KARAKALLIO KINDERGARTEN
"Even the water tastes better here at the kindergarten!" said one 5-year-old.
For us, it is important that children can be seen and heard in the
kindergarten because it is our home for the day. We strongly believe that
children of different ages should also be able to spend time together. It is
the best learning model.
At Karakallio, Fridays are our speciality. The children have named it a surprise
day because every Friday something special happens. The day is planned and
organised by the children and adults together. There are different theme
parties, toy days, trick-or-treating, buddy skills, building a hut, etc. And
most importantly, it's always a time when everyone is together.
Call | WhatsApp 045 639 7437
Kalasääksentie 6, 02620 ESPOO
Open
weekdays
07:30-17:00
LOCATION: Karakallio kindergarten is located on the ground floor of an apartment building, near Rastaala primary school.
PARKING SPACES: There are 15min off-street parking spaces on Kalasääksenkuja in front of the kindergarten door. There is a free 24h parking lot at the end of Poutahaukankuja.
PUBLIC: The nearest bus stops, Poutahaukankuja and Rastaskukkula, are about 300m from the door of the Karakallio kindergarten.
IN KARAKALLIO KINDERGARTEN LEARN AND WONDER ABOUT THE WORLD
Stars, Clouds ja Rainbows -groups
All our groups of children, Stars, Clouds and Rainbows, practice everyday
life skills, social skills and play skills through daily activities. As a rule,
we teach in English.
The areas of learning in both early childhood and pre-school are The Rich World of Languages, Many Forms of Expression, Me and Our Community, Exploring and Acting in my Environment, and Growing, Moving and Developing.
The focus of the different groups' activities is described in more detail below.
STARS
3 to 4 YEARS OLD
Starting kindergarten is about getting to know new friends and the adults in the kindergarten. Getting used to new routines and common rules. Especially for children who have just started with us, our important principle is to keep things unhurried - child-centred.
In the Stars group, social and play skills are a priority. In particular, we practise handicrafts and various motor skills. Pedagogical play plays an important role in the Stars Group.
Learning English starts with the basics. "Please", "thank you", "help me please".
CLOUDS
5-YEAR-OLDS (Viskari)
The Viskari prepares children for nursery school. At Karakallio Kindergarten, this also means moving to the "big side".
In the Clouds group, they get used to longer periods of desk work and practice sounds, numbers and shapes.
During the autumn, Clouds will attend buddy club, where they will learn buddy skills and how to identify, verbalise and express their feelings. In the spring, we again attend a little pre-school class, led by the future pre-school teacher.
Viskaris are already quite good at communicating in English.
RAINBOWS
PRE-SCHOOLERS AGED 6
The Rainbows are the oldest in the kindergarten. The older children are allowed to act as role models for the younger ones.
The Rainbows attend daily formal pre-school classes that prepare them for school. Pre-school gives them good pre-reading and working skills for school. English is the main language of instruction in pre-school education, but there is a Finnish language class once a week.
Rainbows learn to solve problems and work more independently. The important skills of making friends and learning about emotions also continue throughout pre-school.
When possible, the pre-schoolers participate in guided swimming lessons at the swimming school in the spring at the Leppävaara swimming pool, and there is a sleep over organised for them at the kindergarten.
DAILY RHYTHM
We are open from 07:30-17:00
STARS (3 to 4 years old)
- 7:30 Kindergarten opens
- 7:30-8:30 Free play
- 8:30-9:00 Breakfast
- 9:00-9:30 Morning circle
- 9:30-10:30 Outdoor play
- 10:30-11:15 Focused activity
- 11:15.11:45 Lunch
- 11:45-14:00 Naptime
- 14:00-14:30 Snack time
- 14:30-15:00 Story time
- 15:00 Outdoor play
- 17:00 Kindergarten closes
CLOUDS ja RAINBOWS
- 7:30 Kindergarten opens
- 7:30-8:30 Free play
- 8:30-9:00 Breakfast
- 9:00-9:30 Morning circle
- 9:30-10:30 Focused activity
- 10:30-11:30 Outdoor play
- 11:30-12:30 Lunch
- 12:30-13:30 Quiet activity
13:30-14:00 Free play
14:00-14:30 Snack time
15:00-15:30 Story time
15:30 Outdoor play
17:00 Kindergarten closes
(5 to 6 years old)
BROAD AND VARIED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
The kindergarten's fenced yard is at the end of the courtyard of the block of flats. Our large and forested yard invites children to play under trees and in rock holes. We are surrounded by forest and nature, which we visit frequently. There is also a nearby artificial turf and sand pitch to play on. The Karakallio residential park and Karatalo are within walking distance. For gym, we visit the Sisu Hall in Karakallio every week. On Wednesday afternoons, there is the opportunity to take part in Juvenalia's music kindergarten class under the guidance of a music teacher.
We also make regular excursions in Espoo and elsewhere in the capital region. We celebrate Finnish festivals as well as festivals from the cultures of families and employees. We celebrate holidays and children's birthdays together with all groups. Halloween, for example, is an annual favourite with the children. Depending on the calendar year, we get together to celebrate Christmas, Spring, Father's and Mother's Day, when parents can also join in. Through the kindergarten's messaging app, the shared moments of joy are captured for families in pictures and videos.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE PLANS
When a child starts kindergarten, we invite the family to a Welcome to Early Childhood Education and Care discussion. During this meeting, we will go through the things that will help us to provide early childhood education and/or pre-school education that meets the needs of your child and family. See also what should you consider when starting kindergarten.
We follow Espoo's early childhood education and care plan and each year we make child and group-specific plans. We work together with guardians on the child-specific plans during the early childhood education (VASU) and pre-school education (LEOPS) meetings. The group plans are based on the needs and interests of the children as identified in their individual plans.
In addition to the discussions described above, the family can contact the staff at any time and, if necessary, make an appointment for a discussion if there is even the slightest concern.
At least once a year, we organise our own parents' evenings for the
groups.