Mt Wellies ELC

Calling all Mum's, Dad's and whānau!

If you're pregnant or starting to plan your return to work, now's a great time to check out your childcare options for 2027. Or perhaps you're already looking for the perfect place for your little one to learn, play, and thrive?

Now is the time to secure your spot at Mt Wellies Childcare!

Our spaces for 2027 are filling quickly, and we'd love to welcome your whānau into our caring learning community.

At Mt Wellies Childcare, your child will enjoy:
🌱 A nurturing, home-like environment
🌞 Exciting adventures and fun
🎨 Learning through exploration, play and meaningful experiences
🤝 Caring teachers who build strong relationships with children and families

Whether you're planning ahead for maternity leave or exploring your childcare options, we invite you to come and see what makes Mt Wellies so special!

Book a tour today and secure your 2027 enrolment before spaces are gone!

09 573 1293
[email protected]
www.mtwellies.co.nz

Does your child come home from Mt Wellies looking extra colourful with paint, felts, or crayon on their clothes? A bit of glue stuck to their shirt? Perhaps they have a hidden stash of sand in their pockets or shoes? Or maybe the classic green and brown smudges from rolling down the hill or running through the garden?

While the washing pile might seem endless, we encourage you to change your lens and look a little deeper behind the mess.

These experiences are an important part of our curriculum, Te Whāriki (New Zealand's early childhood curriculum), and are often signs of a very busy day spent exploring, investigating, experimenting, making discoveries, and engaging in hands-on learning.

When children are deeply engaged in their play and learning, staying clean is rarely their focus—and that's okay! We would much rather see tamariki fully immersed in meaningful learning experiences than worried about keeping their clothes spotless.

As children paint, dig, create, build, climb, mix, and explore, they are developing confidence as capable learners, strengthening their creativity and problem-solving skills, building resilience, and learning about the world around them through all of their senses.

To help support these rich learning opportunities, we kindly ask whānau to:

• Dress children in clothes that can get messy.
• Keep a set of "daycare clothes" specifically for their days at Mt Wellies.
• Ensure at least two full, named changes of clothes are packed each day.
• Send weather-appropriate clothing so tamariki can confidently participate in both indoor and outdoor learning experiences.

The paint on their sleeves, the dirt under their fingernails, the sand in their shoes, and the muddy footprints are all signs of a day filled with fun, discovery, creativity, and learning 😉/

💙 Meet Kathy - our Administrator 💙

Every team needs someone who keeps everyone else organised... and for us, that's Kathy!

From answering emails and keeping paperwork under control to making sure nothing gets forgotten, Kathy is the one working her magic behind the scenes.

Fun fact: Kathy is also our manager - Kim's mum, so you could say keeping everyone in line comes naturally 😆

She's always happy to lend a hand, have a chat, and make sure things run smoothly. We're so lucky to have Kathy as part of our Mt Wellies family 💙

Ka mau te wehi — We did it!!!

A huge ngā mihi and THANK YOU to all of our whānau across the Centre and beyond who supported our Rata (Preschool) classroom Zoo fundraiser.

Whether you donated raffle items, purchased tickets, or made a contribution, every act of generosity helped us reach this amazing milestone. Your support, kindness, and community spirit have been incredible, and we are so grateful. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Together, we raised an incredible $1,300+! 🦁🐒🦒

This fantastic effort meets our goal to cover the cost of our Zoo trip, and all remaining funds will be invested back into the Rata Room for more resources and learning experiences for our tamariki.

Watch this space for when we post our exciting day out at the Zoo!

Mauri ora,
💚 The Rata Team

Yuppy, Katie, Nikkita, Muditha & Amasha

👩‍🍳 Meet Chef Poppy – the heart and soul behind our kitchen! ❤️

As a mum herself, Chef Poppy knows just how important it is to create meals that kids will actually enjoy eating.

At the heart of everything we do is balance. We believe in making meals as healthy and nutritious as possible, covering a range of different proteins, fiber and flavour. Poppy knows that food should be enjoyed, and life is all about balance which still leaves room for a treat every now and then!🍎🍪

We're lucky to have her leading the way in our kitchen! ❤️

Today we're shining the spotlight on our amazing Centre Manager - Kim Dawson!

With a Bachelor of Education (ECE) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Years), she has dedicated almost 20 years to teaching and leading in the Early Childhood sector. Since becoming Manager here in 2018, she has helped shape Mt Wellies into the warm, welcoming centre it is today. In fact, many would say Mt Wellies is her second home!

Leadership has always been her passion, and her vision for Mt Wellies is built on creativity, kindness, and thinking outside the box. She is incredibly proud of the unique culture we've created together with the team — a place where tamariki, whānau, and kaiako feel connected, valued, and inspired every day.

The aroha, sense of belonging, and strong relationships that fill our centre each day are a reflection of her dedication and commitment to our community.

Thank you for your passion, leadership, and the heart you bring to Mt Wellies every single day. 💚

Meet Our Fabulous Rata (Preschool) Team! 🌟

Behind all the laughter, learning, adventures, and endless questions of "why?" is our incredible Preschool Team!

Leading the charge is the force that is our Head Teacher Yuppy 💪✨. With a huge heart, and a talent for keeping up with a room full of busy preschoolers, Yuppy helps create an environment where children feel confident, supported, and excited to learn.

Alongside Yuppy is an amazing team of teachers who bring patience, creativity, kindness, and plenty of fun to every day. Whether they're building forts, exploring nature, encouraging independence, or helping little minds prepare for school, they put their all into making each day meaningful.

Our preschool room is a place where friendships grow, confidence blossoms, and every child is encouraged to be themselves. We're so grateful for this wonderful team and the care, enthusiasm, and dedication they bring every single day. ❤️

🎉 THANK YOU, MT WELLIES WHĀNAU & COMMUNITY! 🎉

Our Mt Wellies Raffle has officially come to an end, and we would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets, donated prizes, shared our posts, and supported our fundraiser for our preschool tamariki's upcoming Auckland Zoo trip 🦁🐒

Thanks to your incredible generosity and support, we have raised valuable funds to help create meaningful learning experiences and unforgettable memories for our tamariki.

🎊 Congratulations to all of our raffle winners! 🎊
We hope you enjoy your prizes, and thank you once again for supporting our fundraiser.

💛 A special thank you goes to our amazing sponsors and donors who generously contributed prizes. Your kindness and support helped make this fundraiser such a success.

Thank you once again to our incredible Mt Wellies whānau, sponsors, and wider community. Your support means the world to us and to our tamariki. We can't wait to share photos and stories from our Auckland Zoo adventure with you all soon! 🥰

Ngā mihi nui,
The Mt Wellies Team 💚

Meet Our Terrific Pohutukawa (Toddler) Team! ❤

Our toddies are curious, energetic, determined, and always on the move—and they are supported every day by an incredible team of teachers led by our superstar Assistant Manager & Head Teacher - Deepika, who embrace every moment of this exciting stage of development.

Our Toddler Team is passionate about creating an environment where children feel confident to explore, take risks, build friendships, and develop their growing independence. Whether it's supporting first words, encouraging problem-solving, helping children work through big feelings, or celebrating new achievements, this team is there every step of the way.

Every day brings new adventures, discoveries, and milestones, and our Toddler Team embraces them all with patience, enthusiasm, and plenty of smiles. Their ability to balance nurturing care, important boundaries and real life opportunities for independence helps children build the confidence and skills that prepare them for the next stage of their learning journey - preschool!

We are so grateful for the dedication, energy, and heart they bring to our Centre each day. Thank you wonderful ladies for supporting our toddlers as they grow, learn, and discover the world around them. 💚

Meet Our Incredible Mamaku (babies) Team!

Our baby room is led by our wonderful Head Teacher Lica and her dedicated team of amazing kaiako/teachers who bring experience, warmth, and genuine care to each and every day. A few of these wonderful teachers have been with us since we first opened our doors 10 years ago, and together they have created a nurturing environment where our youngest learners feel safe, loved, and supported.

As primary caregivers, they build strong, trusting relationships with our babies and their whānau, providing the consistency and connection that is so important in those early years. Many of our teachers are mums themselves, bringing not only professional knowledge but also a deep understanding of the love, patience, and care that babies need to thrive.

Thank you to our Baby Team for the love, care, and nurturing they provide every single day 💕👶