Walter Wick's books are the result of boundless imagination and carefully choreographed photographs. Alongside the photographs of many of his books,  a deceptively simple verse instructs youngsters to spot specific items in the picture.  Wick's puzzles can be quite challenging to complet and the pages can easily keep kids happily occupied for hours and coming back for return visits.

Our first trip was during the pre-opening of SAFRA. We were invited to come and try out the facilities
before the public. Children and adults came out with
some scratches and small cuts (from the slides). Daddie
checked into the playground area while Mumsie & I chilled
out at the sitting area near the pretty, bright, orange lockers.

We decided to make a return trip there on DD2's birthday last October and she said that was her best birthday ever. 

Upon reaching the entrance of SAFRA, we immediately saw the indoor playground entrance beckoning to us. 

This is a follow-up of the PSLE COPs thread that I started in the forum.  I have compiled the official COPs from the MOE for both 2009 and 2010 Secondary 1 intake.

Please note that all figures are for the Express Steam only and for Non-Affiliation Intake.   All COPs include  HMT bonus points.  Those schools with an * behind the COPs means that they only took in their own afflilated pupils from the Primary School for the Seconday 1 intake.

Not sure if the figure for ACS Independent is the IB COP or the O level route.  I simply copied from the MOE's website.   I am not very familiar with ACS Independent's system, so regret to say that I won't be able to answer anything relating to the COP for ACS Independent.  I am just doing my bit to compile a list to make it easier for parents to compare the COP for 2009 and 2010.  I seek your understanding in this matter.

I found these authors good for upper primary kids:

1) Sophie McKenzie - Blood Ties

It has won numerous awards and the plot is thought-provoking and gripping. It is about cloning and people's reactions to it. It links 2 kids who are actually clones but have no idea that they are clones and they need to figure out who their parents really are and how they can escape the clutches of a terrorist group.

Something I received in my email that i feel is worth sharing.

Something that we do often take for granted.

This is about a man who tells how his booking an air ticket for his father, his first flight, brought emotions and made him realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents. 

How to making reading interesting and becomes a lifetime habit?  Why not start a book club?  It's really simple -- a reading group or a book club is just a bunch of friends who decide to read the same book and then get together to talk about it.  It's easy, and it's lots of fun! Here are some tips on how to get a club started.

Our kids grow up in a comfortable environment.

They do not have to worry about their next meal, or a roof over their head.  Instead, we worry about when we can get the next iPhone, or iTablet, or even which blockbuster will gather the most Oscars.

Parents attend to their children's whinings.

Are we pampering our kiddos too much?

Singaporeans are really fortunate. We have Rain Shelters and air-condition Bus-Interchanges everywhere. But are we at risk of losing touch with the "real" world? A world where children can still live in absolute poverty. And where children live only for the day, and nobody dreams about their "Aspirations and Future". How many poor kids are fortunate enough to have an education?

Haloo KSPs, a little story on values to share with all.. 

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, 'My son, the battle is between 'two wolves' inside us all.

'One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.'