FERNHILL PRESCHOOL

Teacher

Elisa Forrest

I am an Early Years Teacher with over 10 years’ experience working in Early Childhood. I have a background in arts, theatre and music and love educational philosophies from Walker Learning, Reggio Emila and Steiner. I enjoy working in my local community building partnerships with families, teachers and other professionals to continually learn and grow. I believe that all children should be valued and respected in everyday learning practices to build their confidence and wellbeing for future decision making, risk taking and self -expression. Every child comes from a family background that connects them to their culture, understanding and knowledge of themselves and others. Our program offers the opportunity for all children to learn as individuals and build upon those important social and emotional skills, empowerment to make own decisions, problem-solve on own or with others, develop use of appropriate language to express themselves and learn more about the world around them. I believe all young children regardless of their age and stage should have an opportunity to play, learn and develop with family and professional support to be the best that they can be in life.

Educator

Belinda Giblett

I’ve been at Fernhill Preschool since 2012, however I have been actively involved in the preschool since 2010 through my own children’s kindergarten experiences. My passions lie with music, drama, literature and observing the children making spontaneous discoveries through exploring the world around them. I have worked in Children’s Services for the past 22 years, in a variety of settings. I look forward to getting to know you, your family and your child through educating and guiding their first step on their educational ladder.

Educator

Kirrily Wyatt

Educator

Mandy Harrop

Starting in childcare in 1988, I have been an educator in the local community. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do since leaving school. From childcare, I moved on to Family Day Care whilst raising my family and I have been with Yarra Ranges Kindergartens since 2004, starting at Warburton Preschool and moving on to Launching Place Preschool. The educator’s job is an important one and I consider it to be the most rewarding job I have held.

I really am one of the few people who can attest to genuinely loving my job watching the children and their families learn, develop and grow. This, to me, is satisfying, fun and fulfilling. Each of these children and their families are unique and diverse, which helps to create a vibrant learning environment for all of us, not just the children. It is also rewarding for me when I rekindle relationships with parents I previously had the pleasure of teaching when they were young as they enrol their own children at kinder.

Having lived and worked in the Upper Yarra region all my life, I love bumping into families out of work and responding to a little voice, (sometimes a much older voice!), “Hi Mandy!”; that’s so nice. Kinders have come a long way in regards to educating children, preparing them for school and giving them skills to help further develop each child. Kinder is fun, dynamic and rewarding for the children and their families; it’s all that for me too, so thank you for allowing me to play a small part in your child’s education.

Educator

Thea Brazier

I am a diploma-trained educator and have been working as an early childhood educator since 2007. I began working at Launching Place kinder in 2018 and love working as a team member in a kinder setting. I have a passion for children and everything they are about. I particularly enjoy nurturing a child’s individualism, supporting them to learn at their own pace and providing a safe learning environment. I find it is rewarding to help with a child’s development and growth as a whole from the beginning of the kindergarten journey to the start of their school years.