About Us
Hi, and welcome to First Years Learning Centre.
We are a privately owned and operated childcare facility for 2-5 year olds.
First Years Learning Centre was created with the passion and vision for providing quality care and education for children to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators.
At First Years our vision is to work in partnership with parents and their whānau to provide the best care and education for their children. Working in partnership means the best possible outcome for children as we work collaboratively in joint activities and projects to ensure the best outcomes for all children.
Here at First Years we value the importance of educating the heart and the brain of a child. We understand and value that the brain develops connections which are formed through environments and interactions within those environments.
These set the foundations for their future life.
Here at First Years we ensure all our interactions are positive, informative, promoting and age appropriate for the child’s developmental age. Play creates a brain that has increased flexibility and improved potential for learning later in life.
Young children’s play allows them to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks and create meaning. The intellectual and cognitive benefits of playing have been well documented. Children who engage in quality play experiences are more likely to have well-developed memory skills, language development, and are able to regulate their behavior, leading to enhanced school adjustment and academic learning.
The centre will provide all of these opportunities for children Please feel free to visit us and have a look a look around and see if after looking through our website that this is the right place for your child to be educated and supported to develop to their best possible potential.
Our Staff
Manager / Owner: Katrina Culhane
Qualifications :
-
Diploma or Education Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
-
Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood
-
Post Grad Cert of Effective Practice in Early Childhood
-
Diploma in Child Protection Studies
-
Certificate in Maori Ora
-
Certificate in Business Management
-
First Aid
-
Teacher Registration
-
Post Grad Diploma in Management Leadership (currently studying)
Current Study / Plans:
-
Post Grad Diploma in Management Leadership
-
Post Grad Diploma in Special Education
-
Diploma in Health and Nutrient
Personal Philosophy:
I have a strong belief in that every child counts, every child deserves the best possible care and education that one can be given. I value setting foundations for lifelong learning and that the first three years in life is the most important experiences in building positive affirmations for a future life.
I believe we need to get it right in the first few years so that your child can do well at school, have good social skills and lead a happy and full life with goals and dreams.
I value the importance’s play plays on learning and developing. It is an opportunity for children to act out and making sense of the world around them. Each and every day they watch, listen, feel what is surrounding them and this is how children learn, then play is how they understand it and put it into their life.
This is very important to understand that what experiences we allow our children to explore will shape how their future will turn out.
I value as a manager having a open door policy were my time is always available to support, give advice, and grow each member of my team to be the best possible teacher that can be. I strongly believe in education as a key to becoming and maintain the best possible teachers. With knowledge comes power. You learn so much from either further study or weekly reading of important early childhood articles.
I have set up an appraisal system that allows every teacher to be current with readings and knowledge to ensure the children we care for are getting the best possible care available by enthusiastic educators.