by on 28/08/2017
With a 14-year history in Bandar Puteri, Tadika Vista Cemerlang is one of the most well-established preschools in the township. The spacious kindergarten, with its signature “alphabet wall” and beautiful artificial grass, sits majestically on a hill that overlooks a breathtaking panoramic view of Puchong and beyond.
The principal, Ms Tham, has been involved in early childhood education for more than three decades, and exudes the confidence of an experienced educator. She had developed her own curriculum over the years and, based on feedback from her students’ parents, her programmes have helped to nurture the children into individuals who are responsible, disciplined, and willing to work hard to achieve academic excellence. Even today, she is continuously exploring new approaches and ways to enhance her programmes.
I’ve taken so much pains in developing my curriculum because I believe the first six years are crucial for inputting into the child the skills, knowledge, and character traits that will help him or her succeed in an increasingly competitive world. We not only focus on the academics but also on other activities such as music and movement, art & craft, cookery classes, and taekwondo to provide the children opportunities to learn new skills and to build their self-confidence Ms Tham
“Building self-confidence is important for a child. It is not easy for a child when he or she enters primary school, especially when it is a Chinese-medium school where the competition is so keen. However, our student’s parents have seen that their kids are not afraid to go to school. This is because our students can already read, write and speak in BM, English and Chinese when they enter Primary One; they have learnt mathematics and science; they are disciplined in their studies. All these give them self-confidence,” she added.
Ms Tham also emphasises on safety and security. The whole kindergarten is equipped with CCTV while the side gate, its only entrance-cum-exit, uses a magnetised door access card system. Much thought has also been put into the children’s surroundings. The edges of the walls are curved to provide greater safety in case there are falls, while laminated flooring makes the floors easier to clean and sanitise.
Interestingly, we saw that the covered walkway from the side gate leads straight to the principal’s office door before turning left into the classrooms. Ms Tham’s office door is almost always open, which means she can see every child who walks through the gate and observe their mood and behavior. It also means an open-door policy for parents who wish to discuss any matters with her. Such strategic arrangements certainly speak clearly of her commitment to her students and their parents.
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