Kenna Zachinskaia

I’m originally from Moscow, Russia, and I used to live in Italy for a while. I came to ECE deliberately after having a successful career in corporate business, as I realised I wanted to follow my passion. My husband and I have been living in New Zealand since 2016. In 2019, we had our first baby boy, Robin and then little Cosmo in 2021. I’m continuously studying and have certificates in General and Child Psychology (Counselling), ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bilingual brain, Early brain development and guided play, Psychological first aid and Somnology. In my spare time, I love travelling, hiking and camping. I love sports: I’m an experienced skier and can’t live without mountains, and I do enjoy surfing as well. I’ve also been collaborating with some parenting magazines, and you can find my articles in Bump&Baby, Tots to Teens and Kiwi Parent Magazines.

I’m passionate about my work and believe that the first five years of life are the most significant time as children develop amazingly quickly. My commitment as a manager and a teacher is to support tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. I see a huge part of my job in supporting parents and families, as I trust that when we collaborate, we can create the most engaging learning environment and give children the best experiences.