【Masks should not be mandatory during Physical Education】 There have been cases all over the world where students have fainted and passed away when wearing masks while in Physical Education. In Hong Kong, there have also been secondary school students who were wearing masks while jogging who suddenly fainted and stopped breathing. The government’s “Guidelines on Conducting Physical Activities for the Prevention of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)” require students to wear masks at all times in schools, including during Physical Education and that schools should arrange low-intensity physical activities (but in the FAQs the word "only" is used). But what counts as low intensity? The "Guidelines" quotes information from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, including walking at shopping malls, garden walks, pacing at home, low-intensity indoor/outdoor gymnastics (morning exercises), planting small potted plants, drying, folding clothes, etc. The guidelines also state that jogging is considered a moderate-intensity physical activity (also walking, fast walking, walking up stairs, playing at a playground, swimming, basketball, football, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, etc.), and the "Guidelines" clearly points out “moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activities may lead to an increase in heart rate and Breathing. Wearing masks during physical activities causes difficulty in breathing and increases the chance of a lack of oxygen and dizziness. Therefore, students should not wear masks when taking part in moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activities.” I believe that the current school sports activities are of moderate or vigorous intensity, which according to the "Guidelines", it is not advisable to wear a mask. But for some reason, students still have to wear masks in physical education. In addition to the hot weather now, to avoid accidents, schools should follow the guidelines, otherwise they can only take low-intensity walks, but does that still physical education? Since May, the number of COVID cases have been at 0 most of the time. Even if there are occasional local cases, they did not break out, just like the previous four waves. The figures clearly show that the virus has minimal impact on children. The government should immediately update the guidelines to indicate that sports activities do not require masks. At the very least, outdoor sports should be like this. The death rate of the coronavirus for people aged 30 or below is 0 in Hong Kong. I hope that the death rate will not exceed 0 as a result of such epidemic prevention measures. (By Ralph Yau, originally published in am730 in Chinese)

Happy Father's Day 　　一個陽光燦爛的早上，孩子拖着爸爸，輕鬆愉快返到自由自在的校園慶祝父親節，全人投入親子互動。孩子和爸爸一齊用手腳印畫創作，「好好玩呀！」充份滿足感覺、動作、語言發展的需要。孩子又製作家庭相和油畫送給爸爸，心中滿是喜悅。 　　再來一張大合照，兒童無限仝人祝大家父親節快樂！

【從容教養第一式：觀察】 　　筆者和太太都曾經是新手父母，有感傳統教育不足，於是遍尋更好的教育方法，有幸遇上蒙特梭利教育。第一式學會運用的，就是多觀察孩子在預備好的環境中自由活動。 　　之後是一連串意想不到的發現，例如孩子都能獨立遊戲和工作，非常專注，會重複練習，完成後非常滿足和喜悅，原有的偏差行為消失。在適當引導後，孩子能自己選擇工作，越來越獨立自主，越來越自律，學習上進展驚人，同時又合羣，會互相幫助。這「正常化」的狀態，在適當環境自然出現。 　　觀察時，其實亦給孩子和自己時間和空間，很多問題自然解決，教養原來還可以輕輕鬆鬆、自由自在、從容有致。觀察亦有了此基礎，新手父母再逐漸學習怎樣適當地引導孩子，何時教何時不教，領略積極不干預的藝術，如此，兒童的無限潛能才得以綻放，不受壓制。 　　筆者多年來在家長教育上積累的知識經驗和教育思緒，今匯集成《兒童無限之法》一書，望能幫助大家以自然方法教養孩子，更渴望回饋與指正。第一式就是觀察、觀察再觀察，同時也放鬆、放鬆再放鬆。觀察時給予孩子自由，你也一起享有，更能從天真的孩子感受到自由的真諦。冠狀病毒病導致世界大變，人類自由大受限制，大家盡力一切如常，先從生活獲取自由。 　　人之為人，就是因為有一顆愛孩子的心，有一個理智的頭腦，令我們堅持教育原則，在紛亂的世界中堅持信念，在逆境的挫折中努力，給孩子真實、善良、美好的成長世界。 (邱振明 am730) ==================== 【新書】兒童無限之法－－自由自在從容有致的教養 本書第一版收入半數捐予香港蒙特梭利研究及發展學會（港府認可慈善機構），籌辦津貼蒙特梭利幼稚園及研究發展。 於網上書店 https://bit.ly/3fCZFjI 或電郵本校購買 ==================== 【8小時家長基礎課】 19/6 & 24/7(週六） http://infinitychildren.com/zh-hant/parent-education/foundation/ ==================== 【AMS國際蒙特梭利教師證照課程】第7屆 http://infinitychildren.com/zh-hant/teacher-education-programme/tep/ 報名查詢: 請致電 35896366 或電郵至 [email protected] ==================== 【蒙特梭利初探：如何預備成人】網上公益講座 時間: 7月6日(星期二) 晚上6-7時 https://forms.gle/CPwNU1Uzpt3dZQeK8 報名後，講座連結將於當天發至閣下的電郵 https://www.am730.com.hk/column/share/272358