Information

Below is some important parent information. Our Parent Information Pack contains more details. Please contact us for your copy and book a visit.

Attendance Requirements

Minimum attendance is three days per week. We recommend full-time attendance for 4-5 year olds in order that your child gains the most benefit from attending our comprehensive early childhood transition programme in preparation for Primary School.

School Hours

The school is open from January to December every year [including the days between Christmas and New Year]: Monday to Friday 7.30am to 5:30pm.

School is closed on Public Holidays

Holidays

A discount of 25% of the net fee may be claimed for up to 2 weeks of holidays each year [conditions apply].

No more than 3 consecutive weeks holiday may be taken on each occasion. The Ministry will not continue to subsidise your fees if absences are longer than 3 continuous weeks and you may attract additional fees to retain your position at Mariposa Kids.

Meals

Our school provides nutritional, balanced meals every day. It is not necessary for your child to bring a packed meal to school unless your child has allergies or is on a special diet. Daily meals will be listed on the notice board in the entrance hall.

Friday is “Lunchbox Day” for the Over 2’s – when children get to bring a nutritious packed lunch from home. This will familiarise them with the concept for “Big School”.

ERO Report

Education Review Office (ERO) is the New Zealand government department that evaluates and reports on the education and care of students in schools and early childhood services

Early childhood services are reviewed on average once every three years. Reviews will be more frequent where the performance of a school or centre is poor and there are risks to the education and safety of the students, or less frequent where a school has a stable reporting history and demonstrates good self-review processes and use of its assessment information

ERO reviews do not cover every aspect of centre performance and each ERO report may cover different issues. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to this centre.

Most ERO reports include recommendations for improvement. A recommendation on a particular issue does not necessarily mean that a centre is performing poorly in relation to that issue. There is no direct link between the number of recommendations in this report and the overall performance of this centre.

Mariposa Kids received an excellent review in 2023 and as a result our next review will be in 3 years time.

View Full Report 12/2023

Parent Testimonials

We enrolled our older son in Mariposa 5 years ago and he successfully graduated from there with good skillset for his age. When the time came to decide on daycare for our youngest son there was no doubt it should be Mariposa.
Mariposa has great teachers, they are always friendly, kind to kids and always willing to help. They do great social events for kids and their parents too!
I like how Mariposa connects teaching to Te Whaariki and we always enjoy reading child progress stories!

L&J M

Both of my children went to Mariposa from 10 months and 2 years right through to turning five. We still have an association with the centre and find the staff not only professional but caring and loving towards the children.
The teachers provide interesting learning experiences and go the extra mile to set up high interest investigations for the children.

Nicky G

“To our AMAZING Mariposa Family” – Thank you so much for being a part of our lives for the past 7 ½ yrs.

You have done such a fantastic job raising our two children. They are the children they are today because of the nurture, guidance and support you given them. From R’s most recent school report card – a result that is a true reflection your teams hard work. You have set him up for success and have taught him to treat people with kindness and respect. You all should be very proud of what you accomplish with every child and family that is touched by Mariposa Kids.

We will all miss you very dearly.

Ben & Anna R

“We have been involved with Mariposa Kids for more than five years, with my second child currently attending five days a week. The Teachers provide a really supportive, caring environment for the kids to learn and play. I love how there is very little turnover of staff which means the kids can form great bonds with their Teachers. It truly does feel like a family environment with parents and extended family made to feel very welcome. Highly recommended.

Kerry G

“Both our daughters attended Mariposa from the age of 1 year until their school years. We cased out a few daycares when doing our research but instantly warmed to the teachers and the environment at Mariposa and never looked back! They were our daughters’ second family and second home and we always knew they were safe and happy! Such fond memories and we were saddened to leave but love to pop back to visit the teachers.

Hayley S

Storypark is a web-based portfolio of a child’s growth and development at an early childhood centre. It allows parents and early childhood teachers to share a child’s journey and gain valuable feedback.

Find Out More About Storypark

Parent Log-In to Storypark

FAQs

How many children are enrolled at Mariposa Kids? Is there a waiting list?

Mariposa Kids is licenced for 50 children. This means that at any one time the maximum number of children in our care must not exceed 50. The number of enrolled children varies. We can usually have more than 50 enrolled children because many children attend part time. We do keep a waiting list and it is advisable to book early.

Do you provide snacks and lunch?

Mariposa Kids provides a healthy morning and afternoon tea and serves a nutritious lunch to full-time children. The Menu is displayed on the notice board each day. Children with special dietary requirements can be catered for by special arrangement. On a Friday the Kiwi Room has a Lunchbox Day.

How do you help new children settle in?

We will discuss with you how to best support your child to settle into Mariposa Kids. Initially, we recommend a few orientation visits of an hour at a time. Our teachers are very experienced at helping children settle. Children and parents have different needs and we aim to help this transition be as smooth and positive as possible. Some children will naturally settle in quickly, others need to take more time.

Do the children sleep during the day?

Children in our babies room have sleep routines which are similar to their home routine. All other children between the ages of 2 – 4 years are encouraged to have a rest / sleep after lunch. If you have specific requests regarding your child’s routine please share this with your child’s teacher.

Useful Links

Preparing for Preschool

Kidspot

This a really useful link to a New Zealand website that provides among other things, information on preparing to send your child to preschool.

Childcare Subsidies

Work & Income NZ

This a really useful link about how to arrange a childcare subsidy through WINZ [if you are eligible]

Early Childhood Education

Ministry of Education

This a really useful link to practical information for parents on early childhood education

The B4 School Check

Ministry of Health

This a really useful link about a free health and development check you should arrange when your child turns 4.

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday
7.30am – 5.30pm

Phone

09 418 2813

Follow Us On

Facebook

Address

17 Mariposa Crescent
Birkenhead
Auckland 0626

Email

info@mariposakids.co.nz

Click Here for Enrolment Enquiry