Gold Coast’s top 10 childcare educators as voted by you
Looking for the right place for your child? Here are the Gold Coast’s top 10 childcare educators, as voted by those who know best - the parents of the children they care for.
Early Learning
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THE early years of education can make a world of difference, and the people on today’s Top 10 know that better than most.
Here are the Gold Coast’s top 10 childcare educators, as voted by those who know best – the mums and dads who treasure what they do for their children.
1. SERENA LUCAS – BLUEBIRD EARLY EDUCATION, ROBINA
Serena’s win, which comes after 20 years in the industry, was met with cheers and screams from her fellow colleagues.
“Honestly, I’m thinking there’s going to come a point where it turns out this is a hoax,” she joked.
“It’s just so humbling, I don’t even have any words because I’ve always preached that I do my job because I love it, so it’s nice to have that appreciation.
“Working with children is so rewarding and satisfying, and every day is different.”
She said since settling in Australia from New Zealand nine years ago she had been “very grateful” to love every day of her job.
“My children and my work, that’s pretty much my whole life,” she said.
“Every day memories are created for me, it is a huge privilege to work with children and particularly the pre-prep group I work with.
“Every day probably 30 memories are created for me because I really do believe in the importance of early childhood and the first five years of children’s lives, I can’t preach that enough.”
2. JADE LAWSON – CUBBY CARE COOMERA
Jade has been working in early learning for almost 20 years and says she always knew it was what she wanted to do.
“I knew I was going to be a preschool teacher,” she said.
“I just have a young-at-heart, fun attitude and I really enjoy being able to help children of diverse backgrounds flourish and become their own.
“The best part of it is being able to help families understand their children better, to be able to walk in every day and have a smile on their face, to have a class that are constantly learning new things.”
3. SHELLEY BAMBRIDGE – LITTLE SCHOLARS SCHOOL OF EARLY LEARNING, ASHMORE
Shelley discovered a love for caring for children after helping to raise her twin sisters from a young age.
“My dad was always a bit sick, so I helped my mum look after them, then when I finished school I went into childcare,” she said.
“The best part is just watching them grow, it’s very rewarding. Every day is something new and beautiful.”
4. CHARLIE NEHME – IMAGINE CHILDCARE AND KINDERGARTEN, SOUTHPORT
Charlie Nehme was nominated by parents for a good reason – he said his job and his students are his life.
“I do everything for them, until they’re happy I won’t go home,” he said.
“I’m always hands on, there before my shift starts and later than my shift finishes, it’s always about my job before myself.”
He moved to the Gold Coast with a gardening business before finding out a nearby childcare centre was looking to train new staff.
“At the time I was in the process of selling my business and I just jumped in straight away,” he said.
“I have a lot of memories, mostly just the happiness on the children’s faces. The fondest memories is probably their graduations, seeing them go off to big school.”
5. SHERYL RAYNER – GOODSTART EARLY LEARNING, VARSITY LAKES
Sheryl, who has been working at Goodstart for 15 years, said she pursued childcare after living with teachers as a young woman.
“I love working with children and watching them grow,” she said, before becoming emotional.
Another member of staff said parents from Sheryl’s classroom had nominated her.
“She’s known the parents here for a long time, she’s had a lot of their siblings,” she said.
“We’ve got a lot of long-term parents, so she’s known some of these kids from when they’re six weeks old to when they leave to go to school.”
6. GINA DENE – A HEAD START CHILDREN’S CENTRE, CURRUMBIN
Gina said she adopts a “love them like your own” approach to every day at Head Start.
“I like to come in in the mornings and change the room around, decorate, put up a magical forest, make it so when they come in it’s like a birthday party,” she said.
“Someone said that to me once, ‘It’s like every day is a birthday party’.
“I really want to make it a magical place for the kids so they want to come to school.”
7. ERIN BREWIS – MILESTONES WORONGARY
Nominated by parents and colleagues, Erin said she had always wanted to work with children, long before she started in the industry 14 years ago.
“On my placement during my course I was offered a full time job and that was it,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and educate children. My favourite part is seeing the developmental milestones, the achievements children can make every single day.”
8. LARA MCINTYRE – GOODSTART BURLEIGH
In the 16 years she’s been at Goodstart in Burleigh Lara has seen plenty of families pass through the centre.
“It’s really great because we have parents that have been here when I first started out with older children, and now they’ve had children a few years down the track and seen I’m still here,” she said.
“It does make for a bit of an, ‘Oh wow, Miss Lara’s still here’ moment, it’s a bit of a novelty for them.
“I think I always had a passion for working with children, it was just a natural gravitation.”
9. TEGAN FINDLAY – CUBBY CARE EARLY LEARNING COOMERA
Tegan was nominated by several parents from her centre for her “welcoming, loving heart”.
“She is very patient and truly cares about every detail of the child and family,” read one nomination.
“Her sacrifices don’t go unnoticed, she has made a positive impact on my daughter’s life.
“She has the ability to build caring relationships with children. Words cannot explain how amazing and how good of a teacher she really is.”
10. CANDICE TINGLE – SPARROW EARLY LEARNING, UPPER COOMERA
Candice has been working in early learning for 14 years after discovering a passion for supporting children.
“The early years of a child’s life are so important,” she said.
“I want to give children a voice, to support children to be confident, competent, inspire, empower and give children the tools to achieve amazing things.
“I believe that this is where I am meant to be.”
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