Gina Yumul
Centre manager
Kia ora, my name is Ginalyn Yumul but you can call me Gina for short. I am married to a wonderful husband and we have two big grown-up children. My eldest is Yasmin and my youngest is Johnne. I came from the Philippines and moved to New Zealand in 2006. I have been an educator since 2001. I have two Masters in Education (TESOL and English Teaching). In 2010, I completed my early childhood education at Victoria University, Wellington. During my spare time, I do gardening, tramping, reading books and surfing the net. Teaching is my passion. I found that teaching young children is very fulfilling and rewarding. I believe that they are competent, capable and powerful learners. Teachers should provide children the opportunities to explore and develop their knowledge and skills. I also believe that each child should experience a sense of belonging. Each child should be provided a warm, calm, supportive and stimulating environment to support their learning. The teachers must also have a responsive relationship between and amongst one another, family and whanau. I look forward to getting to know you and your children as we continue our learning journey together at Karori Kids Preschool.
Debbie Godwin
Registered Teacher
Kia ora! New Zealand has been my home for thirty years, I am originally from South Yorkshire in the UK. I have two daughters in their mid-twenties, a fifteen-year-old son, and a fluffy old white bichon dog. I have a passion for New Zealand’s natural environment, and enjoy hiking, gardening, cooking and art. I volunteer in a governance capacity for Vincents Art Workshop in Wellington, with a purpose of ‘Changing lives through art’ by providing art workshops and social connection for people going through tough times.
I began my teaching journey during 2012 when my son was just 3 years old, since then I have developed a teaching style that is warm, respectful, and inclusive for all learners. I have done a lot of professional development on supporting children’s social and emotional competence and have a good understanding about the environmental and teaching strategies needed to ensure children are thriving during their time spent at daycare. All Tamariki have their own special strengths, interests, and abilities and it is my job to discover these, and then further their development by planning learning opportunities that extends these attributes in meaningful ways.
Zhonggen Li (Regan)
Registered Teacher
Kia ora! My name is Zhonggen Li (Regan). I completed my graduate diploma in Early Childhood Education in 2022 at University of Canterbury. I also have a Bachelor degree in accounting at Victoria University of Wellington. I always believe that tamariki have infinite potential, and I enjoy conveying mana and kindness between children. I will be willing to accept new challenges, contact different pedagogy and philosophy, help each child reach their highest potential based on their unique characteristics.
Merciana De Guzman
Teacher
Kamusta! I am originally from the Philippines and moved to New Zealand in 2009. Since then, I have been an early childhood educator with massive experience in Montessori pedagogy. Engaging with children every day is my passion. I enjoy forming relationships with tamariki, kaiako, whānau and community. I love supporting and imparting knowledge with the children to help them build their confidence and learn skills that are important for their learning journey. I believe children need a sustainable and caring environment with variety of learning opportunities to help them develop holistically.
Reena Sajwan Gusain
Teacher
My name is Reena Sajwan Gusain. I was born in New Delhi; India and I have been in New Zealand since May 2011. I am married and have two beautiful children, Rayansh (Ray) and Priyanash (Anshu). I believe that each child is unique. As a teacher it is my responsibility to provide children with an environment that is safe, loving, caring, and inviting. As a teacher I will act as guide to allow the children's natural curiosity direct their learning and development. I will also promote respect for all children and their whanau. I believe that children are our future, and every child has the potential to bring something special to the world. As a teacher I will help the children to develop their potential by believing in them and supporting them as capable individuals. I will work alongside children in discovering who they are and where they belong, so they can express their own opinion and their own ideas to explore.
Dian Jiao (JD)
Registered Teacher
Tēnā koutou. My name is Dian Jiao, AKA JD, I was born and raised in China. At the age of sixteen I set sail to England, after that I worked for tech companies in China for a while. Later on I decided to come to New Zealand for a refreshing lifestyle. I find working with children and provide care for them is the most rewarding experience in the world. Hence, I started my teacher career, went through prolonged trainings, practices and graduated from New Zealand Tertiary College in Auckland. Furthermore, I teach in Lower Hutt for about a year.
I believe the best learning experience is achieved by enthusiasm through exploration. Therefore, I have lots of hobbies, in the areas of mathematics, guitar music, software programming, drone/RC flying, action figures, sport, linguistic studies and so on. I am an easy-going person and will always respect and listen to your opinion. I am proficient in Chinese, English language, and before Te Reo Māori I tried to learn Japanese whenever I had a chance. My priorities at the centre are providing your children with a joyful experience and supporting everyone here to be confident and competent learners.
Looking forward to make your acquaintance, mā te wā.