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Kidsfirst is fortunate to have a Board of Directors made up of talented people from the educational sector, business world and community.
Seconded members make up any expertise gaps that we may have. Kidsfirst is a not-for-profit organisation, but we understand the value of the commercial perspective, especially since we operate in an extremely competitive marketplace.
The Kidsfirst Board can be best described as being the legal governing body for the Canterbury Westland Kindergarten Association (Inc), and it operates in a similar manner to a Board of Trustees in the primary and secondary education sector.
A Kidsfirst board member is a trustee representing the interests of tamariki, parents and guardians of the Association. The board and its members are entrusted by the community with the overall responsibility for around 70 kindergartens which come under the umbrella of the organisation. The term of office for a board member is a two year period with a maximum of three terms. Nominations are requested for vacant positions each year prior to the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and are voted for by our members through postal ballot. Successful candidates are announced at the AGM.
Pariya Behnami
I am lucky enough to have both of my sons attend Kidsfirst Sunbeam since 2019. They have not only excelled, but they’ve had the opportunity to enjoy their high quality education, and the wonderful teachers there. Although I have no prior board experience, I am excited to join the Kidsfirst Board, and help the organisation grow from strength to strength.
I have worked as a speech and language therapist for over 12 years, helping those impaired with communication to navigate their lives. In this work, I have straddled both the education and health sectors, and have spent a majority of this time working in the not-for-profit sector, as both a speech and language therapist, and Clinical Leader at TalkLink Trust. I am now currently operating my own consultancy business primarily serving ACC rehab contracts throughout Canterbury and the West Coast. In addition, I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, which has proven to be invaluable in my clinical, and people management roles, and I hope to bring some of this experience to this role.
As a member of the board, my goal is to help the association develop, in a way that supports its establishment as a long-standing not-for-profit organisation. I am excited to help the association meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, and support Kidsfirst kindergartens to continue to be an equitable space for any child to benefit from their early childhood education.
Arron Perriam
I feel privileged to be included as a member of the Kidsfirst Board, having previously served on a number of boards, as well as being the member of three currently. My experience has also led me to serve as the chair on two of those boards, and I am excited to see what that experience can bring to such an established organisation.
My past roles have been working with children as the Chief Executive of Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, where I had the opportunity to implement a number of systemic changes, and foster a passion for the education sector, as well as working with children. My work has also led me to being involved with a number of organisations who are involved in charity work, and are heavily established in their communities.
I am excited to bring my past experience to the Kidsfirst Board. My vision is to foster the established values that are clear in every kindergarten, and continue to uphold Kidsfirst as an organisation that has served, and will continue to serve generations of communities, tamariki, and their whānau.
Viv Ruth
Kia ora,
ko Viv Ruth tōku ingoa, I began my career in education as a kindergarten teacher and have held many roles across the education sector working in special education tertiary and research positions. I spent five years lecturing at the Christchurch College of Education in the ECE Teacher Training programme and then moved to the Ministry of Education in Wellington, overseeing the national professional development programmes for Early Childhood.
In 2011 I took on the role of South Island Early Childhood Education Manager at the Ministry of Education in Christchurch, leading a team who were responsible for regulatory compliance, and for the delivery of the government’s ECE participation initiatives. In the past few of years I have managed South Island disability contracts for the Ministry of Health.
I am extremely privileged to be part of the Kidsfirst Board, providing governance to such a quality, focused organisation during very challenging and exciting times.
Graeme Norman
I have been in education for 22 years, and I am currently the principal of Te Kōmanawa Rowley School. My connections with kindergarten run deep – three of my children and two of my grandchildren attended kindergarten, and my wife is Head Teacher at Kidsfirst Hornby.
Having been on boards in education settings for the last 15 years, I am an experienced governor. Being a qualified accountant, I also have a good working understanding of financial matters.
Quality, play-based education delivered by trained, fully qualified teachers that meet the needs of individual tamariki, whānau, and communities, accessibility for all, and strong collaborations and connections lay the platform for a strong future for Kidsfirst.
These are also important aspects of kindergarten that ensure that future generations of children have access to high-quality early childhood education that prepares them for success in school and beyond.
Quality ECE plays an important role in shaping the lives of tamariki and families, and I am proud to be part of Kidsfirst’s future as its proud legacy continues.
Nikki Parsons
I have had extensive experience in teacher education, governance and leadership, having held leadership roles in several early childhood organisations including the Barnardos, Te Tari Puna Ora o Aotearoa and the Ministry of Education. I am currently employed as General Manager Workforce & Business Management for Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand {ECNZ). I attended my local kindergarten as a child. I still have vivid and fond memories of this and was fortunate enough to complete a practicum placement there as a student, and in fact I started my teaching career working as a reliever in Kidsfirst Kindergartens.
My vision is that Kidsfirst Kindergartens is accessible to all, sustainable and continues to offer high quality early childhood education for many generations to come.
I will support the Kidsfirst Board to:
• Champion excellence - be the leading provider of fresh thinking, innovation and quality practice in early learning
• Continue to strengthen relationships with parents, whānau and the local community
• Strengthen bicultural practices and acknowledge culture, language and identity for other diverse groups
• Continue to build strong partnerships with government and key stakeholders - become a strong unified voice in the sector
Belinda Graham
Having attended Kidsfirst Trengrove when I was a child, there’s a deeply personal connection to this organisation. My daughter now also attends Kidsfirst Ōpawa/St Martins, and I feel it is a privilege to get involved with kindergarten activities in any way that I can.
I’m an experienced Human Resources practitioner and have worked primarily in local and central government roles, including an extended period spent with the Ministry of Education and many years in a senior role at the Christchurch City Council. I've been privileged to work alongside senior leaders advising on a range of people-related matters supporting both day to day operations and the achievement of longer term strategies. I enjoy being a part of organisations where people from diverse backgrounds create an effective, productive and collaborative environment.
Safeguarding the structure that Kidsfirst’s network has now is my goal looking ahead for the organisation. This is so future generations of tamariki can also enjoy the benefits that kindergarten has to offer, and the difference it makes. I feel motivated and excited to foster the love of learning that is encouraged in every Kidsfirst kindergarten, alongside the employment of fully qualified teachers, and the other values that are at the heart of Kidsfirst.
Sarah Hendrikx
I am originally from Holland, and moved to New Zealand with my family when I was seven years old. .
Following the completion of a Fine Arts degree, I trained as an Early Childhood Educator and had the unique experience of working at an early childhood centre in Perth that fostered my passion for the core relationship between education and the natural environment.
In 2022, I trained as a primary teacher, and am currently enrolled in a Masters in Education with Massey University.
I have always been a keen advocate for community based ECE. My mother oversaw a community preschool for many years, and taught me what real ECE should look like – it’s exactly what I see in Kidsfirst, and as a result, I was adamant that my son, Franklin (aged 3 at the time of writing), went to kindergarten. The best decision we ever made was becoming part of the Kidsfirst Bush Street whānau group, which I have been privileged to be a part of since 2022.
I am passionate about kindergarten, and it is an honour to be able to provide kaitiakitanga to contribute to Kidsfirst’s proud history, and to help protect the legacy that makes it so special – fully qualified staff, with access to strong professional development, tamariki coming first and growing a lifelong love of learning, and strong connections to families and community.