Celebrating parent involvement with their child’s pre-school under Our Wonderful Parents scheme

Singapore - Mr Justin Doray is a familiar face at his three-year-old daughter Islay’s pre-school.

The 51-year-old engineer is part of My First Skool@Blk 153 Bishan parents’ support group, and he actively helps during various activities and excursions organised by the pre-school.

For instance, he conducted arts and craft activities related to the theme of Christmas to celebrate the festival. He also sang and danced with the children to celebrate National Day, and co-hosted the school’s sports day alongside a teacher.

Mr Doray, who only has one child, said: “I enjoy being with the kids, and it’s lovely to see them playing together.

“It’s also a learning experience for me to see how other children develop, and also how Islay interacts with the other children.”

Ms Cheryl Lin, the pre-school’s principal, expressed her intention to nominate Mr Doray for a new initiative called Our Wonderful Parents, as his consistent involvement and willingness to offer help has a positive impact on the centre’s educators.

Our Wonderful Parents is dedicated to recognising and celebrating positive examples of collaboration between parents and their child’s pre-school, to encourage parents to be more involved, said Dr Cheong Su Fen, founder of educational consultancy Preschool Market, which organises the initiative. 

The initiative is supported by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Singapore Kindness Movement.

The initiative was launched at the first Start Small Dream Big “Walk for Good: Little Feet, Big Hearts” walkathon in Sentosa on May 11. Over 2,000 people joined the 1.5km walkathon.

Dr Cheong said: “The Our Wonderful Parents initiative was born from a desire to shine a light on the everyday acts of kindness and collaboration between parents and pre-schools – partnerships that often go unnoticed but make a tremendous difference in a child’s learning journey.”

Dr Cheong, 41, who has a four-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter, said she has seen many examples of parents volunteering at school events, reading sessions, excursions, and other activities.

For example, her children’s pre-school, E-Bridge Pre-School in Corporation Drive, holds an Occupation Day every year where parents from all walks of life tell the children about their occupations.

“When children see their parents and educators working as a team, it gives them a strong sense of security and confidence. They are more motivated to learn and feel emotionally supported,” she said.

“As for educators, parents’ insights can help to tailor approaches to better support each child. It also boosts educators’ morale.”

ECDA chief executive Ku Geok Boon said that research has shown that the collaborative effort of educators, families and the community is crucial for the development of children, especially in their early years. 

Pre-schools can nominate parents who exemplify values such as altruism, empathy and respect for the initiative from May 11 to July 11.

Dr Cheong said that all eligible nominees will receive a token of recognition, such as a customised photo frame. Selected stories will also be shared on the initiative’s website at ourwonderfulparent.sg, among other platforms.

Ms Jessica Teo, principal of Greenland Childcare@Punggol Drive, plans to nominate at least one parent, Madam Zakiyah Rosli.

Ms Teo praised Madam Zakiyah, 39, for her enthusiasm in supporting the pre-school’s activities and her active communication with her son’s teachers.

For example, for Hari Raya, Madam Zakiyah, her husband and their five-year-old son donned their festive best and brought festive cookies, among other things, to the pre-school to share with the pupils as they talked about the festival.

Madam Zakiyah, who is expecting her second child, said her son is a quiet boy, and she is teaching him about confidence through her involvement in his school’s activities. “I want him to feel proud that we want to get involved. It’s joyful and fulfilling to see our children learn and grow, and to be more caring and giving,” she said.

The Start Small Dream Big movement was initiated by ECDA in 2015 to encourage pre-schools to create platforms for children to learn through community service projects. It also raises funds for the President’s Challenge.

At the walkathon, ECDA also unveiled a refreshed version of its Beanstalk website,

www.ecda.gov.sg/Beanstalk

The site contains information for educators and parents covering various aspects of early childhood development, such as child development milestones and effective behaviour management strategies.