Tartu International School Goes Green

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 f...

Sprouting mung beans As one of our Echo-School topics for this academic year is health and well-being, we often deal with the topic of healthy/unhealthy habits in our everyday lives. Last week we sprouted mung beans for ourselves. We started with observing the beans thoroughly (their color, size and the germ) and discussed what is needed for the beans to sprout (water, air) .  We used the scheme on the board to present the expected result and compare our the process with the pictures on the board.        Everyday twice a day children took turns, rinsed and drained the beans.       We used a special sprouting tray which made it easy to use it with the children and they could take care of the sprouts pretty independently. We kept the beans/sprouts on the table to keep an eye on them and every now and then children checked if the beans had grown a “tale” yet or not. Four days and the sprouts were ready to eat!   We have different nationalitie...