Kindergarten staggers reopening according to age group
KUCHING: St Faith’s Kindergarten reopened to its sixyear-old pupils yesterday.
Principal Josephine Gawing said the kindergarten will only reopen for five-year-olds next Monday (July 6) and for fouryear-olds the following Monday (July 13).
“Less is good for us for a start so that we can settle in slowly with staggered classes, and initial monitoring is much easier this week, and slowly gearing up for another batch of five-yearold students next week, and full operations with more children from four-year-old students, who will start to come in, in the next two weeks.
“We are very excited because we have not met the children for three months and at the same time we are concerned how the parents responded to the opening of the kindergarten, but so far so good,” she said.
The kindergarten has around 90 six-year-olds in four classes, and around 300 pupils in total.
Besides checking temperatures, hand and mouth screenings, and sanitising hands, pupils were also given face shields.
“When the children enter their classes, we asked them to put on the face shields compliments of the school,” added Josephine.
Meanwhile, most parents met said they trust the kindergarten to monitor their children. Krystal Kho said although she is still worried about the Covid19 situation, she believed her son Feyman Quek would be well taken care of.
“Of course I am worried but I trust the kindergarten to monitor my son,” she said. Jap Boon Chan said he had given son Yan Jun extra masks and sanitiser, as well as packed food.
“I am not that worried because I believe in this kindergarten that has been teaching and handling my son well,”
he said. Bia Bakir also believed her grandson Elijah Immanuel would be fine returning to class.
“We are not that worried because we trust the kindergarten, and my grandson is excited to come back to school,” said Bia.
Meanwhile, only two out of the over 40 pupils at Tabika Kemas Kampung Lintang returned to school yesterday as parents were still worried about Covid-19. “That is why we have only two students coming in today, as most parents are still not willing to send their children to school yet.
“We cannot force the parents to send their children so at the moment, all studying materials are sent via WhatsApp to whichever students are not in school yet,” said teacher Dayang Siti Nurbaya Abang Saruji.