At be.Living, each stage of the school journey is carefully celebrated and marked with meaningful rites of passage for children. Whether in Blue, which bids farewell to Early Childhood Education to enter Elementary School, or in Year 5, which progresses from Elementary I to Elementary II, these moments are planned to value growth, strengthen self-esteem, and prepare children for future challenges that will come with the new learning cycles.
Blue’s children experience a year with various proposals that connect their Early Childhood Education experiences with the expectations of transitioning to Elementary School. Among these proposals are visits to the Moema unit. During the four visits carried out throughout the year, the children explore new spaces, such as the large Elementary School court, where they engage in playful activities. “These visits are very remarkable because they begin to imagine what it will be like to be in that space.” The first Physical Education class on the big court is very special for them, because they measure the court and explore the possibilities, seeing how wide and full of opportunities the new environment is,” explains Camila Maia, pedagogical coordinator of Early Childhood Education.
Another symbolic moment is the Cantonment, the experience of spending a night at school, with the aim of developing autonomy and a sense of responsibility, in a pleasant way in the company of peers and teachers. During the preparation, the children participate in each step of the process with the educators, helping to decide the games, the dinner menu, the dessert, and the list of items to take in the suitcase. “The night of the Cantonment is always very memorable for Blue because the group has the school all to themselves. It is a time when children play and do everything together. All the planning makes them truly feel like protagonists, realizing how grown up they are and prepared for new challenges,” says Camila.
The project “I am like this, but I have been like this and I am growing”, which takes place every year with Blue, invites children to recall memories of the experiences they had throughout Early Childhood Education. They recreate activities they did in previous years, such as moments of sensory exploration at Yellow Orange or playing with nursery rhymes at Red. This retrospective culminates in the production of memory texts. “They revisit the activities they did when they were younger, and this is very important for them to realize how much they have grown and how capable they are now.” It is a process of valuing what they have already experienced and what they have achieved,” highlights Camila.
In addition, there is the visual marker of the court wall, where the children of Blue leave their art as a way to symbolize their farewell to this space. “This painting on the wall is very significant because it represents their history here.” They leave something concrete, a visible mark, showing that this space was part of their growth,” reflects the coordinator.
Meanwhile, in Year 5, the transition to Middle School is also carefully conducted through projects that value self-knowledge and preparation for new challenges. According to Gabriela Fernandes, coordinator of Elementary Education, the fifth year is an essential period to discuss with students all the changes they are experiencing, which involve physical, emotional, and social transformations. “They arrive at Year 5 at 9 and 10 years old, but already with the perception that they are the oldest in the school and that it is the year in which they will welcome the youngest. Because it is a transitional year, it is all organized so that the child recognizes themselves as a grown individual, within the power of this growth.
Throughout the year, the children of Y5 begin to discuss topics related to the human body and adolescence, within the axis of natural sciences. These discussions include the transformations in the physical, the changes in school, and how their own interests begin to evolve. “They start spending much more time in the park talking than playing, for example. These perceptions and conversations about growth are a very strong part of their daily lives,” observes Gabriela.
The “Future Me” project emerges from this need to accompany Year 5 in this growth process. Inspired by references such as the song “Eduardo and Monica” by Legião Urbana, the children create projections of how they imagine themselves in the future, addressing everything from physical characteristics to dreams and routines. “We want them to leave the fifth grade with a lot of confidence and with a desire to grow, confident and prepared to enter the new schools and the new learning cycle of Elementary School II,” explains Gabriela.
This year, the project gained even more significance with the creation of a time capsule. “They put the projections inside the capsule, buried the capsule at be.Living, with the commitment to open it in 2031, when they will be in the last year of high school. It is a symbolic gesture that unites the present and the future,” celebrates the coordinator.
Memory texts also play an essential role in this learning phase, helping Year 5 students to recall significant moments of school life and to appreciate their journeys. “The memoir genre helps children understand that change is part of a cycle. “When they look back and see how much they have grown, it gives them confidence to face what lies ahead,” concludes Gabriela.
The rites of passage of be.Living are moments of celebration, reflection, the retrieval of memories, and the conscious construction of the learning journey. Whether through texts, art, science, or various projects that value autonomy, each proposal is an opportunity to strengthen children’s identity and prepare them for the next cycle. “These rites are not a farewell. “They are a celebration of achievements and an invitation to embrace the new with curiosity and confidence,” concludes Camila Maia.
