Meet the Team.
Kathryn Gray
- Teacher
We are so fortunate to call Mrs Kathryn Gray the fearless leader of our special place in the bush.
Kathryn found her passion for Early Childhood early in her career, recognising that as a Kindergarten teacher, she has the unique opportunity to truly develop curiosity, wonder and a real love of learning within a child’s first years of schooling. She has a Bachelor of Education from Edith Cowan University specialising in Early Childhood Education and has taught in a variety of school settings in many different year levels from Kindy to Year 3.
She sees the world as such a big, interesting, amazing place for these young children and believes that allowing them to explore, imagine, and create within the environment is a valuable and meaningful way to learn. For Kathryn, each child is viewed as unique and special with their own talents, interests and capabilities, learning and developing at their own pace in their own way. She aims to foster this uniqueness and individuality by providing an environment and experiences that enable them to be creative, and reach their own potential. All children are given the opportunity to succeed in an engaging environment through hands-on, developmentally appropriate and open-ended experiences.
Play forms an important part of the learning she creates and is vital for their development. Children are provided with a range of interesting, challenging and engaging play areas including pretend play, constructive play, loose parts play, nature play and physical play. Kathryn is passionate about teaching children about Australian Aboriginal culture and history. She feels it is so important that we instil respect and appreciation for our Aboriginal people in the future generation of children. It is a beautiful culture that is celebrated and respected at our Kindergarten. She embeds Aboriginal culture and learning into their everyday program through language, stories, music, art and songs.
Kathryn says that Glen Forrest Community Kindy is her dream job and feels so lucky to be able to work in such a beautiful space, with such a supportive community.
Safe to say, we feel like the lucky ones to have her guide and teach our children!
Charlotte Davey
- Teacher
Charlotte is a passionate and dedicated Kindy teacher at Glen Forrest Community Kindy. With a deep-rooted love for science and a strong commitment to environmental education, she is devoted to nurturing young minds and teaching them how to care for the world around them.
Charlotte’s science background and diverse career gives her unique perspective. She initially studied marine science and tourism to pursue her love for the natural world and its intricate ecosystems. Charlotte developed a passion for education as a tour guide at renowned establishments such as AQWA, Perth Zoo, and Perth Wildlife Encounters. This led her to complete a Diploma of Education, equipping her with the necessary skills to excel as an educator.
Charlotte believes that children learn best through engaging, play-based experiences that spark their imagination and encourage exploration. She understands the importance of creating a nurturing and inclusive environment that fosters a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world and encourages children to explore and grow.
Being a local resident herself, Charlotte feels a deep connection and commitment to the Glen Forrest community. Her twin boys attended the Kindy in 2022.
Veronica Beerkens
- Education Assistant
Mrs Veronica Beerkens is our outstanding Education Assistant!
We are lucky enough to be greeted by her happy smile and infectious energy every morning at Glen Forrest Community Kindy where she has been a part of the amazing teaching team alongside Mrs Kathryn Gray since 2020.
Veronica is a fun, energetic and enthusiastic educator with a passion for early childhood education. She has a kind and compassionate nature and is dedicated to giving her students the opportunities to reach their potential through hands-on, meaningful and fun experiences.
Veronica says her goal is to provide a safe, fun environment to help the children transition emotionally and socially from home to school. She aims to develop a love of learning that they can take with them to full-time schooling. To this end, there isn’t much she won’t do! Mrs Beerkens is known to be a little bit silly and a little bit crazy at times, which makes learning at Glen Forrest Community Kindergarten a whole lot more fun!
Veronica believes that wonder and awe should be a part of everyone’s childhood and this is something she tries to create for the children every day at Kindy.
Her motto is – every day is a good day at Kindy! And it truly is when Mrs Beerkens is around!