Montessori Teaching Staff
Helen Ramsdale
Taranaki, Ngati Ruanui
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 has 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.
Hayley Puddle
Hayley lives with her partner Corey and is a busy mum of two children, Taylor and Sophie. Taylor is an active boy and enjoys his 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.
She was recently working as a Teacher Aide at an early childhood center, 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.