If you’re reading this, you are probably considering or recently enrolled your child in Bumi Kecil for their early years education. Bumi Kecil is a Reggio Emilia-inspired kindergarten nestled on the beautiful island of Gili Air that inspires lifelong learning through nurturing curiosity in play, nature, and the community. As you prepare for this new chapter in your child’s life, here are five tips to help you and your family transition seamlessly into this new and exciting experience.
1. Familiarize yourself with the Reggio Emilia Approach
The Reggio Emilia Approach, originating in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is all about fostering a child’s natural curiosity and creativity through exploration, collaboration, and hands-on learning experiences. Reggio Emilia-inspired schools encourage the expression of a child’s “100 languages” by offering opportunities for students to express themselves in many ways from painting and singing to dancing and storytelling. In these schools, the environment is seen as the third teacher, so much of our days are spent playing, exploring, and learning outdoors! Taking some time to understand these core principles more deeply will help you to envision a day in the life of a Bumi Kecil student and give you more ideas to support your child in their learning journey. You can check out our daily schedule for more details.
2. Have open conversations with your child
Before your child’s first day, engage them in conversations about starting a new kindergarten. Ask them how they’re feeling, what they’re excited about, and if they have any concerns. There are many books about starting kindergarten that can be a great starting point for these conversations, too. This open dialogue will help ease any anxieties they may have and make them feel more confident about the upcoming adventure. Continue these conversations after school starts and perhaps come up with a fun way to share about their day using a thumb-o-meter (thumbs up for good, thumbs down for not so good), a color scale (e.g. green could be a great day, purple could be a funny day), or any other way you chose to help them reflect and share. Carving out dedicated time for this will be important in connecting their home and school experiences.
3. Create consistent routines
Transitioning to a new environment can be overwhelming for young children. To ease this transition, create a comforting and consistent morning routine. This could include waking up at a set time, having a nutritious breakfast together, and engaging in calming activities before heading to school. Consistency and predictability can go a long way in making your child feel secure and ready to embrace new experiences. We recommend starting this routine weeks before the beginning of school so that it already feels familiar by the first day. Additionally, implementing an evening routine that sets your child up for a good night’s sleep will also benefit their transition by allowing for plenty of rest and recovery after their adventurous days as a Bumi Kecil student.
4. Prepare for school together
Being prepared for school is important! Rather than doing everything for them, encourage independence and responsibility by inviting your child to participate in getting dressed and packing their backpack for school each day. Every day, they should bring a school sized backpack and full water bottle. We also ask that they always have a spare set of clothes to change into after messy play or accidents. Sometimes, there will also be other special items to bring as requested by the teachers and communicated through Whatsapp or the Friday newsletter – be sure to pack those too!
5. Communicate and stay involved
As your child settles into their new kindergarten, use the Bumi Kecil teachers as a resource! You can check in with them in-person any day before or after school, or chat with them through the classroom Whatsapp number. The more you share with us about your child’s experience in the first few weeks of school, the better we can partner with you to support them. Throughout each term, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback, attend parent-teacher conferences, and reply to requests for information to help us plan for upcoming events. We appreciate you taking the time to communicate with us as it strengthens the home-school connection which sets a foundation for our supportive community.
Preparing for your child’s first weeks at Bumi Kecil should be an exciting time filled with opportunities for growth and discovery! By familiarizing yourself with the Reggio Emilia Approach, having open conversations, creating consistent routines, getting ready together, and staying involved, you can help make this transition a smooth and enriching experience for everyone – families sometimes need extra support during this time, too, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have additional questions. Here’s to a fantastic journey ahead at Bumi Kecil!