Beata (Centre Manager):

My name is Beata and I am very excited to open BestStart Te Whāriki. I am looking forward to supporting the teaching team and to getting to know you and your child but first I will tell you a little about me.  I was born and raised in Hungary in Europa and I moved to Christchurch when I finished my studies as a primary teacher. I joined ABC Wigram 2 in 2006 . Soon I discovered the beauty of working with children under 5 and I dedicated myself to become a qualified early childhood teacher. I went to University of Canterbury and got my graduate diploma in ECE in 2008. Since then I have always been seeking learning opportunities to develop my teaching practices.  I have been attending professional developments regularly to be able to implement all pedagogical theories to contribute to the intellectual, emotional and physical development of children under 5. I have been lucky enough to teach and be part of dedicated teams of BestStart Wigrams and Parkside to develop great learning environment for all age groups under 5 since I become an early childhood teacher.  I live with my husband and two school age children.

Keely (Cook):

Kia ora! Ko Keely toku ingoa, ko au te kaitunu mo Beststart Te Whariki. My names Keely and I am your cook at BestStart Te Whariki!

I feel so privileged to be apart of the team here in Lincoln and can not wait to provide healthy, delicious meals for your children. I have a lot of experience with children through coaching sports, kapa haka and teaching music.

In 2020 I graduated from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Agribusiness and Food Marketing and am currently expanding my knowledge at the New Zealand Institute of Health and Fitness studying Personal Training and Nutrition. I have a huge passion for food, health, maori culture and coaching sports. I was fortunate enough to grow up on a dairy farm in Golden Bay, surrounded by an abundance of seafood, hunting, gathering and all sports alike. I'd like to say this is where my passion for food began.

I am so excited to share my knowledge and kai with your tamariki, so please feel free to pop into the kitchen if you have any questions or even to just say "Hi!".

Karen (HT of the over 2s - preschool and prep room, based in the preschool)

Mabuhay!  I am Karen and I originally came from the Philippines but New Zealand is my new home now, and specifically Lincoln. I have spent my 11 years of teaching in the Early Childhood sector in Wellington and considered it the best teaching experience of my life, as I get to experience working with such a diversity of people. I've enjoyed working across both under 2's and over 2's age groups and am now concentrating on working within the over 2's area of BestStart Te Whariki.  

I have a very strong  interest in supporting our tamariki's learning through play and socialisation.  Cultural, social, and emotional competencies are among my areas of particular interest/passion.  I love learning about the uniqueness of each child through their family, cultural background, and personality.  I love seeing tamariki taking pride in their own identity and their own ways of learning, and I love helping them find their place in the social world.   

I personally feel privileged and honored to be able to be part of our tamariki and their family's learning journey.  The learning I get from meeting and working with all tamariki and their families enriches my knowledge and skill of being an effective kaiako (teacher) to everyone.  

I'm very excited to become part of BestStart Te Whariki as I see the passion and dedication everyone brings every day in ensuring the best possible learning experience for each and every tamariki in this centre. 

Bella (Prep Room - 3.5 to 5 year olds):

Kia ora. My name is Yan Cui, and my friends also call me Bella. I am very excited to be a part of the team at Beststart Te Whāriki. I completed my study at the University of Canterbury and got my graduate diploma in Early Childhood Education in 2021. Since then I have had an opportunity to work as a relief teacher in my placement centre.

Building reciprocal relationships with children and whānau through kindness and respect is at the heart of my philosophy. I believe that children are competent and confident learners, developing in their own rhythm, and teachers need to support and nurture their mana at every stage of their learning journey. Inspired by Froebel, my teaching will focus on providing rich and responsive curriculums which are consistent with principles, strands and learning outcomes in Te Whāriki. I aim to empower children with learning opportunities to develop skills and support them to become independent learners.

Family and friends are significant in my life. I love spending time jogging, swimming and travelling with them in my spare time.

Zoey (Nursery 0-2yr olds):

Kia Ora, Hi, Ni Hao! My name is Zhongying Yao, you can just call me Zoey! At the beginning of the year I completed my Graduate Diploma in ECE at New Zealand Tertiary College. I have already been working as a reliever for BestStart for around one year before starting here. I am so excited to join this new family, as a teacher at BestStart Te Whāriki!

I really enjoy working with tamariki. I am great at building relationships with children using my positive attitude, patience, and a happy smiley face. I like observing children during play and communication which helps me understand their interests, feelings, and potential. I also believe that building strong relationship with whānau is very important for me and for the children in our care at the centre.
I believe that the holistic development of each child is most important during the early childhood period, and as a professional I seek to develop each area of learning in ways which take account of and build upon the children’s strengths. My intentional teaching practices will help children to develop their skills. I am looking forward to my new journey at BestStart Te Whāriki!

Anna (Prep Room - 3.5 to 5 year olds):

My name is Anna, I am very excited to be a part of the team at BestStart Te Whāriki in Lincoln. I am a passionate teacher who has been in the industry for 14 years. I graduated at the New Zealand Tertiary College in 2012 with my Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education). After graduating, my family and I moved to Brisbane Australia, where I was a kindergarten teacher for nine years running a government funded kindergarten programme for children aged 3.5 to 5.5. I prepared children for school using play base learning activities that focused on school readiness skills. My programme also ensured that children learned social, emotional, and self-regulation skills which is equally important to a child’s overall wellbeing. In October 2020, my husband and I moved back to Christchurch to start our life here again with our four children ranging in ages from adult, high school, and twins in childcare. I was then lucky enough to be chosen to be apart of the new Te Whariki Lincoln team. I am really looking forward to implementing some of the teaching concepts I have learnt over my years of teaching to support your child. At BestStart Te Whariki we cannot wait to learn about your child’s interest and extend their learning with our well-resourced centre. I am looking forward to meeting you so come on down and have a tour. 

Hana (Preschool 2 -3.5yr olds):

Kia ora everyone! My name is Hana. I graduated from New Zealand Tertiary College with a graduate diploma in ECE at the end of last year. I'm so excited and delighted to be a part of BestStart Te Whāriki. I was born and raised in China. I'm deeply influenced by my mom and grandma as both of them are teachers. So, I also want to pursue my life-long career as an early childhood teacher. I enjoy working with tamariki and it is such a privilege to witness and nurture children in their early stages.

I'm inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and I value every child as a capable and confident learner. As play with purpose is essential for children, I'm enthusiastic about planning and setting up different activities to develop children's interests, potential and dispositions. Also, I'm passionate about establishing the environment as a third teacher for children to keep exploring and learning.

Valencia (Nursery 0-2yr olds):

My name is Velencia and I am very excited to join BestStart as a teacher in training in this wonderful newly opened centre in Lincoln, Te Whāriki. I was born and raised in India, Mumbai and moved to Christchurch after getting married.  Soon after having my first child, I discovered my love and passion for working with children and soon decided to enrol and become a qualified teacher. Currently, I am pursuing my Level 7 graduate diploma in Early childhood education and looking forward to fully dedicate myself to early childhood teaching. I am very fortunate to join this wonderful, knowledgeable and experience team at Beststart which also supports individual learning, growth and overall well being of each child. I reside with my beautiful family - my husband and son.

Vicki:

My name is Vicki and I am very delighted to be part of the team opening our brand new centre.  I am the administrator at the centre so please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything we can assist you with regarding the care of your tamariki.  I have been with BestStart for three years and have enjoyed getting to know the children and teachers in the my previous centres just as I am looking forward to meeting all the children that will be at BestStart Te Whāriki.  It is a privilege to see the children grow and develop new skills as they head towards their primary school years.

Morag (Nursery 0-2yr olds):

Tena koutou katoa,

Ko Morag toku ingoa.

I am excited to be part of the team at Beststart Te Whāriki. I have been involved on and off in the Early Childhood sector for 25 years... that makes me sound sooo old!!! I started as a Playcentre parent with my children and completed their supervisor training. I then held several roles within the Playcentre organisation.

I had a wee break of a few years while my children were at school doing other jobs outside of ECE. I completed my ECE training while my children were at high school and have been working currently in the sector since 2010. I have held various roles in that time including teacher in training, teacher, assistant manager and centre manager.

Over this time doing these roles I have developed a passion for the infant and toddler age group. I believe it is the pivotal one for setting the foundation for future learning, and I love supporting the quirky way they explore the world. Most of my teaching experience has been with this age group. I have held roles across all ages but keep getting drawn back to the Nursery. I am looking forward to supporting the Nursery children's learning and development.

I am passionate about life-long learning for myself and those I work alongside and enjoy professional discussions with other teachers. I enjoy challenging them and myself to strive to be the best we can, and to provide the best care and learning environment for the children we have the privilege of supporting on their learning journey.

I am a Lincoln local, having lived here for 3 years. And I love it, it’s such a great place to live. There is just my husband Aaron and I and the two dogs at home now. Both our children are off doing their own thing, Bridget in Wellington and Hamish in Christchurch. It is such a fun stage of parenting and so rewarding seeing them achieve their goals.

Gemma (Nursery 0-2yr olds):

Hi my name is Gemma and I am very excited to be part of the Te Whariki team of educators.  I have been involved in Early Childhood Education for over 16 years and have had a range of experience in all age groups.  I finished my studies at The New Zealand College of Early Childhood education in 2005 and went on to teach at P.A.L Schools. In my first year of teaching I completed further study and gained my Batchelor of Education in ECE.  I first starting teaching Prep School aged children 3 ½ to 6 years, which I stayed in this role for 8 years. After this I worked at other centres working with under 2’s as well as Preschool aged children. 

I am from Christchurch and live in Rolleston with my husband Matt and my two young boys, Cooper and Jackson.  I love to spend quality time with my family, exploring the outdoors and relishing opportunities to grow and learn alongside my children.

I am very passionate about the early years of a child’s development and how we as educators, can guide and support them, following their dispositions and furthering their knowledge and development. I further my knowledge in early childhood education through continuous professional development as well as research and readings. 

I have a passion for the Reggio Emilia philosophy, where I believe that each child is viewed as infinitely capable, creative, and intelligent.  A good teacher supports these qualities and challenges and engages children in diverse ways. I am passionate about creating and establishing environments to further develop children’s dispositions and interests, where the environment is seen as the third teacher for our nga tamariki learning.