Montessori at Otari Preschool and Playgroup

Last Friday, we were so happy to welcome our amazing dads (and father figures) into the preschool! Your tamariki loved sharing special activities, stories, and smiles with you.

Ngā mihi nui for taking the time to be part of their world at preschool, the laughter and memories made will be treasured by your tamariki forever.

Ngā mihi me te aroha nui mō te Rā o Pāpā!

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Dumpling Fundraiser! ❤️ Your orders and generosity help us continue to create fun and meaningful experiences for our tamariki.

A special shout-out to Oriental Cuisine Limited for supplying the most delicious dumplings, siu mai and xiao long baos, they were a huge hit with everyone! 🙌

We’re so lucky to have such a supportive community around us. Ngā mihi nui for helping make this fundraiser a success!

Get ready for a taste sensation! 🍴 We're excited to announce our Dumpling Fundraiser! This year, we're working towards replacing the clear light roof on our deck, creating a safe and awesome outdoor space for our tamariki 🌞.��We're thrilled to partner with Oriental Cuisine, a reputable supplier of high-quality dumplings to many New Zealand restaurants 🍜. You'll love the delicious options! 🤤�
To place your order, please fill out this form — https://tinyurl.com/MontessoriatOtariFundraising.
Alternatively, you can scan the QR code in the photo to access the form.

Orders and payments are due by 1 August 2025 📅.

We’re back! 🎉
Hope everyone had a restful and relaxing break!
Term 3 has officially started and we’re so excited seeing all our little ones back in the classroom!
Looking forward to another fun-filled term of learning, exploring, and growing together 🌱

That’s a Wrap on Term 2! 🍃

What a wonderful term it’s been! Our tamariki have spent the last few months learning, creating, and growing in so many beautiful ways, guided by the Montessori approach.

We also farewell some of our little graduates who have made the big move to primary school—ka rawe, we are so proud of you! 💫

We’re excited to welcome those joining us for the school holiday programme next week, and for those having a break, enjoy the holidays—we’ll see you in Term 3! 🌱

🌟 Celebrating Matariki 🌟

This week, our preschool has been buzzing with excitement as we celebrated Matariki, the Māori New Year — a time for reflection, gratitude, and new beginnings.

Throughout the week, the children have been engaging in a variety of activities to honour this special occasion. With little hands hard at work, they created beautiful Matariki-inspired crafts, learning about the stars and their meanings through art and kōrero. There was also lots of excitement in the kitchen as the tamariki baked star-shaped biscuits, representing the Matariki cluster in the wintry night sky.

A special thank you to the wonderful mums who joined us during the week to read Matariki-themed books to the children. Their stories helped bring the traditions of Matariki to life and made our celebrations even more meaningful.

Yesterday, we brought everything together with a beautiful act of manaakitanga (hospitality). The children worked together in the morning to prepare a warm and nourishing vegetable soup and the Rēwana bread, carefully chopping vegetables, measuring ingredients and kneading the dough with pride. In the afternoon, we welcomed our preschool whānau to share this soup and bread as part of a shared kai, creating a lovely moment of connection and community.

Matariki reminds us of the importance of coming together, remembering those who came before us, and looking forward with hope. We are so proud of our tamariki for embracing these values with such enthusiasm.

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori! ✨

We’re inviting everyone to our Open Day this Saturday, 14 June, to see our beautiful preschool, explore our learning environment and meet some of our dedicated team. Have a chat with us to learn more about the Montessori philosophy and how it advocates for the holistic development of children.

We hope to see you there!

Welcome back to our tamariki and their whanau! Hope everyone had a lovely and refreshing summer break - ready for the year ahead! We’re so excited seeing you back and we’re looking forward to another amazing year of learning and fun!