When your newborn child is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, who do you turn to for support and advice?

Thinking back, I was glad that K's paediatrician remembered to inform us of the Down Syndrome Association (DSA) here. Because many good things came out of that call to DSA. 

From that call, DSA helped me to connect with one of the best paediatricians who is well-known among the local Down Syndrome community. I was assigned a parent mentor who brought hope and love when she knocked on my door during my postnatal confinement. She came with her son, Alan who also has Down Syndrome, and he amazed me with his eloquent speech (at that time, I had that misconception that all people with Down Syndrome couldn't talk and had slurred speech). A gathering for new parents brought many of us together, and friendship blossomed till today. I was also introduced to many parenting talks held at DSA, and picked up good tips from the speakers and other parents. 

DSA is a self-funded, non-profit Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) that was set up in 1995 by a group of parents who have children with Down Syndrome. The Association works closely and regularly with healthcare and educational professionals, as well as other VWO, and aims to:

• develop individuals with Down Syndrome through life-long learning and social integration
• support families through specialist services, information and education
• advocate for equal opportunities, quality of life and their contribution to the society

This year, DSA celebrates 20 good years of empowering the differently abled and their families through various family support programs they provide. The 20th Anniversary celebrations will kickstart with a Kite Flying & Family Carnival!

Date: 27th February 2016, Saturday
Time:11am - 8pm
Venue: Grand Lawn of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. 

This event is open to public and DSA attempts to create the record of the largest human kite formation on the Singapore Book of Records!

What to expect
A mini carnival with food and games to entertain the young and old. Carnival coupons (which come in sets of $10) are available for purchase to buy food and play the games (Uncle Ringo, bouncing castle and other games stalls). A free gift (while stocks last!) will be given for every carnival coupon purchased. Enjoy food by Old Chang Kee and talented home chefs from SgEatWithUs. Halal food will also be available at some of the food stalls. 

There are other activities happening alongside with the carnival - Kite Making workshop and Kite Coloring contest (with prizes!) by Singapore Kite Association, community performances and stage performances by the members of DSA. Registration for the Kite Making workshop and Kite Coloring contest is free, but do register early with DSA as there are limited slots. 

Take the whole afternoon to laze around at the Grand Lawn and pit your kite flying skills with your friends and family. 

And nearer the evening, have a picnic with your loved ones while enjoying the spectacular display of LED kite flying showcase under the stars. 

Record-breaking moment
Be a part of the largest human kite formation to help DSA enter the Singapore Book of Records! This will take place around 3pm and the friendly volunteers will be around to usher the crowd for the formation. Just be ready and pose for the record-breaking moment!

What you will receive
For DSA members, each participating member with Down Syndrome and one caregiver will receive a free event t-shirt if you register for the event. 

Free kites will be given every hour (while stocks last!) to those who join the kite flying activity. You can also bring along your own kites. 

Where to get the carnival coupons
Carnival coupons will be available for purchase from the first week of February. Do contact DSA to make your purchase or head down to the coupon sales booth on the event day to get some. 

How to register
Registration for the following events is preferred and appreciated:

• Kite Making workshop  
• Kite Coloring contest 
• Human Kite Formation for the Singapore Book of Records (opens until 3pm of the event day)

Contact Andrew (andrew@downsyndrome-singapore.org) or Lynette (lynette@downsyndrome-singapore.org). Alternatively, call DSA at 65009309 by 15 February. 


For DSA members, do check your email for more info.





Will you be there to show your support for someone who has Down Syndrome? If you do not know anyone who has Down Syndrome, your mere presence and participation will still greatly encourage the families in the community too! 

Love. 

Have your kids ever entered this phase where they simply hate bathing even though they used to love the water-splashing fun? It's almost Iike they just wake up one day and decide that enough is enough with bathing, and they start battling each bath with screams and cries. It's every Mommy's nightmare to deal with such resistance to bathing. 

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It was curiosity that prompted me to attend the 10th National Piano and Violin Competition Prize Winners' Concert & Prize Presentation Ceremony at the Victoria Concert Hall on Sunday. I am no expert listener, and can't tell the difference between great works of Beethoven or Mozart, but I was curious about the performing standards of the prize winners and I was itching for some good classical music that weekend. It has been a long time since I attended a concert too. 

My other (secret) agenda was to expose Ch and L to more classical music and hopefully, be able to appreciate why they learn to play the piano and gain some inspiration to be more diligent in their own music-making journey. 

A biennial event, the National Piano and Violin Competition is jointly organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO). It serves as a talent development platform to discover and nurture young musicians to artistic excellence, and provide opportunities to perform before renowned international adjudicators like Mr Charles Castleman (violin adjudicator) and Ms Anna Jastrzebska-Quinn (piano adjudicator). A total of 25 winners emerged from among 159 participants, and I saw two familiar faces among the group of proud parents that evening. 




This year's edition saw a special commission by local composer and 2003 Young Artist Award recipient Dr Zechariah Goh Toh Chai. His pieces - Quinquagenerian celebration and Quinquagenerian Jubilation for piano, Ondeh Ondeh variations and Two Sketches for violin - were used as competition pieces and performed at the Prize Winners' Concert. 

Ronan Lim Ziming, 1st Prize Winner of the Violin Senior Category, also bagged the final edition of the Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award of $10,000 for his outstanding performing qualities in Ondeh Ondeh and Lutoslawki's Subito (1992). 

Luiyi Retallick, 1st Prize Winner of Violin Artist Category

As anticipated, the concert was indeed a spectacular showcase of the top prize winners of all categories who displayed the highest standards of classical music. The concert opened with performances by winners of the Piano and Violin Artist categories, accompanied by the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra conducted by Maestro Chan Tze Law. The two winners played well, but I wasn't particularly impressed for some reasons. 

We were very much more impressed with the younger ones. From their performances, the dedication and passion towards excellence in the classical music scene exude strongly from each prize winner. I was most impressed and captivated by Jordan Alexandra JunYi Hadrill's vivacious performance of Wieniawski's Variations on an Original Theme Op. 15. 

Jordan Alexandra JunYi Hadrill receiving her prize from Guest-of-Honour Mr Ng Chee Meng, Acting Minister for Education (Schools)

It was interesting to observe Ch and L throughout the concert - one sat through most parts with an intent gaze, seemingly appreciating the display of talents, while the other fidgeted in the seat and wished to be out of the concert hall. This certainly has to do with the amount of exposure to such concerts, and I hope there will be more of such family outings. It was also the littlest's first exposure to classical music in a formal setting, and she had to be whisked out of the concert hall after the first performance because she talked too much (apologies!). 

When asked to name a performer who left the deepest impression that evening, the three kids replied:

"My favourite performer is Wang Huang Hao Jia because he plays the piano very smoothly and his posture when playing is good. He does not slouch like some players when they are playing softly." said Ch. 

Wang Huang Hao Jia, 1st Prize Winner (Piano Intermediate Category)

"The best performer in my eyes is Tricia Ng En Lin, [as] the song that she performed was very attractive and lively. She could move her fingers so quickly on the finger board." mentioned Eu, classmate of Ch.

Tricia Ng En Lin, 1st Prize Winner (Violin Junior Category)

Said L, "... favourite performer is Ronan because Ronan got an award and his piece is well-played and nice." 

Ronan Lim Ziming, 1st Prize Winner (Violin Senior Category) & Winner of Goh Soon Tioe Outstanding Performer Award

Well, I do hope they have rubbed off some passion from these prize winners. 

The next edition of the competition will be in December 2017. Watch out for it and I would recommend bringing your child along if he is learning either of the musical instruments. 

Do hop over to Pianomania for his detailed review of the event if you want to find out more. 

Disclaimer: All photos are provided by the National Arts Council, unless otherwise stated.