Ask any of our tamariki what day it is and you’ll most likely get an answer with “it’s hummus day” or “It’s soup day.” In fact all our days of our kindergarten week are signified by a lunch meal. It gives children a connection to their day that is sensory, they arrive and smell the rice cooking, or bread rolls baking. It’s deeply nourishing and we aim to provide children with wholesome, organic or bio-dynamic food from a vegetarian menu.

Choosing a kindergarten for your child can seem overwhelming if it’s your first time exploring education outside your family home. We often get asked by parents “how do we know that the time is right for our child to start kindergarten?” or “how will we know which is the right choice for us?” Let’s share our thoughts on the first question, timing.  At Four Seasons we are licenced for 30 tamariki, aged 2 years -6 years daily. We try to keep our daily roll at a maximum of 28 tamariki, taking into consideration the overall needs of the group of tamariki we have with us, along with the needs of the families in our community.

Kaiako (teachers) are integral to our kindergarten. Knowing a little more about who it is that you entrust your tamariki with is important. You’ll find articles on each of our team in a little more depth, on our blog, and here’s an introduction to how our kaiako work as a team.

The journey to the Four Seasons Kindergarten began in 1990 when April Smith, (who still volunteers in the kindergarten today) began to run playgroup sessions, based on the principles of Rudolf Steiner education, in her home. It was called ‘Springwood Playgroup’. April continued to run 3 sessions a week for up to 8 children for several years. In 1994 it became a community run playgroup, run by parents, and the name changed to ‘Lifeways Playgroup’ and continued up until 2003 then going into recess. Some years later, Fenella Tinworth, having been nurtured herself through Steiner education right up until her tertiary studies, decided that she too wanted a Steiner approach to educating her children. The Four Seasons Playgroup was reformed and it was here that a group of mothers decided that a Rudolf Steiner kindergarten would be established in Taupo.

Did you know that there is a Rudolf Steiner Playgroup for the younger child in Taupo? It’s held upstairs in the kindy house on a Monday morning and on a Tuesday when the older kindergarten children are off on Bush Kindy adventures, playgroup makes use of the space downstairs. This is a lovely opportunity for Mum’s, Dad’s, Grandparent’s and Littlies to gather in the Kindy house and share a relaxed friendly time together.

Over the last couple of years we have hosted a talk; the Overwhelm of Boys, by Kim John Payne from Simplicity Parenting. The first time we held this evening, we could hardly believe it when we ran out of space in our kindergarten to fit everyone in. If you are keen to learn more about how we see boys and how to best love and nurture them, let us know. We’d be only too happy to host another screening of this talk.

Trusting someone outside the family home to nurture, love, educate and contribute the the wellbeing of your child is task we honour deeply. We believe that a partnership between home and kindergarten establishes a solid foundation for children’s learning and when the partnership is strong, this provides the best outcomes for children and families.

Ko Fenella taku ingoa. Ko Waitakere taku maunga, ko Manukau taku moana. Hello I am Fenella, youngest of six children, and now mother to two wonderful children and wife to my supportive husband!