Kindy will miss Nanette

RETIRING: Nanette Maslin will miss teaching after a 44-year career. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Nanette Maslin ends a 44-year career in early childhood education when she retires from Harriette Vine Kindergarten this week.
"I trained at Wellington Teachers' College in 1970-71 and started teaching in 1973. We were the lucky ones because we got paid to train and study." The 'pay' was $30 a month, but Nanette was able to buy her first car, a Morris Minor, while at training college.
"My first year was in Porirua, but the next year I was at Upper Hutt," she says.
Nanette taught for seven years in Eltham before arriving in Whanganui in late 1988.
"I got a job at Gonville and I was there for 15 years and I've been at Harriette Vine for 13 years."
Our interview was constantly interrupted by little people and each received due attention.
"I'm going to miss the kids," she says. "They've got no inhibitions and say it how it is."
Nanette recalls the halcyon days of kindergarten teaching under a Labour Government. "During that time we didn't have to do any fundraising and we bought all the best equipment. Now it's different and management struggles to spread the funding."
She says that even at that early age (three and four) you can tell which kids are going to do well in life. "They just stand out."
What do you need to be a kindergarten teacher?
"Infinite patience, plenty of energy and creative ideas."
Nanette and her husband John Maslin, Chronicle journalist, are retiring in the same week.
"We met at high school," she says. "I was 15 and he was 17."
Circumstances led to them going separate ways and marrying other people.
"We never forgot about each other. When I came to Whanganui I knew he was here because I'd seen his stories in the paper. So I just phoned him up one day ... the rest is history. It was just the best thing that ever happened, getting back together."
Now they're retiring together.
"We've got travel plans and just chilling and enjoying life."
The last word goes to Nanette's Head Teacher at Harriette Vine.
"It has been an absolute honour to spend Nanette's last years of teaching working with her. She not only has made a huge impact on the lives of the children around her, but also on the teachers she has worked with during her teaching career.
Nanette has always had such beautiful conversations with children and every day you can see the children happily chatting away to her whilst she walks through and around the kindergarten. It takes a special kind of teacher to be able to gain such a trusting and open relationship with children; they feel safe in the knowledge she is truly hearing what they are saying. I will truly miss these moments.
Nanette also has the best knees in the world and over the years I have seen many a child struggle with their friends to get the best seat in the house, on her knees. Those that miss a seat snuggle in beside her.
Our kindergarten and extended community is truly going to miss her ... but not as much as our teaching team."
Brenda Kidd
Head Teacher