For over 50 years, Redhills Community Kindergarten has nurtured generations of young children in Massey.
‘We are passionate about giving every tamariki the best start on their education journey,’ declares manager and teacher Pauline Stratful. And as a community-run kindy, Redhills has a special place in the hearts of many locals. Pauline knows that better than anyone as she attended the kindy as a young child herself.
Learning through play is what kindergartens are all about. And Redhills offers a fun and stimulating environment that supports the imaginations and develops the inquisitive minds of kids aged 2-6.
From arts and crafts to music and dance, there’s a wide variety of exciting activities on offer that change daily. Redhills also has a fantastic outdoor playground where kids can climb, slide and ride to their hearts’ content.
Furthermore, gardening is a strong focus of the curriculum at Redhills. ‘We love to garden with the children,’ reports Pauline. ‘From seed to harvest, our kids enjoy learning about nature and sharing their hard work with whānau as food on the table,’ she adds.
Redhills is a not-for-profit kindergarten run by a dedicated committee of parents, teachers, and community members. Fees are kept as low as possible so that more families can benefit. The kindy offers 20 hours per week of free education for two-year-olds and 30 hours for 3–5-year-olds, with additional hours available at a minimal cost.
Pauline says that funds are often tight, especially during Covid when the kindy was shut for weeks at a time. When Redhills was finally able to open again, keeping the show on the road was difficult when the bank balance was low.
However, applying to the Your West Support Fund made a difference at a crucial time. ‘We noticed more children on our roll needed extra support,’ Pauline reports. She advises that the $5,000 has contributed towards the costs of a teacher aide to help support these children to continue with mainstream education.
‘We are passionate about what we do,’ says Pauline. ‘And we want to give every child a chance to fully participate in our fantastic learning environment,’ she adds.
Redhills Community Kindergarten is situated at 372 Don Buck Road, Massey. New children are always welcome, so get in touch for more information.