A Recent Facebook Post From Doris Nicholson

“Kia ora Whānau and friends,

At Doris Nicholson Kindergarten when you walk into our gates, the first thing that happens is you will be welcomed! And then you will see mess!

You will see planks of wood, ladders swings sandpit baskets of blocks and sticks and bit and pieces. Mud puddles if it’s been raining, over grown gardens filled with herbs and flowers and veges and fruit… you will hear laughter and sometimes crying, you will hear whooping and yelling, sometimes music from our outdoor stereo ( not always children’s music , could be reggae or Waiata, or Greek or Indian).

You will see smiling faces and toes touching the sky as children fly high on the swings. You will see cushions on the grass and great pieces of material ready to be used as huts or tents or capes or sails….books being read, picnics with dolls and super heroes running faster than the speed of light.

You might see Kaiako/teachers  using harakeke with tamariki  being woven into puti puti  or used as a trap to capture Te Ra.

You will hear Te Reo Māori in a natural way throughout our environment.

You may see paint being splattered, or mud pies being made. You will see teachers learning and children teaching.

And when you go inside be careful of the train set all over the floor or the construction going on with the blocks or lego.

You will see sticky tape and glue on the table or on the floor, you might see paint being painted on arms and legs or fingers or toes and even on some paper! You might see a Kaiako/teacher reading to a child in the book corner, or another dancing with rainbows to music from gummy bear…or some such flavour of the moment.

You won’t see Kaiako/teachers lifting children up on boxes or holding them as the go across monkey bars… you will see Kaiako/teachers show them how and encourage them to just take one step at a time, and then to celebrate their personal progress with excitement and celebration. You won’t see Kaiako/teachers make children sit down and making them learn to write their ABC’s or learn how to read.

You won’t see perfect tidiness inside. You won’t see children being made to stay inside if it’s raining… (we love catching raindrops on our tongues, or collecting drips in buckets) You will see us capturing moments where we can connect with Ranginui through to Papatūānuku.

When someone once asked me “But when does the teaching happen?” I admit I was taken back. It takes a lot for me to become speechless… “Teaching” Yes the team at Doris Nicholson Kindergarten are all 100% qualified. We worked hard for our Education degrees. We are Kaiako/teachers and we never stop learning. Your children your tamariki teach US something new each and every day.

We are here to support and guide, to provoke learning and to assess and provide relevant resources to encourage critical thinkers, problem solvers, independence and social beings.

Of course we are there when a child wants to know how to write his or her name, and we fuel that interest with praise and celebration.

We build relationships with whānau and families and make sure it is their place too!

The jug is always ready to be on and coffee and tea always available. (Sometimes even nice biscuits too!).

We are setting the foundations for the adventures our Tamariki /children will have as they leave here. We are gifting them a thirst for inquiry, a thirst for gaining knowledge and a thirst for learning so when they do start school they are able to embrace whatever is next.

We are inclusive for all, we celebrate differences, and there are no tick boxes or expectations to achieve just because you are 3 or 4, or 5 years old.

We encourage free thinkers, adult and child, parent and “Kaiako”/ “Teacher” .

We are a kindergarten with pride for what we do and yes this is how teaching happens here.”