Nursery School Day is on 6th February. Congratulations!   

Today is National Nursery Schools Day. Congratulations to the pupils, staff and parents!

On Nursery School Day, it is both important and well-deserved to shine a special light on the great and good work that takes place within Hafnarfjörður's nursery schools. To mark the occasion, the Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, visited the Hlíðarendi nursery, which is located in Setberg in Hafnarfjörður. The nursery opened in 1998 and has four groups. The main focus of the school's educational work is environmental education, which is reflected in, for example, active outdoor teaching, sorting, gardening and composting, in which pupils and staff play a major role. A varied and festive celebration has been taking place in Hafnarfjörður's nurseries today, and the past week has been marked, in part, by festivities, as the day is a major one. The coming week will also be partly marked by celebrations.

To mark the occasion, the Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, visited the Hlíðarendi nursery school.

Hlíðarendi, an exemplary Green Flag School

The Green Flag has been flown at Hlíðarendi six times, but to receive the Green Flag award, nurseries must meet professional standards. The assessor's report states that the project's implementation at Hlíðarendi is extremely well executed and that the nursery is a model for other green flagschool “The Green Flag work shines through, with a huge number of brilliant projects underway and beautiful thinking behind each and every one.”. It is also worth mentioning that the development project “Language Cultivation in Hlíðarendi” concluded last spring with the publication of a handbook which provides a detailed account of how language cultivation is practised at the nursery school in the broadest sense. In October 2022, a new, ambitious and fresh manager, Bryndís Guðlaugsdóttir, took over as headteacher at Hlíðarendi, bringing with her a great deal of knowledge and experience in the world of nursery education. She took over a well-run nursery and works with a staff who are united above all by their love for their work.

Landmark step by the City of Hafnarfjörður is already starting to pay off

Today, on Nursery School Day, awards are presented. The reputation upheld by the Association of Early Years Educators and the Association of Early Years Management. This award is presented to those who are considered to have excelled in enhancing the reputation of nursery education in the country and have worked tirelessly for the benefit of nurseries and nursery children. This time, the City of Hafnarfjörður is being awarded this prize for taking a progressive step by aligning the opening hours of its nursery and primary schools and setting an example for other local authorities. This step by the City of Hafnarfjörður is already beginning to pay off, for example, at Hlíðarendi where a qualified nursery teacher, who had been working outside the sector for several years, has been appointed as a head of department.  The main reason for the application was changes to the working conditions and hours of work within the nurseries. In light of this, it was considered even more appropriate for the mayor to visit Hlíðarendi.

About Nursery School Day

The Association of Play School Teachers, the Ministry of Education, the Association of Icelandic Local Authorities and Home-School organise the day, but on 6 February 1950, pioneering play school teachers founded their first association. The day is also intended to draw attention to the status of the nursery school, its value to the nation's wealth and to all culture. The day is celebrated throughout the country to draw special attention to the nursery school stage, its importance and value for families in the country and for Icelandic business life.

The websites of Hafnarfjörður's nurseries contain detailed information about the schools' activities.