I’m Anna Millar, my family and I own Caterpillar Kids. 

 

Have a look at the bottom of this page to see my family.  We bought Caterpillar Kids (then Bright Stars) in 2016.  Before that I was a Primary School Teacher working with all year levels.  I am also a qualified ‘Reading Recovery’ teacher. 

 

I have 2 children Cole (born 2012) and Rosie (born 2014).  I enjoy spending time with my family especially at the beach and in my spare time I like to sew.

Kia ora Whanau! My name is Katerina Woodside. 

I moved to New Zealand in 2003 and now live in Titirangi with my husband Dean, son Andrey, daughter Sofiya and our cat Phoebe. I have been a student of Early Childhood Education since 2005, and have a Bachelor of Education (ECE) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (ECE) from the University of Auckland. I speak English and Russian, love reading, gardening, music, and travel. I love to learn and aim to continue to enhance my present academic, professional, and personal knowledge and skills. 

At the heart of my professional practice is a belief that every child is the driver of their own learning. Each child is born with a natural fascination with the world and a desire to learn everything about it. My role as a teacher is to make sure that each child learns at their own pace within an environment that is welcoming, secure, challenging, and fun to explore.

Kia ora, I’m Carolyn Hoyles and I am originally from Sydney, Australia. I have been calling Aotearoa home since 2012 with my husband Jules and 2 children Harvey and Leila.

 

I have always been interested in working with children, originally studying ECE 0-12 years in Australia, then completing my Bachelor of Education ECE at Auckland University.  

 

I love the outdoors and will often be walking my dogs up one of the beautiful Maungas.

Kia ora children and whānau, my name is Lucy.  I grew up in Freemans bay in Auckland. After spending time living in Melbourne, I returned to New Zealand with my Australian husband Aaron and brought my family home to raise my girls Ivy-Rose and Violet. 

 

I have been working within Early Childhood since 2016 and have just finished my Bachelor of Education (ECE) this month!  I am looking forward to getting to know the Caterpillar Kids community. 

 

I believe in empowering children to become life long learners. 

 

I enjoy reading, yoga and going on discovery walks with my whānau.

Kia Ora everyone, my name is Carol. I started my time here at Caterpillar Kids as a reliever in October 2022.   I  grew up in Mount Albert, Auckland and live with my Mum and Dad.  I’m planning on starting a Bachelor of Education at University of Auckland next year. I also have a part time job at Real Groovy and have just started my own record collection!  In my spare time I enjoy going to the beach and hanging out with friends.

I’m really enjoying getting to know the children, families and team here at Caterpillar Kids.

Kia Ora Caterpillar Kids whānau,

My name is Shakira, I am currently in my third and final year of study in ECE. I was born and raised in Whāngarei, two hours north of Auckland and moved out of Whāngarei when I was 18 to pursue my teaching career.
 

Outside of being a teacher, my favourite things to do would be going on walks, visiting the beach, gym and reading a good book.

I am very passionate about working with young tamariki, supporting them to reach many milestones, in an environment that allows them to challenge and express themselves safely at all times. I joined the Mokamoka room in January 2024 and I am excited for the journey ahead.”

I am a born and bred kiwi, growing up on a dairy farm in the Waikato with my family of 6.  I studied at Otago University completing a Bachelor of Commerce before realising that Early Childhood Education was calling my name.  I completed my Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) from Auckland University in 2007.

 

I am passionate about creating strong, authentic relationships with children, families and teams and love the opportunity to really get to know children and the things that make them smile.  I am a strong advocate for the work of Magda Gerber and Emmi Pikler which hold respectful relationships and authenticity at the core of their Approach. I support a RIE® Parent-Infant Guidance Class.

Fakalofa lahi atu, my name is Jenny! 

 

I've been working in ECE for 22 years and I am a mother to a beautiful teenager. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and my absolute passion is watching children unfold naturally as they grow within their environment, and most importantly in themselves. 

 

I believe that tamariki learn best in an environment that fosters curiosity and gives them confidence to create meaningful relationships with peers, kaiako and the worlds around them, insuring them to become lifelong learners. I joined the team at Caterpillar Kids in June 2023 and love working alongside the amazing kaiako and incredible whānau here.

Kia Ora whānau, my name is Antonia. I grew up in Freemans Bay, Auckland with my mum and dad. My partner Latham and I live in Pt Chev with our baby boy Louie who joined us in July 2022. I have had a relationship with Caterpillar Kids since 2021.  Louie and I permanently joined the Mokamoka team in 2023.

Before starting in ECE I completed a Bachelor of Spatial Design, later deciding it wasn’t the path for me. I have worked with infants & toddlers since starting my career in ECE back in 2014. It's definitely my area of passion. I went on to complete a Graduate Diploma in ECE and the RIE Foundations Course. I am excited to be part of the Mokamoka team and navigating being both a full time teacher again and now a mum too.

Kia ora, my name is Ari. I was born and raised in Tāmakai Makaurau (Auckland), I completed my Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) through the University of Auckland in 2019. I am currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Infant & Toddler Learning and Development through Te Rito Maioha.

My personal teaching philosophy is centred around creating strong relationships with tamariki, calm environments and providing plenty of opportunities that support them to explore themselves and the world around them in a way that is meaningful to them.

I enjoy spending my spare time outside in nature, cooking, baking, spending time with friends and family and building lots and lots of lego with my 6 year old son Caleb.

Hi, I’m Hong Lo, I live in Ellerslie with my husband and 2 grown up daughters.

 

I have been working at Caterpillar Kids since 2006 and I cook morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea for the children and babies.

 

On the weekends I like to jog and go for hikes to enjoy New Zealand’s beautiful scenery.