| Daniel Lim |
THE sun rising on a clear Monday morning marked a special occasion for 20 pre-school students of Kuala Belait Primary School (SRKB), as the day represented their first day of school as well as a major step in the start of their academic journey at the school.
Accompanying the pre-school students on their first day of school were their parents and guardians, who were there to commemorate the momentous occasion.
Various fun activities were carried out for the students during that first day, which provided opportunities for them to not only practise some skills but also to interact with their fellow peers that they will be studying together with for the 2019 academic year, according to Sarinawati binti Mili, one of the teachers heading the pre-school class at the school.
She said, “With 10 boys and 10 girls admitted to this year’s pre-school class Pra Bijak, many of them were looking forward to this day where they get to meet their classmates that they will be studying together with for the rest of the year.”
Sarinawati added that while there are a few students who are nervous about the new learning environment, she and her assistant teachers will do their part to ensure that the students will be able to develop and nurture their skills and talents throughout the year.
She continued by noting that the parents and guardians’ presence during their children’s first day of school was also important, as it enabled them to form a routine of being energised and motivated to go to and study at school.
Compared to previous years, Sarinawati said that there are not much differences when it comes to caring and nurturing the pre-school students, and that while some had preparation coming into school and some had not, she explained that all of them will be treated based on their individual needs and wants in regard to their education level.
“As such, among the challenges that we teachers face when tackling the needs and wants of the students include ensuring that they are motivated for the day to study at school, as well as to take care of their emotional needs as they are at the age where they are still very likely to cry as they rarely spend time away from their parents and guardians, and at school,” she said.
She also noted that other challenges include students with speech delay, which with the help of assistant teachers will be able to aid the students in overcoming such a barrier.
“I hope the parents and guardians will be able to show their support to their children by looking forward to going to school each morning, which serves to encourage them to attend school, as well as setting up a routine in regard to the time their children go to bed and when they wake up, what time they should be studying and more. All of which serves to better provide a platform for the students to grow as an individual,” she concluded.
To help slowly introduce the pre-school students to their new learning environment, following the general morning assembly they attended the first day of class with a series of activities, where they not only had fun and expressed themselves but also interacted with their friends and teachers.
Furthermore, the first day of school for the pre-school students was also an opportunity for the assistant teachers to get accustomed to them, as the majority of the assistant teachers are former ‘O’ Level students who had volunteered their time to not only take care of the students, but also to gain valuable experience under the supervision of the teachers and the school.