Thursday, January 19, 2017

4 mega childcare centres to open in 2018

Source Website: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/4-mega-childcare-centres-open-2018
By Linette Heng, linheng@sph.com.sg, Reporter, The New Paper, 19 January 2017 at 06:00 am


One facility located at Sengkang will be the first in Singapore to be sited in a park
PHOTO: One facility located at Sengkang will be the first in Singapore to be sited in a park
An artist impression of the Skool4Kidz childcare centre at Sengkang Riverside Park.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SKOOL4KIDZ
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http://www.tnp.sg/sites/default/files/styles/rl680/public/articles/2017/01/19/np_20170119_lhcare19-sfm_1485958.jpg?itok=0IOKceVo
http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/4-mega-childcare-centres-open-2018


A garden piazza, a butterfly lodge and a dining theatre that serves dishes from the school's garden will be some of the things you will find at a new childcare centre that will open by mid-2018.

Set in Sengkang Riverside Park, it will have 400 places.

Three other mega childcare centres will also begin construction this year and are due for completion at the same time - two in Punggol that will have 1,000 places and one in Bukit Panjang with 300 places.

This brings the number of large childcare centres to nine, said the Early Childhood Development Agency.

Details of the Sengkang centre - the first in Singapore to be located in a park - were revealed at a ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.

The state-of-the-art campus will have a cocoon-like structure so that it will look like a "rolling hill" on the park, and blend seamlessly with the environment.


The childcare centre looks stunning and almost resembles a greenhouse.
PHOTO: The childcare centre looks stunning and almost resembles a greenhouse. It will be run by Skool4Kidz, which will presumably teach the children how to spell the words “school” and “kids” correctly. It wouldn’t look out of place in the futuristic 'Gardens By The Bay'.
Picture posted by Kuan Yung Teng on 18 january 2017
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https://i0.wp.com/mustsharenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sengkang-park-childcare-architecture1.jpg
https://mustsharenews.com/sengkang-park-childcare/


The campus will have a site area of 4,000 sq m and built-up area of 3,600 sq m - almost four times the size of an average childcare centre.

Operated by anchor operator Skool4kidz, which runs 11 childcare centres islandwide, it will be completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

Full-day fees will cost an estimated ＄720 for children aged between 18 months and six years. Infant care fees for children aged between two and 17 months will cost an estimated ＄1275.


4 new mega childcare centres to be built, including first in a park
PHOTO: 4 new mega childcare centres to be built, including first in a park
See, smell, hear, touch and taste what nature has to offer - this is what Singapore's first childcare centre in a park will offer when it opens its doors at the end of this year to 400 children aged between two months and six years.
The two-storey facility at Sengkang Riverside Park will be run by anchor operator Skool4kidz, and is one of four mega childcare centres that will be built by the middle of next year, announced the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) on Wednesday (Jan 18).
The Skool4kidz Campus @ Sengkang Park will be about four times bigger than the average childcare centre in Singapore. It will also have learning spaces that are integrated with nature, like a Butterfly Lodge where kids can learn about the insects’ biology, and children will be served fruits and vegetables harvested from the centre's own garden. The centre will also tap on the National Parks Board’s (NParks) expertise to incorporate educational materials on Singapore's biodiversity.
An artist's impression of the new Skool4kidz childcare centre at Sengkang Riverside Park.
Posted by Liyana Othman, Channel NewsAsia on 18 January 2017 at 12:37
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/3446832/1484716245000/large16x9/768/432/skool4kidz.jpg
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/4-new-mega-childcare-centres-to-be-built-including-first-in-a/3446770.html


Skool4kidz's curriculum founder, Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, said that being close to nature will allow the children to develop holistically.

She told The New Paper: "They will be able to learn about botany and insects by curiously examining the wide variety of plants and insects in the park's eco-system.

A POSITIVE IMPACT
"Research has also shown that immersing in a natural environment has a positive impact on a child's overall health."

The other mega childcare centres will also be run by anchor operators - PAP Community Foundation in Punggol and NTUC My First Skool in Punggol and Bukit Panjang.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Sengkang centre yesterday, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin reiterated the Government's commitment to providing more quality and affordable pre-school options.


Groundbreaking Ceremony
PHOTO: Groundbreaking Ceremony
A groundbreaking ceremony for the centre was held on Wednesday (Jan 18), overseen by Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin and Dr Lam Pin Min, member of parliament for Sengkang West.
Picture posted by Kuan Yung Teng on 18 january 2017
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https://mustsharenews.com/sengkang-park-childcare/


Groundbreaking Ceremony
PHOTO: Groundbreaking Ceremony
This centre at Sengkang Riverside Park is the result of a partnership with NParks.
Picture posted by Kuan Yung Teng on 18 january 2017
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https://mustsharenews.com/sengkang-park-childcare/


He said: "This centre at Sengkang Riverside Park is the result of a partnership with NParks, so that our children can easily participate in physical and outdoor activities."

Mr Tan told Parliament last year that by this year, about 10,000 more places will be added, of which about a third will be in Punggol and Sengkang.


For your children, it is a good choice.
PHOTO: For your children, many challenges can be overcomed.
Picture posted by Elly, Children's Outfitters
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http://www.ellyloves.com/girls-younger/ladies-top/ladies-top-in-red-geometric-lanterns


Mother of a 33-month-old girl and a two-week-old boy, Ms Joanne Goh, 34, told TNP that she faced many challenges enrolling her older daughter into a childcare centre in Punggol, where she is currently living with her parents.

She hopes that she will be able to enrol her children into the new Sengkang facility when she moves into the neighbourhood next year.


Skool4kidz's curriculum founder, Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, said that being close to nature will allow the children to develop holistically.
PHOTO: Skool4kidz's curriculum founder, Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, said that being close to nature will allow the children to develop holistically.
She told The New Paper: "They will be able to learn about botany and insects by curiously examining the wide variety of plants and insects in the park's eco-system."
Picture posted by Elly, Children's Outfitters
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FNeNsd9oLQMVKLGgObHJIjNTTrnlqo8xjdta9fCkXo2tW3YbDtcJZAvgs9WoEzaBs0a0WS0J5rNnPFtVdC64jt3BFbwCxb2ac1p8UGmhyphenhyphenTI4sr1YhltvkiRLNJDbfIju796iTGHR0ZUM/s1600/Mom+Top+Red+Geo+Flowers+3-1.jpg
http://www.ellyloves.com/CNY2016/Mom%20Top/Mom%20Top%20Red%20Geo%20Flowers%203.jpg
http://www.ellyloves.com/girls-younger/ladies-top/ladies-blouse-top-in-red-geometric-flowers


Culviate Good Habits From Young
PHOTO: Culviate Good Habits From Young
Dr Jane Ching-Kwan, director and curriculum consultant of Skool4Kidz, told Channel NewsAsia that “anything you do with young children in the early years of their lives leave a very lasting impact on their development”.
Learning how to appreciate nature from a young age may have a positive impact on children as they grow up.
Picture posted by Kuan Yung Teng on 18 january 2017
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjsqnnBMSn7n5jEWm7HLtcmkY8DbRe6pQEB0uG_eO_BITdId6-FysPKuxMcHHyH3tbpLS32_E1AIFgp7DBgpXz8-j4EfbDmCP3Wd_NNOFuOxYuaH7ghyn4y4vPpFGlGTczXChFaW-9iab/s1600/sengkang-park-childcare-nature.jpg
https://i1.wp.com/mustsharenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sengkang-park-childcare-nature.jpg
https://mustsharenews.com/sengkang-park-childcare/

By Linette Heng, linheng@sph.com.sg, Reporter, The New Paper, 19 January 2017 at 06:00 am



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