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Welcome from our Centre Manager
Levon Pretorius
Kia ora, I’m Levon. I am a fully Registered Teacher with a Diploma in Education (ECE), and I have worked in the early childhood sector for over 15 years. I am passionate about working alongside our kaiako to create meaningful learning experiences that support our children to thrive, build strong relationships, and grow into capable, confident contributors to society.
My philosophy is strongly influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach, and I believe that the environment acts as the third teacher, playing a vital role in children’s learning and development. I am also passionate about supporting our kaiako in their professional growth and helping to nurture the next generation of leaders.
Exploring, Discovering, and Caring for Our Coastal World
Your little one will love the fresh ocean breezes, unhurried rhythms, and the individual attention they receive each day. Little Coasties is childcare Whangaparaoa families trust, nestled within the coastal community of Little Manly. Our local curriculum is inspired by the moana, the changing seasons, and the natural beauty that surrounds us.
We are incredibly fortunate to be conveniently located just a short two-minute stroll from our local Little Manly beach, which naturally becomes an extension of our learning environment. This unique setting offers our tamariki regular opportunities to explore, discover, and connect with the coastal world in meaningful ways.
Through the use of natural, open-ended resources and age-appropriate materials, we create teachable moments that spark curiosity, creativity, and a sense of kaitiakitanga (guardianship). With plenty of space to explore, discover, and play, children are supported to develop a deep connection to their environment while engaging in happy, learning-focused experiences that reflect the unique identity of our coastal setting.
Manly Childcare Centre Classrooms
Little Coasties offers 3 x age-tailored spaces to support children at their individual learning stage.
Babies Room (Ages 0-2)
The kaiako in our Babies Room support and empower each child as a unique individual, laying the foundations for capable and confident learners. They work alongside tamariki as co-researchers, providing a safe environment that promotes well-being and belonging. A primary care system ensures secure attachments and helps meet each child's needs within the Little Coasties community.
Toddler Room (Ages 2-3)
In our Toddler Room, our kaiako strive to create a fun, safe, and nurturing learning environment where tamariki can make choices, take risks, engage in various play activities, and develop independence and self-help skills. Our focus is on fostering each child's well-being and supporting their individual interests in a supportive and encouraging setting.
Preschool (ages 3-6)
Here, tamariki are welcomed into the preschool Whangaparaoa has grown to know and love, where respectful and reciprocal relationships are the foundation of our community. We work alongside and collaborate with whānau to strengthen our connections, and celebrate children’s achievements and uniqueness. Learning opportunities through play support children’s holistic development and readiness for school.
Food & Nutrition
With the inviting smell of home-cooked meals and baking, you won’t have to search very far to find our fabulous and passionate childcare centre cook who freshly prepares all meals in the heart of our centre.
Nourish Menus
Across morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, our Nourish menu provides delicious meals that are minimally processed, avoiding recipes high in added sugar and instead using fresh, real and wholesome ingredients. Children are provided with well-balanced meals from the four main food groups (breads and cereals, milk and milk products, fruit and vegetables, lean meat and meat alternatives).
Learning Through Baking
Teachers also do regular baking with the children, which provides them opportunities to engage and learn a range of food preparation skills and fine motor movements such as pouring, sifting, and spooning. It is a great hands-on sensory experience for children to develop independence through self-help skills, and practise simple maths as they measure and count quantities.
Promoting Sustainability
We have partnered with City to Farm in their Zero Waste Zero Carbon in Schools Programme to divert food scraps from landfills, instead providing local farms with compost for their banana palm plantations.
At Little Coasties, we use a bokashi compost system where we place our food scraps in a bucket, and the children take turns sprinkling bokashi over them. The bokashi inoculant ferments the food scraps, pickling them to minimise odours and speed up their breakdown into topsoil. Bins are collected weekly and transported to a local Hibiscus Coast farm for use.
Our Curriculum
Children are reflective thinkers and explorers. By selecting their learning and play-based experiences, your child's capabilities grow. Parents love the rich sense of community found in our little slice of paradise. The curriculum at Little Coasties reflects our philosophy for strong relationships. It values input from parents, teachers, whānau, children, and our wonderful community.
Learning by the Sea
The beach is a valued part of our local curriculum. Our kaiako are passionate about taking children on regular excursions, where learning comes to life through hands-on experiences. You will often find us exploring rock pools, observing marine life, collecting natural resources for creative projects, and caring for our environment through simple acts like picking up rubbish. These experiences foster curiosity, respect for the natural world, and a growing sense of kaitiakitanga, while also supporting children to build confidence, resilience, and a deep connection to the place they call home.
School Readiness Programme
Our School Readiness Programme provides a calm, engaging start to the day, where children are supported to ease into their morning in a familiar and nurturing environment. We recognise this time as an important opportunity to foster a strong sense of belonging and well-being, aligning with the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, particularly Mana Atua (Well-being) and Mana Whenua (Belonging).
Project-Based Learning
Our programme is designed to spark children's natural curiosity and support them as capable, confident learners. Through a project-based approach, children embark on meaningful learning journeys that evolve from their interests, questions, and ideas, encouraging them to explore, investigate, and problem-solve in ways that are both intentional and responsive.
Early Literacy & Learning Dispositions
A key part of our programme is our intentional focus on early literacy. Through reading and writing experiences, children are supported to develop a love of books, storytelling, and communication, aligning with Te Whāriki's Mana Reo (Communication) as they build confidence as emerging readers and writers.
We also place a strong emphasis on developing key learning dispositions such as curiosity, creativity, perseverance, collaboration, and independence, supporting tamariki to take ownership of their learning and build confidence in their abilities.
Our Programmes
Bee Curious, our Busy Bees Curriculum Framework, has been created to guide and inspire kaiako in supporting tamariki through rich, interconnected learning experiences. Built on the strong foundation of Te Whāriki, it reflects the principles of Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum and the aspirations we hold for our children as they grow.
Our MOVE programme deliberately sets out physical activities that give children the opportunity to learn, practice and master physical skills whilst developing their resilience, perseverance, patience, co-ordination, gross-motor skills, teamwork and much more, all while having loads of fun!
Nutritious food is the foundation for healthy growth and development in our children. Our Nourish menus fuel our children and support full, healthy tummies enabling clear minds to focus on the learning and set children up to thrive at our centre.
The Busy Bees Way is our commitment to families and guides everything we do across our centres. From nurturing your child’s wellbeing and supporting their individual learning journey, to building genuine partnerships with whānau and respecting every child’s unique identity, culture and strengths, we’re committed to providing an exceptional early learning experience where children can thrive.
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