Rows of neatly arranged colourful art and craft work greet my eyes as my daughter and I step into the lobby of Faith Kindergarten. I immediately sense the cheerful and welcoming environment as the teachers greet each child warmly by name. The children return the greeting as they line up to have their temperatures taken and their hands checked and sanitised. The daily routine is simple, familiar and comforting. After final hugs, my child happily bounces off to her class.
It was this same warm environment that convinced me to enrol my daughter in Faith Kindergarten three years ago. My original criteria for a preschool for her were straightforward: a Christian preschool, a good syllabus taught in English and Mandarin, and a convenient location near to my home.
There were a few preschools that met my criteria but what really convinced me was seeing the children when I visited Faith Kindergarten. They were truly happy, engaged and responsive to the teachers. I knew it would be a good place for my daughter to learn and grow.
I am grateful that the teachers are caring, experienced and manage marvellously with all sorts of children. My daughter is, by nature, shy and apprehensive in unfamiliar surroundings. I recall hearing about how her teacher had to comfort her and even carry her part of the way during an excursion to the goat farm, when she took fright at the goats nibbling her shoulder.
Over the past three years, I have seen my daughter grow in confidence in class participation with the teachers’ encouragement. In K1 now, she loves to go to school and enjoys bringing home her homework folder every Friday and returning it every Monday with the English and Chinese worksheets duly completed.
Even though my daughter flatly refuses to let me sign her up for any sort of external enrichment classes, she was prepared to join in the afternoon enrichment classes arranged by Faith Kindy in their own premises. That is an added bonus for me—hopefully a stepping-stone for my daughter to try new things.
As for me, I like the fact that Faith Kindy has a diverse cohort of preschoolers, and that my daughter can learn to interact with peers from different backgrounds. Of course, I am also glad that she is getting a firm grounding in the Christian faith and in the context of the Methodist heritage. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prov 22:6)
Bernice Gan is blessed with a fulfilling family life and career. She worships at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church where she serves in the Discipleship & Nurture Committee and the Children’s Ministry.
Photo courtesy of Faith Kindergarten