Childcare options in Wiri

Manukau Central kindergarten has been a part of our vibrant, diverse community since 1988. We are central to an established community, some of our children have parents who also attended as children. We have very strong links to Wiri Central School and the majority of our children transition to the school next door.

We place emphasis on establishing and maintaining strong relationships with children and parents/whanau. We welcome parent contributions to our children’s learning with parent help, sharing crafts and skills and shared lunches.

We regularly plan excursions aimed at providing opportunities for children and whanau to experience learning opportunities together, excursions are planned around children’s current learning interests and special events.

Our programme is highly responsive to children’s interests, we are well resourced and children lead their learning through play. Teachers assess learning outcomes with an emphasis on contribution, communication, belonging, well- being and exploration linked with curiosity, trust, perseverance, confidence and responsibility.

Literacy, numeracy and Te Reo are incorporated into most activities throughout the session daily. Children bring a packed lunch and morning tea snack. We encourage children to bring fresh fruit to share for afternoon tea.

Outdoor play does involve water and sand play, teachers consider the weather conditions when planning these activities, we ask that all children carry a complete change of clothes in their bags daily so that we can keep your child warm and dry.

Our teaching team value our relationships with support services that provide assistance in maintaining our children’s health and wellbeing, they include  Plunket, Ministry of Health hearing and vision and Ministry of Education speech-language therapy.

We are extremely proud and excited to announce that we have received a Rito Healthy Heart Award from the Heart Foundation for the amazing things we do to promote healthy food and physical activity. We are helping our tamariki to have healthy habits and healthy hearts for life.

Counties Manukau Kindergarten Association

We are a community based not-for-profit organisation, proud to be providing quality and affordable early childhood education in the Franklin and Counties Manukau areas for over 60 years. Our kindergartens and early learning centres provide high-quality environments that reflect the local community. We are New Zealand owned and operated and provide more qualified staff, equipment, learning opportunities, ICT, excursions and large attractive educational environments.

Book a visit today, we look forward to meeting you soon!

Early Childhood Education in a warm friendly setting. Welcoming to families and their children 0- - 5 years with a pick up and drop off service.

Our Vision

“Mana of the child and everyone involved in their Care and Education is our core focus, where they have unreserved and unconditional access to Early Childhood Education and Care, in partnership with parents, whanau and community”.

Information for Parents, Family/Whanau

The subsequent information will help you understand our methodology and what you can expect. You are free to discuss any queries you may have with any of our teachers or administrative staff. We encourage you to visit, explore, and ask questions regarding any aspect of our service you need clarity on. You can also arrange for an appointment with our manager, if needed, to discuss things over.

Be rest assured that your child’s development and well-being is our main priority. Find out further how you can get acquainted with the administrative process at Blossoms Educare.

Complete involvement of family

We believe in an open door policy and involve parents and family members in everything we do. Ensuring participation of parents makes the child feel comfortable and has a strong positive impact on the child. Keeping this in mind, we warmly welcome parents to the centre anytime.

The teachers and staff at Blossoms sincerely take care of the child’s happiness and comfort. We regard a three-way relationship between parents, caregivers and the child as an indispensable part of the child’s well-being.

Keeping track of everything

We make sure that parents are well-informed at each step of the way. They are provided with everything they need including newsletters, invoices, receipts and copies of learning stories.

Events and Outings

We believe that interaction and communication is vital. Keeping this in focus, we organize cultural events to help Blossom Educare members interact with other families and children and also with the teachers and staff. We are always on the lookout for such events and they form an integral part of our calendar.

Training for new teachers and volunteers

Volunteers and new teachers are thoroughly screened before getting onboard with us. They are required to meet our standards and adhere to our philosophy. Volunteers interact with the children and keep them engaged. Students of early childhood teacher training courses are properly supervised at the centre.

Facilities for availing subsidy

Our ‘Work and Income’ department operates a subsidy for parents. The subsidy is subject to an income qualification. Further information and forms shall be provided by ‘Work and Income’. Also, Blossoms provides 20 hours subsidy for all children above the age of 3. Please refer to our fees schedule for further information.

Educare Programme

‘Educare’ is a compound word meaning education and care. Our centres deliver educare programmes centered around the child. These programmes involve observing the children on a regular basis, evaluating their needs and concerns and planning activities around them. These programmes help the child develop in their own individual pace.

These programmes are founded on the guiding principles of Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum policy of the Ministry of Education. We keep revising our developmental programmes to stay updated.

There are four broad principles at the centre of Te Whāriki – the early childhood curriculum.

• Empowerment - The early childhood curriculum empowers the child to learn and grow.
• Holistic Development - The early childhood curriculum reflects the holistic way children learn and grow.
• Family and Community - The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum.
• Relationships - Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things.

Fotumalama Aoga Amata is a Samoan early childhood service governed by an independent board of trustees.  There are two learning spaces for different age groups of children.