The Tikipunga Team
This is our team of teachers and staff at Educare Tikipunga. Scroll through to find out more about our teaching team.
Haley Chapman
Centre Manager, Registered Teacher
Ko Ngatokimatawhaorua toku waka
Ko Pouerua toku maunga
Ko Waitangi toku awa
Ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi toku marae
No Waitangi ahau
Ko Haley Chapman ahau
Ko Jamie taku tane
Ko Jorgiah, ko Locklynd, ko Kelly, ratou ko Toby aku tamariki
I am Haley Chapman and I live in Kamo with my partner Jamie and our four children. We enjoy getting out and going for random road trips and seeing where we end up. I have been in Early Childhood Education since 2012. I am passionate about working with young tamariki! I love to see tamariki achieve milestones and goals they have set for themselves.
Ashley Blundell
Team Leader, Registered Teacher
Kia Ora whanau my name is Ashley. I am so excited to be a part of the team here at Educare Tikipunga!
I am a sociable and passionate registered ECE teacher and look forward to continuing my ECE journey here at Educare Tikipunga.
I enjoy travelling, fishing, paddle boarding, discovering new coffee spots and getting out and about on the weekends. I look forward to meeting and building wonderful relationships with you and your tamariki.
Kathleen Janes
Registered Teacher
Hi, I’m Kat. In 2012 I completed my Bachelor of Education (Primary) and worked relieving within Whangarei. During this time, I found a love for the younger tamariki and relieved in some Childcare Centres. Here I found my place and passion for these tamariki and have now been working within Early Childhood since 2015. I have gained my Post Graduate in Early Childhood and teacher registration. During the early half of 2021, my husband and I welcomed our first child amidst the pandemic, it was a challenging time but taught me so much about myself. This year I have decided to further extend myself and support my fellow Kaiako with my new role. Observing and teaching children has always excited me, seeing what they are capable of and extending them to reach their full potential.
Olivia Leu
Registered Teacher
Kia Ora, my name is Olivia, I am a provisional registered teacher. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2010, and with my interest and passion from raising my two beautiful daughters, I completed my Graduate Diploma in ECE Teaching in October 2023. I have been with Educare since 2020 as a student and reliever. It is my pleasure to be able to meet our tamariki and whanau at Tikipunga Educare, I would love to see our tamariki be happy, confident and capable of exploring their life adventures. I am looking forward to walking with our tamariki in their learning journey.
Ella Green
Teacher
Kia Ora, I grew up in Auckland and moved to the Kaipara District in 2018. From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children, and that passion began when my youngest brother was born. I was around 13 years old at the time, and I found so much joy in looking after him, and spending time with him which sparked my interest in childcare. I’m excited to continue my studies and put my knowledge into practice as I work with young tamariki. Outside of work, I have a love for adventure and the outdoors, 4x4 driving with my friends, exploring nature, and finding new ways to connect with the world around me. Spending time with whānau is also really important to me. I’m excited to help nurture their growth, encourage their curiosity, and create a supportive and enriching environment for them.
Annette Blundell
Nutritionist
My 2 grandmothers had a passion for cooking which they passed onto me as well as from all my Great Aunties on our marae. I come from a background of food, I had a catering business for a few years and was a childcare centre cook as well.
I want to plan a healthy menu and interact with the tamariki to find out which foods they love to eat and adjust to suit our menu. My aim is to cook healthy low sugar food for the tamariki. I have a passion to follow the Healthy Heart guidelines to provide nutritionist meals for the tamariki. I have a background in banking, mental health, catering and childcare. I’m married and have 2 adult children, I enjoy traveling, fishing and spending time at the beach with my whānau and friends.
