Our facility is catholic. Thus, religious education is inextricably linked to our educational work.
Coexistence in our facility is based on basic Christian values. Through the biblical message and through Christian traditions, the children are offered identification, challenge and life support and they experience love, recognition, hope and a strengthening of their self-esteem. They get to know symbols or role models that help them to cope with longings, wishes or in grief and pain.
Our togetherness is characterized by an understanding of people, of appreciation, of dignity, but also of respect for foreign cultures and religions, people with disabilities or families with a migration background. We promote meaningful learning through faith and the teaching of values, because for us children are the future of our society and a gift from God. This gives the child a feeling of security and strengthens their trust, which can be the basis and goal for later life.
In this way we also try to support parents and families with questions, conflicts and experiences.
We regularly sing and pray with the children, celebrate church festivals, talk to them about God, Jesus or the saints and try to convey basic religious experiences to them by telling biblical stories.
Important festivals and events during the year are the Lent, Easter, the May (Marian)month, Thanksgiving, St. Martin, Nicholas, Advent, Christmas.
Our facility is a socio-pedagogical day-care center that, in addition to the educational mandate of the Catholic sponsorship, also has its own educational mandate.
Our educational work is based on the guidelines of the Child Education Act.< /p>
We want to be companions for the children and not pioneers. We don't want to appear as animators, but understand the child as an actor in its own development and take it seriously.
Our goal is to accompany and promote the development of the child holistically together with the legal guardians. In an atmosphere of acceptance and security, we take the differences between the children, their needs and their individuality seriously.
In addition to developing and promoting all of the child's strengths, talents and abilities, we also want to lay a foundation for the Christian faith, while respecting other religions and worldviews equally.
Furthermore, promoting the personal development of the children entrusted to us and supporting the legal guardians is of essential importance in our cooperation.
Our kindergarten offers care for children aged 2-6 years. The district youth welfare office in Steinfurt adjusts and fixes the corresponding space quotas annually.
Our facility offers a learning and living space for children with and without disabilities, which they can design together and in which they can learn from each other. The children experience mutual tolerance and appreciation right from the start.
Children with disabilities take part in everyday kindergarten life. Dealing with other children creates a sense of community that gives security and trust and in which one can feel comfortable.
We understand iinclusive work as relationship work and relationship partnership. The children entrusted to us experience solid caregivers on the one hand, but also free space to develop on the other.
The integrative work is supported by the entire team. In addition, an integrative specialist is available for the children and families. On the basis of targeted observations, this creates special support plans for the individual children who are to be looked after in an integrative manner.
The aim of the integrative work is both the individual support of the individual child and the support and integration in the entire group.
The starting point is the individual support needs of the children. The focus here is not deficit-oriented, but starts with the strengths of the children.
Since August 2017, the kindergarten team has installed a fixed, group-wide breakfast buffet in the hall of the facility for all children and employees.
Fresh raw vegetables and fruits, delicious breads, as well as fresh sausage, cheese and fruit spreads are offered daily. There is fresh milk, spritzers and water to drink.
A full buffet is available for the children by 9 a.m. at the latest. The children help themselves and choose the food of their choice at the buffet and pour drinks at the table. An educational specialist accompanies the children and provides appropriate assistance if necessary.
The facility obtains the food from local providers such as Bittner family butcher and the Elshoff country bakery</ em>. In addition, the pedagogical staff pays attention to the selection of seasonal foods such as fruit and vegetables when choosing the food.
The offer of a breakfast buffet has become an integral part of our everyday educational work and we see it as an enrichment.
To finance the groceries, the parents pay a monthly fee of 9 euros for all groceries and drinks.
Twice a month, Raimund Wollny, a chef who is already retired, enriches our educational work.
He cooks or bakes individual, creative meals for breakfast and lunch together with the kindergarten children. Corresponding topics and wishes are worked out in advance of the visit and after considering current circumstances (season, preferences of the children, etc.).
Children who have booked 35 hours in "Block/Flex" or 45 hours all-day care receive a warm lunch from Monday to Friday from 12.30 p.m. This is served by the food provider Apetito delivered daily and freshly prepared in the facility.< /p>
In the two adjoining rooms of the groups, the children eat lunch with our midday workers.
In a cozy atmosphere, the children experience a sense of community. Hands are washed before eating. Praying or singing together before eating has become a ritual. Meals are tailored to the individual needs of the children. Smaller children are fed as needed, the older ones eat independently.
The meals together teach the children eating culture, such as how to use spoons, forks and knives.
Our facility is visited by children and families of different origins and nationalities. Openness and respect are the focus of our everyday interactions and we see the resulting diversity of influences as an opportunity. Intercultural education requires dealing with different cultures. However, the aim is not to imitate the education from other countries, but rather to develop a common basis. Our facility sees itself as a place where children and adults of different social origins, nationalities, cultures and religions can meet in an impartial manner. Respect for other cultures is practiced and one's own cultural and religious identity is preserved.
KiBiz NRW is reorienting language education in daycare centers. This requires a different approach to observing and documenting children's language development.
Our group uses the BaSiK observation method from Prof. Dr. Renate Zimmer. This is a “structured observation method that gives a comprehensive overview of the language skills of children up to the age of six. There is a version for children under and over the age of three.” (Quote: Prof. Dr. Renate Zimmer)
The specialists in our group are trained accordingly and document the individual language development process of the children once a year and use this to possibly initiate measures for promotion or support.
The educators understand their educational mission holistically and in many ways. In addition to language education that is integrated into everyday life, these use the children's very natural interest in language. In addition to targeted exercises to strengthen language skills, daily communication with each other offers countless funding opportunities.
The educators always comment on their actions and offer different language impulses (e.g. looking at picture books, creative offers, exercise offers, etc.). The children learn new words and concepts in a playful way and thus constantly expand their vocabulary. Children also learn to resolve conflicts verbally.
Since November 2017 we have also been taking part in the Federal Program " Language day-care centers: because language is the key to the world.” share.
The federal program "Language Kitas" would like to contribute to providing all children with good educational opportunities right from the start. This program is associated with the task of implementing and firmly anchoring the focal points of everyday language education, including pedagogy and cooperation with families. It is important to accompany and support each child in a targeted and systematic manner in acquiring the German language and to involve the parents in this.
Katholischer Kindergarten St. Josef
Pastoratsweg 6
48565 Steinfurt
Phone: 02552 3445
Email: Kita.stjosef-steinfurt@bistum-muenster.de
We offer three different care times.
The parents make a binding decision before the kindergarten year for a care period.