Montessori Teaching Team
Helen Ramsdale
Senior Class Teacher
Originally from Gisborne, Helen has been in Rotorua for more than 30 years now. She has had a long association with Malfroy School, firstly as a parent (her four children all attended Malfroy School), then she became employed as a classroom release teacher and later as the Montessori senior classroom teacher (2011-2013). Helen returned in 2017 as our Montessori Teacher and is continuing her training in Montessori Education with the support of the Rotorua Montessori Primary Trust. When asked what she loves about Montessori education, she refers to a point of difference in the Montessori approach to education as being, ‘instead of a teacher reaching up into the world of knowledge and bringing it down for the children to access, the Montessori teacher lifts the child up so they can access it themselves.’ This is something she aims to do for every child.
Eden Gilmour
Junior Class Teacher
I was born and raised in Rotorua and have been influenced by Montessori from a very young age. My mother opened Montessori Rotorua Preschool back in 1989 and was an avid Montessorian, particularly in Rotorua. I began working at Montessori Rotorua Preschool in 2013 and through this journey fell in love with the philosophy and the learning outcomes for children, both academically and holistically.
My passions lie with Montessori's Education for Peace. I think it is so beautiful the way children can discover and appreciate different ways of being and living, as well as gaining an appreciation of the natural world, in all its beauty. My Husband and I, along with our 2 children, live at Lake Tarawera and spend a lot of our time out on the lake, swimming at the beach, or fishing off the jetty.
Hayley Puddle
Montessori Teaching Assistant
Hayley lives with her partner Corey and is a busy mum of two children, Taylor and Sophie. Taylor is an active boy and enjoys outdoor sports. Sophie has Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome and commands a lot of one-to-one attention.
Hayley enjoys spending time with her family and she and Corey make regular visits to the forest and local parks and playgrounds with their children. She also enjoys keeping active through trail running and road cycling. Previously Hayley was working as a Teacher Aide at an early childhood centre but is thoroughly enjoying working with school-aged children. She has found it very interesting and has been learning a lot through building relationships with the children in our Montessori Class.