tricky moments, we make each other coffees, and allow ourselves to tap out if we need to. And laughter. There is always laughter here. What is your philosophy? We believe in providing a holistic setting where siblings, cousins and friends can all be together in the traditional family way. We believe in inclusion, individualism and that every single child has the right to be here in our fold, to be loved and nurtured. How long has your centre been open? Over 40 years, evolving from a morning only crèche, to a full day centre catering for all ages. We have always been a registered charity and kept our fees as low as possible so that we are accessible to all those who want to be here. Our logo features our beautiful cherry tree that was planted as a tiny twig when we moved to these premises about 35 years ago and it is now a main feature of our playground; great to climb and hang our swing from, it produces puffy pink blossom in spring and fiery colours in autumn. What do you most love most about your job? What a privilege it is to be able to lead our incredible kaiako and action all our dreams for our special place. I just love being here and am so proud of all the mahi that we do! Our kaiako are the most supportive, beautiful humans; we bring different skills and interests, have strong communication and a collective sense of humour. We are all there for each other and invested in giving our tamariki an educational journey that is unique to them as individuals. And of course, our tamariki, who make my heart swell with pride. The other day I had a tap at my office window which overlooks the garden, and there were little hands passing me a pancake through the window from their outdoor baking session – you can’t be more loved than that! Biggest challenge facing ECE centres now? For us, it is funding and all the complexities around it that make it tough for small centres in particular. Best part about owning a centre? That we are not owned! I work closely with my Admin Manager who crunches the numbers - we have a joint love of graphs, order and the colour purple! We can make our own decisions and provide individual programmes to cater for all different levels of need. We have amazing parent reps who organise fundraising events that bring families together on quiz nights and our family Christmas party each year. The community spirit is strong with us, and I am humbled when I see so many koro and kuia here on Grandparents Day, parents staying at drop off to read, dads fixing our leaky tap, December 2023 { 18 }
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