Parent Info

Kindy Cottage welcomes families from all over the North Shore, including:  Albany, Browns Bay, Mairangi Bay, Murrays Bay, Rothesay Bay, Torbay as well as the suburbs of Pine Hill, Sunnynook, Rosedale, Unsworth Heights and Windsor Park.

Our early learning centre is licensed for 38 children and is open from 7.30am to 5.30pm, all year round except for statutory holidays and weekends. Children can attend for full days or short day. Children attend at least three days a week, and our fees are dependent on the days attended and the ages of your children.

We provide nutritious meals including healthy morning, lunch and afternoon tea.

Curriculum

Te Whāriki, the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum guides and inspires our work. Your child’s innate ability to learn will be sensitively supported by our uniquely qualified and highly experienced staff.

Our daily program focuses on building social and emotional skills through play-based activities, physical development through movement and exercise, and creativity by incorporating the arts and music.

We value each child as a unique and special person whose choices help to guide the course of our daily programme, such as:

• music and movement

• carpentry

• art and crafts

• pottery experience

• gardening

• loose part play

Healthy and fresh meals for our children

At Kindy Cottage, we understand that proper nutrition plays a crucial role in a child’s development and wellbeing. That’s why we are committed to providing healthy, delicious meals for our tamariki, with a focus on using seasonal and high-quality ingredients to create balanced and nourishing dishes. Our onsite meals include morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea, all lovingly prepared by our experienced cook, Raquel.

Raquel brings years of culinary expertise and a true passion for food to the centre, ensuring that every meal is both nutritious and full of flavour. She takes great care in selecting fresh ingredients that support the health and growth of our tamariki, with a keen eye on seasonality to ensure meals are made with the best produce available.

Our goal is to provide a warm, welcoming environment where tamariki feel nourished and cared for, making Kindy Cottage a place that truly feels like a home away from home.

FAQ’s

• What are the hours of operation for the centre?

  Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

• What session options are offered?

  We have several session options:

  Full time - 7:30am to 5:30pm

  A 7-hour day 9:00am-4:00pm

• Does Kindy Cottage close at anytime during the year?

  No, Kindy Cottage is open throughout the year and is only closed on statutory days and weekends.

• How do I pay fees?

  Fees are paid weekly in advance by direct bank transfer. Fees are paid weekly for the sessions booked.

• Can my child bring a favourite personal toy?

  Kindy Cottage is well resourced for children's play and we ask that you do not send personal toys from home unless these are special comfort toys which are essential for sleeping or settling/ security needs.

• How many children is Kindy Cottage licensed for?

  The Ministry of Education has licensed Kindy Cottage for 38 children, 12 under 2 year olds and 26 over 2 year olds.

• How many children are in the Caterpillar Room?

  Typically there are 9-12 children in the Caterpillar Room.

• I have 2 children, one would be in the Caterpillar Room and the other is over 3 years, would the children see each other and spend time together during the day?

  Yes, while the two classrooms are separated by a low partition, Kindy Cottage is an open plan centre where siblings can spend time together during the day. The playground is shared and all teachers at the centre know all the children across all age groups.

• What ratio of teachers to children do you have at Kindy Cottage?

  We have a very favourable teacher to child ratio in the Caterpillar Room between 1:3 to 1:4, and in the Butterfly Room 1:6 to 1:8. Depending on the attendance.

• How do I find out what my child has been doing and learning at Kindy Cottage?

  We recognise the importance of communication with parents about their child, we do this through:

  daily communication book for each child in the Caterpillar room

  An overview of the days events are captured in our Daily Diary which are prepared for both our Caterpillars and Butterflies.

  child’s individual interests for the month are recorded on pin boards

  multiple learning stories and "snippets" each month are created and maintained in each child’s portfolio and also available online on a secure website

  parent/ teacher conversations at the start and end of each day

  parents can call during the day for any reason

• Do I provide nappies for my child?

  Yes, please provide nappies that are named along the fold. This ensures that your child receives the correct nappies that suit him/her.

• Do you offer a programme to help the transition between Kindy Cottage and primary school?

  Yes, Kindy Cottage runs a "Transition To School" Programme for 2-5 year olds, this helps prepare the child for transition into the New Entrant Class at school. Our programme is highly rated by local primary schools.