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My name is Rachel Strong, and I am the Managing Director of Piccolini. I am a mother of four young children and I am passionate about families and early childhood. I believe in the benefits of children being cared for at home, but also appreciate the need for children to socialise and be engaged in a preschool environment. I established Piccolini after seeking a high quality preschool which catered to the growing needs of my children for interaction, development and education. I believe an environment which fosters love, care and positive values are vital to a child’s development. I have a BCom in Marketing, and Management and Employment Relations from the University of Auckland, and have completed the theory component of a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. |
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Hi, my name is Kelly Ives, and I am the Supervisor at Piccolini. I am a mother of four young children, 2 of whom are part of the Piccolini family. I trained in the UK at Greenwich University, London, where I obtained a BA (Hons) Physical Education. I taught for 7 years in the UK before returning home to Hawkes Bay. More recently I have held the position of Sports Director at Iona college where my role involved a great deal of co-ordination and coaching/managing. As a parent, I am passionate about preschool education and children’s development prior to starting school. |
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Hi, my name is Melissa. I am a Senior Teacher at Piccolini Private Kindergarten. I am a trained and fully registered kindergarten teacher, and have taught kindergarten aged children for over twenty years. More recently I have enjoyed the opportunity to teach a younger age group at Piccolini Preschool and Nursery. I have lived in Hawkes Bay since 2002 with my husband and three boys, Jeffrey, Benjamin and Joshua. I love teaching early childhood and look forward to many happy moments caring for your children.Piccolini encompasses all that I think an early childhood centre should be and I feel very proud to be a part of it. I am eager to watch it grow in the years to come. |
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My name is Louise Newton. I initially trained as a primary school teacher and more recently completed my Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. I have since gained experience working in a Montessori centre, and now enjoy the opportunity to be part of the team as a Teacher at Piccolini Kindergarten. I believe in providing children with a caring and nurturing environment where children feel loved. |
Shiran Atira comes from Israel and love Hawke’s Bay. She is currently training at EIT in early childhood education and has been part of the Piccolini family for the past three years. Child development is her passion and she enjoys teaching in all environments, whether it is inside or outside. Shiran especially likes to support, empower and enhance children’s learning, self-discovery and play. Shiran loves working along with the children and guiding them to achieve their full potential.