Design and build

Exploring, representing and communicating ideas


Pencils, pens, rulers and clipboards strategically placed in close proximity to the carpentry area set the scene for children to put their ideas and imaginings to paper before creating 3 dimensional structures at the carpentry table.

Ursula Kolbe states "Of all the visual arts, drawing is the quickest and most direct way of making ideas visible.  It is an incredibly powerful tool - a language - that enables children to explain things to themselves and to others."

Owen explains "We draw plans because so we know what we're doing."

Quinton adds "We draw a plan then build it.  People that build use plans.  Builders they use plans so they know what they're building like a house or a garage."

Iziah and Josh put their ideas to paper

Michalopoulou states "Creativity emerges as children become absorbed in action and exploration of their own ideas, expressing them through movement, making and transforming things using media and materials such as crayons, paints, scissors, words, sounds,movement, props and make-believe...Children's responses to what they see, hear and experience through their senses are individual and the way they represent their experiences is unique and valuable." (2014).

At Bream Bay Kindergarten we believe that opportunities for exploration in a supportive environment helps strengthen children's creativity and enables them to trial a variety of processes and therefore develop new knowledge and understanding.

Michalopoulou states that learning should be "challenging, engaging and motivating...focus should be on exploration and creativity, to allow children to develop individual skills and self-confidence.  Children need many opportunities to generate and discuss ideas, make plans, brainstorm solutions to problems, reflect and give reasons for their choices."

The carpentry area offers all this and more!

Expressing thoughts, ideas and feelings in a variety of ways

 "Art nourishes the unconventional and nurtures the unexpected by respecting children's imagination, developing their creativity, encouraging adventurous thinking and recognizing the validity of a personal response." (Michalopoulou, 2014).

Thanks for reading...don't forget to leave a comment.

Nga mihi nui, 

Tania.

Matariki celebrations

What an absolutely wonderful hangi day!  We were blessed with beautiful weather and an abundance of very helpful people to get through our tasks  An awesome atmosphere and a great team effort. 

Dodinsky said "People who uplift you are the best kind of people.  You don't simply keep them.  You have to treasure them."  At Bream Bay kindergarten we really do treasure our whanau...such a wonderful community.  We just couldn't have done it without the aroha and support given to us to bring a dream to reality. You make our hearts glow people, thank you so very much!

And such a marvellous experience for children to be part of too.

"I liked the kai bit.  I liked the boys singing.  I liked the bit when Tania was singing.  I liked my Dad putting the banana leaves in the basket.  Mummy, she wrapped the kai and put it in the banana leaves where my Dad was.  I liked the pumpkin, the pork and the meat, oh and the potato."  Waikohu.

"All of the Mums they were getting all the food ready.  Then they needed to carry it by the fire.  All of the food is different.  i liked that pumpkin.  You can join in with the food if everyone is hungry maybe." Kiara.

"My Nan was at the hangi." Joshiah.

"My Mum was there.  Ivy was there.  My Dad was there and so was I!"  Tia.

"We got fire in the ground and wait for it to get dark, for all the people to come.  The little ones, the Mummies, the Daddies and the Nannies come to watch the hangi.  I had a chance to pick up my Nan and everyone singing the song."  Creedence.

"The rope was there so the children don't go by the hangi.  I liked the hangi cause the fire and cause my Dad was doing the fire and my Uncle.  Uncle Gav did do it too, and my cousin Buggy and then I smiled at them.  Buggy was doing the mihitau and there was heaps of people."  Ramaria.

Ma te wheturanga o Matariki

E tiki mai, e manaaki mai i a koe,

i a koutou ranei,

no te tau e take mai ana.

May the gentle light of Matariki

guide and inspire you all this year

Matariki Hangi

Bream Bay  Kindergarten

  Matariki Hangi

We would like to invite you to attend our Matariki Hangi celebration on Friday 5th June.

The hangi preparations will be taking place on Thursday 4th June and throughout the day on Friday 5th June. 

The hangi will be served at 5pm on Friday.

We are seeking donations of kai and kitchen help.

Please RSVP by Thursday 28th May 2015 if you are able to attend or help.

Graduation celebration!

Sandy has graduated!

Tino koa ana i te rongo pai kua hau mai

Thrilled with your news

We wanted to acknowledge the hard work and dedication Sandy has put in to achieving her goal of becoming an Early Childhood teacher.  Well done Sandy, you are a super star teacher and we are so lucky to have you here...from all your all friends at Bream Bay Kindergarten.

  It's an emotional experience!

We wanted to sing a special waiata for Sandy...welcoming her to the profession.

Creativity and Innovation award

Following is the speech given to announce the award for Creativity and Innovation in Kindergarten Education.

2015 Lints Award

The Lints Award is awarded to the kindergarten whose staff practice throughout the year nurtures lifelong learning for children and their whanau using creative, innovative and resourceful strategies.

It is about resourceful teachers who work collaboratively with parents and whanau who acknowledge and support quality participation in their children's learning experience so that support for children's lifelong learning continues to be nurtured within the wider community.

The successful teaching team this year sets a learning environment of provocations within the kindergarten environment which are current with children's interest where the teaching team builds on each other's strengths and interest and the triangulation of the three teachers collides - to provide some amazing learning for the tamariki.

It is an environment where the concept of Ako is grounded in the principle of reciprocity and also recognises that the learning and whanau cannot be separated.  It is also an environment where the teaching and learning relationship is one where the teacher is also learning from the tamariki and where the teachers practices are informed by the latest research and both are deliberate and reflective.

At the core of this kindergarten is the strong respectful relationships that the teachers have with their parents and whanau - it is about whanaungatanga, manakitanga and kotahitanga that are all intrinsic in the kaupapa of who and what they bring to this learning arena.

As team they are all very skilled with the IYT aspect of managing children's behaviours and it is very powerful to observe and know their tamariki will have the lifelong skills to problem solve and resolve situations and challenges as they arise throughout their lives due to the teaching strategies that they all use so effectively.

Before I ask Effie Lints NKA Life Member to present this award I want to quote to you a recent comment made by their Acting PPM, Kim Townsend to the teaching staff in their recent termly report;

"Though it was my first day I also wanted to say that the care and attention that you place in developing and upholding relationships with your attending children and families is precious and evident throughout your programme and in your interactions.  Bream Bay kindergarten has a real sense of a 'community of learners' this is a credit to you all." 

Colleagues and whanau and Board members please join with me in congratulating Bream Bay Kindergarten the successful recipient of the 2015 Lints Award.

What do teachers do?

Children’s voice:

“Teach you how to do nice things. Say kind words to each other” said Mia

“Um make muffins, um help us. They give us the icepack. Like, um they swing us” said Stormie.

“They care for each other and they want a game” 

“And they help people when they’re hurt. Like they plant the corn and they set the swings”  said Bentley.

“Teach you how to do writing” 

“When you are hurt a teacher gets you the icepack” 

“They can play with me, they’re my friend. I come to do painting and play outside” said Hosea.

“They play with me” said Achilles.

“Stop the fights. Wash their hands. Play with the children” said Marama.

“Also teachers make dinner. Make cupcakes” said Nikki.

“Um well have fun, just like they are having fun”  said Tia.

“Play. Be kind to each other” said Jahrell.

“They watch the kids and they read stories to the kids”

“To play, work inside, play inside un and teamwork” said Sophia.

“Put the hose with the water on. And you play sandpit with the water everyday.”

“You have to tidy up the mess when you make a mess. They get all the stuff out, then they bake. Um they open up the shed sandpit and they put all the toys out”

“Read books. Do the cake” said Rico.

“They play with you” said Kiara.

Northcoast turf and lawns

In Bream Bay we are very lucky to be able to call on local people within our  community to provide us with professional knowledge and expertise. 

The team from Northcoast turf and lawns were exactly the right people to call when we wanted to naturalize part of our outdoor area and they helped us with this amazing transformation. 

Thanks for all your help..we love your work!

  

Naturally beautiful spaces....Working Bee 2015

Working hard to create naturally beautiful spaces for children.

At Bream Bay Kindergarten we continually seek ways to bring natural materials into our play-scape.  We want children to be immersed in an environment that stimulates the senses, sparks creativity and ignites curiosity.  Natural materials are open ended and invoke a sense of discovery and possibility, so with this in mind, we set out to create a series of natural spaces for children to play in.

Just look at the wonderful spaces we were able to create with the help of our dedicated, hard working parents...Amazing!!!

 “Natural spaces and materials stimulate children’s limitless imaginations and serve as the medium of inventiveness and creativity observable in almost any group of children playing in a natural setting” (Robin Moore, cited in Last child in the woods, Richard Louv, 2005).