Little Treehouse Kindergarten has a warm and friendly team of passionate teachers who show ongoing commitment to the kindergarten, it’s families and the community. High teacher to child ratios ensure quality interaction and engagement between teachers and your child.
Teaching practices reflect current theories of learning and development and teachers participate in ongoing professional development. This ensures we deliver a consistently high quality of care and education to achieve the best learning outcomes for your child.
We believe children learn and develop best when they experience an environment where they are nurtured, encouraged and listened to by teachers who are responsive to the child’s enquiring mind and provoke an interest in the world around them.
'Teachers engage responsively in their interactions with children. Thoughtfully designed play experiences are enhanced by excursions and resources.' ERO Report October 2017
Allanah is the owner and licensee of Little Treehouse Kindergarten. She is involved actively in the centre on a day-to-day basis as the Centre Manager.
“It is a privilege to be a part of the lives of children every day and to watch them on their journey of discovery. As a Mum, I know just how precious these preschool years are and I am honoured to be a part of each child’s journey. My wish is that every child at Little Treehouse Kindergarten has a magical experience that will set the foundations for a lifetime of learning.”
Teresa is our Head Teacher and has many years of experience as an early childhood teacher. She is passionate about creating a learning environment that promotes curiosity, creativity and having fun while learning.
“I am passionate about creating a learning environment that fosters children’s wellbeing and nurtures their social and emotional development. I believe it is vital for children to have an environment that focuses on their interests and dispositions where they are encouraged to explore and make sense of the world around them.
Our amazing ECE curriculum ‘Te Whāriki’ supports an environment that is play based and encourages children to be confident and capable lifelong learners. I feel privileged to work alongside children and their whanau to get the most out of their early year’s education.”
Valentina is Chilean and in addition to her teaching degree has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and French and has studied Bicultural Social Work. She is passionate about nature and sustainability and brings a knowledge of the Spanish and French language to our teaching team.
“I believe that by providing a safe, nurturing, and fun environment, encourages tamariki to be excited about coming to kindy and learning every day.
As a kaiako, I am very passionate about empowering tamariki to be independent and confident learners and giving them the tools to fully express themselves. I am also passionate about sparking children's curiosity with the world around them and celebrating children’s culture, language, and identity.”
Julie has experience teaching in Primary and Early Childhood settings and has been involved in a nature based programme based on Waiheke Island for a number or years. Julie is passionate about music and drama having completed an Advanced Diploma in Performance Flute and established and run a music school alongside her husband for several years. Julie brings to our teaching team experience and knowledge about supporting children with diverse needs.
“I enjoy teaching children through nurturing their confidence to achieve success in their learning and development. It is important to me to provide a calm, anxiety free environment for children - a ‘home away from home’. I believe in children expressing themselves creatively and emotionally and like to provide them with opportunities to be creative particularly through music and drama.
I feel special when I can teach a child something for the first time.”
Chloé is originally from France and has a background in Art History and Archaeology. She has lived in New Zealand since 2011 and found her passion for working with children while working for an after school care programme. She enjoys sharing her love for arts and music with the children.
‘I believe that relationships are at the heart of early childhood education and the cornerstone of my philosophy. I am a dedicated advocate for the importance of social and emotional competence in empowering children to become confident and capable lifelong learners.
I strongly believe in fostering children's learning dispositions and encouraging them to pursue their own interests for a well-rounded education. My passion lies in working with children with special education needs, and I'm excited to pursue studies in early intervention in 2024.’
Rose works full time supporting our team of qualified teachers. She has a genuine love of children and has spent many years working with children and supporting families with newborn babies. Rose has a calm and gentle disposition and enjoys spending time with children, truly listening to them and supporting their learning in positive ways. She loves spending time in the garden and fostering children's curiosity through science exploration.
"I am very much a nurturer and love the challenge of discovering children’s different personalities through observation and interaction and consequently finding that special way to connect with them on an individual level. A child should feel safe to express themselves and to discover who they are."
Heshika has a Diploma in Teaching and Education Studies from Sri Lanka and has had experience working with children in Sri Lanka prior to moving to New Zealand in 2020. Heshika has a calm and nurturing approach to teaching. She enjoys engaging with children and understanding what truly interests them to support them to learn, grow and flourish.
‘I believe that every child is unique. They have different ideas, needs and wants, personalities and an individual way of observing and understanding. I believe it is essential to have a strong relationship with the child and their whānau to understand their need and wants, how to respond and when to respond, as a partner in their learning journey.’
Esther has been part of our teaching team since 2002, where she has been dedicated to supporting and preparing our children for school. She retired in October 2017 and now supports our team on a relieving basis.
"I enjoy supporting children to become confident and independent, ready for the next stage of their life long journey."