Salient Aspects of the Aurinko
Admissions are open throughout the year for like-minded families to join our community.
Rigorous teacher training and guidance
What do the Aurinko Teachers do?
Nature and Nurture work hand in hand
Nature and Nurture work hand in hand at Aurinko to facilitate learning experiences that enrich a child’s life.
Teachers at Aurinko have one goal in mind, to plant a wish in the child’s mind
to learn,
to be content,
to be responsible, and
to love himself, the environment and the community.
We are interested in the journey of learning, in children being free, fearless while exploring and connecting with the subject matter that motivates and interests them and utilizes their unique capacities.
They promote the general progress and well-being of individual students, groups of students or class entrusted to them. They plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. They organize and lead activities designed to promote physical, mental and social development, such as games, arts and crafts, music, storytelling, and field trips.
Teachers plan the curriculum content that spans Academic, Social, Emotional, Cognitive, Community and Physical Areas. They ensure that student participation and dialogue form an integral part of the learning process. They create clusters through which the children will traverse their curriculum. They offer different ways of understanding ideas and integrating content by exploring and applying one concept in more than one environment with different tools or provocations.
This also supports children and adults in seeing diverse ways to create and think with concepts and materials and apply learned skills.
Reflective Meetings
Teachers, the curriculum support team, and at times, family members, meet to reflect on documentation and the work of the children. Together, they uncover concepts, reveal the complexities and mechanics of learning processes, and determine ways to go forward to scaffold the children’s learning and development.
These periodic meetings also form the backbone for embedded staff development at Aurinko Academy that brings together theory and practice through action research while at the same time provides the next steps for curricular planning.
Weekly Planning Meetings
Following Reflective Meetings, Teaching Teams use the insights, perspectives and thinking that have emerged to plan and organize next steps that will be shared and conferred with the children the following week.
As children become aware of this way of working, they also become involved in supporting the overall co-construction process between adults and themselves.
The Aurinko Program
The Aurinko Program focuses on the Whole-Child. The curriculum is integrated, emergent and child-centered.
At Aurinko, the curriculum fits around the child’s needs to allow a flexible and enjoyable learning experience. The approach identifies the strong bond between all developmental domains: – motor/physical, cognitive, social/emotional, communication/language, and self-help.
The Program ensures, in unique and individualized ways, each child’s development across and within the social-emotional, cognitive, and physical domains.
Parent
Child
Teacher
Community
Flow of the day
From arrival to departure our day is designed considering the diverse developmental levels found in the children of different age groups in addition to expectations and values framed by the educators.
Our day begins with chirpy children greeting each other with ‘Namaste’ as we believe the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all. Our first integrated activity is the school assembly. Our students chant Om and recite the ‘Great Invocation’ which is a world prayer, used by people of all faiths and spiritual inclinations, to aid our planet. The children then do a set of full body exercises designed to activate various chakras of the body. It is followed by ‘Super brain Yoga’ which is a simple and effective technique to energize and recharge the brain. The kids then chant the Gayatri Mantra and Ajai-Alai-the School Song. It is a short get-together, which sets the tone for everyone present.
Assembly is also a time for viewing presentation by fellow students, announcements and problem solving. Children are encouraged to brain storm and come up with practical solutions for issues relating to school or fellow mates.
Blocks of time are organized throughout the day at Aurinko Academy to optimize space and time taking into account human rhythms and the culture of routines. The class routines are interconnected so it offers a structure for classrooms to coordinate and share experiences, manage resources and work as a community.
Children are actively involved in preparing for their activities. Learning to track and carry out schedules helps children develop life-skills of creating goals and setting agendas.
The transition between routines follows the developmental scope and personality of different age groups and classroom identities. The youngest children have the fewest transitions, whereas the oldest children help in planning the schedule of the day and week. The children engage in plenty of hands on learning and creativity. Art and craft and projects are an integral part of almost every subject in Aurinko.
Sports and physical activity have been incorporated in the daily schedule such that children get to indulge in various games and sports. Rock climbing, which is a full body workout and improves cognitive ability, problem solving and confidence is an integral part of our curriculum.
Shloka chanting happens once a week with the children combining sound, breath and rhythm. It is an invigorating experience for everyone involved.
The flow of the day also serves to integrate different intelligences and academic content by connecting similar ideas and concepts to different learning environments. A lot of thought has gone into the meeting and greeting, routines and rituals, planning and action, reflection and closure to ensure a positive learning experience.
About Parents
Parents are a part of our community. We welcome their presence and participation in Aurinko.
Workshop/Volunteering
We invite them for various workshops they can conduct for the children, volunteering opportunities and to give access to their networks for children to experience.
Academics
Academically we expect parents to be aware of their child, their strengths and challenges and make available the required resources and experiences.
Home
At home we expect parents to set the right examples of living, learning and coexistence.
Behaviour modelling and management is key and parents are required to focus on building life skills in the children.
Exploring Career
Around Grade 8 onwards when we start exploring career is when parents get involved full time and from Grade 9 academic intervention may be required according to the child’s needs.
Ready to Make a Change?
Our team will be happy to connect.