25 Strowan Road, Merivale, Christchurch 8052
Our kaiako (teachers) are wonderful and amazing people, who have been selected based on their experience within Early Childhood, knowledge of teaching and nurturing young children and their philosophy of education and knowledge of child development. We value professional development, and encourage our team to participate in a variety of courses, in order to grow and keep up to date with new developments in the educational field.
Our Nursery provides a nurturing and caring ‘home away from home’ environment to ensure that our littlest ones feel safe and secure in their own space, whilst also providing the space and resources as they begin to explore and discover the world around them.
Our “over two” area offers our older children opportunities to contribute to the curriculum, help make decisions and share their ideas. Teachers work alongside the children to set up an environment which is challenging, provides curiosity and active exploration.
We are committed to follow the aspirations of the New Zealand National ECE Curriculum, Te Whāriki, “For children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”.
Te Whāriki envisages kaiako (teachers) in early learning settings working in partnership with parents, whānau and community to realise this vision. The expectation is that, in their early years, children will experience a curriculum that empowers them as lifelong learners.
Te Whāriki supports this work by providing a framework of principles and strands.
The principles are the foundations of curriculum decision making and a guide for every aspect of pedagogy and practice.
The strands are 5 areas of learning and development, where the focus is on supporting children to develop the capabilities they need as confident and competent learners.
Each setting takes these principles and strands and, in partnership with parents and whānau, uses them to ‘weave’ a curriculum whāriki that is specifically designed for their children.
Sustainability and Environmental Education
We believe sustainable education and practices promote life long learning that will support the change towards a more sustainable society. We believe that engaging respectfully with and learning the importance of Papatuanuku supports the children to gain an understanding of kaitiakitanga and the responsibilities of being a kaitiaki – Caring for our environment and living things. We involve the children in taking care of our worm farm and composting, as well planting and watering our herb, vegetable and flower gardens. We also introduce sustainable habits and practices to our children by encouraging them to reduce, reuse and recycle.
As a centre we use Storypark, which significantly reduces the amount of paper used for forms and notices. We use local suppliers and partners where possible, supporting the sustainability of businesses in our community. At Minnies we believe every little bit helps to ensure sustainability for our precious future generations.
The Natural World
The natural world is a giant, open-ended learning laboratory. Children are innate scientists and love to experience the sights, scents, sounds, and textures of the outdoors. Whether it’s growing vegetables, creating a masterpiece with dirt, twigs and sand, watch worms wriggle through the soil, gazing at clouds, jumping in puddles, listening to birds sing, and collecting seeds – any outdoor learning experience is always a positive one! Where possible we encourage childrens experiences with the natural world.
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