researching schools for her own children, kindergarten teacher Carol Burton taught at Opal School, and first grade teacher Claire Kucera apprenticed there. New third grade teacher Erin Baker was one of the founding teachers at Opal, and she discovered that OES was interested in Reggio from teachers who attended a workshop she was conducting. The approach also has been embraced by other Portland schools including Arbor, Trillium, and Catlin Gabel, with each school adapting the approach to its specific circumstances. Walking into an OES


kindergarten classroom is a different experience now than it was a few years ago. These days, children are much more


WWW.OES.EDU WINTER 2013 OES MAGAZINE 7 7


likely to be working alone or in small groups, pursuing different tasks. They may be building with blocks or making books or creating a miniature scene on a light table, where light shines through sand and bits of moss and wood that they use to create a scene from a story they are making up. The teacher and


the assistant teacher are often working with an individual or a small group, discussing their work or helping a student write down a story or an explanation of a project. Although students often work


independently, the Reggio approach also emphasizes collaboration. Teachers


Replacing the Lower School is the top priority in the campus Master Plan, and teachers are providing ideas for how the new space can best support a program by providing engaging environments for children and appropriate space for artistic expression.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36