Murrays Bay Childcare Centre

About Us

Gayle and Gary established Murrays Bay Childcare Centre in 1981, living in St Mary’s Bay with three grown up children and six grandchildren. They are both very committed to professional development for themselves and all the teachers of which they believe is their most important asset.

The Murrays Bay Childcare Centre’s focus is on the facilitation of the empowerment of children to grow in knowledge and understanding, where they thrive in an unhurried environment, playing and learning in a meaningful way. Each teacher brings diverse and unique qualities to the Centre, which are recognised and encouraged. As a result, we are a cohesive team, creative and innovative in our approach to Education. The staff meet regularly and reflect on practice and values using a self review system that identifies and supports individual professional development and training.

Family and Whanau connections are integral to children’s overall wellbeing. Therefore, we are committed to developing relationships with them by ensuring we are open to the information they share with us about their children and family lives. Each child and their family are special, bringing to the centre cultural values and beliefs that are nurtured.

It is important that the rights of the Family and Whanau to be informed and involved in their child’s holistic development are acknowledged. This partnership is achieved by offering a consultation process that ensures they are included in setting goals, offering regular feedback and being involved in their child’s programme. Meeting informally with parents enables us to discuss children’s portfolios, celebrate their progress and assist in developing further learning objectives that will be meaningful when projected into the wider world.

Daily Routine

Morning and Afternoon play is set up so that children are free to choose where they want to play. A variety of activities will be available and will change during the sessions. This informal approach will mean that you will find children working co-operatively in small groups of mixed ages all over the centre.

They will be unhurried and able to work and play without frequent interruptions and transitions that are unnecessary.

As well as enjoying all the curriculum areas they will be involved in some tasks that contribute to our day, for example setting tables for lunch, helping tidy and sort equipment, making morning and afternoon teas, gardening and recycling. They love to help in this way and this contributes to their sense of belonging and of taking responsibility for themselves and others.

Snacks will be offered at this time. The children will be invited to sit at a table or on a blanket under the umbrella with a teacher. This will offer another opportunity for them to enjoy some unhurried conversations over some refreshment.

During early evening play the outdoors will begin to be packed up and other activities depending on weather will be offered. We will usually move to play in the front garden at this time where play is of a different nature. After this we come inside for some small group activities.

Transition to School Programme

The Transition to school programme encourages children to work with a group where reciprocal relationships are formed between them and the teachers, they develop skills to question, research, investigate and to develop their own theories.

Whilst our young children are sleeping, opportunities are offered for others to take part in either the Super Sharks or Busy Bees groups.

Many in depth projects are undertaken at this time. A collaborative approach such as this nurtures each child’s potential as a confident and competent learner. As children are extremely expressive and have an enormous capacity for sharing feelings and emotions, we place emphasis on the expressive arts through which we acknowledge their imagination, which plays a major role in their search for knowledge and understanding.

Our role is to watch them closely, listen to them carefully, and give value to their ideas. In doing so we can gain an understanding of their needs, development and interests that will unlock their potential and empower them to learn and grow.

Making children’s learning visible

Because we attach importance to children’s creativity and their ‘voice’, it is essential that their work is documented and displayed in an attractive way that encapsulates their learning and development. We achieve this with beautifully presented portfolios, wall displays, daily reflections with photos displayed through a digital photo frame and emails are regularly sent off to parents in our Super Sharks and Busy Bees groups informing families of their latest projects and areas of interest. Other emails are sent at regular intervals with newsletters attached. This offers another opportunity to receive feedback from home.

Physical environment

We are based at 23 Seaton Road, Murrays Bay. Our indoor and outdoor world offers opportunities for children to be adventurous. Inside there are warm, spacious, colourful areas allowing children to flow easily from one part of the centre to another, with cosy little places where they can gather in small groups.

The front garden features native trees and plants and has both a barked and shell area with climbing logs and a large ramp offering unique opportunities for some challenging physical action. Our sprawling back garden has wonderful trees to climb, a woodland cottage, fairy garden and a pirate ship, which are linked by exciting garden paths. Along with bridges, a castle and a zoom slide, many opportunities are available for imaginative and active physical exploration.

Large decked and shaded areas provide unlimited possibilities for discovery and play including sand and water. The outdoors is a vital, special and deeply engaging place for young children. A sensory garden runs the length of the fence and delights the children as a myriad of aromas and fragrances fill their senses.

If you would like a tour or more information give us a call today or check out our website. We look forward to meeting you!