What is Bear Park?
A group of privately-owned early childhood centres that are located within the Auckland area as well as one being located in Dunedin, my hometown.
When and where was it founded?
We opened our first preschool in June 1986 in St Heliers, Auckland and since then have expanded into a group of 11 ECE Centres in total.
How did you get started in the industry?
Originally a primary school teacher for seven years but realised that the ECE sector of education offered something very special so was drawn to opening our first preschool up catering for 20 children aged 2–5 years of age.
At Bear Park we nurture the view that children need to be ready intellectually, socially and emotionally for this next step in their life. We do not have a separate specific transition to a school programme, as all the experiences we have on offer within the classroom spaces allow children to engage in a variety of literacy, numeracy, scientific and artistic practices throughout our daily programme.
How did you get started in the industry?
Originally a primary school teacher for seven years but realised that the ECE sector of education offered something very special so was drawn to opening our first preschool up catering for 20 children aged 2–5 years of age.
What do you think is the most important thing you provide for children and their development?
The way in which we truly do listen to our children’s ideas and contributions whether these are verbally or non-verbally shared with us, and through this genuine acknowledgement our children’s sense of self is enriched.
We also authentically acknowledge and value the child’s potential and relish the opportunity in enriching and developing this potential further.
What is the curriculum like?
The fusion between Te Whaariki and the influences from the Reggio Emilia Approach enable us to offer an educational programme that is rich in learning possibilities and opportunities. Our curriculum clearly reflects the holistic way that children learn.
What is one of your favourite memories from either a child, parent or staff member at Bear Park?
When you stay quiet and pause and hear what the children may say. For example: ‘The idea from one of our four-year-old girls who was sure that caterpillars had to try flying in a hot air balloon before turning into a butterfly because they may be scared to fly’ or ‘a little one who looks so intently at the huge fern frond that he encounters whilst outside and how he carefully negotiates his way around it whilst trying to understand what this thing maybe’.
It is these types of stories that I hear when visiting a teaching team during planning time that I can get emotional about the amazing skill that these teachers have in identifying the many facets of wonder that they discover and see when working alongside our children.
How do you prepare children for school?
At Bear Park we nurture the view that children need to be ready intellectually, socially and emotionally for this next step in their life. We do not have a separate specific transition to a school programme, as all the experiences we have on offer within the classroom spaces allow children to engage in a variety of literacy, numeracy, scientific and artistic practices throughout our daily programme. The teachers support these and other curriculum areas throughout the children’s current and emerging interests independently.
As teachers, we feel that Bear Park offers a literacy rich environment where children can engage with a wide variety of texts, media and resources. Literacy is seen as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts, as well as the skill of oral language.
Structured and non-structured provocations can also support the children with early numeracy skills. Number activities which can enhance children’s knowledge of numerate thinking including counting, and recognising visual spatial quantities are integrated into our programme. Sorting, comparing, ordering, patterning and estimating are some of the related concepts which the children explore through the various opportunities on offer.
We endeavour to incorporate these meaningful literacy and numeracy experiences naturally in our indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day.
When it comes to transitioning into a primary school classroom there are some differences. This change encompasses several different elements in a child’s life including change of relationships, teaching style, environment, space and the learning itself.
This adjustment is an exciting new beginning for children and their families. For us at Bear Park, it is vital to support the child and their families through this phase, therefore communication with parents and schools is paramount and this can be done through many different avenues such as hosting a panel of new entrant teachers meeting with prospective parents of children going to school: actual school visits for the children and parents: hosting a panel of returning school children to share their experiences with their peers who are still attending Bear Park.
0800 232 772 | bearpark.co.nz
