The Bub in the Belly

So, as mentioned, I went to visit NAFA Arts Kindergarten last Friday morning. I called up on Wednesday, two days before, to make an appointment and Friday morning was the earliest that they could have me. Richard couldn't make it, so I went with Ryan and my mum.

I was greeted upon arrival by Laura, who gave us the tour of the school. She was very good, managed to answer all my questions (although I suppose every parent asks the same questions).

The unique feature of the school is that it offers music, drama and dance classes as part of its main curriculum (in addition to the usual academics) and instructors from NAFA's School of Young Talents (SYT) conduct the classes. If the child shows potential in music/drama/dance, he/she will be recommended to SYT.

I think most parents do believe that music, (speech and) drama and dance (and movement) are valuable components that should be incorporated into their children's daily or weekly routine. Certainly, most parents we know place their children in enrichment courses for music/drama/dance, hoping to either stimulate any potential talent that their children may have or to simply provide a well-rounded education.

I know there are some pre-schools who get third-party professionals to conduct music/drama/dance courses but, usually in such cases, they are structured as "extras", i.e. you have to pay extra for your child to participate in them and the classes are held after school hours. NAFA actually builds all these classes into its main curriculum, so the children's experience of music, drama, dance and academics is seamless. The children come to regard music, drama and dance as part of their learning experience in school, as opposed to an extra enrichment class.

Yes, there are also some pre-schools that offer music/drama/dance as part of their main curriculum, but in the words of Chief Kiasu at kiasuparents.com, "If you want to learn kung fu well, would you go to Planet Fitness or go to Shaolin Temple?"

Hence, in 2008, this school was described on the forum board at kiasuparents.com as "next to impossible to get into unless you plan years ahead. It's pretty much one of the hottest, if not the hottest, in Singapore. Main reason is their focus on artistic and physical enrichment, at a very good price point. You can probably get similar services at other pre-schools, but the treatment may not be as holistic or will cost much more."

Since that time, the kindergarten has raised their fees, which I understand has eased the waiting list a little.

As for the school programme, there is the usual academics everyday (maths, science and language), including one hour of Mandarin. For English, they use the Ginn Lighthouse Series and Jolly Phonics / Jolly Grammar. For maths, they use Growing With Mathematics. Then there is one session of music or drama or dance everyday. In one week, they will have two sessions of music, two sessions of art and one session of dance.

There are the standard facilities - three playgrounds with a tricycle park, a dining area and classrooms. Then there is the art room, the dance room and two music rooms. We managed to pop in on the classes as they were being conducted and checked out all the different classrooms. Nothing fancy, but completely acceptable.

Two teachers accompany the class all the time, one speaking in English, the other in Mandarin. The same teachers follow the class throughout its three years from enrolment to graduation. I like that very much. Laura said that the turnover of teachers is relatively low, with some teachers having been with the school since the day they started operations.

I also like that they only enrol children starting with Nursery at age 4 (in some pre-schools, this is known as N2). I feel that they are on the same page as me, as I only intend to enrol Ryan at 4 (or later). They do offer pre-nursery for children aged 3 (N1 in some pre-schools) but this is only for siblings of current students.

I wouldn't say that the teachers are all huggy-feely but the children were happy so the teachers must be doing the right thing. They definitely know how to handle each child, to get the child to participate in the class activity, when to laugh with the children and when to be strict. The teachers know each of the children's names (I heard them calling the children), and I was pleasantly surprised that even Laura (who is not a teacher) was able to tell me the children's names. She even knew their personalities - she told me this particular child was very shy, etc. So, that is definitely a plus point.

In fact, I got the impression that the school looks after the children very well. For instance, they have a strict rule that the child, when arriving at the school, must be sent by his/her caregiver all the way to the classroom (or waiting area, if early) and the caregiver signs a log book each time. The child cannot simply be dropped off and be expected to walk into the classroom by him/herself. The principal is in school by 7.30 am and early comers can be sent to the principal's office to wait there. I like that, it shows a great amount of concern for the child's wellbeing.

There is no parking within the compound except during the start of the session when the children are being sent to school. At all other times, the front gate is locked and guarded and no cars are allowed in because sometimes the children are allowed to come out onto the driveway to do activities like drawing on the sidewalk/driveway. I read someone's comment in a forum that she was shocked that the children were allowed to have outdoor activities in the driveway as they might fall and hurt themselves on the rough ground. Umm, ok, I guess I'm not that sort of parent. I actually like the idea of my son being outdoors, whether it is on the driveway, on the artificial playground turf, on the sand or on the grass.

Another thumbs-up for the school - walking from our home, I can reach the back gate of the school in five minutes!

Overall, I got a very warm feeling while I was there. I felt that the teachers were genuinely interested in the children's development and all-round education. I felt that a lot of thought had been put into not only the programme, but also the simple things like how your child arrives in school everyday and how he gets to the toilet (the nursery classrooms are the nearest to the toilets and the nursery children are always accompanied).

I had a discussion with Richard on it, and we agreed that this is definitely a strong candidate for our final choice of pre-school.

(Edit: In October 2012, NAFA offered us a place for Ryan in their Nursery level starting in Term 2, March 2013, afternoon session. We turned down the place and asked to be put on the waitlist for a morning session.)