An important part of Bowen’s philosophy is the involvement of parents and family.
Parents are invited to join us on trips and to spend time at the centre with their children. We’re more than just a daycare, we’re a community. We rely on Ministry of Education funding and community fundraising to provide a great play and learning environment.
You can tell when you walk in the door that we’ve got a great community of children, parents, and staff. It’s okay to get involved simply by staying and playing for a while.
The Committee
Bowen is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Manager, Assistant Manager, and their team, but behind the scenes there is a committee of staff and volunteer parents. Their role is to provide governance over the centre. The committee meets every six weeks and discusses long-term the centre strategic goals such as staffing, budgets, centre development, and expansion. Parents are encouraged to put their names forward and get involved. It is a great way to really understand the centre and to help make the centre the best that it can be for our children. Being a community centre, we are really dependent on our parents contributing, and becoming a committee member is a great way to do this.
Each year, an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held where all parents are invited and informed of what’s happened in the last year, to encourage involvement in the committee and to appoint or reappoint election of officers. These officers include chairperson, treasurer and secretary.
Fundraising
Throughout the year we run a range of fundraising activities. So far these have included wine sales, auctions, entertainment books, raffles (which included Grant Elliot’s cricket shirt) and calendars. The funds we raise go toward items such as new play equipment and developing areas around the centre.
Working bees
Bowen holds parent working bees yearly. Parents are encouraged to come along and help out in some way at these events.
Social events and parent education
Centre holds family evenings once a term such as pizza, fish and chip nights and shared Kai. The centre also offers professional development for parents on topics such as brain development, toilet training, transitions to school and educating the parents on what we value at the centre.