Kahikatea Kindergarten

Our kindergarten is a welcoming place, guided by our core values of kindness, respect, mindfulness, and resilience, a place where children are inspired to explore, discover, and develop a strong sense of who they are.

We provide a warm, caring, and nurturing environment where children have the time, space, and freedom to explore and learn at their own pace, independently or alongside others.

Set within our beautiful Enviroschools environment, children are encouraged to connect with nature, follow their interests, and grow through meaningful play and exploration.

We warmly invite you and your child to visit our kindergarten, meet our teaching team, and experience our learning environment in action.

With places becoming available, we would love the opportunity to show you around, answer your questions, and discuss how we can best support your child's learning journey in our spacious, well-resourced natural setting.

Visit us to find out more on: www.wmkindergartens.org.nz

Art appreciation supports early literacy development by encouraging children to communicate their ideas through symbols, drawings, abstract representations, and creative expression.

As children explore and create art, they develop an understanding of symbols and meaning, strengthen the fine motor skills needed for writing, and build vocabulary through discussion and storytelling about their work.

Engaging with art also promotes critical thinking, observation, and interpretation, helping children make connections between visual and written forms of communication.

By using drawing as an early form of expression, children gain confidence in sharing their ideas, laying a strong foundation for reading, writing, and overall literacy development. (Links to Te Whāriki – Communication/Mana Reo).

Recycling our kai scraps is a valued part of our daily routine and reflects our Enviroschools kaupapa by supporting sustainable practices. Through active participation, tamariki are learning that some food scraps are placed in our compost bins, while others are fed to our very special helpers – the tiger worms.

These amazing worms transform food scraps into worm castings (vermicast) and worm tea, which we use to nourish our māra. What a wonderful example of nature recycling!

As we gently lifted the lid of the wormery, we found the tiger worms busily feeding in the top layer while nutrient-rich vermicast had formed below. This sparked great excitement as tamariki shared their observations, asked thoughtful questions, and developed new understandings.

"Worms like bananas!"
"There are lots of worms."
"Big ones and little ones!"
"What is vermicast?"

Together, we removed the second and third layers of the wormery to explore the texture of the vermicast. Tamariki were fascinated to learn that vermicast is a natural fertiliser produced through the process of vermicomposting.

Using recycled milk bottles filled with worm tea, tamariki eagerly took responsibility for caring for our māra by feeding the soil, weeding, and nurturing our gardens.

Through these experiences, they demonstrated a growing sense of kaitiakitanga, responsibility, and pride in caring for the environment.

These hands-on experiences support the Exploration strand of Te Whāriki, as tamariki investigate, question, make discoveries, and develop working theories about the natural world.

This learning also reflects the Enviroschools principles of Empowered Learners, Sustainable Communities, and Learning for Sustainability, as tamariki build an understanding of how their actions contribute to the wellbeing of people, places, and the environment.

Our kindergarten community came together to celebrate Puanga and Matariki, marking the Māori New Year with a shared kai.

Thank you to all who brought along a special cultural dish from home. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the rich diversity within our community while sharing the flavours, traditions, and stories that make each whānau unique.

Our large kai table was filled with a delicious variety of foods, including Asian, Indian, South African and classic Kiwi favourites with fresh vegetables from our māra.

Sharing food together reflected the spirit of Puanga and Matariki, coming together to give thanks, celebrate the present, and strengthen our connections with one another. It also provided an opportunity for our tamariki to learn about different cultures while developing a deeper sense of belonging, respect, and appreciation for the diverse community we share.

Leading up to our shared kai, our tamariki enthusiastically helped prepare for the event by peeling and chopping vegetables, buttering and spreading toppings on pikelets, and getting everything ready to welcome our guests.

Through these experiences, they developed practical life skills, worked cooperatively with their peers, and took pride in contributing to a meaningful community celebration.

A heartfelt thank you to our community. Your presence made the celebration even more special, and we loved sharing this meaningful occasion together as we reflected on the values of Puanga and Matariki, reflection, remembrance, renewal and togetherness.

Whakanui i a Puanga me Matariki – Celebrating the Māori New Year together.

What a fantastic night we had at our Kahikatea Kindergarten Neon Disco fundraiser!

Even with Tāwhirimatea making his presence known outside, our kindergarten whānau came together for an evening full of colour, music, dancing, bubbles, smoke, laughter, and fun.

Our tamariki played an important part in bringing the event to life. They helped create visuals for the door, light sales table, and ice block stand, while also contributing their ideas, plans and helping choose music for the night.

Through this experience, tamariki were learning through creativity, literacy, collaboration, communication, decision-making, and contribution. They could see how their mahi helped create a special experience for our community.

A huge thank you to our amazing Support Working Group, who worked behind the scenes providing equipment, kai, resources, and support to help make the night such a success. Also to the teaching team for putting it all together.

It was wonderful to see so many families dressing up, joining in, visiting the photo frame booth, and showing off some awesome dance moves.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported our fundraiser, what a joyful evening of connection, creativity, and community spirit!

Celebrating Puanga
Puanga is the Māori name for the star Rigel. Here in Taranaki, Puanga is the whetū that signals the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It is a special time to reflect on the year that has passed, remember loved ones who are no longer with us, celebrate the present, and look forward with hope to the year ahead.
Our tamariki have been engaged in a range of meaningful learning experiences to celebrate the arrival of Puanga as the bright star appears in our winter night sky.
Learning has included embracing kapa haka, listening to pūrākau about Puanga and Matariki through pukapuka, exploring the significance of the Māori New Year through creative art experiences, and participating in harvesting and planting in our māra.

These rich learning opportunities have supported our tamariki to deepen their understanding of the cultural significance of Puanga while strengthening their knowledge of te ao Māori.

Through hands-on experiences, storytelling, and connection with the natural environment, our tamariki have explored the relationship between the stars, the changing seasons, the whenua, and our people. This learning fosters a strong sense of identity, belonging, and respect for the traditions and wisdom passed down by our tīpuna.

Ko Puanga te pae ārahi i ngā tohu o te tau hou i te pae ururangi

Puanga leads the celestial signs to herald the New Year

Kahikatea kindergarten is currently accepting enrolments for upcoming terms. Please visit our website at www.wmkindergartens.org.nz or email [email protected] for further information or to submit any enquiries.

ANZAC DAY 2026

On the 25th of April each year, we commemorate Anzac Day, a time to pause, reflect and remember those whose courage, resilience and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

This week, our kindergarten has been filled with meaningful learning as our tamariki explored the importance of Anzac Day.

From creating poppies and mini wreaths, to listening to ANZAC stories, hearing the last post, sharing discussions and baking traditional ANZAC biscuits, it has been a special and busy week.

To conclude our week, we created a large wreath to be taken to the dawn parade and laid in remembrance.

We are proud to support our tamariki in developing respect, understanding and a connection to those who came before us.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

🎉🎉Today is the day🎉🎉
Kindergarten Taranaki is now officially Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens!

These are exciting times ahead for our kindergartens, and for early childhood education in Taranaki.

The joining of our two associations will ensure the continuation and advocacy of high quality kindergarten education for tamariki in our region.

Parents and whānau, tamariki and staff in Taranaki will benefit from the support and resources provided by Whānau Manaaki – a large and long established kindergarten association.

You will notice that our kindergartens signs have changed to have the Whānau Manaaki branding on them, but we want to reassure you that your tamariki will continue to have the same caring Kaiako each day at kindergarten, and benefit from the same high-quality teaching and learning practises that you are used to.

If you have any questions, please have a chat with your Head Teacher.

https://wmkindergartens.org.nz
Kindergartens Aotearoa