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Welcome from our Harewood Road Montessori Centre Manager
Hannah Rodrigues
My name is Hannah Rodrigues. I hold a Bachelor of Primary Education and have been teaching for almost 10 years. I chose a pathway in early childhood education because it is such a rewarding career. I love watching tamariki grow in confidence and supporting their passions as they become lifelong learners. Languages are another passion of mine, and I enjoy supporting both tamariki and staff with learning New Zealand Sign Language. I also hold a Te Pōkairua Reo Diploma in Te Reo (Level 5).
Tamariki are at the forefront of everything I do. I love building strong and meaningful bonds with every child who joins our wonderful centre. A big part of this is creating connections with whānau and learning about their culture, beliefs, and values so we can support each child in the best possible way. Seeing tamariki achieve their goals and develop their social skills and confidence is one of the main reasons I love this job so much. We have a wonderful team at Harewood Montessori, where fun and communication are at the forefront of our interactions with each other, our tamariki, and our whānau. Our centre is culturally diverse, and every day we learn something new from one another. As a team we strive for excellence in everything we do.
I enjoy learning new things and challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone. I believe this also encourages our team to become confident leaders in areas they feel passionate about. In my spare time I enjoy event management, crafting, and experimenting with new creative projects. I also love spending time with my family and friends. I also have a strong passion for travelling and have a long list of places I would love to visit.
I truly enjoy coming to work each day, greeting the tamariki and kaiako in the morning and engaging with everyone as they arrive. I love hearing the tamariki share their stories, ideas, and thoughts, and seeing the pride they feel when they achieve something they have been working towards. The tamariki are the reason we get up each morning, it is the cuddles, the smiles, the achievements, the support they need, and the support they give us in return. They remind us every day why we chose this profession.
About us!
We offer a wide range of experiences to support every child’s learning journey, including:
- Mana Movers sports programme on Fridays to strengthen gross motor skills and physical development!
- Language lessons in Mandarin, Afrikaans, NZSL and Te Reo Māori
- Ballet lessons
- A dedicated transition-to-school room
And so much more to help each child grow with confidence and curiosity! Our children can enjoy a holistic experience of indoor/outdoor learning in a creative child-centred environment, developing their love of learning, independence, and concentration.
Wet play areas, gross and fine motor skill activities, quiet reading spaces, art/creativity areas, and individual and table spaces combine to make some of the amazing experiences for our tamariki.
Our rich curriculum includes extensive interaction with the wider community. Regular, scheduled visits from visitors and targeted field trips are a regular feature of our school calendar. We invite families to participate in these events whenever appropriate.
Our Team
Our experienced kaiako are amazing people, with strong knowledge of the Montessori philosophy and child development to nurture tamariki. All of our teachers have an Early Childhood qualification or are working towards gaining one. Many of our teachers have a Montessori qualification and teaching experience from other countries around the world.
We have a multicultural team with teachers from China, Taiwan, Pakistan, South Africa, Netherlands, and Canada. We are also lucky to have three teachers who can speak Mandarin, our children thrive off the fantastic learning opportunities that come from this!
Each of our preschool’s three areas, Nursery, Junior Room and Prep Room has a Team Leader and supporting Teaching Team.
Food and Nutrition
We are extremely proud and excited to announce that we have received a Pā Harakeke Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award from the Heart Foundation for the amazing things we do here at Harewood Road Montessori to promote healthy food and physical activity. We are helping our tamariki to have healthy habits and healthy hearts for life.
Our inhouse cook provides freshly made meals for children each day using our Nourish menus and recipes, based on the New Zealand Heart Foundation Tohu Manawa Ora | Healthy Heart Award for Early Learning Centres. We believe that through nourishing food, children are fueled to thrive physically and mentally, whilst enjoying the benefits of coming together and connecting as a group at mealtimes.
Teachers also do regular baking with the children, which provides them opportunities to engage and learn a range of food preparations skills and fine motor movements such as pouring, sifting, spooning. It is a great hands on sensory experience for children to develop independence through self-help skills, practice simple maths as they measure and count quantities.
The Montessori Method
The Montessori method is a child focused educational approach that follows the natural development of the child. It takes the view that children are naturally eager to learn and capable of absorbing a tremendous amount of knowledge through experiences in their environment. Our Montessori preschool is a special environment for children. They are free to choose their own work, follow their own interests and move freely from one activity to another. There is a structure to the day but freedom within those boundaries. The role of the teacher in the classroom is to follow the child and carefully guide them based on what they observe, the classroom is always prepared by the teacher and ready for the children to begin their day. It is ordered, tidy and calm with many different areas for children to learn: by themselves, in pairs, in small or large groups, on the mat or at a table.
The Curriculum
Essential to the Montessori Method is the Montessori curriculum which is child centred and incorporates learning outcomes tailored to each child’s development needs and interests.
The Montessori curriculum covers five key learning areas; Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics and Culture. We also teach children about Geography, History, Science, Art and Creativity, Social Skills, Music and Dance, interweaving Te Whariki New Zealand’s Early childhood curriculum as part of our programme. We aim to deliver a holistic educational programme that is unique and develops a happy well-rounded child who is well prepared for the next step in their learning journey.
Our Programmes
Bee Curious, our Busy Bees Curriculum Framework, has been created to guide and inspire kaiako in supporting tamariki through rich, interconnected learning experiences. Built on the strong foundation of Te Whāriki, it reflects the principles of Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum and the aspirations we hold for our children as they grow.
Nutritious food is the foundation for healthy growth and development in our children. Our Nourish menus fuel our children and support full, healthy tummies enabling clear minds to focus on the learning and set children up to thrive at our centre.
Our MOVE programme deliberately sets out physical activities that give children the opportunity to learn, practice and master physical skills whilst developing their resilience, perseverance, patience, co-ordination, gross-motor skills, teamwork and much more, all while having loads of fun!
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