What do children do at Daisy Elementary School? Do they play? Do they spend time outdoors? Is this a school where outdoor activities are an important part of the curriculum? How many languages do they study? Is it true that they study Chinese?
These are the questions parents typically ask the principal when gathering information for their children’s future school. Parents are increasingly concerned about their children’s well-being, which means a welcoming and bright environment. Nature is essential for children’s development; being able to spend time outdoors, play, have green spaces, and have lessons under a tree are common desires among both parents and students.
Children at Daisy come to school from 8:00 to 8:30. Typically, at the start of class, the teachers form a large circle and ask the children what they enjoyed about the day. Then they file into their classrooms to begin their lessons. The teachers are careful to explain, following the principle of experiential learning: everything the children learn is contextualized in reality, making the walls, corridors, and floors places of study.
At mid-morning, the children go down to the courtyard to run, climb, and have breakfast. The Daisy school is located on the peak of the San Giorgio fortress, surrounded by trees, gardens, and pedestrian walkways. The view of the bell tower of San Giorgio and the spires of the church of San Guglielmo from the windows is enchanting.
At 12:30, the children head to the cafeteria. Some bring a delicious meal prepared by their mothers, while others choose to eat a meal provided by the local deli. The children tidy up the cafeteria just as they do in their classrooms. They love keeping their spaces tidy, cleaning the desks, arranging the chairs, picking up the paper, and ensuring that the common areas are always clean and welcoming.
After lunch, some run, others play or climb, while others still sit on the sofas and deckchairs to read or relax. Then the afternoon begins, dedicated to workshops, sports, swimming, golf, fencing, and homework. At five o’clock, everyone is free to go home. Occasionally, someone will bring home a book to read or a page to study, but for the most part, the afternoon is free to spend time with their parents. By the way, before five, the children have a snack of cheese and spreads from our sponsor, Inalpi.
At 5:00, the parents arrive; some have forgotten their sweatshirts, others want to stay at school a few more minutes to play, while still others miss their mother. They say goodbye, happy to see each other again the next day.
