April showers bring forth May flowers:
Reshaping rooms in Junkersdorf
After an inspiring period of change last spring, children and team at our center in Junkersdorf had a fresh start into the new kindergarten year under the guidance of our new principal Silke Biedermann. As the result of a moderated team process we decided on a new group structure taking into consideration the different pedagogical needs of the different age groups. In the next couple of weeks, rainbowtrekkers are now going to improve the room structure and equipment.
Our aim is to create more cross-age encounters between the younger kids and the older kids at that facility. That’s why we gonna have a new Kinderrestaurant for all members of the Dino and Butterfly groups in order for them to share breakfast and lunch together. It will be located in our old kitchen (which has already been shifted to a smaller room some couple of days ago).
The Kinderrestaurant’s podest has been tailor-designed for us by Marc Oepen of MOTE Arkitektur Pedagogisk Hamburg who have years of expertise in kindergarten interior design. The bistro type of room will also serve as a meeting and hangout point for parents during pickup time. Construction work for this is about to start in the last week of January.
This design will allow children to watch out through the window and wave good bye to mom and dad from the breakfast table.
Propably during the first week of December we will improve the light and sound situation on the Dino group. The main room will be upgrated with a sound absorbing ceiling with integrated dimmable spotlights as well as wall lighting. The new bathroom for the Dinos has already started being used.
All three groups of the kindergarten will be enriched with new play podests to faciliate room discovery and experience of the third dimension. Construction work for this is scheduled to happen in the week before the Christmas break.
Dinos
The Dino’s room will be upgrated with a podest offering space for a plenary session or goup readings. With mobile benches, the lower step platform can be extended to a seating circle in front of shelves under the balcony.
Access to this balcony via several walk-on bookshelves starts from the side.
Butterflies
The new, expanded large group room of the Butterflies will be equipped with a podest for role play and hide and seek. At the floor level, their podest offers a free-play space that the children can furnish and extend to the front.
At the top, two balcony levels are placed next to each other so that children can use them like a flat, for hiding and quiet activities:
Bumblebees
The bumblebees will get a movement podest specially tailored for the needs of the under three children allowing them to slowly discover their skills to crawl and climb. It can also be used for role play:
The new podests will be provided and set up by Kameleon a supplier with whose products we have made very good experiences in our Kita in Widdersdorf.
I want to use this opportunity to express my deep thanks to the Junkersdorf team whom I had the privilige to very closely work with in the months before the summer break. The thank you goes first of all to the groups leaders Ashley, Sally and Tiffany for their willingness to take over extra responsibility during the months before the new principal had joined. It also goes to Anna, Caro and Tiffany from the Dino group for getting the preschool programm settled and caring for the 4 to 6 year olds, to Amela, Antje and Konstantina for their commitment and love to the Butterflies group and to Sarah and Idoia for the lovely work they do with the very little ones at the Bumblebee group.
Thank you to Antonina for having been with us for all those years throughout your studies and thank you to Wanthana for being reliable and keeping the kitchen running anytime! Last but not least, thank you Silke Biedermann, for your fresh ideas, for your commitment to make this place grow together and for choosing such a lovely team to work with.
Members of:
