The Teachers

Our teachers hold Montessori qualifications from: AUT (Auckland University of Technology), AMI (Association Montessori Internationale), TMI (Toronto Montessori Institute) and AMS (American Montessori Society).

Teacher Profiles


	Senior Teacher / 6-9 Classroom Rose Phillips began her career with Eastern Suburbs Montessori Primary in 2002 and has taught in both the 6-9 and 9-12 classrooms. Rose is currently our Senior Teacher and has recently been voted onto the MANZ Council. Rose has extensive training in education, including 6-12 training from the Toronto Montessori Teacher Training Institute, a teaching diploma from North Shore Teachers College and a BEd (tch) from the University of Auckland. She holds an MEd (Literacy) from the University of Auckland, where her research focused on comparing reading achievement in Montessori and New Zealand state schools.
	6-9 Classroom Hiranthi Jayasingha joined us in 2003, having previously taught 9-12 year students at Colwill Montessori Primary, West Auckland. Hiranthi completed her AMI 3-6 year Montessori training in Colombo, Sri Lanka and her 6-9 year AMS training in California. She has also previously trained student teachers in the Montessori method of education (3-6 year). Hiranthi has completed her Bachelor of Education in Teaching; Diploma in Primary Education (New Zealand); Diploma in Child Art Education and Diploma in Theology. Hiranthi is a proficient artist who has exhibited her works and teaches weekend art classes. A few of Hiranthi’s works hang in our main school reception area.
	9-12 Classroom Tesneem Couper joined us in 2003 from Toronto, Canada where she taught at the upper elementary (9-12 years) level as Head/Lead Teacher. Tesneem attended Toronto Montessori Institute (TMI) where she completed her Casa and Elementary training (3-12 years). Prior to this she spent four years at the University of Kings College and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she completed a BA with a major in Political Sciences and a minor in psychology. Tesneem has also worked in Adult Education, leading small classes in test preparation for math, reading comprehension and language.
	9-12 Classroom Katy Dowsett-Page joined us at the beginning of 2010 after completing a BEd at Auckland University of Technology, with a specialisation iin Montessori. Katy is joint teaching with Tesneem Couper in the 9-12 Classroom. Originally from England, Katy has been living in New Zealand for over 4 years.