Love Learning Laughter
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Behind the name
Over 200 hundred years ago, The Coromandel had large stands of great Kauri trees which stood out upon the bush laden hills. For Maori, the Kauri was Tapu and often held chiefly status. We have chosen this giant to be the model for our students at Kauri Learners to emulate: great things come from small seeds.
Grow tall, proud and strong
The Kauri is a prized and important tree in our area, and the word KAURI is an acronym for our expectations and stand for everything we aim to equip young learners with. They are also the behaviour expectations for Mercury Bay Area School which integrate perfectly with their next learning journey.
Grow tall, proud and strong
The Kauri is a prized and important tree in our area, and the word KAURI is an acronym for our expectations and stand for everything we aim to equip young learners with. They are also the behaviour expectations for Mercury Bay Area School which integrate perfectly with their next learning journey.
Our Philosophy
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Kauri Learners Philosophy
Kauri Learners provides our tamariki and whānau with a safe, nurturing, heart-centred, and homely environment. Tamariki form a sense of belonging by building close relationships with kaiako and peers. Our teaching practices are centred around the value we place on Whanaungatanga. We believe the relationships and trust that tamariki build with their kaiako provide the foundation for our tamariki to build upon their social, emotional, and learning skills. Our play-based learning environment has a focus on providing open ended resources that encourage tamariki to be resilient, creative, independent thinkers who problem solve and develop an agency over their own learning. Kauri Learners is guided by our Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki, with the aim of tamariki becoming confident, competent learners. This will be achieved by providing experiences that build on each of our tamariki strengths, interests, dispositions and whānau aspirations. We recognise our unique bicultural heritage is founded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and that Māori are respected as Tangata Whenua here in Aotearoa. Te Ao Māori is respected as tamariki experience an environment that is inclusive and empowering as they strengthen their identity. Kaiako work inclusively to ensure learning is not limited by age, ability, ethnicity, or background by encouraging tamariki to learn and build an understanding of the cultural diversity of their local community and wider world. We respect each of our whānau values, and beliefs ensuring they feel as though they have a place in our centre and a sense of belonging – Mana Whenua. Along with our tamariki, we respect and care for the natural resources in our community and wider world which is reflected in our environment here at Kauri Learners. Our beach Kindy programme that is held once a week at a local estuary enables our oldest tamariki to be emersed in nature and display Kaitiakitanga. Here at Kauri Learners we have three separate learning environments for our infants, toddlers and young tamariki that is specially designed to nurture, challenge and provide meaningful care. We are inspired by Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy where Kaiako respect tamariki and their ability to learn and develop naturally and give them ample opportunities to do so through a predictable environment. |
Our philosophy and teaching practice embodies and encompasses the principals and strands of our New Zealand Curriculum for Early Childhood - Te Whariki: He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna a Aotearoa (The strands of the Woven Web for the Children of New Zealand)
Empowerment: (Whakamana) Children will be empowered to learn and grow Holistic Development; (Kotahitanga) Children learn and grow in a holistic way. Their, intellectual, social, cultural, physical, emotional and spiritual learning is interwoven across all their experiences and our curriculum reflects the holistic way children learn. Family and Communtiy: (Whanau tangata) A childs family and community are recognized as part of the learning experience and the wider world of our families and comunity is a huge part of our curriculum and we encourage participation from family and community. Relationships: (Nga hononga) Children learn through positive relationships with people, places and things and we encourage the participation in meaningful relationships. "Children should grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind body and spirit. Secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make valued contribution to society." Te Whariki: He Whariki Matauranga mo nga Mokopuna a Aotearoa (1996) 
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"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul”
- Friedrich Frobel
