Our Family Early Learning

Meet Our Kaiako Mā

Our Family Early Learning has a small, passionate teaching team which means our teachers form secure and stable connections with your child. We are able to get to know your child, encourage and develop their strengths, interests and ideas while challenging them to try new things during their time with us. Our team of teachers have a love for learning, extending and enriching our daily routines and activities! Our children also develop a very special relationship with our cook, as they chat with her while she prepares our meals throughout the day.

Debby - Centre Owner / Manager 🇳🇿

Kia ora, I'm Debby and I have lived in Auckland all my life. I have been teaching for over twenty years, my passion is to work alongside children ensuring they have the opportunity and resources to reach their full potential while feeling empowered, capable, confident, and independent in all that they do. It is also important to me that our families feel well supported and a valued part of OUR FAMILY and the Sunnynook community. I have been married to Dale since 1994, and have two adult children, Brendon is a mechanical engineer and Bex has a business and a teaching degree, and is a part of Our Family! Dale is also a friendly face here, as he is responsible for maintenance and often visits. I enjoy going for long beach or bush walks, cooking, and travelling the South Island. It is my passion to work alongside children and our families. Parenting can be so exciting, fun and rewarding, however, it can also be hard. Being a centre owner gives me the opportunity to listen to and support our families with many life issues that come up. I love working with the children and get a sense of fulfilment when I observe our tamariki becoming inquisitive, and curious as they lead their own learning.
What is on your bucket list?To follow my Mum and Dad’s travel diary and explore the United Kingdom, (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Morgan - Team Mentor 🇳🇿

Tēnā Koutou! Ko Rangitoto te maunga. Ko Pupuke te roto. Ko Ngati pakeha tōku iwi. Ko Greenhithe tōku turangawaewae. Ko Morgan tōku ingoa. Kia Ora, I’m Morgan, I have been working alongside tamariki and their whānau since I graduated in 2013. I have always been passionate about teaching, and I treasure the relationships I have formed over the years with our teaching team, tamariki and their whānau, who have helped shape me into the kaiako I am today. I have a deep love for learning and being challenged. I am passionate about Tikanga Māori, and I have studied Te Reo Māori at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa for two years. Some of my goals as a teacher are to guide our tamariki to develop their own love for learning, foster their curiosity and become strong in their sense of identity. If you did not work in this industry, what field would you pursue? Architecture.

Kylene - Provisional Teacher 🇦🇺

Kia ora,Kō Kylene taku ingoa.Ko Richard taku tāne.Kei aku tamariki Juliet, Heidi, D’Artagnan and Aramis.No Australia ahau.
Kia ora, I’m Kylene, an Australian-born New Zealander with a unique upbringing that took me from the striking red sands of the Northern Territory to New Zealand at the age of 10. I have four beautiful children and am still with my high school sweetheart. Every day, I embrace the excitement, fun, and adventure that teaching brings, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to make a difference in young lives. My deepest joy comes from igniting a love for learning in the children I have the privilege to teach. I can’t wait to embark on this educational journey with you and your family. So, welcome aboard, and let’s begin this exciting chapter together! Nau mai, haere mai!
What is one rule you live by?The one rule that I live by each day is to not sweat the small stuff. Know that each day will bring about its challenges, and it is up to us how we accept and rise to that challenge. We are all enough, and we all do our best to be our best every day! Keep being amazing whānau.

Bex - Senior Teacher 🇳🇿

Kia ora, I'm Bex, I was born and raised in here in Auckland! I have been relieving here casually since 2018, but upon completing my business degree in marketing, I have decided to pursue my passion for teaching, and I have been qualified since 2023! Alongside teaching, I also manage our centre's digital presence! Our Family Early Learning has an extremely special place in my heart. I have grown up with Our Family, alongside my Mum, Debby. This is such a special, nurturing environment which is filled with love, passion, communication and heaps of fun! Teaching isn't considered "work" in my eyes, coming to work every day and being greeted by our gorgeous tamariki, whānau and kaiako team is such a dream! I love creating and strengthening the beautiful relationships within our amazing centre community! Each and every day is special, equipped with its own set of challenges, fun and laughter. I feel so privileged to come to work and spend everyday with my family! I don't think it gets much better than this! Outside of preschool, I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend at our beautiful home in Mangawhai, enjoying time with friends and whānau. I also love cooking, painting by numbers, puzzles and music! If you were to start a business, what would it be? It would have to be some kind of early childhood resource business! I have always been a bit of a whizz on Canva. I love digital design and resource creation! I love looking at the interests within our centre, or an idea that myself, our team or tamariki have and bring it to life! I have made different kinds of language diversity resources, I've made space and ocean bingo, different games of memory, and other centre resources! These learning experiences capture the interests and passions of our tamariki, which we can revisit and build on again and again!

Koral - Senior Teacher 🇳🇿

Ko Pūtauaki tōku maungaKo Rangitaiki tōku awaKo Mātaatua tōku wakaKo Waiariki tōku roheKo Ngāti Awa tōku iwiKo Te Pahipoto tōku hapuKo Kokohinau tōku maraeKo Faye rāua ko Anthony ōku matuaKo Koral tōku ingoa
Kia ora e te whānau, my name is Koral and I was born and raised in North Shore, Auckland. I started studying for my Bachelor of Education in 2020 and graduated in 2023. I have always been passionate about working with children, as we have the opportunity to observe and support them as they grow into confident and capable learners through creating caring and respectful bonds with them. I strive to give the tamariki experiences in a nurturing environment where they feel comfortable exploring. I have three older brothers, one with cerebral palsy and many foster siblings throughout my younger years. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, getting into different hobbies like knitting/puzzles/bookbinding (old-fashioned in my 20s!) and snuggling up with a good book!
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, which one would it be?If I could only watch one movie, it would happily be Pride and Prejudice, and I’d be totally fine. Stranded on a desert island? I’ll be living my best life.

Angela - Senior Teacher 🇨🇳

Kia ora. Ko Angela taku ingoa. Nö Haina ahau. Hi, I’m Angela and I am from China. I have been teaching at Our Family Early Learning since I completed my Bachelor of Education in 2017. My husband and I welcomed our first child, a beautiful baby girl in January 2022. I believe that every child is unique and should be treasured, loved, and valued. I am passionate about providing a loving, nurturing environment where our tamariki can flourish and grow to their greatest potential. I look forward to welcoming you and getting to know you and your whanau. What is your best childhood memory? I really enjoyed having summer time adventures and loved having different experiments with my brother. Things that came up to my mind are: finding and observing different bugs. Cutting an earthworm in half to see if it could actually survive was a vivid memory, and I could still remember how excited I was when I found out it actually became two worms. Counting between lightning and thunder was another favourite thing that we did. Growing our own vege garden and having the freshest radish whenever I wanted was truly the best thing! I love the pungent flavour as a kid. What can I say, nature is the best playground!

Ann - Senior Teacher 🇵🇭

Kia ora, I’m Ann! Kamusta? I’m originally from the Philippines, where I started teaching in the Early Childhood field since 2001. When I first visited NZ in 2011, I instantly fell in love with this beautiful country, so I moved to Auckland in 2016, studied Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching, and eventually gained my full NZ teacher registration. Cultivating rich relationships with our mokopuna and their whānau has given me a deep sense of fulfilment and joy ever since. Nurturing the children’s strengths, interests, culture, and their holistic wellbeing is such a privilege, and witnessing their growth and achievements is beyond rewarding. I love how they constantly remind me to “stop and smell the roses” and appreciate the simple joys in life! This year (2025), I feel grateful that I began pursuing my longtime goal to study Early Intervention with Debby’s utmost support. I am passionate about promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity by providing equitable and culturally responsive learning experiences for all mokopuna, regardless of their abilities. I aspire to be a positive and transformative presence in our ākonga’s lives—cheering them on, celebrating their uniqueness, and empowering them to soar. Guided by He Pikorua’s principles, I’m driven in this lifelong journey of learning, collaboration, and reflection, as I honour each child’s mana and potential while advocating for their whānau too! Besides preschool, I love to travel, appreciate food and nature, yoga and running. What is still on your bucket list? Complete a 3-month intensive yoga training/retreat in Bali. ☺

Sehee - Teacher in Training 🇰🇷

Kia ora, I'm Sehee. I was born in South Korea and moved to NZ in 2015. When I got my first nephew in 2016, I discovered my passion for working with children and dreamed of becoming an early childhood education teacher. I feel so lucky to spend my days learning, laughing, and growing alongside children. I believe in creating a warm and respectful environment where every child feels valued and confident to explore through play. It’s a joy for me to support each child’s unique journey and be part of their early learning adventures. Out of the centre, I like to spend time with my family and friends having coffee at a cafe. I also enjoy listening to music and playing games. Where is your favourite place in the world? 🌎 Seoul, South Korea where I was born and with its bright energy and so many fun things to do!!

Lindsey - Support Teacher 🇰🇷

Kia ora, I’m Lindsey. I’m originally from Korea. I’ve always loved spending time with children, playing, talking, and simply being around them. That’s what brought me into this field, and over the past few years, my passion for working with tamariki has only grown stronger. I’m really excited to start studying ECE this year. I really enjoy building strong relationships with the children, their whānau, and our teaching team. I am going to start studying this year. I believe in creating a warm, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone feels welcome. I’m excited to be part of our tamariki’s learning journey and all the fun we’ll have together! What is your favourite random fact? I have a mole right in the middle above my lips. People sometimes tell me there’s something on my philtrum, but I actually like it. My grandmother once told me it’s a sign of good fortune with food. Even if it’s not really true, it’s still my favourite little “fun fact” about myself.

Maricel - Cook / Teacher Aide 🇵🇭

Kia Ora! I’m Maricel. I am originally from the Philippines, and I moved to Auckland in 2023 with my youngest daughter to discover New Zealand's breathtaking scenery. My partner and I decided to bring our sons along to explore more of the country's beauty. Maricel's role here is unique, and we alike it to our centre Mum, it is integral to our days running smoothly here! She spends her days creating delicious kai for our tamariki, making sure our environment is safe and hygienic for us to explore in and supports our teaching team! Cooking healthy meals and baking are my passions. I love spending my weekends with my family and friends, travelling and the beach!