Mary Richmond Kindergarten

At Mary Richmond Kindergarten we are committed to providing a warm and welcoming environment for all children and family/whanau. We offer wonderful educational opportunities for forty children aged two years and over each day, as well as providing six hour sessions four times a week for the twenty oldest children attending kindergarten.

Mary Richmond Philosophy:
At Mary Richmond Kindergarten your children will experience a warm and safe environment where they will be nurtured, feel happy and encouraged. They will have opportunities to explore, experience and create, know that they are valued and develop a positive sense of self.

We feel it is essential to warmly welcome and include family/whanau/caregivers to build and support a shared relationship between home and kindergarten as we believe you are an important part of this journey.

Our Favourite 2009 ERO Comment:
'Teachers warmly welcome children and their families.  Responsive, reciprocal relationships are developing with parents and whânau. Staff share children’s learning and development with parents through daily conversations and individual portfolios.  These positive links with families promote children’s sense of belonging.'

View full 2009 ERO report here.

Our Kindergarten is featured in the ERO Review Report on Success for Maori Children in Early Childhood Services (May 2010). View the report here

Meet The Staff:
Left to Right: Linaire McGregor, Liz Schimanski, Kathleen Graham, Tabatha Pryce

Testimonial:
“Olivah has been attending Mary Richmond kindergarten since 2008. From the first moment I walked into the kindergarten the lovely ladies have done everything they can to help Olivah grow and be the little boy he has become. Ollie needed to have speech lessons outside of kindergarten time, when the ladies were informed they were very helpful in wanting to learn and listen to what Ollie was doing and his hand signals (cued articulation). He and everyone had to learn to help Ollie with his speech the ladies took time out during their own time. Ollie loves it here so much he had loads of fun he has never come home and said he hasn’t had a good day. Mary Richmond has so much to offer for the children, so much to do each and every day. Ollie is now five and will be leaving Mary Richmond Kindergarten and I know he will miss this place with all his heart.” Sharlene Needham (Parent, November 2009)