Kaitiaki Kindergartens

🌺 It is Vaiaso o le Gagana Sāmoa, Sāmoa Language Week this week.

🇼🇸 Sāmoan is the third most spoken language in Aotearoa. Try weaving a few Sāmoan 'upu (words) into your conversations this week.

⬇ If your aiga has Sāmoan words you use at home, we would love to see them in the comments.

🌿 Ka ako, ka tipu, ka puāwai ngātahi

We talk a lot about what tamariki learn at kindy. Our tamariki also teach our kaiako...

🐢 To slow down
🧪 That a tube can be 12 different things in one morning
🤝 That curiosity is contagious
❓ That the best questions don't have answers yet
🎨 That play is serious work

The best kaiako stay curious. Ngā mihi to the tamariki at our kindergartens who keep our kaiako learning every day. What do your tamariki teach you?

At Kaitiaki Kindergartens, we know that strong governance matters.

Recently, our Board came together for a Strategic Planning Day facilitated by LEAD Centre for Not for Profit Governance & Leadership, with the focus on the future of our organisation and the communities we serve. The day focused on identifying what matters most for tamariki, whānau, and kaimahi, refining strategic priorities, improving collaboration, and strengthening accountability measures.

Alongside this, our Board continues to grow its governance capability through professional learning with the Institute of Directors in New Zealand, ensuring we are not only responding to today’s challenges, but preparing thoughtfully for the future.

When governance is values-led, strategic, and courageous, it creates a ripple effect across an organisation. It strengthens decision-making, builds sustainability, and supports high-quality community-based early childhood education for generations to come.

We are proud to have a Board committed to leading with vision, integrity, and heart.

🌏 Te Whāriki is being recognised internationally as a world-leading early childhood curriculum, and our kaiako are being invited to share it beyond Aotearoa.

🇹🇭 Angela Fox and Pandy Hawke from our Support Office recently returned from a trip to Phetchaburi Rajabhat University Demonstration Kindergarten in Thailand, where the team has begun adopting Te Whāriki within their campus centre.

🤝 Following their visit to our kindergartens last year, the team in Phetchaburi was so impressed by what they saw that they invited Kaitiaki to support them in shaping and strengthening their own kindergarten. Their intention is to integrate a play-based approach and regulatory frameworks that align with international standards.

During the visit, Angela and Pandy met with the Governor of Phetchaburi and the University President, both of whom expressed strong support for Te Whāriki as a world-leading curriculum.

Reflecting on the trip, Angela and Pandy said:

"Our role was to help them understand not just what we do in Aotearoa, but why we do it. We talked through the importance of child-led, play-based learning, holistic development, responsive relationships, and the central place of culture in teaching and learning. Te Whāriki is not simply a programme to be implemented, but a way of thinking and being that grows over time."

Alongside the work, we experienced the warmth and hospitality of Thailand. We felt incredibly welcomed by the people we met, and it was a memorable and rewarding experience, both professionally and personally."

🌸 Behind every play-based learning moment is a kaiako who has chosen to keep learning themselves.

🎌 This month, we’re proud to spotlight Rachel Harrison, one of our kaiako at Albany Kindergarten, who recently returned from a professional development trip to Japan, where she visited Pioneer Kids centres.

🏫 Pioneer Kids has been sending teachers to Albany Kindergarten to learn from our kaiako for almost five years, making this a special opportunity to strengthen that connection.

💭 Reflecting on her visit, Rachel shared:

“Personally, I was humbled by how memorable the visits to Albany Kindergarten have been for the Pioneer Kids teachers. They had all heard of ‘Teacher Rachel’ from previous visiting teachers and spoke warmly about their experiences. Some teachers also follow our social media pages and commented on how useful these have been for their own practice.

Professionally, I was amazed at how they are implementing Te Whāriki in their daily teaching practice. Some of their learning spaces looked very similar to ours and reminded me of Albany Kindergarten. During the week, I had the opportunity to consult with the Chairman (Shinichi Miyatake) and Director (Takako Miyatake), sharing my thoughts and ideas about their centre spaces.

They also held a three-hour session where I answered questions from a group of teachers, including head teachers and selected teachers from across their nine centres. Throughout the week, I was deeply engaged in professional discussions about teaching, reflecting on my own experiences and practice.”

Happy Earth Day! 🌍

Today is Earth Day, a perfect time to talk about one of our core values at Kaitiaki Kindergartens: Kaitiakitanga (guardianship)

For our tamariki, learning to be kaitiaki of te taiao (the environment) happens in the everyday moments.

Whether it’s planting seeds in the māra (garden), learning to compost our fruit scraps, or gently returning a worm to the soil, we are teaching our little ones to care for Papatūānuku (Earth Mother).

When children learn to love and respect nature early on, they carry those values for life.

How are you and your whānau connecting with nature this Earth Day? 🐛🍃

📣 Today we’re in the global spotlight!

🌿 Our Ripples of Kaitiakitanga: an Enviroschools Approach is being featured on the front page of the HundrED website today as part of their Global Collection 2026

💯 HundrED highlights just 100 education innovations from around the world, and we’re incredibly proud to see this kaupapa representing Aotearoa New Zealand on a global stage.

🌀This spotlight celebrates the collective mahi of our kindergartens, tamariki, kaiako, and communities and the powerful ripples created when learning is grounded in kaitiakitanga.

👀 Take a look at the feature (link in the comments) and help us share the story.

School holidays tip from our kaiako: you do not need new toys to keep tamariki engaged. 🌱

Some of the best learning happens when we combine nature with things already around the house. Our kaiako recommend setting up a 'loose parts' exploration.

Give your child: sticks, shells or stones + cardboard tubes, old fabric or clean containers. Then step back and watch them build, sort and create.

It builds imagination, problem-solving skills, and teaches tamariki that items can have more than one life. ♻️

Let us know if you try it! 👇