Friday 27 April 2012

Wednesday 18th of April - Anna Frank Preschool visit

School Visit years 3-6 ANNA FRANK
Traditional playground
Looks like an average school from the outside
theres a play area underneath, many of these 70's playgrounds are
visible throughout the ground

2nd School opened by the Municipality with Reggio Emilia Principals – It went against the local government practices in determining itself – this was a revolutionary act.

3-6year old school were only private owned by the catholic association. In 1968 the state and local government were capable of opening up their own schools.

The neighbouring area where the school is situated is significant as the local was designed for young couples, families and workers people came here from the country due to the 1960’s economic boom. There was a public library, high school and primary school built at the same time. The innovation of the area is also part of the innovation of the school. The space was designed with equal importance of the space. Obviously the school has done a lot to encourage participation across the community. The effort of participation was high at the school. The housing design in the area created spaces where people could met such as balconies and gardens. The school has interviewed many people from the community such as elderly and teachers to create a memory.

In 2004 it inaugurated 40’s with an exhibition they will have the next in 2 years their 50th!

There are SO MANY PLANTS HERE.

IT is the story of Anna Frank who wanted and had the right to an education.

At the start their were 3 classes and 33 childrne per class now there are 104 children and 4 classes with an atelier in each room and cucina. Loris Malaguzzi asked ‘please follow the graphics of the children’, when they began they did not have an atelierista.

From the beginning the students stay with the same teacher for their 3 years of education, there are 26 children with 2 teachers (there was a student teacher in each room the day we visited). They have 1 cook and 3 people who are employed to help clean up the place each afternoon, OHSC is from 7:30 to 6:30.

In the mini atelier for our visit they children with be clay building – they must present themselves in this clay work in a group and present the understanding of the message of nature. In the other room students will experiment with colours on tissue paper – how the effects of colours present on different materials. In the other class they will tlk about landscapes. In a physical constructivity they will experiment with the wide, horizontal, flat, light of landscapes. In the mini atelier materials will be collected from the park, vegetables that are grown also. There will be a real survey of what is a vegetable. In the mixed classroom the house of hands made by clay and graphics drawn at the base. There will be an experiment and research of beautiful shapes on the light table and on the projector the house of hands.

5+ verticality in clay of trees. The colours and representations of flowers. There is also a nature project by a group of students about the city. Clay people with other clay people are being constructed creating an overall clay city of their community – this is for an exhibit in June at the International centre.

OBSERVATIONS IN THE CLASSROOMS< the CHILDREN ARE PRESENT
Kids construction area
In the atelier in the 4+ room a roll of paper on the floor teachers take notes of what students are doing and saying.
KIDs have boxes with their picture and names on the front of them, opening the draw their pictures are inside these are labels for students to put on their own work – good idea.

The roof has a paper sculpture, all around students are surrounded by graphic presentations of the past. Students are playing with natural materials on the paper, shelves are made out of bricks and Perspex.

Kids construction area
Lots of use of mirrors to deflect and distribute light
Plenty of space for construction
Shelves and all objects ordered – there seems to be a sense of order in the selection of objects – generally they are constructing on the ground on a light box and ground height or standing height, some have a light projector shining a light on their work, all have mobiles hanging down into these spaces with delicate mobiles presenting the possibility of materials – where connections can be made.

Observation in the atelier – Atelierista was working with 5 students only they were working on clay bodies for the group exhibition



Lots of use of mirrors to deflect and distribute light
Plenty of space for construction
Shelves and all objects ordered – there seems to be a sense of order in the selection of objects – generally they are constructing on the ground on a light box and ground height or standing height, some have a light projector shining a light on their work, all have mobiles hanging down into these spaces with delicate mobiles presenting the possibility of materials – where connections can be made.















Observation in the mixed roomStudents were working in a multiple of ways throughout the room, most were constructing the first play house


This was probably the most fascinating 20 minutes spent in the centre there were a group of kids who were drawing on acetate on the light projector creating a backdrop for their animal tableaux. The room was darkened so the projector had an intensity and seem to master the room, behind them were a group of girls constructing crystal worlds on the light box. They way they worked together was interesting, the kids with the projector realised they could alter the head of it and played with these dimensions chasing the light, the teacher saw them do this and wrote about it.











These paper sculptures seem in each room, all different versions create such volume and what I feel is the beginning of a conversation about materials, purpose, care and meaning.

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