Learning through play – At Sunnynook Kindergarten our qualified and passionate teachers work alongside children, getting to know who they really are and what interests them.  With this knowledge we work to inspire, motivate and engage them in opportunities that support their continued growth and develop good attitudes towards learning.  Our curriculum fosters meaningful play, supporting children’s brain development, social competence, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Our great outdoors – Our large, spacious outdoor area provides children with lots of opportunities to move, grow and learn alongside their friends.  The extra-large sandpit and beautiful gardens support our young explorers to make discoveries through the natural environment.

Social and emotional skills – We place great importance on supporting children to develop their social and emotional skills.  Our kaiako are skilled in implementing the Incredible Years Teacher Programme which supports young children with self-regulation and their social, emotional and academic competence. While children are with us they have opportunities to make friends, share, negotiate, compromise, take turns, develop resilience and to self-regulate when needed – all skills required for life-long learning.  Our kindergarten is part of the Engage Programme – we play games every day based around emotional (feeling), cognitive (thinking) and behavioural (doing) skills to support children’s self-regulation.

Inclusive learning – We know that every child is unique and they are on their own learning journey.  We place great importance on working with families as we respond to each child in ways that have meaning to them and who they are.  We work hard to develop strong and trusting relationships with families, sharing knowledge and information so we can work together to support each child in their own way.

Ready for school – We have a strong connection with both Sunnynook and Target Road Primary Schools.  We work closely with them to ensure our children are well prepared for school and make the transition as smoothly as possible.  We regularly visit the schools and share information with children and whānau about the school experience. Our children become very familiar with school and feel confident to start the next stage of their learning journey when the time comes.

We welcome you to come and visit us – we would love to show you around our wonderful kindergarten!