GLEN EDEN
GLENDALE ROAD (09) 818 9913 | MATAKI WAY (09) 218 6407
GLENDENE
BEAZLEY PLACE (09) 836 6495
ONEHUNGA
CHURCH STREET (09) 636 1395
OUR TEAM
Our staff are selected for their knowledge of early childhood, their expertise in providing appropriate educational programmes, their compassion for children and their philosophy of education and early childhood development. Our teachers are qualified early childhood educators and undertake regular professional development to keep them abreast of the current trends in our field.
Our teachers participate in a yearly appraisal programme where management and teachers can reflect on strengths, weaknesses and goals and plan for the following year.
All qualified teachers are expected to maintain current Teacher Registration and first aid certification. Registration ensures that teachers go on to participate in professional development throughout their careers and that satisfactory teaching and knowledge standards are maintained. We undertake a series of safety checking steps when appointing all staff at this centre.
Katerina Longo
Centre Manager Our Kids Glen Eden
Kia ora, my name is Kate and I am the manager at Our Kids Glen Eden. I have been working with the wonderful Our Kids team since 2019 but have 15 years experience in the early childhood sector. I hold a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education.
I have a calm and caring approach towards tamariki, and building whānaungatanga/relationships with whānau and tamariki is extremely important to me. I have a deep respect for our people of the future and nurture children with aroha and patience so they feel secure enough to blossom and develop into strong capable learners.
After having my own child in 2017, my passion and commitment to the early years has deepened even further which makes me relate and understand the beautiful and sometimes challenging parts of parenting. I am dedicated to helping young tamariki grow emotional, social and developmental skills to promote their overall well-being.
I lead our Kaiako with a kind and understanding approach and believe the well-being of our teachers is extremely important so they feel supported to give our tamariki their full potential.
Here at Our Kids Glen Eden, our team is passionate and works well together to ensure that we have an understanding and respect of Te Ao Māori and te taiao the environment. This is something I continue to be inspired and learn more about.
Laura Price
ECE Teacher
Sarah Small
ECE Teacher
Shimeah Tulisi
ECE Teacher
Taylor Nicholls
ECE Teacher
Maureen Donovan
Chef
Brooke MacClure
Centre Manager, Our Kids Mataki Way
Kia Ora, my name is Brooke and I am the Centre Manager for Our Kids Mataki Way.
I have been working in Early Childhood since 2007. I hold a Graduate Diploma of Teaching (ECE), alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Intervention. I have worked in a range of settings in the early childhood sector. I started my career working in Daycare, then as a Visiting Teacher and Manager in the Home Based Sector and more recently Kindergarten.
I teach from the heart and give 100% in all that I do. I believe that when our tamariki, fellow Kaiako and whanau are treated with kindness and compassion meaningful relationships develop. The strength of these relationships ground us in a space that enables us to explore, to fly and let our true selves shine. I am committed to my role leading our wonderful team of passionate early childhood educators and working in a collaborative space to promote rich and meaningful learning opportunities for our tamariki.
Lorraine Kaye
2IC
Haley Henderson
Over 2s Team Leader
Aria Allbon
Over 2s Teacher
Nancy Bhayana
Over 2s Teacher
Dawn James
Over 2s Teacher
Penny Kaye
Under 2s Teacher
Lina Liu
Over 2s Teacher
Lara Maissin
Under 2s Teacher
Vikashni Ram
Over 2s Teacher
Alyssa Severs
Over 2s Teacher
Miki Shimoji
Under 2s Teacher
Sandalie Weerasekara
Over 2s Teacher
Rebekah Whitehead
Under 2s Teacher
Simone Gavin
Administrator
Natasha Barr
Centre Manager, Our Kids Glendene
Ashley Fortes
ECE Teacher
Gale Dela Rosa
ECE Teacher
Michaela Dovey
ECE Teacher
Teresa Ransom
ECE Teacher
Simone Gavin
Administrator
Rochelle Cole
Centre Manager, Our Kids Onehunga
Kia ora e te whānau,
My name is Rochelle Cole and I am the centre Manager over at Our Kids Early Learning Centre Onehunga.
I have a Bachelor of Education in Primary/Intermediate teaching and I have been working for Our Kids Early Learning since 2012 which has provided me with multiple opportunities for growth and development over this time. My approach to teaching and learning as a whole is centred around ako/ recipricol learning, and whakamana/ empowered child led learning, with an emphasis on dispositions and attitudes towards lifelong learning. We strive for our tamariki to experience a challenging and thoughtful environment that encourages respect for themselves, respect for others, while also fostering a deep and instrinsic connection with Te Taiao.
High quality education means ensuring a holistic and culturally inclusive response to teaching and learning where tamariki, kaiako, and whānau feel capable and valued to confidently express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings. I embrace a shared leadership model, nurturing and building beautiful collaborative whanaungatanga between Kaiako, and whānau, where everyone feels connected through a strong, authentic sense of belonging.
Divya Chand
2IC
Kia Ora,
I am Divya and the 2IC of our kids Onehunga. I have been working under the Our kid’s umbrella since 2020 and it has by far been the most adventurous time in my career. I’ve had great opportunities for growth and continuous learning here, which I’m truly grateful for.
I’ve always been passionate about working with young children, which made me chase my passion for early childhood education. Choosing this career for myself has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in life.
My beliefs are that every child should be given every opportunity to grow into a happy, healthy, and confident individual. Children are confident, capable learners and I encourage children to take on challenges where they can further develop their interests and skills and make choices for themselves. I enjoy being a part of our tamariki’s little world and believe that there is a lot to learn from children itself. This is something I really love about this job. Working as a support worker previously, I have gained great knowledge and experience in working with children and adults with disabilities which has sparked a deep interest in me to care for children with diverse needs.
Building trustful and strong relationships with our kaiako, tamariki and whanau are highly valuable to me. Being a parent myself, I can put myself in other parents’ situations and understand them better, as well as be able to make a deeper connection with our tamariki. I look forward to building more meaningful relationships and working closely with the children, parents/whanau of Our Kids.
Anna Mcleod
Under 2s Teacher
Christina Raines
Under 2s Teacher
Ellie Sharpe
Under 2s Teacher
Ina Asis
Over 2s Teacher
Jenny Hoe-Oon
Over 2s Teacher
Juliana Feyter
Over 2s Teacher
Nandita Alexander
Under 2s Teacher
Shivani Lata
Under 2s Teacher
Rose Zheng
Over 2s Teacher
Simone Gavin
Administrator