Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Kuaka
Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Nau mai, haere mai!
The on campus kōhanga reo was established in 1989 to service the children of staff and students at Waikato and is one of just three ECE teacher-led kōhanga in the country. 30 years on, Ngā Kuaka maintains its reputation for producing the highest level of reo in its tamariki of any kōhanga in the region.
The kōhanga operates three different classrooms, allowing tailored learning for each developmental stage of your tamariki.Read more ...
When you enrol your tamariki at Ngā Kuaka, your whānau becomes our whānau. Our kōhanga is governed by the whānau and as such it is important you attend the whānau hui held every two months. These are the equivalent of school Board of Trustee meetings and provide you with a great overview of what's happening at the kōhanga.
As part of the whānau governance you will also have the opportunity to sit on one (or more) subcommittees. These subcommittees oversee things such as whakawhanaungatanga (getting to know each other), fundraising and employment relations.
Speaking te reo Māori
Kia kaha te reo Māori e te whānau!
Obviously, te reo me ōna tikanga is very important at Ngā Kuaka. If you are not a fluent speaker - do not worry - our kaimahi are here to help so don't be shy.
We actively encourage all whānau members to learn te reo, but appreciate that the first native speaker in your family may be your tamariki. We do ask that parents support the kaupapa by speaking quietly in English when on Kōhanga grounds so as not to disrupt the safe environment that our tamariki enjoy for the speaking of te reo Māori. Even if you only know a few te reo words, we encourage you to use them where possible.
If you are interested in learning te reo Māori alongside your tamariki, we highly recommend Te Tohu Paetahi programme or for a list of te reo papers available at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, visit here
Age Range
Ngā Kuaka has three separate classrooms/whare with dedicated kaimahi to allow your child to familiarise and bond with their kaiako. We operate a transitional programme for when your child moves up into their next classroom to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible, including orientations with Tōku Māpihi Maurea (our kura kaupapa next door) leading up to starting primary school.
- Tōku Ohooho: For ages 3 months - 2 years
- Te Kupu: For ages 2 years - 3.5 years
- Tōku Whakakai Marihi: For ages 3.5 years to 5 years.
Staff to Child Ratios
At Ngā Kuaka, we are proud to operate some of the lowest staff to child ratios of any kōhanga. This is because we believe in investing quality time into developing and nuturing our tamariki, and keeping our ratios low ensures this.
| Ngā tau o te tamariki | Kaimahi ratio |
|---|---|
| Under 2 | 1 kaimahi per 5 pēpi |
| Over 2 | 1 kaimahi per 8 tamariki |
Bottle Feeding
If your baby requires bottle feeding, our kaimahi will record the times and amount consumed for your information. Please note that by law, we are unable to lay babies down with bottles as it is bad for their teeth and ears. Please assist us by providing enough (named) bottles and formula for the day.
Nappies - Kupe
Because of the range of sensitivity of our pēpi and in order to keep our kōhanga affordable, Ngā Kuaka does not supply nappies. If your child wears nappies, please bring 6 nappies to the kōhanga every day. We support sustainability at Ngā Kuaka, so also support the use of cloth nappies.
Food - Kai
Ngā Kuaka believes in fuelling our tamariki with healthy kai so provide healthy snacks in line with our Kai Ora Policy. We ask that parents provide their childs lunch in line with the policy also, such as:
- Sandwiches
- Fruit
- Yoghurt
- Raw vegetables
- Crackers
- Cheese
- Dry biscuits etc.
Tamariki drink water or milk at kōhanga.
Our meal times are approx:
9:30am fruit and snack, drink (provided by kōhanga)
11:30am lunch (food from own lunch box)
2:00 – 2:30pm fruit and snack, drink (provided by kōhanga)
4:00pm late snack (provided by kōhanga)
Hours of Operation
Parents are asked to book in for early and late timings to ensure we have adequate staffing levels please.
| Mon | Tues - Fri | |
|---|---|---|
| Early start | 8am - 815am | 8am - 815am |
| Normal hours | 815am - 4pm | 815am - 415pm |
| Late finish | Not available Mon | 415pm - 5pm |
Fee Structure
Ngā Kuaka aims to provide an affordable, quality service and our commitment to keeping costs down for our whānau are reflected in our fees and our fees policy. Parents are asked to ensure their children's fees are kept two weeks in advance. Parents in need of extra support can engage in kōrero with Ngā Kuaka and our whānau to collectively find solutions to help and support each other.
| FEES | Cost per week |
|---|---|
| Under 3 years of age (unsubsidised)* | $190 |
| Over 3 years of age** | $121 |
*Fees for whānau with two or more tamariki under 3 years old that are not fully subsidised by WINZ will be charged at a rate of $129.00 for their second and subsequent children.
**This rate is calculate based on receiving 20 hours free ECE per week. Please contact us if you are not eligible for the ECE hours to discuss your rate.
Te Manutaki
Mā te mana me te orangatonutanga o te reo me ōna tikanga, e whakawhanake ake ai te tuākiri, te pito mata, me te oranga o te whānau whānui tono.
Our Core Values
Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Kuaka values are critical to our ongoing success:
- Aroha
- Whanaungatanga
- Awhina
- Manaakitanga
- Rangatiratanga
- Kotahitanga and
- Wairuatanga
Kaupapa Āpiti
Ngā Kuaka commit to the following kaupapa to ensure we continue to deliver a quality kōhanga reo service to our whānau:
- Te Reo me Ōna Tikanga: Guided by a powerful sense of tikanga and excellence in te reo Māori, Ngā Kuaka will provide an empowering environment which contributes to nuturing the identity, wellbeing and potential of tamariki/mokopuna.
- Level of Care: Providing a safe, caring and innovative environment to support and inspire tamariki on their learning journey.
- Strategic Relationships: Fostering and creating deeper connections between staff and whānau, as well as the wider community for the benefit of our tamariki.
- Management and Operations: Protect the ongoing concern of Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Kuaka as a vehicle which contributes to the survival and prosperity of the Māori language and culture.
Apply Now
Enrolment Enquiries
Te Kohanga Reo o Nga Kuaka are currently taking enrolment enquiries for 2021. If you would like to pre-enrol your tamariki to attend Nga Kuaka, please complete the Pataitai Whakauru. If you have any questions or concerns or need help filling out the form, please do not hesitate to pop in to Ngā Kuaka or call us on (07) 856 2982.
Contact details
Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Kuaka
159 Silverdale Rd, Silverdale, Hamilton 3216
c/- Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton
(07) 856 2982
Like and Follow us on our Ngā Kuaka Facebook page. We use Facebook as another means of communicating with our whānau about events, reminders, lost property, kaupapa, or even just to share a laugh or two.