Teachers

AMI (Association Montessori International)
Montessori Diploma, 1985 Ireland.
Diploma of Early Childhood Education, Equivalency, 1995 Auckland College of Education.
Playcentre, part one

Tia was born in Kenya, but spent most of her childhood in Ireland.  She came across Montessori when she was young and left school at 18 to train as a Montessori teacher and then traveled for a couple of years and was offered teaching positions in Auckland. 

Tia married Mark and they have three children who all flourished with a Montessori education. Tia moved to Matakana in 1999. Before setting up Totara Hill with Teresa, Tia had owned and set up a number of other preschools.

She is a trust member of the Maria Montessori Education Foundation set up to bring the AMI Montessori teacher training to New Zealand.  Tia is involved in the training centre as well as Totara Hill. Tia really enjoys working with parents, and has created her own parent workshop series.

AMI (Association Montessori International)

Montessori Diploma, 2011 New Zealand

Bachelor of Education (Teaching) 1999

Certificate in Childcare and Education

Montessori Assistants Certificate 2008.

Playcentre level 3

Teresa moved to Matakana in 2002 with her husband Jason. She trained in Auckland in 1999 (BEd Teaching 1999) as a mainstream teacher and then went onto train as a Montessori teacher.

She has worked in centres in Auckland and Australia before establishing Totara Hill with Tia. Teresa has three children. Two children enjoy the benefits of a Montessori Primary education attending the Montessori Class at Matakana Primary School and the third attends Totara Hill. She sees the primary class fostering individuality and enabling the children to follow their path of independent, self directed learning.

Teresa believes Montessori education fosters the unique potential each individual child has and enables children to reach their fullest potential.  Seeing the children grown through the 3 year cycle and evolve into confident, competent learners who understand that making mistakes is a valid part of the learning process is a treasure.

Trained Teachers Certificate, Palmerston North teachers college (1976)

Part of Diploma of Early Childhood Education, Equivalency,1991 Palmerston North College of Education.

Roxanne is a New Zealand registered primary teacher and has lived in the Warkworth area since 1993.

Before coming to Totara Hill she taught at Warkworth Primary School for Seventeen and a half years. The first six years teaching 5 -6 year olds and the last eleven years teaching new entrants in the reception class.

Prior to coming to Warkworth Roxanne taught at various schools in the Taranaki and was a supervisor at

Hawera Childcare Centre and Community Crèche. She has also been a group leader at Manaia Playcentre and a

Family Daycare Giver in New South Wales, Australia.

She is married with three adult children and has a young grandson. She enjoys music, reading, movies and spending time with friends and family.

Batchelor of Education (Early Years) 2012

Diploma in Horticultural Science UNITEC 1998

Playcentre Level 2

Marlene joins the team working 5 days a week, having finished her Bachelor of Education (Early Years). Prior to her study, she has worked closely with children, attending Playcentre for many years while her children were young. She has travelled extensively, spending a few years living in England with her husband before returning to New Zealand to start a family.

Marlene lives locally with her husband and two girls. She enjoys spending time with the family, gardening and playing the guitar.