White Lodge newest childcare centre in Singapore is open to children 18 months and older. We spoke to Founding Director Jayne Nadarajoo about why the school decided to open its doors to the little little ones.
If we’ve counted correctly, this makes eight White Lodge centres in Singapore. What’s the secret to your longevity?
Yes, our new childcare centre is our eighth centre in Singapore – and counting. We’re located in Bukit Timah, East Coast, Loewen Gardens, Phoenix Park, Upper Bukit Timah, Upper East Coast, West Coast and now River Valley. Our first kindergarten opened in 1999 with three students, two teachers and a determination to improve the standard of kindergarten education in Singapore. White Lodge was one of the very first preschools on the island to acknowledge the value of a good balance in personal and academic success for lifelong learning.
Why did you open the new centre?
River Valley is our first childcare centre and offers programmes from 7am to 7pm from Monday to Friday. We set it up to support the needs of the school community. Not everyone has a helper, and many families have young children. So, the extra school hours keep the children engaged and allow other children to be cared for by a helper, grandparent or parent. Plus, we provide meals from The New Luncher to promote healthy eating and cut down on preparation time for parents.
Tell us about the campus.
We’ve had requests for a preschool at River Valley for a few years now. The location is not far from Mohamed Sultan Road. We have designed an amazing learning environment to ensure children are happy in a home-away-from-home environment. In many countries, children don’t get to play outdoors due to the seasons, so we brought the outdoor play indoors as they do in Europe.
What ages can join the centre?
We offer five programmes at River Valley with Mandarin as a second language or foreign language. Our Playgroup class is for little ones from 18 months to 2.5 years old. Pre-Nursery is for children 2.5 to 3.5 years old, while Nursery is for those aged 3.5 to 4.5. Pre-Kindergarten, for kids 4.5 to 5.5 years old, is where children move from play-based activities to learning activities. And Kindergarten, for kids 5.5 to 6.5 years old, is where children undergo a pre-primary preparation programme to ensure a smooth and successful transition into local or international school.
Apart from this, children have daily Mandarin lessons, Music and Movement, Art and Craft, Sensory Play and Cookery and more each week. Each term, we host field trips, celebrations and events where families are invited to participate and be actively involved in their child’s school life. These include our Annual Concert, Art Exhibition and Big Sing, UN Day and more.
How can interested parents learn more?
All parents are welcome to book a visit for a personal tour.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2019, White Lodge is offering specials at its preschools across Singapore.
• Free early drop-off from 8am
• Free daily Activity Club programmes – Fitness Club, Book Club, Games Club, Hindi/Mandarin Club and Musical Theatre for full-day students (classes from 2.15pm to 3.15pm)
• Free childminding services from 3.15pm to 5pm daily to support the needs of working parents and families with young children
White Lodge’s new childcare centre is located at 262 River Valley Road.
6255 4230 | whitelodge.edu.sg
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This article first appeared in the February 2019 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
