That's a Horse, You Said?

말도 안 돼!!!

Yup....Eyra asked me what they were...and then...I guessed they're a tiger, a pig,  and a rabbit..judging from 8 carrots all over the place.😕

But to my surprise. ...Eyra said that the middle one was supposed to be a horse!!+ 😆😆😆😆😆😆

Gee....since when a horse looked like a pig...

but still this is I think one of the best that Eyra makes on a weekly basis on Mondays during her color clay class.

As for me...as long as she is happy and enjoying the process....That's all that matters.

Thank you for a nice gift, Eyra.

Autumn Fiesta @ Eyra's School (part 4: Parent-Student Team)

One of the highlights of that day's event was when the parents made a long runway for the kids. It's a 'hovering' runway for the kids. 

They got to make sure that their kids could pass the runway smoothly unhindered. 

Team with all kids ran through it in the fastest recorded time WON. 

Some were just walking, though.^^ 

Though others simply ran like crazy...giving no time for the parents to take their hands or shook them a bit out of getting sore. 

Huge ball was tossed into the air... 

a huge trampoline.  

As can be seen from the picture, the school was surrounded by line up of houses over houses. Yes, it's in a crowded neighborhood. 

The ball was rolled into the field to mark the start of the fiesta. 

Oops. one ball got loose. 

Eyra's School Textbooks

 It's amazing to think that Eyra managed to 'survive' the first year of her Elementary year in Korea. She never learned Korean before prior to coming to Korea. But, amazingly she sort of managed to weave herself through the rigorous but cheerful learning at the Korean elementary school.

This is her 2nd year at the elementary school. 

And this is the 2nd Korean language textbook or 국어 that she has to master, again.^^

It's a relief that one thing this textbook emphasizes is how to 'lure' and 'make' the students be creative in expressing themselves.

Eyra is now used to using, learning, reading, writing in Hangeul than in English alphabets...: frankly speaking this is something that makes me puzzled+perplexed at the same time.

She's now exposed to all things Korean: either in math or language. She has to learn maths in Koreans' perspective. The environment where she is now living gives a somewhat an additional advantage to this phase. But surely, I have some worries as she will only be staying in Korea until her 4th grade...and by then..we'll have to move back to Indonesia.

Oh, well..I am sure that she'll manage it again.^^ 

I just love the books: first: my impression as I got these books was like" wow, this is what a book should be like: well, although we can't just judge the book by its cover...I think the colorful covers do indeed reflect the colorful arrays of activities being offered to the students."

학예발표회

The last week of Eyra's first year at Korean Elementary School was filled with a class performance. Each student was asked to show off his or her talent. Lots of them played piano or organ. This friend of Eyra was performing a belly dance.^^ 

a hullahoop....with music as its background. 

A belly dance to whom Freya was glued to ...

Oh, did I mention that Freya was standing in the front row...?

Eyra's teacher, ms. Park Seong-suk is such an enthusiastic and patient teacher. I could see it in her eyes and the way she treats all of the children. 박성숙 seonsaengnim is really good at dealing with each of the kids' characteristic. 

We --the parents--were invited to see the children perform at the end of their first-year at Cheongnyangni Elementary School. 

After the show, each student got a token of appreciation from the teacher.

Oh I did not have Eyra's picture, but my wife did. She took the picture. I'd add it later on.

Thank you seonsaengnim for having taught the kids in the first year. You did a great job..well done.

Hullahooping...

What is this dark picture trying to tell us?

Well, it was the day when Eyra got to participate in one of the school's after-school activities. She decided to take part in the hullahoop competition. During summer holiday, she practiced a lot using an  adult-sized hullahoop so as to anticipate any difficulties in the real competition.

The second day of 2nd semester. After the class, all students interested in hullahoops were ushered into the auditorium where some teachers would instruct them to perform their best in hullahoopping.^^

The winner was based on the longest time they could manage to do hullahooping.

Well, of course...a great commotion was uproariously heard and seen during the session.

Not to mention the kids' moms who were also enthusiastic in capturing the moment.

Ok, although Eyra did not win, at least she could swing her hullahoop above 100 spins without falling.

Could not imagine how many spins the kid had to do to win this... ^^

I think this activity indeed support the health program for the kids in their growth...

Eyra's Got a Medical Check Up

A week before having a summer vacation, all school children in Korea got to have their medical check up for free in designated hospital by the Korean government. So did Eyra. Her Cheongryang Elementary School had assigned two near by hospital: Kyunghee Hospital and 휘경동 삼육병원 (Hwigyeong don Samyuk Hospital)

We could choose one between the two. We were about to choose the first one when the time table was not suitable for us. As for me who have only time during weekends, we decided to take Eyra to Samyook Hospital. It turned out the service and the medical check up were both well managed and professionally carried out. At least that's how I felt as a parent.

The one to one consultation with the doctor had also provided me with an insight that the staffs were excellent. 

All in all..Eyra got her health checked. Now...the next question...what's next?

School Work Eyra's works

It was weekend and we just realized that Eyra got a homework from school she had to finish. She showed me a book entitled 즐거운 생확 ' Exciting Life' where kids learn to have the most of their time through activities as shown on the book. So, this week's theme is to make mask. Kids can choose to make any kinds of masks out of card box, shopping bags, papers, flour wrappings, or any other materials suitable to make masks. They could just imitate the ones shown on the book.

And..this is what Eyra made. Well, of course with my help. She insisted on making a flower. 

To prepare: we used a paper plate and cut some fancy papers and cut them in such a way so as to resemble the flowers.

It took us about 2 straight hours to make the one like this. 

She helped cutting the edges and putting them piece by piece until it was all finished.

Nice work, Eyra.

I wonder what would your classmates say to this huge mask you made. ^^

Eyra's Classmates

Okey, I know this is not a good and clear picture since I got it from a picture attached on Eyra's class door. ^^ I was just wondering how they could be so adorable and all. I think I love the fact that Eyra has blended in into her friends and her class. I know she likes the life of being a new student at Korean school: Cheongnyangni Elementary School.





The picture does indicate that all of the children look so happy and invigoratingly happy to share their life ahead of them.

Just by looking at the background of where they took the picture, it is visible that the class looks so cool. Just look at their own painting of themselves^^ with their own name on it. 

Eyra's textbooks

 The  textbooks that Eyra uses at school in her 1st year of elementary school. It does cover lots of subjects ranging from mathematics, Korean language (국어), Exciting Life, Reading, How To Live Smart, Well-mannered Life:), and of course....Listening and Writing. Ok...that would a lot for a first timer...but from what I saw ....the books are fun to watch...in the first place. Then, it is also good and seems to be so interestingly captivating for any children to do with.

It's amazing that all of the books are freely distributed for all children: thanks to Korean Government who put emphasize on the importance of early education right in this country.
Well, Eyra still has a lot to catch up, but she's getting along well to cope and learn with the totally new environment.

Eyra attends school in Korea 입학을 축하합니다

It is early Spring 2012.
Eyra starts her first year as an elementary school student in Korea.
She is now officially a student at a Korean school.

First, we were kind of wondering as to where to send Eyra: whether we need to send her to International school or Korean school--along with its plus and minus. But, after long consideration, it is worth-it that we send Eyra to learn Korea and its culture, to meet new friends...in Korea. After all, we live in Korea for now. So, it would be a great experience and a challenge as well for Eyra and for us.

But, I am sure that Eyra can get along well and adapt easily into Korean classes and its environment.
I want Eyra to get exposure to Korean life and education through Korean elementary school.
By doing this, we do hope that Eyra will learn multicultural point of view in her life.
The Cheongnyangni Elementary School will be a place for Eyra to study for about 3 to 4 years.
I pray that it will be a great and good life for her. One more thing, this elementary school has been accepting more and more multicultural students from multicultural families living in Korea, so I am sure this will be a good 'added value' for all of the kids here.

So..these are the pics of her at the first day of school.




입학을 축하합니다^^