The AGM Edition 2023

CELEBRATING OUR WINNERS

WHĀNAU: Embracing Whānau and Connection

KIDSFIRST LADY MAY

The Lady May teaching team have long valued relationships with whānau and their community, and often invite families to contribute to the kindergarten programme in creative ways, especially those that enrich the space with a strong sense of te ao Māori. In 2021 and 2022, this work gained further momentum in partnership with tamariki, whānau, hapū, and the Māori community.

In the initiative recognised in this year’s awards, whānau were invited to create koru art designs that reflected the values they saw, heard, and felt each day at kindergarten. These were painted onto a large river rock, which tamariki touched to embed their mauri. New tamariki and whānau are now encouraged to do the same to feel a sense of ūkaipōtanga, and to add their own mauri to this special piece.

Building on this mahi, the team commissioned a whare for their Big Backyard with intimate involvement from whānau and tamariki at every stage of the process. A skilled whānau member carved a special piece that speaks to cultural locatedness, and explained the significance of its elements at a community blessing.

As well as the whānau and community engagement outcomes, the project brought many benefits, including tamariki Māori being involved in the project and becoming increasingly able to make connections between people, places, and things in their world, te waihanga hononga.

Culture, language and identity are important aspects of children’s lives, and a critical part of early childhood education, and they have always been core to the foundations of Kidsfirst Niu.

Over the COVID years, there was still a strong focus on Tongan language and culture, but other pressures meant attention was pulled in many other directions, too.

Recognising the need to refocus on those very critical areas saw renewed focus on bringing the threads of lea faka-Tonga (the Tongan language), and anga faka-Tonga (the Tongan culture), back to the forefront in every aspect of kindergarten life at Kidsfirst Niu. As a consequence, there has been a notable uplift in the sense of pride of all children at the kindergarten in its values, and its unique identity.

INSPIRING: A Bicultural Journey

KIDSFIRST ALEXANDRA

Enhancing the bicultural programme, practices, and pedagogy in the kindergarten was the focus for Kidsfirst Alexandra in a comprehensive initiative that has had long lasting impacts.

As a result of an intense focus in these areas, there were significant shifts in teaching practice for kaiako and learning outcomes for tamariki, and evolution of practices, understandings, and ways of being. The team strengthened the sense of whanaungatanga, tūhonotanga, and partnership with whānau Māori.

Kaiako took the time to learn from whānau about who they are, and what matters to them, including their pepeha, which in turn, kaiako shared. By being intentional about their actions, the cultural heritage of tamariki and whānau is now more visible, and alive in everyday kindergarten life.

Community ties have been strengthened – kaiako are now connected with others in the region through a kapa haka/waiata group, and the learnings have been shared across the Kidsfirst network.

INSPIRING HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ensuring inclusion for all

KIDSFIRST BUSH STREET

The entire environment, programme, and practices came under the spotlight at Kidsfirst Bush Street, to ensure the kindergarten is inclusive of all tamariki. Kaiako worked hard to focus on what could be done to support all children, and remove barriers to make the kindergarten accessible to all, especially those with additional needs.

As a result, barriers to participation and learning were removed, thanks to environmental adaptations, rituals to support the Positive Behavioural Support work they have been doing, and the implementation of a range of professional learning into everyday practice.

ENGAGED: With a Pacific heart

KIDSFIRST HOON HAY

Throughout 2022, the Kidsfirst Hoon Hay team took part in the research project, ‘Soso’o le fau ma le fau – Connect the fibre with another fibre: Supporting successful transition of Pacific tamaiti from early childhood education to school’.

Three local primary schools, and three other preschools were involved in the project, which led to the area of transition to school becoming the focus of the kindergarten’s Complex Internal Evaluation for 2022.

As a result, ties with local primary schools have been strengthened, with more regular school visits. The school environment is more visually reflective of Pacific cultures, and there is more familiarity with individual pese (songs) and lotu (religion).

The research project’s report recognised the strong sense of cultural identity, language, and culture in Kidsfirst Hoon Hay tamariki. Kaiako have listed to tamariki voices to better understand the perspectives of children around school transition, while the research has brought together the voices of tamariki, whānau, and kaiako.

And, the ako lives on, with the mahi continuing under new leadership when the Head Teacher moved to a position at another Kidsfirst kindergarten.

ENGAGED: This is our place

KIDSFIRST QUEENSPARK

Place-Based Learning has been the focus at Kidsfirst Queenspark for a number of years, starting with the local cultural narrative, moving into place-based inquiry, and then sharing kaiako and tamariki knowledge on a day-to-day basis.

The teaching team set out to discover more about their local area, and Christchurch as a whole – and to learn more from whānau, many of whom had generations of local history to share.

A pepeha, developed with tamariki and whānau, is now sung each day, and tamariki often take it home with them and share it with family and friends. Panels created by whānau based on collaborative tamariki art are on proud display near the area where the pepeha is performed, while regular local walks help build and sustain knowledge.

While the journey of understanding the place of kindergartens in their local communities is nothing new, the Queenspark team were recognised in this year’s Values Awards for the extra effort, and time they put into this project, and the use of their own talents and those of their community to develop the daily rituals to keep the learning alive.

PASSIONATE: Whakamanamana Every Day

KIDSFIRST FRANKTON

The team at Kidsfirst Frankton are passionate about bringing fun and joy to kindergarten life, and keeping tamariki at the centre of the programme – and this was recognised at the 2023 Values Awards.

Bringing uniqueness and the essential spark of joy to every day, kiakao continue to look for new ways to engage their tamariki, whānau, and community.

Whether they’re making dog-safe biscuits for their local furry friends, or inviting whānau to work alongside tamariki to create special paving stones, there’s a sense of excitement at the heart of the learning at this kindergarten.

PASSIONATE HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bringing NZSL to Life

KIDSFIRST BELFAST

Enthusiasm and playfulness are at the heart of efforts by Kidsfirst Belfast to better incorporate New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) into all aspects of kindergarten life.

In both te reo Māori and English, NZSL can now be found in assessment documentation, Educa posts, books and videos for new tamariki, their physical environment, and in the kindergarten’s community newsletter.

Bringing fun to this project meant light-hearted daily NZSL interactions with tamariki, supporting them to acknowledge and communicate emotions using NZSL, and incorporating it into mihi and karakia.

The learning hasn’t stopped at kindergarten, with children taking their newfound signing skills home, and gratitude from the family of a child with additional needs, who only uses NZSL at home, for recognising and promoting acceptance of the use of the language in the wider world.

In a recent survey, 94% of whānau reported that their child talked about, or used NZSL at home, and 100% agreed about the importance of having an awareness of it.

BOARD AWARD: Removing barriers and improving access

KIDSFIRST HARGEST CRESCENT

With accessibility at the forefront of everything they do, the team at Kidsfirst Hargest Crescent have worked for a number of years towards creating an inclusive kindergarten environment welcoming all types of learners.

The year-long project recognised at this year’s Values Awards was undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Education. It sought to increase the use of visual communication systems, and language facilitation strategies to help tamariki, including those with additional learning needs, or English as a second language, to express themselves alongside spoken language.

These new ways of communicating are now just part of everyday kindergarten life, and the team remains focused on sustaining the programme.