In Carpe Diem Springs, we believe in nurturing each child holistically, including character building so that the children become active, confident learners ready for school and beyond.
This year, the theme of our Start Small Dream Big Project 2018 is ‘Spread Happiness Through Reading’. The project aims to encourage the K1 and K2 children, to play an active role in the community through reading, bonding and interacting with the elders at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.
Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home has been very close to our hearts as we have been doing our yearly partnership with them through various activities. After each visit, the feedback from the children was always to be able to spend more time with the elderly. Hence, the children together with the teachers suggested that reading stories to the elderly could bring some companionship and happiness into their lives.
Here are the 4 phases of the planned events for our project:
Phase 1 - Storybook Selection
Each child was to select a storybook that they would like to read to the elderly. We sought support and partnership with our parents to help their child practise reading at home. After which, the children brought the book back to school and practised reading with their friends and teachers.
Phase 2 - Donation Drive
Aside from reading, we wanted to help fulfill the practical needs and daily supplies of the elderly. We then started to organise a simple donation drive to collect these items needed for the elderly at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age. We worked with Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home management on the items that they needed, which were mainly non-consumables items like the cleaning and sanitising solutions, shower gel and disinfectants for the premises.
Phase 3 - Sorting out and packing the donations
Our parents were invited to help us with the sorting and packing of the donated items contributed from the parents in our school. The donation drive was a roaring success. Through the donation drive, we have managed to collect most of the items required for Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home.
Phase 4 - A visit to Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home
On 4th June 2018, the children embarked on spreading happiness through reading by visiting the elderly at the old age home, reading stories with them, as well as delivering the donations.
We are very heartened and encouraged by the children’s enthusiasm throughout this project, and how the children’s presence bring such joy into the lives of the elderly. Time spent between the children and we elderly benefits the health and well-being of both sides which resulted to bridging the gap between the young and old. We can definitely see the children grow in compassion and love for our elderly.
