Goals and values
Our values are "Safe Community – Happy Days – Open Minded Thinking – Supported Development". Our goal is to support the conditions for each child's healthy growth, development and learning, and to offer the opportunity to acquire English through the Early Total Immersion method.
Safe Community
In our everyday activities, the children's wellbeing and safety come first. Together with the parents, we want to offer our children an environment where they feel good. Clear routines and rules, together with enough familiar staff, help children feel safe at the kindergarten. Teachers observe and guide the children's play. It is important that every child has a friend and that the children learn to treat each other fairly. The parents, as owners of the kindergarten, are the foundation of everything we do.
Happy Days
Children have interesting things to do together with their friends. Our staff help to create a joyful atmosphere with their good humour. Mistakes happen, but we learn from them, and taking them with a sense of humour helps keep everyone going. Laughing and being silly are important. When having fun, what matters is that it creates a positive sense of togetherness – we laugh together.
Supported Development
Children's growth and development build on their own strengths. Children are encouraged to try new things, even ones that may feel difficult at first. Teachers help them learn to regulate their emotions. We celebrate successes together. We avoid too much competitiveness, though small contests can liven things up from time to time. Children have the chance to play both on their own and in groups. They are encouraged to play at different play centres and with different playmates, and to express their feelings and thoughts. Confidence in themselves and in others shows, for example, in how boldly the children perform for each other. Performing is practised in games where everyone gets a turn to do something on their own. At kindergarten celebrations, children gain experience of performing for a larger audience.
Open Minded Thinking
For learning, it is important that children dare to ask about the things they wonder about. Asking questions also helps with learning a language. Children notice that we are all different and, at the same time, very much alike – everyone is wonderful and valuable. Our kindergarten staff are international and bring important things from their own cultures into everyday life. Exploring and discussing these helps each of us understand one another better. Exploring new things and reflecting on what we have done before moves us forward and helps our kindergarten develop.
Interaction and social skills
Early Total Immersion places great emphasis on interaction. Listening to others and taking turns to speak also develop important social skills. In group discussions, children take on moral and ethical values, for example when the topic is helping those who are smaller or weaker.
Friendship and accepting differences
We support children in finding a close friend with whom they can discover the joys and sorrows of friendship. At the same time, we emphasise that children should also play with other children. It is important to learn to notice and accept differences between people and to understand how to get along with others.
Families are an important part of what we do
In our small kindergartens, parents and staff build a close relationship. One-to-one discussions about each child's growth and development are held regularly. We also meet parents in other settings, because every family belongs to our kindergarten's supporting association and takes part in its teams.
Together we organise celebrations and hold volunteer work days (talkoot). As members of the supporting association, families decide what matters to them in the kindergarten's activities: they have a say in the kindergarten's activity plan and approve the budget. Parents also take part in teams that look after things such as administration, communications, events and the outdoor areas.
Close cooperation is the strength of our kindergarten – parents and staff work together to build the best possible environment for children to grow and learn.