Info
General Information
We highly recommend visiting our kindergartens to experience first hand our teaching methods and style. You can then see for yourselves how the children respond to our environment and how our daily routines are implemented.
Parents are always welcome to drop by although we do advise that you call and make an appointment in advance. We also welcome parents as helpers: many of our parents have enjoyed participating in our activities and it’s a good way to see how the kindergarten works and to appreciate how truly amazing your children are.
General Information
We highly recommend visiting our kindergartens to experience first hand our teaching methods and style. You can then see for yourselves how the children respond to our environment and how our daily routines are implemented.
Parents are always welcome to drop by although we do advise that you call and make an appointment in advance. We also welcome parents as helpers: many of our parents have enjoyed participating in our activities and it’s a good way to see how the kindergarten works and to appreciate how truly amazing your children are.
Downloadable
curriculums
We are a well-stocked kindergarten
Many of our teaching materials have come from the UK. We follow the guidelines for the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care as well as the City of Helsinki Curriculum for Early Childhood and Preschool Education. We also use elements of the British foundation stage for 3-5 year olds and key stages 1 & 2 for 5-7 year olds. We keep track of each child’s progress through record keeping and observations.
We teach a variety of subjects ranging from literacy skills, mathematics, science, art, music, drama, geography, physical education and ethics through theme based learning using a holistic approach.
Our daily programme
Children practice their skills through play and more structured activities. During circle time, children learn to listen and be heard in turn, we discuss any problems that have arisen within the group and work together to find solutions. We also explore our topics and try to find out what information the children already possess in relation to our themes. The children become familar with our daily routines, such as the calendar.
We learn songs and rhymes, letters and numbers and language structures through games, drama and stories. During play and activity time, children work in small groups with a teacher. This enables us to closely moniter your child’s progress and ensure that we are on hand to help them overcome any areas of need.
A multicultural environment
Our children come from many different backgrounds. Our teaching language is English and all our activities are conducted using this language. We have found that the older children are very willing to help and support the younger ones with their language development. This can include translating instructions for them, acting as interpreters and offering support when needed. This helps to develop a community atmosphere where we all assist each other.
We respect and show respect for all.
Protecting your personal information
Finnish American Kindergarten info:
Finnish American Kindergarten collects personal information related to you for the following purposes:
- in order to contact parents if any situation arises in the kindergarten that requires a guardian to come collect their child.
- in case of emergency, child illness, injury, or missing child situation, relevant details will be given to emergency responders in order to facilitate effective actions.
- to inform families about kindergarten events and any other issues related to the goings on in the kindergarten
- for applying for KELA private day care allowance
- communications with neuvola or other health professional, always with guardians’ prior notification
- in cases of public health risks (reporting epidemics), a copy of children’s personal identification numbers will be delivered by hand to appropriate authorities, never electronically.
- billing for kindergarten monthly fees
- in order to provide appropriate meals (hypoallergenic, vegetarian, etc.) for children with special or restricted diets.
- The data (initial kindergarten application) is stored in a locked cabinet and is destroyed one year after the family leaves the kindergarten.
This one year timeframe is necessary in case there are any disputes regarding Kela reimbursments. - A paper copy of guardians’ contact and child’s personal information, in addition to emergency contacts and pick-up permission forms, which is provided by the guardian, is stored in a folder to be taken everywhere that children go outside of the daycare. These are placed securely in the teachers’ bag.
- Kindergarten staff inputs personal information to the mobile application KindyDays, always with guardians’ explicit prior permission. This information is password and pin number protected. Parents have access to edit, add, or delete information pertaining to themselves or their own child from the application at anytime.
Finnish American Kindergarten staff