Our Programme

Acorn Early Learning Centre is open:
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5.30pm

We offer two sessions:
8.30am – 3.30pm
7.30 – 5.30pm

We accept enrolments for children aged 6 months to five years.

Our programmes at Acorn Early Learning Centre are designed to be fun and stimulating and to provide your child with rich experiences in a safe, happy and nurturing environment.  Our teachers will work hard to ensure your child’s individual needs and interests are acknowledged and fostered.

Tuis (6 months – 2.5 years approx.)

In our Tui Room we provide a nurturing environment where your little one can grow and explore. The room leads out to our wonderful back yard, which is filled with outdoor equipment, playground areas, a sandpit and garden.

Each day you will receive information about what has happened throughout your child’s time with us.  We will let you know practical things like how much your child has eaten, how long they slept for and toileting information. And you will also find out about the fun and exciting experiences your child has had during the day.

Our Tui room can cater for up to 23 children.

Kiwis (2.5years – 5 years)

Our Kiwi Room caters for children between approximately 2 ½ – 5 years. The Kiwi Room incorporates our two- and three-year-old programme and our separate transition-to-school programme.
 
We recognise children learn a lot through play.  Play is the children's work. We also value structure and routines.
 
The children in our Kiwi Room engage in all areas of learning, including opportunities to:
Develop independence;
Develop creativity through visual arts, dance and drama;
Explore literacy; and
Experience practical numeracy, science and technology.
 
Children can choose quality outdoor activities during most of the day. This:
Develops important physical skills;
Encourages social interaction; and
Inspires children to investigate nature. 

Two-and Three-Year-Old Programme

This is an optional small group run at various times throughout the week where children develop and build skills to enter the transition-to-school programme.
 
In this programme we encourage children to develop fine motor skills; develop knowledge of colours, shapes, and numbers; and to recognise their own name and simple adjectives. 
 
We also support children to learn, through fun activities, many other skills such as turn taking, communication, social skills, concentration, language development and small group interaction.  During this social time there is the opportunity for all children to become leaders and role models by working with their peers.

Transition to School Programme

Our transition-to-school programme provides an opportunity for children to be involved in a variety of experiences that will ensure a smoother transition into the classroom environment.
 
Four year olds are encouraged to participate every morning for 40 minutes. During this time children are offered opportunities to develop their literacy, mathematical, social and fine and large motor skills. 
 
We have a balanced programme that gives the children opportunities to experience what being at school is like. The four year olds bring a backpack each day and hang it up on a hook, and we encourage them to look after their belongings such as their lunchbox, jacket and hat.
 
Some other experiences offered in this programme are:

Circle games	Art experiences
Letter sound bags	Sensorial experiences
Jolly phonics	Role play experiences
Scientific explorations	Baking experiences

The main purpose of these group times is to foster children’s love of learning while developing their concentration, co-operation and communication skills in preparation for a classroom environment.
 
We enjoy working with our talented group of parents and involving them in our programme, and we encourage and appreciate their feedback.

Te Whariki

In partnership with our own learning programme, we incorporate Te Whariki into our early childhood education programme.
 
Te Whariki is the New Zealand early childhood curriculum document published by the Ministry of Education in 1996. Teachers use the goals of the curriculum to help plan for children’s needs and interests during their early childhood years.
 
Te Whariki is a Maori term meaning “the woven mat”. It refers to the principles and strands of early learning being woven together.
 
The four principles are: empowerment, holistic development, family and community, and relationships.
 
The five strands are: well-being, belonging, contribution, communication, and exploration. 

You may ask to see or borrow this document once your child is enrolled, and you can learn more about Te Whariki here.

Playball

Each Monday and Friday your child will be able to participate in our Playball classes. There is no extra cost to you for the Playball programme.
 
Playball is an early childhood programme that helps to develop the fundamental building blocks of sport (agility, balance and coordination) as well as the three key elements of physical fitness (endurance, strength and flexibility).  Most importantly, Playball is fun and engages your child’s imagination. 
 
During Playball, children are also exposed to a range of different sports skills for tennis, cricket, hockey, rugby, football, basketball, baseball and volleyball.
 
We are unable to offer Playball every day, but if your child attends on one of the two allocated Playball days they will have the opportunity to participate in a session. 

Communicating with parents and families

At Acorn Early Learning Centre, we are committed to a vibrant partnership with you and recognise that you are your child’s first teacher. Open communication with you about your child is vital to us. We encourage you to chat to our teachers, and we write regular newsletters and hold parent evenings throughout the year.
 
To help keep you up to date with your child’s learning and development our teachers regularly update your child’s portfolio. These are a lovely record of your child’s achievements at Acorn Early Learning Centre.  You are welcome to take your child’s portfolio home at any time. 
 
We also use a secure online software product called Educa. Educa has been specifically designed for New Zealand early childhood centres, parents and families. 



Educa means you can:

• view your child’s Acorn learning stories online;
• view photos of your child involved in activities and programmes at Acorn;
• provide instant feedback by adding a parent comment;
• receive online centre-wide weekly messages and monthly newsletters;
• have the option to upload your own photos from home e.g. birthday or holiday photos or special outings and milestones; and
• invite other family members, e.g. grandparents, to view your child’s profile so they can share in your child’s experience at Acorn.

 
All of this is stored on your child’s online profile and can be viewed by you at any time. We will email you each time the profile is updated with a new learning story. When your child leaves you will have a wonderful record of their activities and adventures at Acorn. 
 
Your child’s data is securely stored in a 24/7 monitored data centre and can only be accessed by you and anyone you nominate to have access.
 
Click here to see what an Educa online portfolio looks like

Meals and Special Diets at Acorn

All food is prepared on site by our in-house cook. We encourage healthy eating and work closely with the Heart Foundation and the dental service to ensure we are providing nutritious meals and snacks. The children are encouraged to drink plenty of water and this is on offer all day at our water station.

Menus are displayed in the entrance to each of the rooms.

Morning and Afternoon Tea
Morning and afternoon tea are provided for all children.
A late snack is also given to children who are with us for a full day.

Lunch
Children in the Tui Room are provided a hot lunch every day. 
Children in our Kiwi Room are required to bring a packed lunchbox each day. 

In our transition-to-school programme we encourage the children to serve themselves and carry out basic food preparation skills like buttering their own bread and pouring their own water.

Please inform us if your child has any specific dietary requirements, or severe food allergies or intolerances. We are a nut-free centre and encourage parents to avoid nuts, and nut products as a food option.

Get some great lunch box tips here.

Special Needs

If your child has special needs, we may use the help of trained specialists from Special Education Services to help us plan how we can best help your child to have a successful and enjoyable time with us at Acorn. Please call us to discuss your child’s needs and to arrange a centre visit.