“I am passionate about transforming families’ perceptions of school readiness and supporting children to explore different subject areas through play.”

My qualifications and experience 

I received my Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood Education from the Sydney College of Advanced Education in 1988. 

I started working at SDN Redfern from April 1988 to December 2006 in both a teaching role and as Centre Director. I transferred to SDN Marrickville in 2006 as the Director. 

In 2016 I also had the opportunity to spend a year as the Senior Practice leader with SDN’s in-house Professional Learning and Development team. 

What I'm most passionate about in my role

As a Leader with this dedicated team at SDN Marrickville, I am inspired by each of the staff, their strengths and what they bring to the team. A strong sense of belonging and a family like bond is unique to this team. Majority of the staff have worked at the centre for over 10 years! With a blend of long standing and new staff all from diverse cultures, the team is enriched in partnership, which is a joy to be part of each day.  

The Marrickville Community is a bustling fusion of many cultures, diverse families, and a strong sense of community. Families will start in the 0-2’s room and stay until they start their next journey at school. Children and families form friendships at the centre, which will continue outside of SDN Marrickville as well. 

The daily conversations with families and children are so rewarding to me on a daily basis. Hearing their stories and sharing my stories about my family, is the bridge for building a trusting and respectful relationship with the children and families.

What I love about working with SDN 

I have only ever worked for SDN because I feel SDN’s values align very closely with mine. We are not only about providing a high-quality education and care service, but also about making a genuine difference in the lives of children, families and in the community.  

A little bit more about me 

I am a 5th generation from Lord Howe Island. My mum still lives on Lord Howe Island. I try and go back at least 2-3 times a year to see my mum and extended family. 

My ultimate joys are sitting under a palm tree with a good book and swimming in the crystal blue waters of the lagoon. I enjoy the quietness and escape from the ringing of mobile phones, the traffic and the hustle and bustle of Sydney! 

Growing bodies need movement and exercise. Growing minds need stimulus and exploration. Growing hearts need opportunities to play and mix with others.

At SDN we know that the best thing we can do for your infant or toddler is to support them to grow and develop in safe, unhurried, nurturing and challenging environments.

Because infants and toddlers are naturally curious, our centres have well-equipped indoor and outdoor areas that will keep your child moving and give them daily opportunities to explore their limits and grow their abilities.

Your child is unique and so we will devise a learning and development program based on what we know about your child’s interests, learning and development. Because they will always be changing and growing, we consistently review the program to ensure we are keeping up with your child’s development, providing them with the best learning opportunities.

Read more about our Child-led Educational program here.

Developed by university-trained early childhood teachers, our preschool program focuses on the whole child, building healthy bodies, caring hearts and curious minds.

We will draw on your child’s interests, strengths, needs and culture to plan and implement a program that best meets their learning and developmental needs.

The program is flexible and will give your child a voice in their learning and development. Your child will be our co-planner, sharing ideas and questions that drive their learning. Our preschool teachers will plan experiences for your child that focus on specific skills in an engaging and meaningful way to support their growing skills and knowledge.

We will immerse your child in a language-rich environment and support them to develop the skills and mindset they need for a successful start to school. Through planned play and learning experiences your child will develop the listening and social skills as well as a passion for learning with curiosity, enthusiasm, persistence, cooperation and focused attention they will need when they transition to school.

Our centres have a transition to school program where our educators work together with local kindergarten teachers and our preschool teachers attend transition to school meetings with local schools.

Read more about our Child-led Educational program here. 

Families in our urban-based centres often call our outdoor areas their “green oasis”.

SDN's outdoor spaces provide opportunities for children to enjoy themselves and have adventures. They’re safe environments for children to run, jump and yell, make mud cakes, and use their energy.

Outdoor spaces provide more than physical benefits. Even though you may think that children only play outside to have fun, they're also improving their thinking, social, and emotional skills. When they’re playing outside, they’re inventing games, learning about the world at their own pace, and figuring out social customs like turn-taking.

These are just some of the reasons SDN invests in developing new, award-winning outdoor spaces with natural designs that inspire children’s curiosity, physical play, and social play.

The traditional owners of the Marrickville area are the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

SDN Marrickville opened in 1944, providing nursery school education in a long daycare setting. Women workers were favoured by many of Marrickville's early manufacturing industries, and their role in the workforce had created a need for long daycare. The purpose-built centre on Illawara Road also answered a growing demand for early years education in the 1940s.

The holistic care of children at SDN Marrickville was a priority. The guiding principle was that, in order to fulfil their potential, children needed nourishing food, proper rest and a program of exercise with free and guided play by trained staff. More than 70 years later, SDN Marrickville continues to provide quality child care and education for local children.

Since its beginnings, SDN Marrickville has reflected a strong connection with local families in a diverse, vibrant and multicultural community, and has supported SDN's vision and commitment to enhance the wellbeing and development of all children.

Read more about SDN Marrickville's history here.  

From 4 July 2022, our fees will be $175 per day for children under three years old and $154 per day for children three years and over. 

The majority of families in our centres do not pay the full daily fee because they receive Child Care Subsidy (CCS) from the government.

The subsidy you may receive through the CCS will depend on:

• Your combined family income
• The number of hours you work, study or participate in recognised volunteer work. This is called the ‘activity test’. If your child is in the year before school, if you are on a very low income, or if you are on parental leave, you will not have to pass the activity test to receive some CCS.

Your child will need to meet immunisation requirements and you will need to meet residency requirements to be eligible to receive the CCS.

Try our CCS estimator tool here.

You can also calculate what your out of pocket child care costs will be on the government’s child care subsidy calculator.

If you’ve read this information and you’re still unsure about what you’ll pay, please call us or book a centre tour. We’re happy to answer your questions.

0-2 Babies

• Change of clothes x2
• Hat – sun safe  
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Shoes and Socks
• Comforter – soft toy/ blanket / dummy
• Bottles and milk formula / breast milk
• Blanket / Cot sheets

2-3 Toddlers

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Comforter – for rest time
• Blankets

3-5 Preschoolers  

• Spare underwear
• Change of clothes
• Hat – sun safe
• Shoes and Socks
• Warm clothes / Jacket (for outside play)
• Drink Bottle
• Blankets