Skye started at Little Stars at 24 months old. Prior to joining she was becoming more vocal but she had a limited vocabulary. Within around two months of joining the Little Stars gang she was counting to ten! Skye loves the tasks used to develop fine motor skills, such as pouring water, cutting with scissors, threading beads and opening and closing buttons. She has been taught skills that she now uses at home, she puts on her own shoes and trousers. All of these skills/tasks have given her independence and she is so proud of her achievements.

Skye has made some beautiful friendships with the other little stars. It's a real pleasure to see her personality grow in a nurturing environment where the children are taught to respect one another.

I really believe that the level of care that the teachers provide to the students of Little Stars is top quality and the best available. Before joining Little Stars, I read the Education Review Office (ERO) review of the centre and was really impressed with the evaluation. Developmentally Skye has thrived and I am looking forward to watching her grow

— Chloe Swart

"He Tāonga te tamaiti, whakatipu, arohaina"

As a couple and as parents Jay and I have always had an affinity with children, an understanding of their mastery as teachers, and a commitment to repatriating future generations to Māori learning and knowing systems grounded in peace education. Raising Te Āio speaking child, with little understanding of English, were unsure as to whether Montessori was the right option for us, but we knew we wanted to immerse our child in a learning system closest to our own traditional Māori learning systems.

Our first visit to Little Star Montessori alleviated any anxieties I had as a first-time parent being prepared to leave my child with strangers. We immediately noticed how peacefully children were engaged in the activities and how much they enjoyed play. We knew Little Star was the right option for our child. In only a year at Montessori, Te Āio’s language capacity has grown, he has acquired an English fluency which has only enhanced his Reo Māori, and we love the way that the teachers are always growing their own Te Reo capacity. We are incredibly grateful to the learning environment of Little Star Montessori for the way in which Te Āio is given the freedom to learn and explore at his own pace in a way that we believe will encourage him to be a lifelong learner. The way that Te Āio is able to participate at kura has provided him a sense of responsibility, and a confidence in how he participates with others. He constantly challenges us as parents, fights for his independence and reinforces his need to be learning all the time, in turn he provides us with ongoing learning opportunities.

The kaiako at Little Star Montessori exhibit a deep consciousness, apparent in their ability to observe and interact with each child, to understand the needs of the child and to set clear boundaries, providing safety for the children. The Kaiako team never hesitate to let us know when something needs to b addressed, and always check-in and support us as parents, in a way that we feel like it is a village raising Te Āio collectively. 

Ngā mihi ki a koutou, me ō ringa manaaki, ngākau māhaki. 
"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence"

Nāku

— Janell Dymus-Kurei

We could never have anticipated how much we would love Little Star Montessori Education for our daughters. They both have blossomed under the nurturing care and respect of the highly qualified teachers. Over the past 3 years, the teachers have become our go to experts for resolving any issues that our children experience whether that be at school or home. With their guidance we have learnt and implemented many Montessori principles in our parenting and our home. Little Star has become an extension of our home, and we as parents feel safe and secure in the knowledge that our young girls are being cared for at the highest level when we aren’t able to. We highly recommend Little Star for preschool education, they truly value our daughters and their needs.

— Shreya Patel