SugarTree Lane Preschool Team

Meet our team of fantastic teachers and support staff at Sugartree Lane Preschool

Seon
Centre Manager
Registered Teacher

Kia Ora, my name is Seon and I am originally from South Korea but I have lived in New Zealand for many years now. I have a teenage son who is now busy being a young man and doing his own things, so my dog Snowy and I love to go for walks and to the beach!

I worked for NZ Best Childcare Centres when we opened Amberwood Preschool almost 9 years ago. After a brief time away I decided to rejoin the amazing staff and families here and I was recently promoted to the Centre Manager role. I look forward to getting to meet you all and your wonderful children and joining them through their early years of education.

Joyti
Registered Teacher

Kia Ora, Namaste! My name is Jyoti. I am an ECE-registered and qualified teacher.
I am from Pokhara, Nepal and I have been living in New Zealand since 2017. I have completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from New Zealand Tertiary College, Auckland. I previously graduated with a Master of
Humanities and Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Education Studies from the Tribhuvan University of Nepal. I worked as a Secondary Level teacher in my home country in one of the reputed community schools for nine years. I started working at
NZ Best Childcare Centre in 2017. I love working with young children and enjoy listening to their creative ideas and believe in delivering a quality education
as it is the best time to develop firm learning.

I have been working with so many teachers and have learned a lot from the best kaiako while working with the team and during placements. As a teacher, I will assist children in their learning journey by sharing my knowledge and experience with them. I will encourage children and whanau participation in planning and learning environments. Children’s play will be valued as their learning, which is crucial for their holistic development. I believe that biculturalism and treaty-based education will be supported at Sugartree Lane Preschool. I will scaffold, motivate and model lessons to support children’s learning. My role as a teacher is to discover children’s needs and understand their backgrounds, families and interests so that I can support and use approaches to achieve a balanced program. I acknowledge that continual learning plays a crucial role in professional development and personal growth. I am looking forward to building a strong relationship with the children and whanau.

Maclina
Registered Teacher

Hello, my name is Maclina. I am from Mumbai, India and have been living in New Zealand for 2 years. I have completed a Master of Science in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Mumbai. Previously, I have worked as a Secondary school teacher in India for 4 years. I joined Amberwood Preschool in 2017 and enjoy working here. I love watching children discovering and exploring new and exciting things for the very first time. Working with and alongside children gives me a great deal of pleasure and joy.

Sol
Registered Teacher

My name is Sol. I am from Chile. I have lived in New Zealand for about 15 years. I have worked for NZ Best for a long time. I have three wonderful triplets. Their names are Samanta, Max and Eliseo. I think being a mum has given me a great insight and understanding of children’s play and behaviour. I am excited to be able to apply this to my daily work. I see children in a holistic way in connection with family/Whānau, culture and spirit. When children and families come to the centre, we as teachers also become part of their lives. I hope as a teacher I can add positively to their childhood experiences, enrich their learning and nurture their spirit, confidence and self-esteem. My goal is to support children to become confident and long-life learners, able to overcome life and learning challenges.

I believe that good communication with parents/whānau is at the core of Early Childhood Education. This is the way we can truly meet individual children’s and families, needs. I love to follow children’s interests and see where they will take them. This an exciting adventure for them and me.

Juliet
Registered Teacher

Kia Ora Koutou and Vanakam! My name is Juliet and I was born In Saudi and raised in South India. In 2020 I completed a Graduate Diploma in Early childhood education from New Zealand Tertiary College. I had completed a Bachelor's in Civil engineering from India before starting my journey as a teacher.  I chose teaching as my career path because of the love I hold for children and the passion to work alongside them. I have worked in many centres across Auckland as a relief teacher during my one year of study. This allowed me to experience different philosophies and multicultural inclusive practices in Early childhood Education. I enjoy hiking, reading books, sketching and travelling during my leisure time.

As a student teacher, I have learned from the best kaiako in Sugartree Lane and as a teacher, I will continue to take my journey further by working together with the team and whanau. The essence of my teaching journey will always be to support children in their learning by valuing their individuality and developing relationships with them and their whanau while believing in the notion of being able to receive and give learning experiences. I am excited to share this journey with the team, whanau and tamariki of Sugartree Lane Preschool. The teacher, the child and the whanau learn together.

Kia Kaha

Connie

Registered Teacher

Kia Ora, my name is Connie. I am originally from Taiwan and I have been living in New Zealand with my husband since 2004. I have a Bachelor of Education (Early childhood teaching) and a Certificate in Education (Primary). I am a friendly, engaging and welcoming person who has a great passion for teaching. I am enthusiastic, kind, motivated and have children’s best interests at the heart of everything I do.

I believe that my relationships with children should be based on respect and affection. By providing support and warmth, children feel free to grow in an environment which promotes their health and nurtures their well-being. Children learn and develop best when they are extended in this way by teachers who are responsive and who share with the children an understanding of the world. As a teacher I value the importance of children’s play and encouraging my children to have fun in developing meaningful learning experiences.

 

Alice

Registered Teacher

Kia Ora, my name is Alice, I have been in New Zealand for five years, I have a Bachelor of Education (early childhood teaching) from NZTC, I love children and respect them. I am very patient and good at building a good relationship with the children and Whanau. I like to take the initiative and am good at planning learning activities. I am bilingual in Mandarin and English.

 New Zealand is a multicultural country, where people from different countries, different nationalities, different cultures and different backgrounds are gathered. At the same time, children from different backgrounds are playing and learning together. I believe that the education of children should be based on the principles of respect, responsibility and sociality, through the implementation of self-directed education programs. The ultimate goal is to provide children with the foundation they need to develop the comprehensive qualities of a free spirit, moral responsibility and advanced social skills.

Hridya

Assistant teacher

I'm Hridya Vinil, originally from the beautiful state of Kerala, India, I hold a Master's degree in English Literature and a Bachelor's degree in Education. Beyond my professional role, I'm a proud parent of two children and understand the importance of nurturing and guiding young minds. I enjoy spending time with kids and am passionate about their growth and development. 

It's a pleasure to be a part of the Sugartree School family as a teacher, where I can combine my educational background with my love for children to create a positive and enriching environment for our little learners.

Mandy

Registered Teacher

My name is Mandy. I am from China. I have a Bachelor of Arts from Xiamen University and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Early Childhood) from the University of Canterbury. I have two nephews and a niece, and in accompanying them as they grow up, I realized that I have a natural love and patience for children, I give love and receive love in return. As a result, I chose to further my education in Early Childhood Education to become a professional ECE teacher. Besides, I’m a certified yoga teacher at the American Yoga Alliance and am
especially good at teaching Kids Yoga. I hope to explore the world of Kid Yoga with our children next.

I am so lucky to be in the wonderful team of caring and passionate teachers who are committed to the development of the children in our care and who are happy to share their teaching experiences with me. My team has given me a full sense of belonging;
this is my home. I believe that all children are competent and confident learners, Therefore, I am committed to providing a safe and secure environment where children can build close relationships explore freely, and enjoy their learning journey, this
is also a home for our children. Beyond that, I will keep good communication with families so that we can work alongside each other for the benefit of our children.

Judy

Chef

Hello. My name is Judy. I am the chef at Sugartree Lane Preschool. I am from South Korea and have been living in New Zealand from almost 20 years. I have lived in Korea, New Zealand and America. Since I was young, I liked to bake, make crafts and play with young children. As I grew up, I became interested in food, so I learned many kinds of food at cooking academy.

I studied Art Design from Korea. I have worked at a Japanese, Korean restaurant, cafes and volunteered making food parcels for children and families back in Korea. While working at a café, I attended a children-oriented baking event. I became very much interested in baking and cooking food for children from there on.

We are frequently looking for passionate people to join our team of experienced and dedicated early childhood professionals.