How to help your child learn at home

Guest Post by Geoff Taylor, Head of Young Learners at British Council Malaysia

During the pandemic we have juggled work, family commitments and the stress and strain of living under the MCO. Many of us have also been given a new job: teaching our children.

Many parents I speak to tell me that they find themselves overwhelmed by this. They find themselves becoming irritable with their child and feeling guilty. They worry that their child may fall behind with their schoolwork.

However, there are tremendous benefits to a parent teaching a child that cannot be replicated in a classroom. With a few basic strategies in place we can ensure our children profit from our help and relieve some of the pressures we put on ourselves.

Routine

Children, particularly younger children, need a routine. Not going to school and seeing their friends is an enormous disruption to their lives and can be upsetting and stressful. Help your child by putting in a routine for home study. At the same time every day your child will study, and you will be available to help when needed. While none of us have time to replicate a regular school day, we do not need to. As we are teaching the kids one to one, rather than in classes, they can get more done in less time.

Patience

What takes us a few minutes may take a child half an hour. We need to be patient and have realistic expectations. Be prepared for everything to take longer than you anticipate. If we start to get frustrated, we need to take a breath and control our emotions. A positive attitude is contagious, and we want our children to enjoy learning. So, take a breath, count to ten, smile and try again.

Breaks

We need to remember that children are still growing and physically developing. Because of this it is actually painful for them to sit still for a long time. If they must sit for a long time they will start to fidget and become distracted. We need to have regular breaks where the child can move around. In classes at the British Council teachers will build this into the lessons – a ‘treasure hunt’ for children to find answers that are ‘hidden’ in the classroom for example. Google ‘brain break’ activities and check out some of the fun ‘action songs for kids’ on YouTube to ensure your child is quickly refreshed and ready to continue to learn.

A good learning environment

Having a suitable environment for learning is vital. The place where your child studies should comfortable, ideally with a desk and a chair, be well lit and well ventilated. It should be free from distractions – there are so many things in our homes that are more fun for a child than studying! Ensure laptops, iPads, toys etc. are not visible. Where possible siblings should study separately, again to avoid distractions. While we need to be close at hand to provide help where needed, we should avoid ‘looming’ so our children can focus. Often, we are the biggest distraction of all!

At the British Council we offer a range of courses for children. We have both online courses and courses in our teaching centres. If you are struggling to help your child learn at home, perhaps we can help share the load. Find out more here 

 

Controlling Nearsightedness

In this digital age, many of us are heavy users of digital devices in our daily life particularly when attending online classes or working from home, where we tend to use our PC or laptop for longer hours. With this current change of habit, it is not surprising there is a surge in the number of people suffering from myopic (nearsighted) condition or with frequent increase of eye power. 

Nearsightedness is common and can be fixed with the help of glasses or contact lenses, but the increase of myopia exposes one to higher risks of developing other eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Don’t worry! Here’s a solution for you to control myopia or commonly known as nearsightedness, which is known as Orthokeratology lenses. And one can go glasses or contact lens free during the day.

What is Orthokeratology?

Orthokeratology, also known as Ortho-K, is a non-surgical procedure of reshaping the cornea gently while you sleep, with the help of specially designed therapeutic gas permeable contact lenses. This type of contact lenses can correct myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism. It may even help to correct hyperopia (longsightedness) or presbyopia (loss of ability to focus on near objects).

Ortho-K can be defined as the temporary reduction, modification or elimination of refractive errors through the application of specially designed contact lenses.

How OCUVIQ® Ortho-K contact lens works?

Ortho-K is prescribed for 2 purposes:

1. Slow down myopia progression

2. Vision correction – user will not need glasses or daytime contact lenses if refractive errors is fully corrected.

Who can benefit from OCUVIQ® Ortho-K?

With the help of OCUVIQ® Ortho-K lenses, one is not only able to control the increase of eye power and obtain better vision, but also able to experience freedom from glasses or contact lenses during their daytime activities. OCUVIQ® Ortho-K lens would be a convenient and beneficial option especially among children and those with an active lifestyle requiring them to engage in many physical activities.

OCUVIQ® Ortho-K lenses are suitable for both adults and children. However, one will need to consult a professional eye care practitioner for the fitting and suitability of wearing Ortho-K lens.

Click the banner below to redeem complimentary professional eye care practitioner Eye Screening and product e-Voucher worth RM220.

Scan QR code or click here for Participating Optical Outlet List available for redemption

 

What is the fitting process for Ortho-K lens?

A full Ortho-K assessment is required for the fitting of Ortho-K lens. The eye care practitioner will perform an eye examination, which includes checking of refractive errors, eye health evaluation and measuring the curvature of cornea. The assessment is to ensure these custom made lenses are perfectly fitted for each individual.

In-clinic training on how to insert, remove and take care of Ortho-K contact lenses will be provided by the eye care professional upon lens fitting. Parents and child must comply with a few periodic follow up scheduled by your eye care professional to ensure that the lenses are performing well.

There are a variety of options to help control or slow down the progression of myopia. Consult an eye care professional now to get advice on the most suitable treatment for your child.

This is a sponsored post by Oculus (M) Sdn Bhd

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Back to School 2021 Value Buys

Black shoes or white shoes for school? Either way, it's Back to School season soon and discussions on starting school and to-buy lists are trending hot topics on primary school parents groups on FB. 

That said, we are happy to bring our readers and members some Back to School Shopping Tips from Parkson. Parkson's nationwide Back to School promotion is now on from 8 Dec 2020 to 24 Jan 2021.

Back to School Shopping List 

Below are some must have items for back to school. This list is useful for parents with kids just starting school. These are the basic essentials kids need for school.

• School Uniforms
• School shoes and socks
• School bags
• Stationery
• Water tumbler and food container

How to get the most out of your back to school shopping

While we need to shop, it is a good idea to shop smartly

• Look out for super value buys, bargains and discounts. Parkson has great deals starting from RM5! 

• Keep an eye out for exclusive deals. You will find exclusive deals available only at Parkson for backpacks or trolley bags from Icon, Poly Pac, Handry and more available only at Parksons!

• Save more with bundle sets for example, Parkson's bundle set include a combination of school bag, tumbler and pencil case. Not only do you save, you'll also get cute looking matching items.

• Make use of your member shopping cards (use your Parkson or BonusLink cards to get 10% off Parkson's in-house school uniform brand Parkson School Shop).
  

Back to school gift ideas

This list is useful for grandparents, aunts, uncles looking for gift ideas

• Get cute stationery etc in the child's favourite cartoon characters (Check out the character merchandise for boys and girls. They make great gifts! Girls will love the Minnie, My Little Pony, Barbie, Frozen and other sets while boys may delight in Transformers, Ejen Ali or Spiderman bags, stationery or food and drinks containers. )
• Buy items that come in a set or bundle. They are good as starter sets and look great as gifts

Click here to view Special Selections from Back to School 2021 from Parkson!

Remember to follow Parkson page for more latest promotion:

Parkson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parkson
Parkson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parksonmalaysia/

Happy Shopping!

2021 Malaysia School Calendar

 

 

This 2021 Malaysia School Calendar is on a monthly basis and for schools in Kumpulan B ie schools in Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Putrajaya, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor,

Kumpulan A schools ie schools in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Johor observe Friday and Saturday as public holidays. Therefore the dates may vary by one or two days due to the different weekend dates.

Only National public holidays are included in this calendar. Below is a sample of some of the pages. This calendar is edited using Microsoft Powerpoint Calendar Template.

Our FB group members may head on over to the following thread to get the password to download the calendar.

Malaysia Primary School Parents on Facebook Group Password Thread
Malaysia Secondary School Parents on Facebook Group Password Thread

School Holidays and Festive School Holidays are based on the following and are subject to changes by the Ministry of Education. The dates may be downloaded from here: KPM - Takwim Sekolah 2021.

Sri KDU International School Klang Digital Info Week 6th - 9th December 2020

Looking for a school? Check out Sri KDU International School Klang, ASEAN's first Microsoft Flagship School. Sri KDU International School Klang is the latest school under Sri KDU, an established school brand with a history and reputation of providing excellent holistic educational experience for primary and secondary school children since 2003.

Sri KDU International School Klang is having its first Digital Info Week from 6th to 9th December 2020. This is a great time for you to find out more about the school, view the campus, talk to teachers and even let your child try out an e-trial class! 

Sri KDU International School Klang 
Digital Info Week 6th - 9th December 2020 

Digital Info Week Programme

6th December 2020

10.20am - 11.30am 
Live Campus Tour with founding Principal, Ms. April Peters

1pm - 2pm 
Exclusive Zoom Q&A Session 
with Principal, Ms. April Peters and Head of Primary, Ms. Kephren Sherry 

7th - 9th December 2020

10.00am - 3pm
eMeet sessions with the Academic team (by appointment basis)

10am - 4.30pm
Private Campus Tour (by appointment basis)

eTrial class (by appointment basis)

Click here to RSVP to confirm your place for the exclusive zoom Q & A session and book your appointments for eMeet sessions, campus tour and eTrial class.

For further enquiries, please contact  603 6145 3800 / 3801 or send email to info.klg@srikdu.edu.my

*All new student registrations throughout Digital Info Week will be entitled to a Free Logitech keyboard worth RM149.

Try out a class digitally. eTrial class is by appointment basis

Founding Principal, Ms. April Peters welcomes you to

 Sri KDU International School Klang Digital Week

How to improve Chinese Classical Text Comprehension for SPM students

My son is taking SPM Chinese and there is an section in the paper on Classical Text Comprehension. We are a non-Chinese speaking family so it is rather hard for him since he is not taking any tuition and we have difficulty helping him. I turned to the Malaysia Primary and Secondary school parents FB groups for help and recommended tips. Here is are some tips given by the parents who have sat for the paper themselves.

Understand the content. 

Firstly, you have to understand the context and background first including the motif of the speaker. To get a better understanding of the context, the story and the history, it is suggested to

1. Watch Chinese historical dramas set in ancient China to improve understanding on Chinese history and spark interest. You can even watch them in Cantonese and read the subtitles if Mandarin is too difficult for you. Even the Mandarin ones will not fully use Classical text speech, the idea is to understand the story and history.

2. Read the stories behind the ancient text to understand the context. You can read the story books, comics or even read them in English depending on your level of understanding. The idea is to understand the context and the stories. Below are some examples.

(i) Comics - Chinese Classical Comics for example 蔡志忠 Tsai Chih Chung comics. His comic strips are mostly written in classical Chinese, about Chinese tradition, cultures and idioms.. etc. The comics come with present day Chinese explanations.

(ii) Storybooks - If you are able to read the whole set of Chinese classical stories, you will be better able to understand the questions. You can also read Jin Yong novels.

(iii) English/Bilingual - If your Chinese is not that good, you can read the stories in English. For example you can read the comics from Asiapac on 3 Kingdoms, Madam White Snake etc in English to get a better understanding of the subject. 

Know the text

文言文is a bit tricky as one word will have many meanings.

1. Get a dictionary to translate ancient text to modern text or use Baidu to search.

2. Know and memorize the commonly used classical text phrases and keywords. If you have friends in the same level in CIS, try asking for their notes. The teachers of most CIS do wonderful work of listing the common words. 

3. Make use of apps to find dictionaries and other references.

4. Practice- Classical Chinese have similar keywords which appear often in the exam questions. Try to do as many past year questions as possible so you can see the pattern and know which keywords are a must know. Then just try to connect the dots in between those key words

The following blog post has useful tips on how to answer the SPM Chinese paper including Classical Text Comprehension (文言文理解) section. Check it out.

Wrinkle Free School Uniforms Promo

 

We would like to congratulate the winners of our recently concluded giveaway. The grand prize winner walks away with RM200 shopping vouchers while the consolation prize winners received RM100 shopping vouchers each to shop at Thomtex School Uniform Shop.

Thomtex sells wrinkle free school uniforms online for the convenient of parents. Convenient in being able to purchase online and convenience to parents in reducing their ironing workload. When you have several school going kids, the ironing can take up a lot of time!

Here's some good news for all our readers. 

Readers Rewards Promo Code 

Use discount code THOMXMUMS to get bonus 5% discount. (in addition to website discounts currently on offer)

You can apply this promo code without signing in the website. However, users are encouraged to sign in to enjoy all the other website discounts currently being offered. 

Some of the current offers include:

Buy 1 white shirt at 10%, 2 at 15% and 3 at 20%. For members only (membership is free).

(If you apply your readers reward of 5%, you can get up to 25% discount!)

Due to the mco situation which resulted in lack of some stock, customers can pay first and get their uniforms later (around the end of December) for new stocks. 

Customers can also refund and exchange their purchases until the school reopens in 2021. This means customers  can continue to exchange their clothes for size or color till after the schools open. The company will bear the cost of shipping.

Sekolah Sri KDU Digital Open Weekend on 27th to 29th Nov 2020

In the blink of an eye 2021 is almost upon us. If you have not decided or settled on a school for your child, it is time to do so. Not able to visit schools to get more  information? No worries as schools like Sekolah Sri KDU has embraced the digital not only for their school lessons but it extends to their interactions with parents. Meetings, talks and chats with parents, showing parents around the school and Open Days are now conducted fully online. You can even schedule exclusive one to one e-meetings with the Academic Leadership Team during their upcoming Digital Open Weekend.

Sekolah Sri KDU is having their Digital Open Weekend on 27th to 29th Nov 2020.

Below are the highlights of the event:

Date: 27th to 29th November 2020
Time: 10:00a.m. to 3:00p.m.:  

• One-on-one E-meet with the Academic Leadership Team on Zoom / Google Meet / Microsoft Teams
• Live Chat with the Admissions Team

* Enrol during the Sekolah Sri KDU Digital Open Weekend to enjoy 50% off the Registration Fee. Terms and Conditions apply. (applicable to all intakes)

Date: 28th November 2020 (Special Sessions for Primary School)
Time: 
10.00 a.m. Primary 1 Exploration Talk with the Principal of Sri KDU Primary (on Zoom)
11.00 a.m. Facebook LIVE tour of Sri KDU Primary School

Date: 29th November 2020 (Special Sessions for Secondary School)
Time:
10.00 a.m. Secondary 1 Exploration Talk with the Deputy Principal of Sri KDU Secondary (on Zoom)
11.00 a.m. Facebook LIVE tour of Sri KDU Secondary School

RSVP here

You may also find the following video interesting.

Mr Djohann Iskandar Kwan Abdullah, the Principal of Sri KDU Primary School welcomes all to join the Sekolah Sri KDU Digital Open Weekend happening from the 27th – 29th November 2020; 10 am – 3 pm!

Mr Lam Chee Fong, Principal of Sri KDU Secondary School invites you to join the Sekolah Sri KDU Digital Open Weekend from 27th to 29th November 2020. Watch out for sessions for secondary school on 29th November 2020.

British Council Malaysia Online School Holiday Workshop and January 2021 Intake

 This is a guest post by British Council Malaysia

Our January 2021 intake is now open for early bird registrations until 30 November 2020! Whether you opt for our online or face-to-face classes, our expert teachers are always prepared to provide the best learning experience for your child.

In our upcoming intake, your child will get to experience our new guided learning component, which extends your child’s learning after classes on our secure online platform, that ensures your child is prepared and excited to participate in their next lesson with us.

Our English classes are suitable for any child or teenager between the ages of 5 to 17. Find the perfect course for your child on our website  or contact us now to speak to one of our course consultants.

	Early bird price until 30 November 2020
Online	RM880
Kuala Lumpur and Damansara teaching centre	RM880
Penang teaching centre	RM790

We will also be running online workshops during the school holidays on 5 December 2020. Your child will get to brush up on their English skills while learning interesting topics prepared by our teachers. Each age group will learn a topic that is different from one another.

For parents interested in both our January 2021 intake and our online holiday workshops, you can register your child for both courses and enjoy up to 20% off on fees! Have a look on our website or book a spot  today.

2-hour workshop (5-10 year olds)	RM169
3 hour workshop (10-15 year olds)	RM254
Sign up for our holiday workshop + January 2021 term to enjoy up to 20% off on fees!

If you would like to find out more about our course structure, join us on 26 November, 5-6pm for a free online workshop. This workshop is suitable for parents with children between the ages of 5 to 11. The workshop will also cover tips on how you can better support your child’s English learning journey. Register now!

Primary and Secondary School Online Tuition Malaysia

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to the academic world. Notwithstanding the challenges, learning never stops. Schools and tuition centres have quickly come up to speed by moving forward with digital learning. 

Cozy Kidz House is one of the tuition centres which has done so. It now conducts its lessons fully online. Cozy Kidz House is an established tuition centre which has been in the business for 7 years, starting in Sri Petaling and now at Aurora Place, Bukit Jalil to provide a better and safe study environment for its students. 

With 100% of its lessons online, now you can be in any part of Malaysia to attend the classes too!

ABOUT COZY KIDZ HOUSE

Cozy Kidz House started by providing tuition for 7 to 12 year old students. It now caters to students from primary to secondary schools, both national and private school. Both group and private classes are available with 10 students max for group classes. You can select the kind of class that suits your child best,. Group classes helps students to do better in their respective subjects with holistic lesson plans that connect students to their school syllabus while private classes and be customized and streamlined to tackled specific problems faced by students. 

SECONDARY SCHOOL TUITION DEC 2020 INTAKE IS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

The Dec 2020 Intake for Secondary School Tuition is  now open for registration with the following details:

For Whom: Students who missed classes during MCO/CMCO and need to catch up with national school syllabus Form 1, Form 2 or Form 3 (PT3)/International School (Year 7) - IGCSE

Package: 4 subjects Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics and Science 

Commencement  Date: December 2020

Offer Price: RM280* Terms and Conditions apply (Normal Price: RM400)

Class Type: Choice of online or physical class

No of Pax: Max 10 students in a class

Terms and Conditions:
- Offer ends on 28 Feb 2021
- No valid with other promotions or offer.
- Payment has to be made before commencing of a class.
- Deposits applicable

Note that the centre is currently 100% online tuition. Once CMCO has been lifted students have a choice to opt to continue with online lessons or return to physical with SOP in place including wearing face masks during lessons, physical distancing and sanitization of classroom.

Venue for physical lessons is at

Cozy Kidz House

1-8-11, Plaza Bukit Jalil (Aurora Place), 

No 1, Jalan Persiaran Jalil 1, Bandar Bukit Jalil 

57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Facebook: Cozy Kidz House

Call Tel: 012-2868 779 to sign up or enquire.

Myopia in Children

Does Your Child Suffer From Myopia? 

Does your child always squint or rub his/her eyes when trying to look at far away objects? Or does your child always read his/her book at a very close distance?

Your child could be suffering from myopia. 

What is Myopia?

Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, is a very common eye health issue, especially among children. Myopia normally develops during childhood. It is a condition where one can see near objects well, but have trouble seeing objects at a distance clearly.

Those with myopia usually have longer eyeball length compared to normal healthy eyes, where the light rays is unable to focus on the retina but focus in front of the retina. Aside from that, if the cornea (outer layer of eye) is too curved, the light that enters the eyes won’t be able to focus correctly on the retina. All of these will lead to blur vision at a distance. 

Image credit: https://humanbodyanddiseases.weebly.com/myopia.html 

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, there’s evidence that myopia prevalence keep increasing globally and recent study shows that an estimate of about 50% of the population worldwide (about 5 billion people) will have myopia by 2050. 

Genetic and environmental factors are both the reasons contributing to myopia development. Some eye experts believe that children who spend more time using their eyes on “close-up” activities, such as usage of smartphones, tablets or computers, are at higher risk of developing myopia.


What are the symptoms of myopia?

· Blur vision on distance objects

· Eye strain / fatigue

· Headache

· Squinting


Generally young children will not complain about their vision during the initial stage. However, parents or even teachers will be able to notice the child’s condition easily and take further actions to control it at an early stage.

Here are some of the conditions or signs which a child will show if they are experiencing myopia:

· Squinting constantly when see things afar

· Tilting head or closing one eye to read

· Holding books, smartphones or doing homework at a close range

· Often rubbing their eyes

· Frequent headaches

· Tearing

Although myopia (nearsightedness) can be easily corrected using eye glasses, contact lens or refractive surgery, children with high myopes are at greater risk for certain eye diseases such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts as they grow older into their adulthood.

Thus, in order to prevent nearsightedness to progress too fast or further worsen, there are ways to slow down progression of myopia in children:

1. Low dose atropine eye drops

2. Specially designed eye glasses

3. Soft peripheral defocus contact lenses

4. Orthokeratology contact lenses 

One of the most effective ways would be the fitting of Orthokeratology contact lenses. Orthokeratology, also known as Ortho-K contact lens is a non-surgical procedure of reshaping the cornea gently when you sleep. This type of contact lens helps to control or correct one’s myopia (nearsighted), providing freedom in vision and the convenience of going glasses free during the day. 

Click on the banner below to redeem E-Voucher consist of eye screening and Boston Solution lens care set (total worth RM220).

Scan QR code to find the outlets near you where you can redeem the voucher below.

  

Though there are corrective measures for myopia (nearsightedness), but prevention is always better than cure. We should encourage our children to spend more time outdoors and reduce their time spent on computers or other digital devices. 

Last but not least, schedule an eye examination with eye care professionals annually to monitor your child’s vision throughout the years, so that any eye health problems can be attended to at an early stage.


Reference:

American Academy of Ophtalmology. (2016). Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Available at: https://www.aaojournal.org/action/showPdf?pii=S0161-6420%2816%2900025-7 Accessed 11 February 2016.

This is a sponsored post by Oculus (M) Sdn Bhd

The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Stay at home and order school uniforms online

2020 has been a rather challenging year so far with a global pandemic requiring parents to work from home and children to stay at home with schools closed. 

It's coming towards the end of the year now and normally at around this time of the year, parents are preparing for the next school year and malls would be packed with parents shopping for back to school items. However, this year, some malls are closed at times and most malls have few shoppers especially in red COVID 19 zones or areas where CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) or even EMCO (Enhanced Movement Control Order) are imposed.

Yet, we still have to prepare for next year 2021. One way is to buy school stuff including school uniforms online. 

We tested out online buying for school uniforms and below is a video of how we did it as well as tips and pointers on the process. 

For our online buying, we went to Thomtex School Uniform Shop. Watch the video below on how we shopped online for school uniforms. 

Thomtex sells wrinkle free school uniforms online. It sells school uniforms for primary and secondary school girls and boys including co-curricular school uniforms.

It is Important to Follow Measuring Guides When Ordering School Uniforms Online

One of the most important things you should do when shopping for school uniforms online is MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. Every school uniform shop have their own measurements and guidelines for measuring.

For example, my kid usually wears size M tops and size 33 pants.  However, when I did the measurements following the measuring guide at Thomtex School Uniform Shop, it suggests that I order size S shirts and size 34 pants which I did and it turned out exactly the same size as the ones he has been wearing. That is a relieve because one of the things you want to do when ordering clothing online is to get it right the first time. 

You can measure directly on your child or measure using their most comfortable clothing.  Remember to follow the picture guides provided at the online school uniform shop to know where to measure.

After measuring and selecting the right size, you add your items to your shopping cart when you are satisfied with the sizes and number of pieces you wish to order. Complete  your shipping information accurately, then check out to pay by credit card or direct debit and stay at home to wait for your uniforms to arrive by courier. 

What will 2021 hold for us? We hope that a vaccine will be found and life will be back to normal again but in the meantime, we still need to live a new normal life which includes shopping for school uniforms online. 

Shop now for Wrinkle Free School Uniforms. Early birds can enjoy a buy two free one promo in October. 

New Normal in Education at Sri KDU Schools

March 18, 2020 will always be remembered as the day when Malaysia implemented MCO or Movement Control Order to try to flatten the COVID 19 curve. However, that is not the only thing that happened. In a way, it led to a positive and immediate change in education, transforming it from a traditional classroom to blended digital learning almost overnight. Education may never be the same again. How prepared are we for this change? Let's have a look at one school and how they transition towards the new normal in education.

Online Learning at Sri KDU Schools

One of the things that Sri KDU Schools emphasizes to its teachers and students during this challenging period is "NEVER STOP LEARNING". As you can see from the video below, whether it is academics, sports or music, teaching and learning never stops at Sri KDU. 

Teachers learnt new ways to reach out and educate students while students were taught how to attend classes online and submit homework digitally.  In a way COVID 19 is positive for education, especially schools which are quick to rise up to the challenge and quickly adapt to the new normal in education, shifting from traditional classroom styles towards 21st century digital and online teaching. 

At Sri KDU schools, students were quickly taught the new skill of learning through video conferencing and other digital means. This is an important skill for all students during this time as schools may be required to close with short notice if needed like the current CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) in the Klang Valley. With this new skill in place, students can quickly switch back to online learning mode with ease.

Parents were not left out as they too must be involved in order to support their children's studies. With this in mind, parents workshops were conducted online to help parents understand how online lessons were carried out.

Learning truly never stops at Sri KDU, not even for sports and music lessons as these were carried out virtually as well. Virtual choirs and band performances are yet another positive outcome of the pandemic. Who would have imagined that virtual concerts by students singing and playing musical instruments from their homes could sound so good!

Parents’ feedback on Online Learning at Sri KDU Schools

It is amazing how Sri KDU embraced online learning so well and has seen positive feedback coming in.

Below are some testimonials from their existing parents on online learning:

Sekolah Sri KDU (Private National School) 

• I would like to thank all the schoolteachers for a job well done on this first day of online classes. It has also been a test of our organisation at home, and there were inevitably teething problems. But despite these circumstances, I think what transpired today deserves a pat on the back. I am particularly keen to see that student & teacher do not let the pause in active school life affect their relationship and collective spirit in the classroom. The online system cannot replace the classroom in terms of learning, but it is important for the children's moral confidence that life goes on for them. Please convey my sincere gratitude to all the teachers involved.
• A BIG thank you to the teachers of Sri KDU secondary for carrying out the extra classes next week and remaining online for the students. Acknowledging that it was announced as extended school holidays, I sincerely appreciate the efforts by teachers in “keeping the school open”
• I support online learning so that the students can keep to a routine. Grateful that the teachers are also willing to continue to deliver the lessons despite the government announcement of an extended holiday. I believe this would be the first time online learning will be deployed fully. It’s a good time to start and explore the tool. Thank you, and stay healthy!

Sri KDU International School

• My child and I are enjoying the online learning. Thank you to the teachers.
• My child and I are enjoying the work set on the Seesaw app. The app is easy to use and the instructions from teachers are clear. We also get real-time feedback. Thank you for helping us keep the kids learning and occupied.
• Thank you to all the teachers in SKIS for the efforts and attention put in to ensure that the students of SKIS continue to get their education at the highest level possible. I really appreciate it.
• It looked like they truly enjoyed your Seesaw activities and your Hangout classes. It is apparent that you have put in a lot of thoughts into your teaching methodology with plenty of variations and creativity and with that extra mile, you made learning fun. Your marking system is also commendable, making them think again to correct their mistakes. Thank you for making the children learn in eagerness. It must have been challenging at times.

Interested to know about Sri KDU schools? Click here for more information. Registration is now open for 2020/2021 session.

A good night's sleep starts with a good pillow

Having a good night's sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Yet, many of us struggle with getting a good night's sleep. Some tips for getting a good night's sleep include having a relaxing before bed schedule, making your room dark and comfortable with just the right temperature and not to mention having a good pillow. 

Recently, I had an opportunity to test out the Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow. This pillow is voted as one of The Best 8 Pillows in Singapore. Having gone through dozens of sleep trials, more than 10 different product tests and 100 density changes before being marketed, The Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow is designed by a team of experts in Germany.

The pillow feels bouncy and soft yet firm and with good support at the same time. I like the feel of the tencel cover case. Tencel is a a new age cellulose fibre. Tencel is smooth, gentle on the skin  and anti-bacterial. It feels luxurious. I find that it provides good back support if you prop it up because it is firm. My current pillows are the kind that can be punched into any shape. This one stays firmly in shape. Takes a little bit of getting used to for me.

Where to buy the Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow?

The Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow is available at Origins Malaysia which also markets the award winning Origin Hybrid® Mattress. Founders Shaun and Gee started Origin Mattress to give Malaysians more comfortable sleep at lower prices. Origin products are designed in Germany and made in Malaysia for Malaysians. You can buy it online and have it delivered to you with no shipping charges.

Credit for image: Express Photography

Giveaway for Blog Readers. 

Thank you for following and reading our post. To enter this giveaway, complete the information in the form below. You will be required to fill in your name, email address, FB username, visit Mumsgather Finds FB page and share this post on your FB timeline with public setting. Sharing is not compulsory but it will earn you more points! This giveaway ends at 12am 26 Oct, 2020. It is open to Malaysian readers only.

Prize: 

2 winners will win one (1) Origin Superior Coolmax® Latex Pillow worth RM400 each. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

References for this article:

- Origin Mattress
Website | Facebook | Instagram

- Best in Singapore
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Coding Learning Box for Kids

One of the most frequently asked questions on our platform is "Where to buy Educational Toys for my child?"  Kids love to play and have fun, and if they can learn something useful at the same time that would be a bonus for the parents. This is even more so now during this pandemic period when kids are stuck at home. 

EDU:BIT Project Kit for Children to Code • Play • Learn

Introducing the play-and-learn EDU:BIT Project Kit

Today, we're going to talk about one such educational toy or learning box. It is the EDU:BIT Project Kit for children aged 7 and up. The EDU:BIT Project Kit is an all-in-one complete kit for kids to learn coding and electronics as they play in a fun and engaging way. The projects also help the children develop creativity and foster problem-solving thinking skills.

With coding being an essential skill in education these days, as basic and important as your 123s and ABCs, it is good for kids to get a head start and practice these skills from a young age. Coding is now included in many school curriculums all over the world including Singapore and Japan. In Malaysia, coding is introduced in the new KSSR syllabus under the subject Design and Technology for Y4, Y5 and Y6 students.. Coding need not be a dry, boring or difficult subject to grasp for kids. It can be fun and creative play too. Children can learn coding skills as they play with this educational learning box.

What is included in the EDU:BIT Project Kit?

The graphics below show what is included in this Educational Learning Box. The most important component in this box is the EDU:BIT board which is the heart of it all. (See item 1 in the graphics)

The EDU:BIT board comes with the BBC micro:bit board. The micro:bit was designed by BBC to get kids actively involved in coding and making projects.

Beginners can easily learn to code using Microsoft's Makecode with simple drop and drag modules while more advanced users switch to Python or Javascript to programme.

Since this learning tool is specially designed for young kids and beginners, a step-by-step colourful guide is included on how to complete up to 10 projects using the Microsoft Makecode platform to code. By following the guidebook, kids can turn early childhood games like rock, paper, scissors or snakes and ladders into fun digital projects. Cute cutouts are included for this purpose.

 

Younger kids may need supervision but older kids can self-learn on their own. 

Where to buy the EDU:BIT Project Kit for Children

Looking for a gift for your child or a friend’s kid?

UPDATED: FULLY FUNDED ON KICKSTARTER, YOU CAN NOW PURCHASE AT RM199 FROM CYTRON WEBSTORE

Get EDU:BIT now at a discounted price on Kickstarter.
Only US$35 (RM145) now - (NP: RM219) 

Pledge a Reward to get this at RM145 on Kickstarter

Here's how to get a set for your child. 

The EDU:BIT Project Kit for Children is now available on Kickstarter. Pledge a Reward to get this educational learning box for your children before Christmas. Here is a video on how you can back the project by pledging a reward to get this educational kit for kids age 7 and up at USD35/RM145. 

As some of your may know, kickstarter is responsible for launching many of the coolest toys and games available in the market today. You can pledge a reward for an early bird discount to get this one. The team has already secured the funding they need to produce this product, so all you have to do after pledging your reward is to wait for them to contact you at the end of October to get your shipping address. Your credit card will not be charged till the kickstarter campaign is completed on 22 October. The kits will be shipped out in November, in time for Christmas 2020. You can read up the risks and rewards of pledging a reward on kickstarter.