KiwiKids aims to provide your children with an environment in which they are happy, cared-for and nurtured, and where you can be confident in the quality of their role models, their care, and their education.
We are passionate and committed to developing an early childhood environment that nurtures the mind, body, heart and soul of the precious little people in our care.
We have a Christian character, which is supported through the Virtues Programme www.virtuesproject.org.nz and we believe that we are building adults for the future.
Children gain a valuable sense of identity through acquiring knowledge and understanding about their ancestry, their heritage, and their culture(s).
Founded by Patrick and Rosalie Ardagh and operated on a Central District Health Board (CDHB) site for 20 years in Hillmorton as a CDHB community-based centre. With the determination and commitment of parents and teachers, and under the guidance and support of Jean O’Callahan (then CEO of the CDHB), the organisation decided to become private, relocate and develop wonderful centres for children in early childhood to experience the joy of learning.
We consider ourselves to be an extension of your family and are committed to developing respectful and trusting relationships with you and your tamariki [children]. We provide a nurturing, fun, and challenging education programme using the virtues of Joy, Wonder, and Awe to ensure children are interested, engaged and having fun as they learn and develop.
Children have the opportunity to develop respectful and trusting relationships with someone special to them on the staff.
Our Centre Manager and Centre Tutor also ensure that all educarers understand the importance of the curriculum and follow our philosophies.
To help ensure KiwiKids meet the spiritual needs of children and with the desire to respect the wide variety of faiths and cultures in our centre and society, KiwiKids educarers have been trained in an initiative called The Virtues Project.
The vision of the Virtues Project is to empower adults and children in diverse cultures around the world to live by their highest values. It is not about the practices or beliefs of any one faith but is sourced in the virtues which are the common elements of spirituality found in all sacred traditions.
Some of the virtues that will be acknowledged in our children include:
Love, Compassion, Kindness, Respect, Trust, Consideration, Excellence, Helpfulness, Self-discipline, Generosity, Humility, Tolerance, Equality, Unity, and Justice.
Through developing a sense of reverence and wonder in the outdoors we are also inspiring a generation of children who will love and want to protect the natural elements of our wonderful and mysterious world.
In our large outdoor space, children have the opportunity to follow their interests, explore, and discover the natural world around them.
Tamariki [children] will discover trees, plants, insects, and animals within the security of their own backyard.
Two very significant and important influences in brain development are Nurture and Active Movement. With our ‘big back yard’ and ‘care as curriculum’ philosophies your child will become a confident and competent learner and communicator.
We have two separate rooms that are used for various movement and musical activities and children can use and play with a number of musical instruments.
Participating in music and movement has many benefits. As well as developing motor skills, confidence, listening and concentration skills, children grow socially and learn to share, work in groups and take turns.