As a parent, entrusting someone else with your child’s care is never easy—but from the moment we walked through the doors of Shine Montessori, we knew the journey was going to be special. For the past four years, our daughter has grown, learned, and thrived in an environment filled with warmth, creativity, and genuine care.

The kaiako at Shine have not only nurtured our daughter's curiosity and independence but have also helped shape her into a confident, kind, and joyful little person. The kaiako are incredibly skilled, kind and supportive and are dedicated to each child’s development in all aspects of life—emotionally, socially, and intellectually.

The school readiness at Shine Montessori is top-notch. Our daughter has swiftly learned the basic skills necessary to be able to perform well at school.

Shine Montessori has been more than a childcare center—it’s been a second home, a community, and a place where lifelong memories were made.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at Shine Montessori. The Montessori approach here truly nurtures independence, creativity, and a love of learning. The teachers are incredibly kind, attentive, and genuinely invested in each child’s development. The classrooms are beautifully organized and filled with engaging, hands-on materials that spark curiosity. I particularly liked the setup they have for 4-5 year kids (Eagles) which is very similar to school so when kids start school they feel comfortable.
Our child has grown so much—both academically and emotionally—since starting here. It’s such a supportive and joyful environment. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a thoughtful, child-centered place to learn and grow.

Our son attended Shine Avalon from 11 months old until he was 2 and a half, and then shifted to Shine Waiwhetu until he was 3 and half (at which point we moved cities). The care provided for our son was nothing short of excellent. The kaiako were all so attentive, diligent and in tune with his both his daily care needs (physical and emotional), and his needs as a developing and growing child. They taught him key social skills that have formed the foundation of how he interacts with other children. The communication from Shine was great - we were always kept well informed of anything we needed to know. Each day when we picked him up, we were told how his day went and what he got up to which we LOVED. They provided a safe, stimulating and structured environment that enabled him to thrive. Every day he came home happy.

In summary - the standard and quality of care and service was great. We could not have asked for more. The only thing we regret from moving cities is that he couldn't continue attending Shine. Thank you Shine, for everything!

We love Shine! Teachers are loving and nurturing. Such a great place that offers structured play based learning which made our transition into school so seamless. Highly recommend.

We're 100 percent satisfied with our experience at Shine Montessori! Since we moved from another centre, we've noticed a drastic positive change in her confidence, attendance, communication skills, reading, writing and level of independence. The facility is very clean, she gets far less sick compared to other centres.There is an extra large outdoor space that is beautifully maintained, featuring old flowering trees and garden areas with lavender plants. The outdoor area also includes a trampoline, sand pit, slides, Gazebo, outdoor house, outdoor sitting area, swing, monkey bar, bike,....etc. Outdoor play is very much promoted.They provide good quality food in generous quantities. They encourage bringing food from home for a four year group. The indoor environment is rich with Montessori toys, puzzles, drawing, colouring and craft. Floor pay is encouraged, where children spread out mats and engage with educational Montessori toys. They have an internal library and send books home. All the teaching and non staff are outstanding. I haven't seen a place where all the staff were so nice before. The Owner Flori works with teachers and is very much committed to children and has excellent management skills. There is a high staff to child ratio. They maintain open communication with parents and teachers know the children and their families very well. They encourage children to sit cross-legged during floor time. The well structured curriculum which includes reading, writing, maths, singing, dance and also learning through play. The centre has an efficient teaching method that my daughter learned to write in less than 4 months. They also teach maths including counting , addition, and subtraction . They use clever kiwi writing books where each child has their own book. My daughter is very excited to show me in the evening what she wrote in the book, allowing me to see her progress each day.Shine Montessori has successfully taught my daughter to write her name, alphabets and numbers. Also got drawing, colouring and craft facilities.My daughter was in the Eagle Room, which only includes children older than four. There are separate rooms for two-year-olds and three-year-olds, along with additional rooms beyond these classrooms. They take children to nearby parks and playgrounds. The 4 year old group goes to the nearby city council library in bus.

Overall, Shine Montessori has provided a nurturing and educational environment that has significantly benefited our daughter's development and confidence.

I don't regret sending my little one to Shine. They were really good to deal with, well structured with a focus on study and play. One of their stand-out kaiako is Esha. My little absolutely adored her and often spoke about her at home. The Montessori method is tried and tested (I myself went to a Montessori) and prepares a little one for school. They also prep lunch on site, so makes life easier for the parent. The hours are also suitable for a full-time working parent.

The site is also lovely with lots of space to walk around for kids and green areas.

Despite it being over the hill for us and us having a daycare with 5min of our home, we still chose Shine to be our little ones daycare for the last 4.5years.

We love it!

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Great Teachers. Great Service