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We are a small privately-owned early childhood centre located in a peaceful rural setting in Waimauku. The Cottage Kindergarten is owned by Grant and Sara Stewart.
Sara is the manager and a teacher at The Cottage; she is dedicated to providing positive quality learning for children and teachers. Sara has a Diploma of Education, ECE, maintaining her certification as a registered practising early childhood teacher.
The Cottage Kindergarten offers high-quality education and care to a maximum of 34 children per day from the ages of two years to six years old. We are a mixed aged centre so siblings are all together.
Our day starts at 8.00 and finishes at 4.00 pm. Hours of attendance are flexible to suit children and their families, these include morning sessions, part-day or full-day options. Our sessions run continuously throughout the year, closing for a short period over Christmas and for public holidays.
We create an environment where children have time to express themselves. A place where children are excited to learn. Learning occurs in open-ended opportunities for expression, being creative, forming friendships and having fun!
Individual children’s needs are met with genuine warmth, patience, kindness, understanding, intentional teaching and with heart. Teachers encourage children to make decisions for themselves and to express their own ideas. We encourage children to be resilient and to care for themselves, each other and the environment. To assist us in achieving high-quality one to one teaching moments, we have a ratio of 1:7.
In February 2016 we became part of the EnviroSchools network to further our commitment to sustainability. Furthermore, our rural environment assists us in developing children’s knowledge and respect for our planet, and the people who share it with us.
From The Cottage, the children can see out to the paddocks and beyond. Walks around the generous property to visit the alpacas or sheep and to collect treasures, are frequently requested by the children.
