The Team!
Lisette Sheehan
Centre Director and owner
I have been an Early Childhood Educator for 20 years and hold a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education). My true journey towards understanding how, what and why children need a certain type of environment to truly fly began with the birth of my own 4 children. I believe in teaching from the heart and I believe in the importance of authentic, respectful and loving relationships.
I have always imagined the perfect place for children and that dream now comes to life at A Childs Place. It’s a place where children have uninterrupted time to freely explore and test their working theories. It’s a place where their voice is heard and understood. It is also a place where the family are heard and supported in their journey too.
I look forward to meeting the families in our new community and joining in you and your child’s journey with us.
Megan Browne
Centre Director and owner
With over 20 years’ experience in the Early Childhood Sector, I have a wealth of valuable knowledge, skills and experience. I am totally committed to ensuring we provide the type of environment that children feel happy to come to each day and that our Centre lives up to its philosophy.
I love seeing children explore, develop and grow in a safe and stimulating environment. “I believe children need long periods of uninterrupted play that is initiated, guided and directed by them”.
As a mother, myself I can identify and relate to the challenges parents face today. My warm, caring and friendly nature is welcomed and appreciated by whanau, colleagues and children who find me approachable at any time, and willing to go the extra mile. I look forward in having the privilege to be a part of you and your child's learning journey at A Child's Place.
I have a Diploma of Education (ECE) and a Bachelor of Education (ECE).
Tawa
Rita DuPlooy
Team Leader
My name is Rita and I am the team leader for the Tawa room. I have over 10 years experience working with toddlers and I am very passionate about their learning.
I believe that warm, open relationships in which we all feel valued, respected and loved, form the foundation for deep and meaningful learning. Warm, trusting, reciprocal relationships promote joyful moments, inspire collaboration and build respect for new and different ways of seeing and doing.
It is my goal to create an environment for toddlers, where positive relationships can flourish between children, teachers, whanau and the community. This will create a safe place where our toddlers will feel confident to take risks, explore and test their theories about the world around them.
To be entrusted with laying the foundation for your little ones development is a privilege and I am looking forward to working with you.
Briahna Sheehan
Kia Ora my name is Briahna, and I am a teacher in the Tawa Room. I have recently finished my Bachelor of Education in Primary and am now working towards becoming a fully registered teacher. I fell in love with toddlers through doing relief work here at A Child’s Place for the last two years and am honored to be a part of the Tawa team.
I am passionate about this amazing age group and its important to me that toddlers are supported and nurtured through their emotional development. I believe that strong relationships are the core to everything. These relationships are built through trust, respect and love.
I believe in creating an environment that allows all children to have their needs met through communication and understanding. This allows that child to feel emotionally satisified and will enable them to fully engage in the surroundings around them.
I look forward to getting to know you and your toddler throughout their journey here at A Childs Place.
Sacha Boler
Kia Ora,
My name is Sacha and I have recently completed a Bachelor of Teaching degree in Early Childhood Education. I am now working towards becoming a fully registered teacher.
I have always wanted to work with children from a young age and once I started relieving at A Childs Place 1.5 years ago, I knew that this was the career that I wanted to pursue. From my past experiences with childcare I have always really enjoyed working with the toddler aged tamariki. I am very excited to be joining the tawa room and to be apart of your tamariki’s learning journeys.
I enjoy building trusting relationships with the tamariki to help guide them in their learning journey’s and to encourage their confidence with trying and learning new things. I also enjoy creating a welcoming and exciting environment for the tamariki to explore and to further their knowledge and skills.
I look forward to getting to know you and your tamariki.
Arohanui,
Sacha
Totara
Arti Shetty
Team Leader
Kia Ora, Namaste!
My name is Arti. Originally from India, I call New Zealand my second home. Born and raised in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual family, understanding and respect for different cultures come naturally to me. I am a mum to two super duper cool boys! My firstborn is 7 and my second one is 5 months old. We moved to Huapai 3 years back and are in love with the community here.
With over 11 years of experience in early childhood working alongside children, some fabulous teachers, and amazing families, my passion for teaching has grown stronger and deeper. I have inherited the love for my profession from my mum, who has been my role model all my life. She is an absolutely fabulous teacher with so much passion and dedication towards young children’s growth and development.
I believe that building and maintaining strong relationships with children and their Whanau is the key to all children’s learning. When these relationships are strong, honest, and open the children feel safe and comfortable, and they will achieve success within their environment.
I am excited to join the team at A Child’s Place and looking forward to knowing you all.
“Learning and teaching should not stand on opposite banks and just watch the river flow by; instead, they should embark together on a journey down the water. Through an active, reciprocal exchange, teaching can strengthen learning and how to learn.”
Cheyanne Mason-Riseborough
Kia ora,
I'm Cheyanne and I am one of the Totara room teachers.
I've always had a passion for working with tamariki since I was a
young girl. My family have lived in Aotearoa my whole life, a little
fun fact about me, I've only ever moved house once, when we moved into our current house in Stanmore Bay where we moved in in 2013. I have a love for travel and I'm a massive movie girl.
I'm lucky enough to be able to work alongside and help grow the beautiful minds of your preschool tamariki. I have now been in the early
childhood sector for 4 years and I feel that relationship is so
important not only with our tamariki, but also with whanau. Being
able to create a warm, nurturing and loving environment where we can
all grow and learn, through creating an environment where we are all
respected and learn alongside one another is an important part of my practice.
I look forward to my journey here at A Child's Place and getting to
know you and your families
Cheyanne xx
Titoki
Sarah Walderman
Team Leader
Kia Ora,
My name is Sarah and I am delighted to join the teaching team in the Titoki Room from January.
I hold a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Education with Honours. I have 12 years of experience caring for children, predominantly with infants and toddlers.
In my experience, young children learn best through their own curiosity and discovery. I believe it is my role to provide a safe, nurturing space where babies can learn through interactions with their surroundings, obey their natural instincts and impulses, and form meaningful relationships with those around them.
My journey at A Child’s Place first started three years ago as a parent, seeking out the best possible home away from home for my son, Leo, now 4 years old and loving his time in the Totara Room. My daughter, Eva, is 1 and will be joining the Tawa Room.
I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know all of the children over the coming months.
Nga mihi,
Sarah
Cherish Winslow
Kia Ora,
I am married with 2 children, Isabella aged 4, and Tiberius who is 2. They love exploring EVERYTHING! They are creative and inquisitive and because of them, I came to realize the enjoyment I feel being around young tamariki and helping them on their learning journey.
I'm always fascinated by a child's sense of wonder and imagination, their ability to adapt to the environment around them, and how their minds soak in as much knowledge as they can. I think it is important to create a nurturing and positive environment, as we provide enriching experiences for them to become confident learners. I consider it a privilege to be part of what I think are the most important years for children and I am so pleased to be part of the team at A child's place.
Arohanui Cherish
Chef
Tash McDonald
Centre Cook, Reliever
I'm 30 years old, married and have two daughters aged 9 and 6. We live locally in Waimauku and love the close-knit community.
My passion for cooking started as a young child, making dinners with Mum or baking with grandparents was a favourite thing to do. I have been in the food industry for 15 years, Including Cafes, Restaurants, Home delivery cooking and Childcare centres.
Cooking healthy, tasty and homely meals for the children is important to me because I believe eating should be a time to gather and enjoy each others company and to share and reflect with one another.
When I'm not in the kitchen I love spending time with the children in their rooms, watching them explore and thrive in the environment around them.
Building a special bond with the kids makes me really happy, especially when they are delighted with the food we prepare.
See you all around
Tash
