Not so perfect birthday & Certificate of Merit

Well, Mia's birthday fell on Tuesday this week. But instead of having a cheerful clear face she had a bruised although still cheerful face.

The story? She fell while running with a few friends in the playground - what more can I say? She came back that day with cuts on her face and knee.  Gladly the teachers had cleaned the cuts and put a band aid on her knee.

Did I mentioned about the Burns Week? Among the activities are recitation of Burns' poems. Though Mia entered as well, she did not win for her category (but she's OK with that - she forgotten the two middle lines of Cat & Mous.  However, Danish & Hakim are much luckier - they received the Certificate of Merit from the Robert Burns World Federation Limited.

Danish did not just won the Certificate but also chosen as the Pupil of the Week.  He recited the Robert Burns poem entitled "Address To A Haggis".  Hakim recited "A Dug A Dug"

This makes me wonder though.  Perhaps, our schools back home should celebrate our own Sasterawan as well - how many of our younger generations today have read the writings of Usman Awang, Tongkat Waran, Khadijah Hashim and Arenawati to name a few? Maybe some efforts has to be taken to do these Sasterawan justice....

School, Here I Come!

At last! Since Monday this week there is no more fight-war-battle in the morning.  Aqil is already one happy wee boy excited about going to school.  Here are some of the snaps taken of him on his way to school.  Hmmmm... what relief!!!

So, let me leave you with these inadequate poem of mine dedicated to Aqil and other children who have excuses the first few days of schooling.

My tummy ached so

My head doing a calypso

Last night was a nightmare

Going to school is not my fare

Mummy please understand me

I would rather be with thee

For school is not as fun

When at home we can always sing and dance

Oh Mummy dear

At school there may be a  Monster

One so big might even have me for supper

You don’t want that to happen do you? Mummy dear?

It's Burns Week Next Week

"Dear Parents,

As you know, next week is Burns week in school.  Children across all stages should learn Scottish poem with the infant classes learning a simpler poem which is not Burns!  There will be a competition at each stage group and although all children should learn our poem they can choose to not to enter if they are particularly nervous or shy.  Our poem this year is Cat and Mous by J.K. Annand.  I hope you will help the children learn their poem and best of luck to all for the competition."

Mia handed me the above message from school yesterday.  And attached to it is the poem which she is supposed to learn :

Cat and Mous

Said the poussie                                  

Til the mousie,

'Let me intil

Your wee housie

We will play

And we will sing

And we will dance

A jingo-ring.'

Said the mousie

Til the poussie,

'Ye'll no get

In my wee housie.

Ye are BIG

And I am wee

And ye wad eat me

For your tea.

A very cute little poem isn't it?

Sources of images : Siberian Cat from www.catsfact.org; Guinea pig from www.commons.wikipedia.org

Wha?!

A Dug A Dug  (by Bill Keys)

Hey, Daddy, wid ye get us a dug?

A big broon alsation ur a wee white pug?

Ur a skinny wee terrier, ur a big fat collie?

Aw, Daddy, get us a dug.  Will yi?

Whit! An' whose dug'll it be when it durties the flerr,

An' wets the carpet and messes the sterr?

Its me ur yer Mammy'll be tane furra mug

Away oot'n play.  Yer no getting a dug

But daddy thur gi'en them away

Down therr at the RSCPA

Yu'll get wan fur nothin, so ye will.

Aw.  Daddy, get us a dug, Will ye?

Dji hear um?  Oan aboot dugs again?

Ah think that yins goat dugs'n the brain

Ah know whit yu'll get : a skite oan the lug

If ah hear ony merr aboot this bloomin dug

Aw, Daddy, it widny be dear tae keep

An'ah'd make it a basket fur it tae sleep

An'ah'd take it fur runs away over the hull

Aw, Daddy, get us a dug.  Will ye?

A doan't think thurs embdy like you :

Yi could wheedle the twist oot a flamin' corkscrew

Noo! Get doon aff my neck.  Gies nane a yur hugs

Aw right.  THAT'S ANUFF. Ah'll get yi a dug.

Aw Daddy.  A dug.  A dug.

Well, this poem is sort of Hakim's homework last week.  I like it somehow - I can visualize the children asking, begging their father with pleading eyes to get them a dog.  And not let it go until they get under his skin and finally let them have their way!

And for his effort of memorising the first two paragraphs, Hakim was rewarded a pencil and eraser from his teacher, Mrs. McEwan.

Oh ..... Not So Smooth 2nd Day

I saw it coming.  Right from the moment we (Danish, Hakim & I) woke him up. He said he had tummy-ache.  He said he's tired. He said he wanted to go back to sleep. But none of us buy it.  We almost dragged him out of bed.  We cannot succumb to his wish.  We have to be strong for his sake.

We finally managed to get him ready.  It was already late for the three elder children so I asked them to leave first.  Mia insisted on waiting for him.  Finally, at 9.10 we managed to get him out of the house.  We made a very slow progress - half walking, half dragging.

I didn't send Mia to the door as usual. I just watched her from the gate.  Once the door was opened and she was lost from my sight, I continued to the entrance of the Nursery.  Our progress much slower. With him giving every reason to make me turn back to the comfort of home.  But I was very determined.  Send this boy to school I will.

The door was already locked when we arrived. We pressed the bell and waited.  Out came Mrs Ross.  And he started crying, pouring his heart out.  He cried and fought when we tried to take out his wellie and change to his ordinary shoes.  He struggled to be set free - but none of us were capitulated.

Mrs Ross took him from me. She picked him up and hold him tight.

"You just leave, OK? We have to be cruel to be kind. He'll be OK shortly. Just leave." said Mrs Ross to me all the while holding my struggling son. I did. I left - half walking, half running but trying to avoid the slippery hardened snow. Never turned my back.

And when I picked him up that day, he was one very happy kid. Forgotten were the drama he created that morning.  He ran to me excitedly showing the piece of paper with a report of his activities for the whole 21/2 hours. The report said :

"Hakim (for Hakim Aqil) settled as soon as he came into the nursery.  It will probably be the initial separation from Mum.  This may last a few days.  He seems happy enough when he is in nursery."

Well, sound familiar anyone? :-D

First step

After sending the children to school today and almost fell flat on a few occasions in the process, I came back to an empty house.  Normally I will come back together with Aqil but not today and not anymore. Suddenly the word "empty-nesters" came to me. The emptiness of home gives a very unsettled feeling - may be I need some time to accustom myself to this.

We have applied for Aqil to enrol at the St Ninian Nursery since September last year.  However as the intake is only twice a year - on August and January and there is no vacant place at that time we have to wait until January.   When the Spring term starts on January 6, we were informed that there is no place for Aqil. So, we have to wait until August.  I am quite OK with that, actually. Aqil is a shy kid and somehow I have a feeling that he's not ready for school yet (even if it is a Nursery!). He has never been separated with me. And when I go for my classes, his father will be home with him. I'm secretly smiling when there is no place for him yet.

However, two days ago (Tuesday), I received a call from Mrs. Longmuir informing me there is a place for Aqil.  So, yesterday I went to see her and Mrs. Ross (the Early Years Practitioner) and came back with a stack of forms to fill in and a handbook.

And so, today I sent my wee boy to school.  I left as soon as I could after a few words with the teacher (and leaving my contact no just in case). I walked home alone.  Snow is already melting and so the pathway is very slippery.  I hoped for him to be OK. It's his first step in education. His first step for whatever he will be in the future. And I, have a mixed feelings.

When the phone rang at 11.25, I was almost jumping! It's my kindly neighbour asking whether I am going to fetch Aqil.  Opps! I jumped into my coat and boots and ran all the way to the nursery! Trust me to be engrossed with something and forgetting the time.  I have planned to leave the house at 11.20 but.... I reached there breathless but I saw him happily playing with the slide with Mrs Ross watching him.  They were laughing in fact. And he looked happy.  When I asked him whether he enjoyed himself, he said yes but he said "Why is it so long before you get me back?" I just have no answer for that.  Instead I asked him "Did you cry?" His answer was "I did, just a little. Three times. I put my head down every time." I smiled. "Would you like to go again tomorrow?" "Yes!" He said.  Syukur Alhamdulillah - that's easy for a first day. I hope he knows how proud I am of him.

Get Me To The School On Time!!!

A few days after we arrived, Damia was asking when will she start schooling. I told her that I will work it out and she had to be patient. After meeting with the Asst Head Teacher of the school closest to our home and confirming that there is one place available for her (Well, actually we knew that there is a place for her as our kind neighbours Taufik & Aeni had informed us earlier) , we have to go to the Education Department to make the application.

It was quite a few days before we received the response - Just a short one - I hereby agree with your application for your child Damia Qistina to be enrolled at St Ninian Rc Primary School. Please contact Ms Veal, the Head Teacher for arrangement. She may start schooling after the break on October 19, 2009.

What a relief! And for the week before she started going to school, she kept on asking why she must wait for so long? Though we explained to her that it's because the school is closed for holiday, she kept on asking.

And finally when the day came, she was so excited. At one point, I was very nervous. Can she take the longer hour? School starts at 9.00 and ends at 3.15 here. Back in Malaysia, the nursery she went to is only from 8.30 to 11.30.

When we piled into Ms Veal's office that morning, she gave us an option, "Perhaps for these two weeks you may want to have her back during lunch time at 12? I understand how stressful it could be for her, what with the longer hour here and the stress of having to listen to different language the whole day. Come back at 12.00 and we'll see how she's doing. If she wanted too, you can take her home with you."

Now, that's a relief. We quickly accepted her suggestion. Then it was time to bring Mia to her classroom and meet her Class Teacher, Mrs Young.

After exchanging Good Morning and a few words, came the time when Mrs Young announced to the children "You are lucky today. We have Damia to join us..." And before she continue, a young voice came "Please Mrs Young, can I set a space for her? Is it ok for her to sit beside me?". "Oh yes... That is kind of you, Katherine, of course she can sit beside you." And Katherine came to the front, took Mia by the hand and said "Come, let me show you where we can put your lunch box and your jacket" and off they went hand-in-hand. And while all these are happening I just can't really explain how I felt - it is so sweet and kind of Katherine (did I tell you that all the children in Mia's class are only 5 year old?)and it is so beautiful to see how a child having no discriminating thought at all. Their act is so pure and it just gives you a lump in the throat.
When I mentioned that to Ms Veal, she smiled. "Yes, it does give you a lump in the throat" she said. Before we left, we asked Aqil to shake hand with the Head Teacher. As we trained all our children to salam cium tangan, that's what he did and Ms Veal was all smile in her face. "That melts my heart" she said.

When we got there at 12.00 and asked Mia if she wanted to go home, she politely declined and said "I want to stay". And Ms Veal was smilling, "That's easy isn't it? If more children are like this on their first day of school, I'll be having less problem."

Last Friday was the "parent-teacher meet" day. Since I have class to attend only my husband went to see Mrs Young. And we are glad that Mia is doing well and there's no report on bad behaviour.

Oh yes, did I mention that Katherine is her best friend? And now she said Olivia too. She asked me last week if I can give our address to Katherine and Olivia to come over to our house. I said I will have to meet their Mum or Dad first, asking for permissions. And until then, I will have to have another trip to Errol,....

(Note : Errol Airfield holds the largest car boot sale here in Dundee. It's every Sunday from 8.30 to hmm... I'm not sure. But here is where we spend our money - why spend elsewhere when we can get a "Barbie laptop" for £1.50?, children's books for 50p to £1 (sometimes they even give you free books and toys). Toys? it's between 20p to £1 - though 2nd hand it's all in good condition....)