Introduction/specifics

Introduction:

The kindergarten "In den Krautgärten" is an early childhood education institution for children. In our facility, children from one year old until they start school are warmly welcome. Our facility offers care from 07:00 AM to a maximum of 04:30 PM. For full-day children, there is a hot lunch and a rest period every day.We work according to a closed concept and are divided into four groups:

- The Star Group

- The Sun Group

- The Rainbow Group

- The Cloud Group

We identify ourselves as a common house and create regular touchpoints between the children, fostering community among them. Community is nurtured in our environment, which is why we value a shared breakfast within each group. The basis of our educational work is the Orientation Plan of Baden-Württemberg, the quality handbook, and the violence protection concept of Frickenhausen.

Special Features:

Children with disabilities are part of the group activities. We place great importance on inclusive interaction. This also includes being able to provide more intensive support for children in need of language promotion. For this purpose, two language support specialists are part of our team, available on fixed days.

Another feature of our facility is the large gymnasium with various sports equipment (e.g. climbing wall, large boxes, trampoline, soft floor mat). Additionally, the children have the opportunity to move in our spacious outdoor area. This includes versatile play structures for children under and over three years old, a seesaw, a nest swing, as well as several sandboxes and space for other movement and ball games.

Children have different needs for rest. Therefore, we can offer full-day children who require a nap their own bed in our separate sleeping area. For all others, there is a quiet time for relaxation.

Rooms

On the ground floor, the three group rooms each have an adjoining room and a second level.The group in the basement has two larger group rooms available. Additionally, there is a sleeping room, a gym room, and a dining room.The hallways are also variably usable and provide space for inter-group play partners.

Our spacious outdoor area features three different garden sections, which are equipped with versatile play and movement materials. The groups use all sections regularly and alternately.

Basics

Mission statement of our kindergartens  

 ‘ On the way to growing up, the children in our facilities should feel supported and we give them enough fresh wind to move forward on the eventful journey.’    

Our goals:  

• Promoting language skills, expanding vocabulary and the ability to express oneself  

• Promote social skills, learn to live together, resolve conflicts, learn rules  

• To promote integration within the group  

• Promoting the individual ability of each child and valuing the child's personality 

• Promoting independence, granting freedom, encouraging children to try new things  

• Promoting play, creating framework conditions, providing stimulating materials, learning through play, processing experiences  

• Shaping the transition to school, leading up to school readiness  

• Co-operation with the primary school and other institutions  

• Further development of educational work, teamwork, further training, public relations work  

• Cooperation with parents, the parents' council, family involvement  

Additional Offerings

Language support :

In the kindergartens of the municipality of Frickenhausen, additional language support for children with increased support needs takes place regularly, several days a week.   

The aim of language support is to help children acquire and develop their language skills so that they can communicate, express themselves, understand each other and thus participate in the community and educational programmes.  

Both children with a migration background and German children can take part in the language support programme.  

Which children should take part in the language support programme is determined by the specialists in consultation with the parents. The results of the school examination can also be a reason for participation in the language support programme.   

Language support can only be provided with the consent of the parents. However, if the need for language support has been identified during the school examination, participation in language support in the last year of kindergarten is compulsory.  

In our kindergartens, language support is provided by qualified language support staff according to the concept of the ‘Denkendorfer Modell’.  

The basic principles of pre-school language support according to the Denkendorf model are  

1. Language support is provided holistically in age-appropriate play and learning situations.  

2. The support takes place in small groups.  

3. The support is provided in close cooperation with the paedagogical specialists.  

4. Language support according to the Denkendorf model is interculturally orientated. 

Inclusion

There is a colourful diversity of families, languages, origins and individuals in the kindergartens of the municipality of Frickenhausen. 
It is important for us to take each individual child seriously and to recognise their own life situation, their own prerequisites and their individual abilities. The children should be supported and encouraged in a shared day at the crèche and kindergarten so that they can learn from and with each other.  

In the case of children with special needs, we work together with parents and supporting institutions such as the Early Intervention Association to see how inclusion can succeed in the centre so that children with (potential) disabilities can also experience successful participation in group activities.  

In these cases, integration staff are deployed in our centres to accompany the children on an hourly basis during their day at kindergarten. 

Quality Assurance

A quality manual, a concept for the protection against violence and the concept are used to define standards that apply to all centres and provide binding instructions and insights for teachers, the provider and parents with regard to structural and pedagogical activities. 
They are constantly being developed and adapted to new requirements in order to maintain reliable conditions and meet new demands. At the same time, each centre retains its own profile.  

It is important to us to present the work in the centres in a transparent and reliable manner. 

Teamwork with school

Cooperation with School:

In the last year of kindergarten, we prepare the future first graders especially for the start of school in cooperation with the elementary school. In addition to supporting the future first graders in everyday group activities, we offer special activities in cooperation with the elementary school to facilitate the transition from kindergarten to elementary school.You can find out more about this in the daycare.

Teamwork with parents

Collaboration with Parents:

Parents are and remain the most important reference persons for children. Therefore, we would like to enter into an educational partnership with you, in which the well-being of the child is the top priority.
We are a family-supporting institution. This means that we want to promote and support the development of your child together with you. It is therefore important to work together in a partnership, hand in hand.

For this purpose, we offer you at least one development conversation per year. In these discussions, we will show you the progress your child has made, address your questions, and collaboratively determine how we can continue to support your child in the best possible way. In order to conduct a development conversation with you, we observe your child very closely in everyday life and maintain close communication with our colleagues.

So-called door and ramp conversations to clarify short questions are possible at any time. We are also reachable by phone during our opening hours.For faster and more transparent cooperation with parents, we use the KIKOM app (more detailed information will be provided upon enrollment of the child).

Projects

Activities and Offers:

We work according to the situational approach. This means that we want to promote and support the interests and needs of the children.

We adjust our daily routine and the offers for the children accordingly. This can include small impulses during free play, which remain interesting for a short period of time, or project groups that focus on a theme over several weeks.

To find out the interests of the children, we observe them continuously.We regularly address some topics. These include, for example:

Fire Protection Education:

Once a year, in collaboration with the volunteer fire department of Frickenhausen, fire protection education is held for the future first-graders.

The future first-graders visit the local fire stations, focusing on the following essential topics:

- Dangers of fire: heat, smoke, fire gases, and destruction

- Proper handling of igniting agents, necessary safety measures

- Escape routes and behavior in case of fire

- Equipment of a firefighterTour of the fire truck

At a second appointment, there is a practice alarm in the kindergarten, in which all children of the kindergarten participate.

In this case, a practice smoke detector is triggered. The line makes the emergency call, the children gather at the assembly point, and the fire department arrives with sirens and flashing lights.

At the end, the future first graders receive a certificate.

Dental Prophylaxis:

Regularly, an introduction to dental prophylaxis "Healthy Teeth - But How?" takes place for all children.

An employee from the Health Department of Esslingen playfully introduces the children to the topic of oral hygiene. Discussions are held about milk teeth and permanent teeth.

Using the "Chewing Surfaces - Outer Surfaces - Inner Surfaces" tooth brushing technique, the children practice vigorously. Each child receives their own toothbrush and a cup for this purpose.