Our Team

Genevieve Hathaway – Director

Kia Ora. I am a qualified and registered early childhood teacher with 30 years experience. I have been on an amazing journey over the years, working in different early childhood settings and learning so much along the way. Teaching children respect for people and the world in which we live is the core of my philosophy. Children deserve our respect. They deserve energetic, passionate teachers and a quality learning environment. I believe in providing excellence in education for our young children to enable them to become confident, capable, enthusiastic learners who are well prepared for the next stage in their learning journey.

Talia Goodger – Team Leader

Kia ora! My interest in early childhood education started at Playcentre with my own children. I was so inspired by this incredible time in childrens’ lives, that I decided to change careers, from television production manager, and go back to university to gain a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education to become a teacher!

I believe that children thrive where they have the time, space and resources to discover things for themselves, and I love being part of these discoveries and seeing the world through their eyes. I am excited to be part of this kindergarten community and to be an active part of your child’s learning journey!

Ashleigh McIntosh- Teacher

Kia ora whanau. I’m a qualified and fully registered teacher with 15 years’ experience, teaching in both New Zealand and Australia. I’m passionate about teaching and working with children and have an aptitude to remain flexible, nurturing and responsive, ensuring that every child’s learning styles and abilities are fostered.
I enjoy the outdoors and teaching children about nature and our environment. I have a strong interest in the arts and creating open-ended provocations that inspire tamariki to create.
I believe in child-lead, project-based learning and I have completed The Incredible Years Teachers Program that encourages teachers and parents to use positive behaviour strategies when dealing with challenging behaviour.
I look forward to building and maintaining strong reciprocal relationships with you and your child/children.

Jordan West – Teacher

I moved to Auckland from Wellington in early 2020 and soon after joined the team at Sunbeams Kindergarten. I am a qualified and registered teacher and I am passionate about early childhood education. I have been working in the industry for eleven years with several years specialising in teaching infants and toddlers. At Sunbeams I have also been working with the older age group gaining experience across all levels of young children’s early learning and development.

Christie Sage – Teacher

I really enjoy exploring and extending children’s interests in fun, authentic and meaningful ways.
I love anything to do with art, music, dance and drama, and messy play. I also believe that it is important to provide opportunities for children to problem solve and use real-world tools in their designs and constructions. Therefore, I am a strong supporter of encouraging children to give new things a go and to challenge themselves. This I believe strengthens independence, their sense of perseverance and their self-confidence.  I am also passionate about exploring the natural environment with children as there are endless possibilities to learn about nature and the wider world.
I look forward to learning about each child’s interests and getting to know their personality and supporting them as they grow as capable, confident and caring young learners!

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Alexandra Hathaway – Teachers’ Assistant

I am an enthusiastic, fun and nurturing person and love spending time with children and sharing special moments. It is important to me to build and nurture relationships, be a great communicator and a positive role model.

I enjoy working in early childhood education and love being part of the Sunbeams team. I am a founding staff member and helped set up the kindergarten in 2014. I support the teachers in providing a high quality learning environment for our children where every day is a day filled with possibilities, fun and laughter!

Peipei Wu – Teachers’ Assistant

I come from China, and I have a master’s degree in Marketing from Auckland. I speak Mandarin and English and am eager to bring some cultural flair and fun Mandarin learning to Sunbeams.
My previous job experience includes being a teacher assistant at Westmere Kindergarten, a nanny, and a volunteer for Whanau Marama Parenting. I find that I have a natural affinity with children and am passionate about early childhood education.  I’m eager to learn more about the field and plan to gain a formal qualification in early childhood education.