There’s always a lot going on at kindy
So much happens at our Canterbury, West Coast and Central Otago kindergartens every day, and you can read about it on our kindergarten news pages. Our Kindergarten Daily section is a great place to see the day-to-day happens across out network.
Step inside the world of learning, our great big backyard and take a look at what our tamariki and kaiako have been getting up to.
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A big week with EIGHT birthdays
A big rā whānau ki a koe (happy birthday) to eight kindergartens across our Kidsfirst network. Portsmouth Street, Redwood, Trengrove, Karoro, Hawthornden, Hei Hei, Halswell and Avonhead are all celebrating this week! It’s the perfect occasion to take a look back on some historic photos of the kindy’s over the years…
Celebrating love with a community gathering
This Valentines Day saw one of our kindy kaiako Stacey, hosting a free community gathering. Common-UNITY was a way to connect families of young ones who live along the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote awa. The kaupapa was around getting to get to know one another, creating links and finding commonalities with neighbours – developing relationships with both the river and one another!Last year this day was postponed due to wild weather, so it seemed fitting a day full of such aroha coincided with the kaupapa of Valentines! We had tasty grazing tables abundant in healthy kai to nibble on created by our Ōpāwa/ St Martins kindy wildlings, giant outdoor games and even free flowers on offer to gift loved ones.
Showing manaakitanga for Little Heart Day
We all know Valentine’s Day happened in the past week – but did you know it was Little Heart Day, raising awareness for children with heart defects, too. Tamariki at Kidsfirst Richmond showed their manaakitanga (love and compassion) by bringing gold coin donations and wearing red, creating heart-themed arts and crafts and baking cookies – here are just a few photos from the day.
It’s the year of the ox!
It’s the year of the ox, which puts a focus on traits such as reliability, fairness, being hardworking and celebrates strength of character. Those are all things we encourage at kindergarten, and it’s always great to have the opportunity to celebrate them. Happy Lunar New Year. Be the ox.
Harikoa 65 Mairehau!
Happy 65th birthday Kidsfirst Mairehau. Tamariki, former and current kaiako, invited guests, whānau and friends all came to the party – remembering days gone by, sharing kai and laughter. Ra whānau ki a koe, Mairehau.
Sun, sprinklers & fun on the West Coast
There’s nothing like a good water fight to stay cool on a hot West Coast day. Kidsfirst Greymouth had been waiting for a day of water play since the end of last year, and finally got their chance last week, when the weather cooperated. Tamariki relished the opportunity to get their teachers, as well as their friends wet with water soakers, water balloons, a water slide and a sprinkler. Kaiako, whānau and tamariki made sure togs and a change of clothes came to kindy that day, so everybody went home dry and happy.
Practising Kaitakitanga for World Wetland Day
Heads up, it’s World Wetlands Day! The theme this year is ‘Wetlands and Water’, and even though we care for environment every day at Kidsfirst, we’ll be looking out for these guys, and others as part of our focus on kaitiakitanga, just that little bit more today.
Jamming Kaitiakitanga in the kitchen
Kaitiakitanga (taking care of nature) was a garden-to-table experience for tamariki at Kidsfirst Phillipstown last week when they harvested the fruit in the kindy garden to make jam. As well as experiencing the joys of caring for, growing and preparing their own food, they got to practice collaboration, learned about seasons and sustainability, and, of course, got a sweet treat at the end of it all.
Open Day Fun
It’s open day today and what a day it’s been! Around 70 of our kindergartens opened their doors, and so many whānau and tamariki came along to see and celebrate what kindy is all about. Here’s what went on at just some of our kindergartens at our annual open day.
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