Asia Youth Exchange Program (AYEP 2015) - Japan Cultural at Lost Paradise Resort, Penang

Cherry applied to attend this Japanese cultural camp organized by JCI Elite. Their school HM truly encouraged the students to go for this camp for experience and exposure. I think about 10 children from their school attended (all from Std 4 and 5).

It was held at Lost Paradise Resort. Children from different schools gathered for a fun-filled weekend stay.

We were initially quite reluctant to let her go, as she had to skip some weekend classes. However the program seemed to benefit her, so we finally gave our ok for her to sign up as she is very keen. She missed the full day holiday workshop at school last year and keep looking out for such program to attend. This one is a little different as not only the children enjoy their weekend activities, they are actually going to select some of these children to join their Asia Youth Exchange Program to go to Fukuyama, Japan for a one-week summer camp (self-pay of course, parents sendiri sponsor).

Papa took Cherry to take photos around Lost Paradise Resort. It's beautiful :)

More views

And more :D

Papa brought her to Lost Paradise Resort early in the morning on Saturday. The children registered and they are attend the opening ceremony and given briefing. The program is conducted in English. The children are potential candidates for the Fukuyama summer camp where international students will get together.

The organising team created a watsapp chatroom and gave parents tips what to pack for the AYEP camp. They also updated parents on the children's activities with photos and videos. Very caring of them :) They took good care of the children too. The children are not allowed to leave the group and they are not allowed to play in the pool or watersports for safety reason. Strictly follow the program and that is for the children's benefit and safety.

Cherry in red t-shirt. I only share those photos that I can see her. 

I'm not sure which session though, lost track as it was about a year ago :P

After registration, they have ice-breaking & team-building session. Here they get into their teams. They are given a plain folder and have to use their creativity to decorate it using their limited resources.

AYEP 2015 group photo

Dining area... Itadakimasu!

Lunch is chicken, veggie and rice, with soya milk sponsored by well-wisher. After lunch is basic Japanese conversation class. Then it's sushi-making lesson. They ate the sushi they made for tea :)

Sushi-making lesson. Cherry standing at the back.

Evening exercise to freshen up before shower and dinner.

They had fun doing some senamrobik haha...

Dinner is McDonald's, the children loved the treat. Didn't have a good photo of Cherry so didn't post here.

After dinner it's presentation skills program, and the children are to group together and prepare for their group presentation tomorrow.

Cherry at the back, still in her red t-shirt.

JCI facilitators check out their presentation and help them improve.
Some photos like these we can see her back only, but we know it's her hehe...

Then it's time to say goodnight.

Cherry and her roommates

The next morning, they go for morning exercise. Before that they are supposed to tidy-up their rooms. They were sent back as some rooms were not tidy enough and it's a practise for them. If they are staying with host family, of course they are expected to keep tidy.

Morning exercise at the beach

After breakfast, they are given some time to go through the basic Japanese materials.

Cherry in pink pants - studying

Then they present their presentation to the JCI facilitators. After lunch, it is making sweets and Japanese green tea. This is the program Cherry enjoyed the most. They get to eat the sweets and enjoy Japanese green tea. Didn't get her photo here too. 

Group photo after presentation

Finally, graduation and closing ceremony with parents. 

Final group photo at closing ceremony

Overall it is an enjoyable camp that she get to learn to be independent and take care of herself :) Thank you JCI Elite and facilitators for taking the time to coach the children in this program. The facilitators are all volunteers. 

Year 4 KSSR Homework/Projects

Here are some homework or project that the children had done in 2014 for their Year 4 and Year 1 KSSR.

Due to the new subject in Year 4 that replaces Kemahiran Hidup called Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi and Reka Bentuk dan Teknologi (TMK/RBT), there are more projects to be completed. This is a model which she assembled at school and brought home to play.

Modelling project done at school for RBT

Another example, her class was requested to build a mock periscope in groups. However since Cherry cannot make it for the weekend meet up time for her group, she ended up being allocated work as artist/decorator to decorate the finished product... anyway this project is kind of dangerous for 10 years old students as they are required to cut mirrors to shape, insert the mirror into a toothpaste box, then decorate the periscope.

The instructions in textbook for periscope model

Would prefer them to do it in school rather than group in other kids' houses, like the model which she assembled at school.

And a funny project teaching them how to sew. Mom doesn't sew, so she gets to do at school like this haha...

Stitching :) 

TMK has more computer based projects so she and classmates contribute to a file sending back and forth. They are trying to teach the students how to use powerpoint and insert/edit pictures.

Even Pendidikan Moral had them busy with projects....

Teaching children about gratitude for Pendidikan Moral Year 4 KSSR

Recycled material project for Pendidikan Moral Year 4 KSSR

As for Science, she did a few mini projects like looking for all types of leaves around the housing area, big leaves, small leaves, different type of roots etc. And teaching the students about cubes.

Science KSSR Year 4, about cubes.

I think they watched more videos/presentations that teacher had done in class.

As for the little boy just starting Year 1 in primary school, he has more projects now that teachers are more familiar with KSSR style. Here is a drawing for English, and a Merdeka craft assembled as cap.

His Merdeka cap craft

Drawing and labelling clothes for English Year 1

A more significant topic I noticed for Year 4 KSSR Kesihatan is all about kids' body changes and growing up. At first I was thinking it seemed a little early to teach them this topic but actually there are quite a lot of the kids going through changes from 9 years old onwards (Year 3). Even though it did not really help those who are early developers, it reached out to those who are around the average age of development (around 10 years old).

Kids' body changes and boys development

About girls' period in Mandarin

About respect and appropriate behaviour for accepting changes

Penang International Science Fair 2014 and Magic of Science Roadshows

Cherry got selected to attend Penang International Science Fair 2014 (PISF 2014) with her schoolmates. She was part of the school group that went in a bus :) She was so happy as this is the kind of activity she likes.

Her photo from Penang International Science Fair 2014

Another souvenir she got by completing a science challenge

Solar Car workshop - Penang International Science Fair 2014

She told us her teacher chose Year 4 students to attend Solar Car workshop. She enjoyed the Solar Car workshop as she manage to assemble and get it working at the workshop, and she get to bring home her success story. Before the workshop starts they were treated to breakfast of beehoon with nuggets and sausage.

After the workshop, the students were allowed free time to visit exhibition booths. She played games and got some freebies and balloons. Before they leave, they got a lunch box too. I wonder who sponsored their food there as parents didn't pay :p She told me all the school groups got the food packs.

She was back just in time to go for her English class. She was very happy showing off to 哥哥:p He didn't get to go as we are anti-crowd. I still don't really understand the part about it being an "international fair" after her visit.

Magic of Science Roadshows at Queensbay Mall

The same organizer for PISF also did the Magic of Science Roadshows. Somehow we manage to attend two, all at the same mall, QBM :) These Science stuff are all the rage in Penang as we will have a Tech-Dome Penang coming up soon in 2015. The roadshows are a 'pre-heat' to the opening of Tech-Dome.

During the first time Magic of Science Roadshow is at QBM, they had the digital planetarium show which we missed. There was such long queue and we didn't have time to wait for the show 1 hour later. Wished we had the chance to visit, as they didn't have the digital planetarium show after this, too bad. The children didn't have time to complete the full booths to get their cotton candy too, and were sad about it.

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM in August - mixing up slime :P

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM in August - see-saw balance beam

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM in August - wobble detector

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM in August - sign says wobble detector, but it looks like some circuit?

When Magic of Science Roadshow came back again in December, they manage to complete the activities needed to get their cotton candy reward. They keep showing Baby Orange the box that projects rainbow when torch is shone. Just so happens that 哥哥 was wearing the same t-shirt for both times at the roadshow :P

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM - first stop making box that projects rainbow!

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM - floating activity?

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM - molding their craft

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM - making santa

Magic of Science Roadshow at QBM - completed mission!

We are lucky to be in Penang as there are so many activities for children that are fun and educational!

姐姐's school trip - Second Penang Bridge or Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge

姐姐's school take the opportunity to bring the children visit the Second Penang Bridge during the 1-month free access upon opening. They also visited a toothbrush factory in Kulim, a school and had seafood lunch at Bukit Tambun before crossing the second bridge.

She is on her own this time as parents are not allowed to accompany their children. She is excited about the trip and signed up early. Cost is RM35 including transport and lunch. Only have pre-departure photos as we didn't let her bring camera.

Departing from school for their school trip to Second Penang Bridge

Here are her comments about her trip. They stopped by Jeti Pulau Aman as it's on the way to the Second Penang Bridge.

Her short trip report

We saw photos of the Second Penang Bridge with bends, but 姐姐 said she felt it was just like a straight road :) They returned late and she had to skip her English class :P I guess they caused traffic congestion around the school area when they were back as there were 4 buses with parents picking up their children about the same time.

Update November 2014:

Just noticed the school posted up some photos from the trip but they didn't put in facebook. We just snapshot from the school notice board.

At the Penang ferry. Cherry in pink track pants.

Visiting SJK (C) Keng Koon.

 

Another group photo at SJK (C) Keng Koon

At Jeti Pulau Aman. Cherry in pink track pants.

Another view at Jeti Pulau Aman. Cherry in pink track pants.

School trip to Kuala Gula

姐姐 was so excited when she signed up for the school trip to Kuala Gula. We missed the earlier school trip to Sekinchan as we decide late and did not get to go (it was quite tiring being overnight in the bus). So she's quite excited about this one, which includes a boat ride. It costs RM100 per person including lunch, dinner, boat ride, bus fare and insurance.

This post took so much longer to get published as 爸爸 ended up going in my place. I was not familiar with the places so I had to wait for 姐姐 to update me about which is what and where. I told 姐姐 to write a simple trip report for me so that she will remember the places she visited.

They had dimsum breakfast at Juru (no photo as busy eating).

爸爸 is teruk, asked her to tuck in her shirt to her leggings, I scolded him for not having any common sense as who would do that? Fashion disaster .....

Salted Fish Processing. 

Temple at Sungai Udang 高渊港口

Fishing port at Sungai Udang 高渊港口

See how fishes and prawns are being traded at Sungai Udang

Watch 虾饼 making and bought some for munching.

They went for fried crab beehoon and fried rice for lunch at Soon Soon Lai Restoran. No photo as they were busy eating, 姐姐 say the food is ok for her but 爸爸 didn't like it.

After lunch it's boat ride (they changed the itinerary). And it was raining during boat ride so 爸爸 was fuming that the itinerary was changed.

Kuala Gula - 乘船. Too bad 爸爸 didn't take photos of the scenery. Packed like sardines here, but get to hold soft-shell crab and clam. 

After boat ride, they visit belacan making place.

Belacan making

Then it's the Chinese temple where they have 18 层地狱 display but they couldn't go as it was kind of underground and was quite flooded.

Chinese temple in Kuala Gula 华圣宫.

华圣宫

华圣宫

Another look at charcoal making. We saw similar one near Kuala Sepetang during last year's school trip. She just wake up from nap here so that's why the disheveled hair.

Charcoal making

Salted egg making

And this is her trip report. Most of her comments are "臭" hahaha

Dinner was seafood and she didn't really fancy since majority are spicy dishes. They are only back home by about 10pm!