The Kuala Krai District Mini Frog Summit

FROG Summit, SK. Sungai Embak

Recently, teachers from over 41 schools in the Kuala Krai District, attended a Frog VLE Summit, with Muhammed Fitri from Frog Asia, The aim of this mini summit was to introduce the teachers to the Frog VLE system, and share with them how to use Frog VLE in their own schools.

Khidar Abdullah, one of our Mentors in Pasar Puteh, first introduced how much fun it is to use Frog with their students, and then Muhammad Fitri   from Frog continued focusing on how the teachers can set up a Frog page with their students, as well as giving tips on using Frog with their students.

Kuala Krai district, is still sometimes limited by the remoteness of some of the schools,  and the lack of Internet coverage, in many parts of this vast district, however as Frog VLE appears in more schools, the teachers themselves are well prepared to implement it in their classrooms.

Libraries can be Fun

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SK. Batu Mengkebang

A traditional library is often seen as a place were you simply browse through the aisles of  books, or sit down quietly reading, but in a library, student centered activities can be fun too, as demonstrated by one of the teachers we meet at SK. Batu Mengkebang.

Sometimes younger students are just starting to learn how to use a dictionary, and one game used on this particular trip to the school library, was a find  game, in groups. Once the students were divided into groups, they were given a blank piece of paper, and Mark, one of our Mentors in the Kuala Krai District, would show them a word.

 The children would then rush through their dictionaries, and the winner would be the first group who could find the word, and tell the class its meaning. Once this simple game ended, the students had a fun class in the library, and also had developed essential dictionary skills. Libraries can be fun, with the teachers at SK. Batu Mengkebang.

The Kuala Krai District, English Fun Fair at SK. Sungai Embak

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The Fun Fair Starts

The Brighton Education English Fun Fair arrived at SK. Sungai Embak, with over 140 students, and 30 plus teachers representing the schools in Kuala Krai District attending, this once in a year event.

Let the Music Begin

Scott, and Philip started the Fun Fair rolling after a representative from the school , and Francis from the local Education department welcomed the participants, with a selection of songs for the children to sing to.

Welcome to the Fair

Children then practiced their English English skills at a variety of stalls, collecting tokens to redeem prizes, once they had the right answer, whilst the teachers, and Mentors from Brighton, helped at each store.

English can be Fun

Children spun wheels, had their faces painted, guessed what was in the box, and at each stall practiced English with a smile on their faces.

We would like like to convey a special thank you to the staff, and students at SK. Sungai Embak, who helped prepare the Fun Fair, and gave us their full support in making this event, such fun for everyone involved.

A New Mini Library at SK. Chenulang

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Students visiting the Mini Library

The Mini Library at SK. Chenulang has been an on-going project, which simply expanded as the teachers involved brought in new ideas about the design, and activities inside the now restored school store room.

Adly, the Schools local Artist at work

This combined effort, included Adly, a well known local artist and a teacher at the school painting a Murial, and the English department helping with creating, and organizing materials for the library.

The completed Mini Library

We would like to thank the school for their support, the teachers from the English department, and the technicians who helped turn a storeroom into a new pro-active learning area for the children.

Adly, is known for his fine batik, and oil paintings depicting  traditional life in Kelantan , so feel free to visit his Facebook page, which includes examples of his artwork.

Adly Razali

Karate during Sports Day in Gua Musang

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During a recent School Sports day in Gua Musang, Anthony along with the students, demonstrated how, by practicing Martial arts like Karate can help build the confidence levels of a student, creating a Can do, attitude.

  Anthony, our Mentor in Gua Musang has a black belt in Karate, and with the help of a keen group of students, showed how to break a brick, with his bare hand, by focusing all your energies on the task, and letting your fear drift away.

After the demonstration, Anthony emphasized to the students that even the most difficult task can be possible, if you let your fear subside, and focus on a solution. Citing the examples of a Test question, or  taking part in a Spelling Bee, were actually with confidence, and the right focus you can overcome a question, which you feel is too difficult to answer.

One of the teachers said afterwards, "I am sure, the children in my class can grow in confidence, after understanding that difficult things can be overcome."

Our Ongoing Activities in June, and July

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SK Batu Jong, SAL Room

One of the activities our Teachers, and Mentors enjoy is creating or beautifying areas in the school for the children to visit, and discover more about the English language. One of our current projects is to renovate both the exterior, and interior of the SAL room at SK. Batu Jong in Kuala Krai.

This large project is a continuous process, especially as the teachers in the English department at the school are limited in time, however now children can learn more English through the inter-active display outside the SAL room.

Running Dictation at SK. Batu Mengkebang

The year three students at SK. Batu Mengkebang enjoyed a 'Running Dictation,' activity before school ended for the weekend. Each group took turns to run and read a text, while another member, wrote down each part of the story. At the end of the class, the excited students, had read, spoken, and written the story posted outside their classroom.

Language Arts in Kuala Krai

Language arts is another way to interest Students in learning a language, and the children in one English class in kuala Krai, created a badge, with a message of appreciation for their friend. At the end of the class, each student had given their friend a badge of appreciation, and discovered another creative way to master English.

KSSR Songs for Children

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KSSR Year One Songs

Singing is one very active activity that can even bring the shyest student  into song, and Khidar, our Mentor in Bachok, created a web page which has a selection of songs related to the year one textbook.

Khidar hopes the teachers in Kuala Krai, and Gua Musang can use the webpage, and wishes you all, Selamat Aidul Fitri. 

A New "English Zone" at Sk.Sungai Embak

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SK. Sungai Embak

Members of the English Panel, recently created an "English Zone," on an existing school stairway, after re-decorating the area, and creating a new bright spot to the school exterior.

Story time with a "Cat with a Hat"

The "Zone" is a one stop area, were children can view essential vocabulary, read a story and try out a simple game, in an indirect way of discovering English. The teachers at SK. Sungai Embak designed the "English Zone," as an interactive area for children to enjoy learning a language, with their friends.

Smile and Learn at SK. Sungai Embak

Once the Zone was completed, the curiosity of the children was already awakened, as they noticed the "Zone," on the way to class, and started to discover that English can really be a fun activity to learn. 

Our Recent Classroom Activities in April

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Mingle at SK. Batu Jong

Recently at SK. Batu Jong, a group of year three students had the opportunity to practice their language skills in a class mingle activity. Students  asked each other a series of questions on the topic of pets, and write down their results. "Mingles," allow students to actively use their language skills, in a fun and imaginative way, making them more confident when it comes to speaking in another language.

SK. Batu Mengkebang

Directions are often difficult to remember in English, especially when they differ greatly from Bahasa Melayu, so one way teachers from SK. Batu Mengkebang made it easier for the children from one year two class remember, was to devise a directions game.

The children challenged each other, with more complex vocabulary, and at the end of the activity, were able to remember, and use the common English expressions used for giving directions. Learning can be fun, especially through the innovative approach of this directions game, by the teachers at SK. Batu Mengkebang.

Our Ongoing Audio- Video Room Projects in Kuala Krai

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Our Audio Video Room Project at SK Kampong Tengah

In the Kuala Krai area, we are working on new ideas to help both the schools we visit, the teachers, and the children they teach. One idea, which is currently being implemented in some of the schools, is to make more use out of the audio/video rooms at each school.

Year One Students mastering the Alphabet

We are currently providing each school, with a DVD with a set of videos, as well as over 150 songs on MP3,  with language activities for early learners, and LINUS students. Each activity is inter- active, and can start from the basics with learning the alphabet, to singing an activity based song.

Sing-a-long at SK Kampong Tengah

Many of the teachers who are using the audio- visual room are also adding their own materials to this DVD, which should help schools with limited internet coverage, to use the Audio- Video room more frequently, and turn a passive activity of watching TV, into an effective inter active learning technique.

Helping Hands reach out in Gua Musang

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Anthony, one of our team in Gua Musang, recently delivered a box of books from "Helping Hands" to help rebuild a damaged school library, at SK.Limau Kusturi.

One of the many libraries in our area, after the flood 

The school was badly damaged, and the Malaysian air force helped to clean up the school, along with local volunteers. Anthony, visited the teachers at SK. Limau Kasturi, as the rebuilding process continued, and after seeing the condition of the library, requested a box of books for the school.

Members of the Malaysian Air Force helped with the clean - up

The staff,  teachers, and children all would like to thank you for helping with this book donation, and now the library is ready for use, hope to fill up more empty shelves. 

Our Ongoing Flash Card Projects for 2015

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SK Chenulang

Currently in many of the schools we visit in both Gua Musang, and Kuala Krai, our teachers are working on creating new flashcards, which are useful to introduce key vocabulary to their students, and can be used to decorate English language spaces around the schools.

Children can help create these cards during language arts classes, or we supply teachers with a complete set of Year 1 - 3 cards, completed by one of our Team in Kelantan, David La Londe. 

We hope to continually expand this activity by sharing ideas on how to use these valuable teaching aids, through fun based classroom activities, and games. 

“Helping Hands,” Kelantan

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Many areas were devastated by the recent floods in Kelantan

Shortly after the flood waters receded, and the full effects of the destruction they left, became evident to millions of Malaysians, the clean-up, and re-building process in much of Kelantan started.

Our Helping Hands team of International volunteers

“Helping Hands,” are an initiative started by our team of Mentors in Kelantan, and Brighton Education, which  initially donated essentials to one of the communities worse hit by the floods, Kampung Serasa.  This remote village in the Jeli district,  was almost destroyed, and only two houses remained, out of a village of 50 homes, once the flood waters receded.

A simple plan to re-build lives

The plan  was to shelter  the many people who were still living in the makeshift ruins of their  homes, with new temporary houses.  This concluded with several of our Mentors visiting the Kampong Serang, and assisting in the home building, along with volunteers from Thailand, Terengganu, and nearby Jeli,  who all helped with the rebuilding project.

The first steps begin

The next stage of helping Kelantan recover from this extraordinary disaster is to donate books to Kindergardens, School and public libraries, in the Kuala Krai, Tanah Merah, and Gua Musang areas. Many school and public libraries were lost, and our aim is to help fill the now dusty, and empty shelves of these libraries, with new, and donated books.

If you are interested in hearing more about “Helping Hands,” or even making a donation, please contact + 60 19 623 0119, for more details.  

                    

“Helping Hands,” are funded by donations from the Management, Mentors and former Mentors, and staff  of Brighton Education, with individual donations from the public.

A New School Year Begins with a Spirit of Hope in 2015

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During the early morning hours of December the 25th, the long, normally slow meandering Sungai Kelantan river, along with the lesser rivers and streams which criss-cross Kelantan rose so high, and traveled at such a speed, that only a few hours later many parts of Kuala Krai, and Gua Musang resembled a great lake.

SK Maniek Urai, (Late December 2014)

The force, height and speed of this extraordinary flood was so great, people heard the waters move inland, and sometimes loud bangs were heard, until whole villages became submerged, and tens of thousands of people were forced to take refuge in some the schools we visit, as Mentors. At one school, SK. Maniek Urai, the waters rose so high, those who had fled to the school, sat on the fifth floor, staring into a vast lake of water, and across a silent valley of still, muddy water.

A month has passed, and much has changed since that terrifying December morning, enough to write a volume of books on the shock, hunger then the slow rise to hope, as the waters eventually receded as quickly as they came, leaving a trail of broken roads, villages that resembled the tsunami hit areas of Asia in 2004, and much of Kuala Krai town, and district in darkness, 

First day at School. SK Maniek Urai, (January 11th, 2014)

Today,  the schools we visit in our areas have been open for two weeks,  the children of the floods even attended SK. Maniek Urai, and SK.Kerengan, after only a basic  structure remained,  with a generator providing electricity, and the Malaysian army cleaning up the school, and the shattered remains of  both  villages.

Some of the schools we visit as Mentors, remained untouched by the destructive waters, but many of the staff, teachers and children have lost much, yet we found a spirit with each visit, hearing many  stories of how communities pulled together during the worst days of the flood, and when their was little food, everything was shared, despite the fact many people in the area have large families to take care of.

One of many village in our area, after the flood waters started to recede

Other common stories are of loss, houses were washed away,  businesses ruined, and many people left with only the clothes they wore when they initially escaped the destructive barrage of the fast moving water, but they carried on, especially as individuals, volunteers, the Government, the army and NGOs across Malaysia, and as far away as China, and Thailand came to help.

Help has come from the army, and people from all across Malaysia

Yet, as we have visited schools, since they re-opened on January 11th, driving through areas which are slowly getting back to some semblance of normality, were electricity is now becoming the norm, rather than a rarity, and clean running water less of a luxury. 

Their is a feeling of immense pride in the people we live amongst, and work with, because despite the difficulties everyone faces, and the personal hardships caused by this disaster,  a resilient spirit of hope for a better future can be felt during each school visit.

One day, the great flood of 2014, might become a distant memory, and just another easily read but rarely felt part of a history book, however this spirit of hope, which welcomes the new school year, is our tribute to the communities of the area, as well as those who helped, and we are proud to be working with you in 2015.

A Puppet Show at SK Batu Mengkebang

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SK Batu Mengkebang's Puppet Theater

Puppet Theaters, puppets and a good story often blend together to create a fun English lesson for children of all ages. Recently in SK. Batu Mengkebang, the English, and a special needs teacher co-ordinated to create a puppet show morning for the younger children at the school.

The Show commences

The puppet theater was created, and designed by the teachers, whilst the assortment of puppets, were created by the children themselves, bringing alive the traditional World of the puppet theater, to a new generation of children.

Each show, was by the children, whilst the special needs students also joined in, and practiced with their own puppets, completing a fun packed morning at one of Kuala Krai’s more remote schools.