Noku Te Ao

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!

Nōku Te Ao means ‘the world is mine’.

Nōku Te Ao started in 2002. Our roopu mātua is a kapa haka group called Te Ahikaaroa based in Ōtautahi. We are also now a part of Te Pā o Rākaihautū, a pā wananga that began in 2015.

The need for an immersion Māori Childcare centre began when it was observed that the group had more pēpi than performers. We had the skills within the group to start our own centre which catered to our needs and aspirations for our tamariki. So we did.

Nōku Te Ao began in a leased building on Ensors Road. We were there for 3 years while we obtained funding and built the premises at 6 Birchgrove Gardens which we moved into in late 2005 and now are also at Te Pā o Rākaihautū, currently at 7 McLean Street in Linwood.

In our philosophy we differ from the norm by our whakaaro of total immersion and by the way we are governed. Total immersion to us is that we kōrero i te reo Māori to ngā tamariki and to each other, but we speak to the mātua and manuhiri in the language they understand—we encourage our whānau to learn te reo Māori but we understand the need to communicate and to feel comfortable about being able to communicate. Te reo Māori is an important part of our curriculum,but not the only focus. We believe it is a natural right for all tamariki living in Aotearoa and should be a normal part of our daily lives.

Knowing who they are and where they belong creates strong, resilient tamariki who carry their sense of identity with them throughout their lives. 

Our trust board make all the decisions on pertinent matters regarding the centre. Our management run the centre. Our kaiako plan the curriculum and teach ngā tamariki. Your input and help with our kaupapa is always valued and appreciated.

If you have any matters to discuss regarding your tamaiti feel free to kōrero directly with the Kaihautū or the kaiako.

We welcome your whakaaro on our programme and we are constantly seeking to improve upon the quality of what we do.

We aim to provide a quality Māori preschool environment that is stimulating, challenging and global in it’s outlook, safe, positive, warm, accepting and welcoming to both tamariki and mātua.

Our vision is to create an environment that inspires our tamariki to be:

· The very best they can be

· Happy, confident and of high self-esteem;

· Self-motivated, curious and vibrant;

· Respect for self and others;

· Strong in their cultural identity: te reo me ngā tikanga Māori

Nōku te Ao is committed to sustainable education and we strive to provide an environment that promotes caring for Papatūānuku. We recycle, reuse, reduce and refuse rubbish and encourage our whānau to do the same. We are rubbish-free centres and promote the use of reusable containers wherever possible.

Our Kaiako

Recruiting quality kaiako and ensuring that there is ongoing training and development for kaiako is a high priority for us. Our kaiako are whānau and role-model whānau values for our tamariki.

Our Programmes

We provide a rich and stimulating curriculum that incorporates structured activities and free play based on Māoritanga, kapa haka and Te Whāriki.

The programmes are designed to promote the optimum development of each tamaiti within a whānau Māori setting.