Welcome to Waiapu Kids St Mary’s Family Centre
Waiapu Kids St Mary’s Family Centre is a community based, early childhood centre and service of Anglican Care Waiapu.
We provide quality care and education for up to 50 children in a mixed age group setting.
We value children’s play as the way in which they learn about the world around them. Different activities and opportunities are provided for children each day to extend their interests, develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills, and build self-confidence and creativity.
Our centre has separate rooms for over 3 and under 3, understanding that all children learn and develop at their own pace. The concepts of ‘tuakana – teina’ and ako are strongly valued at the centre. This is seen in the respectful and reciprocal relationships between teachers, our older tamariki, infants, and toddlers as they learn together and alongside each other in a safe environment, sharing knowledge and experiences.
Our Community
Our centre is situated next to St Mary’s Anglican Church.
We have a great relationship with our community and often take part in local events and visit the community. These strong links equip the children with a sense of belonging and identity as well as providing teachers with invaluable information and resources. Regular excursions give the children opportunities to take part in community events, visit St Mary’s Church, Bernadette House, the library, local park, and Bayfair.
Philosophy
All Waiapu Kids services incorporate the following philosophy into our practice and teaching:
Respect is at the heart of our teaching practice and is integrated daily in our curriculum. This is seen in our relationships with whānau, tamariki, our community, and our environment, and strengthened by our Christian values and teaching practice.
We promote children to learn and grow within a caring stable environment, incorporating Christian principles and the Anglican ethos of care, respect and equity.
Anglican Care Waiapu
We are part of Anglican Care Waiapu (ACW), an organisation delivering a range of social services throughout Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, and Hawke’s Bay. You can find out more about ACW here.