Meet the team

Molly Sietu

Centre Manager

Kia ora everyone.

For those who do not know me, I used to be the Head teacher in the Tui room for almost 3 years.

I have had the privilege to have worked for Shona, our ex-centre manager, and Carol, the centre owner of Pupuke, over in Herne Bay starting in 2002 for 14 and a half years. It was at Bayfield EEC that I grew into the role of a head teacher. I have, however, been working in ECE for almost 22 years now and I have taught and nurtured all age groups, so I have had lots of knowledge and experience within the ECE sector.

I am part Māori and part Niuean, and I have lived in West Auckland my whole life. I am happily married with one daughter, Krisarn, who is now 11 years old.

I am passionate in working with children as I believe that they develop and learn best in a loving, nurturing, calm, understanding, safe, fun, and healthy environment.

I understand how rewarding but also how difficult the role of a parent can be at times, especially as a working parent. We all want our children to be happy, cared for and provide them with the best learning opportunities. I can assure you that I am committed to improving children’s outcomes and my role, along with the team here at Pupuke, is to assist your child on their learning journey giving them the freedom to explore and develop in a warm and caring environment.

 I am really looking forward to growing in this new role.     

 January 2021

Pupuke-Rhonda

Rhonda 

Office Manager

Hi, my name is Rhonda and I am the Office Manager at Pupuke Early Education Centre.

I have worked at Pupuke since we opened in April 2009, being privileged to be part of the team who set up the centre. You will find me at the busy front desk taking care of all administration, accounts and all the other office duties to keep the busy centre running.  I enjoy coming to work every day and working with the wonderful team we have here.

I know your children will love their time here and look forward to a long and happy association with you all.

April 2009

 

Ericka  Morales

Centre Cook

¿Hola, Como están? Hello, how are you? Kia Ora.

My name is Ericka Morales.

I am from a beautiful country called Costa Rica ubicated in Centro América. I grew up in the countryside. My parents are farmers, so I understand what it is to eat what you produce.

I moved to New Zealand in 2011.

Part of my role at Pupuke Early Education Centre, is to introduce a healthy and balanced diet, delicious meals, and use proper food safety. I believe in encouraging children to taste new ingredients. I am working with, and talking about, what they like and how healthy food makes your body grow. It is fundamental for your tamariki to developing a sense of well-being, meeting the growth development and activity needs of healthy and confident children.

I am delighted to be working here, especially in getting to know all tamariki and whānau.

May 2021

Catherine Yang

Pukeko Room Teacher

Kia ora! Ahn Nyong Ha Se Yo!

My name is Catherine Youngeun Yang, and I am originally from a city called Daegu in South Korea.

I started my training at New Zealand Tertiary Collage in 2009 and finally graduated and became a qualified early childhood teacher in 2014. I started working as a reliever at Pupuke Early Education Centre in 2013 and had awesome opportunities to work in both the Tui and Pukeko rooms. I resigned in July 2021 due to some new opportunities and challenges, however, I have decided to come back to my home centre after the learning journey and I feel very grateful to be back.

I understand I could be one of the first adults that children have interacted with outside of their own family and creating warm and welcoming environments for children and the family/whānau are important. I respect the uniqueness of each child and have a passion for guiding young children and supporting their learning and achievement at their own pace.

I am happily married with two beautiful children, Ella Kyuri and Aiden Jiwook.

When I am not working, I enjoy cooking and baking with them.

November 2022

 

Carolyn Taruc

Kiwi/Tui Room Teacher

Hello! My name is Carolyn and I am very excited to join the wonderful team at Pupuke Early Education Centre. Early childhood education is my passion and advocacy. Since 2008, I was an early childhood educator at the Balay-balay (Playhouse) Child Minding Centre in Iloilo City, Philippines, where learning is cultivated through play. I also had the wonderful opportunity to be one of the organizers of PAREF Preschool Ridgefield, a private preschool in Iloilo City, Philippines, where home-school collaboration provides a strong foundation for the child’s character formation. I have a Bachelor of Science in Management-Psychology degree from the University of the Philippines, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from the West Visayas State University, Philippines, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood Education) from the New Zealand Tertiary College, Auckland. My husband and I are comfortably settled here in New Zealand, while being supportive of our two adult sons who are trailblazing their careers. In addition, I have happy feet which makes music and movement second nature to me. I also love to travel to other countries and I consider each journey an insightful adventure. Being surrounded by children makes me feel young at heart and their world of wonder constantly amazes me. Moreover, I uphold and respect the uniqueness of each child, as well as their individual viewpoints. Furthermore, I believe that children should be given the freedom to learn through exploration and diverse experiences, in order for them to develop and enhance their self-efficacy and competency.

I look forward with eagerness to work in harmony with my associates, to coordinate and develop collegial relationships with the parents/whānau, and to build supportive and trusting relationships with the children. I consider it my privilege to share joyous, exciting, and enriching learning moments with your children, in a centre where we are all a community of learners.

August 2017

 

Jenny Burke

 Pukeko Room Teacher

 Kia ora my name is Jenny.

 I have been in New Zealand for 13 years. I am originally from the UK and married to a rugby mad Welshman. I have two adult children, both who are in Wellington. My husband and I live in Takapuna. 

I am a fully qualified and registered teacher, gaining my degree in 2011. I have been a teacher for over 20 years specializing in children with extra needs, working in centres with mixed ages.

I believe every child should have the opportunity to express and discover the world around them in their own unique way. Messy play and child led activities form the corner stone of my philosophy ensuring the children have fun whilst learning through their play. I am committed to providing the children with a safe and enjoyable experience that they want to share with their parents. I am excited to build strong attachments with the children and team to deliver a stimulating and inclusive curriculum that respects children whilst growing their confidence and competence.

June 2021

 

 

Jo Sietu

Pukeko Room Teacher

Kia ora, my name is Jo and I have been working with children for the last 25 years. Before starting at Pupuke Early Education Centre in August 2016, I was at Bayfield Early Education Centre in Herne Bay for 15 years. I have worked with all age groups from nursery to toddlers and the last 4 years in the preschool room. I consider it a privilege to be working here at Pupuke in the Pukeko room. As a teacher I believe in supporting children to become happy, independent, confident and competent learners. And most of all creating an environment where they can have fun!

August 2016

 

Jessica Vosloo

 Pukeko Room Teacher

Kia ora! My name is Jessica Vosloo. I came to New Zealand in 1997 from South Africa with my family. We lived in Rotorua for four years then ten years on the North Shore, Auckland, where I attended high school and then The University of Auckland, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Ancient History while working part- time in a clothing store.

My family then decided to move to sunny Brisbane, Australia. I wanted an adventure and moved with them. I spent eight years in Brisbane and in that time four years working in a Montessori Childcare Centre. While working there I completed a Montessori Diploma online through the North American Montessori Centre in 2019. At the end of 2019 in December, I decided to come home to Auckland and completed a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching from New Zealand Tertiary College in 2021.

I like keeping active by doing yoga and going for runs and walks in the forests and beaches. I also like art and culture so take great delight in visiting museums and art galleries and seeing a show from time to time. I enjoy exploring the world through science and try to incorporate this into my teaching. I believe in holistic teaching and learning and always take the time and effort to listen to the child and to follow their interests.

I like the Māori word ‘ako’ which means I learn from the children, and they learn from me. Family/whānau is very important to me and this is why I will endeavour to get to know your child and their family. Forming these relationships is a very important factor in my teaching practice. I have lived in many places and have met many people from all over the world. I am looking forward to getting to know all the children and families.

July 2021

 

Yujiong (Johnny) Wang

Kiwi/Tui Room Teacher

Kia Ora, I’m Yujiong Wang(Johnny), and I have been a Qualified/Registered teacher since 2021.

As a freshly graduated teacher, I am full of passion for the delivery of the knowledge which I learnt from university and practical experiences to support our tamariki learning and development.

I had a sports background and graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, majoring in Sports and Exercise Science.

It’s not a surprising career shift if I share with you my work experience as a professional coach in various functional gyms for adults and kids while studying towards my bachelor’s degree. In retrospect of my coaching, what I enjoy most is being able to communicate with people from truly diverse cultural backgrounds, being able to get to know them, and being able to help them using what I have acquired in the past.

I genuinely appreciate how inclusive and welcoming New Zealand is for all cultures, and I believe I am living and breathing that principle of open-mindedness. I am full of eagerness, optimism, and passion for my new journey, and I look forward to working with our teaching team at Pupuke Early Education Centre to deliver a reciprocal and inclusive learning environment to support our tamariki learning journey.

February 2024

Lyn Hagger

Pukeko Room Head Teacher

Tēnā koutou – hello everyone. Ko Lyn ahau – my name is Lyn. I am delighted to be returning to the Pukeko room and am really looking forward to meeting and getting to know all of the children and families. I live locally with my husband and three adult sons and am originally from the U.K.

I have been teaching in the early childhood sector in New Zealand for over 13 years now. I am a fully qualified, registered teacher and have a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Years) from the University of Auckland and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Primary) from the U.K.

I believe that young children learn very well through open-ended, freely chosen play based experiences and I love sharing special moments as children explore, make discoveries and learn at their own pace.

I am really looking forward to encouraging your children to follow their own thought processes, to sustain their attention and focus through open-ended, child-led free play. I am excited to promote the dispositions that are valuable for supporting lifelong learning, such as courage, resilience, curiosity, trust, compassion and playfulness.

Arohanui

Lyn

July 2019

 

Julie Yang

Kiwi/Tui Room Head Teacher 

안녕하세요 (Ahn young ha se yo),  Kia ora and hello. I am Julie Yang and Jeongeun is my Korean name. I came to New Zealand in December 2008 with my sister to study Early Childhood Education from South Korea.

I graduated with a Bachelors degree in English language and literature from Youngnam University in 2007 and wanted to become an English teacher in South Korea. For a year I worked with children who were non-English speakers and helped them to learn the alphabet, phonics, and basic conversation. I also did voluntary work with children with special needs for a couple of years. Through these precious experiences, I wanted to gain in-depth knowledge about Early Education for young children and decided to study in New Zealand.

I have a Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education from New Zealand Tertiary College. Since 2011, I had worked as a reliever in the Tui room at Pupuke Early Education Centre while I was in training and then I had worked as a Nursery teacher at Bayfield Early Education Centre for two years. In July 2016, I was very happy to be back at my home centre in the Tui room and in November 2019, I moved to work in the Pukeko room.

I respect and support children and their families/whānau from diverse cultural backgrounds. Building respectful and collaborative relationships with children, families/whānau and colleagues are a crucial part of my teaching practice. I am super excited to take a new role as the Head Teacher in the Tui room and looking forward to getting to know all the children and families.

January 2021

 

Illeona Milze Escaño

Kiwi/Tui  Room Teacher

My name is Illeona Milze Escaño.

My family moved to New Zealand in 2017 and we have lived in Takapuna ever since. I graduated Junior high school in the Philippines and finished my year 13 at Takapuna Grammar School.

I am currently studying Early Childhood Education at New Zealand Tertiary College. I hope that my time in Pupuke Early Education Centre as a student teacher will be able to help me learn more about my chosen career path.

I believe that learning through play is vital and can help tamariki display their interest and skills that can help them navigate the world. Exploring the natural environment enables them to learn the importance of taking care and respecting their surroundings. Being surrounded with children allows me to learn more about the importance of confidence, competency, strength, connection, and development of children. Family is very important in my teaching philosophy and getting to know the parents and family of the children is vital to reach their goals and aspirations for the children.

August 2022

Sophia Cai

Pukeko Room Teacher

Hello – Ni Hao, my name is Sophia. I moved to New Zealand from China in 2006 and started working at Pupuke Early Education Centre in November 2009. I then left when I had my son, Apollo, coming back to Pupuke in 2015. All my family loves living in beautiful Auckland. As a teacher I have built my practice around respecting individuality and diversification. I feel it is important for me to establish trust with each child and look at ways to support their learning. I believe children need to feel safe, loved, respected and trusted, getting a sense of belonging and enjoyment in their early learning journey.

November 2009

 

Jade Morunga 

Kiwi/Tui Room Teacher

Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou, Tena Koutou Katoa.

Kia Ora, my name is Jade.

I was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau Aotearoa and I graduated with my level 3 at Northcote College in 2020.

I am still exploring the world of ECE and looking to possibly study at NZMA.

I hope my time here, in the Tui room at Pupuke Early Education Centre, will help me with starting this new journey and help me with my chosen career path.

I hope to help your tamariki explore through their first adventures in a new environment and help them with life skills as they adventure on to their next chapters.

March 2023

Contact us

Address:
20 Lake Pupuke Drive,
Takapuna
Auckland 0622

Email:
pupukeearlyed@xtra.co.nz

Phone: 09 489 8666

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday

Full day – 7:30am-5:30pm
Part day – 8:30am-3:30pm

Free morning session

7:30am-11:30am (Tui and Pukeko Rooms – for 3-4 year olds)

Free afternoon session

12:30pm-4:30pm (Pukeko Room only  – for 3-4 year olds)