Childcare Glen Eden 2.1

My name is Iveta Ongley. I am a qualified early childhood teacher with seven years of New Zealand centre experience at both teaching and management levels. I also worked as a nanny and an au-pair overseas for over four years. Now I am ready for the next challenge – home based care and education service.

I am a mum to an amazing eight month old girl who delights me every day with her smiles, budding personality and adventures. Through my studies I learnt how important the first three years are in the life of a child and how vital a strong and loving relationship with at least one person is to that child’s development of her or his body, mind and soul. Even after children reach the age of three, this relationship is critical. It helps them to explore without hesitation, to learn about the world and themselves and to enjoy the joys of life. I want to be this person for my little girl. As a teacher I would like to offer the same secure and dependable relationship to the children whose families will entrust me with the care and education of their most precious taonga.

I have a strong philosophy on teaching and learning of young children. My practice is influenced by the work of Dr Emmi Pikler and RIE philosophy. This is a philosophy of respect; a philosophy based on relationships and natural development. I believe that children should be allowed to explore freely at their own pace and in their own way. They know when they are ready to achieve their next milestone. We need to respect this knowledge and trust them to achieve it without unnecessary interruptions and expectations. And play is the best way to learn. I love natural and simple resources and will be offering these to the children in my care. I believe that the simpler the object is the more imagination and creativity children use when engaging with it. Consequently, the more their brains have to work and the more they learn. I have just started researching the Steiner/Waldorf approach to play and find the resources and ideas this philosophy implies very appealing. It ties very well with RIE philosophy and will be influencing my practice from now on as well.

As I am not a born Kiwi (I am originally from the Czech Republic), I know how important it is to preserve one’s own culture. I love the cultural diversity in New Zealand and have always honoured the distinct values and customs of the children in my care. I also believe that children should be brought up in the spirit and cultures of their community and be involved in it in meaningful ways. That’s why following seasonal festivals and special cultural celebrations is very important.

If you are looking for quality childcare with a loving a passionate educarer and would like to have a discussion about your family’s needs and expectations and my philosophy, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can either call me on 021 0433472, email me on iveste@hotmail.com or send me a personal message on Facebook.

I look forward to hearing from you.