Kaitiaki Kindergartens

Kaitiaki Kindergartens Kaitiaki Kindergartens Association is a group of 13 Kindergartens and 1 Early Learning Centre

“How was kindy?” “Good.” Here are five questions that open the door a little wider on how kindy was on the way home: 🥪 ...
28/08/2026

“How was kindy?” “Good.”

Here are five questions that open the door a little wider on how kindy was on the way home:

🥪 Who did you sit next to at kai time?
😄 What made you laugh today?
🎨 What did you build or make?
❓ Did anything not go how you thought it would?
🙌 What would you want to show me if I came into kindy?

We'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments. 💜

Term 3 is well underway, and we have a few spaces left across our kindergartens. If you have been wondering whether kind...
24/08/2026

Term 3 is well underway, and we have a few spaces left across our kindergartens. If you have been wondering whether kindy is the right next step for your tamaiti, come and spend a morning with us and see what it feels like.

Click the link in the comments to book a visit.

Junyi, the son of our Support Office HR Lead Lily, has grown up speaking multiple languages and added te reo Māori as hi...
20/08/2026

Junyi, the son of our Support Office HR Lead Lily, has grown up speaking multiple languages and added te reo Māori as his third language through his kindergarten experience. Supported by his whānau and kaiako, he developed the confidence to not only speak te reo Māori, but to lead with it.

Junyi's embrace of te reo Māori as his third language is more than an inspiring success story; it is a challenge to all of us. If a five-year-old can confidently stand in his identity, embrace te reo Māori, and lead others with courage, what does that ask of us as adults and educators?

Ngā mihi nui ki a kōrua, e Lily rāua ko Junyi. Ka mau te wehi!

Read more of Lily’s reflection on Junji’s kindergarten experience on our website. Link below.

When we invest in our people, our tamariki and whānau feel the benefit too. Laura, one of our kaiako at Parakai Kinderga...
17/08/2026

When we invest in our people, our tamariki and whānau feel the benefit too.

Laura, one of our kaiako at Parakai Kindergarten, spent 21 days on an Outward Bound Trust of New Zealand scholarship, sailing, tramping, camping and kayaking. She returned with a deeper understanding of herself, increased confidence in her ability to lead through uncertainty, and a renewed belief that growth often happens where comfort ends.

Laura's achievement, made possible through a scholarship from the New Horizons for Women Trust and an opportunity shared through the Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand network, highlights the value of investing in development beyond immediate roles. When our kaimahi are encouraged to learn, challenge themselves, and broaden their horizons, the impact extends far beyond the individual. As confidence, skills, and leadership capabilities grow, so too does our collective ability to support tamariki, whānau, and communities to thrive.

Read more about Laura’s time at Outbound on our website. Link below.

“People protect what they are connected to.” Our CEO, Tara Solomon, brought that line home from the Villars Institute Sy...
12/08/2026

“People protect what they are connected to.” Our CEO, Tara Solomon, brought that line home from the Villars Institute Symposium, a global gathering of 300 people working on planetary health education.

Listening to scientists, Indigenous leaders and young activists trace their values back to childhood experiences in nature, Tara was reminded why the early years carry so much weight and the value of kindergarten. If people protect what they are connected to, then kindergarten is where many of those first connections are made. Kaitiaki Kindergarten’s own efforts in this area were recognised at the symposium as one of ten global innovations in The Villars Institute Spotlight on Planetary Health Education, in partnership with HundrED.

Read more of Tara’s reflection on her time at the symposium below.

Last month we came together to celebrate our people at the Kaitiaki Kindergartens Association Matariki and Awards Night....
10/08/2026

Last month we came together to celebrate our people at the Kaitiaki Kindergartens Association Matariki and Awards Night.

The night shone a spotlight on the achievements, commitment, and service of our people, recognising milestones such as long service, academic achievement, volunteering, and excellence in teaching and leadership. It was a special opportunity to acknowledge those whose contributions have made a lasting impact on our organisation, our learners, and the communities we serve.

We were especially proud to celebrate Whangaparaoa Kindergarten, recipients of Te Tohu Whakaatinana Uaratanga – Bringing our Values to Life Award, in recognition of the way they consistently demonstrate our values through their passion, collaboration, and positive impact across our organisation and community.

Evenings like this are a chance to stop and acknowledge the mahi across our kindergartens and say thank you.

This is what Ngā Rākau o te Ngākau, our tree-planting kaupapa, is all about. “Nina absolutely loved the planting day. Sh...
06/08/2026

This is what Ngā Rākau o te Ngākau, our tree-planting kaupapa, is all about.

“Nina absolutely loved the planting day. She came home and just talked and sang non-stop until dinner time. The general theme of her songs and chatter was kindness to everyone, love and Papatūānuku. She really resonated with all the learning that happened. Thank you Oaktree teachers.”

Ngā mihi to Ella, Carlos and Nina for sharing. 🌱

Oaktree Kindergarten

As July, the month of Matariki, comes to a close, we have been reflecting on our past, present and future.Our first kind...
23/07/2026

As July, the month of Matariki, comes to a close, we have been reflecting on our past, present and future.

Our first kindergarten opened in 1954 as part of the East Coast Bays Free Kindergarten Association.

As our community grew, so did we, becoming known as the Northern Auckland Free Kindergarten Association, reflecting our wider reach and increasing number of kindergartens.

Today we carry the name Kaitiaki Kindergartens. The word kaitiaki means guardian or trustee.

In 2026, Torbay Kindergarten is one of 14 not-for-profit kindergartens in our network committed to equity, excellence, and holistic learning for all tamariki today and into the future.

Across our kindergartens that means play-based learning led by qualified kaiako, with a bicultural foundation and te reo Māori woven through the day.

Our commitment to being kaitiaki means empowering tamariki to be kaitiaki of our environment through the Enviroschools framework.

70 years on, the name has changed, but the kaupapa has not: to care for tamariki, their whānau and the world they are growing into.

Term 3 has begun, and we have a few spaces left across our kindergartens.If you have been thinking about kindy for your ...
20/07/2026

Term 3 has begun, and we have a few spaces left across our kindergartens.
If you have been thinking about kindy for your tamaiti, come and visit to see what a winter morning at a Kaitiaki kindergarten is like.

Click the link in our comments to book a visit.

16/07/2026

🌱 1,000 Trees. Hundreds of Hands. One Shared Future. 🌱

A heartfelt thank you to every whānau who has been part of Ngā Rākau o te Ngākau. Together, we’re well on our way to planting 1,000 native trees across our kindergarten communities.

Every tree planted is more than a seedling in the ground. It’s a promise to future generations. It’s tamariki learning to care for the whenua, discovering the wonder of nature, and seeing that even small actions can create lasting change.

Through our Enviroschools Aotearoa NZ journey we’ve watched children become curious scientists, passionate kaitiaki, and confident changemakers. Their learning doesn’t stop at the kindergarten gate, and neither should our commitment to environmental education.

As our tamariki transition to school, we hope they continue to have opportunities to connect with nature, learn through the environment, and develop the knowledge, skills and values needed to care for our world.

If you believe every child deserves the chance to grow up with environmental learning as part of their education, please add your voice by signing the petition in the comment below.

Ngā mihi to every whānau, kaiako, community partner and, most importantly, our incredible tamariki. Together we’re growing more than trees—we’re growing hope, belonging and a generation of kaitiaki.

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B1, 17 Corinthian Drive, Albany
Auckland

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