Meet our well established Newstead team of six years! Our centre consists of three learning environments, which work closely alongside one another in partnership, to form one cohesive team. Each learning space has specialist kaiako who are professionally developed in their age group of passion to ensure the best care and love for your tamariki.
Rangatira:
Newstead Management Team
Headed by Tracey and Daynah, the Rangatira are the guardians of the mana of Old MacDonald’s, the guides for our practice and the drive behind our child centered environment.
Backed by a management team with the heart, experience and passion for early childhood education, the Old MacDonald’s team are supported to remain reflective and forward thinking, striving to deliver the best possible care for your precious tamariki.
The Seedlings (Te Tipu):
Age 0-2
In the Seedlings room, we believe in a kind and respectful partnership between adult and child. We do this through tender care moments, naturally paced motor development, free movement and uninterrupted play. This belief is derived from our understanding of the first 1000 days. This is a research based understanding that highlights the importance of infants developing a sense of safety, attachment and trust. Through this sense of
belonging, children are able to build the pathways
of becoming life-long learners. To support this research, we implement a true primary care model. Primary care relationships, in which each whaanau has a special teacher who is the guide for their daily care moments, such as, bottle feeding, sleep rituals and nappy changing. This supports and continues to grow and strengthen the heart-centered partnership between kaiako and tamiti.
As child advocates, we promote free movement. We uphold the Pikler approach in which, we believe in providing enough space and possibilities to move freely. This will result in the children moving skillfully, simply, securely and naturally at their own pace and readiness.
The Shoots (Te wana):
Age 2-6
Striving to ensure the tamariki of Te Wanan feel heard, seen and loved the primary care philosophy of Old MacDonald’s is carried right through to our oldest tamariki. Honouring the gifts each child brings with them from their whānau and the learning experiences of those earlier years, the kaiako of Te Wana believe that this is a time of growth centred around exploring, navigating and mastering the three literacies. This concept is introduced by Pennie Brownlee as the “developmental unfolding of the child” where people literacy, eco literacy and cultural literacy are explored. As Kaiako in Te Wana, we are in the privileged position to scaffold and support these literacies to evolve within our tamariki. Social competency or people literacy is what we consider this to be the greatest indicator for ‘school readiness’. This might look like our tamariki practicing and working through conflict resolution, negotiation, empathy, asking for help, turn taking, standing up for oneself and seeing from another’s perspective. Play is where this happens, it is, as Pennie says, the “laboratory for experimenting with people skills”. This unfolds in meaningful, unhurried conversations with our tamariki, in role modelling respectful communication, encouraging conflict resolution, sometimes taking a step back and letting this unfold without Kaiako intervention. As the models for People Literacy, it is our Heart Intelligence that determines the climate for play. It is there, in that environment that we create with our hearts, that it becomes safe for experimentation to unfold and the foundations for formalised learning are created.
The Saplings (Te Maahuri):
Age 2-6
Striving to ensure the tamariki of Te Māhuri feel heard, seen and loved the primary care philosophy of Old MacDonald’s is carried right through to our oldest tamariki. Honouring the gifts each child brings with them from their whānau and the learning experiences of those earlier years, the kaiako of Te Māhuri believe that this is a time of growth centred around exploring, navigating and mastering the three literacies. This concept is introduced by Pennie Brownlee as the “developmental unfolding of the child” where people literacy, eco literacy and cultural literacy are explored.
As Kaiako in Te Mahuri we are in the privileged position to scaffold and support these literacies to evolve within our tamariki. Social competency or people literacy is what we consider this to be the greatest indicator for ‘school readiness’. This might look like our tamariki practicing and working through conflict resolution, negotiation, empathy, asking for help, turn taking, standing up for oneself and seeing from another’s perspective. Play is where this happens, it is, as Pennie says, the “laboratory for experimenting with people skills”. This unfolds in meaningful, unhurried conversations with our tamariki, in role modelling respectful communication, encouraging conflict resolution, sometimes taking a step back and letting this unfold without Kaiako intervention.
As the models for People Literacy, it is our Heart Intelligence that determines the climate for play. It is there, in that environment that we create with our
hearts, that it becomes safe for experimentation to
unfold and the foundations for formalised learning are created.
Taupua:
to support
Old MacDonald's wouldn't be the same without the help and guidance of our amazing, heart-led humans, who support our Tamariki and Kaiako every way possible. Bringing a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise to our team we are able to better support our tamariki to have access to a responsive and engaging environment.
With the addition of optional swimming lessons, horse riding and the behind the scenes work keeping us warm, fed and watered the kaiako are able to thrive in their teaching element
and focus on delivering the best learning opportunities
possible.