Little Pukeko's Pre-School

Celebrating Holi 2026

Celebrating Holi - the festival of colours - has become an annual celebration our tamariki and kaiako love. As a cultural celebration that welcomes the arrival of spring in India, we embrace this vibrant celebration of colour, joy, and new beginnings the best way we know how, together!

Join our team!

Are you looking for a centre that leads from the heart?
A workplace that is stress-informed and wellbeing-focused?
A place that takes positive, safe, and supportive workplace culture seriously?
Somewhere you can support work-life balance?
Well this opportunity might be for you.

At Little Pukeko’s Preschool, Pukekohe, we are on the look out for an ECE qualified teacher to complete our wonderful team of heart-led kaiako. This position is a new position we have established to provide our team more flexibility and balance.

We are a small mixed-aged centre located in the heart of Pukekohe, Auckland. We are a home away from home for up to 30 tamariki each day between 7:30am to 5:30pm.

What makes us special?
- A well spaced indoor environment and a huge outdoor area with real grass, swings, and a challenging playground for all age.
- An enormous sandpit that invites creativity and teamwork and a covered outdoor shelter, so our children always have plenty of room to play and create, even on the rainiest of day.
- Our team is knowledgeable of respectful practices, brain development, and nervous-system informed. We do extensive work reducing stress in our learning spaces providing calmness, consistency, relationships, trust, and genuine care
- Our team balances kotahitanga, kindness, and professionalism to provide a safe working environment for our staff.
- Good ratios being 1:3 for our unders within a small group size and no more that 1:8 for our overs
- Full pay parity with regular non-contact and monthly paid staff meetings

What we are looking for?
- A teacher whose values align with ours
- A qualified and registered kaiako (provisional is fine as we can provide positive support)
- A kaiako who can commit to three full days a week (most likely set days)
- Available to do our open shift or close shift.
- A kaiako who aligns with our values of tukana-teina, whānaungatanga, and manaakitanga as well as kindness, support, and professionalism.
- Experience within a mixed-age environment is a bonus
- Knowledgeable around the nervous system is desired or a deep willingness to learn and embody this

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. You can email us a cover letter and CV at [email protected]

Hi whānau,

Ngā mihi o te tau hou!

I hope you all are enjoying a safe and fun break, catching up, resting and of course enjoying your time together.

I want to take this moment to say thank you all for allowing me the privilege of teaching and caring for your children over the last 18 months. This time has been filled with joy, laughter and connections.

I have loved getting to know you all and so enjoyed being a part of your tamariki journey through-out their early years.

I wish you all a wonderful 2026 as I leave you in the hands of Ronny, Ashleigh, Tahleia, Hannah, Rose, Ange, Jessie and Grayson as this incredible team continues to strive for excellence in early childhood education. A goal which features in all they do.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

(What is the most important thing in the world? It is people! it is people! it is people!)

Nina

We are looking for a fulltime, qualified heart-led kaiako!
Little Pukeko's Pre-School in central Pukekohe is a small mixed age centre. We are licensed for 30 children aged 0-6 and are their home away from home between 7:30-5:30.

What is it that makes our centre special and unique? We have a beautiful interior combining with a large and shady outdoor area with real grass and swings! Our kaiako are also what makes us rather special.

We are a team of heart-led teachers who advocate for the high quality care and education that all our tamariki deserve. We are knowledgeable about respectful practice, brain development and the nervous system which guides our philosophy and underpins all we do. We work collaboratively to provide the best care for our children through authentic relationships, meaningful connections and a sense of belonging for tamariki, whānau and kaiako. We view our way of teaching and learning as mana affirming and enhancing. We are seeking a teacher who shares this interest and vision.

What we offer:

🌼 Full pay parity

🌹 1:8 ratio

🌻 First aid certification

💫 Generous budget for resources

🌛 Leadership opportunities

🕯 Regular non-contact

💜 Working with a team where manaakitanga is at the heart of all we do for tamariki, whānau and each other.

Currently we are not accepting overseas visas.

If this sounds like somewhere you could thrive, we would love to hear from you.

Please email us at [email protected]

Kia ora all.

Next week Little Pūkeko is collecting new toys for Papakura Marae. We are proud of the connection we have and love to show support through altruistic actions. We believe in the importance of teaching our tamariki from a young age what community means and how important care for each other is.
If you have anything you would like to donate, please drop it off at our centre and Whaea Ashleigh will drop it to the marae next weekend.
Hygiene products are also welcomed at this time.

Yesterday saw our first collection of donated goods delivered to Papakura Marae! At Little Pūkeko Preschool we value care and aroha to each other and our community. We believe that even at a very young age, our tamariki can participate in supporting others and understand that we can all make a positive impact on the lives of others.

'He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata he tāngata."

(What is the most important thing in the world?
It is people, it is people, it is people.) -inspiring communities.org.nz-

Happy Diwali whānau!

This week our tamariki have participated in activities to celebrate diwali, the celebration of light. 💫

We have created rangoli pictures and henna art. Making our very own diyas out of clay was especially joyful as we await to paint them in vibrant colours.
At Little Pūkeko we love to encourage curiosity, and celebrating cultural traditions is a wonderful part of this. 💫🌟🎊

Earlier today I came across this article by Donna Stichbury which aligned so much with what the teachers at Little Pukeko's Pre-School are all about. It discusses why it is so important for children to feel emotionally safe and describes how this is achieved. Our teachers understand this and are very passionate about the practice of providing an environment where children feel it from the moment they arrive for the day.
And when a child feels safe, they can learn.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BuCACuesF/

The Golden Thread Donna starts here with sharing her 12 pillars to understanding secure relationships. New topics will be added to support your journey with children.