British Kindergarten of Sofia

Every one of our actions has an impact on the world that we live in. While this concept may seem too abstract for young learners, it can easily be demonstrated through experiments and projects.

Our kindergarteners recently presented all the knowledge they acquired during the Sharing the Planet unit of inquiry.

What happens when we plant seeds? How do we take care of plants and make sure they thrive? Why is recycling so important?

We tried to answer all these questions during our latest Summative Assessment.

Summative Assessments give parents a chance to witness how learning happens and how students progress over the course of six weeks.

Students can become critical thinkers at an early age when they’re connected to the surrounding world and are conscious about every action and its consequences. When knowledge is tied to real-world situations, it contributes to a high level of awareness and a curiosity that we aim to nurture every day at school.

We grow, and we learn about the real world every single day.

How do seeds germinate? What could be better than observing this process in real time?

Our young researchers are starting their journey into the fascinating world of growing plants. Armed with thyme, mint, dill, and parsley seeds, we planted a little garden during one of our classes.

Now, it’s up to us to help the garden grow. By engaging in plant care every day, students learn essential skills that extend beyond the classroom setting. Additionally, they take on the important responsibility of making the garden flourish and what could be more rewarding than that?

The world works in a fascinating way, and we explored some of its incredibleness during our latest Primary Years Programme (PYP) summative assessment.

Learning within the PYP framework is organised in six major units of inquiry.

We recently completed How the World Works and invited parents to witness our progress.

The central theme of inquiry this time around was minibeasts. Do you know what they are and where they live? Did you know that they represent nearly 97 per cent of all animal species on Earth?

Fascinated by their resilience and important role in nature, we did various projects exploring the life of minibeasts and anchoring our learning around this vast topic.

The warmth and beauty of autumn inspire and provoke thoughtful exploration.

We are drawn to the colours, the textures, the crafting opportunities that natural materials bring to the table.

What better way to celebrate the season than through a tactile art activity that results in a conceptual, custom creation?

Each one of our kindergarteners got a chance to decorate their own autumn tree. To make the experience extra fun and engaging, we incorporated everyone’s favourite play-dough in the process.

Activities like this one encourage children to get creative while observing and learning about natural principles or phenomena. This multi-disciplinary approach allows for the easier establishment of connections between concepts during the acquisition of knowledge. Find out more about our holistic education approach here: https://www.bssofia.bg/british-kindergarten-holistic-education/

As hard as they tried, our little kindergarten monsters couldn’t achieve a more terrifying Halloween effect. We actually believe they’re extra cute rather than spooky.

Halloween is a special occasion that allows us to transform the kindergarten premises into a fairytale world.

Creatures, large and small, come to life. Various activities throughout the day encourage everyone to get into a character, be creative, and have an amazing time with friends.

This year, everyone put a lot of effort into their costumes and performances on Halloween. Here’s a small glimpse of all the glorious costumes that students surprised us with.

Watching children start out with a concept that results in the sweetest (both literally and figuratively) piece of art ever is mesmerising.

We frequently work with different materials and techniques to incorporate a tactile experience in an arts and crafts class.

Scrunching pieces of crepe paper to make an apple is fun, and it provides our young artists with a very distinctive form of self-expression. After all, they’re not just responsible for picking the right fruit colour. The density and texture of application also contribute to an end result that is unique and adorable.

Using fingers to paint colourful pictures is fun, but we’re always looking for new ways to encourage creative self-expression.

Engaging the different senses, sharpening fine motor skills, and having fun at the same time is a recipe for a great, impactful activity.

Our artists employed this curious technique to paint an apple, and we can humbly claim that the outcomes are impressionistic masterpieces.

Art reveals new worlds and shows children that they’re capable of completing complex projects while expressing themselves and gaining confidence. That’s why it’s an important part of our curriculum, and it is used as a medium to teach a range of valuable lessons.

We had a private cello concert at the kindergarten, and it turned out amazing.

Observing children experience timeless music masterpieces for the first time is priceless. They’re quickly enthralled by the music that reveals new worlds and provokes an immediate emotional response.

As a part of collaborative learning efforts, British School of Sofia students and our kindergarteners benefit from opportunities to interact and do activities together.

This time, they learned about the cello and experienced its distinctive sound. Even more excitingly, kindergarteners had their chance to play the impressive instrument under the skilful guidance of a fifth grader.

Collaboration between younger and older students benefits everyone involved. It improves communication skills, provides mentorship opportunities, and gives children a chance to learn from someone who has been in their shoes and who can present knowledge in a simple, fun way.

Do you believe dance is important for the growth and development of a young child? We have several reasons why participation in a dance class isn’t just terrific fun; it’s also a powerful educational tool.

Through dance:

- Children master gross motor skills
- They start understanding the importance of perseverance and discipline
- Youngsters build their creativity and find new ways to express themselves

Dance also enhances memory and focus – after all, it’s not so easy to remember and recreate a choreographed routine. There’s also a social element, and the ability to conquer a challenge helps children grow more confident in their abilities.

Last but not least, we have to put emphasis on the fact that dance is incredible fun. And when props get involved, the enjoyment increases exponentially.