|
|
|
|
|
Dear BFS Community,
This summer, besides operating an active and fun summer camp for our children, our staff has been deeply engaged in preparing the school's physical environment for the fall. Yannick, our wonderful custodian, has been working hard to clean and paint our classrooms and wax the floors, as per our usual preparation, but this year we are taking things to a deeper level. For example, the paint colors, a warm white and light grey, were chosen specifically to create a calm atmosphere, and to create a blank canvas for the children's work- minimize distraction. This level of thought and attention is being paid to all furniture and materials placed in our classrooms, as part of a school-wide initiative to focus on the learning environment we create for our children.
|
|
|
“It has been said that the environment should act as a kind of aquarium which reflects the ideas, ethics, attitudes and cultures of the people who live in it. This is what we are working toward”
– Loris Malaguzzi
|
|
|
Last spring, many of the BFS staff members attended the Reggio Emilia traveling exhibit, "The Wonders of Learning", which made its way back to NYC for the first time in many years. Reggio Emilia, an approach to early childhood education created and thriving in Reggio Emilia, Italy for over 50 years, has been an inspiration to BFS, as well as schools internationally. A major aspect of the approach is the recognition that much love and care must be paid to the environment a school community creates. An appropriate learning and growing environment for young children is created with thought and intention, and an eye to beauty, as the environment is considered to be the 3rd teacher of children, after families and teaches.
|
|
Wonders of Learning Exhibit: Comfort and Beauty
|
|
|
For the past 6 years, since our staff as a learning community has been studying the Reggio Emilia approach as one of our pedagogical inspirations, we have been tweaking our classroom environments, working to bring in elements such as natural materials and documentation of children’s work, but this year, with the influence of the Wonders of Learning exhibit, we decided that it was time for a more thorough overhaul. Teachers worked together at a staff meeting to come up with the principles we wanted to see manifested across our classrooms, and also the shared elements we wanted all of the classrooms to possess.
|
|
|
|
Wonders of Learning Exhibit: Hands-On Exploration
|
|
|
Exploring natural materials in the Jitterbug Classroom
|
|
|
Guiding Principles For BFS Classrooms: By BFS Teachers
- A sense of warmth and security
- A feeling of togetherness
- Know everyone’s names
- Allow children to make mistakes/test things out
- Highlight children’s work
- Respect for others' work
- A chance for the children to revisit their work and reflect upon it
- Allow the children to feel proud
- Bring in the natural world
- Create a sense of wonder
- Provoke curiosity, exploration and questioning
- An atmosphere of calmness
|
|
|
We are emptying out each classroom for cleaning and painting, and not putting back furniture and materials that no longer meet ours and the children's needs. Everything that is placed back in the room is done so with thought and intention, by a collaborating team of teachers and directors, who are working over time to help make this vision a reality. The elements we are introducing include a greater focus on open-ended and natural materials for exploration, open-ended fabrics for dress up and creative play, a mini-atelier (art studio) in each classroom with easily accessible art materials and tools that the children can access, sensory exploration, soft cozy corners with draped fabrics, and light exploration. We are also working on lessening the presence of plastic bins and materials and replacing with cloth and basket containers. At the same time, we are trying not to be wasteful, nor break our budget.
|
|
|
How You Can Help
Another major principle of the Reggio Emilia Approach we are inspired by is the necessity of partnership between school and families. All three protagonists in a school community, parents/caregivers, children and teachers, work together and have rights and responsibilities. The cooperative nature of BFS flows nicely with this principle. If you are looking for ways to help out:
- Calling out to any carpenters, tinkerers, engineers in our community! We have some cool ideas like a tubing system for communication, message boxes for children to communicate with each other, metal sound tower, homemade wind tunnel and light tables. Please contact Mikia, Daniela or Stacy if the “maker” moniker applies to you and you are interested to help.
- Natural Materials. When you're in the woods or at the beach this summer, please look for natural materials, big and small, to bring in! This could included shells and stones (extra credit points for smooth river stones!), large branches or pieces of bark for larger installations. Also keep an eye out for cool recycled items like plastic tubing.
|
|
|
|
Incoming Dragonfly, Etta, collecting shells and rocks at Far Rockaway Beach for BFS
|
|
|
Etta's treasures, ready to be explored, in the Dragonfly classroom
|
|
|
We are not seeking to create perfection or replicate Reggio Emilia, but to work within our means, our cultural framework, and our community’s resources to create an environment that is right for our families, children and teachers, and the direction we are moving in educationally.
We are excited about what this shift in our environment could mean for a shift in our teaching and learning. Change brings forth change- and as a learning community, BFS has always been interested in not remaining stagnant but continuing to learn and grow together. We are excited for you to join or rejoin us in this continual journey!
Stacy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
