Meet The Staff
The Range Community Kindergarten is committed to offering quality early years education.
Laura Knock
Early Childhood Teacher
Educational Leader
Laura holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Human Services and has been a Kindy teacher for over ten years. Laura is a calm teacher who enjoys connecting with children through storytelling, music and in nature. Laura takes pride in establishing strong relationships with children and families and is proud to be part of the Range community once again.
Leah Herrick
Early Childhood Teacher
Leah has worked in the Early Childhood Sector since 2001 and has been working as a Kindergarten teacher since completing her Bachelor degree in 2015. Leah has always had a passion for working with children and loves supporting their learning through both indoor and outdoor experiences by supporting their development through hands on, meaningful experiences. She is also a proud mum to two beautiful boys aged five and three, who keep life fun and busy.
Lyndi Bond
Educator
Lyndi Bond holds a Certificate III in Children's Services. Each day, Lyndi brings joy, warmth and creativity to our kindy. She especially enjoys sharing nature with the children outdoors.
Having been with The Range Kindy since 2004, Lyndi not only has a deep understanding of The Range Kindy, but is also well known and appreciated by the local families.
Karina McKeeken
Educator
Karina holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and brings over 31 years of experience in early childhood education within local Community Kindergartens. Karina was raised in the Nambour district and has lived locally in Dulong since 2000.
Karina is passionate about supporting children to learn through play, at their own pace, in a calm and nurturing environment. Encouraging children’s curiosity and helping them turn their ideas into action is a highlight of her work.
Hannah Smith
Educator
Hannah holds a Master of Teaching and a Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching. Having taught in primary and secondary settings, Hannah has come to understand the value of moving slowly in the early years, appreciating the present moment, encouraging unhurried play and routines, leaving time to wonder and being attentive to the pace and rhythm of children. Hannah is also deeply passionate about children’s literature and believes it to be a powerful tool for developing understanding about the world around us, as well as working through tricky concepts and big ideas.
Kim Palmer
Service Manager
Administrator
Kim has worked in the early childhood sector in varying roles for 20 years, including working within community kindergartens on the Sunshine Coast over the past decade. She thoroughly enjoys her work of supporting & building relationships with all the Children, Families, Committees and most importantly, with the Teaching team, working together to provide a high quality kindergarten program.
Kristina Lewis
Bookkeeper
Kris started working at the Range Kindy in 2012. In addition to being a whiz with the finances, she has a deep understanding of community kindergarten operations thanks to her employment at two other community kindergartens and past committee roles as a kindy mum.
Our staff are continuously undertaking further professional training and development courses and all staff hold up-to-date First Aid certificates of which the CPR component is updated every 12 months. As required by the Queensland Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, all staff hold a current Suitability Card for Child Related Employment ("Blue Card").