As they say, if you find a job you love, you never have to work a day in your life.
Imagine having a job where you love going to everyday, that is filled with joy, laughter, love, adventure and fun…
Sounds like a utopian dream? That is what TG's Child Care is like, and we have seven amazing women here who have experienced this joyful way of living, playing and being at TG's.
As we celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th, we want to celebrate these seven beautiful educators who are Playing it Forward with joy and confidence and encouraging others to do the same.
The Magic of TG's
TG's Child Care is one of Australia's leading early learning preschool. kindergarten and long day care provider for children 6 weeks to 6 years old. They are well-known and trusted by families since 1999 for their high quality education services.
What makes TG's stand out and so well-loved in each community they are growing in is their beautiful philosophy of Playing is Learning for Life. Everything they do at TG's is built on their three foundation stones of Building Relationships, Understanding Gifts and Collective Thinking, affectionately known as the TG's Way, all of which create a unique culture of love, trust, respect, compassion and fun where children love to learn and are eager to come to every day. And it is not just the children who love coming here. It is the educators who are also delighted to come through TG's doors and gardens every morning!
It is quite an impressive feat to create a workspace that is supportive of women, that is joyous and loving to be in, and which allows for a healthy balance between one´s professional and personal life.
The modern woman often finds herself in a quandary of having to give up a career to build a family, and if they do continue with a career, they are stretched thin in trying to be a Superwoman in all areas to everyone.
That is why modern families love and appreciate TG's and what they do. TG's lovingly steps in to support families to nurture their children, so women can continue with a career guilt-free and feeling relieved, knowing their children are in good hands and thriving each day.
TG's does not take over the role of parenting - if anything, they actively involve families in their children's growth, milestones and development. Each child finds in TG's an extended family that is safe, loving and fun.
What some people may not know is that there are TG's children who have loved TG's so much they eventually returned to TG's as adults to work as educators, and there are others who started off as TG's parents and who were so convinced of TG's magic they signed on to become TG's educators! This is a big stamp of approval of how TG's is doing it right, and everyone just cannot get enough of TG's!
We want to introduce you to the seven special women at TG's who are examples of how one can take on several roles and enjoy every challenge and opportunity each role brings.
Because of the support and nurturing respectful environment at TG's, these women can be mothers, wives, educators, teammates, friends and grow in all these roles without sacrificing one for the other. And the beauty of it all is how they play each role with joy, energy and confidence, and how they nurture and support one another to keep growing their gifts and give back to the community.
Meg Barnden-Hyde - Growing Gifts in her Gardens
Meg dreams of having a field of beautiful flowers of every single colour and variety on her property one day. While that is in the pipeline, she has been busy growing and nurturing her team of educators and the children under her care at TG's.
As Centre Manager, Meg sets the standard for high professionalism for her team and all they do. What Meg tells her team of educators is how each of their unique gifts makes a difference to children and families. Everyone matters and has a voice that is heard.
Educators lovingly respect and support each other on the team and they are all different flowers in the same garden. This is what makes TG's a beautiful place to work. TG's is flexible in accommodating what educators need, be it their family or professional development.
Meg encourages each educator to reach their fullest potential and she is the first to be the supportive role model with her creative ideas. Meg is ready for some fun with the children and she can also be the rock solid presence educators turn to for guidance. Meg loves being a Mother Hen not just to the children but also to her team of educators.
Meg gives it her all at TG's and also in her own home where she is kept busy with her three children Travis, Maddison and Amber. Her children love sports and have very full lives training and playing. Meg is there to take part in their excitement and sporting milestones and she gets to share in their pride when they tackle a challenging technique or score a goal. Her home life is rich with exploring New England's fine food and wine with family and friends and you can almost always find her in one of the local cafes having a good laugh with friends.
Meg has grown as part of TG's Family for over ten years now and it is through the support of women like Gayle Kee, owner of TG's Child Care that she has developed her professional potential while also enjoying her personal family life. Meg sees it as her responsibility now to give back her knowledge and gifts to her team of educators where each and every one of them is a leader ready to bloom under her nurturing care.
Bron Byers - Being a Mum Never Stops
Bron is a key example of how with the support of one's community, women can grow and achieve so much while still engaging fully in their roles in their personal lives.
She started at TG's interestingly enough, as a parent! So she had the privilege of seeing TG's from another point of view and she was so convinced of what TG's is doing that she was inspired to join TG's as an educator. She has experienced first-hand as a parent how TG's made a difference in her child's early years with the quality care and education they received. She saw how her child's growth, development and learning were supported through play and the joy TG's inspired in her child to discover new things every day. Playing is Learning for Life for the children and it has even influenced Bron as a parent as she fully signed on to continue Playing is Learning for Life as an educator, and then team leader and now centre manager at Uralla!
TG's is a special place for Bron. It is where relationships are built and nurtured and every one's gifts are appreciated and encouraged to develop. To top it off, every day at work Bron is showered with smiles, laughter and hugs from the children.
For Bron, she does not stop being a mother the minute she steps into TG's. She becomes a second mother to all the children! Whether it is the children or her educators, staying curious to their needs and listening to them is a way to show they matter and are appreciated.
What Bron has received from the educators as a parent, she is now giving back to the children and her team of educators under her wing.
Toni-Lee Paine - Excelling with Fun
Toni-Lee is highly passionate about what she does and she has dedicated herself to the childcare industry for 22 years.
Her career with TG's began in May 2017, when she started as a Preschool Room Early Childhood Educator. It did not take her long to move into her Centre Manager role in October of the same year. Toni-lee thrives on growing and challenging herself and as someone who always welcomes opportunities as gifts, she never says no to a challenge!
What makes her passionate about her work is she gets to not just be a part of young children's lives but also to make a difference to their learning journey. It is a rewarding feeling to be able to create a curriculum that provides opportunities for building relationships, supporting each child's unique growth and development and allows them to identify their own superpowers, strengths and gifts.
As Centre Manager, Toni-Lee is always on hand to support each child, family and her team of educators. Striving for excellence while having oodles of fun along the way is what drives her enthusiasm everyday at TG's!
Linda Hutchison - Our Gifts Make a Difference
A core value Linda goes by is giving away what one has received. Education is a two-way street. So for her, children are her world and her teachers. The more she learns about them and from them, the more she can also give back to them to create activities that nurture their development, celebrate their milestones and make TG's feel like a second home. This is where they feel welcome, loved, respected and listened to. This is a safe and secure place for them to learn and grow.
She leads her team with an important value - their gifts make a difference to children and families. What attracted her to TG's is how it has a family oriented feel to it, and this extends to the educators as well.
The TG's team work together and play together. Educators are highly supportive of each other and they genuinely care for the growth and development of everyone on their team. As women, they are aware of the challenges they face in multiple roles in the professional and personal spheres, and are quick to step in and step up to lift each other. When they work together as a team and understand each other´s gifts, each day becomes a joy to share together.
Giving each other the opportunity to grow and shine is how every single educator feels appreciated and valued and want to stay on at TG's.
On home grounds, Linda's time revolves around motor bikes, the beach, sports with her three boys and partner. She also enjoys her girly time with her sisters and friends on fun, pampering dates and coffee chats. When work feels like home, one gets energised going to work, leaving plenty of spirit to enjoy one's leisure time with family and friends!
Crystal Majeski - Celebrating Everyone
Crystal recalls meeting TG's educators for the first time when she moved to join TG's Hastings Street in 2013. She was struck by how much fun they were having and how warm and welcoming they were towards her even though she was so new. It was then that she knew this was right where she needed to be.
She has not looked back since then and has moved on through her professional challenges of being Team Leader, Educational Leader and now Centre Manager, first in High Street in 2018 and then in Riverbreeze in 2019.
Crystal's daughter is also part of the TG's Family and as parent and educator, Crystal can see the beautiful changes in her child growing up with TG's values. She comes home everyday with amazing stories of TG's adventures and Crystal knows her daughter is celebrated and loved through her days at TG's.
Every single educator is passionate and loving, and everyone puts the TG's philosophy into practice. They understand the standards and expectations and strive to go that extra mile for the children and families.
Paddling the canoe together is what she does every day with her team of educators - each educator feels their voice is heard and welcomed, they are free to share their experiences and are supported to grow their gifts. Everyone is celebrated here! For Crystal, Playing is Learning for Life does not stop when she steps out of TG's. She is currently landscaping her home so every day is filled with muddy adventures, butterfly hunts and exploring nature.
Nature is a key element at TG's - it is where children's learning is ignited and they are free to explore and investigate!
Alicia Moody - Everyone is Doing their Best with Joy
Joy is something that is cyclical at TG's and when you meet Alicia you will understand how joy can be easily multiplied across TG's playspaces and rooms.
Quality-time with her family is what brings joy to Alicia, and it is something she has been gifted with since she was a child.
With a beautiful store of family memories from her childhood, and creating beautiful new memories with her own family now, Alicia brings the same loving quality when she goes to TG's every single day. The children and the educators are the people she shares her joy with at TG's and for Alicia, TG's is home, not a place of work.
Alicia has spent the past 19 years working in Early Childhood and this is her bliss, supporting children, families and the local community. She feels rich in what she does because every child she meets is a unique universe in themselves. It is what drives her to connect with each child and build a relationship with them coming from a place of love, respect and curiosity to hear about their experiences and interests.
Many will agree that TG's magic comes from it being a family-owned and operated service with hands-on owners. Everyone is nurtured at TG's, and a lot of support is given to each person's learning journey. The educators´ development is as important as that of the children. Alicia has been given the opportunity to develop her own leadership role and expand her career, and now she is doing the same to help her team of educators grow.
In a place where educators feel heard, valued, respected and cared for, it is no wonder that they see going to TG's as going in to a loving home. It is a clear validation of the loving culture at TG's that welcomes equal opportunities for everyone.
Laura Mowle - Growing through Challenges
Meeting challenges is not something new to Laura. When she first started at TG's, she took on all the opportunities given to her with passion and energy. For her, every challenge was a privilege and an opportunity to learn, grow, change and shine. She was and still is, always ready to take on board something new. Whether it was engaging in meaningful and fun experiences with children and planning their new experiences or creating a clean, safe and welcoming environment that were compliant with policies and procedures, Laura was hungry to keep learning more.
Her career milestone was joining the TG's Family at their first centre in Armidale in 2010. She then relocated to TG's Wauchope in 2013 as Team Leader and Educational Leader. This was a big decision for Laura, because it meant relocating and heading to the coast. She took to her role as Team Leader and Educational Leader like a fish to water. As Team Leader, she could mentor and guide her colleagues to their fullest potential.
As they say, stagnant water is not safe to drink, and remaining in her comfort zone was not Laura's way of being. She is always passionate and enthusiastic to keep growing and learning. She studied for her Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood in that same year and from there, she transitioned to Centre Manager at TG's High Street in 2016.
Laura plays her leadership role with love, kindness and respect to her team of educators just as she does to the children at TG's. By encouraging educators to share their gifts, be a part of collective thinking and build trust, educators feel trusted to provide high quality education and care experiences that meet TG's standards and expectations.
Since becoming Area Manager for Wauchope in 2020, Laura continues to strive to provide high quality standards with her team and she takes on opportunities with pride, interest and curiosity. She challenges her team to pursue their gifts and she welcomes new responsibilities to nurture her knowledge and skills.
Laura does not take what she has been given for granted. She continues to stay curious and meet challenges in her career. What she wants is to continue to share her deep love, joy, happiness and satisfaction working in Early Childhood with everyone. She is always working towards stretching her personal development, incorporating her colleagues' support and understanding and strengthening herself as a leader, mentor to be the best she can be for her team, families and the community.
'Give it a go' is what Laura says to herself and her team. It is a way to embrace all opportunities with interest and curiosity. Every opportunity is a gift. It is a chance to grow as an individual and shine as a leader.
Choose To Challenge
Every day, each of us can #ChooseToChallenge and find opportunities to grow and shine in our personal and professional spheres. Having a supportive community and environment makes a big difference to helping women explore and appreciate their gifts and share them with the world. There is much we can learn from children, who are challenging themselves every single day as they explore and make discoveries, and making choices as they learn and grow.
On this year's International Women's Day, let us come together to support women to share their gifts and shine as leaders in their own right.
TG's Child Care locations and contact details:
Uralla
+61 (02) 6778 3369 | uralla@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/uralla
23B John St, Uralla NSW 2358
Urangan
+61 (07) 4184 2282 | urangan@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/urangan
61 Miller St, Urangan, QLD 4655
Armidale
+61 (02) 6772 7810 | armidale@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/armidale
11 Samuelson Crescent, Armidale NSW 2350
Wauchope - Hastings St
+61 (02) 6585 1033 | HastingsStreet@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/wauchope-hastings-st
33B Hastings St, Wauchope NSW 2446
Wauchope - High St
+61 (02) 6585 3331 | HighStreet@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/wauchope-high-st
223A High St, Wauchope NSW 2446
Wauchope - Riverbreeze
+61 (02) 6585 2981 | riverbreeze@tgschildcare.com.au | tgschildcare.com.au/wauchope-riverbreeze
3 Riverbreeze Drive, Wauchope NSW 2446
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