Meet our Management Staff & Principals

Head of Curriculum

Wardinah Bahati or Dinah as she is fondly known, is the Head of Curriculum at White Lodge. She has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and has done some foundational studies in Child Psychology and in Autism. Dinah has been in White Lodge since 2003. She started with teaching the younger age groups and was later a Principal in White Lodge for four years. Dinah also helped to develop and conduct the Parent and Child classes. She currently oversees a few aspects of the curriculum, including the Integration Programme and works collaboratively with the Principals at White Lodge to ensure the administration of the schools.

“I remember the first days of my novice teaching career, and how the search for a great school with personal touches and genuine interests in staff and children pulled me in different directions. Finding White Lodge was a destined journey that helped me to relate theory to practice, and see how children’s interests can be propelled through experiences and carefully planned goals. This journey is an emotional and enriching one. I believe that for young children, innate skills can be harvested through carefully planned learning experiences that integrate peer groupings and play-based activities which respect their developmental needs.

This role of Head of Curriculum at White Lodge encompasses a holistic overview and an array of challenges, rewards and opportunities.  Walking these very grounds again – first as a novice teacher filled with ideals and energy, and now as a leader has allowed me the opportunity to see how global and organisational policies translate into best teaching practices.  Seeing this process is exciting!  We witness new ideas which are initiated by us at their infancy stages snowball into wonderful gigantic proportions by the time they are carried out with the children.

The role of an educator is an important one: it is multi-tiered and encompasses honourable responsibilities and meaningful purposes. It is an honour to take on this role and to share this passion with others in the field. My long term goals are to take on bigger roles in community-based projects, to work with children-at-risk and to make contributions to global and organisational policies.”

Principals

White Lodge, Bukit Timah

“It is often said that the most impressionable ages of a child are the early years. For this reason, I believe in the importance of pre-school education and the significant role educators play in a child’s life. Educators help develop the child into a thinking being who, by facilitation, gradually makes sense of the concepts of life while at the same time maintaining their thirst for further understanding and attainment of knowledge and life skills.

Pre-school is also not just about preparing the child for formal and institutionalised schooling. It is about creating a diverse yet holistic experience to nurture the potential of each individual child under our care. Children should be valued for what they are right now and thus as educators, we need to believe in ‘Celebrating Childhood’ as we are the children’s advocates.

My role as a Principal would be to foster positive home-school relationships to encourage a collaborative partnership between parents and teachers for the children’s benefit. Here in White Lodge, I hope to continue to develop as a competent, nurturing and reflective early childhood educator and practitioner.” – Munirah Bte Shahul Hameed (Mira)

 

White Lodge, West Coast

“After over three years of being in this field, I can truly say I have found a place in White Lodge where I believe its philosophies and values are in line with my personal ones. This is essential to me, as it assists me in growing into a better individual and allows me to give all I can to the children and the people around me.

I believe that every child has his/her individual needs. As an educator, I believe in helping them achieve their goals in life and moulding their future.  It gives me great satisfaction to see the children under our care grow holistically as an individual.

As a leader, I seize to disseminate all the vital information and theories to parents and teachers as we work together in partnership in creating the best environment for a child to be in. I look forward to working with parents and building a strong relationship to enhance the learning of each child.  Although, it is essential to prepare the children academically, I truly believe that a child’s happiness should never be compromised. At the end of the day, the key to a smile in our day lies in the bliss of each child.” – Norazah A Rahman (Azah

 

White Lodge, Upper Bukit Timah

“My ultimate goal as an educator is not only to make a difference in the lives of the children under my care, but also to give my support in all stages of their development.  After over eight years as an educator, I have learnt the importance of looking at all factors that will affect a child’s development, so as to be able to provide useful information to parents and teachers who are involved in the child’s early education and growth.

Regardless of individual characteristics and family experiences, all children will learn to become an active member of society.  My greatest satisfaction is to be able to see how a child has learned, blossomed and grown holistically into an individual in his/her time with us.  Being a part of a child’s early years, and making his/her time with us here at White Lodge a memorable and happy one, is in line with my goal of making a difference in the lives of the children.

As a leader, I hope to have the opportunity to constantly work in partnership with parents and communities for the development of the children.  Though being an educator is at times challenging, at the end of the day, to see a smile and receive a hug from the children, makes it all worthwhile and very rewarding.”  – Fazlin Bte Abu Samad (Lin)

 

White Lodge, East Coast

“Being an educator in the early childhood field means that I will play an important role in the foundation years of the young children who come under my care. One of the best parts of the job is that even on bad days, I will always be cheered by the bright smiles of the children, their ever-loving hugs and their ability to draw me into their world with their meaningful conversations. These conversations are often an extension of what they have learnt in class. This demonstrates not only their awareness and understanding of the world but also their love for learning! It is a great joy to know we play a part in helping the children to shape their world.

After spending three years in the classroom, I am finally taking a step forward and will embrace my new leadership role as a Principal. I feel that being a Principal is like being a teacher. As a Principal we nourish, enrich, guide, and support our teachers. We help good teachers become better, better teachers become great, great teachers become outstanding.

I am thankful to White Lodge for providing me with the necessary skills and the opportunity to take on the role of being a significant professional in the East Coast team. My goal is to provide leadership and ensure the school’s success by forging and maintaining meaningful relationships with parents, children, teachers, and the community.” - Alifya Onn Gandhi

 

White Lodge, Loewen Gardens

Chrissie Simons is a fully-qualified teacher from the UK. After graduating from her BA (Hons) degree in English Literature and post-graduate certificate in journalism, Chrissie pursued an extensive career in newspaper writing and charity PR before settling down to have two kids. She later retrained as a primary school teacher under the UK Government’s flagship Graduate Teacher Training Programme for returning mothers.

She worked with three to six year olds in two state schools in the South East of England before moving to Singapore with her husband and two kids in the Spring of 2007. She was a Kindergarten teacher at a pre-school in Siglap before joining White Lodge in April 2009.

“One of my major passions in life is writing and literacy and I have decided to focus my efforts on early years education to help kids develop the building blocks of these vital life skills.”  -  Chrissie Simons