Active Explorers Highbrook

🌈 “From mat time to outdoor adventures, every moment is a chance to learn.”

✏️🎨 “Little hands, big imaginations — every mark tells a story.”

🏗️ “Building together, one straw at a time."

🖐️💛 “Little hands, big hearts, beautiful friendships.”

🍃🦋 “From little leaves to beautiful wings, nature inspires the magic we create.”

“Mat time magic with Whaea Daphne! 🧸🎶 Learning, connecting and having fun together.”

"Spring has sprung, and our little blossoms are blooming." 🌸🌿🍃

🌸 Meet Our Awesome Toddler Team Leader – Isha! 🌸

Kia ora and Namaste! 👋💕

Originally from Nepal, Isha moved to New Zealand in 2009 after getting married. She is a proud mum to her teenage son, who is 15 years old. ❤️

Teaching has been Isha’s passion for as long as she can remember. Even as a child, she would line up her dolls and pretend to teach them! 🧸📚 Her deep love for working with children naturally led her to Early Childhood Education, where she has found a career that is truly meaningful to her.

Isha’s ECE journey began in 2014 as an unqualified reliever. In 2020, she joined the Active Explorers Highbrook whānau, starting as a reliever before becoming a permanent team member. With the help, support, and encouragement of our Centre Manager & incredible team, Isha completed her ECE degree two years ago and became a fully qualified teacher. Today, she proudly leads our vibrant Toddler Room. 🌱

When asked about her teaching philosophy, Isha says:

"I believe children learn best when they feel safe, loved, respected and valued. I love being around children and enjoy watching them explore, play, discover new things and become more confident." 💕

For Isha, teaching is about so much more than learning new skills. It is about building trusting and meaningful relationships with tamariki and creating an environment where every child feels heard and valued.

She believes that every child is unique and learns in their own way and at their own pace. Isha loves listening to children, following their interests and giving them opportunities to make choices and try things for themselves. 🌿✨

She feels incredibly grateful to be part of Active Explorers Highbrook, a wonderful centre filled with opportunities to grow, supportive colleagues, an encouraging manager and, most importantly, delightful tamariki.

We are so lucky to have Isha as part of our team and as our Toddler Room Team Leader. Her warmth, dedication and genuine love for children shine through every day. 💕🌸

Thank you, Isha, for helping our tamariki explore, learn, grow and thrive! 🌈🌱

Meet our beautiful preschool teacher, Jazz! 💛✨

Originally from India and now proudly calling Aotearoa home. From an IT career to following her passion for working with children, Jazz’s journey into ECE is one of courage, growth and purpose.
We’re so lucky to have Jazz as part of our Active Explorers whānau! 🌿💫

Kia ora,
My name is Jasleen Kour, I am originally from India. I moved to New Zealand two years ago with my husband and our beloved fur baby, more recently we have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Becoming a mother has been one of the most special chapters of my life and has given me an even deeper appreciation for the importance of love, care, patience, and nurturing during a child’s early years.

My professional background is quite different from Early Childhood Education. I come from an IT background, with around 10 years of professional experience. While in India, I also had the opportunity to volunteer with an NGO, where I delivered educational sessions and lectures for children from underprivileged communities. Those experiences allowed me to build meaningful connections with children and sparked my curiosity about how they think, learn, communicate and develop.

I have always been fascinated by children—their curiosity, imagination, individuality and the unique ways they make sense of the world around them. I strongly believe that every child deserves to be heard, respected, valued and nurtured. Children are our future, and I believe the relationships and experiences we provide during their early years can have a lasting impact on the people they become.

After moving to New Zealand, I decided to follow this passion and begin a new professional journey in Early Childhood Education. I completed my Level 7 qualification in Early Childhood Education from NZTC last year. During my studies, I gained valuable practical experience through relieving work and also spent time as a permanent student teacher.

Moving from a completely different career into ECE was a new and challenging experience, but it has also been one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. I joined Active Explorers last year while I was pregnant. Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful to have been welcomed into such a supportive and caring environment.

My pregnancy journey was made so much easier and happier because of the wonderful people around me. I was fortunate to have a team that was always willing to support and help me, along with a centre manager who genuinely understood my needs and always went above and beyond to accommodate and support me.

Because of this incredible team, I was able to continue working throughout my pregnancy right up until the day before my delivery. Their kindness, understanding and encouragement meant more to me than I can put into words. What started as a workplace gradually became so much more. Somewhere along the way, my colleagues became friends, and the team became an important part of my life. I have formed relationships here that I will cherish for a very long time.

Choosing Early Childhood Education after spending many years in a completely different profession was a big change for me, but it felt right because of the connection I have always felt with children. Every day in ECE gives me an opportunity to learn alongside children, understand their perspectives, celebrate their individuality and contribute to their learning and development.

I feel truly grateful to be part of the Active Explorers family and excited to continue growing as an educator. My hope is to create a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where every child feels a strong sense of belonging, knows that their voice matters, and feels valued and respected for exactly who they are.

For me, Early Childhood Education is not simply about teaching children—it is about building relationships, creating meaningful experiences, nurturing confidence and curiosity, and being part of the beautiful journey of watching children grow.

“From leaves and sticks to seeds and stones — nature inspires little artists.” 🍃🪨