Small Miracles Preschool St Heliers

04/09/2026

A very big thank you to Richard for taking time out of his very busy schedule to put up our shade sails. We truly appreciate your time, effort, and generosity.

Having our sun shades in place before the upcoming warmer weather is so important, as they will help protect our children from the harsh New Zealand sun. We are incredibly grateful for your help and support in making this happen. Thank you so much, Richard!

28/08/2026

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our wonderful Small Miracles families for supporting our Daffodil Day Fundraiser.

Sadly, cancer has touched the lives of many within our Small Miracles whānau, making this cause one that is close to our hearts. We are grateful for the incredible work of the Cancer Society and proud to support an organisation that provides hope, care, and assistance to so many people and families throughout New Zealand.

Supporting Daffodil Day reflects our philosophy of Manaakitanga, as we encourage our tamariki to show kindness, empathy, and care for others within their community. Through fundraising efforts like this, children learn that even small acts of generosity can make a meaningful difference.

Thanks to your generosity, we have raised over $1,200 so far, and donations are still coming in. As part of our fundraiser, we sold UV bucket hats, helping to reinforce an important sun safety message while supporting a worthy cause.

We would also like to give a special thank you to the lovely Caylie from Hi Honey Cakes, who generously donated delicious cupcakes that were enjoyed by our children and families and helped make the fundraiser even more special.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and community spirit. Together, we are helping to make a difference for those affected by cancer. 💛🌼

24/08/2026

Our tamariki absolutely love having our wonderful Minister Jordan join us to sing waiata, dance, and share in these special moments together. It’s such a beautiful way to strengthen the connections and links between our community centre, church, and preschool, bringing our whānau and community together through waiata, joy, and shared experiences.

18/08/2026

Our New Water Wall
Ngā mihi nui ki ngā whānau e whai ake nei
A big Thank you to our amazing families who gifted us this fabulous water wall and the Men's Shed who made and installed it.

09/08/2026

Little Explorers: Tools & Safety.
This term in our Little Explorers programme, tamariki have been learning about real tools and how they help us make, fix, join, flatten, and build.
We explored tools such as hammers, nails, irons, and glue guns, while learning important safety messages: tools are helpful, but they are not toys. With close kaiako support, children practised listening, waiting, using careful hands, and understanding that some tools can be hot, sharp, or heavy.
These experiences support children’s curiosity, confidence, language, problem-solving, and awareness of keeping themselves and others safe.
These real-life experiences help tamariki build practical skills while learning how to stay safe.

04/08/2026

At Small Miracles, our Little Explorer programme includes PMP, a Perceptual Motor Programme that uses fun, structured movement activities to support children’s development and school readiness. Our experienced kaiako work together to implement and adjust the programme accordingly, addressing the developmental stages of our tamariki. PMP helps children strengthen important foundation skills such as balance, coordination, body awareness, spatial awareness, focus, listening, confidence, self-regulation, and social interaction. These skills are important because they support how children move, concentrate, follow instructions, manage their bodies and emotions, and take part confidently in group learning. Through playful activities like balancing, crawling, jumping, throwing, catching, obstacle courses, and cooperative games, children are building the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social foundations they need for learning, play, independence, and a positive transition to school.

30/07/2026

03/07/2026

During our afternoon session on Thursday, kaumātua and members of our community joined us to share their knitting, crochet, needlepoint and woodwork skills. Tamariki watched closely as hands moved with care, rhythm and patience. We listened to stories, asked questions, felt different materials and noticed how wool, thread, fabric and wood could be transformed into something special. Together we celebrated the knowledge, creativity and aroha that our wider community brings to our preschool whānau. He pai ki a mātou te ako tahi.
We like learning together.
We watch. We listen. We make.
Matariki shines for aroha, connection and shared wisdom.

28/06/2026

On Friday, we explored the Matariki stars Tupuānuku and Tupuārangi.
Tupuānuku is the star that reminds us to appreciate all the food that grows in the ground. Together, we harvested kūmara from our garden and used it to make a delicious, warming kūmara soup. This hands-on experience helped tamariki connect with where our food comes from and the importance of caring for the whenua.
Tupuārangi is the star that celebrates the food that comes from above, including fruit, birds, and the skies. We picked fresh oranges from the trees and squeezed them to make refreshing orange juice. The tamariki enjoyed exploring the different tastes, textures, and smells as they prepared our shared kai.
To complete our Matariki feast, we also made tasty takakau bread. The children loved mixing, kneading, and sharing the bread together, celebrating the spirit of Matariki through food, gratitude, and connection.

19/06/2026

Today, our Little Explorers had a wonderful visit from Project Jonah. We learned about the differences between Māui dolphin, Common dolphin, Orca, and Blue whale, including just how big they are. We also learned what to do if we ever see a stranded whale and how we can help keep it safe while waiting for assistance. One of the highlights was taking turns pouring water over a life-sized dolphin using buckets, helping us understand how to care for marine mammals in need. Thank you, Project Jonah, for such a fun and educational experience!