Parent-owned day care centre
The Lauttasaari English Playschool is a day care centre owned by a non-profit parents association. When a child care relationship begins, the child’s parents automatically become members of the association and they can take part in the development of the centre.
The association’s Annual General Meeting is held in early fall, and every family is expected to attend the meeting. The annual meeting selects the board members, who share responsibilities with the day care director over day care activities.
The board meets about once a month. Parents are notified of the subjects to be discussed at these meetings when necessary. The board also uses WhatsApp groups for communication.
The day care centre’s activities are funded by day care fees as well as active fundraising events, which all families are expected to commit to. The purpose of these events, in addition to gathering funds, is to strengthen cooperation between parents and the day care centre.
Playschool in a nutshell
Children
The Lauttasaari English Playschool offers full-time daycare for children ages 3-6. Beginning pupils are not required to have earlier knowledge of English. Preschool is partly in Finnish. The goal is to support and advance a child’s growth and development, and also facilitate a natural transition to school.
Daily routine
In the morning, children are dropped off at Lahnalahti playground. After leaving the playground together, we enter the playschool grounds on Gyldénintie. At day care, children are served a lunch, and snack. Children are picked up in the afternoon following outdoor activities at the same playground.
Outdoor & other activities
Daily outdoor activities take place at the versatile Lahnalahti playground. Day care groups also take trips to the nearby woods and beaches, as well as other playgrounds in the area.
Every other week the groups have guided indoor gym activities.
Once a month the groups have a dedicated music lesson led by a music teacher.
Staff
The day care has 4 teachers, who are responsible for child care and development; as well as one day care assistant.
Facilities
The day care centre operates at Gyldénintie 7, in the space formerly occupied by the Lauttasaari post office. The facilities, first occupied in 2017, were designed in cooperation with the day care centre’s staff members. The space measures 216.5 m².
Size
The day care has accommodation for 30 children, who are split into two groups: one for beginning and one for continuing pupils (Little Side and Big Side).
Opening hours
Hours: The day care centre is open on weekdays between 8-16:30 year-round, excluding the New Years’ and summer holiday periods.
Child care fees
The day care meets the requirements for support given to families by Kela for private child care. The fee is confirmed every year at the association’s annual meeting.
The fee confirmed in fall 2023 is 420 euros per month after support from Kela and the city.
Non-profit
The day care centre is owned by the parents’ association and is non-profit.
Day care Headteacher
Riitta Matinmikko-Parviainen
English-language day care since 1972
Founded in 1972, The Lauttasaari English Playschool is one of Finland’s oldest English-language day care centres.
The founder of the idea, and the association’s first chairperson, was MPhil Marja Kirstein née Vuorenheimo. The fundamental idea was that teaching English to children should begin as early as possible, because acquiring a foreign language is easier then.
The operations were initially part-time, with instruction based on Diana Webster’s “Play and Say” learning materials. The Playschool was located in the VPK building on Tallbergin puistotie. From there, it later moved to the Apaja premises, which it shared with youth activity groups.
In 1988, the Playschool was able to move into the Posti building on Gyldénintie, where it was given its own spaces. It was then that the Playschool’s activities became full-time. In 2017, it moved into its current premises, which were vacated by Posti.
The Lauttasaari English Playschool’s 45-year journey has been made possible thanks to its skilled and dedicated staff members.
Irene Crawford from Scotland, who retired in 2010, worked for 34 years as a teacher at the Playschool. Another person with a long career at the Playschool, over 20 years, is Sirkka-Liisa Larkas. The current day care director, YTM/Lto Riitta Matinmikko-Parviainen, began in her position in 2008.