Working in partnership with whānau

Working in partnership with whānau provides tamariki with a smoother experience to support them from their transition from home to Campus Corner. Through open communication with whānau, kaiako develop a better understanding of the individual needs of your tamaiti. We understand that the transition to a new environment, with new faces can be hard for both the tamaiti and whānau - working together through communication to form trust with the primary caregiver can make this transition a gentle , respectful and supportive experience for everyone. 

Primary Care

Using a primary care/needs based care approach at Campus Corner provides each child one primary caregiver and a buddy teacher (second primary caregiver), both whom take responsibility for overall well-being, care moments, learning and development of the tamaiti throughout their time at Campus Corner. 

The primary caregiver takes responsibility for  getting to know you, your tamaiti and whānau. They are here to support you and your tamaiti, follow their  cues and provide respectful, responsive, reciprocal care moments for tamariki including nappy changes, bottles, meal times and settling to sleep. The primary care giver will communicate with you as well as the wider teaching team in regards to the day your tamaiti has had. 

As discussed in Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education): 

"the impact of relationship (ngā honga) in a child’s life is tremendous; a child’s learning occurs through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people. A child’s sense of belonging (mana whenua) and wellbeing (mana atua) is supported when their emotional well being is nurtured and they know that they “have a place” with us at Campus Corner.

We invite whānau to spend time in our Infants and Toddlers Area together with their tamaiti to become familiar with the environment and to form a relationship with the kaiako who will be the primary caregiver for your tamaiti. 

Settling Visits

Upon enrolment, we require 3 settling visits

The first two visits are mostly about you and your tamaiti talking with your Primary Caregiver and sharing information with each other.  Settling visits into the Infants and Toddlers room is a time for both you and your tamaiti to get used to the environment and to connect with the surroundings and familiarise yourself with the daily events.  We want you to have the time you require, to feel ready to leave your tamaiti with someone who knows what you both need and expect and someone who will respond to you with any questions you may have. 

Effective transitions from Home to Campus Corner for tamariki and whānau 

Transitions require attention and planning to minimize their potential stress for tamariki. When transitions are planned as a meaningful part of the curriculum, they promote tamariki learning, create a calm environment, set a positive tone and help everyone move seamlessly through the day. Campus Corners environments empower tamariki to develop a sense of belonging, to have a place and to build secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. 

Communication

You are welcome to phone us at any time. Kaiako are always happy to speak with you and offer information on how your tamaiti is settling in. Please do not hesitate, we are here to support you.

If your tamaiti is sick or will be absent please contact the office by phoning or emailing. 

• Clearly named bottles of formula or expressed breast milk.

• Named water bottle or drink cup.  We promote and support the drinking of 'water only' while at our Centre.

• A lunch box for lunch. Hot food is welcomed . 

• A change of clothing (named).

• Nappies

• Sun hat (summer) 

• Warm hat (winter)

• Shoes

Every tamaiti at Campus Corner has a Profile Book provided for them. Your primary care giver will document the learning journey and experiences of your tamaiti. 

We use Storypark, an online learning tool, which supports kaiako to communicate and document learning with you as it happens! For more information check out the Storypark Page on our website!