As we say farewell to January and hello to February, I am reminded of just how fast this year is passing. We’re half way through the academic year already, and whilst we are still very much ‘in the moment’, we are also beginning to look to next year. What changes will we make? What resources will we need to maintain the inspirational experience that we wish to afford every child? How will we maximise the use of the learning spaces? Next academic year, we welcome the early years team from Wellington Shanghai who find their forever home in the building opposite ours. This is very exciting as the move presents itself as additional opportunities for sharing professional discussions, training and development of best practice and a wider team who will bring their unique mix to the melting pot of early years……very exciting, indeed.
By the time this week’s Week Ahead is published I will be just about to start a masterclass in ‘the brain, learning and early years’. I am in the UK for a week, for the Nursery World conference followed by a series of nursery school visits and a visit to the mothership, Wellington College in Berkshire. The conference programme is amazing and the sessions I will be attending include:
- Self-regulation: what it means for children and early years practice
- Play and learning: providing challenge and progression for every child
- Communication and language: it’s more than vocabulary
- Cultural diversity: creating meaningful relationships
- Outdoors-only provision: delivering intellectual challenge and emotional support
All this, plus the masterclass in two days! It is like a year’s worth of professional training in one place – you don’t get opportunities like this very often……unless you are in Shanghai on Friday 12
th and Saturday 13
th April where you will have access to the very best Festival of Education in the world (in my opinion). The headliners have just been announced and will knock your socks off: Ruby Wax, Sir Jonathan Bate, Ian Merchant, Ian Warwick, Terry Qian, Professor Ferre Laevers and Lenora Chu. Wow, what can I say – get your tickets booked so as not to miss out. It is a rare occurrence to have such eminent speakers in one place, in one weekend. Here at Hiba nursery, we are especially excited about Professor Laevers visit. Professor Laevers, from Leuven University will be working with the team to explore and measure levels of wellbeing and involvement in our youngest Hiba pupils using Leuven scales. This piece of work will support the team in assessing our ‘why’ and the effectiveness of how we do what we do. I’ll be delighted to share the outcomes of the piece of work later.
Friends of Hiba – it’s about community, our community
Friends of Hiba met this week to update the Hiba Academy Shanghai community on the latest news relating to the team, events and charity initiatives. I would like to ask for the full support of the
parents to ensure that Friends of Hiba is a great success. Afterall, this is for every Hiba nursery family, for the adults and the children. This is an opportunity to come together to get to know each other, build relationships, have fun and do good in the world. Do get involved and let’s make the children proud of our efforts.
Happy New Year!
As families head home to their loved ones to celebrate the coming of the new lunar year; on behalf of the whole Hiba Academy Shanghai team, I would like to wish all our Hiba Nursery families and the wider community a healthy, happy and prosperous year of the pig:
xīn nián kuài lè.
