| SETTING UP A FROEBEL-BASED KINDERGARTEN IN AUCKLAND, NZ

It was my privilege to accept the Head Teacher role for Seven Stars Kindergarten and I was fortunate to be offered the additional opportunity to enrol on a six-month on-line ‘Froebel in Practice’ course with the University of Edinburgh.  These opportunities have challenged me to develop my understanding of Froebelian principles in the context of a kindergarten in a contemporary world and to reflect on how Froebel principles interconnect with Our New Zealand bi-cultural curriculum, Te Whāriki.

As a kindergarten team, our priority was to agree on and establish our core values and intentions as these form the foundation for our philosophy which underpins all our policies, procedures, and practices.  

Te Whāriki allows us to ‘weave’ a local curriculum based on ‘what really matters’ for our children.  As we deepened our understanding of the key Froebelian principles, we appreciated the strong connection to the principles of Te Whāriki – Empowerment, Holistic Development, Family and Community and Relationships.

I am also involved in a research project exploring how the ‘Froebel Storytelling Approach’ can support young children through the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the emerging findings of the research project has been the observance that children were spending more times outdoors as we came out of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.  Our programme will allow children the freedom to choose where they want to play, with  significant importance placed on providing rich experiences around discovering and appreciating nature up close.  We know that ‘children learn best when they are given appropriate responsibility, allowed to experiment, make errors, decisions and choices, and are respected as autonomous learners.’ (Bruce, T. (2015).  And adults play a key role in observing, supporting, and extending this play and learning.  

Froebel’s vision was that the ‘garden’ was central in a kindergarten environment.  Kindergarten is a German word that literally translates to ‘A child’s garden’.  The outdoor learning environment at Seven Stars is not large in comparison to the building size, however we plan to utilise the surrounding nature areas behind and beyond our premises.  Exploration excursions will be a regular occurrence.  We can’t wait!

Froebel also acknowledged the life of the family and its connection to the life of the community.  We are fortunate to be positioned adjacent to Massey High School, a busy hub of community, family and education activity during term time.  Family and community involvement will underpin our ethos and we look forward to working with our neighbours to support children to learn about the wider world. 

At Seven Stars Kindergarten, we are firm believers that early childhood is important in its own right and not simply as a preparation for later learning.  

 Learning begins at birth and continues throughout life.  Children have so much to contribute.  The weeks ahead, preparing for the opening of our kindergarten, are going to be busy and filled with excitement as we look forward to introducing children and their families to the joys of experiencing a kindergarten that offers so many opportunities and values the uniqueness of each child.  

-Jean Elmer