Introduction/specifics

Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Closure Days:
We have 30 closure days in our facility, which are aligned with the school holidays.

The Team:
- 1 Director at 80%
- 1 Deputy Director at 80%
- 1 Educator at 100%
- 2 Educators at 80%
- 1 Educator at 50%
- 1 Intern

The Rappelkiste kindergarten is organized into two groups, meaning that up to 44 children aged 2 to 6 years can be accommodated. The places for two-year-old children are limited to 5.

After registering your child, the settling-in process begins. This phase is tailored to the individual needs of the children and their families. On average, the settling-in process lasts 2 to 3 weeks and takes place in various phases, ranging from arrival and orientation to separation from the parents. During this time, you will be supported by a key educator who will be your point of contact and will maintain constant communication with you.

Rooms

Our Facilities:

- 2 group rooms (Forest Group and Meadow Group)
- 2 additional rooms (Construction and Role-Play Area / Atelier and Experimentation Area)
- Bistro
- Kitchenette
- Changing room
- Children's washroom with toilet
- Office and staff room
- Storage room
- Staff toilet
- Hallway and cloakroom
- Entrance area with information board for families

Outdoor Facilities

The Rappelkiste kindergarten is located at the entrance of Zimmern, a rural district of Schwäbisch Gmünd. In front of the kindergarten begins the traffic-calmed area with the 30 km/h zone.

Adjacent to the kindergarten's outdoor area is a large sports field as well as another public playground. We can make good use of these opportunities for playing, running around, and kicking, as there is a gate in the fence that separates us from the sports field.

Basics

Pedagogical Aspects

In our two-group kindergarten, we work with a partially open concept. During free playtime, the children can use all the rooms in the building, with prior agreement.

We offer age-appropriate activities and programs that are based on the children's interests. We work in both large and small groups.

Another key focus is movement promotion. We offer regular physical education sessions (for the older children in the hall of Mozart School, and for the younger children in the facility), a weekly forest day, daily time in the garden, and movement games as part of the daily routine.

Our team has participated in the in-house training provided by the Children's Sports Foundation of Baden-Württemberg, titled "Movement is Education."

Our pedagogical actions are guided by the orientation plan of the state of Baden-Württemberg.

In practice, we ensure that the developmental and educational fields in our pedagogical work do not stand isolated from one another but complement each other.

Weekly team meetings take place, during which we plan, organize, and reflect on our programs. Observations of individual children and case studies are shared, and pedagogical challenges and difficulties are discussed, with a focus on finding solutions. Personal views and opinions are openly discussed within the team. Decisions are made collaboratively by all team members and are supported by everyone, as trust, mutual support, and respect for each individual are core elements of our team.

Children are independent individuals who are accepted and embraced in their entirety. They find an environment with us that allows them to independently experience and explore various areas of learning.

Cooperations

Weitere Kooperationspartner

• Landratsamt Ostalbkreis Gesundheit
• Landratsamt Ostalbkreis - Jugend und Familie Fachzentrum
• Hochschule Aalen
• Frühförderstellen
• Andere Kindergärten
• Sprachtherapeuten
• Ergotherapeuten

Teamwork with school

Cooperation with Schools

A part of our educational work is to ensure a smooth transition for preschool children into school.

We have an intensive cooperation with Hussenhofen Primary School, the Mozart School. Preschool children from St. Katharina and Regenbogenland kindergartens also have the opportunity to participate in this program.

Over the course of eight afternoons, our preschool children visit the Mozart School and take part in activities focusing on gross and fine motor skills, creativity, language development, and early mathematics. These activities are conducted by the teachers of the Mozart School.

The children's strengths and any potential support needs are assessed through observations and roundtable discussions after each "school session."

A prerequisite for participating in this intensive cooperation with the Mozart School is the parents' consent.

Teamwork with parents

Educational Partnership

As a team, we are committed to building a trusting and cooperative partnership with parents. We are always available to listen to your questions and concerns.

Even before your child joins our kindergarten, we invite you to an initial meeting to get to know each other. During this conversation, you can express your concerns and ask any open questions. Children also have the opportunity to explore the facility at their own pace.

During the annual development meeting with the designated educator, you will receive insights into your child's developmental progress and can share your observations from home. This helps us ensure the best possible support for your child.

Throughout the year, various parent-child activities, celebrations, excursions, and development meetings take place.

An important aspect of the collaboration between the kindergarten and families is the parents' council, which is elected by the attending parents at the first parents' evening of the kindergarten year.

The parents' council also organizes and hosts regular parent gatherings.

The term of office for the parents' council is one year, after which new elections are held. If a child leaves the kindergarten, the respective parent's term on the parents' council also ends.

As an advisory and mediating body, the parents' council meets twice a year with the kindergarten team for a parents' council meeting. During these meetings, the planning, organization, and implementation of events, as well as parents' concerns and suggestions, are discussed.

Specifics

Pedagogical Work and Focus Areas

Children are independent individuals who are accepted and valued by us in their entirety. They find an environment with us that enables them to independently gain experience in various areas. These areas are based on the developmental and educational fields of the orientation plan. In this process, we serve as reliable caregivers who accompany, support, and encourage children according to their individual abilities.

We see parents as our partners in raising their children and treat them with respect, friendliness, and understanding. We are open to their concerns and wishes and offer them support as professionals and trusted persons when they have questions or problems regarding parenting.

In our kindergarten, we place special emphasis on physical education and language development. In addition to the regular physical education classes and forest days, we incorporate movement games into the daily routine, as movement is a fundamental need for children. The various fields of development and education are not treated in isolation in our pedagogical work, but instead, they interconnect with each other. Language, as a means of communication, plays a central role, which is why we focus on holistic language development.

News

Our kindergarten places great emphasis on nature experiences and physical activity. 

We regularly organize forest and nature days to introduce children to the environment through play.

Children aged 4 to 6 participate in movement activities in the large sports hall of the Mozart School, while children aged 2 to 4 engage in gymnastics within our own facilities.

We offer age-appropiate activities and work in age-homogeneous groups while also encouraging cross-group interaction. 

This creates an environment where every child can develop individually.