CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

It’s International Women's Day and we are celebrating all the women who are part of the Orchard ELC Tribe!

As a sector with a predominately female workforce we recognise that there is still much work to be done in terms of women’s equality. But we also want to celebrate how far women have come!

To celebrate international women’s day we are featuring some of our wonderful female team members!
These are just a few of the amazing women who form part of Orchard ELC and make it the beautiful place for children and families that it is.

Danielle Gallacher
General Manager Orchard ELC

Danielle has held leadership roles in governmental and educational organisations for over 30 years. As our general manager she oversees all the Orchard ELC services and continues to inspire her team to think big!

She also holds a Masters of Psychotherapy and has written 5 books on paddock to plate philosophy.

Danielle is a mum of two, enjoys cooking and loves having friends over for a dinner party! She is also passionate about interior design, travel and music (she plays the cello, saxophone, viola and double base).

Samara
Educational Leader St Ives

Samara has been working in early childhood education for over 22 years!

She’s very passionate about teaching children and creating an environment that fosters learning.

In her spare time she loves going to the beach and also enjoys hiking in nature. Samara is a dog-lover and will say hi to every dog she passes. She doesn’t have a dog yet, but is very much hoping to get one soon!

Tawnya Bahr
Group Executive Chef

Tawnya Bahr is a leading food expert, executive chef, mum of two and founding partner of Straight To The Source, a food podcast and food consulting organisation.

She has over 23 years of experience in the food industry and has received multiple recognitions for her amazing work.

Tawnya is passionate about sharing her knowledge of the local and global food landscape. As our group executive chef she acts as a consultant to our in-house chefs and is the mind behind all our delicious seasonal menus. Tawnya is an integral part of our paddock to plate philosophy!

Sanjida
Early Learners Room Leader St Ives

As our Early Learners Room Leader, Sanjida creates a beautiful learning experience for the children in her care.

She’s very passionate about her work in early childhood education and the impact this critical time has on a child’s future.

Sanjida is a mum of two who loves reading and passionately spends her spare time with books! She also very much likes to bake and cook!

Jessi
Director Forestville

Jessi will be our new Forestville director when the service opens later this year.

She has 14 years of experience working in the childcare sector and is passionate about creating educational foundations for lifelong learning. As a mum herself, she knows how important it is to provide the very best care for children and loves
seeing them thrive and grow!

Her most favourite thing to do in her spare time is to spend it with her family, especially her 1-year old son Lenny! Jessi also loves spending her weekends at her local beach & catching up with her friends.

Maryann
Discoverers Room Leader St Ives

Maryann has worked in early childhood education for over 30 years!

Her extensive experience ranges across all early learning age groups and she believes that children need plenty of time to play, interact with the natural world and construct knowledge.

Maryann creates active learning environments that invite children to explore at their own pace and gain confidence.

Siwani
Explorers Team Leader Kirrawee

Siwani is our team leader on the nursery floor in Kirrawee. She’s been working in early childhood since 3.5 years and has a passion for inspiring children to learn from a young age!

Siwani holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration, however, since starting to work in the early childhood sector her passion for early learning and child development has grown stronger day by day.

Another passion of hers is travel. She loves seeing the world and exploring new cultures. In her spare time she also loves spending time with family.

Justine
Nature Leader Kirrawee

Justine has been an integral part of the Orchard ELC tribe since we opened our Kirrawee service over 4 years ago.

She is a creative through and through and has continued to inspire both adults and children over the years with her creativity and passion for nature!

She constantly amazes us with her innovative ways of integrating nature with learning experiences for children!