About us and our programme

Pepeha

• Ngā tangata o ngā hau e whā tātou.
• Ko te wharangi a Karori te puke.
• Ko Waipahihi te awa
• Ko ngā whānau a Sunshine te hapori

We are the people of the four winds. The Whararangi is our hill top. Waipahihi is our river. Families of Sunshine Kindergarten are part of our community.

Sunshine Kindergarten (kei roto i te riu o nga manu/in the valley of the birds), was established in 1969.

We acknowledge the importance of strong relationships between ourselves and whānau, hapu and our local iwi.

Le Va/Teu le va – we value our Pasifika families and are committed to nurturing and strengthening our relationships with their communities, aligning ourselves towards best practices for supporting our Pasifika children.

We are a diverse kindergarten, and children from many cultures make up our community. Sunshine Kindergarten is also well known for its inclusive practices and for fostering acceptance of our differences and empathy within our learning community.

We are ideally placed to use the nearby bush as part of our Ngahere ako (forest learning) programme.

We value the natural environment and encourage tamariki/children to see themselves as kaitiaki/guardians of nature.

We have a productive vegetable garden which the children actively participate in the planting, harvesting and care of. Our grounds have been intentionally designed to create an environment that fosters strong links to the natural world and to other living things. The outdoor environment is also carefully planned to encourage safe risk taking activities through a play-based philosophy.

Our curriculum incorporates Kaupapa Māori concepts such as:

• Manaakitanga: Caring for others
• Whanāungatanga: Relationships and connectedness
• Tino rangatiratanga: Self-determination
• Kaitiakitanga: Caring for nature
• Tuakana-Teina: Reciprocal learning

We use these terms in conversations with nga tamariki/the children and you may see these referred to in your child’s learning stories.

At Sunshine Kindergarten we acknowledge children’s inherent mana and work to support and enhance it. We respect children’s rights as young citizens of our community, and when possible, we involve them in decisions that affect them.

We tap into children’s individual and group interests and experiences to offer a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities/provocations.

We encourage and support independent and cooperative exploration, investigation and problem-solving. In this way, children develop a sense of themselves as capable and confident, life-long learners.

We work to develop partnership with parents and whánau and encourage them to become actively involved in their child’s learning.

Check out our Facebook page for more information and pictures! 

Register your interest here!