Masterton West Kindergarten 2.6

We are very lucky to have a huge outdoor environment and we make the most of it in every way. We have a large vegetable garden, a beautiful bee garden, more than enough fruit trees, a berry garden, annually an excess of 100 giant sunflowers, and four lovely chooks that provide us with fresh eggs. We emphasise learning opportunities involving hands-on exploration with the natural environment and have a special focus on preparing healthy food grown at the kindergarten. Through fully participating in the process of growing harvesting and preparing food, children are not only learning in an holistic way but also enjoy experiencing new and familiar tastes for morning and afternoon teas and special lunches on occasion. The teaching team at Masterton West are committed to a philosophy of holistic teaching and learning, manaakitanga and whanaungatanga. We strongly advocate respect and understanding of others similarities and differences, encouraging children to be socially competent and able to initiate and sustain relationships.