Dear Ms Ang, Madam Cheng and all the wonderful teachers and staff at NYK

This is a very belated letter from us, to thank all of you for the 4 happy years John had at NYK. He started in pre-nursery, where he had the dubious distinction of being the child who cried for the longest period of time (9 months, if I remember correctly). He refused to participate in many of the activities organized by NYK, and considered assembly to be a form of child torture. He managed to avoid going to assembly by dragging his feet every morning so that we were late for school!

The next 3 years transformed him from a reluctant school-goer to a child who could not wait to tumble out of the car and dash up the steps to assembly and who could deliver a speech in Mandarin with aplomb. We were and are amazed at his fluency in Mandarin since we are an English speaking family.

More than his language and academic skills, we are grateful to NYK for helping him develop into a responsible and caring, happy, confident and sociable child, who enjoys and is secure in his learning journey. John is now in primary one, and he has just won the Model Student Award for his first term at school. We give all credit for this to the teachers and staff at NYK. Parents fight for a spot in NYK for good reason – the quality of your alumni speaks for the quality of your values, education and nurturing.

With all good wishes for the future,

Mr & Mrs Bernard Fung
(Parents of Fung Tze-Wen John K2/2 Prudence, 2010)

 

We remembered walking along the corridors of the school and read an article on children with autism, pasted on the wall. I thought to myself, how tough it would be for the families and parents of such children, little did I know that one year later, the article became very much a part of us.

When we first enrolled Ethan into Nanyang Kindergarten in 2006, he was like any typical children. It was four months later, through the observations of his dedicated teacher, Mdm Rosemary Choo, who highlighted her concerns to us.

It is tough bringing up a child with special needs. When Ethan was diagnosed with mild autism (Asperger Syndrome) at age four, we immediately went for intensive private therapy sessions. We know early intervention programmes can make the biggest impact. The early years up to age seven are considered critical.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a development disorder. Autistic people often have problems with social interaction and communication and may have restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities.

Ethan is high-functioning, of normal intelligence but lacks poorly in social skills and is extremely rigid in his dealings with others. Changes are very tough for him. Despite all that, my wife and I salute the teachers, namely Mrs Jenny Ng, Mdm Rosemary Choo, and his former teachers Mdm Ho Hui Ling, Mdm Lee Jiun Horng and Mdm Hon Wai Ling, for being kind, patient and understanding when engaging him.

The Principal, Mrs Lily Foo, was very supportive when we suggested to bringing in an Educational Therapist (ET). Recommendations were given by the ET and we collaborated with Mrs Foo and his teachers to follow through them.

To help Ethan cope better, he was transferred to a more suitable classroom setting with minimum sensory challenges. We acknowledged that his teachers put in a great amount of effort to find ways to communicate effectively with him.

Ethan belonged to the “blame the child” category because in many occasions, people do not make an effort to trace the underlying causes, particularly his role in contributing to the negative event. However, we are glad to say that we know he is treated with respect and fairly in Nanyang.

Determined to help Ethan succeed, my wife left her job in April 2007 to care for him full-time. His teachers would chat with her almost daily for little updates. We are very fortunate to be in Nanyang where everybody cares.

In school every day, my wife sees teachers getting to know the children well, discovering their talents, identifying their area of interest and nurturing them with love. These are all steps to helping and guiding children to success. Being educated in Nanyang is more than book knowledge, it comes along with many core values. What is important is not what the children produce but what they feel.

On separate occasions, two parents, when told about Ethan's condition, exclaimed that we should have shared this with them earlier so that they could explain to their child to be more understanding and patient towards him. That gave us so much assurance as we know that there are parents out there who understand our plight.

There is also a mother who taught her son to always look out for Ethan in school. Knowing that Ethan is an only child, she initiates to meet regularly so that the children can play together. Ethan calls this boy “my best friend”. Although they are no longer in the same class, we are glad he has a best friend and a buddy in school.

We believe that everyone deserves a place in the society and we know Nanyang believes in the same. With so much support given by the school, Ethan's chances of succeeding in school and in life are brighter than ever.

In real life, we know that special needs children do not get a second chance. Without good, seamless programmes and therapy in their youth, they are doomed to a life lacking independence later on.

We are never ashamed of his strange behaviours, weird mannerism and temper tantrums. We have learnt to change our mindset and seek happiness in the “small” improvements he makes. Today, in addition to his ongoing therapy sessions, he has one-on-one weekly violin, swimming, cycling and gymnastics lessons which he enjoys tremendously.

Thank you Nanyang Kindergarten for making us a part of this big family!


Mr & Mrs Reuben Lee
(Parents of Ethan Lee Ken Yen K1/3 Gentle, 2007)

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On looking around Nanyang Kindergarten as a possible school for my son, I was immediately struck by the warm and friendly atmosphere. The playground, the huge sandpit, the rabbit and the fish, all contribute to making the school a fun environment for its pupils. I also appreciate the fact that Nanyang is so traditional, recently celebrating its 90th birthday.

The classes at Nanyang Kindergarten are small and I am pleased that my son is receiving so much attention from the 2 outstanding teachers. The 100% Mandarin content of the Nursery curriculum is a big bonus as it is my dream to have bilingual children. Nevertheless, I am glad that K1 will be 50% Mandarin and 50% English as I would not like my son's English (especially written) to suffer in the longterm future.

The Nanyang personnel have been kind and welcoming to us from the start. The professionalism and organization is notable with the school outings and concerts we have experienced running like clockwork.

It is now with pride that I drop my son off at school, safe in the hands of the extended Nanyang Kindergarten family.


Mrs Martha Keswick
(Mother of Sidney William Keswick N1, 2007)

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My daughter, Lim Zen, has graduated after 3 fun filled years in Nanyang Kindergarten. I share with Zen the same mixed feelings, excited that she will be entering a new milestone but sad that she is leaving Nanyang Kindergarten. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and all the teachers who have been part of her life for the last three years.

I thank ALL her teachers who took the time to understand each and every child's unique personality and nature and somehow took time (even with 30 kids and a short span of 3 hours) to nurture them accordingly. Zen entered Nanyang, a timid, shy and sensitive child and left Nanyang, a confident child. For this, I personally am deeply grateful to Chao Laoshi, Zhuo Laoshi, Mrs. Teo, Chen Laoshi (K1/3 - 2005), Madam Lim and Chen Laoshi (K2/3 - 2006). Thank you.

I thank Nanyang for not having a uniform - it somehow free the child's mind and view of school (I cannot quite explain it).

I thank Nanyang for the assembly time:

• Where the children gather, chat and play.
• Where the children are imbued with the fundamental value of respect for country, school, principal and teachers.
• Where the children start the day on the right note by singing, dancing and exercising to music.
  

The above are just a few of the many - the field trips, the sports day, the children's day activities, the 3 annual portfolios of which will be kept, the most lovely graduation year book (please thank all the parent volunteers for their love and time - I can see that the book was made with a lot of love) etc... I can go on and on.

With such a sterling culture and quality, I am sure that Nanyang Kindergarten will remain the premium kindergarten of choice for all parents for years and years to come.

Once again, thank you.

Very truly yours,
Mdm Caroline Yang
(Mother of Lim Zen K2/3, 2006)

“I am grateful that Nanyang Kindergarten has given my son the necessary skills to move forward to a new era in his life in Primary school. The classroom environment has prepared him over the 3 years to be responsible, accountable and reinforced moral values which we view as the foremost principle of a young child’s upbringing. The classroom environment is also ideal in preparation for primary school. Mark’s teachers have given him a great deal of support and care and I am confident that his younger brothers will receive the same attention and supervision that gives parents peace of mind that each child is well taken care of.”