Meet Our Team
Raewyn Sturm
MANAGERBachelor of Education (Teaching) Fully Certified Ko Moumoukai te maunga Ko Nuhaka te awa o Rakaipaaka te iwi.
I am a passionate teacher with a heart for nurturing children in a loving environment. I was born and raised in Cambridge and have been part of the Elim Church family since 2008. In 2013 I began teaching here and became the centre manager in 2017. I am a fluent speaker of te reo Māori and believe all teachers should have a spark in their eye, fire in their belly and peace in their heart.
Jordan Martens
TEACHERBachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) Provisional Certification. Talofa Lava, I was raised in Cambridge and together with my Husband Asosi we have 3 amazing children. I teach in both the Streams and Wellsprings rooms, and adore the joy and challenges that it brings me. I believe that strong relationships with whānau help me nurture and grow the tamariki in my care. I aim to foster a sense of love, trust, creativity and adventure within all children here at Elim
Lindi Colby
TEACHERBachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) Kia ora te whanau. My name is Lindi and I and my family have lived in Cambridge since 2008, I graduated from Te Rito Maioha in 2017 and was lucky enough to be offered a position with Elim Early Learning Centre in 2018. Life has thrown me many curve balls, and so I try to live by this mantra "Never regret a day in your life... good days give you happiness and bad days give you experience ". I look forward to enjoying many enriching and rewarding times ahead with your tamariki and whanau.
Heather Brewerton
TEACHERBachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) Fully Certified Hi, my name is Heather and I work in the Wellsprings room. I live locally with my husband, daughter and 6 pet clownfish. I have been part of the team here since 2012 and I value the sense of community here. I believe that children learn most effectively when they are using their own inquisitive and imaginative minds to direct their play. "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn" -O. Fred Donaldson.
Jen Edney
TEACHERBachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
Hi, my name is Jen, I am originally from the UK but now call New Zealand home. I live in Leamington with my husband and two wonderful children, Phoebe and Evaleigh, who can be found having fun in the centre. Relationships and belonging are at the heart of my teaching practice, and I personally believe they are the foundation to learning. I am passionate about children, getting to know their individual personalities and supporting them to explore and discover the world at their own pace. I look forward to meeting you and supporting your child on their learning journey.
Sarah Grant
TEACHER2nd year Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education)
I am married to Michael and we have 3 children. We live on a farm and love the big open spaces that goes with farming. I have 10 years Homebased childcare experience and an currently working towards a Bachelor in Early Childhood Education. I look forward to meeting you and your children and being part of their learning journey.
Ann Ryan
SUPPORT TEACHERMy husband and I moved from South Africa in 2008. We have four children, 3 girls and a boy. I am member of the Elim church community and help to run the children’s programme on Sunday’s. My work in early childhood began in 1998 and stemmed from my desire to see my own children grow. Now days I enjoy getting to know each child and their unique differences and providing them with the love and care they deserve.
Karen Moar
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE MANAGERWarren (deceased) & I started the Cambridge Elim Church in 1994, with our 3 Children. Since then I now have 9 wonderful grandchildren, married to Bryce and we own a lifestyle block that we look after. I have worked at Elim since the opening of ELC 2009 and do all the Elim ELC Administration, the finances for the ELC, School Holiday Programme and Elim Church. I believe I have the best of both worlds as well as doing the finances, I love interacting with the children and parents of our Centre.
Adele Storie
CookHi, my name is Adele and I work with the over 2 year olds in the Streams room. Our family moved from South Africa in 2011 and have recently relocated from Auckland to Cambridge. I live with my lovely husband and together we have daughter and son. I am new to the early childhood sector as I feel I have been called by God to fulfil my purpose in this area. I have a passion for Jesus and a heart to share His love with His children.
Kerin Frost
SUPPORT TEACHER - SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME SUPERVISORI live with my 2 girls and have worked at Elim since 2011. I love organising learning activities, especially indoor and outdoor games, arts, crafts and musical activities. I champion our Healthy Heart Program and during the school holidays manage Elim’s ‘Kool Kidz’ school holiday program.
Teacher Selection
We carefully select our teachers through a comprehensive hiring process which includes a formal application pack, three reference checks, police vetting and a formal interview. Each teacher is hired with a particular passion in mind, and is empowered to take ownership over aspects of the programme. We also invite student teachers to join our team on a regular basis when they are studying. This is a great opportunity for teachers in training to come and learn, as well as offer many unique ideas and suggestions which are contemporary in their training. When students are here, please feel free to ask them about your child’s day. However, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning and development, please ensure you ask the regular teachers or team leaders.
If you are interested in a teaching position with us either qualified or unqualified then please send your CV and cover letter to manager.elimelc@gmail.com.
Team Work
Early Childhood Education is unique compared to teaching primary aged children in that there is more than one adult teaching many children. As a consequence, teamwork is essential to the ongoing development and health of the programme. We make a point of building up our teams and seeking to define a unified approach to the education and care of all the children.
Annual Review
All teachers have a 6 month review upon hiring, and then move to our annual review process which ensures they have a focus for continual improvement. We provide opportunities throughout the year for teachers to attend training and professional development courses. This helps them develop their teaching skills and gain new ideas for improving your child’s learning experience.
Advisory and Support Personnel
Our provisionally certificated teachers work with an internal and external mentor to support them in achieving a high level of competence.
“Parent wishing to remain anonymousMy daughter started at Elim when she was one. I truly believe that she's in a supportive and nurturing environment with teachers who care enough to know how to respond to her needs. Every morning they take time to settle her and when I arrive in the afternoon she is always happy and engaged with a teacher.She is exposed to so many amazing learning experiences by diverse staff with a huge range of talents and skills. I love Elim and would recommend it to anyone.
“Parent wishing to remain anonymousOne of the many things I appreciate about Elim Early Learning Centre is the interest the staff and teachers take in the whole family, not just my toddler. When we come to pick up my toddler, my other child is greeted by her name and often find her engaged in conversations with the staff. Elim has welcomed other important people in my toddler's life into the centre during visits and special occasions. This has really helped her sense of belonging, as the connection between her home and centre has been developed and kept strong.
