We View Development Through a Relational Framework Lens.

The Nido community values secure and loving relationships as paramount to our philosophy. As the developing brain interacts in relationships, we embody an evolving sense of self and understanding of the world. Neuronal connections are shaped by our inter and intrapersonal relationships, as well as our evolving relationships with our environment, materials, and concepts.

Inter and Intrapersonal Relationships. Children who experience a genuine sense of belonging to the Nido community feel safe to develop and express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and engage in meaningful learning. We nurture secure attachments by understanding each individual student, sharing experiences, and fostering an environment of trust. The Nido team uses emotion coaching and co-regulation to support students in understanding, expressing, and addressing their needs. Once students feel grounded, they are encouraged to look outward to their communities and the world around them.

  • People develop, learn, and grow within the context and influence of human relationships
  • On a physiological level, secure attachments create a safe space for us to develop
  • What is being modeled, directly and indirectly, intentionally and unintentionally, informs children’s perception of self and others

 

Relationships with Environments and Materials. Our environment impacts our physiology, including our mood, engagement, and executive functioning. It also serves as a teacher by igniting curiosity and inviting exploration. The physical environment at Nido is designed with and for the children and it evolves as they do. Our spaces mirror students’ learning processes and provide ongoing opportunities to interact with nature, revisit, reflect, and expand on growing ideas and perspectives.

  • Our external environment impacts our internal environment
  • The Nido environment is intentionally designed and transformed to reflect and nurture the current cohort of students’ inquiries and needs
  • A wide variety of curated materials, resources, and spaces invite children to linger, explore, and express their ideas and conceptual understanding 

We Are a Community With an Inquiry Mindset

At Nido, children are at the forefront of their learning and actively participate in developing their understanding of the world. We nurture children’s innate curiosities and encourage questions, exploration, and reflection to facilitate deep, integrated, and transferable learning. Our goal is to support and inspire children to discover how they learn, rather than simply seeking out ‘the right answer.’

Nido teachers tune in to each student’s unique ways of thinking and learning, and respond to children’s curiosities with provocations that encourage them to go deeper and to transfer their learning to other parts of their lives.

As students immerse themselves in the process of learning, they simultaneously build their disposition towards lifelong learning by developing skills to approach learning the unknown.

Nido students evolve into self-directed learners with strong collaboration, teamwork, and problem solving capacities, effectively communicating ideas and perspectives, and engaging in critical thinking, research, planning, and forethought.

  • Children are intrinsically motivated by their interests, and are given time and space to engage in inquiry and make discoveries for themselves
  • Teachers honour students’ curiosities with responsive curriculum development that encourages students to notice and explore multiple perspectives, ideas, and possibilities 
  • Inquiry empowers students to develop integrated maps of conceptual understanding, with connections between and amongst concepts
  • Inquiry takes learning beyond the classroom with real world applications in diverse and authentic contexts

Everyone Deserves Dignity

We are an inclusive and relationship-based community that encourages self-discovery and expression.

We honour the inherent worth of each individual and celebrate our differences as strength. At Nido, we model this with conviction and say: “Come as you are!”

  • We are committed to fostering a community that celebrates diversity and offers windows into diverse human experiences
  • We create opportunities for children to see themselves reflected in our materials, spaces, and inquiries 
  • We acknowledge and respect the complexity of difference, including intersecting identities and our relationships and responses to them
  • As students explore connections, patterns, and experiences amongst peoples, cultures, and nature, they build their understanding of our shared humanity and their place within it

Children Are Active Citizens Who Can Meaningfully Contribute

At Nido, we acknowledge our increasingly dynamic and interconnected world and view children as capable citizens within it.

We provide developmentally appropriate opportunities for children to actively engage with their surroundings and expand their understanding of self and others.

Through scaffolding, we nurture and empower their independence, confidence, and responsibility to their communities.

  • Our practices promote student independence and agency; we create a forum for children to express their opinions and ideas and for them to be taken seriously
  • We provide a safe space and ample opportunities for children to build confidence in themselves and their abilities 
  • Children develop their perspectives of their places in our interconnected world, and their roles and responsibilities as current citizens
  • We have flexibility in our schedules so we can honour and be responsive to student need and engagement