Meet our kaiako
Trish
Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) The University of Auckland
BA (Hons) - Early Childhood Studies
University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
Kia ora! My name is Trish and I am proud to be a Director and part owner of The Redwoods Country Kindergarten. I live with my husband Garry and have been teaching in kindergarten for the past 8 years. Prior to training as an early childhood teacher, I worked extensively with children and adults living with disabilities and spent many years living and working in England, Europe and China.
I am excited to be working alongside my colleagues Jan and Tanya at the Redwoods where children will have an opportunity to experience an early childhood education that is similar to my own. As a child, I grew up on a dairy farm near Stratford where I experienced an early childhood education that was immersed in nature. My earliest memories are of caring for animals, of running and rolling down hills, climbing trees and exploring native bush, ponds, streams and swamp land. Through these experiences I learnt to be curious, to use my imagination and be creative, to think and solve problems and to observe and wonder at the smallest miracles in nature and, as a result, I developed a sense of responsibility for the natural world and grew in confidence, resilience and independence.
My strengths as a teacher are founded on my passion for the natural and living world and my love of gardening and caring for the environment through sustainable practices. I consider nature to be the perfect platform for teaching children about the visual arts, science, mathematics, literacy and technology and I look forward to offering your children a wide range of rich experiences to learn from in our vibrant and fun filled, country kindergarten.