Tartu International School Goes Green

Kindergarteners of Tartu International School contributed to cleaner environment and took part of the World Cleanup Day. Our groups walked different routes in the neighborhood of our school and checked if there were places that needed to be cleaned up. Unfortunately there were! Ready to take action! Children were really passionate and excited when going "trash hunting"! They were very attentive to notice even the smallest pieces of rubbish. Cleaning up the waste offered various learning experiences and arose opportunities to discuss different types of trash and the dangers that come along. The children learnt: the difference between natural waste and man-made rubbish. At first some children also started to clean up old leaves, feathers and berries lying on the ground. After discussing the differences and talking over what kind of waste we are cleaning up, we found dog poop. Some children said that as this is also natural it can be left on the ground, so we had the chance to

  In the Autumn our preschool group visited the neighboring Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences of the University of Tartu. We had a wonderful visit, we learned and saw a lot and made some new friends. So, when the scientists working there had a lot of filter tip boxes they would not use anymore, and asked if we could have any use for them, we were jumping for joy! Our preschool group took a short walk to our neighbors and came back with a big box full of boxes of different colors and sizes.  What did we do with the boxes? In preschool we each child has their own drawer, where they can keep their personal belongings. To keep their things organized, each child chose a box they liked the most. They wrote their name on it, decorated it with stickers and created a wonderful storage box for their pony tail holders, hair clips, lego pieces and all the other treasures they have. Secondly we had a fun learning experience with organizing the boxes qua size and colors, counting them and find

This spring preschool has been talking about different professions.  Also taking a closer look at professions we don't see in everyday life, but we come daily in contact with their products or services.  That is why we decided to visit the Food and Technology Faculty of  Estonian University of Life Sciences. On a snowy Wednesday morning, our preschool group took the bus to meet Andres, a researcher of food science and technology.  We did the necessary preparations, such as changing shoes, washing our hands thoroughly, to enter the research laboratory.  At first, we got to do some practical activity- we made butter. Andres told us about the process: what we need to make it, how to make it and how and why the cream turns into butter. Everyone got a little cup to fill with cream. Then we all changed into “butter making machines” by shaking the cup until the cream turned into butter. It was not very easy, the cup needed shaking rather hard and it took time until the buttermilk rose hig

As one of the Eco-School´s topics we are focusing this academic year is health and well-being, it is also important to pay attention to mental well-being and caring atmosphere.  Therefore, our group has since January been using Persona Dolls methodology. It is an approach that helps to prevent different forms of discrimination, foster emotional literacy and support the development of tolerance and self-confidence of young children. The themes and activities can be designed according to the age, needs and current issues of a certain group of children so that the situations presented by the dolls would be relevant to children´s prior experiences and they could relate with these. It is important that unlike solving a conflict between two or three children, the situations are discussed with the whole group being included and without the direct reference to any certain occasion or child. A boy doll named Iniko has been visiting the children every other week. First meetings were for g

  As a teacher I find that it is important to believe in magic and to instill that belief into children. To be enchanted by the world around us and notice little joys everywhere, to let our imagination fly and our creativity bloom. That is why we decided to build an elf house with our 3 year old artists, or an house for anybody who decides to move in actually! We used some old boxes as the construction of the house which we painted blue, next came the important part of designing the insides. We got creative with the wallpaper and decorated one of the walls with candy wrappers (in this case the teacher being the biggest sweeth tooth). A toilet paper roll became a stove where all the future residents can cozy up to during the dark and cold winter evenings. There is plenty of fire wood to keep the fire going and warm the whole house. Future guests can take a little nap and rest their tired legs on a tree bark. There is no easy way to access the second floor where the sleeping quarters are