He Pounamu early nurture

Cherishing tamariki within nature

Snuggled into the foothills of the Tararua Ranges and bordered by both ngahere (forest) and Daleÿ eld farmland, is He Pounamu early nurture: a unique early childhood education centre catering for M°ori and non-M°ori tamariki (children).

“Our kaupapa (philosophy) is all about nurture: caring for ourselves, caring for the environment, and caring for others,” says Lauren Spicer, manuhaut˛ (chief executive) of He Pounamu.

Open since mid-2020 and licensed for 30 tamariki, including ten under-twos, He Pounamu has ten kaiako (M°ori and nonM°ori teachers) it can draw from. Lauren and husband Matt Spicer have lived on this acreage since 1999, raising their own four tamariki here. They remain immersed in the natural environment and feel blessed to be able to continue to share it with future generations.

“Living and working here grounds us all in wellbeing,” Lauren says. “Through a te a˝ M°ori lens, we draw on Papat˛°nuku (earth mother) for strength, energy, calmness, and resilience. When it rains, we feel the cleansing tears of Ranginui (sky father). We’re close to T°ne, the god of the forest and birds, as well as the gods of wild and cultivated food.”

Underpinning the operation of He Pounamu is the embrace of all that is distinctive about M°ori culture and identity, particularly wh°naungatanga (kinship and interrelationship).

With her Master of Education, Lauren is fascinated by the intersection between education and wellbeing within the context of wh°naungatanga. She’s preparing for a PhD on the topic. Her philosophy in action at He Pounamu is all about changing the discourse for tamariki – “they are born with mana, they are already amazing in a world that doesn’t always give that message, that has stripped entire former generations of their mana.”

Lauren’s message resonates with the kaiako who choose to work at He Pounamu. Lleyton Ihaka, Lauren’s nephew and already a father at a young age, has found his feet over the year he’s been there. “I love the environment. It’s very freeing for the tamariki.” As well as working part-time for He Pounamu, Lleyton has a part-time role as a teacher aide at ˙konga M°ori, a M°ori enrichment learning environment and programme, at Carterton School. He’s learning te reo M°ori on the job. Teacher training at Victoria Uni is on the cards.

Cheyenne Spicer, one of Lauren’s daughters and with one year of her teacher training to go, has worked for He Pounamu since it opened. “I share mum’s passion for kaupapa M°ori and biculturalism. And I love sharing ‘my place’ - the whenua where I grew up - with the tamariki here.” Her daughter Saydie (16 months old) is enrolled some of the time and Cheyenne loves being at He Pounamu with her and sharing her learning journey.

Liv Perry, fully trained as a teacher, has worked for He Pounamu for two and a half years. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she says. “I’ve not come across any other early childhood education centre like this. The tamariki love it. There is something about the feeling here that is diˆ erent to other centres.”

What is diˆ erent? “The focus on the environment, wh°naungatanga, the connection to the land. There’s the importance of promoting te reo M°ori and tikanga M°ori for everyone and a desire to support the revitalisation of te reo M°ori.”

Liv says, “the tamariki pick it up so quickly and we hear them speaking it through the day. These are the young people who will continue the revitalisation journey for te reo M°ori.”

Koriann O’Connor has been with He Pounamu from its inception. Once her daughter, Mila, is at school, she plans to begin training as a teacher. “It’s a blessing to be here as a teacher and a committed mum. I love watching my child’s pride emerge within a te a˝ M°ori environment.” Koriann’s message to other parents is, “come and feel the environment and meet the people who work here. It’s inclusive, there’s no judgement, you will be accepted with open arms. People fall in love with He Pounamu straight away.”

“We celebrate the diˆ erences of tamariki at He Pounamu,” Lauren says. “We focus on their strengths. We build their mana. We awhi (cherish) them. I’m doing this for the next generation.”

“Education gives us the tools to power change.”

Our purpose: is for older people / kaumātua to live a valued life in an inclusive society.

Our Vision: To be recognised as a leading contributor to the wellbeing of older persons / kaumātua in our Wairarapa community.

Our Mission: Helping, connecting and empowering older persons in Wairarapa.