Bridgewater Kindergarten – Nell Ward, 50

Previous experience: I have many years of experience working across multiple sites and states. I have worked in childcare, preschool and primary school, and in a support worker role. I began my teaching career in Queensland teaching Grade 4, before moving to Melbourne where I was a kindy director for five years. I was Preschool Director at Lobethal Community Kindergarten in 2003 and then taught there up until 2018. I did a brief stint in Reception/Year 1 at Mylor Primary School before teaching at Bridgewater Kindergarten in 2022 and moving into leadership after a 20-year hiatus in 2023.

Looking forward to: The relationships with our curious, engaged learners and their beautiful families. I also can’t wait for Bush Kindy again.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Maintaining and streamlining systems and processes so I can spend more time with the children.

Likes: Nature education, books, family time and learning new things.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Unkindness and bananas.

Elizabeth East Kindergarten – Antonietta Dinham, 34

Previous experience: Throughout my education career I have worked at various preschools and kindergartens as a relief teacher. I successfully won permanency at my current site where I have had the opportunity to build on my teaching skills and implement a music program into the curriculum.

Looking forward to: As I transition into my role as preschool director, I am valuing the opportunity to foster community engagement. I look forward to collaborating with families, educators and the wider community to provide children with many learning opportunities that will support them to grow.

Biggest challenge for 2024: One of the biggest challenges I face is balancing teaching time with admin duties. I just love being out on the floor engaging in play experiences with the children.

Likes: I love to go for walks in nature, playing the piano and singing, and spending time with friends and family.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Clutter, mess and being late.

Enfield Folland Park Kindergarten – Natalie Starrs, 39

Previous experience: After graduating in 2015, I worked as a temporary relief teacher in various preschools and primary schools around Adelaide. My experiences range from team teaching in a play-based junior primary classroom to teaching Bush Kindy in the Adelaide Hills. In 2016 I had a part-time contract teaching at Pooraka Community Kindergarten. In 2017, I began teaching at Enfield Folland Park Kindergarten full time and I won a permanent position there in 2019.

Looking forward to: Working with the kindergarten community to improve student learning and make a positive impact on our surrounding environment.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Keeping a work-life balance as I’m learning and trying to do my best in the new role.

Likes: I love learning new things, and just wish I had all the time to delve deeper in all my interests such as playing music, environmental conservation, horticulture, astronomy, geology, palaeontology, history and more.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Life’s too short to focus on the negatives.

Flagstaff Hill Kindergarten – Clare Crew, 42

Previous experience: I’ve been an early childhood teacher in South Australia for the past 20 years in various settings within the Department for Education and Catholic Education. More recently, I've worked within the Learning Together program and as a sessional academic at UniSA.

Looking forward to: Leading an amazing team, continuing to build our capacity to nurture and challenge a diverse community of learners. I’m also excitedly anticipating our Bush Kindy program which kicks off in Term 2.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Time management - being a site leader and teacher simultaneously brings a unique skill set and a compressed window to get things done. Financial management - using resources wisely to maintain and improve an older building on a tight budget.

Likes: Learning – there’s always more to discover about a child, theory or practice. If I get to a stage in my teaching career where I feel I know all there is to know, it’s time to walk away.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Early childhood education being undervalued. These are such powerful and joyful years to build children’s dispositions for learning.

Hackham East Kindergarten – Emma Morgan, 41

Previous experience: I have worked for the Department of Education for the past four years as a teacher. Prior to that, I have had experience in Long Day Care settings where I worked as an educator, team leader and teacher over the years.

Looking forward to: Continuing to build strong relationships with those in our kindergarten community: my colleagues, families, children and the wider community.

Biggest challenge for 2024: There is certainly lots to learn. Making time to get my head around the admin stuff but not letting it consume me.

Likes: I enjoy being near the water, whether it be soaking my feet in the waves at the beach or throwing a line in the river. Finding local things to do in our community with my family – it’s not always easy getting everyone out and about, but when we find something we all can enjoy, it is a win.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Negativity and dishonesty. We all have our bad days, but we are all human and, no matter, the way we treat each other is important.

Klemzig Kindergarten and Occasional Care – Kristen Dimond, 28

Previous experience: I have 11 years’ experience across many settings in the early childhood teaching and education sector in both South Australia and the Northern Territory. The majority of my experience is within complex and challenging sites, from the west to the northern/north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide as both a preschool and Aboriginal families literacy strategies teacher.

Looking forward to: Having begun in this role late last year, I am excited to continue to develop my relationships with this wonderful community and enact our future visions for the site collaboratively as a team.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Leading continuous and innovative improvement, while also learning to effectively balance the responsibilities of the role and provide the leadership that the community and team deserve.

Likes: In education - organisation, inviting and natural environments, strong relationships and innovative practices. Personal -  camping, travelling, four-wheel driving, spontaneous adventures and podcasts.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Clutter, negative people and the feeling of sand from the sandpit stuck in my sandals or socks!

Hawker Childhood Services Centre and Leigh Creek Kindergarten - Kim Adele

Previous experience: I started in early childhood before moving to a corporate training role writing and teaching diplomas and leading professional development for principals and teachers in Australia and overseas. After consistently being offered teaching roles, I decided to become a teacher. In Victoria and South Australia, I have held specialist roles in primary education and taught from preschool to Year 12. I spent many years working in the students with additional needs sector and I find myself now back in kindergarten having gone full circle. I moved from Victoria to take up this exciting role in the outback.

Looking forward to: I am looking forward to working in amazing communities, and being in the outback. I am a country girl at heart and love small town life. I am looking forward to exploring the beautiful Adnyamathanha country that the two services operate on. Seeing the stars, sunrises and sunsets out here, they’re awe-filling. I am also looking forward to smashing the goals I have set both professionally and personally.  We have set amazing goals in the wellbeing and belonging areas and achieving them will be joy to all involved.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Juggling all the hats I wear in this role. The travel - the two services are 156kms apart and I travel up and down between each site. Finishing a graduate diploma on top of working full time. Being so far away from the beach, however I can still enjoy the pool in the summer season in Hawker. Easily attending live music and dance events. Getting used to shopping online and having things delivered. The internet!

Likes: Walking on country, reading, the sunsets and star gazing in the outback, the gym, music and dance. Currently reading Love Stories by Trent Dalton and The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach - Advanced Reflections which is edited by Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini, and George Forman. Both great reads.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Cucumber and the "don't" word.

Mitcham Village Kindergarten – Lucy Kuchel, 50

Previous experience: I worked within schools early in my career in Western Australia and country South Australia, however I soon found my passion to work in kindergartens after working in Whyalla at Gabmididi Manoo Children & Family Centre with some amazing children and educator team. After moving to Adelaide, I have worked at Wattle Park Kindergarten, Ascot Park Kindergarten and Cumberland Preschool Kindergarten, where I have learnt so much from some amazing educators.

Looking forward to: Being a part of the Mitcham Village Community and building strong professional relationships with the children, families, staff, and the amazing partnership team. Also finding the time to get out and have some fun with the children, hopefully in the mud kitchen.

Biggest challenge for 2024: Making the most of every day, having a healthy life-work balance and having as much fun as possible with the kindergarten children before they head off to school.

Likes: Spending time with my family and being in my garden which has a bee, bird and butterfly focus. Also, witnessing that moment on a child’s face when they have persisted with an action and finally, they achieve it. That is a powerful and heart-warming moment.

Dislikes/Pet hate: People not realising that the early years of education are so important for a child and that it shouldn’t be rushed or quashed. Children have the most amazing wonderings sometimes – we just have to take the time to stop and listen.

Surrey Downs Kindergarten and Occasional Care – Chloe Halliwell, 33

Previous experience: I have 12 years of experience within early childhood education. I began working in childcare and then moved into the Department in 2019 as a contract teacher. I worked at Adams Road and then Greenwith Kindergarten before becoming a permanent teacher in 2022 at Greenwith Kindergarten.

Looking forward to: I worked at Surrey Downs Community Child Care, before moving into the Department, so I am excited to be returning to a community I am familiar with. Surrey Downs Kindergarten and Occasional Care has such a fantastic community feel to it. I can't wait to strengthen those connections and I get to reconnect with families from the past and teach younger siblings!

Biggest challenge for 2024: Being responsible for a team, navigating all the responsibilities of the role and managing my time and my own expectations I set on myself.

Likes: I love my job and seeing these little people grow and develop over the year with us before they move onto school. I enjoy going to my local gym, heading to the beach with my family and watching my boys play soccer.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Being late and people not using towels at the gym.

Willunga Preschool – Amy Vaughan, 36

Previous experience: I have been an early childhood teacher for 12 years and have been at Willunga Preschool since 2018. Before starting at Willunga Preschool, I worked at Aldinga Community Kindergarten and as a teacher/educational leader in a childcare located in Victor Harbor.

Looking forward to: Developing and maintaining strong relationships with children, educators, families and the wider community to continue to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for our children at Willunga Preschool. We also hope to continue our fundraising efforts to re-vamp our outdoor learning environments.

Biggest challenge for 2024: My biggest challenge is making peace with the fact that my ‘to-do list’ may be never ending. I am learning how to prioritise what is important and trying to ensure I have a good work-life balance.

Likes: Work - Exploring nature with the preschool children; creating warm, inviting and aesthetically pleasing learning environments and experiences. Personal - Caravanning with my family and friends.

Dislikes/Pet hate: Being in the office on a beautiful sunny day.