Home Based Childcare Environment With a Focus on Growth

Our philosophy is to provide a warm, caring and safe home based style childcare environment in which children of all backgrounds and nationalities can strengthen and build their skills and interests while helping us recognise the areas in which we too can develop. We work in collaboration with parents and whanau to strengthen our children's learning and development. By building and maintaining productive relationships with parents and whanau, we combine home and centre practices and values. Children learn through play and are supported by teachers who are tuned in to each child's interests building on their strengths through providing provocations in our environment that encourage their innate curiosity to learn to blossom. In short we aim to spark each and every child to develop an absolute love of learning. 

We also value our children's knowledge as the true experts about themselves and respect the opportunity to learn about each child that attends this centre. Our practice reflects the curriculum's five strands: well-being, belonging, contribution, communication and exploration. Our aim for each child who leaves Shooting Stars is to take with them wonderful memories of a happy environment filled with fun, laughter and magical learning. We want children to be confident risk takers willing to give a try at anything. We embrace a growth mindset both as teacher and with children. We acknowledge some things take time to master and talk of the power of not yet. Children learn to persevere and focus on goals they wish to achieve. The research of Carol Dwek helps guide this aspect of our practice.