Our Team
Our preschool recognises that high quality services are provided by high quality staff. It is for this reason that there is a strong focus on the professional development of the staff at the preschool. All staff have extensive experience and/or qualifications in early childhood education.
In each Classroom:
- University trained teacher
- Educator with a Diploma of Children’s Services
- Educator with a Certificate 3 in Children’ s Services
Emily Chapman
- Your role at the preschool Early Childhood Teacher, Part time 3 days a week
- Your qualifications and experience Bachelor of Early Childhood and a post grad in Inclusive Education. I have worked with children aged 0-5 years old for 25 years and have worked at Gymea preschool for 10 years
- What you love most about working with children I love developing connections with children and watching all the unique ways that a child shows their learning journey. I love being part of that journey!
- A fun fact or special interest I enjoy getting outdoors and spending time with friends and family.
Alison Donkin
- Your role at the preschool I am the educational leader at Gymea Community Preschool. I work in the office for 2 and a half days and on the floor as a teacher for 2 days.
- Your qualifications and experience I started working in my first preschool as an untrained assistant 28 years ago. I then completed my Diploma and then went on to complete my degree in 2017. I have been working at Gymea Community Preschool since 2008.
- What you love most about working with children I enjoy working alongside the children in our preschool. Getting to know their individual personalities and supporting them to develop their skills and knowledge in their own unique ways.
- A fun fact or special interest I really enjoy reading, music and spending time with my family and close friends.
Jacquelean Illiff
- Your role at the preschool Classroom Educator/ Outdoor educator
- Your qualifications and experience Early Childhood Teacher, Diploma. I have 31 years experience in Preschool, long day care, additional needs support worker, vocation care and OOSCH.I have worked at Gymea Community Preschool for over 17 years
- What you love most about working with children I love fostering their curiosity in the world in which they live particularly in the outdoors where I can watch them thrive and become passionate about nature including plants, animals, sustainability, and Dharawal culture.
- A fun fact or special interest I volunteer for WIRES, Project youth and Kookaburra Kids.
Allie Holmes
- Your role at the preschoolEarly Childhood Teacher
- Your qualifications and experienceBachelor of Teaching
- What I love most about working with children is my passion for early childhood education, preparing children for the best start on their education journey, and seeing the joy on their faces when they learn something new or master a skill. I enjoy getting to know the children and families, ensuring they feel safe and secure. I love nurturing children by being a supportive educator who provides a safe environment where children can thrive while reaching their developmental milestones. I feel very privileged to be part of a child’s most formative years.
- A fun fact or special interest I enjoy going for walks, yoga, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.
Rachel Leggett
- Your role at the preschool I am a Cert 3 educator working full time in the turtle room
- Your qualifications and experience I have worked at Gymea Community Preschool for 15 years
- What you love most about working with children The thing I enjoy most at preschool is doing art and craft with the children and creating things to hang and display around our room and in the garden. The best things are not always planned they just happen in the moment. And I’m always happy for cuddles with my little friends
- A fun fact or special interest Fun fact, before I was a preschool teacher I was a window dresser and an interior decorator, so I love all things colour and design.
Renee Whitaker
- Your role at the preschool I work in the Starfish room
- Your qualifications and experience I studied my certificate III 13 years ago and have been working at Gymea Community Preschool since completing my studies.
- What you love most about working with children I love seeing children’s curiosity and creativity come to life as they explore the world around them, and I enjoy building strong relationships with them, creating a safe and supportive environment where they feel valued and heard.
Erin Hewett
- Your role at the preschool I am an Early Childhood Teacher working in the Starfish room
- Your qualifications and experience I graduated from Uni with a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in 2003 and have been working at Gymea Community Preschool since 2011.
- What you love most about working with children My passion for working with children drives me to create a nurturing and supportive environment where each child and family feels safe, secure and valued. I love using music with the children and have a passion for providing positive mental health habits and awareness for supporting self esteem and resilience in these informative years.
- A fun fact or special interest My favourite quote is the starfish story, a young man walks along the beach and sees an older man tossing washed up starfish back into the ocean. He asks, “Why are you doing that?” The old man replies, “If I don’t, they will die.” The young man argues that there are too many starfish to save, but the old man simply throws another starfish into the sea and says, “It made a difference to that one.” I know I can’t make a difference in every child’s life but I strive to make a meaningful impact with those I work with. This perspective motivates me to create engaging and enriched experiences based on a holistic approach ensuring all children feel supported in their learning journey.
Katie Iverson
- Your role at the preschool Support Worker
- Your qualifications and experience Certificate III in education support
- What you love most about working with children building a connection with the children to help them grow and flourish
- A fun fact or special interest I love to travel and I have a sweet tooth.
Yasuko Katon
- Your role at the preschool I work in the Seahorse room 3 days a week and help out in other areas as needed
- Your qualifications and experience I’m a recently qualified educator with a certificate III in Early Childhood Education and care.
- What you love most about working with children I was born in Japan, and I love sharing the Japanese culture and language with the children at preschool.
- A fun fact or special interest In my spare time I enjoy baking and exploring new places with my family on holidays.
Justine Humphrys
- Your role at the preschool Hi I’m Justine but everyone at preschool knows me as Juzzy.I have been an educator here almost as long as dinosaurs have been extinct. Ok seriously I have been an educator here for more than 15 years and worked in the Early education industry for over 25 years.
- Your qualifications and experience I received my qualifications at TAFE and am diploma trained.
- What you love most about working with children I love nurturing my little friends’ sense of wonder and curiosity for their world. I love learning new things with them and providing a caring space for them to thrive.
- A fun fact or special interest You can often find me spending quality time with my loved ones or swimming in the ocean all year round. I love to travel and enjoy exploring new places. Most of all I love to smile and have a chat.
Bethany Elliot
- Your role at the preschool I cover other teachers on Monday and Wednesday when they are doing their classroom planning, and I am an educator in the seahorse room on Thursday and Friday
- Your qualifications and experience Cert III with over 10 years experience working with preschoolers
- What you love most about working with children I love that my role allows me to support the curiosity and wonder within a child. I find it extremely rewarding to be able to be a small part in their educational experience, and enriching their world in a positive, supportive and fun environment. My passion is inclusion support, and ensuring that all children with their wide varieties of developmental and support needs, feel safe, secure and cared for in their learning environment by passionate, and nurturing educators.
- A fun fact or special interest I am a mummy to three kids, and I love to sew!
Angela Gibson
- Your role at the preschool I currently work at Gymea Community Preschool two days a week (Thursday/Friday) I have been a proud employee of this wonderful service since 2012.
- Your qualifications and experience I hold a Diploma of Children’s Services and have worked in the early childhood education and care sector for over 20 years, working across all age groups. I am currently studying my Bachelor of Education at Wollongong University.
- What you love most about working with children I have a passion for working with the preschool age group and enjoy learning with children in a play based environment, listening to their thoughts and ideas and celebrating what it means to be 3, 4 and 5.
- A fun fact or special interest When not surrounded by the joy of children at preschool, I spend my time volunteering my time at the Arts Theatre Cronulla where I perform on stage. I am a proud Aunty to 2 nieces and 2 nephews and on the weekends I am often cheering on the Dragons!
Yolanda Serfontein
- Your role at the preschool Diploma Educator
- Your qualifications and experience Diploma in Early Childhood Education, and studying towards ECT Degree.
- What do you love most about working with children? I enjoy fostering children’s imagination and igniting the flame of creativity, as these are the foundational building blocks for problem-solving and innovation! I love singing with the children, nurturing joyful expression and encouraging the exploration of self and the world through music.
- A fun fact or special interest I enjoy painting, reading and walking in nature!
Colleen Redwin
- Your role at the preschool Certificate III Childcare Worker
- Your qualifications and experience I have worked at gymea community preschool for 16ish years (not sure exactly) but I started there the same day as Jackie and Juzzy.
- What you love most about working with children I love working with children, they bring me joy and make me laugh every day. It’s very rewarding to be able to build quality relationships with the children and families at preschool and to help provide a loving, safe and fun environment and watch each child thrive and flourish.
- A fun fact or special interest I really enjoy being in nature , either running through the bush or lying in the sunshine or swimming in the ocean.
Alica Aiken
- Your role at the preschool Early Childhood Teacher on Mondays and Tuesdays
- Your qualifications and experience I graduated from The University of Notre Dame Australia in 2012, completing a Bachelor of Education (Birth to Twelve Years). As this degree qualifies me as both an Early Childhood and Primary School Teacher, I have been fortunate to work across both settings in the past 12 years. I spent three years living in Dubai where I was able to work with children from a diverse range cultures in an international school. I joined the team at Gymea Community Preschool in 2020!
- What you love most about working with children I love the beautiful innocence they possess. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child inspires me to ask questions and reflect upon my own beliefs of how things are and should be. It never ceases to amaze me how much a child can learn, grow and change in the space of a year, and it is one of my favourite things about being a teacher. I love that I get to be a part of their learning journey and to provide a safe, nurturing space for them to explore, wonder, create and learn through play.
- A fun fact or special interest Fun fact; my husband and I often refer to our home as ’The Zoo’ because we have four children, a puppy, two birds and a fish – so it can sometimes be a little chaotic!
Our Gallery
What Parents say about Gymea Community Preschool
Acknowledgement of Country. We at Gymea Community Preschool learn to walk lightly on Country and take care of the possums and birds with their soft paws and tiny claws. We acknowledge the Dharawal speaking people as traditional custodians of this special place.