By Serene Leong
(Additional reporting by Chng Shu Min)
What better way for children to learn values of compassion and responsibility than taking care of a small pet? In a busy city like Singapore, however, not many children get the opportunity to care for pets as they do not have pets at home.
Hence, in term 2 last year, St. James’ Church Kindergarten (Leedon) started a Pet Carer programme, where children interested to take care of our school pets – two terrapins called Matcha and Green Tea – could bring them home for the weekend!
The idea for the programme came from the children themselves, Principal Jeanette Seah shared, as they had expressed curiosity and interest in the animals and wondered who took care of them over the weekends and during the school holidays.
The objective of the Pet Carer programme was to inculcate values of patience, gentleness and compassion in children, as well as encourage pet responsibility and a sense of ownership in children and families.
Former Principal Chng Shu Min said: “We want to inspire, encourage, and empower children to care for creation and the environment by teaching them the importance of creation care and simple actions they can take to make a difference. Through this experience, the children learned to show compassion and be responsible when taking care of a pet by feeding it, changing water and more.”
“There have been rising cases of animal abuse in recent years. Hence, we want to inculcate these values of showing compassion and being responsible at a young age, and at the same time, provide the children with opportunities to show kindness to others.”
Caring for animals
Since the start of 2023, the terrapins have been in a small aquarium at the school’s arrival area. When the children arrive, they enjoy visiting and observing the terrapins before going into the classroom.
“The terrapins have been a great help for many children, especially those who need time to settle down, as they would quietly observe the terrapins before class. We noticed that it also sparks conversations between the children and their parents as the child shares their daily school experience,” Shu Min said.
In the first run of the programme, 18 families across all levels got the opportunity to bring home Matcha and Green Tea. The children were very excited when it came to their turn to take care of the terrapins.
Before bringing Matcha and Green Tea home, the children and their parents were informed on how to care for the terrapins safely and to contact the school if they fall sick.
One of our Nursery children Joe grew so attached to Green Tea after caring for it over the Good Friday weekend that he came to school crying as he was sad to return Green Tea, Shu Min shared.
Joe’s father Derek Lim said: “My child doesn’t like to share his toys and he was quite reluctant to return Green Tea back to the school. But this is an experience that will help him to learn. He also learned to be more responsible and will feed Green Tea in the morning and talk to him as soon as he wakes up. We enjoyed and would like to take care of Green Tea again!”
Caring for the world around us
The children’s learning did not stop after the Pet Carer Programme. Shu Min shared that as the K1 children were exploring the topic of “Observing the World” as part of their Topic of Inquiry and expressed interest in animals and environmental awareness, they decided to embark on the Creation C.A.R.E Project, a partnership with Christian Preschool Alliance and Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
In this project, the teachers read ‘The Creation Story’ to the children for a biblical understanding of how creation began.
Next, the teachers introduced “There’s a Rang-Tan in my Bedroom”, a story about how a little girl meets an orangutan and found out that his home is being destroyed through deforestation to make way for new oil palm tree plantations. The story evokes compassion and a need for championing change.
At the end of the project, the children’s artworks were showcased at One Punggol to spread awareness about Creation C.A.R.E. The artworks highlighted the plight of the orangutans with the aim is to raise awareness and champion change on the topic of deforestation and the loss of habitats for rainforest animals.
Parents can reinforce these values at home by sharing stories relating to animals and how to take care of them. For example, day trips to the Singapore Zoo, River Wonders and S.E.A. Aquarium allows children to learn more about animal conservation, and is a wonderful way to spend quality time with the family.
Most importantly, parents can be a role model for their children by showing them how to care for others and the world around them.
To find our more about our preschools, visit https://sjck.org.sg/
