Our Teachers

Teresa Durrant

Director/Teacher/Administrator

Bachelor of Education (Teaching) 1999

AMI (Association Montessori International) Montessori Diploma, 2011 New Zealand

Certificate in Childcare and Education

Montessori Assistants Certificate 2008.

Playcentre level 3

Teresa moved to Matakana in 2002. She has been teaching children for 20 years and has three children whom attend the local primary and high school.

Previous to setting up Matakana Village Preschool she also helped establish an existing local preschool before moving on after 9 years.  She has now come full circle to creating an environment that truly reflects her own ideals of what quality early childhood education looks like, incorporating the diverseness and individuality that each child brings and building on each individuals strengths and interests through a mixture of play based and teacher initiated philosophy.  Incorporating early literacy and numeracy skills into early childhood education is a passion for Teresa and this is encouraged in a number of different ways, all of which are very enjoyable for the child.  She is committed to working in collaboration with the new entrant teachers at Matakana Primary School to ensure that the children are reaching their full potential in all aspects of learning and development.

Mackenzie Durrant

My name is Mackenzie, I am Teresa’s eldest child.  I have lived in Matakana my entire life.  I attended Matakana Primary School and completed  year 13 at Mahurangi College in 2020.  I am embarking on a Bachelor of Education Teaching (ECE) in 2022.  I am really enjoying my time with the children and am learning a lot in the process.  I am looking forward to gaining more knowledge on child development and psychology through my degree this year.