Meet Our Teachers
"A teacher.....(must be) ready to be there whenever she is called in order to attest to her love and confidence.
To be always there....that is the pint."
- Marie Montessori (1956,p.76)
Anulani Liyanagama
Head Teacher for Ellerton Rd Preschool
My name is Anulani Liyanagama. I have been working as an Early Childhood Teacher for 21 years. I come from Sri Lanka and have been living in New Zealand for 14 years. I am married and have a daughter and a son.
I completed my Montessori training in Sri Lanka and worked in a Montessori school for 8 years prior to residing in New Zealand. I have completed a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) at the University of Auckland and have worked 13 years in New Zealand.
I believe that early childhood education is extremely important, as it is the foundation of children’s learning and development. I believe children learn best in a safe environment where they have a sense of belonging. I truly enjoy working in a Montessori preschool as I believe Montessori is an education for life – a learning process where children are encouraged to develop at their own pace in a safe and caring environment. The whole environment provides children with the freedom to follow their natural tendencies towards independence, exploration, co-operation, order, repetition, imagination and communication.
(8th November 2009)
Vivian Beeramathy
Head Teacher for Grange Rd Preschool.
Selamat Sejahtera,
I am Vivian Beeramathy. I come from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and have been living in New Zealand for nine years. I am a wife and a mother to a charming little toddler.
I completed my Montessori training with the London Montessori Centre (Malaysia) in 1998 and having been working with the Montessori Method for 11 years. I am currently furthering my studies in Early Childhood Education with AUT.
I enjoy teaching little children because they are naturally fun and everyday is a brand new day for them.
In my free time, I like gardening and exploring many different types of food.
(8th November 2009)
Mei Yeh Lau
Teacher for Grange Preschool
My name is Mei Yeh Lau and I am a teacher at Smart Start Montessori Preschool, Grange Road. I have a Graduate Diploma of Teaching in Early Childhood Education, a BA in Education, and Montessori International Diplomas from both China and London.
I have a strong passion working with children and the Montessori way of teaching.
I enjoy traveling, reading, walking and listening to music. I love languages and different cultures and embrace diversity.
(8th November 2009)
Sarah Li
Teacher for Ellerton Rd Preschool
HI, I am Sarah Li. I am from China and have been living in New Zealand for almost 9 years. I have 14 years of teaching experience. Before immigrating to New Zealand, I was teaching English in China for 7 years to both primary and intermediate school children. I have a bachelor of Education (specialising in Montessori) from Auckland University of Technology. I have been teaching preschool children in Auckland for 7 years, including 4 years in the Montessori field.
I love working with children and believe that the foundation for teaching children is based on love and respect. All children are capable and unique learners and have their own ways to learn. As a teacher, I would like to provide all children ample learning opportunities in terms of their developmental levels and individual needs.
(26th October 2010)
Andrea Rhodes
Office Manager
Andrea is our office manager and has aptly described herself as the gluethat holds the two Preschools together. Within her role, Andrea must be a “jack of all trades” and be ready to tackle situations at a moments notice. This is why being a mother of four independent girls (who are the center of her life) has given her the perfect training for the job. Remember when you meet Andrea, she will be connecting with you at two levels, Smart Start’s office manager, and a loving mother.
(8th November 2009)
Manpreet Kaur
Teacher for Grange and Ellerton Rd Preschools.
My name is Manpreet Kaur and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as I will be your child's teacher this coming school year. I am really glad to welcome you and your child to my classroom. I graduated from the Auckland University of Technology and hold a degree in Early Childhood Education, Montessori Specialty. During my studies and job I have developed and implemented a strong behaviour management plan. In addition, I wrote and completed my own professional growth and career development guide. In my previous Practicum experience as a Montessori Teacher I performed with distinction in planning and implem
enting creative lessons, communicating with teaching professionals and parents, and working with the children.
I am glad that I already know many of the children and parents from my six week practicum I spent at Smart Start Montessori. This will be helpful for all of us to get to know each other more. Apart from this, I am always on a quest to meet new people and learn about their language and culture.
I am looking forward to meeting as well as getting to know each child of our classroom and their parents. As a teacher, I will try to make the existing work cycle interesting, creative and nurturing, so that each child understands and enjoys them.
My philosophy for learning is that each child is unique, and each child learns in a different way. One of my jobs as a teacher is to help your child discover his or her individuality and work alongsid
e them to maximize it. I believe in hands-on experiences and learning creatively. Furthermore, I feel it is important for the teachers to build responsive and reciprocal relationships with parents. I believe that Parents and teachers are more similar than different – they have many goals in common and a need to sh
are information for the holistic development of a child.
I am really looking forward to another fun–filled and educational year!
(31st January 2012)
