Greenlane Pre-School is open from 7.30am - 5:30pm Monday to Friday. A wide range of activities are set up throughout the day to extend your child's learning. The centre's curriculum is based on ‘Te Whariki’ the early childhood document. TeWhariki is based on four principles: Empowerment, Holistic Development, Family and Community, Relationships.
At 9.15am we have a qualified primary school teacher who comes in and takes a fun lesson for the children to learn all their pre-reading, writing and mathematics skills. This class is designed for children 4 + years and will support them in their transition to school. Primary Schools believe that between 9am - 10am is the “hour of power” which is why we run these classes in the morning which also gets them into a familiar routine the same as school.
At 10.30am we have morning tea; fruit from the fruit bowl is cut up and shared. We have mat time at 10:40am which is specifically designed for children under 4 where we will have stories, songs, movement and dancing, puppets, storytelling or sharing news from home. This allows children to feel they have a place at Greenlane Child Care, that they are valued as an individual, and that their contribution is important. The 4 year olds have their morning tea separately and then have free play encouraging independence, problem solving and social skills.
Lunch is at 12 noon and children are encouraged to bring a healthy lunch box. From 12.30pm a quiet place is available for the children who need a rest. Those that don't sleep have a space where they can read, do puzzles or different educational activities.
We also run another session for 4 year olds at this time which supports their writing skills and for the younger children, we run activities that help with their pincer grip, recognition of letters and number sorting, matching, counting and team work. We have two other mat times during the day at 11.45am and 3.30pm and the children are provided a healthy snack at 3.45pm to enjoy. We sit as a family and eat together and share stories from our day. We call this “four o'clockers” which is a highlight of the day.
We require your child to bring a bag from home containing a change of clothes, nappies if required, and a piece of fruit for the fruit bowl. No yoghurts please, drinks throughout the day are freely available from the water cooler.
If you wish, the centre will celebrate your child's birthday, let us know, and bring a cake (big enough for 30 children) and a bag of chips. We'll do the rest!
Remember, our teachers are always available to talk about any queries or concerns you may have about your child's development.