Registration - done!

Yesterday we visited the kindi, together with my mom and Smellybutt. We were greeted by an aunty, a chirpy aunty :) She is in charge of cooking. She guided us to tour the kindi and pointed to us the classroom for all ages. She will be one looking after the full day care kids too, with some helper as well.

Then my mom asked her again about the food menu. She brought us to the kitchen and showed us the menu plan for each week. In total they have 4 different set of menu for each week, thus they will have menu rotation so that the kids will not be eating the same food every week. Aunty (oh dear, I forgotten to ask her name!) explained to us that she has scrapped off the green vegetable dish because the kids didn't 't know how to eat it and mostly refused to eat vegetable. Thus the kids ended up not finishing their meal and wasted it whenever there is green vege. Aunty said that it'll be difficult if the kids refused to eat at all if she continues with the green vege. Hmm...although Smellybutt has no issue with green vege, I guess that we shall just feed her green vege from home. Aunty cannot be cooking green vege just for Smellybutt alone right.

The condition of the kindi is acceptable. It has been there for almost 5 years, so cannot have high expectation lah. Furnitures are still in good condition. Cleanliness wise, also not bad. There are quite a number of full day care kids in that centre. Most of them are 2yr++, some 3yr old too. Aunty still can keep the place pretty tidy with these active kids running and playing around.

Some of the hands on activities for the holiday program are gardening, games, hands on baking (cookies and pizzas), house chore, etc. I am really looking forward to Smellybutt bringing back home her own hand made cookies/pizzas! This holiday program is more to activities, group play and project work. Thus this will be a lot more fun for the kids especially for the beginners. According to Teacher Wong (just found out that she's the principle) they have planned for an Individual Center's project constructing work for the kids. This will need team work among the kids, which is good for them to know each other better too. I hope Smellybutt will enjoy herself there.

She's going to school soon

2 weeks ago, I've been busy doing survey on kindi around my mom's house. There are plenty of them within walking distance. I've planned to enrol Smellybutt to a kindi which is based on Montessori teaching method. Yes, finally I've made up my mind to go for Montessori.

So far I've gone through 3 kindi.

Kindi A (with a banner outside the school stating "Montessori concept". Gimmick!)

• near to mom's house, less than 10 min walk.
  the principle doesn't look like one :P He looks so weird, honestly.
  


• the oldest kindi in Kepong, more than 20 yr already. He's the 2nd generation to operate it.


• the principle is a qualified Montessori teacher, but other teachers ARE NOT except the 1 and only music teacher. Music only?? what about the rest of the study?? Actually he was caught off guard when I went back there again to ask this question (all teachers are Montessori qualified?). He was so stunt and blur to answer me.

• only serve vegetarian food to all kids
  

• fees - RM280/mth for half day school from 8am to 12pm. 1 meal provided at 10am.

Kind B

• not a Montessori based kindi. But it's a branch out from Q-Dees concept.


• near to my mom's house, it's in Phase 2 of the same taman.


• very well maintained condition. Should have been operating for about 3yrs++.


• has got a mini shallow swimming pool too. There'll be a qualified instructor to conduct a 30min swimming class to the children. Sounds attractive? But after the swimming class, they will change baju for the children without rinsing them first. Erm...chlorine water on their body till they go home? No good hor.


• apart from the school uniform, has to purchase school bag and utensil set. this will sum up to RM1,315 inclusive of 1 month school fees of RM230. Miscellaneous charges are just too much lah, expensive some more! Btw, the montly fee is already inclusive of the swimming class.


• teachers are OK lah. not as bad as the Kindi A. Hahaha.


• menu for the children are not bad. They serve meat too :P Honestly I don't quite like the idea of serving vegetarian food for small kids. Just my own personal thought lah. No offense to those vegetarian people yah. 1 meal provided at 9.30am.


• half day school schedule will start from 8am to 12pm

Kindi C

• it's a Montessori based kindi. Glad to have found this, recommended by a friend of mine who stays nearby that kindi.


• not within walking distance though, but it'll be a 5min drive from house. Ok lah, near also.


• spoken to a teacher, who is Montessori qualified. She explained to me their teaching method very well. Partly of the teachers are Montessori qualified, but those who are not will have to go through their in-house training centre to learn their own teaching method. This is good, at least have some quality control and a standardized teaching method of their own.


• half day school starts from 8.30am to 12pm. 1 meal will be served at 10am.


• the menu for the children are quite extensive. Thumbs up.


• this kindi occupies a corner unit house + 2 more intermediate units. 1 unit is for office use. Big, aren't they?


• monthly fee is RM250 with registration fee of RM50 and deposit of RM350, inclusive of 1 set of school uniform and 1 set of sportswear. Affordable leh!! No other miscellaneous charge.

So who's the chosen 1? Kindi C of course ^_^

Actually ar, before I got to know of Kindi C, I nearly want to enrol Smellybutt to Kindi B. Luckily I found Kindi C now, thanks to my good old friend. I was satisfied with Teacher Wong of Kindi C, whom I met that day. She answered all my questions with confidence (and logic :P). The previous teachers from different kindi will still mmm..aaaa..eehh.. before anwering me. Why in doubt ya?

I wanted to let Smellybutt to have lunch at the kindi before we fetch her home. She's been a very super duper picky eater. She hardly takes 2 main meal each day for the past few months. HARDLY! So Teacher Wong said for those half day school children, if we want our child to have lunch also, just add another RM50. You know children lah, if they see other kids eat at a place, they will follow. I hope. Children who stays back for lunch will be bathed first, then only serve lunch. Deal.

Today I'll be leaving the office earlier. Coz I want to bring Smellybutt and my parents to have a short kindi tour. I will register for Smellybutt for the holiday program first, as a start. Geez...I started to imagine her first day kindi drama :O I wonder whether she has my brave-heart-DNA or not. When I attended my first day to the kindi, I didn't cry at all. In fact, I told my mom straight "ama, you go home lah. no need to stay here with me ok". Hehehe...until now, I still feel proud of myself for chasing away my mom from the kindi on my first day there.

The kindi's school holiday program will start from 23 Nov 09 until 18 Dec 09. Just nice for us because next week all of us will be flying off to Sarawak for Aunty Dory's wedding reception cum holiday :P I'm longing for a holiday! And I'm so thrilled for both event - going to Sarawak and Smellybutt's first day to the kindi!! Very very busy and exciting days coming soon.

Ok, I'm done with my story. Gotto stop here, too long winded. Will update again :)