Start of T2 AY2021/22 and Omicron Uncertainties

Salam my lovelies,

Please pardon my being away from this blog. As a family, we have been making an effort to stay offline to make time for our in person presence with The Grandparents. This long drawn pandemic is starting to feel a wee bit harder than it was as we now battle the raging Omicron. Luckily, Girl and Bean have received their first dose of vaccination and we cannot wait till the next dose. Whilst we understand vaccination is not 100% protection, we also understand that reduction in symptoms and complications from infection are key to their wellbeing. I know I would feel less anxious about letting them attend school in person if they have been fully vaccinated.

School has been most supportive with offering them online schooling option even when in person lessons are available. This hybrid mode has been key in our recent "circuit breaker" for 3 days and co-existence with the virus so far. Personally, we have 6 more weeks of this to contend with and we shall review our family coping strategy again in early April. April because it will be the second dose vaccination appointment for Girl and Bean. By then, Term 2 would have come to its tail end and we hope to start Term 3 with more confidence!

On the bright side, Girl and Bean have both attended 100% of all their online lessons and we are so proud of their resilience. Their discipline in being punctual with the attendance register, access to lessons, attention and diligence have surpassed all our expectations. They keep producing satisfactory, quality work and remain happy with the occasional healthy expression of "When is it safe to go out again?" or "Can we go swimming today?" Usually, we take them out to the park.

Bean is still getting 2 hours of extra help with his English language (he is a native speaker but can do better with structure and sequence). He also keeps a two online playdates per month with his friends from Early Autism Project Malaysia. Girl spends 3 hours weekly with her artistic gymnastics coach and fellow gymnasts. They both still take piano lessons once weekly. Looking at these detailed breakdown makes me realise that they do get sufficient outside world contact, albeit done online, for now. That is also why I have not signed them on to any extra activities on top of their school CCA. Down time is crucial too.

Like most families in our community, we take calculated risks during occasional outing to the quiet, clean and relatively safer local malls. These sporadic meals at a family café and window shopping allow us all some form of semblance to our pre-COVID19 lives. Strict compliance to SOPs have worked in our favour so far, Syukur Alhamdulillah. Daily park and play time allows us some much needed fresh air and sunshine, I cannot highlight this enough. There is no denying that we miss our aeroplane travels so that is definitely still in our bucket list. Something to look forward to!

Here is wishing everyone our very best belated wishes for 2022. Stay safe, my lovelies.

Term 3 AY2020/21

Salam my lovelies,

Girl and Bean commenced Term 3 AY2020/21 on 12th April 2021 for in-person learning but we quickly made a family decision to keep them learning online soon afterwards when the number of new COVID-19 cases in Selangor kept rising. We have been self-isolating since. Thank goodness for work-from-home and online purchases, without which, self-isolation would have been near impossible.

Both Girl and Bean miss being out and about but have come to accept this as their way of life. They look forward to life as they knew it pre-pandemic and we often have heart-to-heart talk as to when that may be possible again. Perhaps with new adjustments.

They resumed the final second half of Term 3 after Eid/mid-term break and are now well into preps for GL Assessments. Due to MCO3.0 and FMCO, all their school events will be held online. We are looking forward to a series of webinars this week on inclusion policy, GL Assessments and oral health for families during pandemic. June and July look packed with transition classes, parent-teacher conferences, Sports Day and International Week. 

Bean will have a couple of projects for Family Day this year at Early Autism Project Malaysia, albeit on a smaller scale compared to last year. He is learning independently for most part now and we only assist with printing, the occasional hiccup of broken wifi connection and submission of assignments. His English Tutor from Inception Learning Space (fully online) has worked out well and we are grateful as he now has better self-esteem in speaking up during his lessons, especially to ask for help. Thank goodness for both EAP Malaysia and Inception Learning Space!

We do not have a proper plan for summer break yet as we are still unsure of how FMCO will pan out. We hope to add a bit more to our roof-deck space for some summer fun especially in the morning when it is at its coolest. It is definitely time to brainstorm and plan ahead if we wish to enjoy some breathtaking sunset view there. 

In parting, we would like to encourage our local/Malaysian readers to self-isolate, practice self-lockdown and bring the number of cases down as we did before. Stay safe, my lovelies!

End of Term 1 AY2020/21 and Year End Post

Salam my lovelies,

School term break started on 19 December 2020. It was a flurry of PTA monthly meetings, PTA Community Support Forums, Parent Teacher Conference, Bean's monthly IEP- review with class teacher and SENCO, and end of therapy with EAP Malaysia. Syukur alhamdulillah for Zoom and safe conclusion of those many meetings online. 

Syukur alhamdulillah, Bean has "graduated" from formally receiving ABA therapy, the onus is now on us to implement everything we have learnt. Autism at Home provides useful resources, so please be sure to look it up.

As you may already know, CMCO has been extended until 31 December 2020 in Selangor, Malaysia. However, there is no border restrictions like before. This is a huge relief, as I been able to travel the short distance to Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur for some long overdue errands at KLCC and StarHill. I admit I especially miss my old neighbourhood dearly this year.

Remarkably, 2020 will be the first year we will not have any fireworks to usher in the new year at KLCC. We plan to watch reruns of our recorded videos of the fireworks from previous years to cheer the occasion up a little. I am sure the stroke of midnight will still be just as beautiful, inshaAllah.

I am thankful for all the blessings we have received this year despite it being a tough year. I am thankful for all the ease Allah swt had blessed us with in so many ways (be it family, friends, community or service providers). 

January 2020 saw us discussing the "Wuhan" outbreak but still carried on with Lunar New Year gathering and school assembly, not knowing what laid ahead of us. We were cautious at a recce trip to Ipoh thinking we had to research how Girl was going to cope at school camp. The intended camp never did happen as news from WHO developed into daily briefing.

February rolled in with my birthday and a few unexpected unpleasant encounters with a few people but these did not top the MCO announced on 16 March 2020 which was implemented on 18 March 2020. April, March and June were the toughest months as we learnt how to manage work, school, live and be at home 24/7. We learnt to regulate our feelings, and implemented strategies that give each other mental space. 

July and August 2020 saw the end of last academic year with typical long summer break. The number of cases were relatively lower and we left for green zones in Penang and Janda Baik. Those were some of the best days of our 2020. We learnt to cherish our local 5 star resorts much more and look forward to days when we can travel locally again.

September and October 2020 were short-lived on-site schooling days for the children. I worked all the  hours the children were away by catching up on heavier chores (like cleaning the ceiling fans and air-conditioners)  and long overdue paperwork at our home office. The CMCO kicked in and they were back to online schooling at home in October, November and December 2020. This time, I sat with Bean during lessons and took full reign of making sure he did every piece of work, attended every class and paid attention to what was being taught. Syukur alhamdulillah he co-operated and succeeded in many subjects this time. He learnt to ask questions, wait patiently for his turn to answer questions and keep calm. Girl has coped excellently throughout the year and deserves a huge praise too. 

Noticeably, this is also the first year in a long time I reward myself by replacing some worn-out SLGs and a couple of items on my wish-list. I truly deserve some pampering as I have put in a lot of effort in my role as mother, teaching assistant, therapist, volunteer etc. The pandemic has a way of filtering and resetting my priorities too. I truly appreciate this thought process 2020 has taught me. The Other Half jokes that all my unspent coffee and brunch money for 2020 as gone to my purse fund. He is right. It is astounding how much I have "wasted" on coffee and brunch since 2015 (and I repent on some bad investment choices)! 

KonMari effect of my closet can be felt daily now, it is minimal and contains only items that spark joy for me. I have always enjoyed decluttering even before Marie Kondo, so adding the element of joy is definitely a winner. Having a disciplined wish-list is also helpful. I no longer purchase purses not on my wish-list. In fact I inform family members of this list, so that they will not waste their good money on items I do not enjoy having. It may sound harsh but this works well for us.

Furlough-unfurlough. News of vaccine. Let's all remain positive and resilient. Let's enjoy the rest of 2020 as safely as possible. To all families and friends who are leaving the school, we wish you great adventures ahead and happy reunion with your families. To all who are arriving in January 2021, a warm welcome and hopes of new friendships to be forged.

Happy holidays wherever you are. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2021. May the new year bring with it better healthcare, safer world, resilient economic recovery and improved mental wellbeing for us all. Aamiin.

Recovery Movement Control Order ("RMCO")

Salam my lovelies,

RMCO kicked in on 10 June 2020 and we have been much happier since.

YAMAHA has resumed music classes at its Subang Parade branch. Girl donned her child-sized surgical mask to class yesterday, and washed her hands immediately after class. Due to registration requirements, she now carries her first smartphone to login MYSejahtera, SELangkah and QR Code Scanner. The same routine of face masks and check-in apps will be required of her when she goes to artistic gymnastics training tomorrow. My prayer and wish is that she stays as safe as possible as I can no longer just keep her at home with screen time or the park and bicycle routine. We have all read many books and played endless rounds of board games, trust me. It is time for return to society in a brave new world.

Bean will resume music classes tomorrow, and I sure hope he can follow all the safety steps. I have in mind to brief him in 3 simple steps using simple visual cues on the whiteboard before he leaves home. He turned 7 a few days ago and we hosted a simple dinner at home to celebrate with The Grandparents. It was a joyous occasion to be gathered every once in a while. I pray extra hard for his safety as he returns to the brave new world. He wished for swimming pools to be opened and his wish will come true on 25 June 2020! Alhamdulillah! We will be cautious and maybe fill up our large inflatable pool on our roof deck instead of using the common pool, we shall see.

EAP Malaysia hosted Family Day 2020 Lockdown edition on YouTube Live on 20 June 2020 and that was fun too. Bean was given a few speaking lines and he did really well. The edited videos turned out better than when we saw them being recorded during early days of MCO. He was given free rein without any of my intervention so we could all see for ourselves pure Bean in his element. His friends were all equally impressive. Bravo, kiddos!

Both children have completed their Virtual Sports Day and GL Assessments. Next up will be Parents Evening (Report Card Day) and Year End Concert and Speech Day. School has been wonderful in many ways and I cannot applaud them enough for always innovating for semblance of life for everyone. Bravo!

Onwards and better, inshaAllah.

P/S: Girl won Role Model Award, bravo! 

School@Home COVID-19

Salam my lovelies,

Today is Day 13 of the Movement Control Order in Malaysia. 

The air is clean, the skies are blue. Alhamdulillah for these beauties.

1. School

We have been learning from home using Zoom, ClassDojo and several other online resources.

We receive daily learning objectives and tasks from class and specialist subject teachers, usually by 8 a.m. then carry them out as best we can, granted that The Other Half and I are not professional teachers.

Girl is using the main dining hall which doubles up as our home office for now.  Bean uses his therapy room as classroom so they each have demarcated work space and privacy.

Girl misses all her performing arts activities and swimming. We do not know if Alice@Wonderland will still happen this June. Swimming Gala does look like it will be postponed to Term 3 while International Day has been cancelled.

Bean misses his school field the most. He misses running as fast as Flash, the poor boy.

They are both great troopers and have not stepped outside except to our rooftop deck for the occasional outdoor/PE time/chalk mural art. The Other Half and I have certainly penciled in deck improvement into our next budget so that it can be more fun to spend time there.

2. Therapy

There will be no therapy from 18 March to 14 April 2020. We paid full fees excluding transport charges. We understand that there are overheads. At this point, Bean is fine. There will be replacement classes via Zoom next time to make up for lost time, inshaAllah.

3. Family Life

The Other Half and I have been working from home for a few years now but we do have to adjust to having the children around us 24/7. Thank goodness they have been great troopers. I cannot praise them enough for being co-operative and compliant.

We also have found ourselves in new teaching profession as School has been closed since MCO came into effect. I personally believe that I need to develop more patience and compassion when it comes to teaching. I forget sometimes that children get frustrated not being around their peers physically.

We subscribed to Netflix for the children to catch up with movies since we have stopped going to cinemas since Lunar New Year 2020. We have staved off Netflix subscription as long as possible and finally reached our threshold on MCO Day 9.

I do the weekly grocery by myself, and don the face mask and disposable gloves. Social distancing, temperature check and controlled number of shoppers have turned grocery shopping into a perceived safer shopping experience but I still take all precautions including sanitising hands before opening my car and driving home, washing all clothes and shopping bags as soon as I arrive home and not touching anything or anyone until I have had a full shower and scrub. I am still trying to find a simpler way of disinfecting all our groceries.

It feels weird that I have been preparing every single breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and supper without losing my cool (yet). Thank goodness for His Provisions and Blessings. I pray that we can all carry on without losing our minds or tempers.

Stay at home and stay safe!

Term 2 of Academic Year 2019/20

Salam my lovelies,

Almost an entire academic term has gone by and I have some brief updates to share.

Firstly, we have commenced fading off shadow support for Bean. It is a milestone for us both as a family and School! His therapist now stands outside his classroom briefly before moving to outside his CCA room then transition home for an hour of debrief and ABA therapy. His official ABA time ends with reward of (usually) 30 minutes of screen time on iPad (with a bonus of 60 minutes TV time while parents cook/shower/get the household ready for bed time). The TV bonus time is not something we are proud of at the moment so we have been nudging Bean to return to board games and outdoor play, weather permitting. He has been a hero throughout. Bless.

Along the lines of neuro-diversity, the School is receiving more students requiring learning support and our aim is to shift the conversation/narrative amongst parents to that of being a community that supports neuro-diversity instead of negative focus on unexpected behaviours (when exhibited). A talk by Director of EAP Malaysia is in the pipeline after COVID-19 social distancing.  I am truly grateful for the opportunity to arrange for this shift of community narrative to one that is focussed on knowledge, science, proactive support and unconditional love. We must leave unproductive coffee talk and negative banter behind. Wish me luck, my lovelies!

Secondly, Girl is excited to have auditioned and succeeded in getting a speaking/singing/dancing role in the inaugural school musical production. This is significant to her because when we left her previous school, we were not entirely sure of the standards of performing arts at this new school. We were not sure if is was going to be "professional" or "Malaysian Book of Records"-worthy. We persevered and so did the Principal together with Head of Performing Arts. Now, Girl is happily rehearsing, raising funds and anticipating a new stage arriving in time for their first annual musical production. One of the best memories we are creating is ... daughter of my former schoolmate is the lead character in this musical! Being able to witness our children rehearse together and inshaAllah perform together this June is surreal. Hopefully by then, social distancing due to COVID-19 is behind us.

The calendared Swimming Gala has been postponed. Games meet in Singapore has been cancelled too.

We have one mural art pending, and this lull has given us longer time to rethink the scope, location and method.

International Week celebrations have been scaled down to minimal participation from parents. We will be sending in washed handmade flags and materials but no food this year. Bean's class will be hosting France and Girl's class will be hosting Republic of Ireland. We have a good amount of cheese from both countries as we had purchased them in early March. Luckily for us we love cheese and often serve cheese platter at supper! Perhaps all that freed-up time will avail me to spring-cleaning, baking, gradening and catching up on reading.

Students will continue to learn. Home-schooling  and distance learning modules are being tested out as we brace ourselves for the worst of this unforeseen pandemic.

COVID-19 has definitely slowed down or postponed some events at School, including those planned by the PTA. We have been creative in our newsletter content the past few weeks. Video compilation of past events, interviews and documents were shared instead of event photos now that there is no event...

We are proud to say that the School has been diligent with temperature checks at drop-off and pick-up, and insisting on us all washing our hands as frequently as possible. Where necessary, travel and contact history were recorded with consent for community safeguarding. Hand sanitisers are everywhere at school. A clear SOP and policy on this subject has been published. We constantly get reassuring updates from the Principal too. So far, alhamdulillah, no cases at our community. We pray for His continued protection and blessings. Aamiin. 

Have a lovely few months ahead and stay safe, my lovelies!

Can 2019 last forever, Mama?

Salam my lovelies,

Girl and Bean both love 2019 so much they have asked me to make it last forever. Alhamdulillah for the ups (and downs that delivered many life lessons) of 2019.

My silence here is largely due to the fact that I have been devoting more time to their school lives by volunteering as a PTA Secretary. There is a fair amount of compliance work to be done as well as weekly (Friday Coffee Mornings) activities. It certainly feels very much like a full-time job. Since it is a registered association, standard of good governance applies. I cannot resist the due diligence work either, teehee!

Monthly meetings were pre-scheduled since Term 3 of last academic year so it helps to be regulated. Fortnightly working meetings are for work-in-progress matters to get things done on time correctly the first time. Then there are protem committee meetings for the big tasks such as constitution reforms and governance matters. Sometimes, I can understand why my children's previous school REFUSED to form a PTA. No doubt a long list of benefits but to expect such high level of compliance from volunteers...one has to be very lucky to have reliable volunteers who are also customers aka paying parents. I am sure things are different in a government school.

After some initial hiccups (long story!), Alhamdulillah things are in motion now. Parents from China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia and Malaysia working with British Patron and Teacher in a Committee brings a whole new lease of life to the PTA.

PTA work produces both short and long tem results so if your school has one, please maximise its benefits for your children.

It has been hectic with weekly workshops that range from Pink October Breast Cancer Awareness talk by a guest speaker/general surgeon from Ramsey Ara Damansara Hospital , Eating Disorder Support Talk by the School Counsellor, Odd Socks Day and anti-bullying workshop by Datin Azrene Ahmad and Ms. Angeline Yee, Junior Entrepreneurship Program during School Open Day, up-cycling and zero-waste crafting every Friday leading up to Christmas, and to an upcoming Christmas Fair/Lunch/Assembly. We were chuffed to bits that a volunteer from GreenPeace was able to volunteer in out zero-waste workshop.

Girl set up a pom-pom accessories shop for both Junior Entrepreneurs' Bazaar during Open Day last 16 November 2019 and Christmas Fair last 19 December 2019. She crafted some of the cutest and fluffiest pom-poms for handbags, hair slides, hair ties and stress balls. All proceeds were donated to 2 shelter homes nominated by The Big School. A total of 14 families took part in November, and another 5 enlisted themselves after some persuasion in December. I pray Allah swt accepts their kind deeds and charity. Aamiin.

There was also a Christmas community choir by parents and staff in which I sang in. We sang non-worship songs, please do not worry. "Holly Jolly" by Michael Buble and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" So glad to find I am still in alto vocal range after all these years. I have relearnt my low vowels, breathing, posture, enunciation, time stamp and harmony. The last time I had sung in a choir was 1993 so please pardon my excitement.

Before taking up this PTA post, one of the class mums had asked me to be a class rep for Girl's class. I said I would have only agreed if she took up the position as my co-class rep. Luckily she agreed because we have a good population of South Koreans in Girl's class and at generally at school requiring her great assistance! Thank goodness this age group of 9-10 year old mean the children are independent which translates to less work for us. The meetings are monthly and not as intensive as PTA meetings. In fair exchange, she is serving as a Committee Member in the PTA, as a parent ambassador. Invaluable!

Exams and academic-wise, my children have had their Parent Teacher Evening reports returned with marked improvements, Alhamdulillah. They both performed at 2 consecutive Peri Soiree. Girl sang Starlight (Vocal) and Bean sang Perfect by Ed Sheeran (he played the ukelele too!). Such evenings were lovely as the School served all those who attended chocolate chip cookies with milk as apres-performances snacks. Hot coffee and tea were available to exhausted grandparents and parents too. Consistently wonderful Sodexo hospitality! The Principal personally attended to give his support (he himself is an accomplished singer, guitarist, drama, author and leader extraordinaire - may he "teach" by inspiring all his students using his skills and talents).

SENCO-wise, we have had fortnightly observations and monthly meetings with Supervisor from EAP Malaysia and SENCO from School. I cannot stress enough how important these meetings are in setting new targets to achieve and reviewing the social skills Bean have learnt. It all translates to a safe and happy kid who then learns to be successful in School and life (not just academically).

Externally, Bean's Yamaha 1:1 piano lessons are on track too and we are happy to see him enjoy making music. In fact, his performance at the concert and choir was no easy feat but he nailed it. Alhamdulillah, a good fit.

Girl has also caught up with all of her Yamaha lessons and embarked on artistic gymnastics at Sri KL with Total Gymnastics. She enjoys all her CCA options at School 4 days a week and is kept engaged at School with ample rest time at home. Alhamdulillah, another good fit. 

We feel immensely grateful when we look back and realise how far both Girl and Bean have come in 2019.

To answer the question my children asked me: "I wish I can. May Allah swt  bring us even better lives ahead in 2020 and beyond. Aamiin."

To all my readers (mostly school-hunting parents), have a great Christmas and Happy New Year 2020!

Welcome Academic Year 2019/20

Salam my lovelies,

Girl and Bean both returned to school on 3 September 2019. Girl is now in Year 5 and Bean goes to Year 2. They look so grown up in their back-to-school photo.

Girl is excited to see her classmates and welcome a new class teacher from UK. She shares a table with 3 other South Korean girls and they are getting to know one another better.

Bean is thrilled to have no shadow aide for this first week. Other than a misplaced water bottle on the first day, he has been coping independently and excellently, alhamdulillah. We have initiated fading off of his shadow aide support and, inshaAllah, he is on track so far. We hope to discuss his Individual Education Plan and SEN-pathway end of this month. We are excited to welcome new teachers who are able to apply SEN and ABA on campus.

Both have their books, supplies and uniforms sorted over the summer holidays when we paid their school fees. As they have selected their CCA before school re-opened, they just dived right in to all the fun activities from day 1. Absolutely no time to waste when it comes to fun! Alhamdulillah.

Our interim class support group for parents is up and running and we look forward to another productive term at school. It is wonderful to have a co-administrator to support us all for Hangul language in our class support group too.

All guidebooks and calendar of events were also published before the end of last academic year so we are all set, inshaAllah. Nominations of PTA serving members for current academic year is underway and the school is abuzz with preparations of hunting for suitable parents who are able to give time, skills, experience and heart. 

May this year be filled with social, emotional and academic growth for Girl and Bean. Aamiin.

p/s: Haze, go away!!

The Former School versus The Big School

Salam my lovelies,

Many have asked us to compare and/or contrast between the two. This has to be one of the hardest blog post I have to write so far as both has served/is serving us differently at different points of time.

As Helen Prior had put it so aptly, it is about the best fit.

What works for us, may not work for you. 

Please bear in mind we were enrolled from January 2015 to April 2019 (Reception to Second Term of Year 4 for Girl, and Pre-Reception to Second Term of Reception for Bean) in The Former School.

We are enrolled since April 2019 at The Big School. Girl commenced at Term Three of Year 4 and Bean commenced at Term 3 of Year 1. Both have successfully accessed and completed Year 4 and 1 respectively. They are being promoted to Year 5 and 2 this September, alhamdulillah.

Two caveats:

1. I did not write this until I have truly let The Former School stay in our past with complete acceptance and forgiveness. I waited until Deposits for both children have been fully refunded because that was the administrative marker of end of our journey there.

2. I also did not pen this until the honeymood buzz at the The Big School had fizzled out. I let the hard work and amount of dedication required sink in (waking up and smelling the coffee, so to speak).

I will highlight the strengths of each school (limited to our personal experience only) here.

The Former School:

1. Malaysian establishment with strong Malaysian flavour and influence. My children learnt Malaysian national song, "Negaraku" and school song in Bahasa Melayu at commencement of every assembly. Patriotism to Malaysia in an international school. 

2. Performing Arts, almost second to none in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Practice makes perfect. Practice takes time. Dedicated teachers in this department. Sports is a recent revival with appointment of new coach. Most trophies and medals up till present are effort of parents and students outside of school, at private clubs, at own cost.

3. Damansara Heights location and proximity to the city. This point needs no elaboration for city folks.

The Big School:

1. Compliance and Quality Assurance
Member of Council of British International Schools (COBIS).

2. Global school
Educates over 250,000 students from 151 countries and employs 20,000 education professionals, specialists and staff from over 80 countries. Obviously if a group runs 250 schools in multiple jurisdictions, the systems and protocols are well established, since 1959.

3. Teaching
Academic, Sports, Performing Arts, Art, Extra Curricular departments have been most supportive of different learning styles of Girl and Bean. Girl and Bean BOTH had to put in a lot of effort to close the gap. The children have never been happier at school so that is a huge bonus!

4. GL Assessments
Progress Test Series are the norm. Written reports are clear. We do not guess where Girl and Bean are amongst 500,000 other peers. School assessments and teacher observations are stress-free. I know my children have swam during PE, gone for morning break and sat for assessments without any fuss. The is no culture of  "mugging" and "drilling" just before exams. The gaps are for Teachers to advise us on how we can help close those gaps at home. The results are tracked year-on-year.

5. Security
Safe and happy kids are successful learners. The school has good purpose-built traffic flow, designated parking (early years/parents and visitors/teachers and staff), reverse park rule for accident-prevention and better visibility, zebra crossings clearly marked and strongly implemented, security and facility lay out. We each have our access cards, including The Grandparents (at extra cost for their additional two cards). 

6. Health and Cleanliness
Every students is covered with insurance policy at the school at premium of RM25 per student per academic year. The School Nurse is always present and promptly issues Health Notices when there is an inevitable case. Immediate steps are always taken to contain any diseases or illnesses. So far, alhamdulillah, both Girl and Bean have not been ill even once throughout Term 3. They also did not bring home the fever or flu to be passed to us either. There was 1 case of HFMD and 1 case of chicken pox but the School Nurse and Team were commendably expedient in the health and safety steps.

7. Level of Engagement
My two children are excited to go to school to learn. They look forward to every Monday when school will resume. Now they look forward to the new term in September and wish the summer holidays were shorter. 

8. Communication
Official weekly newsletters, Parent Class Representative WhatsApp Group for each class, registered PTA, Special Events Parents Volunteers WhatsApp Group, email with ticket tracking system where the Principal himself has eyes on for dedicated purposes (for e.g.: General Support/IT/Transport/Disciplinary Issues). Every Friday, Senior Leadership Team meets with parents face-to-face over coffee to discuss any issues that may arise. Special topics of interest that affect the school and local community are presented weekly.

9. Inclusiveness
The Big School accepted and supported Bean with his team of therapists and supervisors. Teachers have been present in every fortnightly review meetings. Transition meeting with new Year 2 teacher was successfully held. In that short term, the Principal has allowed EAP Malaysia to work alongside them to present inclusiveness presentation during Kindness Week, held workshops for its teaching faculty, and set-up SENCO office with a qualified person-in-charge to support Bean (and other future students who may need support). There is also a counsellor for students to be able to reach out to for counselling services for mental wellbeing. IN moving forward, clinical psychologist(s) are welcomed for observations and discussions.

10. Optimism
The growth mindset is contagious. Every improvement is possible. Every parent and child is heard. Every concern has a remedy. Bless. 

Hope this helps in your understanding and search.
All the best!

Academic Year 2018/19

Salam my lovelies,

Both Girl and Bean have fully settled into The Big School, alhamdulillah. They have learnt and achieved so much in this short span of time. Highlights of Term 3 include Kindness Week, Book Week, Eid Assembly, Earth Ranger Awareness, International Day, Sports Day and Speech Day. It feels great to be included in the Activity Leaders group of parent volunteers. The Other Half and I (as well as The Grandparents!) have been actively participating or contributing in ways and areas we enjoy.

Here is a short summary of various events in a few sentences to capture our memories and also to give those who are school-hunting a glimpse into The Big School (beyond scheduled school tours and Open Days):

1. Book Week

Parents were invited to read to Bean's Year 1 class. I volunteered to read "Duck! Rabbit!" to Bean's class with hint of inclusion-policy and introduction to theory of mind. A few other parents read in Japanese, Korean, Malay and Mandarin. We had the most attentive audience, for sure!

The students and teachers were asked to choose a book character they each like, and come dressed as their favourite character on Book Day. Girl picked "Belle" (from "Beauty and the Beast") whilst Bean selected "Captain America" (from Marvel Comics). They were given activities related to their characters too. The event included a parade of the characters during Assembly time. Students and parents wow-ed at Principal who came dressed as a Victorian Headmaster, Head of Secondary who had picked "Cruella" from "101 Dalmatians", and Head of Primary who came dressed as "Jedi" from "Star Wars". Most memorable was Bean's Homeroom Teacher who won Best Dressed Character as "Mary Poppins". Overall a fun engagement throughout the week!

2. Eid Assembly

The ensemble showcased young, budding talents. It was not a full-blown concert we were used to seeing at The Former school. This particular Eid Assembly had a genuine element where you know the students have been stretched to their limits given the short hours in the midst of year end assessment. As a consequence, the items they presented come across as "raw" or "unplugged". Short choreography and rehearsals time on a modular stage means we will have a lot to work on in the performing arts department, hooray! One outstanding feature was the mass sing-along/karaoke of "Selamat Hari Raya". Everyone joined in cultural and language immersion for that 4 minutes. Overall a fun gig and plenty of growth opportunities going forward, inshaAllah.

3. Earth Rangers

Seed Round for plant and cash drive by the Earth Rangers at School saw 5 potted tropical plants from The Grandparents' garden being sent to School. Another generous cash contribution was made on Bean's birthday week in June to mark his 6th birthday. May Bean grow safe, happy and successful, Aamiin! The event peaked with a "Save the Malayan Tiger" mural by students, parents, and a teacher who is leaving for another school at the end of her contract this term. The garden area is now lush as new plants have arrived, purchased using cash donation from entire school. What a beautiful living legacy!

4. International Day

Girl's class worked on "Indonesia" while Bean's class represented "China". It was so wonderful to see both classes full of enthusiastic parents who brought these countries to life and presented in such organised manner. Throughout the week, each class had a parent volunteer to present a short lesson on the country (I presented Indonesia, and made a conscious effort to dispel misconception about Indonesia being limited to supply of foreign labour and Malaysia's extended plantation land!). Collectively, we put up a small class exhibition and a booth with plenty of Indonesian delicacies during food bazaar. Bean's class was transformed into Chinatown and the food bazaar table featured Shanghainese staple food and drinks. The photographs and videos all turned out amazing! Some of the other countries featured this year included Poland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Italy, India, Ukraine and The Philippines. The event ended with a parade that brought music, haka and United Nations-style march to life. Alhamdulillah for such a wonderful exposure.

5. Talent Showcase
Bean joined an ensemble and performed Baby Shark on his ukulele! We were so proud of him for participating to the best of his ability as he had only recently picked the instrument up. The Big School is full of different talents. We had artistic gymnasts, Rubik cubes geniuses, pianist extraordinaire and rock band. It was akin to watching an episode of "America's Got Talent"! 

6. Sports Day

Girl and Bean had theirs on different days, luckily so. The Other Half and I served as parent volunteers. So glad we did because the students had 8 activities and the field had been transformed to a mini Olympics! Year 6 students served as time keepers, coaches were referees and parents chipped in manpower. There were javelin, discus, 100 m dash, egg-on-spoon, potato sack race, hurdles and long jump events. The Sports Award was separately held on second last day of school and it was such a happy celebration of sportsmanship.

7. Speech Day

Academic year 2018/19 ended on 12 July 2019 with Speech Day. Bean completed his Year 1 in one term. No small feat for him and we are thankful for all the support he has been receiving since before he enrolled here. He is being promoted to Year 2 this September. Girl scored herself Growth by Learning prize for English and another for Leading Through Innovation in Music and Art. She is being promoted to Year 5 this September. Bravo to both Girl and Bean!

Our journey with Early Autism Project Malaysia is notable too. They have conducted presentations to the entire Big School during Kindness Week, trained the teaching faculty, and assisted in setting up SENCO support at School. Bean was also included in the Family Day 2019 presentation at PJ Live Arts Centre on 6th of July 2019. 58 children on the spectrum performed "The Greatest Show" successfully. Many happy tears from happy families were shed that day. Bless.

We are going to stay put for this entire summer to facilitate Bean's ABA therapy sessions of 35 hours per week. Bean also just started 1:1 Yamaha Music Course so weekly 30-minutes piano lessons are in store for him. Girl has more piano and keyboard skills to catch up on since her new Yamaha JNC Class is more driven and her new teacher delivers lessons that spiral deeper. There are also some interesting Helen O'Grady speech and drama school, gym and art class we want to explore.

Both children have also been asked to prep for next academic year by The Big School. We will be balancing all these hard work with hosting play dates, social group plays and fun outings. Work smart, play hard. Our aim is to not rob our children of their childhood. We are just glad Girl and Bean both understand an expensive summer holiday abroad this year is not affordable. 

Here is wishing you a great summer break and see you again in September, inshaAllah!

Settling In

Salam my lovelies,

We wish you a blessed Ramadhan. May our sins be forgiven and new Light on the Straight Path come our way during this holy month.

Alhamdulillah for all your prayers and kind wishes for our relocation. We now live within walking distance to school and have so far saved many precious hours of travelling time. Sometimes, it feels like we are living in a boarding school as quite a few neighbours here share the same ideals of living close to school too. We see part of the school community members at our common area outside of schooling hours so our children are somewhat on their best behaviour when we are at the park or pool. Running into a classmate or school teacher is almost a daily serendipity!

Alhamdulillah also for the defect liability period that The Townhouse is still covered for. We have saved thousands of ringgit in defects rectification so far. They seem like minor defects and perhaps inconvenient to arrange for the defects team to come over all the time but being the house-proud folks we are, follow-up with the management team is worth it. They have been accommodating all our requests so far, and we are thankful for their co-operation.

The Big School has been a blessing too. The Principal is new and already implementing a host of improvements and best practices for which The Other Half and I agree is worth every sen of school fees we are paying. Even the Parent Engagement Officer is on top of her work so induction and updates have been timely. It is sad to know she is going to be handing the portfolio to someone new but we are glad she will be moving to a teaching position now that her certifications are in place. She is going to be one wonderful French subject teacher!

The support network in The Big School is strong with direct involvement from Principal and Heads of both Secondary and Primary. There is also a formally registered Parent Teacher Association with 15 office bearers. Every Friday, there is a morning coffee session for any parent to speak directly to them about any issues we may face. In the last fortnight, we have discussed good digital citizenship, creation of safe and happy environment to produce great learners and general improvement to safety/traffic/parking/meal plans/next academic year. Breath of much needed fresh air in our case as these features were sorely lacking in The Former School.

The Class Parent Support WhatsApp groups in The Former School were friendlier and warmer though. The parents were vocal, closer and not suppressed in posting/sharing their views and comments. Everyone seemed more close and united. I guess in The Big School, all parents have direct communication with the school with prompt replies and actions being taken, so the Class Rep WhatsApp group is somewhat less significant. 

Girl is slowly undoing her lackadaisical attitude acquired from her previous school and pulling up her socks here. She is more academically engaged, but I must admit she is relearning her social skills with all these new people she is meeting. Digital citizenship wise, she is being trained on her boundaries and responsible self-stewardship. May she overcome her forgetfulness and tone down her feistiness.

Bean is making new friends! His personal learning assistants/shadow aides are at hand and during the one week they were on holiday, he has been self-sufficient despite misplacing his iPad Pro on the first Monday and ended the week on Friday by tripping over himself and came home with lacerations and bruises. Luckily, the School Nurse is reliable. Oh, may Allah swt grant The Other Half and I more patience and courage when his symptoms kick in on his "off days".

As we unpack more boxes and make good this new home, we pray Girl and Bean (including us parents) will grow healthily, safely and happy here.

Take good care and have a wonderful month ahead.

Transitioning

Salam my lovelies,

We have been busy!

Transitioning is an active, fluid phase and we as a family is experiencing this process. So far, alhamdulillah, we are taking it in bite size daily although there are certain days when it can all feel overwhelming with heat/exhaustion/traffic. Good self-care skills for each and every one of us are vital!

Girl is doing double academic work, both from The Big School and The New School. There are obvious continuity and convenience despite being in two schools, as both are using British Curriculum. There are some differences in materials for Mathematics, French and Malay. We encourage her to embrace and appreciate the learning curve with our home tutoring support. We do as much as she can cope using whatever pockets of time we can carve out. So far, we have had not pushed ourselves that much so as not to burn her out.

Perhaps, the reason of my chillax mode is exhaustion. We have all been fully utilising all our available time and resources to put the new home ready in time for the relocation to be close to The New School. The Other Half supervises the work that is on-going at the new abode, while I do the paperwork (budget and finalizing quotations), research (so much to admire on Instagram and finding an affordable/available option) and purchases (driving, negotiating, loading, and sometimes pick-up of smaller items). Tick tock, the relocation date is looming close.

Girl had to follow me on some occasions after school. She loves interior design and has ambitions to be one since two years ago so she is truly enjoying this valuable process. Whilst she has her dreams up with the stars and clouds, her feet are firmly rooted (especially when it comes to choosing the most practical/affordable/child-safe materials be it curtains or kitchen backsplash). Bless her!

Bean has weekdays ABA therapy at home from 2:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. so I have been taking him home 3 days a week from The Big School by 1 p.m. That also means I have limited shopping time between 10 a.m. to noon. He gets into the bath tub to clean up and cool down as soon as we arrive home. He works best by timer so after 20 minutes of soak, he gets his change of clothes then eat a snack (fruits, usually) before his therapist arrives. So far, he has not missed any sessions as the team from EAP is reliable. There is always someone from the rotation pool. He has grown really fond of his Senior Supervisor, Supervisor and one of his three therapists. 

There is still some task avoidance and communication challenges but overall, we have experienced marked improvements in his quality of verbal output, eye contact, co-operation and attendance (lessons at reading class, The Big School and therapy). It is nice to be able to eat meals without the device on all the time. His meal norm is now actually engaging with members of the family (especially Sunday lunches with The Grandparents) and friends (during meals at The Big School). Reviews are fortnightly so we are constantly on the feedback-action plan-execute cycles. Alhamdulillah for this early intervention.

His EAP Team has visited and met with his teacher at The New School. There will be another visit in April before the start of Term 3 for his Personal Learning Assistants/Shadow Aides to familiarise themselves with time-table, locations of lessons and activities etc. Social stories will be prepared so as to set his expectations/predictability and reduce stress for everyone.

Girl is turning 9. I pray she gets the best in this life and the next. There are some symptoms of hormonal changes leading to emotional outbursts occasionally so we make it a point to exhibit our love and support as well as open communication. Mother: Daughter 1:1 dates are crucial, as are her Father: Daughter 1:1 school pick-up. She is a supportive sibling so we do not ever want her to feel like she is getting any less love or attention just because Bean seems to get more by virtue of the additional attention from his therapists. It is a delicate balance so wish us luck!

Till the next update, please take good care.

The Combo Plan

Salam my lovelies,

Alhamdulillah January 2019 had been a busy and productive month.

Bean attended his Observation Class at Plan B school on 16 January 2019 (Wednesday) and for one whole hour, he was observed in a Year 1 class with a teacher, a teaching assistant and an Admissions Officer. He understood what was expected of him IQ-wise but some social cue such as raising hands to inform class teacher that he had completed his worksheet needs guidance. He gently knocked on wood (table) instead of raising his hands and verbally informing the teacher he was ready for the next activity.

The Admissions Officer informed us that he read some random English test words for his age group, did addition and subtraction as well as IQ worksheets. She was most surprised that his Math is good for his age. At recess, he obediently lined up and went for breakfast with fellow classmates. When we met up with him and the teacher, the teacher's feedback was that he is ready for Year 1 with a shadow aide to assist with social and behavioral cues. Huge sigh of relief all around! We sincerely hope that the same teacher will be his class teacher as she was just the most pleasant lady and a joy to converse with.

His reward that day was getting to play at the Early Years playground. Well deserved!

Soon after, Girl and Bean were allotted their Placement Assessments on  24 January 2019 (Thursday). Bean came out bouncing happily just after half an hour and the Registrar's feedback was that he answered as expected for his age group. Girl sat down for 1.5 hours to complete her online CAT4 by GL Assessment. The Registrar mentioned that her results were good so with some guidance from Plan B school, she will excel. InshaAllah.

The Letter of Offer was issued the following day on 25 January 2019 (Friday). The Other Half and I wasted no time in accepting it and we have since made arrangements for relocation. InshaAllah everything will fall in place.

We have informed The Big School of the children's withdrawal on 25 January 2019 (Friday) and relieved that timeline for everything has been impeccably punctual. Thank you for all your kind wishes and sincere prayers. May Allah swt bless you for your kind hearts.

The Big School is a bittersweet experience (present tense as we are still enrolled until end of Term 2) and as I saw both Girl and Bean performed on stage for CNY Assembly a couple of days ago, I felt immensely blessed and thankful for everything. The modular stage at Plan B school may not be as grand but looking at the big picture, we know we are going to an overall better school that fits us as a family, inshaAllah.

Being the excited mother who wants her children to be prepared, I have ordered and paid for the books they will need. I am sincerely hoping that they will both transition smoothly with all the help we are getting from Early Autism Project Malaysia.

As for now, we are going to take a few days' break ushering in the new lunar year. Gong Xi Fa Cai and safe travels. Happy holidays!

Sleepless and the City

Salam my lovelies,

I am worried about making the wrong move. 

I am anxious about moving away from my comfort zone which has a great location and view of the KLCC. 

When I think of the greater good for the children's wellbeing for the present and next 10 to 15 years, I am more assured that this will be a choice for their quality of life, not just academic.

In a few hours, the two little ones will be taking their placement assessment at Plan B - a school that supports learning differences (thus allowing Bean shadow aide support for transition) in the morning followed by a kick-off meeting with an important element to all our plans - EAP Malaysia in the afternoon. The Grandparents will be joining us at EAP Malaysia meeting which goes to show how much they truly care for Bean. Alhamdulillah for that. 

The solicitor for the property close to Plan B wrote to us asking for a decision by a certain date. InshaAllah once Plan B decides to have us (or not), we can trigger the necessary steps.

The Big School has yet to reply us about waiver of notice period for Girl. They had offered Bean a refund of Deposit without notice period of one full term. We need to sort this out so that they can both be at the same school at the same commencement date without us losing our Deposit for Girl. It is not something we want to give up without following-up either. We shall see, as this is also contingent upon Plan B results.

It is all quite overwhelming but I feel so much better as I am writing this. May my juice be fresh and my black coffee strong enough to carry me through the day without jitters.

One day at a time.

May letting go and complete trust in His Will be easy upon us. Amin.

Plan C and Beyond

Salam my lovelies,

Remember how The Grandparents shot down the school we listed as Plan C? I followed up with Nexus International School (nicknamed Plan C in my earlier posts) and turns out that they do not have a spot for Bean for his year group either. The framework is basically one child with special education needs in each class. We are not so sure if a school visit is still warranted, although they were ever so willing to enroll Girl.

A tiny piece of good news is that we may move on to Plan D and that is to consider an intensive Applied Behaviour Analysis program at Early Autism Project Malaysia (EAP) then let Bean rejoin his current school once his ABA program is done (since a shadow aide is not allowed into The Big School). 

We have an initial screening coming up to tailor his 1-to-1 ABA this week. The time frame he commences at EAP is also to be discussed so we can inform and discuss with The Big School how long Bean will vacate and when we expect to return. 

Considering EAP is quite comprehensive, we have served notice to stop hippotherapy for now so we can better gauge efficacy of ABA, touted to be the gold standard in early intervention and proven many times over to have worked.

What we like about Plan D so far:

1. Girl does not have to change schools. 

2. We do not have to relocate.

3. EAP is close to The Big School so school runs can be tweaked to suit our needs.

Then again, if Plan B is offered:
1. Take Bean out of The Big School and immediately commence EAP before Plan B with shadow aide from EAP kicks in this September 2019.
2. Both kids will be in the same school come September 2019.
3. Relocate to be 400m walking distance from school.

Wish us luck!