AUCKLAND
About our chapter Coming soon…
Office Bearers
President – Nola Harvey
I returned to active participation in Playcentre Aotearoa 2019-as grandma, and am currently honorary academic in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland specialising in the area of languages and literacies in the early years with research on the bilingual experiences of bi/multilingual children and teachers in early years educational settings. A TLRI project, resulted in a text for teachers, Teachers voyaging in Plurilingual Seas: Young children learning through more than one language. My NGO work includes children’s rights –I joined OMEP 1997 and am currently OMEP Tamaki Makaurau –President 2017 -2020. I have been a member of IPA Te Ropu Tākaro, Aoteaora NZ since 2003 and Secretary 2015-2020. I am a member of the AUT Centre for Refugee Education Advisory Committee.
Secretary – Marianne Kayes
My ECE roots are in Playcentre with our 4 children, and in Parents Centre, both of which I joined in the mid-70s.These were heady times for lobbying, and I discovered a previously unrecognised enthusiasm for advocacy, becoming very active also in the Children’s Health Liaison Group. This group was pushing for many changes in our paediatric hospitals, especially for the introduction of comprehensive therapeutic play programmes. I subsequently took up a position as hospital play specialist and was part of the establishment of the Hospital Play Specialists Association. We lobbied successfully to have hospital-based early childhood services recognised by the MoE. This involvement led to various other opportunities including a Margaret Mary Blackwell travel scholarship, representing the HPS Assn on ECAC and EEdFed, and membership of the government’s Strategic Plan for ECE group way back in 2000 then again for the more recent SPEL group in 2018-19. Somewhere along the way I completed my ECE teaching qualifications, a Diploma in Early Intervention and an MHSc. I’ve been secretary for OMEP Auckland since 2015, but have held other roles too - as an NE committee member (1996-99), NE secretary, and Auckland Chapter President.
Treasurer – Kristy Austin
Ko Kristy Austin ahau. I am the current treasurer for OMEP Auckland. This is my first year as a member of OMEP. I am the mother of 2 boys and after being inspired by my time at Playcentre I competed my Graduate Diploma of Teaching ECE. I now work as a full time teacher for Auckland Kindergarten Assocoation.