TMET Trustees and Administrator

I have been involved in Montessori education for over 20 years, firstly as a teacher at both pre and primary level. I spent three years at St Nicholas teachers’ college in Dublin, Ireland, where I studied Montessori Education: Birth-12 years. I have worked in a variety of primary and preschools in Ireland and in New Zealand, and I established a preschool called Montessori Helen’s Bay in County Down, Ireland, which I sold before backpacking through Africa.

There I met Grant, a Kiwi, who was heading back to NZ after his OE. After numerous African adventures, I decided to head to New Zealand where we married and have had four children: Henry, Charlotte, Freddie and Patrick, all of whom have attended Montessori@Bellevue.

As a family we are involved in Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service in the summer, along with rugby and hockey. I enjoy triathlons, half Ironmen and have faced and beaten the challenge of Ironman. This was perhaps the biggest challenge I have undertaken but it certainly taught me a great deal about myself and my mental fortitude, and to complete it was an achievement I am truly proud of.

My role as EO allows me to continue my passion for Montessori education. I oversee both of our schools and ensure that our teachers and wider school community are supported in their mission of delivering the NZ curriculum using the Montessori philosophy. This is done through organising professional development, keeping abreast of new curriculum developments and liaising with the principals and BOTs of both schools. I am also involved in supporting parent meetings where we offer education and information around Montessori curriculum and philosophy.

I am always happy to have a coffee and a chat with anyone and am open to all suggestions – you can always catch me in the school car park, at Montessori@Bellevue, or by sending me an email. It is an honour to be part of TMET, and I look forward to the continued success of our Trust and the growth of our current primary schools.

My four children attended Little Sweethearts Montessori preschool in Mount Maunganui before ‘graduating’ to Montessori@Bellevue. The oldest three have subsequently moved on to intermediate and college, with the transition to mainstream education from Montessori being seamless. This has given me an added perspective of the life skills that Montessori students accumulate during their time in preschool and primary, and parent trust in the pedagogy being a long game. My children thrived in their respective Montessori classrooms and I feel truly grateful that they were able to experience an education philosophy that celebrated their individual strengths and allowed them to learn and progress at their own pace.

I enjoy being part of our wonderful Montessori community and working with dedicated parents in my role with TMET. Professionally, I spent the bulk of my working life in the City of London’s investment banking sector as an Economist, fixed income sales person and fund of funds administrator. After having children I undertook wide ranging administrative volunteer roles within Playcentre and Plunket. Currently, I am serving as Chairperson on a local school Board of Trustees.

My personal interests include health and nutrition, music, interior design and property.  I also enjoy watching TED talks and spend way too much time reading about politics overseas.

I am a lawyer specialising in corporate and commercial law and a mother of 2 young girls. Both my girls thrived at Montessori preschool and are now at Montessori@Bellevue. We moved to Tauranga from Melbourne and have loved the outdoor lifestyle and sense of community in this beautiful city that we now call home. I truly believe that the holistic, practical and engaging approach to education provided at Montessori@Bellevue and Montessori@Arataki offers our children the best possible start to their education journey. During my law career I have practised in Australia and New Zealand and I have experience in large law firms as well as private in house practice and advising organisations in the public sector. I am currently a Senior Associate at Cooney Lees Morgan.

I am Chartered Accountant  and a mother of 2 girls. I currently serve as TMET Treasurer. I have been working as an accountant for over 15 years. Both my girls have been receiving a Montessori Education since pre-school and though we fell into a Montessori education through a recommendation for a day care, after learning more about this pedagogy, we feel blessed that this is the path we have chosen for our girls. We particularly love how the girls have the freedom to explore their own interests, lead their own learning and the philosophy to create peace with our world.

Julie has a wealth of knowledge and is passionate about the value that Montessori education brings to the lives of our children and wider communities. Julie and her husband Kurt fell in love with the Montessori way when they were up in Auckland and their children, Zach and Isobel, attended Marshwood Montessori, St Heliers. When they moved to Papamoa they continued the children’s Montessori education with Zach enrolling at Montessori@Artaki and Isobel attending Montessori Milestones preschool in Papamoa. Both children are now in the M@A classroom Julie is a working mum and enjoys balancing her job in strategy at Zespri (and eating lots of healthy kiwifruit) with spending quality time with her family. She is excited to join the Trust to support TMET and our schools as we continue to grow our Montessori children and communities, and watch them flourish.