Introduction/specifics
Our protestant kindergarten was established in 1972. It is located in the middle of a friendly residential neighborhood on the hillside of Höchberg’s old town. In 2009 we introduced our daycare center. Our well-known wood group, located at our second site at the Seckertswiese (a meadow at the outskirts of Höchberg), is running since 2012.
We offer space for:
- 28 daycare children (from 10 months up to 3 years of age)
- 56 kindergarten children (from 2.5 years until transition to elementary school)
- 25 wood children (from 3.0 years until transition to elementary school)
We are one team at two sites – and that is also the way we communicate with each other.
Our work is based upon the Bavarian plan for education which is followed by the majority of childcare facilities in the state. However, we also emphasize certain educational priorities that distinguished us from other kindergartens:
- We are open-minded
In our understanding, being an “open” kindergarten does not only mean to have the doors always open in our facilities. It also implies that we are open to our surroundings and to our environment. This means that we approach all kinds of audiences and people, e.g., by working according to the principles of social inclusion. Moreover, this is also demonstrated in the collaborative and connected way of working of the kindergarten, daycare as well as the wood team.
- We are religious
As a protestant facility, we pursue a religion-based educational concept. Certainly, we tell biblical stories and celebrate church services as well as other Christian holidays around the ecclesiastical year. However, we also want that our Christian values and our faith can be experienced in the everyday life.
- We are ecological
We want to contribute to the preservation of the creation and handle it with care. That is why we believe that you need to know and experience nature in order to be able to protect it. Therefore, not only the wood children are staying outside no matter what the weather looks like. Our regular kindergarten children, too, have weekly wood days in their schedules. In addition, each year, kindergarten and daycare children stay several weeks in a row outside at the Seckertswiese.
- We are healthy diet
Our understanding of a responsible acting towards the creation includes also purchasing sustainable groceries that we process ourselves. We do not want to indoctrinate our children in biological diet. In fact, we want them to experience it themselves. Thus, we cook by ourselves, purchase seasonal and local ingredients, bake our own bread, dry fruits, or squeeze juice. We also a certified organic kindergarten (DE-BY-037-89084-B).
- We are social inclusion
Our facility is open to all children, with and without special needs. We have no specific focus on certain special needs but welcome all families that come to us. Frequently, the team and the children have to adapt and learn new things this way. However, that is exactly what we like and what we are looking forward to.
- We are Montessori
We perceive our facility as a preparing environment that allows the children to discover and unfold their creative and inventive strengths. Therefore, we apply Montessori teaching materials amongst other things. But this environment encompasses a lot more: nature, other children, adults, tools, or creativity teaching material. And sometimes this preparing environment comprises just unexpected things, e.g., during our annual toy-free period.
We hope that we could arouse your interest. If you want to get to know us better, we are looking forward to meeting you!
