Meet our team of fantastic teachers and support staff at Sugartree Lane Preschool
Loiuse
Centre Manager
Registered Teacher
Kia Ora! My name is Louise and I am the Centre Manager and Head Teacher in the infants and toddler’s room here at Sugartree Lane Preschool.
I am originally from Durham in England and moved to New Zealand in 2009 after completing a bachelor degree in Education and Sports science. I then began working in a special needs Centre for 2 years before beginning my journey at Auckland's Best Childcare, now Amberwood Preschool, when we opened in 2011. I am grateful for this new opportunity to work in our new Centre and look forward to welcoming all the Tamariki and Whanau as this is truly my passion.
I love to travel and see as much of New Zealand as I can in my spare time as well as take trips overseas to visit my family. I can’t wait to care for and educate the children here and to work so closely with their parents and whanau to support the children to become confident, independent and life-long learners.
Jesse
Registered Head Teacher
Tena koutou katoa, my name is Jesse and I am the Head Teacher for the Preschool Room at Sugartree Lane Preschool. I have a Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood from Unitec. I am a published children’s author, I am married and have a son. As an early childhood educator I want to provide tamariki with experiences that are fun and meaningful and inspire exploration and expression. As a teacher, I believe it is paramount to establish nurturing, supportive and collaborative relationships with whānau and children. I feel it is important to work respectfully with whānau and their children, to develop a strong sense of belonging and enjoy nurturing children’s belief in themselves, their abilities and their learning. I am passionate about providing quality early childhood education to children, parents and families. I strive to advocate for the whole family within my practice and respect children's individuality. My mission as a teacher is to help children discover the joy of learning, and to help each child develop a strong belief in his or her own ability to achieve. I believe that children learn through play: by doing, asking questions, interacting with others and develop theories about how things work and then trying them out. I also believe that I need to recognise and build on each child’s strengths and interests, allowing them to make their own unique contribution to their own learning.
As a Head Teacher, my role is to promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment for the children, their families and the teaching team. My overall role is to sensitively nurture their confidence, co-operation and empathy. I am looking forward to working with you and your children.
Alice
Registered Head Teacher
Kia ora, whanau! My name is Alice and I am originally from South Korea. I have lived in New Zealand since 2000 and I studied Early Childhood Education at University of Auckland and graduated with a Bachelor degree in 2015. I also completed a Graduate Diploma in Primary Education in 2017.
I like to travel around NZ or other countries to experience new cultures and adventures. I am looking forward to share my future journey with all families and children at our lovely centre Sugartree Lane Preschool!
Sara
Registered Teacher
Kia ora, I am Sara. I came from Shanghai, China several years ago. When I arrived at this amazing place, I decided to be a teacher in early childhood education. I love children and it is my honour to support them getting ready for their journey ahead at primary school. I finished my study in New Zealand Tertiary College with a major in early childhood education. At the same time, I worked as a volunteer and a part time teacher in babies and toddlers’ room at an ECE centre. After graduation, I starting working as a Qualified teacher. As I want to learn more, I joined Sugartree Lane Preschool. I am very thankful to everyone for having me here and for supporting me.
I will devote all my efforts towards the children because I love them from the bottom of my heart. Regarding my teaching philosophy, I think listening to a child’s heart is one of the most important need in early childhood education. As for my interest, I am fond of drawing, dancing, basketball and some more recreational activities like these. I am very excited to be a part of Sugartree Lane Preschool team.
Kate
Registered Teacher
My full name is Kyunghee Yang, but you can call me Kate. I am originally from Seoul, South Korea but have been living in New Zealand for 10 years now. I went to Korea National University of Education to study Early Childhood Education (Bachelor) and graduated in 2011.After graduation, I worked in a kindergarten in my country for a year and then came back to New Zealand. Also, I studied Graduated Diploma (level 7) in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand Tertiary College in 2017.When I was a high school student, I lived in China for few years so I can speak in Mandarin as well. I love working with children and want to be a part of their start in Education.
Shilpa
Registered Teacher
Hello and Namaste!
My name is Shilpa and I am excited to embark on my teaching journey at Sugartree Lane Preschool. I was born and raised in India where I have graduated with Bachelors of Arts (Vocal Music) and also Bachelors in Education (B.ED). Having taught for seven years in the most loved preschools of the capital city of India, I decided to enhance my learning and teaching skills in this area. Thus, I moved to New Zealand in 2018 to study Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education) from NZTC. Here, I also worked as a Programme Assistant and casual reliever in renowned institutions of New Zealand.
I love spending time with my family, getting to know new people and learning about different cultures. I enjoy the outdoors, being active and travelling when and where I can. I also enjoy curling up in a quiet corner and singing and listening to a good music or cooking and exploring some new recipes for my family and friends. Teaching is something that I am passionate about as I believe that the younger years of development are the most influential years. Children should be allowed to develop their independence at a young age
Sue
Teaching Assistant
My name is Sue and I consider myself a true Kiwi (after living in NZ for over 20 years)! My family is originally from India and I was born in the UK & then brought up in the USA. I have conducted tertiary level study in Europe & NZ, with a background in sociology and business. As I have a real love and passion for children and teaching, I have worked for many years as a tutor, support worker for special needs children and as a reliever & teacher at ECE centres throughout Auckland, during study and in-between careers. The instant gratification and ultimate satisfaction I receive from working with children beats the stress of an office job any day! I love travel, dance, arts & culture and constantly experiencing new things, as I believe we are all life-long learners!
MJ
Teaching Assistant
Kia ora!
My name is Juyeon Mo-MJ. I was born and raised in South Korea, and I moved to New Zealand in 2019. I am currently studying a diploma course in early childhood education and care in New Zealand Tertiary College. I am very happy to start my journey as an early childhood teacher at Sugartree Lane Preschool.
I believe that having a lot of free-play with open-ended materials and environment is one of the essential parts through which children learn social-emotion, physical and creative skills, as well as increasing their working theory and understanding of the world. I will do my best to support our children’s learning and development by providing and inviting children to explore and experience the world around them. I also believe that opportunities for children’s development and learning are able to enhance when teachers build a positive relationship with their parents. Furthermore, a teacher can offer optimum learning environment when a parent is engaged in their experiences. I will try to have a positive and trustworthy relationship with parents/whānau of children and meet their expectations and value of children’s learning.
I am looking forward to working with our lovely children and parents/whānau.
Sophie
Teaching Assistant and Student Teacher
Kia Ora, I’m Sophie, a Teacher Assistant with NZ Best Childcare Centres. In 2018 I was lucky enough to have been given an opportunity to be the Centre Administrator for both our branches (Amberwood Preschool and Sugartree Lane Preschool), however, I have decided to study a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) commencing in 2019 to become a qualified ECE Teacher and extend my competencies further.
I was born in Auckland and attended Epsom Girls’ Grammar School. I was actively involved in performing arts, including dancing, drama, singing and musical theatre. Following this I completed a Certificate in Communications and Media Arts and worked for IBM Global Services delivery centre as an Air New Zealand travel consultant. I then went on to nanny for two beautiful families for three years, where I developed a passion for working with 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.
Jyoti
Childcare Centre Administrator
Kia Ora, Hello and Namaste! My name is Jyoti, the Centre Administrator at NZs Best Childcare Centres. I was born and brought up in India where I also completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Arts (English Hons.) before moving to New Zealand in 2016 with my husband to study Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education). I am a mother to a cute little boy whom we call Ryan.
I have more than 7 years of experience working in Education sector at various positions including 3 years in Early Childhood Education as a Relieving teacher and Office Administrator. My love for children and passion towards Office work brought me into this sector and I am really loving the combination of both.
Without any doubt, I can say that I am immensely in love with New Zealand and that it is a second home to me and my family now.
Employment Opportunities:
We are frequently looking for passionate people to join our team of experienced and dedicated early childhood professionals. Click here for information on our current vacant positions.