Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts

Sunday, September 24, 2017

POSB Smart Buddy smart watch.


Hi, my name is Veron and I am not a tech-savvy person, period.
I still prefer to receive hardcopy bills and bank statements, and for the same reason, I never, ever pay my bills online.
Once, my Hubby chided me for being kayu, but he stopped after he accidentally paid the same bill TWICE because the screen hung and he clicked "Pay" again.
This further convinced me that technology can be evil.

I first heard about POSB's Smart Buddy watch on Kiss 92 FM while driving to work, and as expected, I had mixed reactions.

Firstly, for P1 and P2 Math, there are money components which require students to count, subtract and add money.
To prep Adam for recess, I spent a considerable amount of time letting him handle physical money and let him buy food at the foodcourts.
I am not sure how cashless is going to help the children in this Math topic.


But like it or not, CASHLESS is here to stay and will be the way to go.
source: SGAG

Have you guys seen this meme already? LOL


I was caught by surprise when I found out how advanced China is in terms of Cashless payments.
Did you know you can pay for anything in China simply by scanning the QR code and paying through Wechat or Alipay
Customer using cashless payment by scanning QR code and paying through Wechat.
Source: https://www.techinasia.com/chinese-tourists-wechat-alipay-global-expansion

This was further confirmed by my colleague who shared a video on Facebook about a roadside peddler allowing customers to pay via Wechat (picture above).
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Holy macoroni are they serious?! Where in the world have I been?!!!
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Introducing the POSB Smart Buddy (aka my-son-is-savvier-than-me) watch:



Smart Buddy is the world's first in-school savings & payments device wearable on your child's wrist.
Currently, there are 24 schools participating in this Smart Buddy program and you can find the list of schools HERE, or if your child's school isn't one of the participating schools, you may REQUEST for his/her school to participate via HERE (because that's the only way you can get this watch, you can't buy it from POSB branches).


The Smart Buddy watch is linked to an App on your mobile device, and you can track his or her expenditure, set the allowance limit, and see what he or she has bought during the day.
Sometimes, kids tend to overspend on stationery.




Features of Smart Buddy Watch:
- Manage your child's daily allowance limit
- Monitor your child's expenses
- Set savings goals
- Track the amount your child has saved
- Track whether your child has boarded the bus home or to school
- Track your child's location within the school
- Can be used at selected merchants like Sheng Siong, Popular, Pizza Hut, Comfort Delgro etc.

Adam's school is currently not one of the participating schools for Smart Buddy program but  here are some feedback from students/ parents whose kids are:
- No more worrying about forgetting to put money into kids' wallets.
- Don't have to worry if child loses his or her wallet in school/ bus.
- Do not have to worry about extortion of money from bullies.
- If your child suddenly needs to purchase eg. a file/ exercise book and you didn't give him/ her extra pocket money, he/she can purchase using the Smart Buddy watch (if the expenditure exceeds the daily allowance limit, he/she can call the parent to increase the limit)

So yeap, if you wish your child can use this smart watch, you may request for his/her school to participate in this program, it won't replace cash, it is merely an alternative payment method for the kids! And psst, I heard there are separate (ie. faster) queues in the canteens if you choose to tap & pay.

*Thank you POSB for the opportunity to attend your media briefing, you guys are fabulous!
You've absolutely changed my mind about going cashless, so much so that I'm tempted to use the watch for myself, linked to my hubby's bank account of course :P
 

Sunday, January 3, 2016

{sponsored} Back to School with confidence fuelled by MILO Singapore.

{Sponsored}

Howdy everyone! How did 2015 treat you?
Can't believe 2015 was last year now, and in less than 24 hours, our firstborn is headed to Big School.

My children are huge fans of Milo, just like me!
When I was little, my favourite after-school snack was dunking Jacob's square biscuits into a hot mug of Milo.
When I eat at coffesshops, I will surely order Milo peng (iced Milo) to go with my meals.

I think my kids take after me because they also love Milo!
Every morning before school, they have a cup of Milo mixed with fresh milk each.

I am so thankful that Milo Singapore has decided to send some love our way, just in time for the new school year :)


The package came with stick-on notes for you to scribble words of encouragement to your children, such as: Pay attention in class/ Do not talk when teacher talking/ Ah boy ah have you done your homework? :P

Came with sandwiches too.



A little about MILO Go For It campaign:

This outreach effort is timed with the upcoming school's reopening.
Amidst the excitement, Milo understands that a child may also be feeling the butterflies around the new school term.
To encourage more parents to empower their children in school with simple gestures and supportive words, MILO Singapore launches the #MILOGoForIt social media movement.

We hope you will be able to join us in this movement by posting a photo of your child drinking Milo and hashtag #MILOGoForIt to inspire other Moms and Dads in the social media community to pen notes of encouragement for their children when school starts.

Get the #MILOGoForIt sticker notes!
As part of the movement, Milo Singapore will be launching these sticker notes island-wide.
The stickers will be distributed in primary schools and are available at all major retail outlets, for FREE!
For more updates, check out Milo Singapore's Facebook page.


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Surviving Adam's Primary One orientation: the start of a new chapter in his schooling life journey.


Our first-born going to official school is a BIGGIE for me.
I've cried huge tears for this, and no matter how I console myself, I cannot reconcile with the fact that my baby is so grown up.
I know it is important for his psychosocial development, for him to learn independence, his role in society blah blah blah, but I love all my babies and can't bear for them to grow away from me.
When I told Adam that Mama feels like crying, he comforted me by telling me to have another baby and name it "Adam". ZOMG #facepalmmoment
 
Anyway, back to the topic of Adam's primary one journey.
We registered him under Phase 2C at a neighbourhood school because Andy's alma mater is no longer around, and mine is in Woodlands which is another end of the island for us.
Since we both went to neighbourhood schools, as did our siblings, any school didn't matter.
Initially, I had wanted to register Adam in a Catholic all-boys school, but hubby wouldn't approve as he felt that boy schools are notorious for bullying and gangsterism, and also he wanted our children to go to co-ed school.
So in the end, we chose a neighbourhood school for Adam. Whether or not we made the right or wrong choice, we can only find out in 6 years' time. It's too late for what-ifs and regrets now.


Watching my baby for the last time getting off his kindergarten school bus and shouting out "Good morning's" and "Good bye's" to his friends. *dabs eyes*
Or the last time watching him go on stage from these pews which has grown so familiar to us over the past 3 years.
Watching him develop from a shy, quiet boy into a confident child performing on stage.
This is the last bit of memory we will hang on to, of our pre-schooler being pre-schooler no more.

Adam's got mail! Received the mailer one week before the orientation.

Uniform list - most schools adopt the PAL system now, so they wear PE shirts for 4 out of 5 school days.

Primary 1 booklist.

By the way, if your child is a Singaporean attending primary school in Singapore, the school fees are only $13.00 per month.
That's a far cry from the $300+/ month kindergarten fees I pay for one child only (Ashton goes to a fullday childcare at $800+/mth *gasp*), not forgetting the full payment during the gazetted school holidays too!




On Orientation day...
Hubby & I peeping at our kid from the outside. There he was, just by the window, seated in a class of strangers he will soon call friends.

The number of books needed for Primary One is enough to induce a seizure.
FYI, I have already withdrawn Adam from his enrichment classes - CMA abacus & mental arithmetic, and LCentral English.
I shall just let him be overwhelmed by his primary school curriculum and CCA alone. #sweat

But good thing is, nowadays the books are already pre-packed into boxes by the book vendor (for us is Pacific Bookstore) according to levels of the Primary (P1-P6) and Mother tongue language.
For eg. P1-Chinese = 1 box.
 

 
 
Tips for parents of primary school-going kids:
 
- Drive your child past his new primary school and better still, to the new school, if allowed.
Let him recognize this new place and what to expect.
 
 
- Talk to your child way before he's ready for primary school. We started beginning of his K2 year.

 
- Things we prep him include asking him whether any of his friends from Kindergarten are also going to the same primary school?
If Yes, then who?
If No, then it's Ok, he can make new friends.
 
 
- Tell him that he will meet new friends, new teachers, and learn how to buy food and drinks from the canteen. During the orientation, show him his new classroom, and introduce him to new friends. Make friends with the other mums and teachers.


- Tell your child what were your fondest memories of Primary school and what you did in Primary School.
Was it playing Catching at recess, the coloured ice sticks selling at 20cents, etc?



- Teach him the concept of money using coins (10c, 20c, 50c and $1) and play with empty yogurt cups, Yakult bottles etc.

Soon, my son, you will come to know that the best parts of childhood are getting an allowance and not paying any bills.

 
- For you Kiasu parents, go to Popular Textbook Online Ordering for a list of your child's required books and materials.
There is a drop-down list on your right-hand column, where you can select the school your child is going to, and the appropriate list of books will appear. 
This was shared by one of my Mummy friends, Raising Our Successful Children (Adam's friend's Mummy =)

 
- When buying books at the primary one orientation, purchase more exercise books than the book list suggests because most parents share they need more exercise books than recommended, for spelling, Chinese writing etc.


- Go with your spouse or if he/she is not available on the orientation day, bring along your next best person. You will need all the help you can get to combat the long queues and crowds. One person can queue while the other brings the child to try on uniform, shoe sizes, fill in and pass up forms etc.



- Bring at least $300 in cash. You can never be too prepared, unless you don't mind returning another time to purchase the items you missed out.
 
 
- Purchase more PE sets than the uniforms because with the Programme for Active Learning (PAL) implemented in most to all primary schools since 2011, the students will have 4 days of PE days and only 1 full uniform day.
Hence I would say, the bare minimum would be to buy 3 PE sets and 1 uniform.

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To all Mums whose 2009 Ox babies are going to Primary school next year, cheers to you!
May you survive the kiasuism of our education system :P


Sigh... Every stage of my children's growth is a new milestone for me. I can't be there enough.
 
 

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Adam's K2 graduation concert.

Today, our K2-er graduated from Kindergarten.
This will most likely be the last time we set foot in Changi Bethany School House, a spacious and nurturing preschool which Adam enjoyed attending for the last 3 years.
 
We went around the school compound a last time.
changi bethany school house kindergarten singapore
The huge kindergarten compound with its playground


changi bethany school house kindergarten
and a vegetable garden with seats under the shade of a Mango tree.

The vegetables are flourishing



changi bethany school house kindergarten singapore
Ashton said his favourite are eggplants.





pink jujube bff ju ju be hello kitty lucky stars Singapore mom blogger
Rocking pink today with my rockstud pumps, a present from Hubby to match my pink B.

 

jujube bff ju ju be Singapore Hello kitty lucky stars diaper bag mom blogger
My Jujube Hello Kitty Lucky Stars BFF diaper bag.
This bag is the BFF for all mothers!

The kinda studs in my life.

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Time's up for us to head upstairs for the graduation and year-end concert.

We managed to get the first few pews to get a better look of Adam!


Adam Tan tian kai graduate K2 changi bethany school house kindergarten
Seeing our firstborn in his convocation gown is surreal.
I am overcome with sadness, pride, happiness, anxiety, all at the same time!
I cannot believe I have been a mother for 6 years now.
 


Adam Tan tian Kai graduation convocation concert Changi bethany kindergarten
My last time cheering for him from these pews.




Changi bethany school house kindergarten mrs charis ang
Groupie with Adam's Chinese teachers and Vice-principal Mrs Charis Ang.
Thank you Changi Bethany School House for helping me raise my Adam into a confident and happy child.
It is my hope that he will continue to grow and serve in God's ways.
We pray that he will enjoy learning in a new environment next year, but never forget to be young at heart and have fun.
 
 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

{sponsored} Discount code! Stickerkid.sg personalized name stickers for all children's schooling needs.

There are name labels and there are name labels.
 
At Stickerkid Sg, this creative company specialises in high quality, Swiss-made name stickers for children to mark their belongings and clothes.
 
24hour despatch, water resistant, dishwasher safe, mircowave safe name stickers stickerkid sg
Yeap, you read right!
Stickerkid name stickers are water resistant, dishwasher safe, microwave safe, washing machine safe, and more.
They also despatch your orders in 24 hours.
 
We are stoked to receive a set just for Adam because he's heading to official school in 2016.
The beginning of 10 years of education in Singapore...
 
Adam Tan Tian Kai, Stickerkid SG, Stickerkid Singapore
A personalized set of name stickers for my Primary One going kid.


Stickerkid Singapore, Stickerkid SG
They can not only be used to mark books and stationery...


name stickers for shoes
but also for shoes, especially useful in childcare centres and preschools where kids need to remove their shoes.
Or even when you go to indoor playgrounds. Brilliant.

the round stickers can be used on bottles and sippy cups.
 
and even iron-ons for clothes!

Honestly, Stickerkid has got to be the bespoke name-label maker for all parents and children.
 
I was just asking my mummy-friend Serene about the name label maker from Popular bookstore and God must've heard and intervened by sending Stickerkid to me.
I like them so much I'm going to order a set for Ashton as well. He ever brought home a wrong Avent milk bottle before because his previous name sticker peeled off after several washes in school.
I guess with Stickerkid, no more such peely-wally occurances!
 
Go to Stickerkid SG to get your personalized name stickers right away!
 
discount code mumzilla stickerkidsg stickerkid Singapore
For all Mumzilla readers, don't forget to enter "mumzilla10" for your 10% discount!
 
 
 Thank you Stickerkid for sponsoring us with a set of these ultra-practical and cute stickers.
Will be ordering one set for our pre-schooler Ashton :)
 
*Up in my next post, I will be sharing about where we got our kids' personalized school bags.
Stay tuned for more.

*Edit to add: the post on personalized school bags for pre-schoolers up to older schooling kids is up.