Activities are planned to provide holistic education which caters for every aspect of a child’s development: physical, social, emotional, creative, intellectual and spiritual. An interactive emergent curriculum allows the teachers to plan projects and topics of enquiry based on the children’s interests and observations.
The daily routine provides a balance between periods of Closed Plan Methodology, spent exclusively in the classrooms with Class Teachers and periods of Open Plan Methodology, which are facilitated by the use of interleading sliding doors in the classrooms. During this time, teachers rotate on a weekly basis through different learning areas set up in the classrooms. The children are free to choose where and with whom to play and decide independently in which activities they wish to participate. Each teacher is responsible for planning activities to enrich and stimulate the social interactions, play and enquiry of all the children who enter a particular area.
The Fantasy Roomprovides many opportunities for social and emotional development. Equipment such as domestic or hospital furniture and dress up clothes designed to stimulate imaginative play and dramatisation often link with projects or topics being discussed.
The Cognitive Roomcaters specifically for a child’s intellectual development. A range of puzzles, board games, pegboards, manipulative toys, problem solving or computer based activities are made available on a daily basis. A quiet corner for looking at books and a large area for block play are set aside in adjacent classrooms to complement these activities.
The Libraryis an oasis of quiet for those children wanting to look at books away from the bustle of activities. Children in the Grade 00 classes choose books to take home on a weekly basis from a wide range excellent, beautifully illustrated children’s books.
The creative hub of Little Saints is the Art Room.This where the Reggio-inspired emphasis on the importance of allowing children to express their thoughts and ideas through visual media is evident. Crayons, felt-tip pens, chalk, paint, scissors, glue and activities such as wastebox construction and collages are available daily. Teachers make use of innovative equipment such as a light table or an overhead projector to stimulate the development of children’s creative and critical thought and observational skills. The children are encouraged to decide for themselves what they wish to create. For this reason, teachers help them to develop technical skills but do not provide models for them to copy or pictures for them to colour.
The Gardennaturally divides into a playground and a smaller garden for quieter, fantasy play.In the playground, the cycle track winds between challenging jungle gyms, indigenous shrubs and open grass patches. In the Fairy Gardenchildren become explorers and adventurers in the lush flower beds, the vegetable patch and herb garden. An obstacle course and opportunities to explore interesting robust musical instruments are frequently set out in this garden.
