Bandar Seri Begawan - With festive cheers that accompanied the lion dancing efforts of the young students, the Joyful Kids (JK) Montessori School celebrated the Chinese New Year with staff and parents on Saturday.

The young kids enjoyed the day with festive activities that enlivened the atmosphere, and a delicious spread including many delicacies and other traditional foods were provided.

The event was hosted by the Managing Director, Helen Awang Sitai, accompanied by the Principal, Caroline Wong.

The Joyful Kids Montessori School started its operation in January 2006 with one child and grew by 2008 to four classes and is located in Jalan Telanai, Kampong Beribi.

The school is dedicated to the philosophy and principles of Dr Maria Montessori, who lived from 1870 to 1952. She was the first female physician in Italy.

Her work in medicine and anthropology led her to observe young children's behaviour.

She concluded that the child learns best in a home-like setting, and that the learning environment should be filled with developmentally appropriate materials to provide experiences that contribute to the growth of self-motivated and independent learners.