Introducing our new Atelierista

From curious collectors to a rapidly growing studio of natural treasures, Nicola McQuillan (our resident Atelierista) talks to us about her adventures at 1st Place. Hello, I am Nicola. I am the new Atelierista at 1st Place and have a vast amount of experience working with children in an arts environment and education setting. I am extremely passionate about the Reggio Emilia philosophy and it has deepened my own approach in holistic development and early years education.As the resident Atelierista, I incorporate key elements of the Reggio Emilia approach into our environment and daily interactions with the children. I establish relationships across the whole nursery, creating experiences based on the children’s interests that encourage exploration, independent learning and creative expression. I already feel a great sense of belonging at 1st Place and the children at Chumleigh Gardens have warmly welcomed me as I visit them in the garden, the piazza and their rooms. Building these strong bonds and trusting relationships has sparked an organic learning journey, which has given the children the freedom of time to express their own subjectivity and style of learning. As the children show their interests, our learning journey is beginning to flow and branch out from one thing to another during social and collaborative interactions. As we plan in the moment, we are beginning to construct a fascinating journey of learning and exploration alongside one another.The children’s natural curiosity of nature has seen the Chumleigh Gardens studio rapidly grow. The children are transforming their environment and we are beginning to use it as the third teacher. Our curious collectors are creating an environment of exchange and a process of putting things together. As we unpack our treasure from the garden, we explore and discover from the natural world that surrounds us. This has stimulated rich dialogues and meaningful connections between friends.It is wonderful to see families joining in on our treasure hunt as children begin to bring in nature on their journey to and from nursery. Together we are bringing the outdoors indoors and fostering a love of learning. I look forward to joining the children of Cambridge House and Lorrimore Square to see what other new and exciting discoveries are in store!