Home Grown Kids Southland Educators/Kaiako re guided by the following principles:
Respect: Everyone’s voice is heard and open communication is valued. Consideration of others and their strengths is important to the team to ensure we celebrate the highs and reflect on our learning opportunities
Relationships: open communication, genuine connections, happy educators build responsive and reciprocal relationships. Community: Collaboration of skills/knowledge, sense of teamwork /we are all in this together, steering the waka together.
Empowerment: Inspire, mentor, enhance each educator’s mana & wellbeing, our people feel a sense of belonging- A place to stand Tūrangawaewae, barriers removed.
Tamariki: Confident and competent: Each tamariki is unique and has their own set of knowledge, tamariki eager to learn, ‘tamariki learning to learn’, tamariki problem solve, ask questions, experiment, take risks, they know their limits and abilities. Scaffolding independence, empowering agency and a positive learner identity of I can do it is modeled.
Responsive relationships and cultural/social identities: Tamariki building respectful, reciprocal relationships with people, places and things, building/developing trust, they know that adults are sensitive to their emotional, physical, social, cultural and spiritual care needs and that these will be met. Prior learning & skills are celebrated and whanau aspirations affirmed.
Connecting with our local area/community and the natural environment: Tamariki develop a strong connection with nature. Outdoor tamariki are healthy in mind, body and soul and resilient. Tamariki are encouraged to explore and experience the natural world around them through sensory perceptions and experiences such as touching the grass, feeling flowers, touching the sand, holding the leaves, observing the sky, and listening to the birds. Fostering/developing a sense of Kaitiakitanga and respect for Papatūānuku, forming a sense of identity/belonging. Acknowledging local history ‘Murihiku’- “tail end of the land” (Invercargill), representing connection to land, sea, and skies.
Social competence: Tamariki learn by observing, learning with and alongside others. Tamariki are learning social skills to establish and maintain friendships with all tamariki. Empowering Tuakana-teina relationships.