Home Based Childcare Environment With a Focus on Growth

Our philosophy is to provide a warm, caring and safe home based style childcare environment in which children of all backgrounds and nationalities can strengthen and build their skills and interests while helping us recognise the areas in which we too can develop. We work in collaboration with parents and whanau to strengthen our children's learning and development. By building and maintaining productive relationships with parents and whanau, we combine home and centre practices and values. Children learn through play and are supported by teachers who are tuned in to each child's interests building on their strengths through providing provocations in our environment that encourage their innate curiosity to learn to blossom. In short we aim to spark each and every child to develop an absolute love of learning. We also value our children's knowledge as the true experts about themselves and respect the opportunity to learn about each child that attends this centre. Our practice reflects the Te Whāriki curriculum's five strands: well-being, belonging, contribution, communication and exploration. Much like the Te Whāriki curriculum weaving their strands together, our centre Teaching Philosophy | Values are an eclectic mix woven together with educational theorists and and real life inspiring figures who help shape and support the holistic care we provide. Nurturing both the educational and learning aspects through our pedagogical philosophy, paired alongside our other inspirations is what we believe rounds us out and helps us stand out. Our aim for each child who leaves Shooting Stars is to take with them wonderful memories of a happy environment filled with fun, laughter and magical learning. We want children to be confident risk takers willing to give a try at anything. 

Pedagogy at Shooting Stars is guided by the likes of Magda Gerber, Emmi Pikler, Rudolf Steiner, Carol Dweck and Louise Hay. We embrace a growth mindset both as kaiako and with children. We acknowledge some things take time to master and talk of the power of 'Not yet' vs 'I can't'. Children learn to persevere and focus on goals they wish to achieve and we empower children from very young to think about goals their teachers can help them with. We also meet together with parents for 'tamaiti meetings' and hear your goals and aspirations for your child, as well. Louise Hay guides our self-esteem building with children. 

Teaching Philosophy | Values at Shooting Stars are the strong foundation for our fantastic curriculum building approaches and are integrated thoughtfully for all childrens unique pace, age and stage.