Celebrating 1 year at Manu Kindergarten

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a whole year since we took over the management of Manu Kindergarten—what a year it’s been!

Starting Something New

Just over a year ago, Scott made the transition to early childhood education after eight years of teaching Year 1 and 2 at primary school.
“I love kindergarten teaching,” Scott says. “It allows me to slow down and be the teacher I want to be—fun, creative, and connected with the kids.”

While Scott has been busy teaching, I (Lucy) have been working behind the scenes. Moving into the ECE sector has come with a steep learning curve—there’s a lot to know about operating a kindergarten! It’s been a bit of a juggle balancing my part-time nursing role, parenting, and my admin role at Manu, but I’m really enjoying the process. One of my favourite parts has been getting to know our fantastic community.

Keeping It in the Family

Scott’s mum Rhonda founded Manu Kindergarten back in 1992, and we feel very privileged to have taken over a thriving small business that has been part of the community for more than 30 years. With the kindergarten situated at the back of Rhonda and Neil’s property, we’ve been really fortunate to have them close at hand for support as we find our feet.

Another exciting addition has been the installation of an off-grid solar electrical system by Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration, the business owned by Scott’s brothers, Cam and Ben. We are now powered by the sun!

We’ve also been lucky enough to have our daughter at kindergarten until very recently, and we still have two nephews attending. It really is a family affair.

Growing Our Environment

As keen gardeners, a big part of our vision is to develop a space that is both beautiful and functional. We want the garden to be a place where children can learn about growing food and connect with nature. You may have noticed some changes already, like the new pathway and outdoor upgrades. Scott had a former career as a fitter welder, as well as a wealth of knowledge about DIY that he’s gained over the years from working on projects with his dad, Neil. These skills have really come into their own as we make improvements to the environment.

We’ve also grown our team. By increasing our hours to 30 per week, we were able to create a position for a third teacher. We were so fortunate to find Clare, who has been a wonderful addition. She joins Liz, who has been the backbone of Manu for almost eight years. We also have our reliable team of relievers, Wendy, Tamlyn, Channa and Rhonda. We feel incredibly lucky to have such a strong, dedicated teaching team.

Thank you to all our families for making our first year so memorable. We’re looking forward to seeing what the next year brings.

Ngā mihi nui,

Lucy & Scott