Our People

Tia Duffy, Centre Manager
What do you love most about what you do?
Watching children reach their milestones developmentally, emotionally and academically. There is no better moment than the look on a child’s face when they have achieved a milestone that they have been persevering to achieve! I love being able to get to know our families and support parents through these first few years of their children’s lives too.
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Janine Sinclair, Head Teacher
Kia ora
My name is Janine and I have been a teacher in the Nursery at Lollipops Orewa since 2017. I was born and raised in Auckland and then went to Waikato University and gained a Bachelor of Teaching in ECE. I began working with preschoolers for a few years until I fell into an under 2s role and absolutely loved it. I am still blown away with the developmental milestones that infants and toddlers constantly achieve and I love being a part of their journey as they discover their world. I am a proud mother of two boys and my husband and I just love being coasties!

Christine Lamb, Centre Cook
I create delicious and nutritious meals on site and enjoy interacting with the children thanks to our open plan spaces. I have a four-week menu that is well balanced and I cater for all dietary requirements in consultation with whanau. Once a month I do a lunchbox day where the children bring in an empty lunchbox and I help them pack it. This helps the children practice their independence in preparation for school.

Grace Bayes, Preschool teacher
Kia ora, I’m Grace. I love being an Early Childhood Teacher because I get to create a fun, creative environment that promotes learning as well as social, cognitive and emotional development. I love being outdoors, nothing beats a good day out on the boat water skiing! I love working in ECE but would later like to work my way into the police force.