Meet the team

Nicola	Kia Ora, I’m Nicola. I lived in West Auckland and have completed Bachelor in ECE at Unitec in 2008. I joined Feathers when it was established in June 2009. I am currently the Team Leader in our Nga Kakano Infant and Toddler room. I am passionate and privileged to be working alongside a fantastic team of committed professional educators, and our amazing Tamariki. I am passionate that early childhood education has a significant place in building foundations for children’s future learning.I believe a stimulating early childhood environment is pivotal in establishing a quality learning experiences for our tamariki. Of upmost importance, respite and aroha are the heart of my philosophy and practice. Outside of Feathers I am quite a gym junkie. I also enjoy bush walk, going to the beach, and spending time with my family and friends. Aroha nu nui Nicola.
Sonal	Kia Ora, Namaste, Hello, Talofalava, Malo e lelei, Ni hao,… My name is Sonal. I am a qualified and fully registered early childhood teacher. I have 6 years of experience working here at Feathers. I have a lovely family, my husband, daughter and son.My practices are highly inspired by Magda Gerber, Emmi Pikler and Reggio approach. I believe that early years are important years for children and they need to be well nurtured. I commit myself in doing so with respect, love and care bringing the holistic development in the child. Establishing positive, trusting, strong and mutual relationships with the child and whanau is the key. I highly value the Maori culture along with diverse cultures in the centre and reflecting these in my daily practice. Therefore, one of my passions is learning and celebrating different cultures. So come on whanau lets work together.

Transition your baby

Whether you are considering placing your Infant or Toddler into childcare for the first time, or whether you are looking at alternatives to your current arrangement, it helps to know as much as possible so that you can make an informed decision. And when it comes to your precious child, we would like you to have peace of mind that when they are here at Feathers, they are in a loving, safe environment in experienced and trusted hands.
Feathers is nestled within the scenic area of West Auckland. Our passionate team of qualified teachers work across two rooms providing high quality care and education for your children in a nurturing and respectful environment. Our Nga Kakano Room is where the Infant and Toddlers are and our Nga Puawai Room has our young children of two and a half to five years of age. Whilst each age group has their own freedom of space, there is a caring culture where all children spend time together and learn from one another. We invite and encourage all our Tamariki to benefit from this tuakana-teina relationship.
Our peaceful planned out spaces offer opportunity for exploration and investigation with the space for free movement allowing our Tamariki to discover as much as possible on their own with the support of familiar and consistent educators. Our outdoor area provides a safe but challenging space for Infants and Toddlers to explore. Our environment and practices are inspired by Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler, as well as an approach to Reggio Emilia.

In Nga Kakano we believe in providing a respectful approach to building relationships and caring for our Tamariki. This is supported by our Primary Caregiving system which ensures one person within the environment is committed to building a close trusting relationship with each of our children and you their families by responding lovingly to the needs of all. This creates constant communication with you our Whanau on a daily basis and a secure base for our Tamariki spending time away from you during the day. It also allows your child to feel safe, loved, and understood so they in turn begin to develop empathy and respect for others as well as the confidence to learn and explore at their own pace. Your child will have an understanding that, in this gentle environment, in the care of someone who is in tune with them, they are cherished and provided with creative opportunities to move freely to explore with all their senses.
Below is some more key information in relation to our Nga Kakano Room:

Transition Visits

If this is the first time that you are wanting to enrol your child in an early learning centre we advise planning some transition visits, of at least three, before the start of your official enrolment. This will give you and your child time to become a little more familiar with the environment and the people in it. This is to ensure a smooth and comfortable transition. In this time we encourage you to spend some time in our room with your child and us Caregivers having fun and interacting with what the environment has to offer. Each visit before your child starts at Feathers, you may leave them a little longer. Then on the final visit you may like to pop out for a coffee and leave them so they are gradually becoming accustomed to not having you there; but have the knowledge that they are safe, loved, and that you will always return for them.

Routines

We work closely as possible with our Whanau in regards to their children’s routines at home. We do our best to reflect these routines here at Feathers. This is in order to provide consistency for our Tamariki.

Sleeps

You will find that, once settled, your child is able to go down for their usual sleeps without any disruption to any established routines that you have in place. Our open sleeping arrangements mean that there is always someone to watch your child and when they awaken, us Caregivers are able to respond quickly to them.

Nappies

We do not supply nappies so we ask if you could please bring these along with you, either what your child will need for the day, or a whole packet to last a couple of weeks.

Kai

We do not supply breakfast at Feathers so we ask if you could please bring this in with your child if they arrive first thing in the morning without having breakfast. In regards to Morning Tea, Lunch, and Afternoon Tea our lovely cook provides all of these meals for any age. Our meals are prepared following the healthy heart award. We are flexible with eating routines and we accommodate for any dietary or religious needs in our menu plan for your children. Birthdays are celebrated with an egg and dairy free cake that is made with love from our wonderful centre cook.

Formula

We do not supply formula so we please ask that you bring your child’s formula and bottle along with them for what they will need for the day, or a tin in which you may wish to leave here at Feathers.

Clothing

We ask if you could please bring a bag of spare clothing for your child as well as a hat.