Kindergarten and Preschool ABC

“Children refresh life and delight the heart”
(Friedrich Ernst Daniel Schleiermacher).

Dear parents!

We welcome you and your child to the DBSAA kindergarten. In order to make it easier for you and your child to get started in everyday life with us, we have compiled the most important information for you in the form of a “Kindergarten – ABC’s”.

The topics are listed in alphabetical order, so that you can quickly find a keyword and easily read up on everything important.

Please take your time to read our ABC’s and you will find that many of your questions are answered. If you have questions to which you cannot find an answer in the ABC, please contact the group leaders.

Acclimatisation period

The settling-in period is a sensitive time that depends on the individual needs of each child. Therefore, at the beginning of a new kindergarten year, the new children are not admitted all at once, but gradually. This gives the teachers enough time for each child and its parents. We are guided by the “Berlin Model”. (www.kita-fachtext.de) You will be informed of the settling-in days and times by e-mail.

Allergies

If your child is allergic to certain substances, please inform us of this directly at the time of admission and provide us with a copy of the allergy passport.

Arrival

Please bring your child to the kindergarten between 7.30 and 8.00 am. This way you will enable your child and us to start the day together. If you are on holiday or ill, please inform us by telephone by 8.15 a.m. on the same day.

Birthday

The birthday child should be the center of attention on his or her birthday. On this day your child will bake a birthday cake with friends and with the help of the carers and will celebrate with the whole group. Parents don’t have to bring anything on birthdays, because we want to make the celebrations the same for all children. Also gifts and sweets should not be given out, as we do not want to put pressure on other parents. Children who have birthdays during the holidays are celebrated after the holidays.

Breakfast

A healthy, varied and child-oriented breakfast is very important to us so that your child can start the day full of energy.

Bring along

On the first day all children should have the following:
– Slippers
– Sun hat
– Change of clothes
– Sportswear (T-shirt, trousers, shoes)
– Sun cream
– Rainwear (rain jacket, mud trousers, rubber boots)
All-day children should also bring the following:
– Toothpaste, toothbrush and toothbrush mug
– If sleeping child: pyjamas (every week)
“Dwarves” should also bring the following:
– diapers, wet wipes, wound protection cream

Change of clothes

Every child needs a set of changing clothes in the kindergarten. Smaller children can also bring two sets of changing clothes. The clothes should be labelled with your child’s name.

Clothing

When choosing your child’s clothing, make sure that he or she can move freely and can also get dirty.
 To be able to go outside in all weathers, your child will need mud trousers, a rain jacket and a pair of rubber boots. Please label these items of clothing well, as they are kept in the cloakroom.

Concept

The kindergarten has developed a kindergarten concept. A copy of the concept is available in the groups and can also be borrowed. The work on it never stands still, so that it is always revised together by the team.

Contagious diseases

In case of illness, the child must be excused immediately. Children suffering from a contagious disease must be registered at the kindergarten and are not allowed to visit the facility. When your child is healthy again, please bring a medical certificate confirming that your child can visit the institution again. Please also note the parents’ pin board in the reading corner.

Data protection

…Is of course important to us! All information from you and your child will be treated strictly confidential according to the data protection regulations in their respective valid version. We would, however, make your telephone number and e-mail address available to all parents to enable good communication within the kindergarten community. If you do not agree to this, please let us know.

Dental care

Children from 3 years of age brush their teeth daily after lunch in our kindergarten. Dr. Tsehay, a dentist trained in Germany, supports us annually with dental prophylaxis. The oldest children visit her once a year for a dental check-up. They receive a report on this.

Documents

On the first day of kindergarten the following documents must be submitted to us:
– Emergency sheet
– Declarations of consent
– valid and correct passport copy of your child
– medical examination for admission to kindergarten by Dr. Karibian
or from Germany the last U – examination
If these documents are not available in full on the first day at the kindergarten, admission on the agreed day is not possible.

Documentation

The continuous observation of the children is for us the most important basis of our pedagogical work. This enables us to find out what strengths and needs a child has, what topics are on his or her mind, in which areas he or she still needs support and what developmental steps he or she is currently mastering.

Doors / Gates

Please always close the main entrance door so that we can ensure the safety of your children. The main entrance door is closed during the pick-up times 12 – 13 o’clock and 14 – 16 o’clock, because the children are picked up in the garden. Exceptions are made if it rains heavily. The red garden gate is closed in the afternoon to ensure the safety of the children. You can access the garden through the yellow gate. Please never fix the kindergarten entrance door with a stone, as smaller children could otherwise leave the kindergarten unnoticed.

Duty of supervision

Your child is under our supervision during the kindergarten period. Supervision does not begin until we have welcomed your child and ends when the parents, drivers or nannies pick him/her up. For this reason, please bring your child to the group room and and hand your child over to the member of staff present. Each child has a safety card, which you give to the supervisors in the morning and which you put back in the seat when you pick up your child.

Emergency

In case of an emergency we need a CURRENT telephone or mobile number where you or another caregiver can ALWAYS be reached.

Emergency sheet

The emergency sheet that you receive when you register should be filled out conscientiously. This document is very important for us, because in case of an injury we have to reach you or your family doctor.

Equal opportunities

In our kindergarten we create equal conditions for all children, regardless of social milieu, living environment, gender, religion, origin or nationality. The children should be able to develop freely in an unprejudiced environment and take it for granted that there are different cultures, languages and countries of origin: because diversity does good!

Excursions

In the course of the kindergarten year, each group takes outings, such as a visit to a farm. You will be informed in time by the group leaders and asked for permission.

First aid

All educators in the institution are trained in “first aid for children”.
A regular refresher course is organised and carried out at prescribed intervals by the school nurse.

Further education

All teachers of the kindergarten strive to participate regularly in further training. These take place during the summer holidays in Germany. In addition, the DBSAA kindergarten is also integrated into the network of German schools abroad and is involved in regional training courses on kindergarten-specific topics. The colleagues who have attended a further training course will then hold an internal training course on the respective topics for all colleagues of the kindergarten. We strive to expand our pedagogical skills and to gain new impulses and insights for our daily work with children.

Holidays

You can find the holiday plan in the calendar section of our homepage. The staff of the kindergarten will offer you holiday care at predetermined times. Please contact the school administration or the school office for details. The registered period must be paid in advance at the administration.

Hygiene

Hygiene is important to us in order to avoid unnecessary infections. That is why your children wash their hands before and after eating, as well as after each visit to the toilet. Every Monday we ask you to bring fresh pyjamas. Sportswear should be changed over the holidays. For regular cleaning and disinfection the kindergarten follows the hygiene plan of the institution. The hygiene plan is posted in the reading corner.

Independence

Through our work we would like to try to educate the children to independence together with you. This will succeed if we pull together. 
Give your child the opportunity to gain experience with scissors, glue and paint. Equally important is the use of knife and fork. 
When it comes to clothing for the kindergarten, make sure that your child can dress and undress on its own as much as possible.

Information

Each group has a pinboard on which the current project or messages are posted. Important dates or announcements are often sent along with the children in the form of a letter in the children’s rucksack. Please also read the notices on the entrance door and the parents’ pinboard.

Labeling

Please label all clothing and items that your child needs in the kindergarten. (slippers, jackets, bags, etc.)

Language program "Kon - Lab

We use the language program Kon-Lab for language development. You can find more information about this program here: www.sprachheilwiki-dgs-ev.de.

Liability

We do not assume any liability for items brought along from home, especially toys or valuables, in case of loss or defects.

Lunch

The children of the all-day care receive a warm and nutritious, healthy lunch every day. Each afternoon child participates in the common lunch, which starts at about 11.30 am. If your child has allergies or food intolerances, please give us a copy of the allergy passport. In this case, your child can bring a lunch from home, but this must be in the kindergarten by 11 am.
As we are a community, all children take the same lunch.
If your child is unable to attend kindergarten, cannot attend lunch or is picked up earlier, please cancel your child’s lunch with the group leaders the day before so that we can cancel your child’s lunch for the next day.

Lunch box

Your child needs a healthy breakfast every day as well as fruit or vegetables. Please do not give your child chocolate or meals such as pasta or pizza for breakfast. Please remember that the teachers and assistants have many children in the group and cannot cut the fruit and vegetables into small pieces. Therefore, please bring fruit or vegetables in pieces and portions suitable for children (a handful should be enough). Drinks (bottled water, milk and unsweetened fruit tea) are offered by the kindergarten. After the siesta your children will have the opportunity to have a small snack. Here you can also have cookies and cakes. Please do not confuse the snack with chocolate and sweets, as we pay attention to a healthy diet.

Material for the preschool (VS)

Before your child enters the preschool group, the group leader will provide you with a list of the materials you need.

Medication

The Kindergarten team is not allowed to administer any medication to the children. An exception is made for chronic diseases or emergency medication. Therefore, please inform the kindergarten / nurse if chronic diseases exist. In case of an emergency, however, we will inform you immediately if medication has been administered.

Menu - Plan

In a 4-week rhythm there is a new menu plan, which is posted in our reading corner. The menu plan follows the guidelines of the German Society for Nutrition for Day Care Facilities (see https://www.dge.de/gv/dge-qualitaetsstandards).

Muddy pants

So that your child can also play outside when it rains or has rained, we would like to ask you to give him or her a pair of mud pants. Please mark them legibly with your name to avoid confusion.

Our image of man / our image of the child

Every child is a competent being who carries the potential for development within him or herself and who develops in the confrontation with his or her environment. Taking into account the individuality of each child, we support and encourage the child to find his or her own way to develop his or her potential. We would like to support children in their personal development through age- and development-appropriate promotion. In doing so, individual needs, the living environment of the child and its family are given special attention.

Openness

We want to avoid misunderstandings, so please contact us directly if there are any problems or complaints.

Opening hours

Half day place 7.30 – 13.00
Full day place 7.30 – 16.00
Nursery group 7.30 – 15.30

Parents' council

The parents’ council is a link between the kindergarten, parents, school management and school authorities.
The parent representatives are elected at the beginning of the kindergarten year. Even if the parent representatives are important contacts for the parents’ concerns, a direct discussion with the kindergarten management or the team should always take place in advance, if possible.

Parents' evening

Every year in September/October the group leaders together with the parent representatives of the group invite you to a parents’ evening. At this parents’ evening the pedagogical staff will present and explain their quality objectives to you. If you would like to have more parents’ evenings, please contact the kindergarten management and the group leaders.

Parents' meetings

We will conduct an orientation interview with you, in which we will also clarify the child’s medical history. This interview takes place about 4-6 weeks after your child has started kindergarten. At the end of the kindergarten year, we conduct a detailed developmental interview.

Parental work

It is important for us to work very closely with the parents, because the educators and parents are in an educational partnership. It is important to bring together the wishes and needs of parents, children and educators. Honesty, openness and mutual respect are the most important points in the work with parents.
Each group usually has two parent representatives who are elected at the beginning of the school year. On our notice board (reading corner) you will then find the names and contacts of the respective representatives, who you can also contact for questions, concerns and social activities of the kindergarten and school.

Parties and celebrations

In our everyday kindergarten life, parties and celebrations are always popular highlights. You will be informed by the group leader about dates and the preparations for them.

Pinboard

Each group has its own pinboard on which you will find the projects and weekly schedules. So if you want to support your child, read regularly what the groups are working on. The teachers will be happy to make copies of songs, sayings, rhymes and poems for you.

Pick up time

The pick-up times are: for half-day children: 12.00 – 13.00; for full-day children: 14.30 – 16.00. We kindly ask you to keep to the opening hours and to pick up your child on time. Nobody likes to wait, not even your child. Should you be late after all, please inform your child’s group leader. If children are picked up too late, parents must sign a list to that effect.

Pick up authorization

All parents will receive a declaration of eligibility from the supervisors at the beginning of the kindergarten year. This declaration must list the names of all persons who are authorized to pick up your child. Entitled to pick up your child are the parents as well as persons who are named to us in writing by the parents. Copies of passports must also be enclosed with this declaration.
If it should happen that your child is to be collected by someone other than the persons named, we ask you to inform us of this in good time by telephone.

For your own protection, we are not allowed to and will not give your child to a stranger.

Phone numbers

Please make sure that the group leaders always have your current telephone number and please also give it to the secretary’s office. Telephone numbers of the kindergarten management and teachers can be found on the pinboard of the respective group.

Portfolio

For each child we create a portfolio (collection of the children’s works). This will make the learning steps and the development of your child visible.
At the end of the kindergarten period, each child receives a portfolio folder to take home.

Quality framework for kindergarten and preschool

The “Quality Framework for Kindergarten and Pre-School at German Schools Abroad” of the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) is the guideline for quality development in our kindergarten. This Quality Framework describes the goals, criteria and contents of educational work in the elementary sector at German Schools (DS) abroad and covers the following areas:
1. educational and training areas of the institution
2. learning culture – quality of teaching and learning processes
3. culture of the institution
4. leadership and management
5. human resources development
6. quality assurance and development
Our team is working on the practical implementation of the contents of the quality framework.

Rainwear

So that your child can also play outside when it rains or has rained, we would like to ask you to bring rainwear and/or mud pants. Please label all items clearly with their names to avoid confusion.

Registration and cancellation for and from the kindergarten

Registration is done through the school office. You can also contact the school office by e-mail (info(at)dbsaa.de). Before you are admitted to the kindergarten, we will get to know you and your child. The final admission of children is generally decided by the headmaster after consultation with the head of the kindergarten.

If you de-register your child from the kindergarten, you will first have a conversation with the group leader. The official deregistration takes place in the school office in compliance with the usual formalities (deregistration circular).

Recognition pictures of the children

Each child has its own identification picture, which is displayed on its “place”, on the shelf for the rubber boots, on the safety card and in the bathroom.

Rituals

Rituals make children strong. “Rituals strengthen our selves, they bring order and smooth transitions. Through them, man finds his place in the world.” (Eugen Raintjes Foundation) Every day your children are exposed to a multitude of impressions and stimuli, which they cannot process at once. Therefore, many loving habits help them, which become rituals through recurring processes. Processing these impressions gives the child a feeling of security and safety and thus strengthens their self-confidence. Rituals help the child to find its way through the daily routine, to establish a connection and to make periods of time conscious.

Rules and limits, standards and values

Children need the reliability of rules that show them the way in our confusing world and provide them with a framework in which they can move safely and act. Boundaries, norms and values create security for the child, because the child knows in which framework it can act and act safely. Thus rules and norms also have a positive effect on self-esteem. Boundaries must be shown by clear rules, i.e. they must be recognisable and transparent. Children have to learn to accept them, which requires that parents and educators adhere to them.

Children should learn and experience ethical norms, values and ideals so that they can decide how to behave in difficult situations. The example of these principles by reference persons (parents and staff of the institution) contributes significantly to the formation of conscience. Therefore, rules and agreements in our kindergarten are binding for everyone. We ask everyone to accept these rules, which enable us to work together as harmoniously as possible.

Rubber boots

So that your child can also play outside when it rains or has rained, we would ask you to give him or her rubber boots. Please mark them clearly with your name to avoid confusion.

Shoe racks

We have a shoe rack for rubber boots and a rack for slippers. Please ask your teacher which shelf should be used for your child. Please mark all shoes with the name. The shelves are marked with your child’s identification pictures.

Slippers

Your child needs slippers in kindergarten. Please mark them with the name and, if possible, get shoes that your child can put on by himself. Before your child enters the group room, the shoes must be changed.

Start

Every start at the kindergarten is difficult. For parents and children, a new phase of life begins, which brings with it a multitude of changes for the child and the whole family. For many children this means the first separation from their parents. To make this step easier for you and your child, it is necessary that we work together. Joint discussions are important to ensure that your child has a good and happy time.

Time

We are pleased that you have taken the time to read the Kindergarten – ABC The welfare of your child is very important to us.

Toys

Each group has a match day one day a week. On this day your child is allowed to bring a toy from home. On other days we ask you not to bring toys from home. We are not responsible for lost or broken toys.

Trash

We teach the children an appreciative approach to nature, which also includes avoiding unnecessary waste. Here too we are dependent on your support. Please give your child only boxes for food and avoid plastic and aluminium foil.

Wishes

We are open and thankful for your wishes and suggestions during the whole kindergarten time. Do not hesitate to contact us, this is the only way to clarify and discuss all expectations.

Good cooperation with the parents is an important part of our pedagogical concept. The kindergarten is a supporting institution to the parents’ house! We are happy to accompany and support your child at a very important stage of its development.

Thank you very much for your cooperation and support
The Kindergarten – Team

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