1st day of school 2012

03 Jan 2012 (Tues):

Welcome to 2012! Today marks an important event for the kids. Its their first day of school. For Lionel, its a new environment, a new school life - the next phrase - the primary school life. For Rachel, its an equally new school life too - the K school life.

The whole day has been a hectic one for me - in & out, up & down non stop. Let me show u how as we go along.

Lionel proudly showing off his school uniform. The time is about 12pm. Lionel has to be in school by 12.30pm.

Picture taken with his sister. Rachel is in the PM session which starts at 1.30pm so she has not change into her uniform yet.

This is the school hall where the P1's & P2's assemble. Time is about 12.25pm. The students sat according to their class.

The ones nearer to the stage are the P1's & behind them are the P2's.

Lionel doing his silent reading. During the P1 orientation last Nov 18, all students were told to bring a storybook on the 1st day of school. Lionel remembered & packed a storybook into his schoolbag. For those who havent got a book to read, they sat there looking lost & bewildered; some cried; some looked around for their parents; some, well, basically fidgeting around.

Admist all the school children, can u spot Lionel?

Look at the red arrow. You got it correctly?

A sign of victory. Lionel was calm, happy & contented. He did not fidget & looked around for me at all.

The school core values. I liked the way it was made into what looked like a cross word puzzle.

The school compound where the children sang their National Anthem each morning.

The school canteen. I went around taking fotos of some parts of the school after the school begin for the PM session students. Time was about 12.50pm.

As i made my way out, the above picture shows the pick up & drop off area for school buses & cars. Further up, where you see many of the parents walking towards, that leads to the side gate which leads to the bus stop. One thing good is that its a covered walkway thru out.

Now for the little princess. I went back to picked her up. Time: 1.25pm. Here she is seen carrying her new school bag - DORA.

Ready to leave. " Bye bye, everyone, see you later " she called out.

Fast forward to Lionel's recess period. Supposingly to be from 3pm - 3.30pm but when i arrived there at 2.50pm, the students were already proceeding to the canteen. Parents were not allowed into the canteen area & so we can only crowd around behind the barriers. Luckily, i saw Lionel & his classmates making their way down & walked towards the canteen. And like a hawk, i tried to pin my eyes on him & followed his movements but i lost him admist the crowd.

I realised the students were all the far end of the canteen & so i made way around to the other side. Haha..wise choice. I got a better view of the kids as i was much much nearer to them. More & more parents came to where i was as they learned & found out they were able to see more & were closer to the kids. After scrutinising for Lionel, i finally found him, sitting down at a table eating his noodles.

Looked at the picture before the above one. If i did not draw the red arrow, would you be able to see him?

Many of the P1 students were accompanied by an older student. They called this the buddy system. As a buddy, you helped the younger child - guide him/her in buying food, show him/her the way to the toilet, the hall, the individual canteen operators & what each of them selling & basically attend to his/her needs




Finally, i got Lionel's attention & took a foto of him.

After finishing his food, i beckon him to come forward. This foto was taken from above as i was standing on higher grounds. I asked him if he liked what he ate & how much it cost. Gosh! That bowl of noodles he was seen eating cost $1.00.

** Daddy gave him $5 for a week of pocket money. If he has some balance for the day, he can save it in his piggybank but now that this bowl of noodles cost a dollar, no savings for him for today. **

This is Osen, Lionel's buddy. I always thought that all the buddies are from the upper primary, like the P4's or P5's but no, this buddy is only P2. P2's guiding the P1's? They must really be independent already. So i told Lionel, next year would be his turn in guiding & helping the P1's.

" Riiiingggggggg... Recess is over. All students, pls made your way back to the hall. " And all the students scrambled to walked back to the hall. No running is allowed which is good. " Walked briskly & in order " was the instructions given.

This poor little fellow - seen here with 2 teachers. He was still struggling to finish his food. I know i'm mean to take his foto but no offence here. The teacher has to coax him to finish up his food fast & he seems to be day dreaming.

This is the collection point for all utensils.
The long table for each individual class.

After his recess ended which was about 3.20pm, i made my way back home. At 5pm, i went to pick Rachel up & at 6.30pm, i went back to pick Lionel up. Did not take any fotos. Will see if i get the chance to do so tomorrow.

So now, looking at the time frames which i have recorded down, hasnt it been a hectic day? Dont u agree?

So now, lets enjoy a short footage of Lionel's 1st day at school; during recess. :)