Meet The Team
Our team are highly qualified child care professionals. We consider ourselves as educators and dedicate our training to help children in our care to grow and develop through play. We pride ourselves on our level of supervision offering higher staff ratios then what is required under the Childrens Services Regulations.
Our centre overall provides well-balanced, stimulating and educational programs. The staff monitoring each room is responsible for the programming of that room. The programming of activities is a vital part of providing the children at the Centre with a well rounded day that utilises the environment to enhance the children’s development. We value and encourage parents to be involved in the centre’s program. Please feel free to contribute your ideas or skills at any time.
OUR DIRECTOR
Kareena Gale
Kareena Gale is a wife, mother of two and the owner of Spunky Monkey’s Early Learning Centres situated in Penrith, Lemongrove, Bangor, and Cranebrook. For over 15 years, Kareena has had the privilege of partnering with hundreds of families to ensure their children have the best start to their educational journey.
Prior to a move into child care, Kareena was forging a successful career in business development in the pharmaceutical industry. After having her first daughter and being a full-time working mum, child care was a critical element in her life. Understanding a parents’ perspective and deciding to pursue something more meaningful in her career, child care seemed the natural next step. Kareena purchased her first child care centre in 2007 and called it Spunky Monkeys!
Kareena holds a Bachelor of Business, Advanced Diploma in Childrens Services, Diploma in Childrens Services, and Certificate III in Childrens Services.
Her philosophy is that children need to be treated with warmth and respect and that the skills and knowledge learnt in the child’s early years are the foundations for the child’s learning for later years. Kareena encourages two-way communication between families and staff and values parent input to support the education of the children in Spunky Monkeys care. She counts one of her major achievements as developing a fantastic team that are professional, dedicated and truly love working at Spunky Monkeys.
And yes, she wears her pyjamas to the bank when its pyjama day at Spunky Monkeys!
Kareena’s goals for the future are clear; to further develop Spunky Monkeys school readiness program to be leaders in the industry, to work with governments and community sectors to increase the educational content of the early years learning framework and to further train and educate the Spunky Monkeys team so that they will be the inspiration of new entrants into the childcare field.
OUR OPERATIONS MANAGER
Ashlyn Whitford
Ashlyn Whitford is a mother of two, a wife and an early childhood educator. Ashlyn has worked in the sector for over 17 years, having vast experience in all age groups, from little babies all the way to children who are in Before and After School Care.
Ashlyn entered the sector straight out of school completing her Advanced Diploma in Children Services back in 2005. She has worked in the Penrith area for the past 13 years with 9 of those years at Spunky Monkeys. She was the Centre coordinator at our Lemongrove Service before moving into the role of group service manager where she works closely with Kareena to oversee the running of the 4 Spunky Monkeys Services. She has a passion for early childhood education and making sure that the children in our care have access to a top-quality program and resources.
Contact your nearest Spunky Monkeys Centre.
