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Meet the Tuakana Team!
Welcome to our Tuakana whānau In this ruma we have Indira and Maira.
Kia Ora! I am Maria Elena M. Valencia from the Philippines and have been teaching in primary for ten years. I pursued teaching because it is my passion. That is the reason why I chose to continue this job here in New Zealand. I love doing different activities with kids, socializing with peers, and sharing ideas and experiences with them. It makes me happy when I see children learning and enjoying themselves at the same time.
Kia ora My name is Indira. I hail from Pondicherry, a small state in southern India. Besides teaching one passion I have is Medicine. I hold degrees from Universities of Madras and Annamalai. My teaching experiences back home are mostly in primary and later a school assistant in a high school. As my family planned to immigrate to New Zealand, I decided to complete my ECE degree. Although I had never had teaching experiences with young tamariki, I am learning, and continue to learn along this journey. My philosophy is that children and little miracles who have to be loved and cherished, irrespective of colour, culture and ability. Proper guidance and support are to be provided in times of uncertainty, thereby allowing tamariki to explore and become capable learners. By instilling good habits early in life, we are paving the path to children’s future success. “Be a child to know a child”.