Bream Bay Kindergarten Philosophy
Whakawhānaungatanga sits at the heart of all that we do. We endeavour to foster relationships that are authentic and meaningful to enable us to generate an inclusive atmosphere where diversity is embraced, uniqueness celebrated and where children and whānau feel safe, secure, welcome and accepted. We wish to affirm children’s sense of identity, culture, and self-worth.
Interwoven into this is manaakitanga where our intention is to uplift all involved within our learning community. Relationships based on manaakitanga enable us to design and implement a curriculum based on community ideals and values such as aroha, compassion, respect and caring.
We seek to create kotahitanga through an atmosphere that honours the essence of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We work to ensure the principles of protection, partnership and participation are meaningfully woven into the fabric of our day. We acknowledge and value the contribution all whānau make through their continued guidance and leadership towards a positive future for their children. We respect mana whenua and seek to work collaboratively, recognising their matauranga Māori and the role of kaitiakitanga they have within the rohe our kindergarten resides in. We share a commitment as a teaching team to grow our knowledge and understanding of
Te ao Māori and tikanga to effectively enhance and promote learning.
Our daily practice embodies the principles of Te Whāriki, New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum document. Children learn through play, and we ensure they are afforded time and space to explore and discover their world. Teachers seek to enrich children’s creativity, language, literacy, mathematics, and science explorations using their strengths and interests as a springboard for learning. We strive for opportunities where children have agency in the learning environment, where confidence and perseverance are grown, enhancing children’s independence.
We support and encourage the development of children’s holistic health and
well-being and foster social and emotional competencies. We place strong emphasis on learning the skills and strategies to listen to each other and problem solve solutions. An ability to understand and manage emotions is integral to this process. We seek ways to support whānau to co-construct continuity between home and kindergarten for successful outcomes for all.
The concept of ako is integral to how we shape our learning environment. We are a community of learners, thoughtfully intent on creating a shared vision that invokes a sense of possibility and beckons all learners to inquire, think deeply, test theories, revisit prior learning and take on new challenges. We believe that learning is enhanced when learners are immersed in an environment which fosters a sense of fun, adventure, eager engagement, and curiosity in the learning process.
