M & M OR “MUNCH & MOVIE WITH DAD” on April 24, 2010 was an inaugural event organised by Fathers@ PLMGS (P) in Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary). A total of 147 fathers, 185 daughters and 30 volunteers spent a memorable morning in the school with a set of programmes specially organised for a time of bonding between Dads and Daughters.
The activities included a tour of the school with the pupils who shared with their fathers about their school life, a networking session among the fathers, card-making for fathers, a light buffet and movie-watching “Akeelah and the Bee”. Fathers and daughters went home with many moments to remember and treasure.
The immense success of M & M was the result of a very strong collaborative tripartite effort between the school, Parent Support Team (PST) and the fathers’ group. Fathers@PLMGS is a newly set-up group under the school’s PST. The idea came from a school-wide survey conducted in January during the Introductory briefing sessions for parents of all the levels about Dads for Life and Fathers@Schools. The fathers themselves organised the event, with an understanding of what fellow fathers would be willing to participate in as well as what activities their daughters wished to engage their fathers with.
Fathers@PLMGS(P) was an initiative of a father in the PST. He was so inspired after hearing about the Dads for Life, a national fathers’ movement supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS),that he decided to approach the school to start the new committee.
Thee Fathers’ group was formed in three months and was registered with the MCYS in April. Its mission is to encourage and help fathers to be strong and good influencers to positively impact their daughters’ lives … for life. It endeavours to galvanise fathers for this purpose through events, education and equipping.
The Fathers’ group will continue to engage the fathers, collaborate with them, draw them in to contribute and organise activities based on the needs of their daughters. The school believes that with passion and commitment from the Fathers’ group, it will be able to mobilise fathers to be active role models who will make a positive impact on its pupils.
