KINDERGARTEN

2022 marked a return to full face-to-face learning and the usual Kindergarten routines. We were able to bring the pedagogical project to life in our new Kindergarten area as a single united community, enjoying all that our new building has to offer.

Our lines of action were the development of the competency framework, working on rubrics to account for each competence throughout the different ages and project work and curricular review, creating deep, meaningful and challenging learning experiences for our students. We strived to achieve a balance between academic training and personal and social guidance, working strongly in the socio-emotional area, with initiatives such as the Emotions Explorers Workshop, among others.

We carried out systematic and sustained work of In-Service Teacher Training in three key areas: Language Practices (Diana Grunfeld), Mathematics (Adriana Castro) and Bilingualism (Sarah Hillyard). They advised us by giving theoretical training, suggestions of bibliography, curricular planning sessions, class observations and feedback, and modeling of activities with students. This modality of ongoing training allowed us to agree on approaches, learn from the subjects, improve our practices and achieve rich learning experiences. As regards the school architecture, we were able to inhabit our new building meaningfully, using exterior spaces as a continuation of the interior. We achieved an ambience of collaboration and a sense of belonging in both teachers and students, and the formation of year groups. The various spaces allowed us different group configurations and proposals for diverse activities.

Involving work with families and the generation of a link of school - family accompaniment, we organized three talks: Sphincter Control by our professionals of the EOE (Equipo de Orientación Escolar), a presentation by Licenciada Andrea Baldantoni "How to help our children regulate their emotions" and a workshop for parents on the reading and writing learning process, by Diana Grunfeld.

Within the framework of our competency-based model, we went back to the Concerts, but with a new look. First of all, we used the space of our Kindergarten considering the need to reduce the number of artists on stage. On the other hand, transforming them into significant Project Based Learning project, where the students became the protagonists, taking over the setup of the show, the scenography, and carrying out an in-depth work with the themes chosen for each one: K4 focused on a PBL of Literature with a focus on the stories of Pete de Cat, and K5 worked on sustainability. Both were performed entirely in English, working on music and body expression using multimedia technology to film videos, making digital art, scenography, etc. These were instances of deep learning and great enjoyment for the children and their proud families, where critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and citizenship were developed.

We focused specially on our bilingual project, and with advice from specialist Sarah Hillyard, we maximized the use of English in routines and daily situations and enriched our planning with specific content of the language. Our teachers received feedback and training to improve language teaching practices.

We closed the year with our long-awaited Exhibition, which was organised by age groups and each cluster was transformed into a museum. The children were able to exhibit and share their productions with their families and the community. They covered all curricular areas and the development of competencies. The 2-year-olds worked in relation to the five senses, the 3 year-olds showed everything they had learned during the learning units of the airport and stories on the moon, the 4 year-olds shared their deep research on dinosaurs and the 5 year-olds focused on a variety of projects:  the bakery with language practices, mathematics and dramatic play, work from the area of visual arts on portraits, several productions related to Burundi by Pablo Bernasconi related to art, literature and language practices.

Our youngest students finished with open Music and Physical Education classes with their families, and all of Kindergarten held face-to-face meetings to give feedback on the children's learning processes and journey, focusing the reports on our competency-based model.

It was a year of many achievements, but above all of much enjoyment and a celebration of being able to be all together, as a single Kindergarten community, learning and growing through challenging and innovative proposals.