About our curriculum and Te Whāriki

Our curriculum is based on the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whāriki. Te Whāriki is Māori for ‘the woven mat’. It is underpinned by a vision for children who are competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body and spirit. Children who are secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society.

Te Whāriki’s 4 broad principles

Empowerment – children will be empowered to learn and grow

Holistic development – children learn and grow in a holistic way. Their intellectual, social, cultural, physical, emotional and spiritual learning is interwoven across all their experiences

Family, whānau and community – a child’s family, whānau and community are recognised as part of the learning experience

Relationships – children learn through positive relationships with people, places and things

5 learning strands

Te Whāriki’s 4 principles are interwoven with these 5 learning strands:

Mana Atua – well-being

Mana Tangata – contribution

Mana Whenua – belonging

Mana Reo – communication

Mana Aotūroa – exploration

What will your child learn?

Early Childhood Education (ECE) will support your child to develop into a positive, confident and capable individual, which will form a strong foundation for future learning. Your child will learn how to:

• form friendships

• play and explore

• be courageous and try new things

• ask questions and have a say

• meet people outside their whānau

• learn to relate well to other children in a group

• sing, dance and play games

• learn about words, numbers and how things work

• think and solve problems

• take turns, negotiate and share

• understand their own feelings and those of others

• learn about disagreements and how to manage these

• have conversations with children and adults

• begin to understand and make sense of the world around them

Storypark keeps you connected to your child’s learning

We all know it takes a community to raise a child. With Storypark, you can create your own online community to support your child’s learning. Teachers and parents can record and privately share children’s development through photos, videos, notes and audio. Now, a child’s learning environment can connect with their family in a way that’s instant and accessible, strengthening the parent/teacher relationship.

Respond to your child’s emerging interests

Teachers can document a child’s learning so they can respond to emerging interests and support specific outcomes. On a computer, tablet or smart phone, a child’s family is instantly connected to developments as they happen. Parents can follow on from the activities that occurred for their child earlier in the day, contributing their own comments and stories.

Deepen their learning

This rich, informative feedback loop helps extend each child’s interests and strengths revealing new opportunities to deepen their learning.

Connect with loved ones anywhere

Storypark is for everyone. Parents can invite loved ones anywhere in the world to connect and involve them in their child’s progress. Grandma can comment and share her own stories, even if she’s far away.

A record for life

Best of all, Storypark documents your child’s milestones, giving you and your child a record you both will cherish for ever.