Kāinga Ora is committed to supporting the Ōwairaka community to grow and thrive. One of the most cherished community assets in the neighbourhood is the Ōwairaka Kindergarten, which was established 68 years ago. 

The word ‘kindergarten’, borrowed from the German language, means ‘children’s garden’. In the case of Ōwairaka Kindergarten, it’s an apt description. Head Teacher, Fiona Dennis says the kindergarten’s outdoor environment is one of its greatest assets. 

“The kindergarten is in a beautiful setting within a big garden with mature trees that give lovely shade in summer. The children have all sorts of areas to explore and plenty of room for running and climbing and sandpit play.” 

There’s a huge range of high quality resources available to children, both outside and within the kindergarten. The kindergarten is part of Ngā Tamariki Puāwai ō Tāmaki | Auckland Kindergarten Association, and is run on a not for profit basis so all of the funding received goes toward education for the children. 

“The kindergarten has a philosophy of play-based learning,” says Fiona. “The teachers work alongside the children helping them with their special interests and projects.” 

This allows teachers to facilitate learning through the choices children make. Children are encouraged to express their creativity through art materials, imaginative play, and outdoor play. The teachers incorporate rich language, early literacy and mathematical concepts into the day. The team embraces the cultural diversity in the Ōwairaka community and encourages children’s understanding of Māori and Pasifika cultures and languages. “We also have a focus on nurturing life skills in the children like perseverance, resilience and independence ,” says Fiona.

Fiona leads an established team of qualified, registered teachers. She herself has been at the kindergarten for over 20 years and the rest of her team have worked there for between five and 10 years, so they know the community well. 

“Both the children and their whānau make wonderful connections to other families in their neighbourhood. These friendships make the transition to school so much easier for the children,” says Fiona. Many of the children become students at Ōwairaka District School, right next door to the kindergarten, and move from kindy to school with their friends. 

Ōwairaka Kindergarten is accepting enrolments now for preschoolers aged from two years old. Your child can attend from two to five days a week between 8.30am and 12.30pm or 8.30am and 2.30pm, during term time. All children can get up to 20 hours of early childhood education (ECE) fully funded. 

Go to the website below to see a video of the inviting and engaging environment that the children enjoy. 

aka.org.nz/our-locations/Owairaka-Kindergarten

Please get in touch with Fiona to find out more;
Phone: 09 846 5476
Email: owairaka@aka.org.nz