New Beginnings
Dear BFS Community,
We are off to a rousing start and the classrooms are beginning to feel as through they have been together a long while. It is an odd by product of this time that children, in particular, feel a strong sense of gratitude when they are able to gather together and meet at school. Silver linings are not so easy to find, but we can only hope that this paradigm shift extends beyond this year and into the educational worlds of the future, fostering a love of exploration and curiosity that will support our BFS children as they move through their developmental stages and next rooms.
Our beginning at the Park brought a strong interest in nature and natural observations. Questions have been percolating about who lives in the park, specifically, in the trees. In the beginning of a typical school year, many questions come up about home and what it means to have a family, to begin to identify oneself as a person separate from our families. These ideas are present this year as well, although they are shaped by and enlarged to include the experiences the children have had in the park.
In the classroom, children are also exploring and making sense of all the talk about health and germs. Some children are referencing the "angry virus" in their art and enacting medical situations with doctor visits in the dramatic play areas. The social emotional competence children gain as they work through their feelings and ideas in dramatic play are the foundation for developing security and comfort as they learn. By enacting scenarios, children make sense of the world around them.
Play is therapy
As educators, we know the vital nature of play as a medium for self expression and learning. Play has never been more essential. Encourage your children to dress up, enact situations and work out ideas and concepts. Let them use your clothes and any items that represent what it means to be an adult. See what happens...out of the mouths of babes!
Welcome Nadeja!
We would like to officially welcome Nadeja Ross to our Educational Director role. Since October 5th, she has been greeting families and staff from the front of our school, warmly welcoming all of our community. She has been visiting the classrooms, implementing our COVD protocols and supporting staff during this time. A few words from Nadeja:
Hi, my name is Nadeja Ross and I am excited to be part of the Brooklyn Free Space family!! I’m a Brooklyn native, and have lived here my whole life. I’ve been working with preschoolers for 6 years and it’s still as awesome as it was when I first started. I have two Bachelors degrees: one in Psychology and the other in Early Childhood and my Masters in Early Childhood Learning and Development. One of my favorite quotes comes from Dr. Suess "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."
I love to encourage people, not just students, to be true to themselves. I have a lifelong passion for learning and I feel that every day is an opportunity to learn something new. I’m thrilled to get to know all the families at BFS and share this experience!!
Nadeja
If you have a question regarding the curriculum, the classroom, the teachers, or the flow of the day, Nadeja is the person who can support you. She is also the person to contact if you need ad hoc extended care. If your child is ill, you can contact your classroom teachers and Nadeja.
To reach her, please call the school at 718-965-3135. She is at the school all week from 8:30-4:30 every day. You can also email her at nadeja@brooklynfreespace.org and she will get back to you within school hours.
She will be supporting Steering, offering the Educational Report at Steering Meetings, and sending you monthly Ed Director emails after this one.
Medina
If you need to discuss the Administration, the facility or our Pedagogy or Educational philosophy. Medina is available during the hours of 9:30-2:00 Monday through Wednesday and Thursday 9-5. She can be reached at medina.khalil@brooklynfreespace.org and by appointment via zoom.
Parenting Resources for dealing with COVID and its stressors:
Dealing with trauma in children: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/what-we-treat/specialties/palliative-care/grief-bereavement/sibling-young-children-support/helping-children-cope-following-trauma.html
Addressing COVVID with children: https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/
Medina Khalil