BestStart Papakura

Kahurangi is a home within BestStart Papakura for infants aged 6 months to 2 years.

In the Kahurangi room, the kaiako work together as a team to provide the best care for our babies during this essential stage of their lives. We not only provide care but also strive to offer all our love and respect.

In our room, the most important thing for us is the relationships we build with our whānau. We give our utmost effort to bond with our whānau from the very beginning as their child/ren embark on their journey with us. StoryPark is a platform we often use to record the children’s learning and facilitate communication with families.

A special ritual we have in the room with our babies is mat time. Mat times happen twice daily—once before kai and again in the afternoons. We sing songs, read books, and learn some sign language. This ritual helps promote routine and language development for our babies.

On a day-to-day basis, we provide various learning opportunities across the 16 areas of play, both in our indoor and outdoor spaces. The kaiako engage the tamariki in activities that help develop their fine-motor skills, gross-motor skills, language, and social skills.

We look forward to meeting and welcoming you and your whānau into our space!

Relationships are at the heart of what we do in Pounamu. We take pride in our trusting, warm, respectful, and strong relationships with our tamariki and whānau. Together, we collaborate with whānau to set aspirations and goals for their tamariki.

Tamariki are free to explore, be curious, and discover more about the world around them. We provide an enriching and inviting environment with provocations designed to inspire our tamariki. Self-help and self-care skills are further developed throughout their days at BestStart Papakura.

Each week, we do a book bag activity, where children take turns bringing home a book to share with their friends at mat time the following week. This promotes literacy, language development, and confidence in speaking in front of their peers.

Our local curriculum encompasses the values of love, kindness, and respect. These values matter and are reflected throughout our environment and in our curriculum.

Within our preschool space, we aim to nurture children into confident, competent, and independent learners, with the goal of equipping them well for school. By exploring their current interests and engaging in positive, meaningful interactions, we focus on communicating with whānau and preparing them for school.

"Set for School" is a programme we have recently introduced in this room, with daily learning experiences designed to support tamariki in their transition to school. From literacy and numeracy activities, handwriting practice, and taking home book bags with a chosen book for the week, to imaginative play in our family fantasy playroom and creative exploration in our construction area, children are encouraged to make their own decisions, experiment, and learn through play. Our approach celebrates individual uniqueness and embraces creativity.

We also incorporate cultural activities and celebrations that deepen our understanding of each child’s culture and identity, providing them with a space where they feel a strong sense of belonging. In the Kawakawa Room, our focus is on nurturing independence, self-management, organizing belongings, and strengthening social skills and communication. We believe in building strong, confident, and resilient children who are ready to explore their world, both at school and beyond.