You’ve probably already started hearing in malls and just about everywhere else, Andy William’s smooth voice belting out, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With kids jingle belling and everyone telling you ‘Be of good cheer’”. It certainly is a wonderful time of the year, as Christmas trees go up with beautiful ornaments, gift shopping commences (in an oddly stressful and official manner) and basically the decking of halls, well with folly, begins.
Another thing that signifies the closing of the year – musical concerts held at childcare centres. Teachers hurriedly planning, organising and basically doubling up as costume directors, stage directors, music arrangers, and even as child pacifiers as a couple of children are bound to bawl once the devil called Stage Fright creeps in. This scene was what greeted TheAsianParent when we paid DEL-Care Edu Centre a visit. Children giggling with their costumes on, teachers making adjustments to costumes and scripts and just about everyone having fun getting ready for the concert that was to be held on the 27th of November at the Japanese Association.
Deck the halls
“It’s the first time we are having a musical with choir, percussion and everything. It’s tying in with the year-end graduation. We’re getting all the children involved in this,” explains Jeanette Tan, director of DEL-Care. Jeanette and her team are true to their word. If any child pouts about the role he/she is supposed to play, the staff goes all out to make adjustments so the child would be happy playing the role, or donning the costume or anything else that might be itching him/her to open the water gates.
DEL-Care was ‘born’ on in January 1991, a brainchild of Jeanette Tan with the support of a group of professionals. In the first 14 years, DEL-Care was a part of more than a thousand children living in or around Cashew Heights Condominium and Pasir Ris Terrace. DEL-Care decided to shift into the Central Business District upon the realisation and recognition of the changing needs of families with young children.
Home to infants and pre-schoolers, DEL-Care uses a variety of strategies, teaching methods and materials to engage the kids in the lessons. At the beginning of each year, parents are invited to attend a meeting known as the ‘Curriculum Meeting’ where the core objective of Del-Care’s education is shared. DEL-Care is at the heart of the business district with its location of 80 Anson Road, #02-08 Fuji Xerox Tower. Because of its location, activities between 12.30pm to 2pm are selected to facilitate parents’ participation during their lunch break.
Coming from a banking industry, what stirred Jeanette to make the transition into childcare? “I have been blessed with a special gift from God – kids and I – we’re like paper clips to a magnet. I stopped to think what I would be proud of at 80 and decided that my earlier career in the banking industry would not allow me the satisfaction of leaving a legacy of influencing lives,” beams Jeanette.
Visit Del-Care at Del-care.com
