Latest news with #preschool
Independent Singapore
20 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
Ex-preschool teacher pleads guilty to kicking 4-year-old girl, leaving bruise
SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (July 22), a 57-year-old former preschool teacher admitted to one charge of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act. She had kicked a four-year-old girl in her class, which resulted in a bruise to the child's shin. Alamelu Paramaguru, who is Singaporean, will return to court for sentencing next month. She is no longer with the preschool where the incident occurred, which has not been named in order to protect the child's identity. What happened The incident occurred on April 2, 2024. Alamelu, known as 'Teacher Meloo' to her pupils, had been in charge of a particular Kindergarten 1 class on that day. The children in the class were scheduled to take a nap at 12:00 pm after they had their morning lessons, lunch, and a bath. Shortly before noon, Alamelu asked seven students, including the victim, to move from the part of the room where they were playing, because she needed to place the cots there, which they would use for sleeping. See also 2 pre-school staff among 11 new positive Covid-19 cases The victim stayed seated on the floor where she was while the six other pupils moved. The former teacher then put a cot down. But when she turned around, she felt that she had almost tripped because of the little girl, although she did not fall. Upset, she shouted at the child to sit properly and kicked her on her right leg. Footage from a CCTV camera shows the child in pain, hugging her leg and burying her face. Alamelu did not comfort or attend to her, but instead continued to reprimand the child. Lianhe Zaobao reported that when the child's father picked her up from school later that day, she mentioned the pain in her leg. Her parents then brought her to KK Women's and Children's Hospital to be examined, and a 1 cm by 1 cm bruise was found on her shin. The child's parents also filed a police report that night. CNA reported that the girl told her mother that the former teacher kicked her for 'not sitting properly'. The child's mum, after seeing the bruise on her shin, told the school about what her daughter said. Since Alamelu had already gone home, the other teachers told the mum they would inform the principal about the incident the next day. When the incident was investigated, Alamelu claimed not to have remembered what happened, but said that her leg could have 'unconsciously' touched the child's leg. In July 2024, CNA reported that Alamelu was suspended and later she resigned, and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said she did not go back to work in the preschool sector. The former teacher is now out on $15,000 bail and will be back for sentencing on August 19. She faces a jail sentence of up to eight years, a S$8,000 fine, or both, for the ill-treatment of a child. /TISG Read also: Mum transfers 1-year-old daughter to another preschool after fall that required 12 stitches on her tongue
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump illegally held up funding for Head Start preschool program, watchdog says
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration spent three months illegally holding up federal funding for Head Start, a preschool and early childhood education program that hundreds of thousands of low-income families rely on, according to an independent government watchdog. The conclusion came in a July 23 decision from the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan oversight group. The GAO found that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, broke the law by withholding previously approved funds for the program between January and mid-April. In doing so, the administration violated the Impoundment Control Act, which requires presidents to spend money allocated by Congress. Read more: A 'constitutional crisis?' Democrats, Republicans spar over Donald Trump's spending order HHS slashed Head Start's funding by more than $825 million compared to the same period last year, the GAO said, amounting to a 65% funding cut. It's the third such violation uncovered by the watchdog since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in the White House in January. In April, the Trump administration was considering zeroing out funding for Head Start altogether for the next fiscal year, USA TODAY first reported. After nationwide backlash and legal challenges, HHS reversed course on the budget proposal in May. Read more: Dem AGs sue White House to counter cuts to Head Start, Medicaid for immigrants Andrew Nixon, the chief spokesman for HHS, said the agency disputes the GAO's findings but did not explain why. "HHS did not impound Head Start funds," he said in a statement to USA TODAY. Despite the earlier issues, recent disbursements for Head Start have improved and are now comparable to the same time last year, said Yasmina Vinci, executive director for the National Head Start Association. In a statement, she did not comment directly on the GAO's impoundment accusations. "We're grateful that so many are standing up for Head Start, recognizing the vital role it plays in communities across the country," she said. Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump illegally held up Head Start funding, watchdog says
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New & Creative Bluey Activities That Will Entertain Kids During the Last Few Weeks of Summer
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. At this point in the summer, our kids have done everything. They're tired of the splash park, they're bored of their toys, and it's way too hot to go anywhere. So, what do you do when you don't want them watching screens all day? The solution: new Bluey activities! Our favorite Australian TV family has a line of new Crayola toys, LEGOs, and other sets designed to spark your child's creativity and imagination. And with weeks left until preschool starts up again, we need all the help we can get! More from SheKnows This $7 Hair-Thickening Shampoo Left Shoppers Totally Impressed: 'My Thin Hair Is Now Giving Full Beyoncé Vibes' Today's Top Deals How Do You Raise Good Kids in Terrifying Times? 'Hello, Cruel World' Author Melinda Wenner Moyer Has Ideas Think Spring! Target Just Added Tons of Gorgeous New Patio Items Target Is Having a Can't-Miss Spring Sandal Sale for Circle Members From toddlers to big kids, there are activities that every Bluey fan will love. Draw pictures (or recreate Rug Island) with Bluey markers. Build the Heeler's house with LEGOs. And make your own designs for Bluey, Bingo, Mum, and Dad —then wash them off in a little toy pool. The possibilities for fun are endless. Check out a few of our favorite new Bluey-themed activities below. Crayola Scribble Scrubbies Bluey Poolside Playset $32.99 Buy Now Got a kid who likes to color on their toys? Now they can with this Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Bluey set. You can color on the figurines with washable markers, then take them to the pool to rinse them off and start over again. LEGO Bluey: Bluey's Beach & Family Car Trip $29.99 Buy Now This adorable LEGO set is built for younger hands, ages 4+. It comes with Bluey, Bingo, and Mum, plus the family car and sand set to build with LEGOs. LEGO Bluey: Bluey's Family House $69.99 Buy Now Build the Heelers' entire home with this epic LEGO set that comes with the entire family, plus costumes for them to dress up, a backyard area to play in, and tons of hidden toys and surprises that fans will love. Play-Doh Bluey Goes Camping Playset $15.13 $16.99 11% off Buy Now Wackadoo! This Bluey Play-Doh is so fun. It comes with molds to make Bluey, Bingo, and their friend Jean-Luc, plus campfire tools, a play mat background, and more. Bluey Stackable Sensory Case $15.52 $19.99 22% off Buy Now Hours of entertainment can be found with this Bluey sensory case. The stackable bins come with sections to play with sand, felt stickers, scratch art, and more. It's great for kids who get bored of one activity and like switching it around, and the easy carrying case makes it perfect for on-the-go. Crayola Bluey Art Kit Coloring is the perfect summertime activity (or anytime!). This Bluey art kit designed for kids ages 4 and up comes with washable markers, Bluey coloring pages, stickers, and a case to hold it all together. Trying to make summer travel less stressful? Check out these kids will love. More Top Deals from SheKnows Is Walmart+ Worth It? Giada De Laurentiis' Newest Cookbook Is Packed With Italian Super Food Recipes Stanley Tumblers Now Come With New Leakproof Lids & Customers Are Raving About Them Best of SheKnows How to Watch These 25 Halloween Movies on Disney+ for Summerween Antics The Dumbest (and Deadliest) TikTok Trends Targeting Teens & Tweens Aquaman, Wolf Monte, & More Unique Celebrity Baby Names
Washington Post
14 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump administration improperly withheld Head Start money, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office said Wednesday that the Trump administration violated the Impoundment Act by withholding congressionally appropriated funds to Head Start, the federally funded preschool program for children from low-income families. The GAO found that between Jan. 20 and April 15, the Department of Health and Human Services distributed about 65 percent of what it had distributed during the same period last year to Head Start grantees — a drop of more than $825 million. After that, it said, reimbursements returned to their expected rates.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Former preschool teacher pleads guilty to kicking 4-year-old girl, leaving bruise
SINGAPORE: A former preschool teacher pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Jul 22) to kicking a four-year-old girl as she felt that the child, who was seated, had nearly caused her to trip. The child felt pain on her shin, which became bruised. Alamelu Paramaguru, a 57-year-old Singaporean, admitted to one charge of ill-treating a child under the Children and Young Persons Act. The court heard that she was known as "Teacher Meloo" at the kindergarten, which cannot be named due to a gag order preventing identification of the victim. The child was in Kindergarten 1 at the time of the offence in April 2024. On Apr 2, 2024, Alamelu was in charge of the K1 class. After morning lessons, the children had lunch and a bath. They were to have a nap around noon. At about 11.55am, Alamelu sanitised the sleeping cots and placed them on the floor. She instructed a group of seven students, including the victim, to move away from a corner of the classroom as she wanted to place the cots there. Six of them moved, but the victim remained seated on the floor. Alamelu began moving a cot to the corner. After this, she turned and felt that she had nearly been tripped by the victim, although she did not trip or fall. Alamelu became angry. She forcefully kicked the girl on her right shin while scolding and shouting at her to sit properly. The child felt pain and hugged her shin before burying her face. Alamelu did not attend to the girl and continued to scold her. Later that evening, the girl told her mother that Teacher Meloo had kicked her as she was "not sitting properly". Her mother saw a bruise on the girl's shin and immediately spoke to other teachers, since Alamelu had left for the day. The teachers said they would bring the matter up with the principal the next day, and the victim's mother lodged a police report that same night. The girl was seen at KK Women's and Children's Hospital with a bruise measuring 1cm by 1cm. She was given two days of medical leave and some cream. During investigations, Alamelu said she could not remember what had happened when asked if she had done anything to the girl. She said that, "unconsciously", her foot could have touched or made contact with the girl's leg. Alamelu, who is defended by Mr Jonathan Wong from Tembusu Law, is no longer with the school. CNA has contacted the Early Childhood Development Agency for more information. She will return to court for mitigation and sentencing in August.
