Meet Our Kaiako

Michéle is the Centre Manager at Children First and a fully qualified, registered kaiako with over 20 years of experience. Having raised her own tamariki, fostered many more, and now helping to raise her mokopuna, she brings deep care to her role.

She believes tamariki are our most precious resource and deserve respectful, loving care alongside their whānau. Michéle hopes every child leaves with special memories and lifelong skills.

Camille is our Centre Administrator, taking care of your calls, emails, and other admin tasks in the office day-to-day.

She comes from a musical background, having run several music schools in the past. Her favourite part of working alongside tamariki is getting to see them grow up, and she enjoys all of the quirky things they get up to every day. Being in the office, she also enjoys getting the mail delivered from the helper of the day.

Noelene is the Centre Cook at Children First, preparing hot lunches and morning and afternoon teas for the tamariki. A lifelong Upper Hutt local, she has worked in childcare for over 20 years and has 2 tamariki, 4 mokopuna, and 2 great-mokopuna.

Noelene loves seeing children enjoy their meals and hearing their stories as they visit her window to ask what's for lunch or share what they're doing.

Michelle is the head teacher for the Kiwi Ruma, a qualified and experienced kaiako who has worked across all age groups. She retrained for preschool teaching in 2004 and holds a current First Aid certificate. She loves music, plays the ukulele, and enjoys Scottish country dancing.

Delmar finds immense joy in working with children and has been fortunate to pursue this passion for many years. She believes every child is unique and that their early years shape their future, and she is dedicated to creating a positive, nurturing, and fun learning environment that inspires curiosity, builds confidence, and encourages strong relationships.

Isa is originally from Germany and has lived in New Zealand for 10 years, now in Upper Hutt with her husband Chris and their daughter Maggie. She holds a current First Aid certificate and a Level 5 Early Childhood Education diploma. Creative and enthusiastic, she loves helping tamariki reach their goals through play and exploration and looks forward to meeting their whānau.

Kerry loves working alongside tamariki and feels privileged to be part of their early learning journey. She enjoys that every day brings something new. Building strong, trusting relationships with tamariki, their whānau, and other kaiako is most important to her, helping create a safe foundation for children to learn and grow.

Being an Early Childhood teacher is deeply rewarding for Tayla. She feels privileged to support children as they grow, learn, and discover the world during such important years. She loves seeing their breakthroughs, nurturing their curiosity, and creating a fun, supportive environment where tamariki feel safe and confident to be themselves.

Rosie aspires to be an Early Childhood teacher because she believes every child is unique and full of potential. She loves supporting tamariki through their important early years and creating a warm, engaging environment for them to learn and grow. Their curiosity, progress, and joy inspire her every day, making teaching feel like a true calling.

Mariz is a passionate educator with nine years of preschool experience. She believes early childhood is a vital stage where strong foundations are formed and loves creating meaningful, engaging learning experiences. Dedicated and nurturing, Mariz supports tamariki to grow in confidence and develop a lifelong love of learning.