Rutherford Street Kindergarten

21/08/2026

We’ve had a few too many cheeky little bees buzzing around our water trough lately, so our curious tamariki got busy researching and learning all about how we can help keep both our bees and ourselves safe. 🐝🌿

Together, we created a mini bee tray — a safe little spot where our bees can have a drink and stay fed, while helping us keep the water trough and our kindergarten environment safe for our tamariki.

It’s been a wonderful opportunity for learning, problem-solving and caring for the living things in our environment. ❤️🐝

16/08/2026

🌟 Monday Meet the Team🌟

This Monday, we’re celebrating our wonderful Tina! 💛

Tina has been a valued member of the RSK team since 2016, bringing her creativity, enthusiasm and caring nature to everything she does.

She has a fantastic knack for coming up with fun and exciting activities for the children, from arts and crafts to baking and cooking. 🧁👩‍🍳🎨 Tina always finds ways to make learning fun and create special experiences for the kids.

We’re so lucky to have Tina as part of our RSK whānau! Thank you, Tina, for all the creativity, joy and energy you bring to our team and the children.

12/08/2026

We are so excited to share our beautiful new website with you! A huge thank you to Dominique for putting so much time, creativity and care into designing it. We absolutely love it!

Our new website now features:
• Our enquiry form
• Information about our settling process
• Our incredible teachers
• And so much more!

We’d love for you to take a look around and discover everything our website has to offer.

Thank you, Dominique, for creating such a beautiful and informative space for our RSK whānau. 💛

👉 Click the link below to have a look!
https://www.rutherfordstkinder.co.nz

We would love to welcome you and your whānau to Rutherford Street Kindergarten | Te Puna Kōhungahunga o Piki Mai. Choosing the right early childhood education service is an important decision. We are always happy to answer questions, arrange a visit, and support you through the enrolment process s...

30/07/2026

We’re on Instagram too! 💚

We would love our Facebook whānau and friends to join us over on Instagram. Follow along for glimpses of kindergarten life, learning, events and updates from RSK.

Tap below to follow us 👇

27/07/2026

Meet the Team Monday ✨

This week, we’re excited to introduce our wonderful kaiako, Georgia! 💚

She has been part of our RSK whānau since April 2024 and has become such a valued member of our teaching team. She brings warmth, kindness and a sense of fun to the kindy each day, building caring and genuine relationships with our tamariki and whānau.

Georgia is passionate about creating an inclusive environment where every tamaiti feels safe, valued and empowered to learn through play. She enjoys following the interests of our tamariki, nurturing their confidence and independence, and celebrating the unique strengths each child brings to our kindergarten community.

We’re so grateful to have Georgia as part of our team and for the care, enthusiasm and positive energy she shares with us each day. 🌿

26/07/2026

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our special Matariki celebration at Rutherford Street Kindergarten. 🌟

It was a beautiful evening filled with connection, laughter, and togetherness as we shared delicious soup lovingly prepared with the help of our tamariki, sang waiata, and danced together to celebrate this special time of year.

Ngā mihi nui to our wonderful tamariki, dedicated kaiako, and supportive whānau for helping make this event so memorable. Your contributions, kindness, and community spirit made the evening truly special.

Matariki reminds us to reflect, celebrate, and look forward with hope—and we are so grateful to have shared this meaningful occasion with you all. 💙✨

20/07/2026

✨ Meet the Team Monday ✨

This week, we’re excited to introduce our lovely kaiako, Amber! 💛

Amber brings warmth, creativity, and a genuine passion for supporting tamariki to learn, grow, and thrive. Her love for the environment and kaitiakitanga shines through in her teaching as she encourages tamariki to connect with, explore, and care for te taiao.

Her caring nature and creative spark make her such a special part of our centre whānau.

We love seeing Amber share her passions with our tamariki and help nurture a new generation of curious, caring, kaitiaki. 🌿💚

13/07/2026

✨ Meet the Team Monday ✨

This week, we’re excited to introduce our wonderful Centre Manager, Dominique! 💛

Dominique is a registered teacher who brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and passion for early childhood education. She is dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming environment where every child feels safe, supported, and inspired to learn and grow.

Her commitment to building strong relationships with children, whānau, and our team helps make our centre a place where everyone feels they belong.

If you see Dominique around the centre, be sure to say hello! 👋 We’re so grateful to have her leading our team.

08/07/2026

Introducing our refreshed logo and te reo Māori name 🌿

We are excited to share the refreshed logo for Rutherford Street Kindergarten, alongside our te reo Māori name, Te Puna Kōhungahunga o Piki Mai.

We will continue to be known as Rutherford Street Kindergarten, with our te reo Māori name sitting alongside it as an important part of our centre’s identity and connection to place.

Our new logo reflects our local whenua, wai, and community here in Whakatū, including Puke Tirohia Mārama (the Grampians), the Mahitahi Awa, the nearby moana, and the growth and unfolding potential represented through the koru.

We are very grateful to Karo and Marcos at MaKa Creations for the care, creativity, and mahi they have put into bringing this logo to life.

We look forward to gradually introducing the new logo and name across our signage, documents, online spaces, and kindergarten materials over the coming months.

Ngā mihi nui,
The Rutherford Street Kindergarten team
Te Puna Kōhungahunga o Piki Mai

06/07/2026

🐸 Meet the newest members of the Rutherford Street Kindergarten whānau! 🐸

Over the past few months, our tamariki have had the incredible opportunity to watch these little friends transform from tiny tadpoles into happy, jumpy frogs.

This journey has been so much more than simply observing a life cycle. Our frogs have helped the children develop a deeper understanding of how living things grow and change, while also teaching valuable lessons about kindness, empathy, and the responsibility that comes with caring for others.

The tamariki have taken great pride in looking after our frogs and their environment, making sure they have everything they need to thrive. They have been curious observers, gentle caregivers, and enthusiastic learners every step of the way.

Watching our kindy friends grow and transform has been a wonderful reminder that learning is everywhere – sometimes it even comes with tiny legs and a big jump! 💚
We’re so proud of the care and respect our tamariki have shown, and we can’t wait to see what adventures our little frog friends bring next.