5 Things We Love About Geniebook Online Learning Tool! (Review)

 Jayne will be crossing her first major academic milestone when she takes the PSLE in about three months' time. Needless to say, the whole family is in a bundle of nerves for her, and I cannot even imagine the tremendous amount of stress she must be facing herself. 

I would like to think that I can remain a chill and calm parent through it all, without adding additional pressure on my child, but the truth is - this is the world we live in, and while I do know that grades are not everything and which Secondary school she goes to will not determine how good a future she would have, we all hope that she can do reasonably well. It would do a whole lot of good to her self-esteem and confidence, if not for anything else. So, when Geniebook approached me to review their online learning tool, I jumped right into it, hoping to discover more about this gem that I have heard so much about. It would be awesome to give Jayne just a little boost during this critical final dash. I am glad to report that we were not disappointed at all - Geniebook lived up to every bit of the hype we've been hearing so far! 

Here are 5 things we love about Geniebook:

1. GenieSmart

Unless you've been living in a cave somewhere, you'd know that the world we are living in today is gravitating towards the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence). GenieSmart helps to identify your child's academic strengths and weaknesses. Their proprietary AI draws from a library of over 150,000 questions aligned to MOE’s syllabus and recommends specific questions to help your child improve. You will also get valuable insights of how your child is doing academically through a real time progress report.

This means that when Jayne does practice worksheets on the platform, she does not keep practising the topics that she is already good at, but spends more time tackling her weaker topics. Assessment books or past years' exam papers are structured in such a way where different topics are included fairly and distributed throughout the papers, so it is not possible to place greater emphasis on their weaker topics. The customized worksheets on Geniebook thus allows Jayne to be more efficient in her learning by focusing more time and effort on improving her weaker areas. I think this is ingenious!

Kids who attempt the questions will see whether they got the correct answer or not immediately. A clear explanation of the correct answer will be given if the kid got the answer wrong. This helps the kids to internalize the learning right away, addressing any misconceptions and reinforcing correct concepts. I think this is definitely an effective way of learning.

2. GenieClass

Another useful feature on Geniebook is their LIVE and recorded Online Classes that helps to reinforce key concepts taught in school. By checking the schedules posted on the site, we can plan for our kids to attend the lessons and even ask questions and clarify doubts on-the-spot. This is definitely effective in terms of learning and interesting for the kids as well because there is some form of interaction, even though everything is conducted online. Apart from that, recorded lessons are also available for kids to access at their own time. In this season of pandemic, we appreciate this avenue even more than before..

3. GenieAsk

GenieAsk is a real time teacher chat. A convenient new way for students (or even parents) to ask questions they may have from school, and get them answered by our teachers! This newest product is gradually rolling out to Geniebook subscribers. For online learning platforms, one of the challenges is to keep the kids engaged and interested, especially when their attention span is short and they can be easily distracted. The teachers at Geniebook are not just qualified and professional, many of them also weave in their other talents and hobbies into the lesson plan, to make it more all-rounded and interesting. The Head of Curriculum, Mr Xavier Yue, is a part-time magician himself and treats the kids to a magic trick or two from time to time! With 16 years of teaching experience under his belt, he sure knows what he's doing! =D

4. Parental Tracking

Another wonderful feature that Geniebook offers that will thrill us parents is that we can track the progress of our kids via progress reports. We would know whether the kids have been improving by checking on the scores of completed worksheets and identify areas of weakness that we want them to focus more on. Parents can generate worksheets and send them to complete and even award bubbles to motivate them! This is a great way to get the parents involved and keep the accountability between the child and the parents. 

5. Earn Bubbles & Get Rewarded

We all know that kids need some form of motivation and reward system to keep their interest going. Geniebook has done this so well by introducing the 'Bubbles' system whereby kids can earn bubbles for every worksheet completed and lesson attended, etc. Bubbles can also be earned by challenging other Geniebook users to attempt questions and answering challenging questions. With the bubbles earned, the kids can redeem for prizes they want. I was so pleasantly surprised to see what a great selection of prizes they have available for the kids to choose from (I spy Roblox)! This is undoubtedly the best way to motivate the kids to complete more worksheets without us nagging at them! =P

So all in all, I have to say that we are very pleased with what Geniebook has to offer. Geniebook has 3 different products from AI-personalised worksheets (GenieSmart), to LIVE online classes (GenieClass) and real time teacher chats (GenieAsk) to help students learn smarter and do better. 

It is not just an online learning tool (there are way too many out there!), but it customizes the needs of the kids and ensure that whatever time they commit to learning is fruitful and effective. The rewards are the icing on the cake, and definitely motivate the kids and keep them happy while learning. The last thing I want is for my kid to feel burned out and lose interest in learning.

If you are also on the lookout for an online learning tool for your kids, click here to register and experience Geniebook today. 

Power up online learning with Geniebook and help your child get the best out of it! :)

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review by The J Babies on Geniebook. All photos belong to us, and images of the Geniebook sites are taken from their website.

PSLE–I’m Glad It’s Over!

It dawned upon me yesterday when one of my readers DM on Instagram that she has been following my blog since Joey was in Primary One, that this was a milestone totally worth documenting on the blog. After all, this blog first began because of Joey and now that she has completed her first major academic milestone, we have every reason to rejoice & celebrate with her. :)

This year, I was most frequently asked by friends, “Are you nervous for PSLE?”, “How are the preparations for PSLE?”, “Which Secondary School does Joey want to go?”. My answers have always been, “I’m okay.. not nervous or ganchiong at all.” which was the truth. I’ve never been a tiger-mum and I mostly leave it to my kids to do their own studying. After all, it’s really their own future and they ought to take ownership and responsibility. Of course, once in a while I would still do my due negligence and give gentle reminders here and there, but thankfully, my kids are mostly conscientious on their own, so I don’t really need to worry much. Still, being the chill and calm mum that I am did not stop me from getting nervous when I saw the results being given out yesterday.

Everyone – Principal, teachers, students and parents – were gathered in the School Hall yesterday at 11am, all nervous and excited to see the results. The Principal gave her prep talk about how results don’t define all of us and reminded the parents at least five times that we should all celebrate our kids’ achievements regardless of whether they did well or not, and that won the applause of all the parents present. Even though I was very sure all the parents had their fingers crossed at that point. =X

After what seemed like an eternity of the Principal speaking, it was finally the time for the students to go to their respective classes where they would receive their result slips from their Form Teachers. The parents were told to follow the classes as they were called out. The kids settled down in their classrooms and the parents gathered outside peering in through the windows. I thought the kids all looked pale and almost none of them had a smile on their faces. Many of them sat with their backs to the excited parents standing outside. Poor kids – How nerve-wrecking was this for 12-year-olds?

I surprised myself by how nervous I felt. My heart was pounding so quickly and it had to be that Joey was among one of the last few to receive her results. She went back to her desk and looked intently at her results. I tried to decipher her facial expressions – Was it good? Was it bad?  I guessed it was not exactly fantastic because otherwise, she would have ran out and screamed. =P Instead, she was calm and collected as she walked out towards us and I heard her mutter, “It was not good…”

I looked at her results slip and heave a sigh of relief. It was GOOD. Good because it was within my expectations and she had accomplished this completely on her own hard work with zero tuition! I thought that was quite a big feat for a 12-year-old and she should totally be proud of herself! Plus, with this result, she would likely be able to get into a school of her choice. But she was on the verge of tears because it was slightly below her own expectations, and we had to comfort her and affirm her that it was a super good result and she should celebrate! Some of her classmates were crying in the classroom and others just looked very dazed. Of course, there were some who had big smiles as well – Hard work paid off!

As a parent watching all these drama going on around me, how did I feel? More than the actual results, I was more concerned about how these 12-year-olds will manage their emotions. Those who did well and above their expectations would of course have much to celebrate and rejoice, but how about those who did not meet their own expectations? Many people think that the kids nowadays suffer from the stress given by their parents or peer pressure, but to be honest, from my personal experience, these 12-year-olds put more stress on themselves with their own expectations than anybody else. Joey didn’t even know how the rest of her classmates did, until much later - Her initial disappointment came solely from her own expectations.

Back to a month ago when Joey finished her PSLE exams, she felt really confident that she would do well. I was glad that she had good positive vibes about it, of course. But on the other hand, I wanted to prepare her heart in case it did not turn out the way she thought it would be. There are just too many factors that can affect the final aggregate score you would receive – the bell-curve determined by how the entire P6 cohort performed, your condition during exam, whether you went out-of-point or made careless mistakes. Even a student who has performed consistently well is not guaranteed to get good results in PSLE. On the morning of receiving the results, I did my prep talk with Joey again and I reminded her that no matter the results, let’s give thanks to God for everything and trust that God will lead her to the right Secondary School where she will make many new friends who love her, and she would enjoy her Secondary School life.

When we got home, Papa Isaiah got Joey to sit down and he reiterated that we ought to thank God for bringing her through the PSLE and for the good results that she got because of her hard work. Then he got Joey to pray a prayer of thanksgiving to God – I was frankly touched by her prayers. She thanked God for the good results, for taking care of her and she also prayed that she will do even better when she goes to Secondary School. Then Papa Isaiah ended with a prayer of blessing for her. :) Joey looked evidently happier after that, possibly also because she got to know all her other friends’ results and she seemed to be the one with the best results so far. =P She even tried to comfort her classmate by messaging her that she ought to be proud of her own results because they were not bad at all, and how there are many others who won’t even have the chance to go to the Secondary School of their choice. Haha!

At this point, I’m just glad the episode is over and we are going to believe and trust God for the posting results. Whichever school Joey gets posted to, my prayer is that she will enjoy the friendships and school life, and make a difference wherever she goes. Papa & Mama are so proud of you, Joey! And we will always have your back, no matter what happens. =)

She asked for udon for celebration dinner last night. =D

14 Days To PSLE–Are You Stressed? =P

So, it’s finally my turn to experience the PSLE fever this year, and funny why I would refer it as “my turn” when I am not even the one taking the exams. =P

The most common question I’ve been asked this year has been, “Are you stressed?” and frankly speaking, I have not really been feeling the heat so far. We are rather chill parents and it probably helps that Joey has always been a conscientious and self-motivated kid when it comes to studying, so I can trust her to revise on her own. I still fulfil the usual mom duty by printing practice papers for her to do, encouraging her and praying for her, but let’s face it – Ultimately, she’s the one who will be walking into the exam hall and taking those papers. Her results will determine which Secondary School she will get into and that would probably play a big part in her future career choices as well. But the truth remains - It’s her life. It may sound a little too heck-care and nonchalant, but we cannot deny it, can we?

OK I got to admit – There were moments in the past year when I had sudden panic attacks – “Are we too relaxed?? Did I let Joey practise enough?? Every kid is in some form of tuition, enrichment or PSLE-prep class but not Joey – HOW??! Is it too late to send her for some classes now??”

I guess we would never know whether our decision of not sending her to any tuition classes is right, but it was something we believed in and chose to stick by it, even when her grades dipped a little when she was in Primary 5. Still, there were many other great achievements we could celebrate her for, and that was good enough for us.

Recently, Joey received her results for Prelims exams. Of course, the results wouldn’t affect the PSLE scores at all, but there was an unspoken message that it would be a rough gauge of where the kid stands. Typically, the schools would set really tough papers so as to challenge the high achievers and also to wake up those who are falling below the bar to study harder for the upcoming PSLE. I had expected Joey to do average because we didn’t exactly revise before the papers, but to my pleasant surprise, she came back with really good results. While I was really happy when I saw her marks and I told her so, deep in my heart there was a nagging thought – “What if she becomes complacent and stops studying for PSLE? Would that be worse-off? It might have been better if she did badly and start studying really hard!”  Very typical mom, right?

But immediately, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me – “Why would you think that fear is a better motivator than faith? Why wouldn’t you think that it’s better for Joey to step into the exam hall with confidence that she can do well than to go trembling and worrying that she would do badly?” Suddenly, it all made sense to me – My thinking had been so warped and twisted!

Doing well in an examination right before the PSLE would have given her the confidence and assurance that she knows her stuff and she can walk into that exam hall with faith in her heart and a smile on her face, knowing that she is well-prepared! Why would I think otherwise??!

So I am changing the things I say to Joey now – Instead of reminding her not to let her guard down and revise again and again, I have been telling her that she is good enough and well prepared, and she just needs to keep that momentum and she will be fine. Whether or not the results turn out the way we hope it will be, we leave everything in the hands of God. The last thing I want is for my child to feel that I equate her worth to a mere PSLE score. That may be what the school or society is telling her, but at least in my house, she must be assured of her worth and value, which goes way beyond all these.

It’s 14 days to the first PSLE paper, and I wish every mom in the same situation as me this year, a calm heart and peace of mind. Let’s be moms who believe in our kids and who they can become in life! :)

Learning English Creatively At My English School

Media Review

I grew up in a Mandarin-speaking family. My parents spoke and understood only Mandarin and a few other dialects, but English was never spoken at home. Because of that, I struggled with the English language during my Primary school days. I know it sounds incredible that I have a rather good grasp of the language and enjoy writing in it now, but it took me a long while (and a great deal of effort and hard work) to become who I am today. That is probably also the reason why I empathize with my kids now when it comes to mastering a language – it is not easy and may not come naturally to all.

Joey has always loved reading and writing as a kid, so I never had to worry about her English standard. But this was not so for Jayne – she doesn’t particularly enjoy reading. In fact, I spent a lot of time coaxing her to pick up storybooks to read, only to have her putting them down almost immediately because the interest was just not there.

As a typical Singaporean mom, of course, I was worried. I know how crucial it is to have a good grasp of the English language because that is the foundation and basis of the education system we have here. And I know I am not alone – I have other parent friends who tell me that their kids don’t enjoy reading, and so they struggle with doing well in school.

As a matter of fact, it is easy to get intimidated by the English language especially when it comes to the correct usage of grammar and creative vocabulary in writing. True enough, when Jayne started Primary Three this year and was tasked to write her first essay on the first day of school, she struggled. I could see that her interest in the English language was waning and I was desperate to find a way to help her.

I was so glad that I was introduced to My English School (MES) at a time like this. It worked out perfectly for us because there was a MES centre just five minutes away from our house.

Jayne was reluctant to go for the class when I first told her about it, but after the first lesson, she was hooked! She skipped out of the centre and told me excitedly that two of her school classmates were in the same class as hers! One of them has been with My English School since she was a pre-schooler, and because it has helped her in the subject all these years, she stayed on.

The thing is, some parents think that they only need to send their kids for enrichment classes during the initial years and pull them out after the right foundations are built. But, the truth is, the kids need guidance and help throughout their schooling years because at every stage and progression, there are different needs and struggles.

Seeing that Jayne’s classmate stayed on for so many years, I believe that there must be a lot of in My English School’s curriculum and programmes. After attending MES for three months, I am convinced of the quality of MES’ offerings by now – here’s why:

1. Vibrant School Culture and Learning Atmosphere

It was a pleasant surprise when we stepped into My English School Woodlands Civic Centre for the first time. The kids who were waiting in line for their classes to start were chit-chatting with each other. It was rowdy but anyone could tell that the kids were happy. As a mom, I felt assured when I saw this because it showed that the kids were looking forward to something fun. I wouldn’t want to send my kids to an enrichment centre that is dull, stern and rigid – not after a whole day of studying in school! When the various teachers arrived to bring the students into different classes, everyone got even more excited. The kids greeted their teachers by name and the teachers looked genuinely happy to see them as well. I loved how vibrant and happy the whole atmosphere was.

2. Powerful and Relevant Curriculum

Jayne learnt Haiku during her first lesson at MES and came home to try to craft her own haiku. It was my first time hearing about Haiku and I was amazed at how much fun she had doing just that, while strengthening her use of the English language. Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry, now written in many languages including English.

As I flipped through her workbooks, I liked what I saw as well. There were exercises on grammar and vocabulary that she completed in class, which deepened her understanding of the concepts and would help her in her essay writing. By completing the multiple-choice questions and cloze passages, Jayne was able to practice her grammar and learn from her mistakes. When all these basic foundations are in place, I expect that she will have a much easier time when it comes to essay-writing later on.

There was a mock letter too that she had written to a pen-pal in class, which she proudly showed me. I was intrigued because I don’t think I’ve ever seen her write something of this length before. I am convinced that the right methods can draw out the potential in our kids and help them to achieve more academically.

3. My English School Prepares Your Kids For Exams

I like the fact that while MES’ curriculum is fun and interesting, they do not neglect the fact that our kids need to be taught how to cope with stressful examinations eventually. Also, Jayne belongs to the batch of students who will encounter a change in the PSLE syllabus and format, and so I feel the urgency to prepare her for this.

MES creates a good balance by incorporating spelling and homework into their curriculum, so that the kids are encouraged to revise on a regular basis outside of class. Consistent and regular revision is always the key to retaining knowledge and I strongly believe in that.

I will not want to send my kids to enrichment classes that are only fun, but do not prepare my kids for the harsh realities of the Singapore education system. Having a curriculum that is too focused on academics is not good as well, as the kids’ interest cannot be sustained in the long run. I am glad My English School handles this balance pretty well.

Their curriculum is based on the MOE syllabus (developed by past MOE teachers) and geared towards helping the kids prepare for exams as well. There are review papers given to the students to assess their progress in all levels, as well as practice papers (from Primary 2 onwards) to prepare students for mid-year and final year examinations by focusing on the skills tested during the examinations. For students who are taking their PSLE, the revisions will be geared towards PSLE preparation as well. I love how focused they are in this area – I think I can speak for every parent when I say we appreciate that very much!

Jayne also did oral assessments in one of the classes and got feedback about speaking clearer and with more expressions. I think that is extremely useful for her oral exams in school!

I think the right methodology helps our kids to learn the English language more effectively, and even helps evoke interest in it. Jayne enjoyed her lessons at My English School and I am glad to see that she has gained more confidence over time.

Now, I catch her writing small notes and letters on her own accord – something I had not seen previously – and that says a lot about her increased receptivity to learning and using the English language. I am happy, of course! If your kids are struggling with English as well, or you are just hoping to help them excel in the language, consider checking out MES at their website: http://www.myenglish.com.sg/

You can sign up your kids for an assessment or pop by any of their centres to have a feel for yourself.

Disclosure: This is a paid advertorial in collaboration with My English School.

Get Your Kids To Fall In Love With Math Again!

Media Review

I have two Primary School kids at home now, and one of the biggest challenges I face as a mom at this phase is how to get them to enjoy studying. Don’t get me wrong – My kids are good kids and mostly self-motivated and conscientious in their work but there is always this one subject that they struggle with – math. And I totally understand because I struggled a lot with math myself as a kid! I know how difficult it is to enjoy studying a particular subject when we cannot even understand the basic concepts, and slowly, I lost interest and even became fearful in the subject. That is certainly not what I want to see in my kids.

When I was introduced to Brainy Arkies – a math mobile application designed for kids aged 6 to 12 – I thought it was ingenious. Like many kids of this generation, my kids are very savvy when it comes to mobile apps and games. It’s almost instinctive – They don’t need anyone to teach them how to play and score at the games, and if I let them, they can play the games all day and all night! Naturally, that is one of the most effective ways to reach out to them as well. I know of parents who keep their kids totally off mobile devices but I believe in tapping on technology to enhance my kids’ learning experience and that is where Brainy Arkies comes in.

Frankly, my kids were a little skeptical when I handed them my mobile phone and told them to try out the “new game” in my phone which will help them to learn math. This was the actual conversation that took place:

Joey: Are you serious, mom? After a whole day in school, you want me to do math now? Like, now??
Mom: It’s gonna be fun, Jo! It’s a game where you get to role-play as characters and conquer quests.
Jayne: So I got to do problem sums??
Mom: You will get to solve problems and level up in the game. Try it first!
Joey & Jayne: OK…………

As expected, the enthusiasm level was not high when I mentioned “math”, but the moment I opened the Brainy Arkies app and they saw the colorful graphics and music, their interest was immediately piqued! What the app does is to bring the kids on a journey of adventure and quests with in-app characters known as Arkies. While they are engaged by the fun conquering different levels, they are practicing math problem sums and deepening their understanding in the concepts. I think it says a lot about the app when I had to ask my kids many times before they were willing to put the phone down.

Here are 3 reasons why Brainy Arkies can help your kids learn math better (Tried & tested by my two kids!):

1. You Learn Better When You Play

That’s an old saying, but true in every sense of the word. My kids’ eyes instantaneously light up when I mention the word ‘game’. Instead of forcing them to memorize concepts and formulas (which often result in frustrated me and frustrated them), Brainy Arkies helps the kids do that with ease when they are solving the problem sums in order to level up in the game. Subconsciously, the understanding of the concepts are deepened during the playing process, and they tend to recall them much easier after that as well.

Developed by Marshall Cavendish Education and aligned to the latest MOE syllabus, Brainy Arkies offers guided solutions and instructional videos to facilitate self-directed learning. After every set of questions solved, my kids would be able to see which questions they have answered correctly or wrongly, and the kids can tap to see the correct solutions to those that they answered wrongly. Joey refused to do that though – She would go back and try the questions again until she got them correct! That is a good way of learning too, I say! =P

2. Enhances Your Kids’ Confidence

The learning content and solutions in Brainy Arkies are personalised based on each kid’s learning progress and abilities. It adopts an adaptive learning technology which adjusts to the child’s proficiency in solving math’s questions. That is to say, if the kid gets many of the questions wrong, less complex questions will be given subsequently so that he can start getting more correct answers and regain his confidence as he goes along. This eliminates the sense of helplessness and negativity in the subject. On the other hand, if a kid attempts a set of questions of medium difficulty and gets them all correct, he will get increasingly difficult questions as he goes along. In this way, the app gives them an upper hand because they get to try and practice more challenging problems as they go along – It is always good to challenge the kids in this manner to keep their confidence and interest level.

I like it that the app promotes this notion of “It’s OK, try again.” - That is the spirit that I want to instill in my kids, not just in math, but in life as well. There is this great sense of fulfilment when they level up and unlock new stages while progressing though the app, thus enhancing their confidence in the subject.

3. Helps In Daily & Regular Revision

When it comes to math, the best way to improve is really to practice and practice some more. The intuitive virtual environment allows the kids to learn while having fun, thus motivating them to learn anytime, anywhere. Because of this, Brainy Arkies is a great platform to get my kids to practice some math problem sums every day because they see it more like play time rather than revision time. I imagine getting my kids to do hardcopy math assessment papers every day – They will definitely rebel!

Brainy Arkies is available for both Android and iOS devices. It’s free-to-play and learn. The free version grants 20% access to math’s questions for P1 through P6. Paid subscription is available and unlocks 100% access to more than 18,000 math’s questions and in-depth analysis reports for parents. And this is really the reason why I think you should go for the paid version of the app! As parents, we can  keep track of our kids’ progress through those in-depth analysis reports – We can see their performance by topics, time spent learning, math’s progress, etc. Based on that, we can then take steps to help our kids strengthen their weak areas and practice more problem sums for specific topics. As a mom, I absolutely appreciate this feature – It helps me to target my kids’ weak areas and be more focused in their revision. Very helpful!

Brainy Arkies is really a great tool to encourage kids to be interested in Math and helping them to grasp complicated concepts with the use of colourful graphics, games and quests. Give the app a try and download it on Apple Store or Google Play today! To unlock acess to all 18,000 Math’s questions and in-depth analysis reports for parents, go for the paid version! It’d be well worth it! Subscribe now to enjoy up to 40% discount!

Exclusive Additional Discount!

Good news! Marshall Cavendish Education is providing exclusive Brainy Arkies subscription offers to encourage you to give the edutainment mobile app a try for your children’s Math’s development. Use this code to redeem your additional discounts now! –>

Promotional offer:
1. 6 Months Subscription: Use code KLBA10 for an additional 10% discount
2. 12 Months Subscription: Use code KLBA20 for an additional 20% discount

An Open Letter To My Last Born

 

Dear Jayne,

As I’m writing this, you are into your final hour of your first day of school in Primary One. I hope it’s been a fun day so far, and that you’ve made friends with majority of your class. Oh yes, and I hope you did buy something proper to eat during recess time, and not spent all your money on only packet drinks and sweets.

You have the most amazing personality ever, and I guess that’s why I don’t feel worried about you entering Primary School. You are naturally jovial, happy and make friends easily. When you are around, everything just feels a little more chirpy and bright. You are not just the sunshine in Daddy, Mummy and Jie Jie’s life, you also light up the lives of those around you. And I pray with all my heart that you will always stay this way, bringing joy and laughter into the lives of those who are hurting, depressed and in misery.

Today officially marks the day that I become a mom of two Primary School kids. No more expensive preschool education (Hallelujah!) but also a drastic cut in the number of childcare leave I am entitled to from now (sadded). It dawned upon me, all of a sudden, that my kids have grown up and started to carry certain burdens on their shoulders. I wish you and Jie Jie can live carefree forever, but I guess that’s not quite possible where we live in. Still, I pray that you girls will ride on the challenges in life, and stay happy even in the midst of storms.

This morning, you woke up excited and literally with eyes beaming. You looked all ready to conquer the world! I felt such pride when you put on the school uniform and looked really adorable and smart. You finally allowed me to tie up your hair in a ponytail (Yes, it was after I told you that the discipline master might punish you for not tying up your shoulder-length hair, but still…). Actually, the skirt can be shorter so that you look less tut, but I guess it’s alright.

Just a while ago, I didn’t think you looked ready for Primary School at all, but here we are and you looked more ready than ever before. Just as you begin to learn many new things in school and in life, Mummy’s also learning how to let go little by little. I need to trust that you can make the right judgment without me giving you a hint, and I need to believe that you will always stick to the important convictions in life and not waiver no matter what.

The truth is, you will slowly discover that outside of this home where you have been showered with love and forgiveness, life can be tough and unfair out there. But stand strong, my child. Search within yourself that courage and face everything that comes your way with a smile. Just like how you’ve always been in the last 6 years of your life. Have a fun Primary One life, Jayne! Make many, many friends! Work hard and do the best you can! Mummy has always been proud of you, and I will always be.

Love you always and forever,
Mummy

Jayne’s K2 Graduation Concert

Finally, the day has come for Jayne to celebrate her two years of preschool journey. It has been a good two years with My First Skool and she made many valuable friendships. For the graduation concert, all the students had been rehearsing for many months. I’ve heard and seen every single song and drama skit at least a hundred times when Jayne shows them to me at home. =P Still, watching them on the actual day of the concert still brought many smiles to my face.

Jayne’s makeup and costume for the concert were so pretty!

  

Every K2 kid handmade and presented a gift to their parents. So lovely!

With her teachers & Principal. Thank you for bringing out the best in Jayne and believing in her!

And here’s a compilation video of Jayne’s performance at her K2 Graduation Concert.

Jayne’s SG50 Performance at Woodgrove

Jayne made her debut skit performance!

Jayne has a thing for performance – She loves to sing, dance and catwalk in school all the time, so it’s no surprise that her teacher picked her as the main lead for her school’s performance at Woodgrove RC’s SG50 National Day Dinner. When she first brought the script home, I was a little worried that she had to memorize 2 pages of script, but she took less than a day to memorize everything and when I watched the performance last weekend, I realised it was really a very short skit. Haha! Nevertheless, it was a very fun and fulfilling experience for Jayne, and to be able to do so on Singapore’s Jubilee Year of Independence, I think that’s even more meaningful. :)

Jayne’s role was that of a Grandma, who was telling her grandson about how much Singapore has changed over the years. I bet she’s going to be the prettiest Grandma you have ever seen!

She was all dressed up and ready 30 minutes before it was time to leave the house for the school. Imagine how excited she was!

Her head looked a little weird because she was trying not to mess up her bun! We put on layers of hair gel & body powder on her hair, just to make sure everything was secure until the performance itself. =D

When we arrived at the performance venue, I was a little shocked, quite frankly. It was a dinner for 2000+ people! I wondered if Jayne would freak out when she stepped onto the stage and saw so many pairs of eyes staring at her. But I was really worrying for nothing – All the kids were so brave and had no stage fright at all.

Check out Jayne and her little friends. So adorable, I couldn’t help take photographs of them! Look at the coolie (boy on the right) and the samsui woman in the middle – SOOOOOO CUTE!

Jayne’s BFFs in school were acting as hopscotch girl and the narrator. It’s no wonder all of them were chosen for the skit together – They were probably the noisiest group of girls in class everyday! =D

  

I managed to capture the whole performance from below the stage!

You were awesome, Mei Mei! We are so proud of you. :)

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