Centre Manager’s Report March & April 2026

Kia ora koutou,

What a pleasant autumn we have been experiencing recently, providing our tamariki with wonderful opportunities to explore the changing season and enjoy learning through outdoor experiences.

We would like to welcome our new tamariki who have joined us this March and April: Iyla, Manatheo and Deshva to our Karori Kids whānau. We look forward to getting to know you all.  

BUSY TAMARIKI KARORI KIDS                        

1. St. Patrick’s Day Our St. Patrick’s Day celebration was filled with creativity, learning, and fun. Tamariki began the day by watching a short video about St. Patrick’s Day, learning about St. Patrick and Irish traditions. Our tamariki enjoyed a range of engaging activities, including making crowns and flowers, face painting with green designs, exploring playdough with an Irish flag theme, and decorating cookies with icing and sprinkles. A highlight of the day was the leprechaun treasure hunt, where tamariki worked together to solve clues and search for hidden treasures. Through these experiences, tamariki developed their understanding of Irish culture and traditions, while also strengthening skills in teamwork, creativity, patience, and sharing.	1. Making connections between people, places and things in their world | te waihanga hononga
2. Easter Week Celebration During the week, a group of our tamariki walked to the supermarket to buy chocolate Easter eggs for our egg hunt. They showed great interest in the different sizes of eggs and engaged in discussions about differences and prices, supporting their understanding of the world around them. Back at the centre, the tamariki were all excited anticipating the egg hunt activity. In the afternoon, they carried their decorated baskets outside and eagerly searched for eggs, sharing their discoveries with joy and enthusiasm. They loved it!	2. Making connections between people, places and things in their world | te waihanga hononga
3. Pyjama Day with bears A wonderful day we have had on that day. Kids arrived at Karori Kids wearing their cosy pyjamas and bringing their cuddly teddies, creating a warm and joyful start to the day. Throughout the day, teddies were included in learning experiences such as mat time, story time, and kai time. The experience supported a sense of comfort, connection, and enjoyment within the learning environment.	Te manaaki i te taiao/ Taking part in caring for this place.
4. Transition to School Programme This month, our tamariki have been engaged in a range of learning experiences to support their transition to school. They have been exploring numbers, particularly focusing on adding within the range of 1–15, as well as developing their understanding of counting and number recognition. In addition, tamariki have been exploring concepts such as shadows, encouraging curiosity and early scientific thinking, as well as participating in construction activities that support problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork.	4. Understanding how things work here and adapting to change/  te mārama ki te āhua o ngā whakahaere me te mōhio ki te panoni
5. ANZAC Day Tamariki were busy making poppy flowers and engaging in a variety of art and craft activities related to ANZAC Day. They also enjoyed making ANZAC cookies with Cel. Kate, Charlie and Freddie’s mum, kindly joined us to share the significance of ANZAC Day and why we remember this important occasion. She also spoke about her great-grandfather, William Logan, who was one of the ANZACs who fought in World War I at Gallipoli.	5. Using a range of strategies and skills to play and learn with others/ te ngākau aroha
6. Earth Day: Tamariki were engaged in a range of meaningful activities throughout the week. We spent time gardening together, explored the concept of the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), and created cards for Papatūānuku with Shasha. A group of Thunderbird tamariki visited our Waipahihi Stream (behind the RSA building), where they helped pick up rubbish, showing manaakitanga towards our waterways and Papatūānuku. Mercy also shared her knowledge about environmental awareness and how we can care for our environment.	6. Making sense of their worlds by generating and refining working theories/ te rangahau me te mātauranga
7.Construction Construction has always been a favourite activity for our tamariki. This interest has been especially meaningful recently, as there is a lot of construction happening around us in the local environment. We have sustained and extended this curiosity by focusing on the topic, setting up engaging activities, and making it a key area of exploration for the Thunderbirds group. Through these construction experiences, the concept of STEM has been naturally incorporated, with tamariki exploring elements of science, mathematics, technology, and engineering in a hands-on way. We would also like to acknowledge Mercy for supporting and enriching this learning, helping deepen the children’s understanding and engagement in this area.	7a.  Making sense of their worlds by generating and refining working theories/ Te rangahau me te mātauranga 7b. Playing, imagining, inventing and experimenting | te whakaaro me te tūhurahura i te pūtaiao 7c.  Recognising mathematical symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose | he kōrero pāngarau
8. Going for walks We continue with our regular walks, as they offer rich and meaningful opportunities for learning. These outings provide our tamariki with real-life experiences related to health and safety, while also supporting their growing awareness of the world around them. Through these walks, children become increasingly familiar with their local environment, strengthening their sense of belonging and connection to the community. Some of the places we regularly visit include the library, Ben Burn Park, the Botanical Gardens, and nearby streets such as Campbell Street and Donald Street. These experiences allow tamariki to observe, explore, and engage with their surroundings, fostering curiosity and confidence. 9.Pretend Play Over the past two months, we have observed a shared interest among our tamariki, particularly our toddlers. They have been enjoying family-oriented play, such as caring for dolls, preparing tea for their friends, and participating in cooking experiences. These activities provide meaningful, realistic experiences that support tamariki to develop an understanding of family roles, relationships, and responsibilities within their community.	8a. Keep themselves healthy | te oranga nui 8b. Keeping themselves and others safe from harm/ te noho haumaru 8c. Make connections between people, places and things in their world| te waihanga hononga Te whakaaro me te tūhurahura i te pūtaiao | Playing, imagining, inventing and experimenting.
10. Drawing Drawing has been a popular activity for all our tamariki. They enjoy drawing imaginatively and expressing their ideas through creative artwork. Through drawing, children are developing their fine motor skills, creativity, and confidence in self-expression. Many tamariki use drawing to tell stories, share their experiences, and communicate their thinking with others.	10a. He kōrero tuhituhi | Recognising print symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose 10b. He kōrero auaha | Expressing their feelings and ideas using a wide range of materials and modes

New Internal Evaluation:

Our new internal evaluation is focused on the question: “To what extent do our current assessment practices on social and emotional competence with an emphasis on te kare-a-roto me wairuatanga at Karori Kids align with the criteria and principles outlined in Kōwhiti Whakapae?”

There are three indicators we will be looking at:

To guide this evaluation, the following indicators will be used:

• Learning stories show clear development and progression of children’s social and emotional competence, with explicit links to Kare-a-roto me wairuatanga (emotional awareness, regulation, and spiritual connectedness) learning descriptors and the Kōwhiti Whakapae progressions: Lay the Groundwork, Notice and Recognise, Respond, and Document.

• Teachers demonstrate a clear understanding of Kōwhiti Whakapae in relation to Kare-a-roto me wairuatanga through the intentional inclusion of social and emotional goals in individual goals whether they are aligned to the phases: Lay the Groundwork, Notice and Recognise, Respond, and Document.

• Whānau engagement and voice indicate that families feel supported by the centre to foster their children’s social and emotional development, particularly in Kare-a-roto me wairuatanga (emotional awareness, regulation, and spiritual connectedness).

We are currently in the data-gathering phase, which includes surveys from kaiako and parents, as well as analysis of the children’s learning stories. We sincerely thank all of our parents who have taken the time to complete the survey.

The time frame will be this February, and we hope to finish by September.

Education Review Office

We have recently completed our ERO review, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to our reviewer for their time and support in reviewing our compliance and curriculum practices. We are now waiting for the draft report. 

Teachers’ Only Day

What a fantastic Teachers’ Only Day we had! We were fortunate to have a full day to discuss the individual goals of our tamariki, as well as to plan possible goals for the months ahead.

We also took time to reflect on our ERO review, considering how we can continue to improve and address the identified areas for development. In addition, we were pleased to have Chandra Littlewood (she/her), Enviroschools Community Facilitator, join us. She shared valuable insights on how we can extend our practice in managing our whenua, along with professional learning around sustainability.

We were also provided with an overview of the new centre licensing criteria, which are now a requirement for all services across New Zealand.

To conclude the day, staff came together in the early evening, along with those who supported us during our ERO preparation, for a small dinner. This also gave us the opportunity to celebrate a belated Christmas gathering, which we were unable to hold last year due to staff leave.

Thank you for giving us the time and opportunity to take part in this meaningful and productive day.

Professional Development for Teachers

Reena has successfully completed her Incredible Years Programme in February. The Incredible Years Preschool Program supports teachers in developing the skills and knowledge needed to help our tamariki build positive behaviour, social competence, and emotional understanding, in partnership with both teachers and parents.

Gina has also been attending webinars on the new ECE licensing criteria to support her understanding of the changes that will take effect on 20 April. This information has been shared with the team to ensure that all staff are informed and aware of the upcoming updates.

Upcoming events 

April 

20-22^nd Tuesday- Earth Day  

27^th Monday, Anzac Day (Public Holiday- the Centre is closed) 

May

World Book Day- 23^rd April 2026

Mothers’ Day-08 May 2026

Pink Shirts Day-15 May

Sports Day- 13 May

Working bee-16 or 23 May (tbc)

Samoan Language Week –  25-29 May

June  

Philippines Independence Day – 12 June 2026

July

Matariki Night- 06-09 July

August

Cook Island Language Week – 3-7 August

Pakistan Independence Day - 14 August

Indian Independence Day- 15 August

New Zealand Olympic Games- 27 August 2026

 September

Father’s Day- 04 September

Notes: We will have additional events to include as we move forward into 2026.

Reminders:

As part of the enrolment agreement, please be reminded that your child is required to attend at least six (6) hours each day.

We continue to encourage you to bring/share any cultural items representing your language, culture and identity.

General

We will be holding our AGM once we have received and finalised the audit report from the auditor. The AGM is an important opportunity for our members, kaiako, and parents to come together, reflect on the past year, and elect new committee members.

If you would like to learn more about the role or what being part of the committee involves, please feel free to email me or speak with one of our current committee members. We would be happy to share about it.

We look forward to holding our AGM, hopefully in May, and encourage everyone to be involved.

For those who have been involved in our committee over the past year and this year, we would like to sincerely thank you for your dedication to this non-profit volunteer work. Your commitment and willingness to support our community centre are truly appreciated and continue to inspire us all.