THE STAR, TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2017

THE childrens house celebrated

three decades of fruitful early
education provision last November
with a gesture of goodwill.
The pioneer of Montessori
method in Malaysia tied up the
30th anniversary celebration with
its annual Caring & Sharing
programme through the 30th
Anniversary Charity Fiesta event,
which raised RM50,000 for Pusat
Kreatif Kanak-Kanak Tuanku
Bainun (PKKTB) and RM10,000 for
Dignity for Children Foundation.
Throughout the years, the aim
of our Caring & Sharing project has
been to instil philanthropic values
within the child.
It is also part of the parentschool collaboration efforts where
children, parents and teachers
come together for one mission:
Giving back to society, mainly
supporting non-governmental
organisations with underprivileged
children and education for the
needy, says general manager of
The childrens house, Azman Atan.
This event also marked the
official launch of The childrens
house flagship centre in Mont
Kiara.

Foundation of excellence
Over the past 30 years, The
childrens house has touched the
lives of more than 20,000 local

Holistic development
and expatriate children who
have grown into successful,
well-balanced and compassionate
adults who contribute positively
to society.
This success is largely attributed
to its team of dedicated staff,
several of whom have been
integral to the organisation for
more than a decade.
Besides solid teamwork within
the organisation, collaborative
efforts with parents have also
contributed to the success of this
Montessori pioneer, which has
operated on a wholly owned basis
since its inception.
This gives us the ability to
control and ensure that quality
is not being compromised as
well as build strong, long-term
partnerships with parents,
which is crucial to the childs
development.
Through our close relationship
with parents in our schools,
we are able to understand the
ever-changing needs of their
children, says Azman.
At The childrens house, the
youngters are exposed to topics
with a strong emphasis on cultural

The childrens
house founder
Nan Civel gives
her welcome
note at the
30th
Anniversary
Charity Fiesta.
diversity as well as a love for
humanity and nature.
This develops universal values
and habits informed by a holistic
understanding of the world.
The Montessori method adhered
to focuses on individualised
learning because each child is
unique and should therefore be
given opportunities to learn at
their own pace to achieve their full

potential in all areas of life.

This teaching approach applies
concrete to abstract learning,
introduced to children through
teaching materials in areas of
practical life, sensorial, language,
number work and culture.
The teachings of grace and
courtesy through good manners,
respect, ethics and etiquette are
also introduced within the school

environment, starting from the

time a child steps into the school.
We value and practise these
fundamental values and believe
they should be inculcated in the
child from a young age, says
Azman.
All these provide an edge to
early education at The childrens
house. The young ones experience
the joy of being in a diverse
environment to emerge as
individuals who are socially
adaptable, independent,
compassionate and positive.
Although it has seen tremendous
growth in the past three decades,
The childrens house will only
continue to evolve.
Moving forward, it will look to
developing inclusive classrooms.
There are plans underway to build
a department specialising in
therapy through play, where young
children will prepare for formal
schooling and foster social
development aided by close
parent-school participation and
involvement.

n For more information, visit

www.thechildrenshouse.com.my.

2 Bright Kids

THE STAR, TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2017

Affordable, quality learning for kids

THE Association of Registered
Childcare Providers Malaysia
recently highlighted that most
kindergartens and daycare centres
have increased their fees by
between 20% and 50% due to
increased operational costs. This is
a cause for concern among parents
looking to enrol their kids in school
this year.
Early childhood education is
important as young individuals
first learning experiences deeply
affect their physical, cognitive,
emotional and social development.
As such, optimising childrens
early years is the best investment
we can make as a society in
ensuring their future success.
Understanding the burden of
parents, leading early childhood
education provider Smart Reader
Worldwide strives to provide
affordable fees so every child has
equal access to quality preschool
education.
True to its promise, Smart
Reader Worldwide has not
increased its schooling fees in the
past three years despite escalating
costs.
Nevertheless, Smart Reader

Amy Chong celebrated Teachers Day with the students from Smart Reader
Kids Selayang Jaya.
Worldwide has not compromised
on its quality. Comprehensive
research and development is
undertaken in the formulation of
Smart Reader programmes.
The fundamentals of these
programmes implement a holistic
approach whereby emphasis is
placed not only on academic
achievements but also the

promotion of a childs emotional

and fine motor skills.
Smart Reader Worldwides
executive director Keefe Ong
believes that every child deserves
a fair chance in education.
We recognise the immense
value and importance of
knowledge, especially at a young
age. As such, we are continuously

working towards delivering early

childhood education that is
accessible to all children while
sustaining the highest levels of
quality, he says.
As a testament to Smart Reader
programmes quality, Marimuthu
Saravanan, franchisee of Smart
Reader Kids Taman Seremban
Jaya, says he has been receiving
nothing but positive feedback
from parents who have enrolled
their children in his centre.
Amy Chong, the winner of
Homegrown Franchisee of the
Year in the Malaysia Franchise
Awards 2015 and the franchisee of
multiple Smart Reader Kids
centres in Selayang Jaya, Taman
Sri Sinar and Bukit Sri Bintang,
attests to Smart Reader Worldwide
as a trusted brand in education.
Its programmes are designed
to provide a comprehensive
learning experience that is
enjoyable and exciting for
children, she says.
In line with its vision for equal
access and opportunity to
education, Smart Reader
Worldwide initiated the National
One Child One Hope Education

Scholarship Programme to help

underprivileged children obtain
quality preschool education.
According to Smart Reader
Worldwides co-founder Datin Seri
Datuk Dr K.H. Wang, the gift of
learning is the best gift a child can
receive.
Since 2009, the charity
scholarship programme has
benefited more than 500 less
fortunate children across the
nation.
The educational programmes
offered by Smart Reader
Worldwide are Smart Reader Kids,
Smart Reader Kids Islamic, Smart
Reader Kids Mandarin Medium,
Smart Reader Kids Intensive
English Programme and Smart
Reader Kids++ franchised
programmes. With the recent
introduction of the Tamil
Programme, Smart Reader is a
one-stop centre for all.
The registration for the 2017
enrolment is now open.

n For more information, call

03-6279 5555 or the SMARTLine
at 1300 885 555 or visit
www.smartreader.edu.my.

Growing-up formula
MORINAGA Chil-kid has
launched a festive pack
promotion that lasts till Feb 15
(for selected pharmacies and
Chinese medical halls only).
The festive pack includes an
air-tight container with the
purchase of four boxes (700g)
of Morinaga Chil-Kid.
Children and motherhood
magazine BabyTalk Malaysia
has been successfully running
its yearly survey, the BabyTalk
Readers Choice Award, to
discover the favourite brands
of its readers.
Morinaga Chil-kid was
voted the Best Nutrition Milk
for Children winner under
Readers Choice Awards 2015
by Natural Health and A
Healthy Lifestyle magazines.
In 2015 and last year,
Morinaga Chil-kid was again
acknowledged as the Readers
Choice winner for Best
Nutrition Milk by BabyTalk
and MamaPapa magazines.
The product provides a milk
formula to supply essential
nutrients in a well-balanced
ratio based on the
international standard of
growing-up formula and the
latest scientific knowledge.
Morinaga Chil-kid, a
growing-up formula for
children aged one and above,
is enriched with AA
(arachidonic acid), DHA
(docosahexaenoic acid), GOS
(galacto-oligosaccharides) and
five nucleotides to provide
nutrition for growing-up
children.
AA and DHA help enhance
the development of the brain
and central nervous system as
well as the visual and retinal
function.
GOS helps establish a
Bifidobacterium-dominant
flora and suppresses the
growth of harmful intestinal
bacteria. GOS is important in
alleviating constipation while
nucleotides promote healthy
guts.
Morinagas research and
development have resulted in

The Morinaga Chil-kid is a

growing-up formula for kids.
its discovery of a probiotic, the
Bifidobacterium longum BB536. The
research has also brought about
the benefits of Lactoferin, which is
widely used in childrens formula
to improve immunity.
Morinaga Chil-kid is
produced and imported from
a state-of-the-art plant in the
Netherlands, using Japanese
technology and a stringent doublesafety standard. The product is
halal certified.
Morinaga Chil-kid is available in
Tesco, Giant, Cold Storage, Mercato,
Aeon, Sogo, Isetan, Urban Fresh,
Village Grocer, SJ Kota, De Market
Supermarket, Haniffa
Supermarket, Alpro Pharmacy,
Chinese medical halls, selected
baby stores and online stores such
as 11street and Lazada.

About Morinaga
Morinaga Milk Industry Co, Ltd
is the second largest dairy product
company in Japan that was
founded on Sept 1, 1917 as Nippon
Rennyu, Ltd.
Morinaga started its
business with the production
of condensed milk before
producing milk powder in 1920.
Today, the brand, which is well
known among Malaysian
households, is committed to
creating nutritious and healthy
products for all ages.
The company exports its
products worldwide to more than
30 countries. Morinaga has almost
50 years of history in Malaysia and
was the first Japanese milk formula
to be available in the market.

n For more information, visit

www.oz-marketing.com.

Bright Kids 3

THE STAR, TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2017

Excellence
in Canadian
education
THE Programme for
International Student
Assessment 2015 survey by the
Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development
was released in December last
year.
It indicates Canadas public
education system as one of the
best in the world. Conducted
every three years,
the survey measures 15- to
16-year-old students from
72 countries in science,
mathematics and reading.
More than 20,000 students
from 10 provinces were
assessed in 2015. Canada has
consistently ranked top among
English-speaking countries for
more than 10 years.
Inspired by the track record of
academic excellence, Sunway
International School (SIS) stands
tall as the only school in
Malaysia to offer the Ontario
(Canadian) School curriculum.
SIS commenced its first intake in
January 2008 at the Bandar
Sunway campus.
A member of the Sunway
Education Group, which is
owned and governed by the
Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, SIS is
the alma mater to students from
more than 30 countries,
including Singapore, Indonesia,
South Korea, Japan, China,
Canada, Russia, the United
States, Australia, Germany, Great
Britain and India.

Unique curriculum
Learning at SIS focuses on
students unique strengths as
individuals. Students develop
their ability to think critically
and inquisitively become lifelong
learners.
The curriculum is delivered in
a stimulating environment that
encourages students to partake
actively in classes with their best
efforts.
The Ontario curriculum at
SIS focuses on the continuous
growth of students. With a
cumulative structure of 70%
based on coursework and
the final 30% allotted to an
end-of-semester evaluation,
students can reflect on their
learning and development
throughout the courses.
The formative assessment
is up to date and consistent,
enhanced by the pervasive use
of technology in students
learning.

Canadian certified
Every teacher at SIS is licensed
by the Ontario College of

Teachers (OCT). The licence

qualifies teachers to teach in
Ontario (Canada) school
systems.
This endorsement
differentiates SIS teachers as
professionals whose practice is
guided and informed by
professional standards.
Learning at SIS is enhanced
by the progressive teaching and
assessment strategies employed
in the Ontario curriculum,
providing students with a solid
foundation in academic
preparation.

6Cs competencies
The curriculum is
complemented by a set of 21st
century competencies known as
the 6Cs.
The 6Cs are interrelated
clusters that provide rich
learning experiences, developing
valuable skills and dispositions
sought by employers worldwide.
The 6Cs are character
education, citizenship,
communication, critical
thinking, collaboration and
creativity.
These clusters are applied in
various ways throughout the
Ontario curriculum in the
classroom, extracurricular
activities and the school culture.

Worldwide recognition
After completing Grade 12,
students are awarded the
Ontario Secondary School
Diploma. The diploma is
recognised worldwide as on
par with other pre-university
programmes such as A-Levels,
the Australian Matriculation
(AUSMAT) and many others.
SIS graduates have been
accepted into universities
worldwide such as in Canada,
the US, the United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand, Qatar,
Japan and the Netherlands.

Opening of new campus

The much-anticipated second
campus of SIS, Sunway Iskandar,
began its operations on Jan 16.
The purpose-built SIS Sunway
Iskandar campus is designed to
integrate and highlight its
natural landscape, emphasising
the schools championship of the
environment.
The new campus will continue
to feature much of its
predecessors distinctive
qualities in Bandar Sunway a
contemporary school offering
some of the industrys finest
in international curricula,
with a teaching staff that is
experienced, committed and
passionate, employing an
approach that is both hi-tech,
with the effective adoption of
educational technologies, as well
as high-touch, with strong
emphasis on students
development of soft skills.

n For more information, call

03-7491 8070/07-297 8070 or

visit sis.sunway.edu.my.

Teachers under the Ontario school curriculum at Sunway International School are trained to ensure the individual and
continuous growth of their students.

4 Bright Kids
TODAY, much of the content we teach
becomes outdated almost as soon as
we teach it.
Quality education in the contemporary
world is about developing our pupils to be
global citizens, ready to engage in the real
world in a creative, productive and positive
manner.
The key in a classroom is the building of
a strong and broad skill base that will
enable students to find, make, critique and
question their own answers rather than
recite the answers when prompted.
In an age of electronic devices, Internet
connectivity and Google, young people
often search for answers using a keyboard
rather than by applying their own skills and
capabilities.
This has a few implications. The first is,
information and communications
technology (ICT) is no longer considered the
other.
It is not something that needs to be added
to the educational narrative, it is the
narrative.
Secondly, to students, the information
and figures needed are those that appear in
the first three Google search results.
The third is that arguing or defending a
point no longer involves an instinctually
internal rational process.
Lastly, digital natives, the students we
now teach, have only one thinking routine
at their disposal when seeking answers to
questions, and that word rhymes with
frugal.
For a long while now, many educators
have stuck with the notion that ICT is

THE STAR, TUESDAY 24 JANUARY 2017

Learning as digital natives

Marlborough College Malaysia aims to build a good foundation that allows its students to be
active instead of passive learners.
something that is just to be grafted into
traditional education.
On the other hand, other schools have

gone to the other extreme, adopting the oneto-one approach and eliminating textbooks
and exercise books entirely.
At the end of the day, a balance between
these two positions is likely to be the best
path forward.
Access to technology opens a world of
information and communication but a sole
focus on it closes many other worlds of
information and communication.
Furthermore, our digital natives do not
need to be taught basic ICT skills as they
have already been exposed and are already
quite competent in it.
However, they need to be taught what a

newspaper is, how it works and the type of

audience each publication is targeting.
This is not because they have to become
newspapers readers themselves, but rather,
it is for them to better understand the
conventions that have been carried over
into online and television news services.
More broadly, they will be better able to
recognise the inherent biases that they will
encounter in those first three Google search
results.
Ironically, the information revolution
has moved us away from acquiring
knowledge through reading and first-hand
experiences. Instead, youths today resort to
Google and Wikipedia to get their facts.
Our goal as educators at Marlborough
College Malaysia is to teach our pupils
to think and form rational conclusions
themselves as well as take a critical eye
to the thoughts of others and their own.
At the same time, we aim to teach them to
eloquently participate in the dialogues and
discourses of our societies.
Our challenge is to equip our students
with Visible Thinking Routines advocated by
Harvard Universitys Project Zero and bring
our students learning to life through the
processes shown to be most effective by the
Visible Learning approach advocated by
Prof John Hattie.
This is what great education is today. This
is what quality educators strive to achieve
every day. By James E.R. Unsworth, head
of English at Marlborough College
Malaysia
An Information Evening will be held at
the Residence of the British High
Commissioner, Kuala Lumpur on Jan 25.

n For more information, visit

www.marlboroughcollege.my.