Area Blu
What would a school look like that was designed especially for the culture of children? What would a school feel like if the goals for education were making sure every child knew how much the community they lived in loved them? What would the atmosphere be in a place where children were allowed all the time they wanted to work on their projects together? Well, it is an amazing experience especially for adults.
July 21, 2004
My reflection: visiting Area Blu
I was in awe at the amazing aesthetic qualities of the school. The entry area used to greet the students and parents is treated like the foyer at a home, dotted with photos of the children and examples of their art work. The atmosphere of is alive with beautiful sculptures, rainbow colored floor pillows and a magenta colored sofa.
The atelier is an area used specifically to explore art making. Angela works with kindergarten through age nine in afternoon art programs. Their projects are guided by the interests of the child and last up to a year of exploration. They visit the Ville Celle site specific art collection just outside Pistoia in the Tuscan hills to work with the art there. The children are met by the green elf who shows them how to interact with the art works.
The idea room is a loft just above the atelier with natural wood stairs and a beautiful stained glass window designed by a local artist. They love to come to this special place and read art books and talk about what they will make in the studio below.
The toddler areas were divided nicely into several rooms. Rooms for younger children had lots of books, shelves of materials categorized for them to explore by form, touch, color and texture. There were play areas with small kitchens and a reading room and sleeping room with nice little beds. A nature center had rows of shelves with materials for smell, color, texture, shape and taste used by the older children. Just outside was a small garden area where students grow a small garden with strawberries and tomatoes. The art room where Rosella teaches children 18 months to 2 years old to paint had beautiful clear boxes full of confetti, shells, corks and cardboard shapes.
We had a great time eating and talking with the teachers Angela and Rosella and our translator Elsa at lunch. We ate family style at a long table. The food was prepared by the staff chef. I felt like I had experienced a slice of Italian life during lunch time at the schools. Lunch for the children is the same way, as if they were at home, with long tables and plenty of time to eat and chat with friends.
I was inspired by the schools philosophy to combine a balance of a home atomosphere and the resources of an institution. This makes the school environment from the buildling design to the decor part of the teaching curriculum.
An idea that came more clear visiting the school and reading further in the 'Hundred Languages' book is the use of documentation of the children's time at the school. Documentation occurs with every child in the form of photographs, journaling and video. The instructors prepare a book with the documentation which is given to the child at the end of the three years at a special party. The documentation is used as part of the decor, it is used by the teachers in research studies and shared with visitors to describe the work at the school.
All of my love goes out to the teachers and staff. Thank you for welcoming me and sharing your wisdom.