17

Our Team

At Maitland Community Preschool, we’re fortunate to have a wonderful team of highly qualified and experienced educators and administrative staff. As a not-for-profit service, we’re able to focus on investing in our staff, ensuring we recruit and maintain a passionate team of individuals who are knowledgeable about early childhood education. Many of our staff members have been with us for a long time, and we truly appreciate the diverse skills, knowledge, and interests they bring to our preschool.

The Importance of Continuity of Care

We place great importance on providing continuity of care, which helps us build strong and lasting relationships with our families. Many of our families have been with us for years, and it’s not unusual for us to see multiple generations of the same family pass through our doors. This long-term connection is something we treasure and take pride in.

Celebrating Milestones in Service

We are also proud to celebrate the incredible milestones of our staff. Some recent milestones include:

  • Sally-Anne celebrating 20 years of service
  • Kelly reaching 15 years of service
  • Melissa and Claire both celebrating 10 years of service
  • And a huge milestone for Kay, who has been with us for over 35 years!

These long service milestones reflect the commitment, passion, and dedication of our team. We are so grateful for their hard work and for the positive impact they have had on the children and families at Maitland Community Preschool.

Group photo - Pd Day 2025

Director

Emily Woodger

Director / Nominated Supervisor
Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education), Diploma of Children's Services (Early Childhood Education and Care), Cert III in Children's Services (Chidren's Services)

Director 5 days per week (Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri)

Teachers

(Degree Trained)

Melissa Chalker

Disability and Inclusion Program Co-Ordinator / Teacher
Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education); Diploma of Community Services (Children's Services); Cert 111 Community Services (Children's Services)

Mel joined our team in 2014 and is our Wed/Thu/Fri Teacher.

Jessica Petherbridge

Teacher
Bachelor of Teaching / Bachelor Early Childhood Studies

Jess joined our team in 2021 and is our Mon/Tue Teacher.

Dannielle Bullock

Educational Leader / Teacher
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and Care

Dannielle has been working for Maitland Community Preschool since 2020. She is our Mon/Tue/Wed & Thu/Fri Teacher.

Educators

Kay Hipwell

Administration Assistant / Maintenance Officer
Kay is one of the longest standing staff members at preschool, having worked here since 1987. Kay performs a range of roles daily, including support educator, admin assistant, and maintainence co-ordinator

Sally-Anne Fitzpatrick

Educator
Diploma in Children's Services; Cert III Children's Services.

Sal has worked at preschool in various capacities since 2004. Currently, she works Mon/Tue, as a primary classroom educator.

Kelly Worboys

Educator
Diploma of Children's Services (Early Childhood Education and Care); Cert III Children's Services.

Kelly has been employed by Maitland Community Preschool since 2010. Currently, she works Mon/Tue/Wed, as a primary classroom educator

Katrina Baker

Educator
Associate Diploma in Social Science (Child Studies)

Katrina joined our team in 2018, and is a primary classroom educator on a Thu/Fri

Claire Watson

Educator
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care; Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Claire joined our team as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator in 2015. She works on a Wed/Thu/Fri as a primary classroom educator

Sally Morris

Educator
Associate Diploma in Social Science (Child Studies)

Sally has worked for us in a variety of roles since 2010. She is currently working as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator on a Mon/Tue

Mandy Innes

Educator
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Mandy joined our team as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator and works on a Mon/Tue/Wed

Stana Maslin

Educator
Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Stana joined out team as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator and works Wed/Thu/Fri

Belinda Steinerts

Educator
Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Belinda joined our team as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator and works Mon-Fri

Lauren Watson

Educator
Cert III in Early Childhood Education and Care

Lauren joined our team as a Disability and Inclusion Support Educator and relief educator and works Mon-Fri

Kristy-Lee Stocks

Educator
Diploma of Children Services

Kristy joined our team as a Disability Inclusion Support and relief educator and works on a Thu/Fri

Office Staff

Karla Macey

Administration Officer
Diploma of Human Resource Management; Diploma of Business

Karla has been employed by Maitland Community Preschool since 2022 and is our Administration Officer. She works Mon-Fri.