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Nau mai, haere mai!

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
Kei ngā paringa tai tangata, o Te Tai Tokerau, o Te Tai Rāwhiti, o Te Tai Hauāuru, o Te Tai Tonga, ko ngā tai o mihi ēnei e pari atu nei ki a koutou katoa, nau mai tahuti mai!
Haere mai, karapinepine mai ki tēnei wānanga o mātou, kia kohikohi ngā purapura, kia whakaritea te pārekereke, kia puāwai ngā hua!

We are thrilled to present a transformative one-day Professional Learning and Development event packed with opportunities for growth, learning, and a dash of fun, all set in the heart of Rotorua—one of New Zealand’s most culturally vibrant regions

Join the whānau for a day of inspiration, featuring a lineup of keynote speakers and engage in a range of interactive workshops designed to spark your curiosity and equip you for success.

Don’t miss your chance to elevate your career in the genuine warmth and manaakitanga | hospitality of Rotorua.

Event Details

  • Date: Saturday 17 May 2025
  • Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
    Registration opens: 8:15am
  • Location: Rydges Hotel Rotorua,
                      10 Tryon Street
                      Whakarewarewa
                      Rotorua 3010

Kaupapa

Exclusive accommodation rates

To access these special rates please visit
Rydges Hotel Rotorua

  1. Select your dates and number of people
  2. Click GO
  3. Click I have a code
  4. In the Corporate ID field enter:
    booking code EARLYCHILDHOOD
    (Code expires 17/05/2025)
  5. Click UPDATE
  6. Your special rates will appear on the rates screen

Valid for stays 16/05/25 - 19/05/25

Tickets

  • Members: $375 | With Dinner: $410
  • Non-Members: $550 | With Dinner: $585

2025 Workshop Presenters

Caroline McGlinchy & Donna Eden

Title: Love lifts us up where we belong

Topic: This is a practical workshop to further unpack how we can use a relational and trauma-informed approach to intentionally tend and support children’s emotional and social development. This will focus on key skills to support kaiako to feel confident in supporting emotional and social development. It will give kaiako and kaimahi the opportunity to discuss and practice in a safe environment.

Professor Meihana Durie

Keynote

Title: Identifying & Understanding learning traits and skills in Māori and Polynesian children to guide our teaching.

Workshop

TBC

Arapera Herewini-Card & Jade Whaanga

Title: Te Whāriki: Goals Cards – Goals are for kaiako

Topic: Let’s take a look at The Goals cards! The cards provide support to Kaiako thinking about what they can do to create the environment that tamariki experience. They include prompts to support curriculum design, responding to tamariki and their individual learning and development across the strands of Te Whāriki.

An exciting new resource Te ara Whānui (Part A) and Te ara Māori (Part B) Let’s take a look together.

Leanne Seniloli

Title: Neurodiversity in the Body - Surprising links and strategies to support

Topic: It is said that “There is nothing in the mind that cannot be seen in the body.” Therefore, differences in neural networks can also have a mutual relationship with differences in physical attributes.

This workshop will explore the physical basis of neurodiversity to demonstrate how it also shows up in the body, contributing to behavioural patterns. How the body and movement can impact neural connections is also explored along with the surprising cross over between neurodiverse conditions and retained baby reflexes. Through hands on experience, participants will learn simple easy strategies to support all children.

Stacey Bird

Title: Te Whatu Pōkeka

Topic: Te Whatu Pōkeka is a Kaupapa Māori Assessment of learning framework, that when implemented authentically and meaningfully, is an effective key tool in viewing tamariki learning through a Te Ao Māori lens.

This workshop will provide the fundamental factors that shape what assessment is from a Māori perspective – looking at whānau and whakapapa as a crucial part of observation in a child’s early learning and development.

Raewyn Penman & Dr Bridgette Redder

Title: How babies’ brains work!

Topic: Ever wondered how babies’ brains work and why knowing this is important?

A baby’s brain is highly malleable which means it has a remarkable ability to change with experience. How you interact with babies matters because these experiences will shape their brains. Knowing how babies’ brains work will enable you to be more aware of how your relationships with babies can make a positive difference to their development, learning and life!

Kendra Tike

Title: Embracing your Local Curriculum from a Pasifika Lens

Topic: This workshop will delve into practical ways, of connecting and planning local curriculum, thinking about the ways of being and doing from a Pasifika lens.

From growing and developing community connections to family involvement through activities, language weeks and celebrations that happen throughout the year in your services.

This workshop will be a hands-on experience, that can be taken into your environments to be integrated so that your teams can be confident and competent in leading this space innovatively.

Sandra Tuhakaraina

Title: Weaving tangata whenuatanga, cultural narratives to know what is at your feet.

Topic: Tangata whenuatanga is examined in this workshop as a view of weaving a local curriculum that gives aspirations and learning priorities of hapū, iwi and community as echoed in Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017) and Tātaiako (Ministry of Education, 2011).

Sandra will share how kaiako developed iwi and hapū stories into their early childhood settings. My aim is for you to engage in reflective questions to weave your own tangata whenuatanga, know what is at your feet, into your curriculum, that affirms and embraces learning priorities of hapū, iwi and community.

Dr Penny Smith & Dr Monica Cameron

Title: Effective Leadership: Growing teachers as leaders

Topic: This is an opportunity to come together to explore, discuss and learn about the exciting, yet complex, topic of leadership. We will explore some of the key effective leadership concepts, as well as practical ideas you can use to grow your own leadership capabilities whether you are an experienced leader or an aspiring leader. We will also share findings from a small-scale leadership focused study at Te Rito Maioha, as well as ensuring opportunities to share with and learn from each other.

Unforgettable Highlights from Our 2023 Conference!

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