It’s been two months on campus for our Early Education learners and many have settled in well much to the satisfaction of their teachers. For K3, Ducklings co-teacher, Rachel Blylevens, this has been an exciting time to see the YCIS ECE values at work in ensuring a smooth transition for learners.

Reconnecting teachers, students and families

Our preschoolers reacted differently to their first day on campus after months of being at home. There were smiles and a few tears, understandably. However, the progress since then has been dramatic. 

New and returning teachers worked tirelessly and “applied the same core nurturing foundational principals of the Yew Chung approach across our ECE programme,”  explains Ms Blylevens who has over 20 years experience teaching and leading classes in different settings.

This was done through the re-establishement of relationships between teachers, students and families, but also by nurturing relations with families joining our community for the very first time.

Focusing on these relationships has resulted in students being happy to be in school and immersed in the learning process.

Play-based Learning to Collaboration

Now that students have adjusted to the environment, their days are structured to embrace our school’s 12 Foundational Values of ECE. These consist of concepts such as play-based learning, collaboration and the emergent curriculum that fill each child’s day with engaging variety. “This is where the fun begins,”  says Ms Blylevens as she breaks down a typical ECE day.

A Day in ECE

Students are ushered in by their parents every morning after undergoing thorough safety checks.

Then they head to their learning spaces.

“Our classrooms are presented so as to reflect welcoming, warm spaces where the children’s current or developing interests are evident,”  says Ms Blylevens. Learning spaces in ECE consist of toys and material to excite different interests, all reflected in the current K3 class. Students have shown an interest in the natural world, which means exploring nature when on campus.

“Children have been digging, exploring, and investigating bugs and insects in our beautiful natural outdoor garden area,”  says Ms Blylevens. This is linked to the science displays related to nature around the learning communities.

Learning days are split into classroom spaces, the common learning area where studets have an opportunity to interact with their peers, and the outdoors.

Developing Unique Talents

As our school believes in nurturing unique talents from an early age, our youngest learners also gain weekly extracurricular exposure at the library (to immerse in books), at music lessons, in the gym, or in the playground where they can be introduced to the rest of the school community.

After a day of many fun-filled activities, students fuel their bodies with a healthy meal prepared by our canteen staff. Post lunchtime is dedicated to rest before additional learning through play.

Since the start of the semester, Ms Blylevens believes that “childen here have developed a strong sense of belonging and connection.”  This is one of the main goals for ECE teachers. Most important is putting ECE values into practice during interactions with children.

To learn more about ECE, join the Open Day on Saturday, November 21 by signing up here.