Birchwood Nursery becomes a fully-fledged SMT nursery school

The nursery school
Bjarkalundur has graduated as a fully-fledged and independent SMT nursery school.
Bjarkalundur began its operations in the autumn of 2016 and it was immediately decided that the school
would use the school skills of SMT. The aim of the SMT school skills is to promote good
learning environment, desirable behaviour and increasing social skills and thus positive
Behaviour is given special attention and reinforced. All primary schools in Hafnarfjörður.
have implemented the SMT school skills, and many nurseries have also done so. Bjarkalundur is now joining their ranks.

Birch grove began
the implementation of SMT as the school commenced in the autumn term of 2016 and has
the implementation process has therefore been ongoing for around three years. Teams within the school were appointed
Head of Department, Nursery Manager, Deputy Nursery Manager and Special Education Manager
has, during the period, worked closely with and met regularly with Elísa R. Ingólfsdóttir,
SMT implementer. Ásthildur B. Snorradóttir,
a speech therapist, was also involved in the project where the use of
Etiquette from The Bee Books, authored by Ásthildur. Now upon graduation, the school staff take over completely and carry on.
for the excellent and professional work that has laid the foundation and ensures
thus the continued effective use of SMT tools. By utilising the tools of SMT
In school work, the chances increase that the school staff will use comparable
approaches to interacting with the children. This way, the children know what is expected of them.
from them and greater calm arises within the group.

Congratulations, students,
Staff and parents at Bjarkalundi with the graduation!

More photos from the graduation can be viewed on the City of Hafnarfjörður's Facebook page. 

A parallel approach for parents and others involved in parenting

PMTO, which stands for
Parent Management Training – the Oregon approach, is a comparable approach and
SMT school skills, but this is a method for parents and others who are involved.
Parenting. PMTO is an evidence-based method that reduces children's behavioural difficulties and
adolescents and empowers parents in their role. There are three course pathways in PMTO.
Firstly, there is the PMTO parenting course, which is an 8-week course, intended
parents of children with mild difficulties. Secondly, a PTC course is offered (e.g.
parent through change) which is a PMTO treatment group intended for parents of children there.
which has become something of a problem, but not a significant one. Finally, there are PMTOs
individualised treatments where the therapy is tailored to the needs of each parent
Individual therapy is suitable for parents of children where a problem has already developed.
significant and parents are receiving services from e.g. child protection and BUGL. In
All study routes cover the same curriculum, but the extent to which this is the case varies between them.
The topic is covered quickly and how much follow-up parents receive during the course/treatment.
stands. For some time, PMTO has been offered by the City of Hafnarfjörður.
parenting course and demand has exceeded supply. During the school year
2018-2019, a great deal of emphasis was placed on reducing the waiting lists that had built up on
Group courses for parents. This has been successful with an increasing number of courses and now
It has now reached the point where the waiting list is practically non-existent.