Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) / 384545

Kia Ora Āwhina whānau, 

Ko Jalae tōku ingoa, my name is Jalae, and I am a registered ECE teacher with around 20 years experience working with tamariki from all walks of life. I am a Hawke’s Bay local and excited to join the Āwhina teaching team. I have a passion for working alongside young tamariki and supporting them to understand the world around them. My own teaching philosophy is based around whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and ako. I believe that building trusting and meaningful relationships with tamariki and their whānau build the foundation for learning to thrive. Respect for ourselves, those around us and the environment, mixed with reciprocal learning for all guide my teaching practice. I believe all tamariki deserve to feel safe in an environment where they can express themselves while exploring their imagination. I look forward to meeting you all, and getting to know your tamariki.

Ngā mihi 

Jalae Nicholson 

Diploma of Teaching (ECE) / 310719

Tènā koutou Katoa

My name is Jenny or Jen. I was born and raised here in Havelock North. I currently live in Hastings with my husband Scott , daughter Georgia (23) son Drew (15). Plus our dog Rocket and cat Clunk and many tropical fish. 

I enjoy reading, walking with my friends in the mornings and riding my e bike. I love to travel and feel especially connected to a good beach holiday. I’m also a cookbook collector! I love cooking and feeding my friends and whānau.

Family and friends are very important to me. This is why I teach from the heart. I believe each child should thrive in their ECE setting. I feel privileged to be part of their early learning years. 

I am really excited to be part of the team here at Āwhina Te Mata 

Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) / 359044

Kia Ora!

My name is Esther and I’m originally from Spain. I studied Bachelor of Teaching (Primary Education) back in my country where I worked in different schools for few years.

My adventure in New Zealand started twelve years ago when my partner and I decided to discover this amazing country. Since then, I have been working in different ECE centres as teacher, Head Teacher and Centre Manager. I believe that children deserve a loving, caring, supportive and safe environment to discover, explore and grow in. I ensure that this is at the heart of my daily practice.

I have two children (Liam and Olivia) who keep me busy most of the time! In my spare I love spending time with them both, exploring the outdoors, doing sport and traveling.

I look forward to meeting you all and working alongside your little ones!

Diploma of Teaching (ECE) / 302424

Kia ora my name is Hayley Mellsop and I am so excited to be joining the team in the Kākano Room at the beautiful Āwhina Te Mata. I just love this beautiful, peaceful environment and am excited to get to know everyone here. I have been a part of the wider Rockmybaby whānau since September 2023  and have been an early childhood teacher for 22 years. I love working with children, watching them learn, grow and discover the world around them. 

Outside of work - my partner Mike and I have a lovely lifestyle block in Crownthorpe, with our two daughters, which keeps us busy. Our youngest daughter Grace will be joining me at Āwhina Te Mata, and our older daughter Madi is at primary school. In my “spare” time, I love family time, crafts, quilting, gardening, cooking/baking, watching motor racing, exploring the world around us and travelling. 

The most important things to me as a teacher are building strong, trusting relationships with children and their families, built on respect in a calm, unhurried, predictable environment full of care, learning, fun and laughter. I look forward to meeting you and your child/children soon.

Bachelor of Education (ECE) / 317109

Kia Ora Whȃnau

My name is Lizzie and I gained my degree in early childhood education, covering the ages from birth to eight years old in 2008. I am qualified in Rudolf Steiner early childhood education and have spent many years teaching within this philosophy in both Childcare and Kindergarten.

After six months relief teaching at Āwhina Pēpi, I am very excited about being part of a new journey and joining the team at Te Mata Āwhina.

As a teacher, creating a beautiful and calm environment, where children feel relaxed and can enter into imaginary play and build strong relationships is important to me. I’m passionate about emergent literacy engaging with storybook reading and singing traditional songs and nursery rhymes with the children. I love to celebrate the natural seasons of the year creating a sense of wonder and joy for our children.

I’m a keen gardener and love to grow my own veggies. I’m always happy to have my gumboots on and take the children outside even on those rainy days.
I live in Havelock North with my husband and three school aged children.
I look forward to meeting you all and being part of your child’s early years journey.   

Kia ora,

My name is Tia Gardiner, and I’m thrilled to be joining the Awhina team! I’m incredibly excited about this new opportunity. I was born and raised here in Hawke’s Bay and spent three years in Dunedin studying to become a rescue diver and working on a dairy farm. I’ve now returned home and can’t wait to create a fun and nurturing environment for the children.

I’ve always loved looking after kids. I grew up with a large extended family, and family gatherings always involved taking care of my younger cousins from a young age. I've also been babysitting since I was sixteen, caring for children from 8 months to 12 years old. I’ve also just become an aunt to my two-week-old nephew, which I'm very excited about.

Outside of work, I enjoy keeping active at the gym, going for walks with my dog Billy, spending time in the water, and getting lost in a good book. I also love catching up with friends and making the most of the outdoors.

Looking forward to meeting you all,

Tia

Bio coming soon!

Hi I'm Lisa, mother to three beautiful children and I  also get to share my love to my partners two  lovely children.
I had a love for cooking and food at an early age and trained as a chef when I left high school, working in restaurants, cafes pubs, wineries and a catering company for about 12 years until I decided to pursue my other passion, and completed a Naturopathy and Nutrition diploma.

While studying I was working at Weleda, an International Natural Medicine and body care company here in Havelock north for over 10 years.

I am passionate about good, wholesome nutritious food, that not only tastes good but  also nourishes the mind and body, and what a great chance to do this  with young children and  help to create positive foundations towards healthy, delicious food. Excited to include the children where possible, whether it's helping to peel vegetables,  roll out buns or to harvest from the herb and vegetable garden.

Hi, I’m Hanna!

I have been working in early childhood education for the past four years and love being a part of children’s learning and development.

For me, one of the most important parts of being a teacher is building strong, trusting relationships with children and their families. I’m passionate about creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable, valued and supported, while also making sure it is fun, welcoming and inviting.

When I’m not teaching, you’ll usually find me spending time with my friends, family or keeping active. I love getting outdoors, whether that’s snowboarding, road cycling or hockey.

Kia Ora!

My name is Georgia (Gigi). I’ve had a strong passion for early childhood education from a young age, always enjoying being around children and watching them learn, grow and develop. Working in ECE has allowed me to turn that passion into something meaningful, where I can build strong relationships with tamariki and whānau, supporting our tamariki individual needs and create a safe, nurturing and fun environment for them to thrive in.

I’m energetic, caring and outgoing and pride myself on being a supportive team member who is always willing to learn, take on new challenges and go the extra mile for the tamariki under my care.

Ngā Mihi Nui,

Georgia

Head of Education / 236527

Sharni leads education across all Rockmybaby/Awhina centres, supporting teams to deliver high-quality teaching and learning. She works closely with centre leaders and teachers to strengthen practice, guide curriculum, and ensure consistent, child-centred outcomes.

Bio coming soon