by on 22/09/2020 194
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Apple Tree Nursery & Kindergarten is located in Tanjung Bungah, Penang. They offer nursery (2-4 years), kindergarten (5-6 years) and after school care (7-12 years) programmes for children that focus on holistic learning. The centre was founded in 2003 by their devoted principal, Karen Lau.
Karen, who was from a corporate background, ventured into early childhood education years ago—and realized how much she loved the field. Since then, she has not stopped studying and learning more about the specialization.
She started with an International Diploma in Montessori Education and kept building on her knowledge, as she recently completed her master’s degree in educational psychology. Karen does this because of her deep interest in education, and because she knows she has to keep in touch with the latest developments in the field in order to deliver the best to her students.
Apple Tree Nursery & Kindergarten uses a trilateral approach in their educational programmes. Their method is based around a concept called the ‘Hands, Head and Heart’, where the hands represent behaviour, heart represents emotion, and head represents cognition or knowledge.
The centre strongly believes in these three aspects working together to create a well-balanced child. Their holistic approach shows that a combination of both academic and non-academic growth is possible for young learners.
For example, their nursery program is more play-based and aims to develop independence, social skills and the foundation for learning skills; while their kindergarten programme thoroughly prepares kids for entry into primary school. Children in the kindergarten programme are taught to develop important skills like critical thinking, and are instilled with a sense of responsibility.
The centre has a full-day programme, where the afternoon is dedicated more to fun, socialization, play and relaxation. However, older children are helped with their homework, which encourages good habits.
Other than that, there are also enrichment classes available for kids such as dance, drama and art lessons, which are conducted by outside experts.
Different age groups at Apple Tree have their own dedicated learning environments that meet their needs. For example, the youngest kids need more toys, open space and lots of learning materials to manipulate. The children in kindergarten have a more formal learning setting with proper tables and chairs, shelves, board games and plenty of books. Teachers here also incorporate multimedia, games and projects to help their students learn more effectively.
Apple Tree only chooses teachers who have honest values that align with their vision. Having kindness, patience and a love for kids are some of the essential traits that they want in their educators. Karen interviews all teachers carefully in order to understand them and their character better, before deciding who she’ll hire.
Teachers here are also qualified with certifications from the relevant government authorities, with many of them having diplomas and degrees in education or early childhood.
Notably, all teachers who join the team are provided with regular training in different areas such as teaching, classroom management, self-discovery, and first-aid.
Apple Tree organises a host of fun and meaningful activities, such as their annual sports day, cultural night, charity fundraising and charity work events where parents can join in. They also have sessions like picnics at the beach and ‘movie under the stars’ where they would rent a projector and screen, while both kids and parents enjoy an exciting film on their beanbags!
Karen practices an open-door policy with parents, where she is very willing to directly speak to parents whenever they have concerns. She believes that working together with parents enables the best outcomes for all kids.
Apple Tree also uses a phone app to have transparent, two-way communication with parents, that keeps them updated about their children’s progress.
Kids at Apple Tree are in safe hands as the place is regularly sanitized and cleaned, while gates and grills are always kept locked. Furthermore, the entry points are equipped with CCTV cameras and visitors aren’t allowed to walk in unless they have made a prior appointment with the principal.
When it comes to kids’ health, the centre also makes sure that they serve nutritious food to both kids and staff, all prepared in-house by their designated chef.
