Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil: Obtaining Spark Certification

By Agape Little Uni. Parent Resources November 10, 2022

Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the Singapore Pre-school Accreditation Framework (SPARK) Certification which recognises centres with strong teaching and learning practices which include a well-designed and integrated curriculum, and strong pedagogies to support children’s holistic development in an environment conducive for learning.

Let’s hear from our Principal, Ms Mariayati Binte Jayos, from Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil on how she has led the Cecil team through the journey of obtaining the SPARK Certification renewal and what are the challenges faced in 2021.

How has your journey been like?

“Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil will be undergoing SPARK Developmental Assessment soon as our SPARK certification is due for renewal. As a fairly new Principal who just joined Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil last year, it is challenging as there is little time to prepare for the upcoming assessment. Nonetheless, it has been fulfilling to be able to set up the learning environment together with the team after our minor renovation last year. We spent time discussing and sharing ideas on creating meaningful and engaging environments inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. With that, Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil is ready for our SPARK developmental assessment.”

What are the challenges faced?

“The teachers did not have much knowledge about the learning environment (often viewed as the 3rd teacher under the Reggio Emilia Approach). Hence, I have shared with the teachers about the approach and the importance of setting up purposeful learning environments for the children. Our environments should provide opportunities for children to express their ideas and thoughts through various means and forms of expression such as the creative arts and through the use of provocation tables. The teachers has also learnt to use “Pinterest” to find ideas to set up their classrooms. Gradually, the teachers have showed progress in setting up their classrooms and with the mentoring from the leaders and the core team, they managed to set up purposeful learning environments for the children. The teachers have definitely shown a lot of improvements in their classrooms set-up!”

Agape-Little-Uni-Cecil-Learning-Environment-Photo-2

To learn more about the centre’s curriculum and learning environment, fill up the registration form to schedule a visit to Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil!

Agape Little Uni @ Cecil, 101 Cecil Street #01-01 Tong Eng Building, Singapore 069533

cecil@agapelittleuni.com, +65 6223 8081

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Grade	Activity	Focus/Objective
PG, N1	Exposure to Muse Arts Teaching Methodology	Introducing Music as a form of Instruction
	Instill Muse Arts Routine	Allow the child to better understand our requirements of them during each lesson. Setting ground rules on when to play and when to listen.
	Building their music foundation via the introduction of Music and Movement with Music	Getting used to move in a coordinated motion with the Music. Instilling a culture of Freedom within Limits’.
	Exposure to Musical Instruments	Year 1: Percussion Instruments Year 2: Melodic Instruments
N2, K1, K2	Reinforcing Muse Arts’ Teaching Methodology and Routine	Instilling our Teaching Methodology and Routine to become second nature in them to enhance its effectiveness for the purpose preparing them to participate in activities that require a stricter control of progress, and adherence to time line, e.g., Preparation for a Performance.
	Exposure to orchestrated performances	Learning to work together and listen to each other so as to create a cohesive musical piece.
	Exposing them to more specific musical instruments, such as Keyboard / Ukulele / Xylophone	Further enhancement to their musical knowledge via exposure to more specific Musical Instruments. This allows parents to discover their child’s area of interest.

Activities	What do we do everyday?
Arrival and Breakfast	Infant and toddlers arrive at any time according to the family’s schedule. For infants who arrive early, a good breakfast will keep them fulfilled and happy for the day
Morning Greetings	A time for Educarers to greet every child and share a song/book with the children
Large Group Time	Infants and toddlers gather and engage in holistic activities
Discovery Time	A time for infants and toddlers to explore the different materials and equipment in their learning environment. The infants and toddlers are free to choose what they want to do according to their interests
Small Group Time	An opportunity for Educarers and infants/toddlers to share learning moments in a small group
Outdoor Time	A time for infants/toddlers to explore the environment beyond the classroom environment. It includes time to engage in planned gross motor activities
Lunch	An unhurried time to sit together, communicate and serve lunch to the infants/toddlers
Nap Time	A time for infant and toddler to rest according to their natural sleeping time
Shower / Diaper Time	A time to bond with the infants/toddlers through shower/diaper time
Departure	A time to communicate with parents about the happenings in the day; and to model respectful communications with our various stakeholders

Step	Description	Suggested Activities
Tuning In	The main purpose of Tuning In is to stimulate children’s interests in the topic of study.	Storytelling Songs and Rhymes Picture Talk Field Trip
Storytelling	The teacher finds a suitable story that is related to the topic of the week. She models good reading habits and spoken language. She reads the story with expressions and intonation to gain the children’s attention.	Puppetry Picture Talk Dramatization
Role Play	With regards to the topic of the week, teachers plan learning experiences which allow children to enact a role or an action.	Mathematical activities Discovery activities Cookery Puppetry Songs and Rhymes
Art and Craft	Children get to master their fine motor skills and work on 2-D and 3-D artwork with regards to the topic of study.	Creating 2-D and 3-D artwork
Cleaning Up	Children learn to clean and pack up after completing their activities.	Wipe the tables Putting things back to its original places Washing of hands and tools Sweeping
Cooling Down	After the children have participated actively in the preceding activities, they take this time to calm down.	Listen to a soothing music Close eyes and rest
Wrap Up	Teachers recall the activities that were done in the day and reinforce what was taught during these activities.	Recall A story A song A rhyme A word/phrase An action

Agape Principle	What it looks like in practice?	Related EYDF Guiding Principles
Active and Authentic Learning Experiences	Provide concrete and real-life materials for learning Plan learning experiences that include an integration of various learning areas Allow children to experiment new ideas through play and planned learning experiences Children are able to connect classroom learning experiences with real-life experiences Learning experiences provide choices Learning experiences cater to the different interests and developmental stage of young children Learning experiences derived from assessment of children’s learning on a regular basis	The Developing Child The Intentional Programme
Positive Connections	Teachers work closely with parents in curriculum making Teachers use positive language to communicate with young children and their families Teachers observe and plan respectful learning experiences that embraces the diverse backgrounds of young children Teachers model good language and tone when communicate with children during routines, transitions and learning experiences Centre may invite professionals to provide talks and workshops to keep our parents abreast of the latest development in infant services and care for young children	The Involved Family The Professional Educarer The Intentional Programme The Engaged Community
Authentic Assessment	Ongoing assessment of children’s learning is carried out everyday Teacher has a systematic plan to observe and record children’s progress on a regular basis The content of each summary report is based on regular documentations of children’s learning Assessment processes include children’s views and voices	The Developing Child The Involved Family The Professional Educarer The Intentional Programme
Guidance, Empowerment and Support	Teachers and children are co-learners in the classroom Teachers develop children’s critical thinking skills by asking effective and age-appropriate questions Teachers create a conducive and rich environment for learning The learning environment promotes opportunities for choice-making and interactions Teachers provide feedback and encourage children to improve their own work	The Developing Child The Involved Family The Professional Educarer The Intentional Programme

Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil: Obtaining Spark Certification

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Agape Little Uni. @ Cecil: Obtaining Spark Certification

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