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Tuakana/Teina Relationships
"Mā te tuakana ka tōtika te teina, mā te teina ka tōtika te tuakana - From the older sibling the younger is corrected, from the younger sibling the older is corrected."
At BestStart Waihi East, we are lucky to be like one big happy family! We have kind and caring children in Nga Tuakana (over 2s) who ensure that the younger children from our Nga Teina (Under 2s room), are taken care of when transitioning. They are welcomed in and shown the ropes by our older children. With an influx of 2yr olds and many 4yr olds the Tuakana/Teina way of learning is thriving.
Our older children ensure the younger children are able to settle into Nga Tuakana, which often ensures that transitions from Nga Teina go smoothly. The tuakana/teina relationships in our centre were also evident when we watched one of our teachers recently graduate through the live stream link. We cheered on from our centre when we saw her walk across the stage in her gown and hat.
We could relate that back to our own four year old graduates, and our younger children look forward to cheering them on when they eventually leave us and head to school.