What people are saying

Hi Melanie,
Thanks so much for all you do for her.
I know it’s a job but you and the team are really superb and Lorna has a ball every kindy day, learning things I couldn’t teach her. It’s fabulous. Her and Jakob often tell me on the way to kindy about how they love each teacher. It’s very sweet.
Thanks and regards,

As a very tired Lucy was going off to sleep tonight (rather early), she called me over to say “Mummy, I love my kindy”. I just thought you would like to know as you all do such a great job. We really appreciate what a happy, friendly and productive learning environment you have created. As a parent “I love my kindy” is such a good thing to hear!
thanks again

We are absolutely delighted to see how happy our two children are at Pōhutukawa kindy. Both found the transition to kindy a little daunting. We were so impressed with how the teachers handled the drop offs and comforted our children. It didn’t take long before the kids were telling us to hurry up and get to kindy in the mornings.
We are so grateful to be part of the Pōhutukawa Kindy community. Our two children have had so much fun participating in activities like the Ellerslie Santa Parade, end of year shows, Playball , Pajama days, Wacky Wednesdays, Christmas Parties and day to day activities like tending the vege garden.
We are so pleased that we decided to go with a kindergarten experience for our two children. We really believe that they have benefited the small and peaceful environment and the short sessions which have increased in duration as they have gotten older. We can’t recommend Pohutakawa kindy enough.
The teaching staff at Pohutakawa kindy are very caring, incredibly insightful in regards to children’s personalities and individual needs, and have provided wonderfully enriching and challenging opportunities for our two children to learn about the world and to develop friendships in a play based environment. If you’re weighing up different child care options Pōhutukawa kindy should be your first pick.

Hi Team PK…
Just wanted to give you some feedback on the boys kindy books which I brought home the other day to catch up on…
Chris and I so loved reading them… we just loved the stories you have all done, I think most of the time I can guess who has written them which is a lovely recognition of the personal approach you all have with our whole family..
The stories were so detailed and ‘real’ and very much gave a wonderful insight into the boys play and exactly what they are doing and who they are playing with. The detail recognises the close attention and interest you have with the boys and their time at PK.
Very funny and entertaining and some also made me realise why some comments/role playing and little stories come up at home – which often seem so random to us…??!!!
Thanks soooo much for your care and attention…

Both of my children went to Pohutukawa kindy and have made the transition to school with ease and confidence. 
The teaching team is amazing!  They work with you as a family and genuinely care for your children.  
The teachers support the kids in such a safe and fun environment. Encouraging  independence and confidence through things like making their own sandwiches, managing a lunchbox and helping with toilet training are just a few of the many skills my children have learnt through kindy.  Also, the Mahi Wha programme is engaging and was a great introduction to number and letter recognition.
By the time my children turned five they were ready to start their school journey.  They have both settled in well and are thriving. 
I can highly recommend this wonderful kindy and we absolutely loved our time there.

I can not recommend Pōhutukawa Kindergarten enough. Both our children have gone through the Ellerslie location and we believe were so prepared for school because of Pōhutukawas.
Like any parent, we were very picky when it came time for our kids to attend a kindy or daycare, and we instantly knew PK was the right place for us. It’s a lovely fun and safe environment for kids and the teachers are amazing and always go the extra mile. We will really miss being apart of the Pōhutukawa family when it’s time for our youngest to leave.
Thank you to all the staff for making this time in our lives so easy and memorable.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Pōhutukawa Kindy. The team is full of such warm and caring individuals who genuinely care about every child and they welcome each family into the Kindy community. The programme is tailored very well to each age group so that children continue to learn and grow from beginning to end, and the fabulous fours programme in particular is an excellent transition before school. We feel so lucky that this kindy was recommended to us.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of teaching many children who have attended Pohutukawa Kindergarten and I must say that they are doing something right!  I have noticed the children that have come through Pohutukawa Kindy are confident and ‘school ready’, making the transition to school with ease. Whatever formula the kindy is using, it works. 

The children from the Pohutukawa Kindy transition well from the Early childhood set-up to the more formal structure of school. They have developed foundation skills in their literacy and numeracy which we can build and develop. The programmes offered at Pohutukawa kindy are preparing these children for a successful transition and setting them up for success at school.

Hi Melanie
Thank you for your time yesterday. I found it really reassuring and positive and it was great to hear that Grace was doing so well.
But I feel awful because I forgot to say yesterday something I really wanted to say (sorry, I think my brain is still a little addled from being so sick) …
Mark and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your team for doing such a phenomenal job with Grace. She is so secure, settled, safe and happy at your beautiful little kindy and I know that is because she is so well loved and cared for there. Thank you to you all for everything that you have done for her. As you know, it has been a been a very challenging couple of years for us all and Grace is coped well in the scheme of things and we know a lot of that can be attributed to the consistency of Pōhutukawa Kindy.
We know that she is a very special little girl and we know that you do too. Thank you for being so loving and understanding towards her.

We love Pōhutukawa Kindergarten it’s our daughters home away from home. Isla was at a large corporate daycare and was very unhappy. She cried at every drop off, refused to go outside, wasn’t engaged and was learning bad habits.
From the moment we walked into Pōhutukawa Kindy we felt home. Kindy is always full of laughter, learning and excitement. Independence is encouraged in a supportive environment from caring for yourself and your own belongings to making sandwiches for lunch: The teachers are engaging and create a peaceful enriching environment where there is always a new challenge available such as building, baking or science.
When I asked our Isla what she loves about kindy she said, all the teachers, the hair salon, walks with Wendy to get the bread for lunch, gumboot day, water Wednesday, playball, the treaty and her friends. We love the learning journal stories, being part of the wider Kindy community, dads night, the packets of veggie’s that are sent home the children have grown and being part of the Ellerslie Santa parade.
Moving to Pōhutukawa Kindy is the the best things we could have done for Isla and our family. Isla is a confident, happy, engaged little girl and that’s largely down to the support from kindy! Thank you for having us!