of furniture, meal dishes, and other things. The hina-ningyo at Nania is hand made by a child’s mother.
The children have started folding paper dolls and make them into wall decorations. They will bring home the wall decorations on the festival day.
No.E39 January 2005Dear parents,
It was sad to end our year 2004 with the Dec 26 tsumanis and earthquake incident. A part from the sadness in my heart, l am glad that children in Taska Nania were safe. One of the girls in English Class was at a beach restaurant in South Thailand with her mother and brother, while the father was at the beach when the tsumani came. Luckily, her family and her were safe. At Nania, we practice silent moment for the tsumani victims before we have our meal.
As we are moving toward 2005, Chinese New Year Festival is around the corner. Although we are still concern about the tsumani victims, we will celebrate this festival for children’s sake as this is part of our yearly rhythm. Children have started to practice poems, songs, dances and drum. Decoration in the display hall has been change to Chinese New Year set up with beautiful blossom flowers.
Children in English Class were happy to see our ‘new classroom’ when they came back from holidays. We expended our classroom and children love the new corner very much. They can play freely as they have more space and corner now. Up to date, we have 18 children in the class as 3 new friends joined us this year. Some new children will come in by February.
Teacher Thian
Coming events
Setsubun/ Japanese Bean Throwing Festival (3rd February 2005)
This festival takes place on the day before Risshun, the first day of spring on the Chinese calendar. Soybeans are scattered in and around the house to drive out sickness and misfortune represented by a demon. This custom is called mamemaki.
On that day children will make masks of the demon or god of happiness Soybeans are filled up in the origami boxes. We will celebrate the festival in the garden.
Chinese New Year Festival (7th February 2005)
Parents and siblings are welcome to join us for this festival on that day. The programme will start at 9am.
Chinese New Year Festival Programme
9.00 am Free play / Setting up for snack
9.30 am Toilet
9.45 am Silent moment for the Dec 26 tsunami victims
Presentation:
- Greetings
- Chinese New Year poems
- Songs
- Drum and dances
10.20 am Snack
10.45 am Puppet show
11.15 am Goodbye song
11.20 am Angpow and departure
Children’s Activities
One morning, a girl prepared food for me during her creative playtime. I was walking while having the food. She reminded me that ‘you cannot walk when you are eating’. I quickly sat down, enjoyed the meal and said thank you to her. Then, I can see a satisfied smile on her face.
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