Potiki

Potiki Early Childhood Centre

Our programme offers a wide range of learning experiences based on the children’s strengths, interests and learning needs. Warm, responsive, reciprocal child/adult interactions are fundamental to the quality we offer in a developmentally appropriate learning environment.

At Potiki, our centre programme is based on “LEARNING THROUGH PLAY” and assists children to develop holistically. We value and promote Te Reo and Tikanga Māori by embedding this within our centre practices. Potiki welcomes all families and recognizes the diversity of people’s beliefs, cultures, values and abilities within our community. Family aspirations for children are respected and valued. Supportive relationships are developed through parent contact with each other at the centre. Our team of qualified and experienced educators are committed to support children’s development and learning enabling them to reach their full potential.

 

About Us

We are a mixed-age centre attached to a Teen Parent Unit and licensed for 39 children. Our programme caters for children from birth to their entry at Primary School. Our centre caters mainly for the teen parents and their children. Potiki also welcomes children and families from the local community.

Potiki is the first Childcare and Education Centre established by Taonga Education Trust in 2006, There are two other ECE centres which also come under the same umbrella organisation. Potiki welcomes parents/whanau at all times

For further information please contact – Centre Supervisor / Administrator.

For all your enquiries

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What we can offer

  • 20ECE Hours & WINZ subsidies available
  • Accept Childern 0-6 years
  • Qualified and Experienced Teachers
  • Nutritious meals provided daily
  • Multicultural with low child/teacher ratios
  • Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori programmes
  • Potiki Early Childhood Centre in Auckland

Would you like to use StoryPark to help follow your children's journey?

Storypark helps children transition to school or between services and lets parents treasure stories, images and videos from their child’s learning journey forever (at no cost to the parents)

Parents can create a free account for their child before they join our service, and can continue to use Storypark after they leave.

We take security seriously and adhere to government guidelines for cybersafety. No one can find your child’s account unless you invite them.

If you have never used Storypark before, simply go to www.storypark.com and click the ‘Try for free’ button.

Our Gallery

Potiki Parent Handbook

Enrollment procedure

We accept enrollments for children (preferably) between the ages of three months and five years. You must complete an enrollment form to secure your child a place in our centre. You may be placed on a waiting list if there is no space available at the time of enrollment. We recommend that you take the time to visit the centre. Spend some time with your child at the centre. You can talk with the Centre Supervisor and team members to get a vibe of the centre before enrollment. Please be clear and specific on the times you wish your child to attend the centre. Our administrator will be available to assist with paperwork as needed.

Centre policies and procedures

We advise you to read through our centre policies and procedures prior to your child’s enrolment at the centre. We also recommend to read the centre’s ERO report to be able to know more about our centre.

Orientation

Leaving your child in somebody else’s care can be an anxious time for children and parents. Most children will settle very quickly if families are positive and clear in what they are doing. However if a child feels that you are upset, they will become upset too. Parents should feel free to ring as many times as they wish to check on their child and are most welcome to come and visit. If you do wish to visit, please check with us on your arrival. Often children who see their parents in the middle of the day, immediately believe it is time to go home. Under these circumstances, it is wise to look discreetly and talk to a teacher to ease your mind.

Parents and Guardians should also be aware that it is very common for children to settle quite easily for the first few days and then regress a little during the second or third week of attendance. This is not cause for alarm but merely indicates that the novelty of the new experience has waned a little and the realization that mum and dad leave has set in. Again, this is a time when we encourage parents to be very positive with their child and also to spend time at home discussing childcare and the wonderful things they do while they are here.

Parents are asked to remember that time is very important in helping a child to settle. Leaving your child without saying goodbye is not recommended as it can develop feelings of distrust. It is a good idea to engage your child in an activity first and always say when you will return. For example: “After you have your afternoon tea, I will be here to take you home”.

Parents responsibilities

Please bring your child inside the Centre to ensure their safety. Come through the door with them as we may need to speak to you. If someone else will be collecting your child, please remember to notify us. We will not hand over your child to anyone other than the agreed person stated on the enrolment form. This is for the safety of your child. SIGNING IN AND OUT is a regulatory requirement. Whânau members must ensure that they sign the signing in and out forms daily. After signing in, place your child’s nappies, made-up bottles and bag in the assigned places. It is essential to ensure that your child is settled in before you leave.

Change of Enrolment details

Any changes to your child’s enrolment records need to be verified at reception, e.g. change of address, change of telephone numbers, people not authorized to collect your child, illnesses, diseases, allergies, etc.

Staffing

All staff employed at the centre are committed to the well-being of the children and possess the knowledge and skills essential for the children in their care. We pride ourselves on the quality of the staff in our centre which is vital in offering high quality care. Our staff attends workshops to stay abreast with new research in early childhood educations. If you want to know more about our staff, please stop to look at the notice board in the foyer. There you will find photos and information on our staff.

Ages

We enrol children from 3 months to 6 years of age.

Hours of Operation

It is important that children arrive at the centre before 9.00am. The day begins with a karakia (blessing) at 9am. It also ends with a karakia at 3.15pm.

It is necessary that you show consideration to staff by picking up your children promptly at your stated enrolled time. A late fee of $10 for every 10 minutes will be charged when parents are late to collect their child.

Our Centre is open from 8.00am to 4.30pm.
Potiki Early Childhood Centre will be open throughout the year except for statutory holidays and over the Christmas break. Therefore, fees will be charged at the standard rate for statutory and sick days.

Fees

We offer 20 hours Free ECE to 3 and 4 year olds. Children must attend a minimum of 4 hours per day. Free 20 hours – 8.00 till 12.00 or 12.30 – 4.30

Fees information can be collected during enrollment.
Fees are to be paid at least two weeks in advance.
Fees will be charged weekly.

Please pay promptly

Subsidies may be available through WINZ. Please look under the eligibility section in the enrollment application form. An automatic payment system is available for parents.

Income Support Services Assistance

On application to income support services, funding can be made available to the centre for assistance with a child’s fees. Application forms are available from the administrator. Information explaining the Childcare Subsidy is available from WINZ

Absences

It is essential that whânau notify the Centre whenever their tamariki will be absent from the Centre and if possible the duration of his/her absence. This enables the Centre to monitor children’s attendance more accurately. If your child has an unexplained absence of more than three weeks, they will be exited from our roll.

Accidents

If a child sustains a minor accident while at Potiki Early Childhood Centre the child will be attended to by a staff member qualified in first aid. However, if the child requires a doctor’s attention, they will be taken as quickly as possible to the child’s family doctor or the nearest medical centre by a staff member while the administrator contacts the parents. The staff member will remain with the child until the parent takes responsibility. All accidents will be recorded in the accident register book.

Emergency Contact

You will need to provide names and telephone numbers of relatives or friends we can contact in case the parent cannot be reached in the event of an emergency. We require details in advance if your child is to be released to anyone other than the people nominated on the enrolment form.

Children's Health

The Supervisor may, at her own discretion, refuse to accept any child suffering from a contagious or infectious disease. Children with illnesses, severe colds or coughs, rashes, high temperatures, diarrhea, vomiting or infectious diseases of any nature must be kept at home to avoid the spread of infection to other children and staff.

Sick children are cared for by staff until whânau arrive to collect them. If the supervisor contacts you because your child is ill, please make every effort to collect your child as quickly as possible. There is an isolation area in the nurse’s room for sick children. Illnesses will be recorded in the centre’s illness register.

Clothing

Change of clothes must be included in your child’s labeled bag in case of mishaps. PLEASE LABEL EACH CLOTHING ITEM CLEARLY. Potiki Early Childhood Centre regrets we are not able to take responsibility for unnamed items.

Meals

The Centre provides lunch as well as morning and afternoon tea. Our menu planning is based on HEALTHY HEART PROGRAMME. Food exceptions cannot be made for individual children, except in the case of allergies and special diets. Children doing 20 free hours need to bring lunch pack from home. Infant and toddler parent’s need to prepare formula milk at home, label bottles to be stored in centre fridge.

Equipment/ junk as resource

If you have access to anything that could be of use to our Centre, we would appreciate it. Examples of these things include: paper, plastic bags, newspaper, cardboard, wood off-cuts, ice cream containers with lids, stickers, fabric etc. Any other suggestions, just let us know, it is amazing what we can recycle creatively!

Rest time

Potiki Early Childhood Centre believes children need to rest during the day and all children will be given that opportunity. Infants under one are assigned individual cots, over one year old children sleep or rest in quiet, supervised surroundings on their stretcher beds.

Medicines

When a child is on medication prescribed by a doctor it is essential that the medicine be handed to a member of staff and NOT left in the child’s bag. You will be required to fill in and sign the medicine register authorizing staff to administer the medication. Medication is to be taken back home each day.

Nappies

Centre provides cloth nappies for children to be used during the day. Please provide two to three disposable nappies for your child (to be used for home time), as well as wet wipes for regular use each day. Remember to label both items.

Notice Board and Newsletters

Please watch for notices, parent/adult training information, health notices, upcoming trips, curriculum programs and income support notices etc.

Parents concerns

As a parent, you know your child best. You have a great deal of knowledge and understanding of your child that nobody else has. Please share this information with us to enable us to know your child better. In return, we will share what we learn about your child with you. Any time you wish to have a chat with the staff or simply spend time at the Centre, please feel free to do so. We have open door policy. Centre Supervisor is available to discuss any concerns at any time of centre operational hours.

If you have any concerns about centre operations, please refer to Centre’s Complaint Policy. You can directly contact Taonga CEO – Erana Doolan on 0274532908 or the local Ministry of Education office.

Special needs

If an individual child has special needs, a hui will be held between whânau and Supervisor to determine how best to cater for the child’s learning needs.

Toys

If your child has a cuddly toy or blanket that helps them to settle, you are most welcome to bring this along. The centre has a range of toys for children to play with, thus we suggest to keep your special toys at home. The centre will not be responsible for any damage to toys brought from home.

Trips

Visits to new, familiar and exciting places are a natural part of childhood curriculum. As well as field trips we also incorporate into the program local community visits e.g. recreation centres, swimming pools, shops, parks, the library and the zoo etc.

When a trip is planned by the centre, parents will be advised by a notice detailing the time, date, place and what each child will need (hat, shoes etc). A permission slip is to be signed by parent/ guardian, if you wish your child to attend. A small fee may be requested from the whânau to assist with entrance fees or transportation costs.

Storypark

When a child is enrolled we would like you to sign up for STORYPARK. This is an online portfolio for children. This allows teachers, parents and wider family to engage and contribute positively towards a child’s learning through online documentation.

Whanau engagement

We encourage the whânau to communicate freely with the staff as we believe your input is very important. We also appreciate parent help. You can contribute in the centre program at any time. This will assist with giving an insight into the activities of the centre and the routines/rituals of the day. This also offers opportunity to see the centre philosophy in action. We have regular parent-teacher-child sessions for our TPU parents on a fortnightly basis.

Whanau Ora

Taonga Whānau Ora Rōpu team includes Social workers and Registered Nurse on-site who continue to offer their support for children and families from TPU as well as the community.

Plunket Services

Plunket nurse visits onsite to support young teen mums with regular check-ups for the children.

Phone: (09) 269 2862 | Email: potiki@taonga.org.nz | 28 Palmers Rd, Clendon Park, Auckland 2103