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Meet The Leadership Tīma
Owner/Manager
Abby Cheney
Abby is the day-to-day manager, some might say she lives here... She has a huge passion for early childhood education with over 20 years experience. She has owned the centre since August 2020 alongside her husband Lawrence.
Kākano Team Leader
Alex Braun
Alex leads the team in the Kākano room, these are our smallest tamariki and Alex has loads of experience and a great passion for this age group! Alex has a great laugh that can be heard all around, she is great fun to be around!
Mātātupu Team Leader
Te Manu Ahi Hodge
Te Manu Ahi leads the team in our middle room, potentially the most dynamic of age groups! She is a passionate kaiako who prides herself on being able to provide an environment that supports children to learn and develop at their own pace
Tupu Team Leader
Courtney van der Heyden
Courtney leads the team in our Tupu room. These are the biggest of our tamariki and as a busy mum she is able to handle the busy dynamic of our curious explorers! Courtney is often taking children to visit our centre animals.
Kākano Tīma
This is the team for our Kākano room. We have a mixture of qualified and unqualified teachers, all with a huge amount of experience! They are passionate about providing the best start to childhood that they can!
Alex
Team Leader
Lauren
Qualified Kaiako
Sonakshi
Qualified Kaiako
Wendy
Kaiako
Mātātupu Tīma
This is the team for our Mātātupu room. We have a mixture of qualified, unqualified teachers and in training teachers, all with a range of early childhood experience!
Te Manu Ahi
Team Leader
Bonnie
Qualified Kaiako
Charlene
Kaiako in study
Holly
Qualified Kaiako
Kayla T.
Kaiako
Ruby
Maternity Leave Cover
Sarah
Kaiako in study
Cath
Support Kaiako
Tupu Tīma
This is the team for our Tupu room. We have a mixture of qualified and unqualified teachers, all with a range of early childhood experience!
Courtney
Team Leader
Emily
Qualified Kaiako
Jessica
Kaiako
Kayla B.
Qualified Kaiako
Paige
Kaiako
Suman
Qualified Kaiako
Tylah
Kaiako in Training
Cath
Support Kaiako
Support Team
Administration
Trina
Trina is the face of the centre. She will be the one welcoming you in the mornings and helping you out with any questions you may have. Trina is a jack of all trades and will sometimes cover the kitchen as needed. She works Monday to Thursday.
Kaiāwhina
Kelly
Kelly job shares alongside Sharron as our Kaiāwhina working four days a week. She is responsible for the background jobs that mean our kaiako can focus on the tamariki. She cooks, does dishes and laundry and keeps the place running!
Kaiāwhina
Sharron
Sharron job shares alongside Kelly as our Kaiāwhina. She works on Wednesdays and is responsible for the background jobs that mean our kaiako can focus on the tamariki. She cooks, does dishes and laundry and keeps the place running!
Relief Kaiako
Ashlee
Ashlee is a local and has embarked on study in 2026, she relieves during semester breaks and always slots right back in. She works in all of the rooms, you will often spot her quietly talking with children as she plays alongside them.
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Relief Kaiako
Chloe
Chloe is brand new to ECE and is learning all that it encompasses. She works between all of the rooms and is a lovely gentle presence within our space. We can't wait to see her grow in confidence as she becomes more familiar with our space.
Relief Kaiako
Gabby
Gabby is a highly qualified kaiako with a wealth of knowledge and experience in ECE. Gabby has worked at Te Ōki in a number of roles and we are excited to have her as part of our support team.
Relief Kaiako
Raquan
Raquan is another local who is excited to learn about what teaching in ECE is all about. She has whānau who also work within the centre and we can't wait to see her learn and grow as a kaiako.