At BestStart Epsom, building strong connections with our local community is an important part of our curriculum. Regular excursions allow tamariki to explore the world beyond our centre walls and form real-life connections with the people and places around them.
These outings provide valuable opportunities for children to learn about their environment—whether it’s greeting friendly faces, visiting nearby shops, or noticing changes in their surroundings. Through these experiences, tamariki learn the values of aroha (love), manaakitanga (kindness), and whanaungatanga (relationships), which guide our daily practice.
This month, as part of our ongoing community experiences, we celebrated World Kindness Day. Our tamariki spread kindness by sharing their beautiful artwork with people in the community—a lovely way to show aroha and make meaningful connections.
These small but special moments strengthen relationships with the people and places around us, while nurturing empathy, joy, and a strong sense of belonging for our tamariki. By taking learning beyond the classroom, we nurture children’s confidence, empathy, and joy in being part of a caring and connected community.