Cultivating a sense of connection with the nearby mountain range
In a unique and inspiring initiative, Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten is fostering a deep connection between children and their local maunga (mountains) through the use of pepeha and field trips. Led by educators Olivia Ng and Jacqui Lees, the programme has seen children visiting Pigeon Mountain and Maungarei, with the unexpected cancellation of the latter leading to a memorable trip to Ōhuiarangi instead.
The project, supported by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative Fund from government funding, managed by the New Zealand Council for Education Research, aims to help children establish a sense of identity and belonging to their local environment. By focusing on shared experiences in New Zealand, rather than individual ethnicities, the kindergarten encourages all children to connect with the land, regardless of their background.
Each child is given an opportunity to take pictures of things that are meaningful to them during their visits, and to discuss and draw pictures of their mountains and the land they have a strong relationship with. This approach allows children to express their unique stories, which Olivia Ng, one of the kindergarten's educators, finds enjoyable.
The kindergarten's approach to connecting children with their local maunga is rooted in the Māori concept of pepeha. A pepeha is a Māori form of self-introduction that connects people to their ancestral mountains, rivers, and iwi. By collecting pepehas from new families, the kindergarten's educators can learn about their origins and use this information to connect with the local maunga mentioned in the pepehas.
The children have shown a strong connection to the maunga, with many referring to Maungarei/Mount Wellington as "our mountain". However, their ideas about Maungarei suggested that the mountain may not have wanted them to visit. Despite this, the kindergarten's educators continue to encourage the children to respect and appreciate the maunga, emphasising the importance of sharing the mountain with families and considering it as a friend.
The kindergarten's approach to early childhood education is inclusive and culturally diverse, with more than 100 languages for expression, including drawing, art, and drama. By connecting children with their local maunga, the kindergarten is not only fostering a love for the natural world, but also promoting respect for local Māori heritage.
For more detailed and specific information on Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten's methods, it would be best to consult their official communications or contact the kindergarten directly. A photo of Mt Mangere is courtesy of GeoNet.
- The Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten, through their home-and-garden program, is facilitating children's exploration of local maunga, fostering not only a love for the environment but also a sense of lifestyle rooted in education-and-self-development, allowing each child to learn about and express their unique stories through pictures, discussion, and drawing.
- In addition to the maunga exploration, the kindergarten encourages learning about shared New Zealand experiences and cultural diversity, with over 100 languages used for expression, including art, drama, and learning about the Māori concept of pepeha to establish a sense of identity and belonging to the local environment.
