Meet our team
Centre Manager
Nicole: Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
Kia ora, my name is Nicole. I have lived in Christchurch my whole life.
I am married and have 3 beautiful daughters.
We all love the outdoors and going on adventures together especially camping, the beach and on walks.
I graduated in 2006 with a Diploma of Teaching and have been working at Alpha ever since.
I love our homely feel and love seeing the children achieve their milestones and love having strong connections with all our whānau.
I also believe in ‘the more mess, the more fun!’
Our tamariki are encouraged to freely play and engage in all opportunities alongside others.
Sarah: Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood Education
Kia ora, my name is Sarah. I was born in Timaru but have lived in Christchurch for the last 11 years.
I studied in Dunedin and graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood Education.
I have also worked in Centres both in London and Australia.
I love the small environment of Alpha, and where we all get along so well and have good connections with the whānau.
My hobbies that I enjoy doing in the weekend are going bike riding, cooking and going for coffees.
Head Nursery Teacher:
Andrea: Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) (Endorsed)
Kia ora, my name is Andrea. I have been at Alpha since the beginning of 2019 and love the homely atmosphere, the uniqueness of each individual child and how warm, friendly and caring the ngᾱ kaiako and whānau are.
Our families are all so supportive of each other which makes our Centre so special.
I love having conversations with the children and encouraging their social skills as these skills I feel are important qualities to have.
I have been a kaiako for the past 20 plus years and have two adult children who no longer live at home but have contact on a regular basis.
In my spare time I like to dance, relax in the garden, and spend time with family and friends.
Charlotte: Bachelor of Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education
Kia ora, my name is Charlotte Dyson and I have been at Alpha since 2018, where I gained my Bachelor of Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education in 2020.
I work with nursery and preschool children moving about the Centre developing relationships in both areas.
One of my core beliefs as a teacher is “it's not the weather, it's the wardrobe”.
I love having the children outside no matter the weather as it provides a wide array of learning experiences.
When in the nursery, I'm often found in my socks as I strongly agree with “shoes free in the nursery”.
I agree with this practice as I understand what the tamariki are laying/learning to move on.
Joanne: Teacher in Training (2nd Year)
Kia ora, my name is Joanne and I have been at Alpha since February 2020. I was born in Thames New Zealand.
I lived most of life in the North Island till I moved to Motueka and lived there for 6 years.
I have lived in Christchurch for 3 years now and love it heaps.
I fell in love with our Centre due to its close connections of kaiako and whānau, which enables our children to have a sense of belonging and be proud of.
I have been a kaiako since 2017 and I am studying my Bachelor of Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood Education with New Zealand Tertiary College and am in my second year.
I am finally following my dream when I was 18 to do my Bachelor.
I have two adult sons who live with me and my huskies. I love to go camping, walking and travelling our beautiful country with my caravan.
Rajvinder: Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education
Hi, my name is Raj and I am from India. I have been living in New Zealand since 2017 and I absolutely love being here.
My interests are travelling, meeting new people and learning about their culture.
I also love to read, dance and try new foods.
I have a Graduate Diploma in ECE 2022.
I think the best part about being an ECE teacher is that we get to spend our day with these beautiful children and we can be ourselves.
We can talk, dance, play and have lots of fun and no one will stop us saying that it is not allowed at the workplace.