On Friday 7th April, Kotiri Kindergarten will hold their Grand Re-opening following a comprehensive renovation of the building and playground.  Current, past and future families and the wider community are all welcome to mark this occasion alongside kindergarten and Auckland Kindergarten Association staff.

The event also observes a number of milestones including being open for 50 years, which has meant it has seen three generations of families through its’ doors. It also heralds the beginning of new hours of operation, from 18th April the kindergarten will be open from 8:30 am until 3:30 pm and closing only for the Christmas/New Year break, making it more accessible for families, particularly those with a school age child and a preschooler.

Another transformation will be a change of name from Kotiri Kindergarten to Papatoetoe North Kindergarten which better reflects the link to its closest primary school, of which it has a great relationship.

Head Teacher, Tracey Tamihere says, “We are very excited and proud to have a refreshed kindergarten to offer our community and continue our legacy of providing quality early childhood learning into the future.”

Kotiri Kindergarten History

This started life as a private kindergarten located in a church hall in Buckland Road, Mangere. In 1958, it had a roll of 46. The Department of Education approved a site for a free kindergarten in October 1958, but nothing came of the proposal. Another site was found in Hallberry Avenue in late 1961, and the following year the Mangere East Town Committee approved the leasing of the site to the AKA at a peppercorn rent of £1 per year.

The Kotiri Establishment Committee formed in August 1962, and by 1963 had raised the necessary money to proceed with building a kindergarten. There was some delay caused by the government’s ‘period of consolidation’ policy, but approval was given to proceed with a building in May 1964. Tenders were called twice, as the first set of bids were considered too high. Kotiri began operating in August 1966. The building was designed by architect Robert McGowan and built by Stan Ash Builders Ltd.746

In 1979, a pergola was added to the kindergarten building to increase the amount of sheltered play space available. Internal alterations were carried out in 1985 to the store, office and kitchen areas.748 Two years later, a fort was erected in the playground.

Improvements to upgrade and extend the building were carried out in the early-2000s. Kotiri Kindergarten celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006, and five years later the kindergarten extended its opening hours, moving from a sessional to a kindergarten day model.

History sourced from “For the children – a history of the Auckland Kindergarten Association, 1908-2016