Death and Life: Saying Goodbye and Welcoming New Beginnings in EBI

EBI is full of life! We are constantly witnessing growth and renewal—trees blossoming, fruits ripening, chicks hatching, and new members joining our nest. However, part of this natural cycle sometimes involves facing the inevitable farewells that come with death.

Recently, our beloved rabbit, Lecker who usually hopped around our garden and joined our outdoor lessons, went missing one Friday. We looked everywhere but couldn't find him. Our garden has lots of places to hide, like the tunnel he dug under his hutch. When we came back on Monday, we found some of his fur near the porch. Underneath the wooden planks, we sadly discovered his stiff, cold body. As we navigated through this experience, we aimed to handle it with care and respect, ensuring it became a learning opportunity for everyone at EBI. We cleaned him up and put him in a box. We had to tell the kids about it, to teach them about death.

Learning Through Loss

We began by showing the children Lecker's body, allowing them to say their goodbyes. This created a variety of questions from the children, appropriate to their different ages and stages of understanding. We collected these questions and shared them with families, providing a bridge between the children's learning at EBI and their conversations at home. Some of the questions were:

• What happened to it?
• Is Lecker happy now?
• Can he see? Why cannot he see?
• Will we see him again?
• Is it sleeping?

In our discussions, we focused on direct, scientific explanations about life and death, ensuring that our explanations were simple and clear to support their understanding. In our garden, we established a "special place" for Lecker in response to concerns from some children about stepping on his burial site. To address this, they outlined the area with stones and bricks. Following this, they also added flowers to the site. This act taught the children about respect and remembrance. We also prepared a poster that showcased the love and care we had for Lecker, helping everyone remember the joy he brought to our lives.

The children wrote down their fond memories with Lecker and prepared goodbye cards, which helped them to express their feelings and to say farewell.

Welcoming Floppi

In the spirit of renewal, we welcomed a new rabbit, Floppi, into our EBI family. Involving the children in choosing Floppy's name helped them feel connected to this new beginning. We also made it a point to revisit Lecker's memorial from time to time upon the children's requests.

The Benefits of These Experiences

When a pet, like our bunny, passes away in a school environment, it presents a teachable moment. Instead of hiding the truth or shielding children from the reality of death, it can be embraced as an opportunity for learning and growth. By openly acknowledging the loss and discussing it with sensitivity, we can help kids navigate their feelings of grief and understand the natural cycle of life.

At EBI, we believe that these experiences, though sometimes challenging, are essential for nurturing understanding, empathy, and respect for life's complexities. As we keep exploring the wonders of nature and the environment, we will take advantage of each learning opportunity.

By: Tuğçe Kasap Bilaloğlu – EBI Kindergarten Teacher