After 20 years of experience in education Avenor Nursery makes another step forward to creating a meaningful impact: Avenor Greenfield campus opens the gates for children 3 to 6 years old. Here, young children will begin their learning journey supported by the enabling environment of a redesigned building, as well as by the surroundings of a natural site, Băneasa Forest.
We invite you to read this article written by Tania Răduță – Academic Learning Lead, and Cristina Farcaș – Acting Head of Nursery, who are sharing with us some thoughts about the pathway that Avenor Nursery had to follow in order to reach a new stage of development.
Tania and Cristina, you have many years of experience in the educational field and you know that these changes bring along challenges and opportunities. How will the children benefit in their development of such a dynamic environment, in the Greenfield campus?
Cristina Farcaș: We are ready to ensure the same experience for each child, as the British Curriculum, Early Years Foundation Stage & Statutory Framework for Key Stage 1, alongside the Avenor values, will remain the common ground of both Nursery locations. For us this is not a change, but a next step for development, as we will become a better version of what Avenor Nursery can offer to the community of Bucharest.
The Greenfield location has its unique charm and will welcome children with the forest aside, the school children vibration in the campus, transition to Primary School opportunities and large community events. My non-formal professional background modelled me to see the opportunities around, and in this case the first things that I see are: a complete school campus site and a wide horizon view towards the forest.
Tania Răduță: We will all benefit from this environment by allowing us to take risks, make mistakes and try again tomorrow in order to build perseverance and resilience. The trial error method is one that adults might do consciously and children do it through their play. As long as we, as role models, are open to embrace the unknown and learn from each new situation children will see and think that there are always various possibilities and solutions; they just need to be found. Therefore, I am confident that children will learn about possibilities and about finding different solutions to challenges. We will of course ensure consistency through routine, safety rules and other educational aspects and we will also expose children to new situations and changes in routine as it is an educational objective.
At Avenor you co-create the best possible future. This is your mission. How are you going to fulfil this statement having in mind the new community: children, parents and teachers?
Tania Răduță: Step by step, always with each child’s uniqueness in mind. We will cherish every moment while focused on ensuring appropriate next steps for each child. With lots of patience and care in everything we do. Through building relationships, planning differentiated activities and communicating with parents, our main partners in education.
Cristina Farcaș: Yes, we co-create, together, within and beyond the school. This is the part of our mission statement that can be translated into “when we grow up we will make a difference, we will have impact”. And because “it takes a village to raise a child” all the adults in their life will contribute, parents and educational staff. We are curious to know the new families as well and collaborate through events, feedback, progress tracking, parent support and many other ways.
Starting from the well known phrase “something old, something borrowed and something new” define the main features of the brand-new Avenor Nursery in the Greenfield Campus.
Tania Răduță: For sure, the first word that comes to mind for something “old” is the experience that we have in adapting the British curriculum to our Nursery School identity. We will take advantage of the Greenfield campus and we will “borrow” its energy and awesome vibe. And now, for the “new” part, I am thinking about the chance of transforming the outdoor time into a forest time and, as well as, giving children the chance to imagine themselves in different stages of learning, from nursery to high-school.
Cristina Farcaș: The leaders of the team are “old” and after all these years they are still here modelling a life lived by the vocation and loyalty. Some new teachers come from other educational systems and we “borrow” their different experiences to meet the variety of needs that each unique child has. We are enthusiastic to be in front of the “new” educational resources, furniture, support staff, and the smell of the new campus.
You are exposed daily to different ways of playing. So, Tania, Cristina, it’s your turn to “have a go” and get involved in an imaginative game and start thinking about: What will be the impact of the new Avenor Nursery towards the future of Avenor College? Can you associate one word from the nature area with this adventurous journey?
Tania Răduță: The impact will be significant, for sure, as we will start to model new generations of children, in another setting for us. We will learn how to integrate all the nursery activities, within the dynamic activities specific to school, matching each piece like a puzzle. This will help us to grow even more and be interconnected as a whole.
Moving on to the second question, nature is so inspiring so let’s join in this imagination game. Actually, right now an idea came to my mind. A long time ago, when we moved to the Casin location, in the playground there was a tiny tree with few branches and some beautiful shaped leaves. We then realised that it was actually a Ginkgo Biloba Tree. Throughout time this tiny tree grew at the same time as Avenor Nursery. It transformed into a strong, tall tree that protects children from hot sunny days. It also became part of our outdoor time and teaching: together with the children we look at the seasonal changes, we pick up the yellow leaves in Autumn and we make crafts out of them. I actually have a folder with pictures of the tree during different seasons on my laptop. Therefore, coming back to your question, I am now thinking that maybe we should plant a Ginko Tree in the Greenfield campus, as well.
Cristina Farcaș: Not only the nursery children will benefit from learning in a full school campus, but also the older ones. The scouts have a saying: “the little one learns from the old one, and the old one protects the young one”. What is more beneficial when looking at them as future adults than to know that they will have the ability of looking for each other? In connection to the second question, I definitely think about the birds that feed each other to survive and learn to fly from the more experienced ones. I can’t wait for our colleague Viorel Căpățînă, Geography and Global Perspectives Teacher, to show the little ones the birds in the forest.
Avenor Nursery added a new chapter to its history in 2022, when the gates were opened at the Greenfield campus to a new Year One group (children from 5 to 6 years old). Therefore, following the carefully designed pathway, in September 2023 three groups of children from 3 to 6 years old are expected to join in. Here, young children will continue the Avenor Nursery`s 20 years of experience in early education, according to the British curriculum, using English language in a natural way.
Book a tour now to find out more about the new Avenor Nursery, in the Greenfield campus.
