LET THAT CHILD FINISH THE PROCESS & COMPLETE THE PRIMARY EDUCATION SYSTEM

Testimonial from a school parent in Lagos.

Dear Parents

What's your take on this?

I WILL NEVER ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO SKIP AN ACADEMIC CLASS, EVER!

(My son-in-law wrote and sent this to me. He is a graduate of Computer Engineering of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He had first class.)

''I remember when I was in Primary school. There was this girl that sat for the First School Leaving Certificate (Primary 6) exam while at Primary 4. She passed, so she “jumped” two years and went from Primary 4 to JSS 1''. 

Though I performed better and was academically smarter than this girl, my parents insisted that none of their children will skip any academic class.

Some of my classmates also went from Primary 5 to secondary school. Well, I did my Primary 6.

Many of my Primary school classmates were 1,2,3 years ahead of me because my parents insisted that none of their children will “jump” a class.

When I was in SSS-1, the girl who skipped a class started writing WAEC in SSS-3. She failed twice, so I caught up and we did the WAEC same year again; my first attempt, her third attempt. She passed enough to merge results. I got all my papers in one sitting, and in flying colours, with my head, not from any special centre.

Well, we went into University same year, and I graduated a year before her, in a more highly ranked University - Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)

My parents are both academics. They aren’t just teachers, they both have experience in Academic and Career Guidance and Counselling.

But at the point when they made some decisions about our education (our: My siblings and I), I wasn’t happy. To me, it was all about competing with my friends about who will finish Secondary school first and gain admission first. But I now know better.

A SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IS IN PLACE FOR A REASON. THE NIGERIAN SYSTEM IS 6-3-3-4.

WHY THE RUSH TO BEAT THE SYSTEM?

Is he/she well academically grounded?

I know some children are smarter and have the intellectual capacity to go faster than others.

What other developed countries with more regulated systems of education do is NOT make the children skip some curriculum. They make the gifted children cover the curriculum faster.

For instance; regular students might need 6 regular academic years to cover the high school curriculum. The talented ones are put in a separate class where the cover the whole 6-year curriculum in 5 or 4 years, or even less. They don’t usually skip these curricula.

I know the UK and US have some of such schools and classes for gifted children.

The thing I noticed in Nigeria is that it’s usually even the parents of AVERAGE or BELOW AVERAGE students that want their children to “jump” classes. The prestige is in telling everyone that your child finished secondary school at 12. It doesn’t matter whether your child’s brain is completely empty, or whether your child wrote his or her WAEC and JAMB exams at special centres. *You are just in a competition*.

I was just having a random thought a few minutes ago, and I realised that, ''NONE of those my Primary or secondary school classmates who tried to skip classes were better or ended up more academically grounded and privileged than I am'' So, what exactly was the hurry all about?

It’s not just about your child finishing Primary school at 7 and Secondary at 12. The question is;

1- Is he/she well academically grounded?

2- Can they defend those pieces of paper certificate (they were so in a rush to acquire) anywhere in the world?

3- What is the point producing an air-headed graduates at 18?

You are just in an 
unnecessary competition

I would rather have my children spend more years in school and graduate well-grounded academically, than to graduate and still be too dumb to write application letters or simple essays.

Besides, I want my children to have a fun childhood.

Except any of my children demonstrates obvious signs of being academically gifted and smart (In which case I would find them a good school for gifted children), they will all finish secondary school NOT before 16, and they will all graduate NOT before the age of 20.

We are not running anywhere. We are not in a hurry to be mediocre. Anything worth doing is worth devoting sufficient time to do it well."

PLAYPEN GRADUATION AND END OF SCHOOL YEAR PARTY

School is ALMOST out! Seriously!? The last day of school activities at Playpen® and assignments are starting to pop up already! Each year we can hardly believe it. This year has flown by and summer is just around the corner once again. In no-time-at-all the children will be out of school, and if you are anything like us you are ready to kick your summer off right!! 

Our final year pupils are getting ready to graduate, the fun is heating up, other pupils in lower classes are ready for the end of school year party, class-room teachers are bracing themselves up and going about preparations; no one is thinking about classroom activities and studies right now.

The good news is that Playpen is fully ready for all the activities; its a countdown!! Pupils,parents, guests are clock watching! No one is left out even as our Alumni (role models) will attend the occasion and go down memory lane to catch some fun. Don't be left out!!

Date:      July 18th, 2019

Venue:  Clou Events Centre, Adebisi Omotola Street, Isolo

MONTESSORI VS TRADITIONAL EDUCATION │ What's the Difference?

Choosing the right preschool for your child can be overwhelming for today's Nigerian parents. Making enquiries in schools in your locality will reveal such terms as “child-centered,” “faith-based,” “holistic learning” and “Montessori Approach.” How can parents possibly wade through all the academic terminology to find the educational philosophy that best suits their family? At Playpen®, we understand choosing your child’s first school is both an exciting and a daunting task. We're here to help.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

THE PURPOSE OF PRESCHOOL

While looking around other schools, start by asking yourself this question: What is the purpose of preschool after all? Is it merely to provide daycare? Is it a place where children get together and play? If so, many choices are available. However, if to you, preschool is an opportunity to prepare your child for the social and academic environment that will be part of the rest of his life, and authentic Montessori school is your best choice. A Montessori school that fosters child development from a very young age and develops a passion for learning is the best type of preschool you can choose for your child. This is what we offer at Playpen®.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

Every parent wants their child to be happy and prosperous. Although, arguably, happiness is a relative concept, the question of how a parent evaluates their child’s happiness is an interesting one to explore. Most parents default to asking their children “are you happy?” It goes without saying that happiness for a child rests primarily on immediate reward.

Montessori at Playpen® aims to have a balanced and peaceful environment so the children can flourish now and for the rest of their life. In a true Montessori school, the child develops the joy of learning, knowledge and understanding. In turn, happiness results from the independence, skills and creativity the child develops, the intricate social interactions with their peers and the freedom to explore and discover everything around them.

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

08035614390, 08091318794, 08086946701, 08152757674
www.theplaypen.com.ng, www.theplaypenschool.blogspot.com
theplaypenschool@gmail.com, dplaypencreche@yahoo.com
No 20, Nusiratu Lasisi Street, Isolo, Off Osolo Way, Lagos, Nigeria

pHILOSOPHIES OF pLAYPEN®

Choosing a preschool that’s right for you and your family means understanding how the school will approach your child’s development. As a Montessori preschool, our educational philosophy emphasizes learning through exploration and denying the idea that "one size fits all" when it comes to education. To us, each child is a unique individual that learns differently. Thus, Montessori tailors its approach to the unique needs of each child, and to the specific needs of each child’s established developmental stage. These includes:

• Self-directed learning
• Accommodating individual needs, interests and pace
• Hands-on, material-based curriculum

while A traditional preschool practices an entirely different educational approach. Typically, a teacher imparts topic-specific concepts to a group, and everyone learns the same thing at the same time. Their philosophy emphasizes:

• Teacher-directed instruction
• Structured curriculum
• Formal learning goals and objectives

Upon the significant influence of Montessori into our communities, some traditional preschools have started to adopt some Montessori-like concepts, but without the required training, thorough understanding and complete application of the methodology, which is what ultimately yields long-term development.

AVOID TRADITIONAL EDUCATION TRAPS

One of the benefits of Montessori vs. traditional preschool is that the Montessori Method is designed to sidestep all the traps that can cause students to struggle academically as they move further along the educational ladder.

One of these traps is the aforementioned “one-size-fits-all” approach to learning. A traditional classroom requires its students to conform to the average learning speed. This means students who can grasp specific concepts faster are slowed-down by having to adhere to more straightforward lessons, while those who fall behind never catch up.

Since Montessori schools create abundant opportunities for individualized learning, students have more freedom to learn at their own pace and are therefore much less likely to be bored or fall behind.

Another trap one can avoid through a Montessori education vs. a traditional education is the lack of autonomy students’ have. In Montessori schools, students are encouraged to pursue their interests, follow their creativity wherever it may take them and enlist the help of teachers and other students in order to achieve this goal. This instils in them a love of learning. Students in traditional schools, on the other hand, tend to learn to please teachers with the “right” answers.

Playpen Celebrates Her Cultural Day in style

Playpen wrapped the term with a splendid cultural activities day. For Pupils, parents and members of staff of Playpen School, Isolo, Lagos, celebrating Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage is not only necessary, but of utmost priority. This is what informed the celebration of Cultural Day in the school, where everybody was dressed in gorgeous indigenous cultural attires. Various songs were rendered in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and other local languages. We have Interesting cultural Poems, dancing, greetings and introductions but the children. 

A section of Different Tribes sited together in Joy and Harmony 

culture is so broad that it includes language, dressing, food, buildings, religion and music, among others.

The Hausa Traditional Group ready to for Hausa Tribe Activities

“We must ensure that our culture is transmitted to our children, otherwise, it will be lost and by implication, we would have lost our identity. Every young Nigerian is expected to understand his or her local language in addition to English as a second language.”Our Playpen enthusiast, who lamented gradual decimation of Nigerian culture due to craving for foreign lifestyles, however, commended some state governments that have made it compulsory for every child to learn at least one major Nigerian language at primary and secondary school levels.

The Yoruba Traditional Group Ready For Yoruba Tribe Activities

The Igbo Traditional Group ready for Igbo Tribe Activities

Our Playpen Enthusiast opined that “Our political and social values have some cultural heritage that are transmitted from one generation to another. Culture is dynamic, which is why history and historical artefacts would continue to be relevant in spite of modernisation.

OUR CHILDREN DISPLAYED SOME INTERESTING TRADITIONAL SHOWS

Our Excursion to FAAN (Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria)

Playpen Children ready for the Aviation Experience. The weather was favourable

An Excursion to FAAN

Playpen organised a field trip for her pupils to the FAAN (Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria) on the 4th of April. The purpose of the excursion was for observation, education, non-experimental research and to provide pupils with experiences outside their everyday activities.

The Children were delighted and fulfilled at the end of the day. They had first hand experiences with an aeroplane exterior and interior, they met with air hostesses and pilots and entered the terminals. Our children have a checking in and boarding experience.

Playpen Children at the Airport Terminal

 Our pupils were in the aeroplane to have a travelling feel and what it looks like in the aeroplane. They were delighted at the aura and aesthetics of the aeroplane interior. Some of our children had stories to tell and really felt like they were actually flying in the air. The cockpit, and other parts of the aeroplane interior brought a lot of questions to the mind of the pupils which they got answers too.

Playpen Children in the Aeroplane

Our Pupils Benefited a lot form the FAAN experience; here are some of the feedbacks we got from the excursion.

1-  The excursion provided a direct source of knowledge and acquainted our pupils with first hand information about aviation.

2-  The FAAN excursion provided an opportunity to the pupils for development of their aesthetic sense.

3-  By such excursion our pupils became interested in the exploration of their environment.

4-  The FAAN excursion helped to develop in our pupils love for aviation and acquainted them with the real happiness in the outside world.

5-  The excursion helped our pupils in the development of power of observations, exploration, judgement and drawing inferences, problem solving abilities.

6-  Their qualities of resourcefulness, self- confidence, initiative and leadership were developed.

7-  The excursion helped in developing cooperative attitude within our pupils and various others

8- Their leisure after their exams was properly utilised

9- Playpen pupils were motivated for self-study and self-activity after the visit to FAAN.

10- We at Playpen are sure that after the excursion our pupils will develop their creative faculties.

Fulfilled Playpen Pupils in an Aeroplane arena

Our Guardians, and Teachers were not left out of the fun too. Everybody had a lesson to learn and a story to tell.

Teachers and Organisers having fun too.

We at playpen are already looking forward towards another field trip for our Pupils; the learning will not stop, the fun will continue, the experiences will not stop as we prepare our pupils for a stronger correlation with the real outside world as they grow into the realities of their immediate society and the world at large.

P.T.A Meeting Notification (Sat. 6th April, 2019)

The P.T.A Community at Playpen has been a success over the years

According to Wikipedia Parent–Teacher Association/Organization (PTA/PTO) or parent–teacher–student association (PTSA) is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a school.

Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) are an active part of school life for schools across the country. Many thousands of parents volunteer to join in with PTA activities at their child's school, giving their time and energy to fund-raising and working in partnership with the school.

The role of the PTA

PTA activity will vary from school to school. Some PTAs are involved in fund-raising and most will agree on social events for parents and children. some provide helpers for outings and special events and a large number run clubs for sport, music or drama. Most PTAs will organise meetings to inform parents about education issues, too, particularly when changes are taking place.

A successful PTA will bring together parents and teachers who are interested in supporting the school. Meetings are usually very informal with event planning and organising the main focus. PTAs tend to meet a couple of times each term. Meetings may be held at school but some PTAs get together at a local pub to make it more of a social gathering.

The importance of involving parents

Research has shown that parental involvement has a very significant impact on a child's achievement and attainment at school.

A successful PTA provides parents and teachers with the opportunity to exchange views, work together and to develop mutual trust and confidence. 

In a world where everyone's time is precious getting people to join a PTA can be a daunting task but all parents and teachers can get involved, even if they only have a small amount of time available.

The life-cycle of a PTA committee will vary. Some members may stay involved for ten years or more - particularly if they have subsequent children attending the school. Others may stay for a few years and then move on.

Notification of our PTA Meeting

This is to inform our valued parents that the PTA meeting of Playpen comes up on Saturday, 6th April, 2019. Please, Kindly make every effort to attend. Thank you for your Cooperation.

PLAYPEN PARTICIPATED AT THE 16TH EDITION OF THE FRENCH SCHOOL KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP

The French School "LYCEE Louis Pasteur", Victoria Island, in conjunction with the Karate Union of Nigeria present the 16th Edition of the karate championship. Playpen was very well represented in different Karate bouts. Our children did very well and came home with some illustrious prizes.

It was a bright and sunny day which promised lots of fun activities. Other schools were represented and the fun was duly delivered.

Participants were delighted to be a part of  the series of karate events. Our Pupils from Playpen where not left out. You could see the eagerness in their faces as the umpires address the accompanying parents and school staff.

The participants where lined out in much enthusiasm and vigour as all wanted to be winners in their different bout categories. The bouts of categories where based on pupils age brackets, there were also group karate bouts.

the competition produced different winners and Playpen was not left out. Our pupils won a lot of awards;

Ajibola Olukotun Galantly Holding his trophy.
He claimed silver in the category 3 Yrs old

Category 5 years old - Feyi David Olatidoye - Bronze

Category 6 year old - Group A - 

1. Emmanuel Soyombo - Gold
2. Gabriella Soyombo - Silver

Category 6 years old - Group B - 

1. David Obiajulu Emeri -Silver

Category 7 years old - Daniel Oba Olatidoye - Gold

Category 10 years - Yimika Olukotun - Silver

A cross Section of Winners from Different categories

Other winners include 

Team Karate Category - 

1. Feranmi Oredola
2. Yimika Olukotun
3. Damilola Olukotun

The team karate category secured victory and got the silver medal.

 Other winners from Playpen school are;

Take you distance category

1. Yimika Olukotun
2. Damilola Olukotun
3. Feranmi Oredola

In the ''take your distance'' category our Pupils also secured the Silver medal

Other winners are

Caregory 3 years old 

1. Adeayomi Damilola Illesanmi - Gold
2. Ajibola Olukotun - Silver

Best Karate Style Pupil

Ajibola Olukotun

Emmanuel Shoyombo doing his Thing