Our People
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Sohee Son, Centre Manager
"Hello everyone, my name is Sohee Son, and I am the Centre Manager here at Little Earth Montessori Rosedale Centre. I would like to welcome you and your children to our community.
As the Centre Manager, my goal for our team is to create a happy team culture that supports happy teachers and children. I strongly believe that the environment we create for our children directly impacts their growth and development, and it is our responsibility to create a positive and nurturing environment for them.
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Su-Lin Ong, Teacher
Kia ora! My name is Su-Lin Ong. I was born and raised in Singapore, where I first studied and worked in the hospitality and tourism industry before embarking on a new journey. After working in a Montessori preschool and locally completing a Diploma in Montessori accredited by MMI (London), I undertook a Bachelor of Education (Montessori Early Childhood Teaching) at the Auckland University of Technology when my family moved to New Zealand in 2013.
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Anita Nothnagel , Administrator
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Nienke van Wijk, Teacher
Kia Ora, my name is Nienke van Wijk and I hail from the Netherlands to be a part of the Little Earth Montessori family in New Zealand. I am a trained Montessori teacher with over nine years of experience in Amsterdam at the Montessori school.
In addition to teaching the standard curriculum, I also instructed my students on the fundamentals of nature, science, and technology, conducted music classes, and even established a children's orchestra which I led as the orchestra leader.
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Tina (Qian) Mao, Teacher
Kia ora, my name is Tina (Qian) Mao, and I am a certificated teacher at Little Earth Montessori Rosedale Centre. Prior to moving to New Zealand, I worked at a university in Shanghai, China from 2006 to 2016. During my time there, I had the opportunity to teach and interact with many young adults and I came to appreciate the important role that early education plays in a person's life. This realization prompted me to move to New Zealand and begin a new learning journey in 2017.
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Roshika Samaratunge, Teacher
Kia ora! My name is Roshika Samaratunge, and I am originally from Sri Lanka. I completed my Montessori Diploma there and have been working as an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher for children aged 2-5 since 2013. In 2021, I moved to New Zealand and began my career as a reliever teacher at Little Earth Montessori in July of that year. From the very first day, I fell in love with this well-organized center. I am overjoyed to say that I was offered a permanent position as an Early Childhood Teacher in September 2022 and am thrilled to be part of this fantastic team.
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Susan Hong, Teacher
I am an experienced Montessori Early Childhood Educator who has been teaching at Little Earth Montessori Preschool since 2005. With Montessori Teacher Certificates from both the USA and Korea, I pursued further studies at AUT University in New Zealand, where I obtained a Bachelor of Education with a specialization in Montessori. While I find all aspects of Montessori theories and activities captivating, I am particularly interested in Mathematics. Working with children is my passion, and I take pride in witnessing their positive growth and development. As a devoted teacher, I am committed to nurturing each child's potential during the most critical period of their lives.
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