Our Centre
As one of the first 4 preschools in Christchurch, we have a rich history. Originally named Donald Duck, the preschool has been serving the local Addington community since 1964. There has been many changes over the years but the links to the original owners remain.
After months of renovations the preschool was relicenced in July 2021. Deb’s and Amy reopened the preschool with the intention of returning high quality care and education to the Addington community. The mother and daughter team have plenty of experience having worked in early childhood for 10+ and 20+ years.
Despite Covid lockdowns hitting shortly after opening, the preschool has steadily grown as we take to get to know and to build relationships with our diverse whānau.
Located in the heart of Addington the preschool is just off Lincoln road and Brougham Street, convenient for local families or parents traveling in to the city for work.
We invite you to come and have a look around our centre and see our awesome facilities, and meet our teaching team - give us a call or email to make a time to visit.
Large Outdoor Space
We are so lucky to have an incredible outdoor space, one of the biggest preschool playgrouonds within Christchurch including a large grass area, bike tracks, sandpit, mud kitchen with herb garden and mature fruit trees.
Our children love exploring the outdoor area and regardless of weather we we encourage outdoor play and learning everyday.
Our Preschool
Our preschool space offers many different spaces for our children to explore.
Our preschool is a mix of both structured time and free play. We believe both are vital for a child’s wellbeing, learning and growth.
During our structured times, children learn how to identify and regulate their emotions, solve problems, work toward, improve active listening and refine communication skills and they gain a sense of belonging and familiarity in having routine to their day.
Unstructured play builds important qualities such as self independence, social skills, imagination, curiosity, creativity, and empathy. This free play lets children enjoy a sense of freedom and to drive their own learning allowing them to follow their own curiosities in a safe and stimulating environment.
Our Nursery
Our nursery is homely and small, catering for up to 9 under two’s. We follow a RIE philosophy which is based on having strong relationships between the child and the teachers. Having a minimum attendance of 3 days allows the teachers truly get to know the individual child and the children build a stong sense of belonging as our nursery becomes a home away from home. Our teachers learn to trust the child to be an initiator of what they are ready to explorer to learn. We provide the children with plenty of time for uninterrupted play in our purposefully planned, inviting and stimulating environment. Our teachers skillfully offer enough help to allow the child to enjoy mastery of their own actions
