Values: How we're using them

For the Kidsfirst Sumner team, the Uara help put words to something that is already very much alive in their kindergarten.

"I think everybody, every Kidsfirst Kindergarten is already doing these things, so what we do is just link it – we're already using them," says teacher Remi Kobayashi.

Fellow kaiako, Nicola Gardiner, agrees.

"The Uara and Waypoints connect with our kindergarten priorities, and they're actually things we use a lot, our children use, and our whānau already know. We use them in our positive guidance and feedback to children – 'you're being a kaitiaki', 'you're showing kaitiakitanga because you're doing this, that, or the other.' They're woven into learning stories, planning, different things like that, so it's authentic."

The team have found easy and intuitive ways to weave the Uara Waypoints into every day, and are excited to have new words and ideas to work with.

"Manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga, whanaungatanga – they're all important and we use them all, as everyone does. When we saw the Waypoints, some jumped out. Whakapono and especially whakamanamana – we thought, 'that's a new one!' We put whakamanamana up straight away because we thought it was really, really cool."

Caption: A recent visit from volunteer firefighters was the perfect way to connect activities to the Uara, which have been identified as an area of focus in Sumner's group plan. Mana Tangata (contribution) was one idea that resonated with the team for this visit, along with the Whakaute (Everyone is Welcome Here) Uara.

This links to our current group plan on Mana Tangata – contribution – as well as our own Kidsfirst Uara in action – whakaute – everyone's welcome here, our local community firefighters.

The kaiako weren't the only ones who resonated with the new articulation of these age old ideas.

"Families who came to our Stay & Play said, 'oh, what does that mean? Oh that's really cool,' and a couple of families have even said that 'we find happiness in every day,' sums up what they feel when they come into kindergarten. Even if they don't use the word itself, it's exposing them to different kupu and the ideas around them."

Remi finds that values-based conversations come easily to tamariki.

"We talk a lot about how unique our community is, so it's not hard to have a conversation with children about these sorts of things. Children already know the concept, so it's about the experience. Like, being kind, walking the talk, being accountable and reliable and trustworthy – things we take pride of in this community."

Translating ideas into action is the challenge for many new values projects, but it's something that comes naturally in the world of kindergarten.

"You'll hear tamariki say, 'you need to show manaakitanga'. They're not just understanding the concepts, but they actually use the term and its meaning in what they do. Not all of these ideas immediately resonate with tamariki, but they do speak to parents – for example, whanaungatanga is something they understand in a very tangible way. Even if the parents don't use that word, they understand its meaning and whānau who visit say 'that's exactly what I want for my child to be learning.'"

Seeing the ideas behind the waypoints in action is exciting, especially now that they are coming to life in a more visual way. But, it's the smaller, often routine everyday things that help build them into the very foundations of organisations and teams.

"As a team, we've found the descriptions for each one really valuable. We were working through on the Waypoints yesterday as a team, and Liz, our Head Teacher, connected individual episodes and what we're doing to each one so we could see it as a whole. It helps to draw attention to what we're doing and how it's connected."

Making the Uara accessible and helping whānau connect to them is a key part of the journey for the Sumner team.

"There's this whole idea at kindergarten that the curriculum is kind of alive, evident, and embedded here in a fun way, and we try and do our best to make all learning meaningful and to make it accessible for parents, too. They are very busy, and there is a lot of information coming at them. But, if you can put it in a way that they can engage with, they do."

Nicola reflects on a recent phone call with a mum whose child leaves kindergarten at the end of the year.

"She was saying how overt these ideas are at the kindergarten. Especially whanaungatanga – it was the word she used when she described the difference families notice when visiting us and other places. She spoke of the way that everyone looks our for one another, open play learning, being able to explore the outside – ideas that matter to people, even if they don't have the word for it or even know it."

The Sumner team has a number of projects underway to bring the Uara to life for more families, right at the start of their kindergarten journey.

"We're creating a brochure explaining what people need to know when they come to kindy – the basics like bring this that, but we're also introducing the Uara in an authentic way, so they're there right at the start. We know they're busy and it's not easy to take on new things, but we want to teach them our way of being – and we're in the process of working out the 'how' of that," Nicola says.

“Our goal as a team is to use them more in our conversations, so that’s where we’re starting. We have a whiteboard at the entrance that usually has a whakatauki on it, it’s a great place for the Uara – families see it as they come through the door, and it provides great inspiration for stories and planning, too.”

Nicola and Remi say the key to Sumner’s early success with the Uara lies in their close connections with one another and their own culture as a team.

“We’re a close-knit team, and we’re not afraid to try new things and know we’ll be met with support, not judgement. We’re not afraid to try stuff and just give it a go and see what happens. So I guess we’d say ‘give it a go!' Do it simply, see what comes out of it, reflect on it, and help each other.”

Here are some of the ways Sumner is bringing the Uara to life:

• Whakapono: We walk our talk – we ensure our curriculum is evident in all we do.

• Manaakitanga: We care about each other and keep our place safe.

• Kaitiakitanga: We ensure the learning reaches far and wide.

• Whanaungatanga: We nurture connections so everyone thrives – we reach out to our community and build and sustain relationships.

• Kotahitanga: We're better together – our relationships are strengthened when we work together.

• Whakamanamana: We find happiness in every day – we embrace and we are grateful for the learning opportunites that come with each new day!

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