Samantha
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About Me
Kia ora, I’m Sam and I live in Alfriston with my two small dogs. I like taking them for walks all around Auckland, spending time with family, crafting and reading. Early childhood education has also long been a passion of mine, and I enjoy continually learning and growing as a teacher alongside children.
I have a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) and have been working in Early Education for 20+ years, in centre environments. Over that time I have come to appreciate even more the importance of strong authentic connections between children and kaiako (teachers), and the value of calm, unhurried, nurturing, engaging and safe environments for children to flourish. That has seen me make the move into Home-Based Early Learning and join Stems FROM HOME.
Our Time Together
I believe play is a vital vehicle through which children learn and grow, and that they should be active participants in their learning journey, supported by present and intentional teachers. My home learning environments are set up to utilise materials and media for children to express and refine their thoughts and ideas, follow their schemes of thinking, and engage in meaningful social interactions with others. I especially enjoy cooking with tamariki (children), storytelling and supporting children to bring their creative and imaginative ideas to life with clay and carpentry.
Spending time outdoors and in different natural environments is an important part of my curriculum as I feel that hands-on lived experiences in the natural world enable children to develop their own ecological identity. This includes exploring local parks, beaches, bush, and the Auckland Botanic Gardens which are nearby.
We explore places out in the community to enrich the children’s learning experiences and to connect them with their community and the wider world around them. This might be through trips to the supermarket, garden centres, hardware stores, library, and taking part in the regular group events and playgroups that Stems FROM HOME runs.
Stems FROM HOME Programme
Stems FROM HOME run a varied weekly programme that all of our Educators and whānau are welcome to attend. This includes;
Playgroup, Little Groovers Music, Korikori Tinana/Active Movement, Kaititiro Whenua (community explorers), and Art in The Park. We also frequently visit the local Rest Home and O Wairoa Marae, and do workshops for the children at Bunnings. All information is shared in our term flyer.
House Keeping
*Bachelor in Education (Teaching) Level 7
*First Aid/Civil Defence Kit * Cot/bed * Highchair * Car seats
* Personal linen and hand towels
*Daily Journals detailing your child’s experiences and routines
* A quiet home environment, in which children are able to have really good naps (if needed). If your child has a dummy or security object for sleep time, please send these inside their bag.
*Every child has their own portfolio, a keepsake of their journey with me. This will include monthly learning stories, snippets of their learning day and samples of their artwork/learning. I use Educa and Facebook to communicate daily with whānau
* A change of clothes and a waterproof wet-bag, as we like to fully experience everything we do!
* A hat and sunblock in summertime. Please apply sun block to your child in the morning and I will reapply during the day.
* Gumboots and a raincoat for the rainy months
* Sufficient nappies, wipes/cream, bibs, and feeding bottles
* A healthy packed lunchbox and a water bottle
Please remember to bring along your child’s Stems Journal. These are a useful communication tool for sharing daily entries about your child’s day, care routines, happenings and up-coming events).
