Kindergarten

1. EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Our Educational ApproachOur kindergarten aims to nurture healthy, active and creative individuals who can adapt positively to a rapidly changing world. We offer an environment based on research and discovery that supports children’s developmental characteristics and prepares them to face the future with confidence.
Active teaching methods encourage students to explore the questions “What, how and why?”, investigate, stay curious, ask questions, express themselves, communicate and create. This supports happy, confident children who participate actively in learning, question ideas and explore.
Our programme combines specialist lessons in English, creative drama, visual arts, sport, dance, music, gymnastics, chess and coding with thinking games, projects, art activities and intuitive early reading and writing activities.

Assessment and EvaluationAssessment in kindergarten aims to identify and monitor development in behaviour, skills and learning outcomes. Regular assessment activities provide a holistic picture of each child’s progress.

Development ReportsRegular monitoring and evaluation are central to our educational approach. Teacher observations, assessment activities, parent meetings and individual student conversations help us follow development. The information gathered is used to evaluate progress in behaviour, skills and learning outcomes.

PortfoliosPortfolios make students’ learning and development visible through concrete examples. Children’s work and progress are supported by portfolio presentations, helping us observe and evaluate their development over time.
Sharing their work helps children recognise their own learning process, express themselves through what they have created and demonstrate their progress.

2. GUIDANCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING

Our Holistic Guidance ApproachOur aim is to help students become healthy, happy, creative individuals who understand and trust themselves, adapt and communicate effectively, express themselves, solve problems and show sensitivity to their environment and values.
Guidance is planned and delivered systematically through cooperation between teachers, students and parents.

Understanding Students and Monitoring DevelopmentUnderstanding each student’s characteristics, needs and areas of development forms the basis of our guidance work. We observe and evaluate school adjustment, developmental characteristics and learning experiences throughout the year.
This includes:
• Activities to get to know each student
• School adjustment and orientation
• Teacher observations
• Developmental observations and screening
• Individual student conversations
• Group guidance
• Parent meetings

Our Guidance and Counselling ActivitiesOur psychological counselling and guidance service supports student development through:
• Orientation activities
• Individual meetings
• Student assessment and guidance
• Metropolitan school readiness testing during the transition to primary school
• Group guidance
• Parent meetings
• Values education
• Personal boundaries and privacy education

Social and Emotional DevelopmentWe place particular emphasis on social and emotional development. We help students:
• Understand themselves
• Develop self-confidence
• Express feelings and ideas
• Communicate in healthy ways
• Adjust to school and their social environment
• Develop problem-solving skills
• Make sound decisions
• Show sensitivity to their surroundings and values
Living Values activities and personal boundaries and privacy education also support social and emotional growth. We additionally use Kültür-GEN activities to encourage self-awareness and self-understanding.

Individual and Group ActivitiesOur guidance and counselling team provides individual and group activities based on students’ developmental needs.

Parent–Teacher CooperationThe guidance and counselling team works with teachers, students and parents. This cooperation helps us consider development at school and at home as a whole and make suitable referrals when needed.

Assessment ToolsOur guidance and counselling assessment tools support an understanding of each student and the monitoring of development. Assessments combine observations, individual meetings, teacher and parent views and other developmental information, rather than relying on a single result.
Tools and methods include:
• D2 Attention Test
• Multiple intelligences inventory
• Objective and projective tests
• Observations and screening
• Individual student meetings
• Parent meetings
• Self-assessment activities
• School readiness testing
The results help us understand each student, identify areas for development, recognise needs and support learning.

3. VALUES, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SCHOOL CULTURE

Kindergarten education supports academic and personal development while helping children understand their values, care for their environment and other living things, take responsibility and participate in social life.
Values Education
Values education is an important part of our approach to social and emotional development. Living Values activities and everyday learning experiences help children learn values through practice. Values are part of daily school life, extending beyond individual activities.

Social Responsibility ProjectsWe aim to develop responsibility and sensitivity to the environment from an early age. Our social responsibility programmes encourage sharing, helping others, taking responsibility and caring for one’s surroundings.

The Environment and Healthy LivingOur “Healthy Living and the Environment” activities help students develop healthy habits, explore their surroundings and build environmental awareness.
The school’s pet garden lets children spend time close to nature and develop healthy relationships with animals, encouraging care, sensitivity and responsibility towards living things.

Special Days and CelebrationsOur programme explores special days and weeks through activities suited to children’s ages and developmental stages. National and international holidays and other special occasions are celebrated to help children discover cultural values, cooperate, share and feel part of the school community. These activities also encourage awareness of other cultures.

4. ENRICHMENT LESSONS, PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

Kindergarten clubs, projects and activities help students discover their interests and talents, experience different fields and participate actively in learning.
Enrichment Activities Our programme offers specialist subjects and activities that help students explore their interests and develop their talents:
• Dance
• Gymnastics
• Sport
• Music
• Visual arts
• Coding
• Chess

Projects and ResearchProjects and research develop curiosity, questioning, investigation and the ability to share learning. Students are encouraged to:
• Conduct research
• Develop projects
• Ask questions
• Make observations
• Collect data
• Evaluate information
• Create work
• Present their work
Science experiments and observations also support investigation and discovery. These activities encourage active learning, curiosity and different ways of expressing what students have learned.

Trips and Experiential LearningTrips and experiential learning connect classroom knowledge and experiences with real life, allowing students to observe and experience topics in different settings. Activities include local and out-of-town trips, cultural and arts events, science activities, experiments and observations.

Daily Learning Routines

Enrichment Programmes

• Cultural and arts activities: theatre, cinema and exhibitions
• STEM and science activities: experiments and observations
• Celebrating special days and weeks
• Traditional children’s games
• Start-of-day activities: Kids Zumba
• Family participation: “Let My Family Be My Teacher”
• Coding activities
• Fun mathematics activities
• Early literacy for ages 5–6
• Life skills
• Living Values
• Thinking and reasoning games
• Global citizenship programme
• Ecology activities
• Supported by portfolio presentations.

6. KINDERGARTEN LIFE

Our learning environment and school routines are planned to make daily life organised, safe and responsive to children’s needs.
Our Classrooms
Classrooms offer resources and spaces that support physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development. Our kindergarten occupies 1,000 m² and has seven classrooms, each accommodating 20 children. The pet garden brings children closer to nature and helps them develop responsibility through their relationships with animals.

School HoursTeaching takes place on weekdays from 09:00 to 17:05. Regular attendance and arriving and leaving on time are important.

MealsStudents receive three meals: breakfast, lunch and an afternoon meal. Monthly menus are shared with parents through our K12 information system.

Uniform and Personal CareStudents wear school uniform. The school encourages children to be neat, organised and attentive to personal care.

Admissions and Getting to Know Each ChildProspective parents complete an application form and are contacted to arrange an appointment. Our guidance counsellors conduct age-appropriate assessments covering social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.
Teachers then share information about the assessment process with parents. Following the interviews and assessments, students considered suitable are enrolled. The aim is to understand each child’s developmental characteristics and needs and support a positive start to school life.