Meet Your Team

Introducing our dedicated childcare team

Strawberry Garden Childcare - where love and learning combine.

Vanessa Munford

Kaiako Support/Centre Manager

Bachelor of Education in Early Years (birth to eight years)

Post Graduate diploma in Education (Early Years)

Full Certification/First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING VANESSA

I am a Hawkes Bay born and bred girl, who after working in Wellington for four years, returned to the Bay to start a family.

I have been teaching since 2007, with experience in teacher, head teacher and Centre Manager roles.

When Strawberry Garden opened in 2017, my daughter and I started in the Pēpē Room. Over the years here I have moved from Kaiako to Centre Manager and taught in both the Pēpē and the Koru Room, and enjoy both age groups.

With our smallest Tamariki, I love the strong, secure relationships you develop with Tamariki and whānau as well as watching Tamariki learn about their bodies.

I am strongly influenced by RIE and Pikler philosophy and this is evident within our Centre.

With our older Tamariki, it is the conversations that make you laugh out loud and the amazing creativity that they show as they explore and discover.

It is such a privilege to learn alongside our Tamariki, seeing the world through their eyes and staying forever curious and in awe of the world around us.

Kasey Howse

Pēpē Room Kaiako

Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education

Full Certification

First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING KASEY

I have been in the childcare sector since 2014 and been a Kaiako at Strawberry Garden since January 2020.

This has been a passion of mine since I was a child myself. I have experience teaching Tamariki of all ages, both in an early childhood centre and nannying. My passion has always been to work with Tamariki, especially infants and toddlers.

My core guiding value is the concept of "whakaute" – respect.

Respectful relationships create a trusting and secure environment for whānau and Tamariki to feel secure and build a strong sense of belonging and healthy wellbeing.

I view Tamariki as the capable, competent and confident humans who will thrive when the environment is supporting, and their needs are met.

Singing is a passion of mine. I love belting out a ballad in the car, but I am also a member of the Hawkes Bay Soul Choir.

Chelsea Sime

Pēpē Room Kaiako

Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education

Provisional Certification

First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING CHELSEA

“Poipoia te kakano kia puâwai - Nurture the seed and it will blossom.”

Kia ora e te whänau, my name is Chelsea and I am one of our Pēpē Room Kaiako here at Strawberry Garden Childcare.

In 2020 I graduated from EIT with my Bachelor in Teaching Early Childhood and joined the Strawberry Garden team, and have been here since.

Providing quality education and care is essential to me, as an advocate for our Tamariki.

Whanaungatanga (fostering relationships) and manaakitanga (nurture and care) are values I hold close to my heart both as a kaiako and in my personal life, with relationships, respect, and care holding the foundation to support whānau, Tamariki, and my own sense of belonging.

Creating beautiful spaces where children can explore, create, connect, and thrive, and that they are capable and confident learners is central to my philosophy.

I believe in celebrating every child as an individual and cherishing the uniqueness of each child.

"Te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi - With your basket and my basket the children will thrive."

Poppy Savage

Koru Room Kaiako

Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education

Full Certification

First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING POPPY

My name is Poppy, and I am a kaiako here at Strawberry Garden.

"Ko te ahurei o te tamaiti arahia o tatou mahi - Let the uniqueness of the child guide our work."

As a Kaiako, this is a statement that inspires my everyday practice, ensuring I am attuned to each child’s cues, and empowering them to lead their own learning through free play, embracing each child’s way of being, their creativity, their character, and their interests.

My core guiding value is the concept of "Ako" - which encompasses that when teaching with young children, we are both learning from one another in our experiences together, ensuring children are viewed as the capable, competent, and confident humans they are.

I aim to build an environment that embraces whanaungatanga, where the Tamariki, whanau and Kaiako I work alongside, have respectful, trusting, reciprocal relationships and feel a sense of community and togetherness in our space.

I love to be creative, going on bush walks, biking, playing guitar, spending time in my vegetable garden, and going op-shopping! I enjoy bringing these passions to the Tamariki here at Strawberry Garden.

Sharleen Reid

Koru Room Kaiako

Diploma of Early Childhood Education

Full Certification

First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING SHARLEEN

Kia Ora, I am Sharleen Reid. I have been teaching for over 15 years, most of which have been with infants and toddlers. However, I have been teaching in the Koru Room at Strawberry Garden since July 2021.

I am originally from Hawkes Bay and spent 10 years teaching in Wellington, America, and Auckland.

My teaching practice is based on viewing the environment as the third teacher; where there is space, time, and open-ended resources for children to discover and learn about the world that surrounds them in their own time and way.

I also believe that respectful relationships are the foundations for which a child can feel safe and secure, where they can explore the world and become competent capable human beings.

Strawberry Garden fits with what I believe; an environment should be for children and their families, a home away from home and full of respectful relationships.

I am very privileged to be part of this learning environment surrounded by amazing children, their families, and the amazing inspiring teaching team.

Carol Annan

Koru Room Kaiako

INTRODUCING CAROL

I started in the Koru Room in 2021, after relieving for a while at Strawberry Garden.

I'm a mum of three beautiful children and a Nan to two gorgeous grandchildren.

My passion is teaching children in a caring way, so I found my place at Strawberry Garden.

I have done home-based childcare for 11 years while my children were growing up and made the move to centre-based in 2021, and love it!

Being able to build respectful and strong relationships with whānau and children, is vital for creating a learning environment for children to grow and thrive.

Lesley Trask

Koru Room Kaiako

Bachelor of Education – Teaching ECE

Full Certification

First Aid Certificate

INTRODUCING LESLEY

Hi, my name is Lesley, and I have been a teacher in early childhood education for 23 years.

I am very passionate about relationships and play.

Warm, loving relationships are the foundation and free unadulterated play is how young children learn. They are intrinsically linked.

And that is why Strawberry Garden is like coming home for me.