Tasmanian Early Years Foundation

Inaugural Achievemment Awards Presentation

2008

COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

 Winners- Val Stephens and John Stephens (of Prospect)

 Val and John have been registered Family Day Carers for 22 years.  They have also been temporary foster parents and have had active community participation in many children’s sporting organisations. Val and John’s share a wonderful understanding of children following a philosophy to create an atmosphere where children are made to feel special and their sense of self is nurtured and nourished to create a positive, fun filled environment. Val and John also provide a mentoring role, volunteering their time as student supervisors. Val and John have shown an outstanding commitment to the well being, development and learning of young children and their families over a long period.

Highly Commended Trish McMillan (of Hobart)

 Trish has had a role with playgroups for the last 20 years. Trish is also a foster mother and provides respite care for a child on a fortnightly basis. Trish is the Playtime Coordinator in the Derwent Valley for Mission Australia and she is also the Playgroup Coordinator for Molesworth Primary School and a Girl Guide leader.  Trish visits isolated, disadvantaged families with young children and runs and organises playgroups during school holidays. Trish also delivers the Lets Read Program in the Derwent Valley and holds parent information sessions to develop community awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy.

Highly Commended - Gail Evans (of Kingston)

Accepted by Gail's daughter Toni

Gail has been working with families with babies and young children for the past 12 years.  Many of the families Gail has worked with have experienced complex needs. Gail established Our Special Kids, a support group for parents with children with challenging behaviours. Gail has also facilitated a range of parenting programs and provided home visiting outreach to young families. Gail is currently a Coordinator with the Good Beginnings Volunteer Home Visiting and Family Support Program where she supervises 30 training volunteer community parents, supports newly arrived migrants and refugee parents and their babies, coordinates a hospital visiting program for new mums and continues home visiting families experiencing complex needs.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

 Clara has worked in the early years sector in the George Town community for sixteen years, supporting young children and their families. Clara is a member of the George Town Early Years Committee, responsible for Tiny Tots on Show and Let’s Read. Clara’s early years literacy work has identified her as a leader in this field and she is currently a Literacy Coach and  First Steps Speaking and Listening Facilitator for Learning Services North. She has recently initiated an Infants Aquatics Program and the Aboriginal Early Years Project. Clara is a Pre Kinder Advanced Skills Teacher at Port Dalrymple School as well as the Early Years Coordinator of the Junior School.

Highly Commended - Merrin Pike (of Claremont)

 Merrin has worked in the early years sector for nine years. Merrin, a trained teacher, supports other teachers and paraprofessionals from other Launching into Learning schools and has initiated new programs in response to the needs of children and parents in her area. Some of the programs that she has initiated include:

·         Little Ones Book Buddies where children are paired with older students who read stories to them;

·         Let’s have Fun Out which provides regular sessions out of the school environment to a variety of community organisations; and

·         Dad’s Night which recognises the need to provide support for dads as well as mums.

Merrin is currently the coordinator and facilitator of Little Footprints Early Learning Centre based at Mt Faulkner Primary School.

Highly Commended - Norma Panagakos (of West Moonah)

 Norma had a change of career, undertaking a Bachelor of Teaching in 1998, and has been working with children for the last 8 years. Norma developed a parallel kindergarten program at the Friend’s School and went on to establish the New Horizons Pre School Learning Centre. As the Director of the Centre, Norma is a dedicated trainer to her staff and bases her work on the Reggio Emilia Philosophy and an inquiry based curriculum. One of the initiatives at New Horizons is a conservation program teaching about creating a greener environment. Norma’s dream is to create a one-stop-shop concept for early childhood health, wellbeing and education.

INSPIRATIONAL CHAMPION FOR THE EARLY YEARS AWARD

Winner - Suzanne Purdon (of Sandy Bay)

Suzanne, an early years educator, has achieved significant outcomes with communities, family and individuals across Tasmania building increased social capital and enhanced life opportunities for children and parents.  Some of Suzanne’s achievements include:

·         Initiating and developing the b4 concept at Herdsman’s Cove Primary School and now across 5 primary schools in the Brighton municipality;

·         Initiating and coordinating the ‘Walk of Wonder’ in 2006 and 2007, a project that aimed to market the importance of the early years to the Brighton Municipality; and

·         Initiating, planning and launching the ‘Adopt a Patch’ project at the local nursery.

Suzanne is currently the Network Leader of the South East schools in the Launching into Learning program facilitating and supporting schools to provide high quality early years programs for their local community families.

Highly Commended - Rowena Wilkinson (of Hobart)

Rowena has worked in the education sector for more than 28 years and has developed a strong focus on working inclusively with young children with disabilities and their families.  Rowena's leadership strengths are based on strong and positive working relationships with families and colleagues across sectors.  Rowena is currently the State Coordinator Early Childhood Intervention Service and is President of the Tasmanian Chapter of Early Childhood Intervention Australia.

Highly Commended - Tracey Bradley (of Burnie)

Tracey has been an advocate of children and their families during a career in early childhood services spanning 24 years. Tracey’s achievements include:

·         the establishment of 9 after school care programs on school sites across Burnie and Wynyard;

·         the development and implementation of the ‘Burnie Parent Pack’; and

·         the establishment of Milpara Early Learning Centre at Burnie Primary School.

Tracey is currently the Director of Community Services for the Waratah-Wynyard Council and was recently appointed the Chairman of the Minister’s Child Care Advisory Council.

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