Te Pihinga House Teachers
For children 2-6 years
Penny England
Head Teacher
Kia Ora. Ko Penny ahau. I have been at Daisies since 2017 as a key kaiako, Education leader and now Head Teacher. I have worked across both houses and I was part of the original group of kaiako who taught at Te Pihinga when it first opened in 2019. Prior to working at Daisies, I was teaching in a junior classroom in a primary school. Therefore the transition from early childhood to primary education is a huge passion and interest of mine. I believe that early childhood education plays such an important role in setting children up to be capable, curious and life long learners.
I have two daughters, one is now at school and was fortunate to attend Daisies and my youngest who has just started at Te Purapura. We live in Camborne close to walking tracks and the water where we spend time together as a family in the weekends. I love that the Daisies philosophy reflects many aspects of our home life such as the Nature Explore programme and the key teacher system.
Bryony Schalks
Educator
Kia ora my name is Bryony (Bee).
I am a full-time educator here at Daisies and I am passionate about providing quality care and education. Helping support tamariki to form a growth-mindset is probably my main driver because the way we think about ourselves and our capacity to grow has a massive impact on what we will accomplish in life and how we will overcome obstacles along the way.
I have been employed here for over a decade and I kind of feel like a well-loved piece of furniture at this point. I have had the privilege of being a key-teacher to many tamariki over the years and have learnt so much from them and their families. I have thoroughly enjoyed helping grow and extend our Clean the Streets and Nature Explore programmes from their early days and I'm so proud of what we have accomplished so far. I'm quite passionate about outdoor education and helping tamariki form a solid connection to nature.
The Arts are quite woven through my practice using music, dance, art and drama as useful strategies to engage, inspire and provoke. I am now called a 'Flexible Educator' and I will be working between both Te Purapura and Te Pihinga whare. I believe the change we need in this world starts here in ECE.
Sarah Ryan
Education Leader
Kia ora! I have been working in Early Childhood Education for 20 years.
I am a qualified and certified teacher. During my study gaining a BA in Anthropology and English Literature, I worked in ECE centres around Wellington. Realising that working with young children was my true passion, I completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE), graduating in 2005.
Most of my teaching career has been focussed on specialising in infant and toddler care and education.
I am passionate about working with the youngest ngā tamariki, and love to see moments of curiosity, kindness and problem solving.
I enjoy using song, stories and art to support children’s learning experiences and connections to Te Ao Māori.
I live in Broadmeadows with my husband, Matt, and our two tamahine, Lucy and Ruby, and our pets - a cat called Phoebe and a kurī called Baz.
Alexandra Lu
Teacher
Kia Ora,
I am fortunate enough to be involved in the teaching team here at Daisies after finishing my placement. I am originally from China and I moved to New Zealand six years ago. I speak Mandarine, Cantonese, English and a little bit of Korean. I am still on my journey to learn more languages. After spending my first few years in Auckland, I moved to Wellington with my partner last year. In the first five years in Auckland, I have finished my bachelor and postgraduate diploma degree in education and am currently undertaking a graduate diploma in early childhood education which will be finished in May 2022. Personally, I believe every child is different and capable while the role of teacher is to discover their shining points and design a play-based curriculum to strengthen their learning. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your children in the future.
Elaine Jackson
Teacher
Kia Ora! I am excited to be part of the Daisies’ whānau. I am a registered and qualified teacher, with a conjoint Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) and a Bachelor of Arts (in Early Childhood Studies and Education) degree from Victoria University. Since 2005, I’ve worked in ECE centres around Wellington.
I recently returned from Cambodia, where I had been living and teaching for three years at a Canadian International school. I am Malaysian-Singaporean and grew up in East Malaysia. As well as Malay, I'm familiar with Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin and Teochew. My husband and I now live in Wilton with our two-year-old son who is also at Daisies. In my spare time, I enjoying being out in nature, going for walks, visiting the beach and having brunch at one of our cafes.
As a kaiako, I am passionate about our tamariki’s development and learning especially in the early years. It fascinates me to see the awe and wonder on their faces when they have discovered something new through their investigative exploration. I believe in providing an environment that fosters respect for our tamariki, knowing that they are competent and capable learners. I love to teach through songs, stories and messy play.
Martina Gratzer
Teacher
Guten Tag ! Kia ora and Hello. I am a qualified and newly registered teacher and I have been working in the early childhood industry for roughly 7 years now. I have done my studies through Victoria University of Wellington. My family comes from Austria which I have traveled back and forth multiple times. I love nature and going on many adventures during the weekends to explore this beautiful country we live in. I also love creating new things through various arts, crafts and natural resources, which is my strong suit, and love to explore this with tamariki at Daisies and to support their imaginative skills through different sustainable and creative ways
Jamie McMillan
Teacher
Kia ora, my name is Jamie and I am excited to be a part of your children’s learning and to build relationships with you.
I am originally from Paeroa up in the Waikato but have lived as far away as London, Canada and Christchurch before calling Wellington home for over 8 years now.
I am a fully qualified and registered kaiako holding a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) with my experience based with children over the age of two where my passion lies. I love to build strong and respectful relationships with whanau and tamariki. I love a great book and have built up a strong collection of books that I love to share with the Tamariki.
Rosie Lee
Teacher
Kia ora and 안녕하세요! Ko Rosie tōku ingoa.
I am originally from Korea and came to Aotearoa in 2017. I live in Wellington with a warm-hearted husband and a cheeky son. We moved to Wellington from Hamilton in 2022. I studied Bachelor in Theater and Film from Korea and Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) from Victoria University in Wellington.
Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia ō tātou māhi Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work.
I believe that each child has a uniqueness that leads to their interest and direction of development, so I consider myself as a supporter who captures precious moments of each child showing their interests and supports them with my heart and knowledge.
I am thrilled to start the new chapter of my life and excited to join the learning adventure of our children at Daisies as a kaiako.
Deirdre Van Duyl
Reliever Teacher
Tena Koutou
Ko Deirdre toku ingoa
No Wellington ahau
Kia ora, I feel very privileged and delighted to have been part of the Daisies teaching team/whānau since we opened in October 2008.
I have a Kindergarten Teaching Diploma and many years’ experience in a variety of early childhood education settings. I am extremely passionate about children’s learning and about providing the best possible learning outcomes for them.
I believe that communication between home and the centre is vital as we work together to ensure that all children explore their full potential and grow up to be competent and confident learners and communicators.
I am particularly interested in the curriculum areas of music, science, literacy and numeracy. I am a key teacher for the older group of children (Whanake group). My focus for them is building the foundation for a smooth transition to school. I believe that curiosity, investigation, perseverance, and problem solving are all very important learning dispositions for our children as they work on generating more complex working theories about the world around them. I live with my husband in Tawa. Our children are all adults and have left home. In my spare time I like to make cards, go to the gym, read, knit and play cards with friends.
Sian Iverson
Reliever Educator
Kia ora koutou katoa
Ko Panguru te maunga
Ko Waipapa te awa iti
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua te waka
Ko Te Rarawa te iwi
Ko Ngati Manawa, ko Te Kaitutae nga hapu
Ko Ngati Manawa te marae
Ko Iversen tōku whanau
No Sian tōku ingoa
I joined the Daisies team in July 2021 and I’m very excited to be part of this amazing establishment.
I love spending time with the tamariki doing art and expressing their creativity. I love seeing all the beautiful masterpieces they come up with and having in depth conversations with them about their work.
I am also drawn to the importance of sustainability and love for nature. Outside of work I spend lots of time out in nature walking, exploring our beautiful country and hanging out with my dog. I find it fulfilling seeing the adventurous side of tamariki come out during their exploration of nature.
My days are forever enriched by the fresh perspectives and ideas of the tamariki. My approach to teaching is to build a mutual respect for myself and the tamariki. I like to allow them to play a big role in decision making throughout the day to promote their sense of independence and responsibility in situations.
I like to approach interactions with a collaborative view by engaging in discussion and promoting the children's thinking and ideas. I love how every day is different and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to get to know all the tamariki and whanau.
Andrea Wood
Reliever Teacher
Kia ora tatou, my name is Andrea.
I have worked at Daisies as a reliever and teacher with the older tamariki at Te Pihinga.
I am from a large family and have four children of my own, so I love the family atmosphere of Daisies. I believe relationships built on care, trust and respect between tamariki, whanau and kaiako are the foundation for tamariki to develop a strong sense of belonging and identity in who they are.
I believe an important part of teaching is helping each child to see themselves, their whanau and culture, their uniqueness and strengths, and their views as valuable and important.
I am passionate about tamariki exploring, and seeing themselves as kaitiaki of, the great outdoors. Empowering tamariki to lead their own learning by exploring ideas, investigating, trying new things, asking questions and embracing challenge come from this passion and my belief of tamariki being curious, capable and responsible individuals.
As well as teaching and reading, I enjoy spending time with my family, going for walks, skiing, and tramping.