Ashburton Kindergarten Association

07/09/2026

🐀 Meet Rodney the Rat! ❤️

There’s a very cheeky little character causing quite a stir at Thomas Street Kindergarten!

Rodney the Rat first appeared hiding in a story bag and has quickly become a much-loved part of the kindergarten whānau. From helping himself to cheese and sneaking into the worm farm, to heading off on adventures outside of kindergarten, Rodney certainly keeps the tamariki guessing! 😂

What started as a bit of fun has become a wonderful early literacy experience, with Rodney encouraging tamariki to talk, listen, imagine, predict, recall and retell as they share their ideas about where he has been and what he might get up to next.

We wonder… do the tamariki go home and tell their whānau about Rodney? 👀

We love seeing how a little bit of imagination and playful storytelling can create such meaningful learning experiences. ❤️

Keep your eyes peeled, whānau… because when Rodney is around, you just never know what he’ll get up to next! 🐀

https://ashburtonkindergartens.org.nz/

04/09/2026

We’re thrilled to announce the appointment of Hannah Cartmell Wise as the new General Manager of Ashburton Kindergartens.

Please join us in welcoming Hannah when she starts the role on 2nd November 👏🏻

🌟 Exciting news for Ashburton Kindergarten Association! 🌟

The New Zealand Kindergartens Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Hannah Cartmell-Wise as General Manager of Ashburton Kindergarten Association, effective from Monday, 2 November 2026.

Hannah brings 17 years of experience in early childhood education, together with strong strategic leadership, people management, communication and relationship-building skills. She is a collaborative and future-focused leader who is committed to working alongside others, building strong teams and creating positive outcomes for Tamariki, whānau and communities.

We are excited about the energy, capability and fresh perspective Hannah will bring to Ashburton Kindergarten Association and look forward to supporting her as she gets to know the Association, its Kindergartens, people and wider community.

Congratulations Hannah — we are delighted to welcome you to the New Zealand Kindergartens whānau and look forward to the journey ahead! 🌱

03/09/2026

🚒 A Special Visit from Fire and Emergency New Zealand! 🚒

On Tuesday, Aubrey Mason Kindergarten were lucky to have a special visit from Matt Harrison, Community Advisor from Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

The tamariki had a great time learning all about the important role of a firefighter, what they wear and how they help to keep our community safe. They also had lots of questions to ask Matt and enjoyed finding out more about what firefighters do! 👨‍🚒

We love giving our tamariki opportunities like this to connect with people and experiences from our wider community. These real-life experiences encourage tamariki to be curious, ask questions, share their ideas and build confidence as they learn about the world around them.

A huge thank you to Matt for taking the time to visit us and share your knowledge with our tamariki! ❤️

01/09/2026

Yep, you read that right… ZERO FEES 💚*

Your child can attend one of our five Ashburton Kindergartens for FREE!*

That means no standard attendance fees*, while your child enjoys high-quality early childhood education with 100% qualified kaiako, amazing learning environments and plenty of room to play, explore and grow.

Discover your local kindergarten and enquire today:

ashburtonkindergartens.org.nz

*Eligibility and T&Cs apply.

25/08/2026

Our Tongan Language Week celebrations have continued at Merle Leask & Thomas Street Kindergarten, with our tamariki enjoying lots of opportunities to explore Tongan language, culture, art and traditions.

There has been plenty of creativity throughout the week, with tamariki making tekiteki, painting the Tongan flag and learning about some of the traditions and foods of Tonga.

One of the highlights was making ‘Otai – a refreshing Tongan fruit drink made with mango, crushed pineapple, coconut milk and grated apple. 🥭🍍🥥🍎 The tamariki loved being involved in preparing and tasting something new together!

We’ve also enjoyed plenty of singing, dancing and movement, finishing the week with a wonderful Tongan dress-up day and parade. ❤️💃🏽

It has been lovely seeing our tamariki embrace the opportunity to learn about and celebrate Tongan culture, while recognising and appreciating the many different languages and cultures that are part of our Ashburton community. 🌏✨

Mālō ‘aupito to our whānau and community for helping make our Tongan Language Week celebrations so special! ❤️

24/08/2026

🌿 30 HOURS FREE ECE – INCLUDING 2 YEAR OLDS!

🌿2 kindergartens are open more weeks of the year!

🌿Spaces available now at Aubrey Mason (Tinwald) & Merle Leask (Netherby)

We have five local kindergartens across Ashburton, providing welcoming environments where tamariki can play, learn, belong and grow 🌱

🌐 Find out more and enquire now at www.ashburtonkindergartens.nz

20/08/2026

🌈 What a wonderful first Monthly Playgroup! 💚💙💛

A huge thank you to the Ashburton Toy Library for hosting us, and to all the tamariki and whānau who joined us this morning. It was lovely to see everyone playing, connecting, learning and enjoying a morning together. 🧸✨

We are so grateful for the wonderful community connections made and can’t wait to do it all again!

📅 Next playgroup: Thursday 17 September
⏰ 10:00–11:00am
📍 Ashburton Toy Library

We would love to see you there! 💚

19/08/2026

🌿 Exploring the Māori Atua Panels at Allenton Kindergarten! 🌿

The tamariki at Allenton Kindergarten continue to be captivated by the atua panels in the outdoor space. Their curiosity has sparked ongoing conversations about the different atua, their meanings, and the knowledge connected to them. 🌱

Alongside the panels, ngā tamariki have been exploring the Ngā Atua book lovingly created by our kaiako Kara. These resources are providing opportunities for tamariki to confidently lead their own learning, share their knowledge, ask questions and learn alongside one another.

They have been:

👀 Titiro – looking closely and noticing the details of each atua

💬 Kōrero – asking questions, sharing ideas and talking about what they know

💭 Whakaaro – thinking, making connections and developing their understanding

🤝 Mahi tahi – working together, sharing knowledge and learning alongside their friends

This learning connects beautifully with Allenton Kindergarten’s curriculum priority of Rangatiratanga - supporting tamariki to be confident and capable leaders who direct their own learning, ask questions, share their knowledge and take ownership of their learning. 🎓

18/08/2026

🌺 Uike Katoanga’i ‘o e Lea Faka-Tonga | Tongan Language Week 🇹🇴

What a wonderful way to celebrate the beginning of Tongan Language Week!

On Monday, Merle Leask Kindergarten had the pleasure of welcoming students from Ashburton College and their kaiako, Whaea Marīe, to spend some special time with the tamariki.

The tamariki had so much fun connecting with the students, embracing culture and community, and especially enjoying a little jam to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the drums! 🥁✨

It was such a beautiful visit, filled with music, laughter, connection and the sharing of culture. We are so grateful for opportunities like these that allow our tamariki to celebrate and learn from the diverse cultures within our community. 🌏

Keep an eye out for more posts throughout the week as we continue celebrating culture, language and diversity at Merle Leask Kindergarten! ❤️

Mālō ‘aupito, Whaea Marīe and the Ashburton College students, for sharing your time, music and culture with us! 🇹🇴🥁

12/08/2026

Moving our bodies and being active are such important parts of the early years. Jumping gives tamariki opportunities to take reasonable risks, build confidence, develop balance and coordination, and learn to control their bodies. 🤸‍♀️

As they climb, jump, land and try again, they are developing physical skills, problem-solving abilities and a growing sense of what their bodies can do. 💪✨

It’s not just jumping… it’s learning through movement and play! ❤️

Find out more about kindy below ⬇️

https://ashburtonkindergartens.org.nz/