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Little Olive Tree
Stories


A Journey of Purpose, Discipline and "One-Buttock Teaching"
To date, three of our Little Olive Tree preschools— Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, and Holland Village —have achieved the SPARK 2.0 Quality Certification . We celebrate this milestone not because it was easy, but because it demanded the very best of us.  Getting SPARK is certainly not a walk in the park . It is more like learning the piano—slow, deliberate, sometimes awkward, and often full of scales you don’t feel like practising. It calls for thoughtful planning, clear thinking, purp


SPARK 2.0: A Journey of Excellence
A Milestone Worth Celebrating We are thrilled to share that three of our Little Olive Tree preschools—Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, and Holland Village—have achieved the SPARK 2.0 Quality Certification . This milestone reflects our commitment to providing your child with an environment where learning is purposeful, joyful, and deeply meaningful. What is SPARK 2.0? SPARK  stands for Singapore Preschool Accreditation Framework , a national quality assurance framework developed by the Ear


2025 K2 Concert: You Are Value-Able!
Reflections from Little Olive Tree’s 2025 K2 Graduation Concert   This year’s K2 Graduation Concert — You Are Value-Able!  — celebrated more than just the end of a preschool journey. It was a joyful reminder of what truly gives life meaning: knowing that we are valued and that we can bring value to others.  The concert showcased Little Olive Tree’s five core values — Care, Respect, Responsibility, Courage, and Honesty  — through a delightful story performed by the K2 class


POP 3.0: A New Chapter
In the competitive landscape of early childhood education in Singapore, where government-backed childcare promises affordability and accessibility, private preschools face an uphill battle for survival. For Little Olive Tree Preschools, the journey has been one of faith, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to nurturing young lives with truth, beauty, and goodness. Â Our story began in 1974 when our first preschool was established under Presbyterian Community Services to m


Let Your Light Shine, With Us!
Light is a wonderful thing. It does not exist for itself — it shines so that others may see.  On 18 October 2025, the Let Your Light Shine  Career Fair at Little Olive Tree (Rochor) was just that — a gathering of light. Jointly organised by the Presbyterian Church in Singapore, Singapore Life Church, and Presbyterian Preschool Services, the event brought together close to 30 participants in a warm, faith-filled morning of sharing, laughter, and inspiration.  From the openi


Growing & Glowing with Michele Koh
At Little Olive Tree, faith-based early childhood education center, we believe that every educator has the potential to be extraordinary. Â We're incredibly proud to announce that Michele Koh , one of our outstanding early childhood educators, has been honored with the prestigious ECDA Award for Outstanding (Commendation) Award . This recognition from Singapore's Early Childhood Development Agency celebrates not just Michele's achievements, but the values that define quality
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A Night of Art, Hope, and Inclusion
Date: 10 October 2025 (Perfect Ten) Venue: Conrad Singapore Marina Bay Guests: 270 attendees Organised by: Presbyterian Preschool Services (PPS)  On a night where everything felt just right — 10 October, a Perfect Ten — 270 guests gathered at Conrad Singapore Marina Bay for a dinner that would not only feed the body, but stir the soul.  The Tenfold Blessings Gala Dinner was not just a fundraiser. It was a heartfelt invitation to see the world through the eyes of children —
Oct 134 min read
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A Grateful Mother's Journey
"I would like to express my gratitude for accepting my child in LOT Woodlands. Despite the long travelling distance from Punggol, my husband and I think it is worth for my child to be in the inclusive classroom where he can have suitable special needs support in the preschool.  We have met up with the Child Development doctor at KKH yesterday and she was pleased with the improvement my child has made. I am very glad the teachers in LOT Woodlands are very child-centric and ha
Jun 53 min read
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Aug 6, 20240 min read
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When a teacher rallied a Village to transform the life of a child with autism
Today, when you observe Dhil Tay in class, you will not notice any stand-out behaviour from him. Although often seated apart from the other children, he is usually comfortably engaged in his classroom activities with Educational Support Teacher (EST) Ms Diana Tok. However, this was not always the case; things looked vastly different when Dhil first stepped through the doors of LOT Woodlands. Dhil’s first year in his previous preschool was uneventful -  he was quiet in class b
Jun 14, 20245 min read
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A parent's heartfelt thanksgiving for her son's journey with our Educational Support Programme at LOT Jurong West
This story is shared by Peggy, mother of Mattias, who is part of the Educational Support Programme at LOT Jurong West. Finding the right preschool for Mattias has been a long journey. Initially, we considered enrolling him in a regular school, but there were many conflicting thoughts and concerns. The most crucial question was whether these schools had the resources to support his learning, given that he has a rare neurological disease Pitt Hopkins Syndrome (often characteris
Jun 7, 20243 min read
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Ms A.Susila appointed as Pastel by ECDA - pedagogists and specialists in teaching and learning
“Theoretically, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to teach special needs children... I want to equip teachers with the skills they need to feel empowered and competent." We would like to congratulate Ms A.Susila (Manager, Development and Care) who is a newly appointed Pastel by ECDA – pedagogists and specialists in teaching and learning – in the area of inclusive practice. She works tirelessly to ensure that children with added needs have a place in LOT, through the E
Apr 25, 20241 min read
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The Presbyterian Legacy: "Grow and Glow"
We are currently seeking funding support for our Educational Support Programme (ESP). Click the button below to support our endeavour. The seed of Little Olive Tree by Presbyterian Preschool Services was planted some 40 years ago in the 1980s. Long before the brand Little Olive Tree came about, long before we were known as Presbyterian Preschool Services or even Presbyterian Community Services, the Presbytery of Singapore had the desire to bridge the gaps that families and co
Mar 22, 20243 min read
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Little Olive Tree's Educational Support Programme
We are currently seeking funding support for our Educational Support Programme. Click the button below. What is the Educational Support Programme in Little Olive Tree by Presbyterian Preschool Services about? Here are some commonly asked questions that will help you understand our work better: Â A. About the Educational Support Programme ONE: What is the Educational Support Programme? It is a high quality educational program designed for children with special educational need
Mar 22, 20245 min read
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Josiah's Journey: Trouble Worth Troubling For
We are currently seeking funding support for our Educational Support Programme (ESP). Click the button below to support our endeavour. At Little Olive Tree by Presbyterian Preschool Services, we recognise that each child comes with their own sets of trouble. Caring for children is a messy and challenging process. Yet, we believe that as long as we are able, no child is too much trouble. Every child is worth troubling for. Today, we bring you Josiah’s Journey, the story about
Mar 22, 20247 min read
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Why Inclusion Matters: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
We are currently seeking funding support for our Educational Support Programme (ESP). Click the button below to support our endeavour. Raising children is costly. Raising children with additional needs is even more costly. While most preschools are keeping enrolment for children with additional needs to the lowest possible number, the same cannot be said for Little Olive Tree by Presbyterian Preschool Services. While most preschool organisations choose to preserve their survi
Mar 22, 20244 min read
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The Unremarkable Work of ESP
We are currently seeking funding support for our Educational Support Programme (ESP). Click the button below to support our endeavour. Our Educational Support Programme exists for one reason: for every child who comes through our doors to grow and glow. Despite having the term "Programme" in its name, ESP is more than that. Instead, it is a journey and a commitment to walk with the children with additional needs alongside their families while they are with us in our schools.
Mar 19, 20244 min read
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How being loved and accepted in school helped Josiah overcome his behavioural challenges
When Josiah was born, his parents named him Jevan, a Tamil name which means Bringer of Life . His mother Sheila prayed forJevan that he would grow up righteous and love God, and gave him another name, Josiah , which is Hebrew for God supports and heals . When Josiah was 2 years old, he could already count from 1 to 20. Thus, his parents wanted to give him a good foundational education and enrolled him in a preschool that advertised a strong program in mathematics. Not long
Feb 26, 20243 min read
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A mother's journey of heartaches and joys with Zavi, her child who lives with celebral palsy, as he flourishes since joining our preschool
Mdm Harpreet, a mother of our student, stepped up to share her story at a workshop "Opening Hearts and Minds: Embracing Disabilities through Inclusive Education" conducted by the Educational Support Programme Team for our staff. It was one riddled with struggles and helplessness, but also about a journey of courage, progress and gratefulness. She started off talking about two contrasting experiences of two families who were each navigating the challenges of raising a child.
Jan 8, 20243 min read
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A chat with Teacher Joed, who entered the sector by chance but discovered his passion for education
In this series of chats with our staff, we get up close and personal. They share about things like their favourite drinks, to their experiences and motivations at work. Hi there! Could you introduce yourself? Hi, I’m Joed Che, I’m 29 this year and I’m an Education Support Teacher working with children who have developmental needs. I am usually stationed at Jurong West Centre. What did you study before you started your career? I studied Child Psychology in Ngee Ann Polytechni
Nov 6, 20233 min read
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Good Start Run: An arduous but grace-filled marathon across Scotland
In August 2023, 70-year-old Stephen Lim Nghee Huat (or Uncle Yifa/ Nghee Huat as the kids know him by) set off for Scotland to do what an average Singaporean would never even think about doing. Unlike the forgiving terrain in Singapore, the 346km he would be covering as part of an ultramarathon dedicated to Good Start SG which spanned from the West Coast to the East Coast of Scotland, was challenging to say the least. 95% of the course was located within the mountains and fo
Oct 20, 20237 min read
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Modifying commmunication and learning for a non-verbal student
Daniel* is currently 4 years old and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. When Daniel first started school at PPS 9 months ago, he was having difficulty adapting to the new environment as he is non-verbal and faces multiple sensorial challenges. This pushed the team at AMK to experiment with modifying the environment in small ways that would invite him to be more comfortable and accepting of the school environment. For example, he was given a chair with a resistance b
Aug 28, 20232 min read
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Fulfilling a child's longing to go to school just like his twin sister
Mithran's premature birth caused him to be born with a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity, which means that he has an underdeveloped retina. This resulted in him being visually-impaired, which denied him the opportunity to attend school like every other neurotypical child. Given that he is also a non-Singaporean citizen, he was not able to enrol into the existing inclusive programmes recommended via SG Enable. Unlike Mithran, his twin sister did not suffer any compli
Aug 28, 20232 min read
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$45,000 raised through Good Start Run Fundraising Dinner
Stephen Lim Nghee Huat (or more affectionately known as Uncle Nghee Huat or Uncle Yifa among the children in Presbyterian Preschools) is an ultramarathoner who has been running unfathomable distances to raise funds for various causes since 2005. He ran his first ultramarathon, which covered a distance of 160km (almost 4 times longer than a regular marathon), when he was 51. This year, Uncle Nghee Huat turned 70. Yet, the distance he will be covering for his next ultramarathon
Aug 4, 20232 min read
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Ultramarathoner Runs 346km for PPS’ Education Support Programme
"What do you think about when you first start preparing for an ultramarathon?" This was a question we posed to Uncle Nghee Huat in July, during the period of the final leg of training in Singapore for his upcoming ultramarathon in Scotland. His response was unique - he said he would always ask God for help – for strength and sustenance so that he will be able to complete the run without encountering serious issues. ..he would always ask God for help – for strength and susten
Aug 4, 20232 min read
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Fitting in and thriving with new friends
Andy* is a child under the Educational Support Programme (ESP), which provides a natural environment for children with special needs to learn, play, socialise and grow alongside with regular peers. As Andy has Global Developmental Delay, he struggled with development in motor skills and social-emotional skills. His parents were highly concerned about Andy’s social- emotional well-being, as he was unable to integrate into his previous preschool. He was left out of group activi
Jul 5, 20232 min read
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