Whānau Manaaki Karori Kindergarten

"At Karori kindergarten, at the foot of Wrights Hill, we nurture kaitiakitanga - an appreciation of and care for the natural world. We have bushy spaces, gardens, compost and a worm farm. We also recycle all our waste. Developing environmental sustainability is important to us.

Manaakitanga (hospitality, generosity and kindness) ) is emphasised - parents and siblings are warmly welcomed and we encourage and enjoy whānau participation and involvement. Coming together to celebrate occasions is an important part of our programme. We hold regular social
events, including a wheel-a-thon, Matariki mid-winter feast and a Christmas Party.

Independence and self-help skills are encouraged. Children make sandwiches at our “Karori Cafe” table. A rolling morning tea consists of fruit, sandwiches made by the children and popcorn. The children choose when and whether to have morning tea, although teachers ensure all children are regularly reminded and encouraged to eat.

We have children with allergies, so to provide a safe environment ALL NUTS (except coconut and coconut based products such as oil) are not allowed.

Our programme is based on Te Whāriki, the New Zealand curriculum for early childhood education. Our programme is continuously changing and evolving due to the strengths and interests of the akonga (learners). The programme planning is based on the dispositions, needs, strengths and interests of individual children and the common learning areas of the group.

At Karori kindergarten children’s interests and ideas are encouraged and fostered by a team of five fully qualified, passionate, experienced teachers who believe in high quality early childhood education. All our teachers hold early childhood teaching degrees. In addition one teacher has a MA in Educational Studies, one has a Bachelor of Literature and another holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Professional Development."