Vichel. That wasn’t planned: The 16 girls and boys from the Temnitztal Nature School hiked from Vichel to Garz on Wednesday – and only returned to the former office building in Vichel when the church bells rang. The first nature school in Ostprignitz-Ruppin has been housed there since September.
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“When the bells ring, it means it’s almost lunchtime,” says Karlotta Lorenz. The learning companion, who is also the after-school care director in Vichel, is happy that the children enjoy being outside together and learning from each other. On the hike to Garz, half of the children carved while the other half collected worms and snails.
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The day at the nature school in Vichel begins with a morning circle
This corresponds to the concept of the nature school, according to which the children should learn on their own. “We have 16 children, there are 16 different paths,” says Lorenz. The trained circus and theater teacher is also a social worker and worked for ten years at the Montessori school in Potsdam.
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Lorenz has lived in Vichel for five years – and is very impressed by the lovingly designed rooms in the former office building. Before the actual lesson begins, there is a morning circle in the multi-purpose room. The students talk about what they did the day before and find out what is planned for today.
The hand puppet Sharky only speaks English
This week the first graders learned about the letter M – they were able to color it and create pictures with the letter. Meanwhile, the children, who can already read and write, worked in small groups. “It’s about always offering playful offers,” says Karlotta Lorenz.
It’s about always offering playful offers.
Karlotta Lorenz, learning companion at the nature school in Vichel
Wednesday is the “outside day”. “The children like being outdoors,” says Lorenz. They build huts out of tarpaulins or play together. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the focus is on language, with English being spoken on Tuesdays with headmaster Jörg Jensen and the hand puppet Sharky.
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Momo (7) with the hand puppet Sharky, who can only speak to English. .
Source: Henry Mundt
The students should have more time for learning in Vichel
Thursdays are about math and numbers, while Fridays are open to children’s suggestions. However, the rough plan of the nature school can quickly be overridden by the children, as was the case on Tuesday.
Because the students were interested in numbers and wanted to know how many zeros there were in a million, they quickly made banknotes and then re-enacted what happened in a bank. This resulted in a “super bank number” with more than 30 zeros…
After-school care director Karlotta Lorenz (r.) and Simone Jaeger (board member of the provider and mother) in front of the nature school in Vichel. .
Source: Henry Mundt
“The children should discover the world on their own,” says Lorenz. The challenging task of the learning companions in Vichel is to create the appropriate environment for the students. The new primary school wants to adhere to the framework curriculum specified by the state – but the students should be given more time and space for learning, says Simone Jaeger.
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The second floor of the old Vichel office building is still to be rebuilt
As a member of the Kairos association, Jaeger is not only the spokesperson for the nature school in Vichel, but also the mother of Momo (7), who is one of the first graders in the new school. So far, only the rooms on the ground floor of the former office building have been prepared.
But there are already plans to expand the first floor. Ultimately, third and fourth graders will be taught there from 2026. “It will be exciting,” says Jaeger. The old house, like the entire ensemble with the neighboring castle, is a listed building. This doesn’t worry the club. “We are in good contact with the monument authority,” says Jaeger.
Lea, Joris, Anton and Sofia (from left) playing in the nature school in Vichel.
Source: Henry Mundt
That is an advantage. There is great interest in new educational offerings for children in Ostprignitz-Ruppin. The neighboring nature kindergarten in the Temnitz village of Rohrlack feels this. The nature daycare center, which was founded five years ago with nine children, is fully occupied and there will only be free places there again in 2026, said daycare director Sylvia Anblank on Friday.
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The school builds on the experiences of the neighboring nature daycare center
According to Anblank, the nature school in Vichel is based on the experiences and wishes of the parents who bring their child to the nature daycare center. The Temnitztal Nature School Association would be happy about donations. The Montessori material that is often used in Vichel is very good, but extremely expensive, says Karlotta Lorenz.
Donations for the association can be made at GLS Bank, the IBAN is: DE94 4306 0967 1318 6406 00.
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