In 1991, Newsweek hailed Reggio-Emilia as the best early childhood institution in the world. We could not agree more. The Olive Tree is a Reggio-Emilia inspired learning environment. So, what does that mean?
In August 2011, our teaching team created our guiding principles for what education means to us.
The Olive Tree’s Guiding Principles
We see children as whole and competent.
We treat children with love, respect and integrity.
Learning is a collaborative journey we are on together as a community.
We keep each child and each other physically and emotionally safe and healthy.
We foster creativity and the value of each original thought.
We respect and enjoy each other’s differences.
Niente senza gioia- nothing without joy.
The five basic tenets of the Reggio-Emilia inspired approach include:
1. The image of the child: We view children as capable, competent, and powerful. It is important for children to have a balanced and secure sense of their social-emotional intelligence and growth. Our program focuses on providing our students with the platform for investigation, exploration, communication, and understanding. Our student’s learning progresses through the student’s involvement in long and short-term projects, which develop out of first-hand experiences and the child’s theory of the world.
2. The view of the environment: The classroom is a place to initiate creative thinking, research, and discovery. It is a place where theory is developed and ideas are represented. Our school utilizes this theory by cultivating a home-like environment, where the children hold the responsibility for respecting their materials and classroom community. The environment is seen as the “third teacher”, a place that exudes safety and exploration.
3. The image of the teacher: The teacher is a guide and a researcher on this early childhood education path. The teacher is a teacher-researcher, a resource, and a guide as they lend their expertise to our students. Our teachers listen, observe, and document the growth of the community and individual child, in order to provide carefully selected provocations to excite our student’s learning capabilities. Our teachers work as a community to foster individual and group learning, self-reflection, and growth.
4. The view of the family: Parents are an intricate part of our learning community. We welcome the building of a community of inquiry for our students. Together, we can build a rich sense of inquiry and theory within each individual student by collaborating together, communicating, and fostering a sense of safety and trust. We provide parent workshops, parent-teacher conferences, community building activities, and direct access your child’s learning experience.
5. Making learning visible: We love documenting learning processes! Our classrooms have private blogs with stories, photos, and some videos. Each child will graduate with an individual portfolio that highlights significant learning arcs, special moments, and captures the way your child learns. It is a beautiful snapshot into their school life. Documentation is a great process for students and teachers to stop, slow down, and reflect on what and how they grew throughout their time at The Olive Tree. Learning is a not a linear process but a process of construction, growth, reflection, and reconstruction. Giving our students the time and space allows the learning process to have a stronger and deeper foundation for further learning and growth.
If you would like to learn more about how this exciting and beautiful school works, please sign up for an upcoming tour. We can’t wait to meet you!