REPORT OF RESIDENCE OF THE POLISH DELEGATION IN PORVOO

REPORT OF RESIDENCE OF THE POLISH DELEGATION IN PORVOO, FINLAND, AS PART OF THE COMENIUS PRJECT
„Our little, great motherland”

In Porvoo, in Finland we arrived in the evening, approx. 9 o’clock p.m., the local time. Niina greeted us and led us to hotel Spaare, where we had to spend next few days and actually the nights, because the residency program was tightly filled.

The next morning, after breakfast, approx. 8.45 a.m., together with partners from Turkey, we were taken to the nursery Kuutampolku, where we were greeted with a beautiful cake in the shape and with the logo of the project. There were performances prepared by children who were very timid and largely aided be their teachers. Songs were joyful, costumes colorful and kids… barefeet. Next we were guided around the kinderagarten, which made a very good impression, especially the silence, a large number of rooms and children’s presence everywhere. “Like in any kindergarten” – we would say, but in Poland children do not go beyond the room without permission, not to mention walking around the nursery is not allowed. This is dictated only by children’s safety. In Porvoo, children were everywhere: on the tables, in the bathrooms, in thae pool, on the corridor dressing up in various costumes, they were reading a book together with a babysitter in a special corner, the other went to the first floor to the gym and we followed this group. Gym borrowed from primary school, which is located on the first floor of the nursery was huge and filled with sundry sports equipment. We thought that some items will be removed, because it would seem that children of 5 and 6 year-old can not even climb on the chest, “fly” on a rope a few meters and making a somersault on the ropes seemed like acrobatics! And what happened? All they did it great with a high skill and safe environment!

After the “acrobatics” our friends from Finland invited us for lunch at school canteen. All the children, even those younger dish out a meal themselves, as much as they want and what they want. We also sat with the children, all the teachers and headministress were also sitting with them. Food was chaste, one course and unseasoned. Children and adults just ate it. Plates were given back empty. There was water and milk straight from the carton to drink.

In the afternoon, we were invited to… skiing! Of course, all the equipment is in the kindergarten. Children use it almost every day in winter. It was very cheerful and fun!

In the evening, families of the children from the nursery invited us for a meal. These were traditional Finnish food. In this home it was well known stew and dessert – pancakes. The family was very nice, hospitable and completely uninhibited by the presence of foreigners at any rate.

The second day was filled with work on the project: we exchanged drives with dances and traditional songs, we also learned “on live” these dances and what’s more we translated the lyrics of those chants. It was a very effective morning.

 

After the meeting we went to school Tulliporti, which is a school for disabled children. And again – everywhere children, young people of all ages and varying degrees of mental or motor disabilities. There was one caretaker with each one. Classes with different intensity of learning and teaching time. Everywhere a lot of equipment for learning in a sensory way, full of pictograms which children use very proficiently. The room-apartment, in which children prepare to life in society. Different laboratories, workshops, sports halls, swimming pools… children were not in classrooms. Whoever could, walked freely. In the canteen also self-service. We were very positively surprised. It was felt that carers are very concerned for the fate of “their” child. They all were cheerful, smilng.

Finnis love sauna and sports. Every moment of chilrens’ life is planned, the greater part of time takes  sport. Ice skating, skiing, ski jumping (Lahti is near!), each child is training something.  We were invited to synchronized skating show. Around the rink ran little boys warming up for a hockey training… It was really beautiful moment during our stay!

The sauna in the evening, dancing barefoot on the snow and warm hot Jacuzzi… it was also a nice moment.

On the last day we went to the kindergarten, day care Sutumaki and to the bilingual Swedish-Danish kindergarten. Space, great facilities, peace – it charmed us. Two or three rooms for one approximately 25-pers. Group of children! Specialist who comes to children individually. And all this at the expense of the state! Children playing in puddles, in deep snow, and above all concentration on INDEPENDENCE – in the wide sense of this word. Normal, adult height furniture in nurseries and schools. Children can do almost everything, in different categories of life from the first year! These impressions, as well as the big peace, silence, no rivalry, quarrels among children, omnipresent consent, smile, sense of humor, these values were taken in our memories…

But do we want to have the same system in our kindergartens? Certainly many elements as would be useful for us, but some of them are out of our control, but we have also developed many of our own ways, methods, fields, which are admired and which they envy us abroad.