ISSUE 2
MAY 2010
Up with the Play
Jerry’s Retirement
After 11 years as Ruahine Kindergartens’ General
Manger, Jerry Tanguay is trading his briefcase for
a backpack and beginning retired life with a well
deserved holiday.
Jerry’s retirement marks the end of
an era for Ruahine Kindergartens, but
he leaves confident the association
is “well positioned for the future and
ready for fresh ideas”.
Before accepting the role of Ruahine
Kindergartens’ first general manager
in 1999, Jerry spent 32 years working
for Child Youth and Family (CYF).
His experience in management
and knowledge of children’s needs
has proven invaluable. Changes
he’s led have enhanced Ruahine
Kindergartens’ reputation as
providers of innovative, quality
early childhood education.
Jerry has been concerned with the
amount of teacher time spent on
administration and non-teaching
www.ruakind.org.nz
tasks. The introduction of 20
hours ECE allowed an increase in
teacher aide hours, provision of
administration support and reduction
of ratios from 15 to 10 children per
teacher without parents incurring
extra costs.
Under Jerry’s guidance, the
association developed a robust
performance appraisal system
and an ever-evolving best practice
document. Supported by a skilled
management team, Jerry has sought
a higher level of performance from
Ruahine Kindergartens and teachers
ensuring every child is inspired and
provided with the best possible start.
Bon voyage Jerry. All the best for your
upcoming adventures.
In this issue | Top Marks Theresa! | Budding Builders | Bicultural Development
Welcome to Up with the Play…
After 11 years, I am retiring from my position as Ruahine Kindergartens’
General Manager. Recently I’ve been reflecting on my time with the
association and the changes in early childhood education since
I came on board in 1999.
I have experienced many highlights
including Ruahine Kindergartens’
60th birthday celebrations in 2009,
changing signage to unite all member
kindergartens and create an easily
recognisable brand, being the first
association to achieve and maintain
tertiary level workplace safety
management practices over four
biannual audits and the consistently
positive ERO reviews achieved by the
association and its 25 kindergartens.
in a dispute resolution and mediation
course. As a trained mediator I have
developed an appreciation for the
skillful way in which teachers practice
mediation with children and encourage
them to use mediation techniques in
solving their own problems. Children at
Ruahine Kindergartens are nurtured to
become confident, competent learners.
They are open to learning and ready
for school because of the success they
experience at kindergarten.
Before accepting Ruahine
Kindergartens’ position I was unsure of
my next step career wise and enrolled
Kindergarten serves a vital function. It
prepares children for ongoing learning.
Parents can be assured children at
Ruahine Kindergartens are receiving
the best possible start. I am proud to
have led such a strong and innovative
association and look forward to keeping
up with future developments.
Kind Regards
Jerry Tanguay
General Manager
President’s Corner
This newsletter marks the end of an era for Ruahine Kindergartens
with the retirement of Jerry Tanguay from his position as general
manager after 11 years of service.
Throughout his time with us, Jerry
and hope to welcome the successful
office or visit our website for further
led changes to strengthen Ruahine
candidate aboard by July/August, 2010.
information on how you can become
Kindergartens’ reputation as providers
of quality, innovative early childhood
education and set the association in
good stead for the future. On behalf of
the Ruahine Kindergartens Governance
Board and myself I’d like to take this
opportunity to thank Jerry for all his hard
work. We wish you all the best for the
future Jerry, and the exciting adventures
that await you.
Discussion at recent board and council
meetings has centred on Ruahine
Kindergartens’ vision for the future.
involved in helping set the direction for
Ruahine Kindergartens going forward.
Kind Regards
To that end, we are looking to increase
community participation and involvement
across all levels of the association.
We need people who believe in the
right of children to access quality early
childhood education within a community
Sarah Johnston-Ellis
that supports and protects them.
Association President
We are currently in the process of
If you think this could be you, please
recruiting a new general manager
contact the Ruahine Kindergartens head
Top Marks Theresa!
Parent and community involvement is essential to
the functioning of Ruahine Kindergartens and, at this
year’s AGM in March, Theresa To’ia was presented
with an award recognising her contribution.
Theresa became part of the Linton
Kindergarten family in 2005 when
her eldest child started. In 2006 she
joined the kindergarten committee
and, apart from a brief time away
for the birth of her third child,
she was an active member of the
committee up until March 2009 when
she was elected to the Ruahine
Kindergartens Board of Governance.
Since joining the Linton Kindergarten
Committee in 2006, Theresa held
many positions including Grants
Officer, Maintenance Officer and
Chair Person. She, her husband and
her children have been enthusiastic
participants in kindergarten events
and activities and regulars at
working bees and fundraisers.
Achievements of particular
significance are the grants
process Theresa established and
the relationship she has been
instrumental in building between
Linton Kindergarten and the
New Zealand Army.
During her time as Grants
Officer, Theresa helped Linton
Kindergarten and the association
obtain valuable grants and created
a template and checklist making
the grants application process
straightforward with less room for
errors or omissions that could see
applications fail.
Theresa’s positive relationship with
colleagues in the army has also
proven invaluable. She has promoted
the kindergarten within the army
and wider Linton community. The
impact of this is evident in the
assistance Linton Kindergarten has
obtained from the army in terms of
manpower and equipment for tasks.
This relationship has been built on
and maintained by current committee
members and is a real asset.
Well-done Theresa. Your support and
contribution to Linton Kindergarten
and the Ruahine Kindergartens
association is appreciated.
We are currently looking for more
parents, whanau and community
members to become involved with
the Ruahine Kindergartens Board
of Governance and Council. For
further information on how you can
contribute to Ruahine Kindergartens
at any level of the association
please contact our head office or
have a chat with one of our friendly
teachers.
preparing
children for
school
and life long learning
Ruahine
Kindergartens
Above: Proud Mum - Theresa with her children Isabel, Richard and Selai
Linton Kindergarten the healthy choice!
Linton Kindergarten is a proud new recipient of the Heart Foundation’s Healthy Heart Award
for encouraging active lifestyles and teaching children responsibility in their food choices.
The Healthy Heart Award is a free of
charge programme encouraging early
childhood centres to promote healthy
eating and active movement to under
fives and their families. Once the award
has been received it must be maintained
to reach renewed award status.
Children at Linton Kindergarten have
been kept busy with obstacle courses,
hoops, beanbags and even a Family
Move-a-thon day where parents and
whanau came to support children
as they completed various physical
activities.
“It’s great to see the community
involvement and support for healthy
lifestyles at Linton Kindergarten”, says
Heart Foundation Health Promotion
Coordinator Kat Curnow. “It’s important
to teach young children healthy habits
that they will use throughout their lives.”
Shared and cultural lunches are
popular at the kindergarten, as are
cooking sessions where children
use the vegetables they grow in
their kindergarten garden to create
deliciously healthy dishes.
“Working on the Healthy Heart Award
over the past year has given us the
opportunity to acknowledge, recognise
and celebrate the importance we place
on active movement and healthy eating
at Linton Kindergarten”, says Head
Teacher Sherrie Gilberd.
Above: Alexi proudly displays
Linton’s Heathy Heart Award
Budding Builders
Children at Ashhurst Kindergarten are building
strong foundations for lifelong learning with their
new carpentry shed.
The carpentry shed, built with assistance
from a local builder, is equipped with Hi
Viz vests, goggles, earmuffs, engineers’
chalk, small screwdrivers and saws.
Families and members of the local
community have supported the project,
donating wood and building materials.
Ashhurst used to have a carpentry
trolley but broken wheels and clutter
led to the development of the new shed.
Now tools and equipment are clearly
displayed and accessible allowing
children to make choices.
The children love using all the new
building resources and sharing ideas
about what they could create using
wood, plastic and other materials
available. Boys and girls alike enjoy
dressing as real builders and learning
how to use tools safely.
“It’s about inspiring young minds
to be creative and inventive”, says
Head Teacher Jacqui Reid. “We see
great value in providing children with
opportunities incorporating resources
and materials used by professional men
and women in the workforce.”
Above: Leigh, Ariana and James hard at work
in Ashhurst’s new carpentry shed
Cars, planes, boats and houses are
proving popular building projects.
Teachers support children in following
building processes from planning
through to completion and love seeing
their faces beaming with pride at the
finished product.
Above: Ashhurst Kindergarten’s new
carpentry shed is equipped with
all the tools young builders need.
An
Abundance
of Apples
It’s an apple a day for
children at Awapuni
Kindergarten after
harvesting their crop
as participants in
Massey University’s
Rent-a-Tree programme.
Teachers Kim McCarthy and Chris
Hudson travelled to the Massey
orchard on a Thursday afternoon
to ward off hungry birds and begin
harvesting their healthy apple
crop. Three parents, two children
and a teenage daughter joined
teachers on Saturday 24 April
to help pick the rest.
The Rent-a-Tree scheme has
been operating for nine years
and, although fruit numbers
vary between seasons, yields
are typically upwards of 50kgs.
Awapuni are now selling apples
to families for $1.00 per bag of
approximately 25 apples to raise
funds for developing an ICT
area and to help cover the cost
of the tree.
Throughout the process children
have been learning about healthy
eating as well as where food
comes from. There are plans to
use the apples for baking and
children are currently enjoying
the apples as part of their
morning tea.
Above: Estah TeHore Kimura and her dad, Alex
Kimura demonstrate their apple picking skills.
Above: Manchester’s winning entry wowed judge Margaret Kouvelis
at the Manawatu Garden Festival earlier this month.
Cultivating Creativity
What is at the bottom of your garden? Several
Ruahine Kindergartens have been pondering this
question lately as part of the Manawatu Garden
Festival’s Schools’ Competition.
Answers ranged from fairies, creepy
crawlies and butterflies to windmills,
fruit trees and rainbows as children,
parents and teachers worked to
create colourful banners for display
at the festival held at Manfeild
Stadium, May 1st and 2nd.
Ashhurst and Manchester
Kindergarten looked beyond their
immediate gardens, incorporating
windmills and features of the wider
landscape. Children at Kelvin Grove
recreated the kiwiana themed mural
adorning their kindergarten fence
and entries from Feilding, Makino
and Hokowhitu Kindergartens were
very colourful and well thought out.
Ashhurst Kindergarten Head
Teacher Jacqui said the mural
was a “whole different process
for children used to painting on
A3 paper”. Children looked at
gardening magazines and photos
to gain inspiration and plan garden
designs. They experimented with
roller painting and sponge work and
used natural and other resources to
develop entries.
Judge Margaret Kouvelis described
the competition as difficult to judge
due to the “many well conceived
creative works that involved so many
children in thinking about what lies
at the bottom of their garden”.
Manchester Kindergarten were
awarded first prize for their creative
entry and Feilding Kindergarten
picked up third place. Both
kindergartens received Poppies
book vouchers and certificates.
All entrants can be very proud of
their efforts. It’s clear we have some
imaginative and artistic young minds
at Ruahine Kindergartens.
Above: Makino’s vibrant banner for the Manawatu
Garden Festival’s Schools’ Competition.
Bicultural Development
40 Ruahine Kindergartens teachers attended a two-day
Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop led by Unitec Associate
Professor of Early Childhood Education, Dr Jenny Ritchie,
over the term break.
The workshop, held at the Awapuni
Racecourse, focused on Te Tiriti o
Waitangi principles and how these
could be better incorporated into
kindergarten programmes. Prior to the
workshop, teachers were provided with
excerpts from New Zealand’s Te Wha- riki
early childhood curriculum relating to
the Treaty and asked to reflect upon
principles and practices with regard
to their own roles as professional
educators.
In addition to Dr Ritchie’s workshop,
Strengthening te tiriti based bicultural
practices is an area of focus for Ruahine
Kindergartens.
to develop our bicultural partnership
Tautawhi Ltd has been contracted to
help teachers develop their knowledge
of kaupapa Maori and build meaningful
relationships with Maori parents and
local iwi. Bicultural initiatives teachers
are currently involved in include Te Reo
classes, history tours and resource
making workshops.
The positive response from teachers
has been overwhelming as we work
and provide supportive learning
environments for all children.
Te Wha- riki Icons
Term Dates
Icons below newsletter articles indicate how play
and learning related to the strands of Te Wha-riki
permeate kindergarten activities. To learn more
about the Te Wha-riki curriculum visit our website
www.ruakind.org.nz
Term Two
Finishes Friday 2nd July
86 Sessions
Term Three
Starts Monday 19th July
Finishes Friday
24th September
WELL-BEING
EXPLORATION
The health and well-being
of the child is protected and
nurtured.
The child learns through
active exploration of his/her
environment.
CONTRIBUTION
BELONGING
Opportunities for learning are
equitable and each child’s
contribution is valued.
Children and their families
feel a sense of belonging.
80 Sessions
Term Four
COMMUNICATION
Starts Monday
11th October
Finishes Friday
17th December
78 Sessions
The languages and symbols
of the child’s own and other
cultures are promoted and
protected.
www.ruakind.org.nz
Ruahine Kindergarten Association
ph 06 357 8264
email [email protected] www.ruakind.org.nz