For this year’s “Start Small Dream Big” project with the theme “Many Helping Hands, Caring for Everyone”, the children from Toddler to Kindergarten 2 were involved to different activities where they had the opportunities to express their love and care for their community. Through this project, we aim to impart to our children the importance of showing love and appreciation to the community around us.
The title of this project is “Showering Our Community with Love and Care!”, and this gave the children an opportunity to explore different ways of showing love and care to the people around them.
<u>Toddler Joy: Little Saviours making every effort to keep Toa Payoh clean for a better tomorrow</u>
Educating children to care for the environment is a learning experience that is an important part of growing up. It gives them skills in respect, empathy, kindness, responsibility, and teaches them about consequences.
Our Toddlers were given more exposure in how to maintain cleanliness to our surroundings. Discussions by the teachers and children were conducted to create awareness on how and what they can do to maintain cleanliness in public. Then, a trip to Toa Payoh Sensory Park gave them more impact and understanding on keeping the surroundings clean and safe for everyone.
A park that is clean and well-maintained offers a safe and enjoyable place for people to visit for picnicking, sporting activities, or just relaxing on an outdoor bench. That is why the Little Saviours made every effort to keep Toa Payoh clean by collecting trash in the neighbourhood. They cleared out litter that was found on the floor. Some of the places they have cleared were playgrounds, pavements and parks.
In addition, children learnt to connect, love and respect nature using their 5 senses. Don’t our Little Saviours look so adorable saving the environment one piece of litter at a time?
<u>N1 Care: Showing Our Love to the Community Helpers in Our Community!</u>
This year, the N1 children were engaged in the packing and distribution of care packs to our community helpers. They were introduced to the different community helpers prior to the project and food donation was requested from the parents. We received good response as parents actively brought in their donations! Each child packed two care packs and coloured ‘Thank You’ cards, which were placed in each of the care packs. Thereafter, children went on a walk around the neighbourhood to look for community helpers around us. During the walk, children found cleaners, town council workers and Community Club workers, whom we gave the care packs to in appreciation of their hard work. This project does not only introduce children to the works that community helpers do, but also enabled children to display kindness, understand the meaning of appreciation and experience moments of spreading joy to the people around them! What a sweet sight to see!
<u>N2 Love: Showing Appreciation During Hari Raya Puasa!</u>
Our centre launched the SSDB project “Many Helping Hands, Caring for Everyone” in April. This year, the N2 children focused on the topic of caring for community.
During Hari Raya Puasa Celebration, children learnt about Malay culture such as Malay traditional clothes, traditional food or snack and traditional games. To extend their learning and show appreciation to the community, N2 children decided to make banana cake to the workers at the Toa Payoh East Community Club to show their appreciation to our centre community partners and thank them for the support given throughout the year. The children were involved in the banana cake making and they personally presented it to CC to wish them a Selamat Hari Raya in advance! Way to go children!
<u>K1 Honesty: Learning to Show Care to the People in Our Lives!</u>
In April 2023, K1 launched our Start Small Dream Big Project ‘Caring for Community”. Through this project, children learnt how to take care of the people around them. We started the project by discussing how they can lend their helping hands to everyone.
K1 children shared that by one thing they can do to show care and love to the people around them is by keeping their environment clean. They also mentioned that by recycling, they can be a good help in maintaining the cleanliness of their surrounding and everyone will have a clean and healthy environment.
Recycled Art and Craft
Children created an art and craft of a flower using cardboards and tissue rolls. They discussed and decided that they will be giving their finished artwork to one of their neighbors. One of the children shared that he will be telling his neighbor that this artwork is made from recycled materials to remind everyone that by recycling we are already showing our care to our community.
We Are One Family - I Am Big Enough To Care!
To promote the value and importance of caring to K1 children, they were taught about the two lessons in the Families for Life. The children learnt about the 4 Family Values which were not only applicable for their family, but also for their community. They shared their own thoughts on how they can lend a helping hand to someone, especially those who are in need. After this activity, children were all able to confidently say “ I Am Big Enough to Care!”
Caring Starts at Home - In The Family!
For children to really understand the value of caring, they were tasked to do recycled art and craft, which they will give to their Mama and Papa during Parents Day. We believed that children can give and show more love and concern to their community when they were surrounded by a loving and caring family. Hence, to show their appreciation to their Mama and Papa for their unconditional love and support, children did a simple token for them. “Mama and Papa, you are the best!”
Showing Care and Love to Grandmas and Grandpas at UMC!
K1 children also extended their care and love to grandparents at United Medicare Centre @ Toa Payoh. They brought and gave crackers to them during our National Day Celebration. Children displayed excitement and enjoyment upon seeing old folks smiling at them. What a heartwarming scene!
<u>K2 Unity: Little Ways We Can Show Kindness to Our Community!</u>
In April 2023, K2 launched our Start Small Dream Big Project ‘Caring for Community”. Through this project, children learnt how to take care of the people around them. We started the project by discussing how they can show their love to the people around them through their kindness!
K2 children shared that they could show their love to the people around them by being kind. Some ways to show kindness would be to: Give time, give gifts, give hugs, give help, give kind words.
Clay Heart Decorations!
The children learnt that kindness starts from home. This means that before we are kind to the people around us, we need to treat our family members kindly first. The children were tasked to create heart shaped decorations from clay for their parents during Parents Day. The children really focused as this was a present for their Mummies and Daddies, thus they wanted to do their best for them. The children exercised their creativity and came up with different designs of heart shapes. We believe that in giving back to their families for showering their children with kindness and love every day. Hence, to show their appreciation to their parents for the unconditional support, the children created a little gift for them with their time and effort.
Showing Kindness to the Elderly at United Medicare Centre!
K2 Children also extended their kindness and love to the elderly at United Medicare Centre at Toa Payoh. They decorated little ‘huggers’ – A love gift consisting of a drawing and a cracker for the elderly during our joint National Day Celebration. The children felt a sense of satisfaction when sharing their love with the old folks. Continue spreading your love, children!
All the children from Blk 45 Toa Payoh participated and enjoyed partaking in this project. We hope the community of Toa Payoh East Blk 45 was able to feel our love and care during this period.
“Many Helping Hands, Caring for Everyone” means that everyone needs to do their part to make our community a loving one. We hope that through this project, the children had an opportunity to explore different ways of showing love and care to the people around them, and that they will continue to spread these seeds of love to their communities and beyond!
