Stanmore Bay Kindergarten

19/08/2026

What a beautiful Grandparents Morning at Kindergarten! 💕

We were so lucky to have grandies and great-grandies join us, as well as some very special “surrogate” grandies who stepped in for tamariki whose grandparents couldn’t make it or live overseas. 🥰

The joy, love and connection was truly alive and present throughout Kindergarten today. So many special moments were shared, memories made, and smiles all around.

Tummies full from our delicious morning tea and hearts even fuller from the love and laughter shared. 💚💛

Thank you to everyone who came along and made our morning so special! 🌿

14/08/2026

Enjoy watching these two beautiful videos of our much-loved Mr Frog 🐸💚
The first, from 2017, shows Mr Frog patiently waiting for the perfect moment to catch his fly. The second captures his beautiful send-off.
A little piece of history and a lovely reminder of the special place Mr Frog held in our hearts. 🐸✨

14/08/2026

It is with much sadness that today we said farewell to Mr Frog.

He had had a long 16 year life living here at our kindergarten and survived a tankfull of tadpoles that arrived with him from the ponds in Maygrove.

Mr Frog was an eager recipient of the many flies that dared to cross through our doorways and the many small flying creatures that we managed to capture for him. We all became experts in catching flies in the net and the tamariki were quick to identify flies eagerly anticipating the swoosh of the net.

Mr Frog managed to survive with the love and affection of our tamariki and kaiako - even without a tongue these past 8 or so years. He enjoyed many sleepovers at various kind tamariki and kaiako during the holiday breaks over the years, and Nic kindly made sure that his tank was always kept clean and tidy along with her interested helpers. We thank you all for loving him as we did.

The tamariki have been talking about his death in very matter of fact ways - suggesting we could simply buy a new one, or we can make him into a toy and magic him!

We ended up decorating a nice little recylable pot with some bug stickers and leaves, along with many lilypond leaves created by the tamariki. At the end of the day we took him down to D'Oyly stream and carefully set him off using our net, down the stream where the eels reside, and a place that we can remember him with love and fondness. RIP Mr Frog 🐸💚

As time goes on the children may think a little more deeply and want to share or discuss this topic with you.
Arohanui💚🌺💚
SBK Kaiako

12/08/2026

Kindness at Stanmore Bay Kindergarten 🌈
Kindness is something we celebrate and encourage every day at kindergarten. Our beautiful rainbow reminds us of all the little ways we can fill someone’s bucket — using kind words, including others, helping our friends, sharing and showing aroha. 🌈💕
Together, we’re creating a place where every tamaiti feels seen, valued, included and loved. He aroha, he whakatō, he aroha p**a mai — kindness given is kindness received.

30/07/2026

🌋 Volcano Science at Stanmore Bay Kindergarten! 🌋
Our tamariki worked together collaboratively to build their very own volcano! They made predictions about how high the eruption would go, with some guessing it would reach as high as the pōhutukawa tree. 🌳
We explored cold Coke vs warm Coke and discovered that the warm Coke went higher! The tamariki were busy predicting, observing, comparing and sharing their ideas.
We also wondered… if this is what happens when Mentos meet Coke in the sandpit, what kinds of reactions might be happening inside our tummies when we eat and drink? 🤔
A fun, hands-on way to explore science, cause and effect, and the power of our curious minds! 🔬✨
And of course, our kaiako have just as much fun exploring and experimenting as our tamariki do! 🌋😂

27/07/2026

Take a look around Stanmore Bay Kindergarten! 💚
Our video gives you a glimpse of the amazing spaces, experiences, and opportunities we offer every day. From our beautiful outdoor environment to engaging learning spaces, our kindy is a place where tamariki can explore, create, discover, and thrive.
If you're looking for a warm, welcoming kindergarten where your tamaiti learn through play and build confidence, we'd love to meet you!
✨ Enrolments are now open! Come and see what makes Stanmore Bay Kindergarten such a special place. Get in touch to book a visit – we can't wait to welcome your whānau.

18/07/2026

09/07/2026

How are you marking Matariki this year?

Today is Matariki, observed as a public holiday across Aotearoa.

Matariki carries three kaupapa. We remember those who have passed, we celebrate the present, and we look ahead to the year to come.

09/07/2026

This is a critical time for early childhood education. After months of upheaval and change in the sector, we now have another report proposing more changes, this time to funding.

The consultation document that forms part of the government’s review of ECE, being undertaken by the ministerial appointed funding review group, has been released.

Kindergartens Aotearoa is concerned that it ignores the fundamental issue: the level of funding is simply not enough, and it hasn't kept pace with rising costs.

The options presented mean shifting money around rather than increasing it, with teacher qualifications, pay and conditions treated as areas where trade-offs can be made. These factors are fundamental to high quality provision, and undermining them would be devastating for the over 180,000 babies, toddlers and young children attending teacher-led ECE services each day.

Read more of our response below.