about us
our centre
Kowhai and Totara room
Infants and toddlers under two
In the Kowhai Room we've created an environment that gives babies the space to grow, explore and develop.
Toddlers can play, learn and create in the Totara Room. Babies and toddlers also have separate sleeping rooms, recognising that babies often need multiple sleeps during a day while many of our toddlers only need one.
Kauri room
Two and three year olds
Two year olds move into the Pohutukawa Room. This is a cosy space where teachers work closely with the children to help them develop their social and communication skills and ensure that they are capable, competent and ready to learn when they make the move to the Kauri Room.
Pohutukawa room
Four year olds
Four year old children move to the Kauri Room - a large, well-resourced and engaging space. Here children are able to engage deeply in play and learning, supported by a team of teachers with the training to extend their learning.
In the Kauri Room, older children develop the skills they need to become successful learners at higher levels including some formal learning experiences to support their transition to school.
meet the team
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Head Teacher (Over 2’s)
Kanika has been a dedicated ECE teacher for the past 16 years and she holds a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood teaching along with her wealth of practical experience.
Kanika’s teaching philosophy is that “every child is unique” and she strives to always facilitate an encouraging environment that allows children to grow to their full potential. Kanika is a proud mother of two children who both attend Parnell Early Childhood Centre.
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Early Childhood Manager
Kerrin has worked in Early Childhood for many years as a teacher, supervisor and manager, and also as a home-based coordinator in the local community.
After joining the The Village Square Trust team in 2019 as Centre Manager of Gladstone Park, Kerrin moved into a new role in late 2020 as Manager of Education and Childcare Services. In this role she oversees all our Early Childhood Centres, Before and After School Programmes and Holiday Programmes, ensuring that we offer the best childcare and education through play for our kids.
Kerrin firmly believes that children grow up so fast and too quickly. Her goal is for kids in our care to enjoy being children, make memories and have fun.
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Head Chef
Javiera (Javi for short) is our amazing Head Chef who prepares all of our lunches and snacks at Parnell Early Childhood Centre, and also our KidsHQ SuperMeals.
Javi is originally from Chile and was a chef there for 10 years before coming to New Zealand and The Village Square Trust is the first place where Javi has cooked exclusively for children. She loves our amazingly beautiful and safe country and friendly people.
info for parents
Teacher : Child Ratios
We have a commitment to employ qualified teachers with a passion for working with young children, and we aim to better the Ministry of Education teacher : child ratios of 1:5 for children under two and 1:10 for children over two, especially during the busy times of the day.
Children's portfolios
Each child has their own portfolio that teachers contribute to regularly. This builds a picture of their development, and includes photographs, notes from teachers about development and activities, and artwork completed by children during their day at the centre. Parents are encouraged to regularly look through their child's portfolio, and they can also be taken home overnight to share with family.
Communication with parents
We know that you, as parents, are the most important people in your child's life, and we consider it a privilege to have a role in your child's life. By sharing your knowledge and understanding of your child, you'll enable us to get to know them better and help us support their development through appropriate learning opportunities.
We encourage your enquires, requests, suggestions and concerns, and always have time to have a chat about your child's day. These communications are important to us because they help to establish a positive connection between home and childcare centre. We have a regular newsletter, notice boards, education information opportunities and family events as part of our commitment to this partnership.
Parents of children at Parnell Early Childhood Centre are encouraged to actively participate in life at our Centre via our Educa Parent Portal. On the Parent Portal we document your child's portfolio and have two-way communication with parents. New parents will be given access details by our Office Administrator and can choose to share access with family members.
Referral Discount
No one knows our Centre better than our Parnell Early Childhood Centre whānau and we’d love your recommendations! If you refer a family to enrol their child at our Centre you’ll both receive a 50% discount on fees for four weeks once they’ve been with us for six months. They must be enrolled for a minimum of three days per week.
Contact Kanika for more info at kanika@villagesquare.org.nz.
ERO (Education Review Office) Report
We are very proud of the review we received in our latest ERO Report, conducted in July 2018. The Ministry of Education report says Parnell Early Childhood Centre is “well placed” to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
healthy heart
Menus are developed and meals prepared by our Chef and kitchen team, who hold Food Hygiene and Safety Certificates.
Parnell Early Childhood Centre holds a Gold standard certification in the Heart Foundation's Healthy Heart programme. Our centre is recognised by the Heart Foundation for our comprehensive Healthy Heart programme.
Children are given nourishing and sustaining midday meals as well as healthy morning and afternoon snacks each day by our kitchen team. This enables our teaching staff to focus on providing the best possible care for your children. All menus are published on the parent noticeboards in each room at each centre and on the parent portal.
Our heart-healthy meals are an important feature for many parents. In 2015, The Village Square launched KidsHQ SuperMeals, frozen meals made from the same recipes the children love to eat at our centres. They've been very popular with busy parents who don't always have the time to prepare healthy meals for their kids. Parents can buy the meals directly from our centres.
Our centre caters for special dietary requirements, which parents can discuss with our Chef.
We believe in the importance of respect for our bodies, our peers, our teachers and our families as well as our environment and our planet Earth. This is promoted through our ongoing Green Kids Programme.
We believe when an attitude of mutual respect is fostered, children are empowered to have confidence in their individual identity. Through building and maintaining positive and purposeful relationships, we are able to support individual learning and development and an emergent curriculum. We believe that every child is individual and acknowledge their strengths and interests by allowing them the time they need to explore, investigate and discover the wider world.
At Parnell Early Childhood Centre we truly believe that children are confident and competent learners. We encourage an environment of exploration, experimentation and calculated risk. While our teachers are here to support, encourage and scaffold we believe that children are the driving force in their own learning and in turn encourage learning for now and in the future.
testimonials
“We have been unfailingly impressed with the service provided at Parnell Early Childhood Centre. The staff are extremely caring, enthusiastic, welcoming and thoughtful in their work with the children but also with us as parents. We are constantly amazed at the activities that the teachers come up with to educate, stimulate and entertain the children, and with the regular "story updates" and newsletters we receive which make us feel part of the experience. The Healthy Heart meals the children are fed are also amazing. Our child was 9 months old when he started attending the centre, and he loves going each day. We put that down to all of the above and the great experience PECC provides for the children. It has made the transition so much easier for all of us.”
— Angus
“It has made such a difference to us (and our child) that they love coming to day care, and in fact can't wait to get there in the morning. Making the decision to put a young child into day care is a very tough one, but this has eased the transition for all of us. Interactive teachers who look like they want to be there, children are happy and well fed, great environment both inside and outside for children to play, learn and develop. Good options in hours/ days on offer with both normal and short days available.”
— Ame
“The nurture and support provided by teachers is wonderful. The kids are happy and have great learning and play options. The healthy, yummy food is a bonus too.”
– Victoria
“The baby room has consistently been very good. Teachers are open, approachable and nurturing. The Kauri room has been through a big transition and has worked out really well. Jason has done a great job. The teachers are wonderful, the space has a much calmer feel and improvements to the room have been really good. We also really value having a male role model around for the kids.”
– Greta
“Parnell Early Childhood Centre is a warm, friendly and safe environment for children. I know my son is getting the nutrition he needs as he grows and the education stimulation required for his developing brain. The teachers really care about the kids, I trust them all with my son and I know he loves going to the centre every day. It’s awesome to have a male teacher as part of the team, my son just loves him and all his magic tricks and dancing. :)”
– Trudy
“PECC is definitely a home away from home for my little one. It may seem less flashy than many new daycares out there, but the center has certainly nailed down on what it needs to provide a wonderful caring environment that nurtures the kids into happy and confident little people. My son started his daycare when he was 11 months old, and from then on he has come a long way, learning new words, being more socially engaging, playing with other kids and learning to share - all of these are the good habits that have been inculcated at his daycare. As a mother who had to join back to her job, I felt comfortable leaving my little one with his teachers for a full day, knowing that he will be well looked after. Also, my son loved the food at PECC, which follows Healthy Heart guidelines and is prepared at the center. The teachers at the center are very engaged with the children and realize that every kid is different and provide them with care and activities appropriate to their needs. I definitely recommend this daycare to anyone who is looking for a healthy, happy environment for their little one.”
- Suryatapa
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