Noble Purpose
Mā te ahurei o te tamaiti e ārahi i ā tātou mahi
Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work
Te Whāriki and Montessori interweave, providing an enriching environment and a respectful, diverse learning
community where children develop holistically into independent, resilient, life-long learners.
Guiding Principles
Mā te ahurei o te tamaiti e ārahi i ā tātou mahi
Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work
Te Whāriki and Montessori interweave, providing an enriching environment and a respectful, diverse learning
community where children develop holistically into independent, resilient, life-long learners.
Guiding Principles
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Mana – Respect
We show Manaaki (kindness) and humility, honouring our unique perspectives and seeking different points of view. Clear communication, cooperation and active listening. Koa - Joy Joy is abundant in our relationships, interactions and environment. Work is child initiated, purposeful and beautiful. |
Ngākau pono - Integrity
We are honest, enthusiastic and reliable professionals who aim for excellence. Our work is authentic and intentional. Tipu - Growth We foster independence and social competencies, meet sensitive periods, enable exploration and propel holistic development. |
Ko te iho o te tamaiti ko te ara ki anamata - “Within the child lies the fate of the future”.
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Montessori will help your child build confidence in their abilities, so they start school as confident and capable learners. In our calm and focused environment, each child is engaged in an activity which sparks their personal interest. |
What is the Montessori difference?
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The Montessori classroom is unlike other early childhood centres, the environment is calm and focused as each child is engaged in an activity that interests them. Your child learns at their own rate in a classroom with a 'hum' of working activity. The classroom remains orderly throughout the day as the 30 children return each activity to its shelf before choosing another. Children are taught how to invite friends to join in with their chosen activity, but also that it is ok to say "no thanks, I want to do this on my own". Their workspace is respected - the children learn how to move carefully around each others activities and to not interrupt a child who is concentrating. The activities themselves are each purposeful and beautifully presented to appeal to the child. The whole environment is designed to be aesthetically pleasing - from the leafy villa entrance, the orderly and spacious classroom to the lush back garden. Children work with materials for as long as they wish, repeating activities until they have mastered it. As children move on to learning the next skill once they have mastered the present one, there are never any gaps in their education, or need for remedial education. |
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Montessori children leave for school as capable learners, independent and confident in their own abilities. In addition to honed fine motor skills they have solid foundations of numeracy and literacy, often reading, writing, identifying numerals to at least 20, doing basic addition, subtraction and understanding the decimal system. In addition to their knowledge, Montessori children are able to focus their attention and enjoy learning. One of Maria Montessori's goals was for children to develop concentration. This is one of the fundamental skills for learning, and one that is largely missed in traditional school systems. A Montessori day is structured so that a child's focus is never interrupted by having to move on to the next lesson, before they have finished their current one. Montessori children are independent, self-assured in their learning and in their relationships and interactions with others and the world. Your child will master the important life skill of being a self-directed learner. Montessori's aim is to nurture and develop inner motivation to find intrinsic satisfaction in learning. |
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Our History |
Montessori House of Children, Blenheim, was opened in September 1994 as the 44th Montessori School in New Zealand. Today there are more than 100 Montessori schools in New Zealand, and thousands worldwide. Our school opened with two teachers and twelve children, growing over 25 years to include the wonderful indoor and outdoor environments we provide today.
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