In April 2013, the Aoga a le Teuila featured in the Samoan newspaper, Samoan observer. Have a read of all the great work happening and the impact and difference the preschool is making in the Tamaki community.
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DOING THE 'LION: ' Here are the young cubs and teachers of Aoga a le Teuila in Glen Innes, Auckland.
The early childhood sector in Tamaki, Auckland is one of the most united and innovative in Aotearoa.
In 2010, the sector took a quantum leap when the Tamaki community brought together all stakeholders for a meeting. What came out of the talkfest was the community’s wish to have its children and families healthy and learning together.
From that wish was born the Tamaki Learning Champions (T.L.C.) whose aim is to strengthen the early childhood education (E.C.E.) network in Tamaki regardless of who is delivering a contract service or programme.
Three years later, T.L.C. has enabled stakeholders to come together and work under the umbrella, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’.
And it is working.
Silaumua and Niua talking about the crucial role of early culture and Samoan language in early childhood development.
Last Friday, the Minister for Education, Mrs Hekia Parata visited T.L.C. headquarters at Glenn Innes and hailed the unit a success.
But this story is not about T.L.C.
This story is about Aoga a le Teuila (A.A.L.T.) located at 5 Ropata Ave, in Point England.
It is the oldest early childhood centre in Tamaki and its status of seniority and success makes it one of the flagbearers for T.L.C. initiatives and programmes.
Already, plans are afoot to expand the building in order to increase its current roll of 34, which is the maximum for the current venue.
The Coordinator for A.A.L.T., Mrs Niua Lafolua told the New Zealand Pacific she has been teaching there since 2002, and she has seen many changes in the sector.
But through it all, A.A.L.T’s approach has stayed the same, which is to teach children holistically on the foundation of the Samoan language and its cultural principles. It is probably the reason, together with strong Christian values from its host, the Pacific Islands Presbyterian Church (PIPC) of Tamaki that the school is a success.
“From our language, they gain the basic linguistic foundation to quickly learn other languages. And with many of our students coming from different ethnic groups, some of our children end up speaking more than two languages quite easily,” said Mrs Lafolua.
There is good moral groundings for the children she added.
“From our Samoan cultural practices and principles, the children gain the values of respect and love for their elders, for each other, their parents and others. Through that they start to see the difference between what is right and what is wrong. And once they have that at this early age, then the children are more open to learn and understand the concepts of literacy and numeracy that surrounds them in their environment.”
Supervising teacher Silaumua explained, “Our children learn numeracy from different sources. Like when they do weaving, when one flax overlays another they count ‘one’, when they repeat it, that’s ‘two’, and so on.
“Also when they do sports activities, there is always counting and that’s part of the lesson we use to strengthen their counting and numbers recognition.”
The same concept and nurturing is applied to dancing, singing and drama.
“When dancing the siva or sasa they’re counting and committing patterns and actions to memory. So anything and everything they do we include into the literacy and numeracy parts of their lessons.”
The results are very visible especially when the school prepares for a big event, like the annual T.L.C. Funday in November.
“The children participate fully in the making and colouring of costumes. They understand what we’re making but also they continue to learn other aspects such as reconising colours and shapes,” said Silaumua.
Mrs Lafolua is proud that their 30 year old approach to teaching Tamaki pre-schoolers at A.A.L.T. works. And it’s feedback from primary schools that provides the proof.
“The primary schools our children go to give us feedback that our students are very good. That they are advanced in terms of being able to write their names, that they know their shapes and colours, and count with no problems,” she said.
“That confirms to us that our teaching system is working.”
One of the other success factors is running a ‘Transition Class’ for four-and-a-half year olds.
“We bring those students together and prepare them for when they go to primary school,” said Mrs Lafolua.
But there is an extra step taken that increases the chances of a successful transition.
Mrs Niua Lafolua, Coordinator for Aoga a le Teuila.
“We ask the parents which primary school their child will go to. And if the parents are too busy, then we take the child to their elected school three months in advance so when they go, they will already be familiar with the school, the teachers, and their environment. That is just one of the things we do to make sure our children have the best chance for success.”
There are 34 children at A.A.L.T., some of them from different ethnic groups and whose parents are happy their children are immersed in a strong Samoan environment.
And the benefits work both ways where a number of families have taken on some of the teachings at the school.
“One of the important lessons we teach our children is always to pray to give thanks before eating,” said Mrs Lafolua.
“We now have a number of families who saying grace before evening meals because our student in their innocence, has given them back the feeling of thanksgiving and appreciating the blessings of food and for other material things.”
