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Our Learning Environments at BestStart Berryfields Crossing
At BestStart Berryfields Crossing, we provide early education for children from infancy up until they are ready to go to school. Because of this, our centre is split into four rooms with age-appropriate resources to support each child's stage of learning and development to ensure your child gets the best possible education and care our team of teachers can provide. Below are the names of our four learning environments with some information about each of them.
Pounamū is our pepi (infant) 0–2-year-old room. With small numbers, we allow space for each pepi to flourish in their own time and pace. Pounamū translates to greenstone in te reo Māori. Pounamū is a precious and powerful stone that is held as a great treasure, encompassing what we vision in our pepi.
Wai-iti is our 2–3-year-old room. In this room, we encourage independence, emotional regulation, and confidence. A shared outdoor space with Pounamū tuakana-teina (older children supporting younger children) is witnessed and nurtured daily. Wai-iti is also known as a river that flows through the Tasman / Richmond area. The Wai-iti river flows into Te Tai-o-Aorere known as the Tasman Sea.
Aorere - a name taken from the Tasman Sea. Aorere is our 3–4-year-old room with a separate outdoor environment from Pounamū and Wai-iti. A room full of adventure, imagination, and aroha (love) for everyone. A room that focuses on a child-led program, the importance of friendships, being kind to one another, and the chance for children's imagination to be explored and celebrated! We allow the children to ride the waves of learning.
Kōtuku - known as the great white heron - particular importance to the Mapua region it is also a symbol of leadership, uniqueness, and beauty. Kōtuku for BestStart Berryfields is the room symbolising the final room before they take flight and affirming each child as an individual before their next part of the learning step transitioning to school. Although we have not officially opened Kōtuku, we cannot wait to set up our transition-t-oschool room.
BestStart Berryfields Crossing is a centre with endless opportunities for your precious tāmariki to explore. So come and check us out. Arohanui (Love from) our whānau to yours!