Meet the team
Welcome to Little Tui, Early Childhood Centre.
Our goal here at Little Tui, is to create a space for you and your child to feel a sense of belonging the minute you walk through our doors. Our place is a space where our tamariki feel like they can take risks, explore and be curious about the world around them. We want you as whaanau to feel that you have a voice here, and we want you to trust that we will do the very best for you and your child. With over 12 years in the teaching space, my teaching philosophy has always been one where I see each child as unique and as the writer in their own story. I am an advocate of respectful practice and seeing the whole child as bringing something unique and special with them. Whanaungatanga and aroha are at the very core of everything I do, and I pride myself in making strong connections with the people I meet. I’m a very proud Welsh girl at heart, but I have been in New Zealand since 2006. I have found my place that I now call home, but I will always feel a strong connection to my home country, my language, and my culture. Growing up, some of my most favourite memories were those where my siblings and I were roaming free; off exploring until it got dark and making memories that will last a lifetime. Not much changes really, as I am still a huge advocate for play based/child-led experiences. I see every day how important play is for learning; for testing out working theories and for building connections and growing social competencies. I am also passionate about connecting tamariki with the world around them, and I believe wholeheartedly that there really is no such things as bad weather, just wrong clothing. I love nothing more than getting out in all weather, feeling the rain on my face and watching the rainbows appear! Nature is my safe space; my place where everything melts away. My three girls are forever teaching me new things every day. They really are my greatest teachers. They remind me to stop and slow down. They remind me to look at the beauty and wonder all around. And they remind me that it’s actually the small things that matter the most. The walks in the park, the morning cuddles, the afternoon swims, and the stories by the fire; all of these memories are to be cherished for a lifetime.
Here at Little Tui, we know what a big decision it is when deciding on a learning environment for your child. As a mama myself, I understand the importance of the right fit for each child. You can rest assured that I want to truly work alongside whaanau as we navigate each child’s journey here at our centre. We hope you come and see for yourselves and meet our passionate team of kaiako who are so ready to meet you and your child.
Arohanui,
Vix.
Victoria Ford - Owner/Director
Qualified Kaiako
Kia ora Little Tui Whanau,
My name is Taylor, and I am the Centre Manager here at Little Tui.
Kia ora, ōku hoa atāahua Ko Taylor tōku ingoa. I whānau mai au ki Kirikiriroa, I tipu ake au i
te taha o te moana a Hahei
Ko Margaret tōku Kuia, Ko Gayle tōku māmā, Ko Allan tōku pāpā, Ko Georgia tāku tuakana
Ko Bruce tōku karani pā, Ko Nancy tōku karani mā, Ko Gary tōku koro. Ahakoa kua pahemo
rātou, ko ngā wairua kei te ora.
Ka Kite ano
My personal teaching philosophy is centred around the idea that our early years lay the foundations to who we become, so here is a little about mine. I am Hamilton born and raised, I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Hamilton. This meant my spare time was filled with mudpies, treehouses, helping mum in the garden (fairy ones included), helping dad at the pig pens and we were lucky enough to ride around on miniature quadbikes. On rainy days I would help mum in the kitchen, cooking delicious meals from scratch with ingredients from our own garden, reading books and watching movies. I believe we learn from stories about the past and develop our imagination from fairy tales. In school we were told to ‘treat others how you want to be treated’, but after nearly 10 years in the early childhood industry, I believe we should ‘be treating others how THEY want to be treated’. My teaching journey began at age three when I created my own school that my teddies all attended. I later became a dance teacher through my high school years which is where my passion grew. I was a nanny for a local farming family before becoming a reliever, then babies teacher, preschool teacher, curriculum support leader, 2IC, then acting manager. After a little bump in the road, I went back to teaching preschool when I heard from the lovely Victoria here at Little Tui. I cannot wait to see where everything goes next throughout my journey here with you all. I feel privileged to be a part of your child’s learning journey.
Nga mihi nui,
Taylor
Taylor - Kaiwhakahaere/manager qualified kaiako
Kia ora, ko Nat toku ingoa.
I live here in Hamilton with my husband Regan and two children, Emmett and Kenzie. My early childhood journey started through relieving when my daughter, Kenzie enrolled here at Little Tui. Over time I discovered my passion for teaching, so it was an easy yes when I was offered a full-time position. I have a gentle, caring and supportive nature which I carry through into my practice. I encourage play based learning and like to be outdoors. I really enjoy working in a small family owned business. My main goal is to make a positive difference in ngā tamairki lives everyday. I look forward to getting to know you and your whānau.
Ngā mihi,
Nat
Nat - kaiako
Kia Ora, I'm Kirsty.
I grew up in the Waikato and have two Beautiful children. I enjoy socializing with my friends, singing, and laughter.
I've been teaching here for around 3 years. My background has been many years being part of play centre. I enjoy forming relationships with all akonga and being part of your nga tamariki learning journeys. I look forward to many more learning and teaching moments to come.
Kirsty - kaiako
Kia ora, my name is Maiya and I am a qualified kaiako here at Little Tui.
I grew up in Kirikiriroa and have spent many years in the Glenview and Melville communities attending school and working. I like to spend my free time being creative through art, and by playing and listening to music. I hope to share these interests with you all.
After finishing my degree in Social Science (History) in 2021, I went on to complete my Post-Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary). My journey as a kaiako is beginning here at Little Tui and I’m excited to learn and grow alongside your tamariki. I align my teaching beliefs with models such as Te whare Tapa Wha and believe in building positive, respectful relationships with tamariki, whanau, and kaiako.
I could not be more excited to be a member of this awesome community and to help your tamariki on their learning journeys.
Maiya - qualified kaiako
Kia ora, my name is Joy and I am a Qualified teacher with 16 years’ experience. I love exploring with the tamariki by indulging in the messy play together, looking for insects, digging for treasure in the sandpit, nature talk and creating at the carpentry table.
I have grown up in this area and I am a mum to 3 awesome boys. I enjoy the beach, bush walks, trail runs and love classic cars.
I believe in providing tamariki with a nurturing, caring, and stimulating environments that allow them to learn through exploration and play. I also believe in the importance of strong relationships with tamariki and their whānau built on trust and respect.
Joy - Qualified Kaiako
Kia ora, I’m Shanniya! I am one of the qualified Kaiako at Little Tui, originally from Tuakau but since bought my first home here in Hamilton a few years ago (a big DIY project!). My fiancé Alex and I are set to get married in November this year, with our two cats and dog keeping us company until we decide to extend our little whanau.
Working at Little Tui has allowed my passion for teaching to flourish which has made our little centre feel like a home away from home. Creativity and messy play is what I’m all about, with trust and relationships at the centre of my philosophy, and being a part in children’s success is my reward as a teacher. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone in our community!
Shanniya - qualified kaiako
Kia Ora! I’ve worked in Early Childhood Education for seven years after being invited to join the team as an unqualified reliever.
Our youngest of three children had just graduated kindy for school and I’ve never looked back! It’s quite simply the most rewarding job I’ve ever had!
I especially love the relationships formed with our tamariki, their whanau and within our teaching team. I have a Master of Science (with honors), majoring in biology. My family and I have a great passion for animals and we have a small menagerie at our house. I love to share this passion and my knowledge of the natural world with our tamariki.