The Kahuku Room is for our 2-5-year-olds.  The children spend time learning about the world around them through play.  The teachers provide stimulating learning experiences for the children to adventure and build relationships in.  There is a lovely playground with a huge sandpit which is always a big hit.  There is a maximum of 30 children at one time in this room.

 

Mixed Ages

The children in this room are mixed ages 2 - 5 years.  This gives children (and parents) a sense of security that they won't be transitioning to a new room each year, children get a chance to develop secure attachments with their teachers.

 

Our teachers plan for and set up age-appropriate learning experiences.  Mixed aged classrooms are lovely because there is a sense of family where the younger children learn from the older ones and the older one can be a 'big brother or sister' figure to the younger ones, lasting friendships can be formed at any age.

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Primary Caregiving

Key Carers or Primary Caregiving is all about creating trust and partnership between teachers, parents and children.  Before your child starts with us they will be buddied up with a teacher who will be their Key Carer.  When you drop off and leave your child for the first time, he/she will already have made a connection with their Key Carer through visits.  Your child will have a dependable best friend from the very beginning.

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Your Key Carer is responsible for all of your child’s caring needs which includes nappies and toilet training, meals and sleep (if required).

 

We also take pride in caring for your child’s needs and ensuring that his/her interests are being supported and extended to the best of the child’s learning ability.

 

Play Based Learning

We plan and assess each child’s learning interests and provide learning experiences that will support and extend what they are interested in.  We also assess group interests to allow children to learn to work alongside one another, share and participate in group discussions as well as supporting their common interests.

 

The children’s learning experiences are documented through learning stories and posted on Storypark for you and your family to read and comment on.

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Transition to School

When your child turns four they become a member of our ‘Kapakapa Club’ and we begin to gently prepare them for what life will be like when they get to school.  We want our Caterpillar Kids children to be confident in their abilities so that their transition to school is a successful one.  At Caterpillar Kids we want to give them a taste of the learning that will come when they get to school.

 

We conduct regular internal evaluations supporting our philosophy, policies and procedures.  We use this tool to improve our environment as well as individual teaching practices.

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Local Walks

At Caterpillar Kids we love getting out into our beautiful natural environment. We regularly go on local walks to our neighbouring Taumata Reserve and Owairaka Park.

 

Everil Orr

We have built a relationship with Everil Orr, our local retirement village. Our older children visit the residents, singing them songs and we take picture books to share. This is a very special relationship and we love to spread joy wherever we go.

As a centre, we like to give back to our community by doing food bank collection in winter and gifts at Christmas.